CNA + no experience = No call back!!

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Specializes in SNF, Corrections.

hey everyone,

i have found this site very informing, any feedback or suggestions will be greatly appreciated...

my problem: i live in southern california and have had my cna certification since march 2008, i also took an acute care tech course which i completed this may. i finished both courses at the top of my class and have been looking:uhoh3: for work everywhere and anywhere...nursing homes, hospitals, rehab centers, agencies etc. i've filled out applications by walking in, and on-line. no call backs:sniff:! most places want at least 1 yr experience.

i started this journey determined and excited, i still am, but just a little frustrated...trying to stay positive:d.

i would like to work as a cna while in school.

what am i doing wrong:smackingf? any suggestions on how i can improve my job search tactics?

thanks.

sincerely,

the unexperienced c.n.a.:chuckle

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ok my friend, call the agencies and take a job as a sitter, and when you are taking care of a patient, use your darned skills...the agency may tell you "you're not allowed to even touch the patient, just talk to them and make to press the button if they are jumping out of bed". some sitters are downright bananas, and i have witnessed banana-head behavior from sitters. use your CNA skills to the max, short of taking vital signs. do everything that your license allows, and when you ar not doing that, straighten up the room while your eye is still on the patient, picking up laundry, trash, organizing the destroyed dressing station on the overbead table, i mean make it look like a photograph from a textbook. the CNAs and staff will love it, and know your face, and will be glad to see you show up. always have a resume, references, letters of reference, copies of your cna license, drivier's lioense, social security card, spr card, and even consider having some el-sheapo business cards printed (that do not say CNA on them, but everything else, this is another topic). you need an "attack pack" to be prepared for any whiff if an opportunity, and if they look busy, ask them or tell them "you guys are really rockin' today, could you use a good tech? and hand them all of that stuff in a stapled packet, make it easy for them to check you out and hire you, and carry thank you notes that absolutely need to be in the box on the same day that you talk with anyone, or hand-delivered the next day. does this sound like overkill? it's not that expensive to carry out...now, this advice is extremely useful for just popping in as a sitter in a med-surg hospital...long-term care will of course snap you up if your act is together enough to do this kind of preparation, but decide whether the potential for injury is worth it (they commonly lie about their ratios) but i had to do it to survive, and once you get your med-surg job, you don't have to show the ltc job on your resume or app ever again. people do this all the time, and no one cares. as long as you can do the job, and you are not on the abuse registry, you are good to go. do you live in a city that has multiple facilities, med-surg or anything at all? multiple applications means multiple interviews which means multiple offers and then you will be in the driver's seat, agency work is a good springboard as well for shwoing your face, ang again always hacing your "attack pack with you". take it from someone who almost went under, take action, take action, take action and never, never give up! write to me if you need enything more specific...what i told you will work, now go out there and make your momma proud!

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Wht about a staffing agency? The work schedule wouldn't be set and you would be at different places, but you can request certain days and I think you get paid a little more.

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I think she said that she went to an agency already.

prenursingc3po:

Fantastic advice! i read that and felt invigorated to actually get out there some more my self. Get's hard to continue to be motivated after a while but just keep swimming and all that.

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Specializes in SNF, Corrections.

:tku: so much Prenursingc3po, CandAmommy and Codeda . Your replies were all motivating.:heartbeat

Yes, I have tried agencies...I applied anyway even though they require a year experience. And i am not picky on scedules..which I thought would help me to get in somewhere.

And yes, I have looked for sitter jobs, I haven't come across any around here...but i'll keep chuggin!

Maybe it's the area I live in:down:...who knows! Whatever it is, I'm gonna take the advice from you all and stay persistant. I'll definitely keep you all updated.

:flwrhrts:Thanks again..God bless:flwrhrts:

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Hello,

The only advice I can give you is try doing volunteering. Go to a hospital and ask them for their volunteering office. Apply, and once their is a job opening you will be the first they call, it also gives you experience. Try this agency Im sending you, Medical Staffing Network, one of their sites had job opening for no experience CNA.

Good Luck!!!:yeah:

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Specializes in CNA.

Just one thought that came to me looking at some other threads.

Availability.

It will exponentially increase your chances of a job if you're available for any/all shifts. Don't know if you were asked that on applications and if so, how you answered.

As another poster mentioned, most people want the day shift. I actually liked 2nd shift better myself. Regardless, if you are open to all shifts, you have a better shot.

Otherwise can't tell if you're doing anything 'wrong'. Your posting was well written so I would guess you have a decently written resume and job apps which is a 'hidden' problem for many applicants (there is a lot of "semi-literacy" out there).

I assume you've been on the job boards too? I don't know how well used boards are in your part of the country. In Chicago area, there are a lot of online job boards with a lot of CNA jobs listed. But, not all employers like that and don't know if that is a useful tool in CA --- but if you''ve not used them (such as Monster), by all means, do so.

Good luck ---- keep on hanging. It seems that a number of posters have written how long it took for them to get a job, but they DID get a job. I really don't know of CNA's that could not find a job straight out of school --- might take awhile, but something always pops....

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Hello,

The only advice I can give you is try doing volunteering. Go to a hospital and ask them for their volunteering office. Apply, and once their is a job opening you will be the first they call, it also gives you experience. Try this agency Im sending you, Medical Staffing Network, one of their sites had job opening for no experience CNA.

Good Luck!!!:yeah:

Oh yes i forgot to mention this! I have 3 friends that got jobs in hospitals by volunteering first ( well two volunteered and the other one started off in housekeeping ) and before you know it and when they got in good, they were able to get a job when there was an opening. it can be difficult if you don't really have time to do it but even if for a few hours a week it might be a good idea!!!

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You might try looking in the want ads for home care positions. They will usually say live in or live out. You can also place your own ad to do home care. You can provide personal references of people who know you. If the person objects to your lack of experience, you can always say something like, being willing to start out in a trial situation to see if it will work out. The family or patient have to tell you what to do and how to do it to their liking anyway. There really is not much that could be complicated. Then after you have experience working for this person in their home you can ask the patient or a family member to act as a reference when you apply elsewhere for different days or times. You have to start somewhere, and sometimes it takes being able to sell yourself to a prospective employer, even if you are inexperienced. Good luck.

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Another idea. Networking. My CNA instructor got me in touch with an employer at a residential care home. Ask your instructor for job leads. And did you make any friends with your fellow classmates? A friend of a friend provided assistance that led to a job for my daughter when she was in school. She told me of many of her classmates passing around job leads. When I got laid off, a couple of my former co-workers gave me job leads. You could ask your pastor, your doctor. Anywhere and anyone (within reason). Sometimes you have to ask your friends and relatives. Surprising where a job can come from.

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Hang in there and good luck! Something will come through for you!!!!

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Specializes in SNF, Corrections.

hello,...quick update...

thanks to everyone for your advice and sugestions on how to land a c.n.a. job.

it seemed that i had done just about everything to find a job and nothing was working. five months ago i was turned down by a convalescent hospital near my home for not having

experience. recently i started running out of places to apply so i decided to go back to that convalescent hospital near my house, and 'whadya know'... i was interviewed on the spot. well, i still don't have any experience but they called back this time and offered me a position... can you believe it?!? i was ecstatic when i got off of the phone.

my persistance and help from you all paid off. it has been a while since my training and i hope i do okay. can't wait to start my journey. woohoo!

thanks again everyone!:flowersfo

sincerely,

the 'soon to be experienced' c.n.a.:lol2:

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