Can't find a job

[bigmona]

I have to vent! I'm getting very frustrated with the whole job search thing. I graduated in December from a top ten school with my BSN. I have another degree in psych. I was in the nursing honors society. I have good volunteer experience, decent Spanish speaking skills and am soooo eager to learn and work hard. I enjoyed almost all of my clinicals and would be willing to take a job on practically any unit.

I have attended career fairs, spoken with recruiters, handed in my resume, mailed resumes and cover letters to recruiters, called recruiters, etc etc etc. I have applied for many jobs online and not a single one has returned a call or email.

I don't understand why no one is biting. I just moved to Philadelphia and put off looking for a job for a little longer than my new grad friends because I'm getting married in 2 weeks and I wasn't sure where I'd be living after graduation. But I've passed my boards and am ready!! And I've been looking and just don't know where else to go with this. All my friends from school already have jobs and I feel totally left out and not sure why I'm still unemployed.

I'm not really looking for advice- though if you have some, that'd be great. I just wanted to vent and see if any other new grads are having similar difficulties.

jen

[twinmommy+2, ADN, BSN, MSN]

I would say keep at it. If they say there are no positions now, ask them when. They probably have a good idea what times of the year they usually need more people.

[TexasPediRN]

Some hospitals in Phili have a new grad program. Ask to speak to the nurse recruiter and see when their new grad program starts. CHOP and Jefferson are 2 hospitals that some of my classmates went to work at. I beleive they all got their jobs through the hospitals graduate nurse program.

Good luck!

Also, make sure your resume is correct, no spelling errors, etc. And always follow up with a phone call letting them know you are still interested!

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

Couple of things. Even though you've applied online you can't just sit back and wait for an e-mail or a phone call. After a week it is quite appropriate to follow up with a phone call to the nurse recruiter. Get an idea of when you can expect to hear from them, mark it on a calendar and call them again if you haven't heard by then. Some places deliberately wait for calls from applicants to see just who is eager about getting a job.

Second, I wouldn't bring up anything about wedding or vacation plans unless they ask. You need to have a plausible reason for why you haven't worked since graduation and getting your license.

Whenever I moved to a new town I got a list of hospitals and a map. I started locating hospitals in relation to where I lived and each day I put an application in to the closest hospitals and worked my way farther out on the map. You can get a list of hospitals from the state hospital association. With a BSN you really shouldn't have a problem getting interviews.

[MyReign1]

Definately follow up with a phone call. I did the very thing at one hospital, comes to find out they had misplaced my app. The recruiter was so happy that I had called that, the day I interviewed, I was offered the job on the spot. Good Luck!!

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

There are facilities other than hospitals that would hire you instantly. Nursing homes, rehab, hospice, sub-acute, outpatient clinics, and home health agencies would certainly pick you up. If you have limited your job search only to the hospitals, my very friendly suggestion is to broaden your search to include these other areas. Good luck!