Foot in the door- which contacts are good contacts?

[KhloRN2be]

I'm a 4th semester SN and I have a lot of friends who have already graduated and have not found jobs. It doesn't help that I'm in an area where most hospitals have hiring freezes. I've been told that a lot of the grads from the last class that got jobs did so because of their externships or they knew someone at the hospital. Has anyone here found their job because they knew someone at the hospital?

I have a family friend who is the Director of Revenue Cycle Operations in a hospital at the other end of my state, and I'm willing to move. Do you have to know an actual RN in the department, or do you think my connection might suffice? I'm not really sure what that job entails or how important it is. Thank you so much!

[scrubsRN]

ANY contact is a good contact. Networking was the key to me finding an RN position. Start now before you graduate, I wish I had. Tell EVERYONE you know, you are graduating new nurse looking for an RN job. Write your resume now so you have something to share with contacts. Update it as you graduate and get a license. You'd be surprised how helpful people you barely even know are. Even if you think you don't know anyone with a hospital or other contacts, someone you know, knows someone. And nurses are some of the kindest people you will meet and will go out of there way to help you. Here was my experience..

Graduated in May with BSN, passed the NCLEX in July and really started hunting for a job. I applied to hundreds of positions online, in person and through job fairs, got NO WHERE! My dad always told me, its not what you know, its who you know. So he started sending my resume to all his friends and contacts. One of his friend's daughters (whom I've never met) was a NP at a cancer hospital and went out of her way to get me an interview with her manager. Another contact was my parents realtor, I was telling him how I couldnt find a job. He said his best friend was CFO at a major medical center near me. A few weeks later my resume worked its way to the HR recruiters desk and I had another interview. My last interview, came when I met a nurse at my cousin's party who said I should come work with at her hospital. She took my resume and a week later, HR called me and I was interviewed and hired on the spot into a new grad resisdency program. Funny thing was a few weeks earlier when I had called that hospital directly and they told me the program didn't exist! Without that contact, I would have never gotten this job!

Morale of the story is even if you dont think you know someone, you really do. It doesn't matter what position they hold, an in is an IN!! Just be sure to thank everyone that helps along the way!