Can I get a job in CA if I go to a out of state school?

perioddrama · Jun 14, 2013

In this competitive market, you may or you may not. I have noticed that some hospitals are putting prefer graduates from x,y,z or graduates from a certain county.

benegesserit · Jun 14, 2013

The job market in the Bay Area is one of the most competitive in the country. I would definitely not count on getting a job there as a new grad from out of the area.

gunrock · Jun 15, 2013

I went to school on the east coast and I know and there were TONS of California people (myself included). They all got jobs in California, although some took longer than others.

ursuscalifornia · Jun 15, 2013

I went to school on the East Coast but got a job in the Sacramento area (forget the bay area). It took me 6 mths, and the only reason I got it was because I had some contacts. It's not impossible, but it's definitely hard. If I were you I'd stick in NV or AZ to get a little experience. It sounds like you already have roots in those two states so might as well start getting the experience earlier than later. California will still be here when you're done.

mclennan, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2013

After you pass NCLEX you can obtain a license in any state in the country. Doesn't mean you'll magically just get a job in that state.

I'd avoid the Bay Area if I were you. Won't be jobs there for new grads for a long, long time.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jun 15, 2013

Technically, yes. As long as you have a valid CA license you can get a job in CA regardless of where you went to school.

Reality: in-state new grads are having a difficult time as it is getting a job here...and being an out-of-state new grad may put you at an disadvantage as you probably don't have any contacts, networking, or boosts (such as being an internal employee or doing clinicals at a local facility) to help you get your foot in the door. And to be honest, networking, contacts, being an internal employee...all that isn't really helping local new grads anyway because there's just too many new grads with them.

Those new grads that are finding work are taking an average of 6-12 months or more to land something. It's not impossible, but very very difficult.

I wouldn't move out to CA unless you have an official job offer in hand or have the family/money to support a CA lifestyle while you search.

gunrock · Jun 17, 2013

Isn't there a statistic that says somewhere around 48% of new grads in California are are still unemployed at 18months after graduation. Pretty depressing.