Cant get first travel nursing assignment

NedRN · Jul 22, 2012

Why did you give notice with no job in hand? You can always back down and ask to continue your lease and keep your perm position until conditions improve.

You will lose out on those short notice jobs unless you are willing to leave your perm job without two weeks notice, or quit now.

I'm also puzzled by the Mass license statement. Were you planning on only one state to travel to? If so, consider a perm position in Mass - Mass pay will be better for perm than for travel typically (common in union states).

Unless you have signed up with 2 very large agencies, you need to expand your agency selection. No two agencies have access to all the assignments out there so you are missing out. If you really want to travel, don't limit yourself to certain locations. Rather, put them on your bucket list to be done during your travel career when they become available.

Consider carefully all assignments that are offered to you, even if they are less than ideal. Right now, you are competing not only with nurses with more experience, but even more importantly, travel experience. Agencies and hospitals know that new travelers are much more likely to fail expectations to hit the ground running. So they will give preference to seasoned travelers with a history of successfully completed assignments. Getting any assignment completed will improve your marketability.

louisa1 · Jul 22, 2012

I wanted to give my landlord a heads up because every position that I qualified for wanted me there in two weeks. Every month I'm not living in my apartment I would still have to pay that months rent until he found another tenant. I hoped that i would get a job offer and he would rent the place out quickly so I could avoid paying rent somewhere I don't live.

Because the licenses are so expensive I only got one for Mass because I wanted to live in Boston. After getting the license and no acceptable job offers I expanded to other states where I could get a quick license.Since then I haven't gotten an interview anywhere.

I was originally with 4 agencies but two of them became unreliable and that's why a majority of my searching for a travel nursing job has been with two. I was just curious to know if having this much difficulty finding my first assignment is normal.

ukjenn231 · Jul 23, 2012

It probably took me 3-4 weeks to find a travel assignment the first time. I signed up with four agencies and had a compact license because I live in Kentucky, and a Florida license. I had less than two years experience though, which was a hurdle. It was very stressful though, I don't really like the job search process!

sweetgurly25 · Jul 23, 2012

yes the first one is hard. I have been looking since april i got a job in may then it was cancelled. I just got offered my first assignment early this month. I have been looking since may for this one. Usually after your first they will start pouring. hang in there

medicalstaffingsol · Jul 23, 2012

I am currently a tele nurse of 2.5 yrs and hold a permanent tele job.I am having a hard time finding my first assignment and wanted to know if anyone else was having the same issue.I am working with 2 agencies and have my mass license but for the past 1.5 mo have not been able to get anything.Two places wanted me there in a 1.5weeks and the rest weren't interested. I had to give my landlord notice because I would be breaking my lease and am starting to get nervous I wont find anything. I have even tried DC,VA,MD. Anyone have any advice?

We agree with NedRN! You shouldnt limit yourself to just a couple agencies. We have tons of places for you to choose from! You could contact us if you were interested in seeing what we have available for you!

Goobstress · Jul 23, 2012

Google absolutehealthjobs.

Travel_RNER · Jul 29, 2012

With this being your 1st travel assignment you definitely have to be very very flexible. I took my 1st assignment in California (from Florida). California is supposedly the easiest to get your 1st assignment. After that it will get easier. Most agencies only have info for job posts like 4 weeks out. In my opinion, keep looking. Don't leave your current job without a two week notice at least! You don't have that much experience as an RN you need them to be a good reference. Although I think it is very rare, I did get hired for a PA job without a license in hand. Alot of states offer temp licenses and you can have those within a week or less. I know you said you wanted to live in Boston...but just keep an open mind that you may not land that as your 1st job.

I also talked with my manager of my permanent job and let her know I was looking to travel and it may creep up all of a sudden that I was putting in a two week notice. It's better to be up front then to give them the shaft.

Don't lose hope. There are jobs out there and there is a right one for you. Again, keep options open. Good luck!

NedRN · Jul 29, 2012

Google absolutehealthjobs.

I hate job boards as a way to look for assignments. All they do is hook you up with agencies that advertise on them, and virtually nothing in the way of useful information. I just tried it for travel OR nurse and the first "job" for TravelMax showed no location (not even a state), start date, or pay.

I suppose it is a good way as any for finding large agencies that fritter their money away looking for dumb first time travelers.

louisa1 · Jul 29, 2012

Thanks for the advice it was greatly appreciated! I am trying to be much more flexible with where and when I am willing to work. I think I will talk to my manager and just tell her the truth about the whole situation and just see what happens. Lets hope I get some kind of offer this week because I'm down to the wire. I might have to just fly out to CA to speed up the license process and get an assignment there. That's my last resort plan so lets hope it does not come to that! Are there any states besides CA that are new traveler friendly? Please share.

HollywoodDiva · Jul 29, 2012

I hate job boards as a way to look for assignments. All they do is hook you up with agencies that advertise on them, and virtually nothing in the way of useful information. I just tried it for travel OR nurse and the first "job" for TravelMax showed no location (not even a state), start date, or pay.
I suppose it is a good way as any for finding large agencies that fritter their money away looking for dumb first time travelers.

Ned I have been in the business for 10 years and 8 years as a traveler, it's a way to have your recruiters to work for you. So I don't believe it's a tool for a "dumb first time" traveler. I want to go somewhere and if my agencies don't have that contract I tell them that an assignment posted for a specific agency and location. You can't completely rely on your recruiters and agencies to have your best interest in mind so as a traveler you shouldn't have all your eggs in one basket.

NedRN · Jul 29, 2012

If it works for you then fine. May I ask what job board you are using? Every one I check is mostly full of "representative" jobs with virtually none that are real. There are some large agencies that update their own site with real jobs, especially for those already signed up travelers who log in. Cross Country is a good example. But even those do not post pay. A straight advertising site like Delphi TNT does post real jobs and is a worthwhile place to check.

There are several reasons why third party job boards for travelers do not work. Most assignments in the last few years are so fast moving that by the time a real assignment gets posted, it is gone. So agencies don't waste their time. The next problem is one you point out with your own actions. If a real job is posted, travelers just use that information to ask their current agency about it, not go to the agency who posted it. Most agencies have learned this the hard way, so even if a job is real, they tend not to put the hospital name or even city. As such, the value for travelers is extremely limited.

Information is valuable, I agree. I'm not above cruising ads and calling agencies to follow up on leads to use elsewhere. It is part of the game. I have a special interest in job boards as I have a business startup I'm working on designed to be truly useful resource without these issues for either travelers or agencies. So I have collected sites and they come in all sorts of surprising varieties. Some are agency owned, but you'd never tell by looking at them. Others exist only to sell your contact info to any interested agency.

For my own "bona fides" HollywoodDiva, I have been a nurse for 20 years, and have traveled for the last 17. In 2004 I incorporated my own agency (primary purpose of being the sole traveler) and have worked exclusively for my own agency since. So I have a pretty good perspective as both a traveler and agency.