Help! I can't find work!

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi guys, this is my first time posting on this website but I am looking for some advice and honestly a little pick me up. I have been living in Boston now for about a month and I have been on five interviews and I can't seem to land a job. I have about three years of nursing experience, and the whole reason why I moved here was to chase my dreams of working in a big city and at a level 1 trauma center. I worked at my last job for 7 years and worked my way up and I have never had to struggle like this to find a job before in my life. I have a good resume, I have charge nurse experience as well as a little bit of float pool experience. The interviews seem to go great and I never get a call back. I guess I am looking for people to share their stories or if they have ever been in a similar situation, or if you have any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated!!!! Thank you!

Sincerely,

Frustrated/Defeated

Specializes in Ambulatory Case Management, Clinic, Psychiatry.

Have you tried BMC? They're always hiring and still a teaching hospital. I hear the pay's good as well. BWH has a ton of postings and from postings, it looks like Tufts is definitely looking for people. What is your experience and where are you working now?

Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.

I am in NC and about half of our nurses are from Mass. They actively recruit up there. Problem is, people stay about 2 years and then go back home :(

Specializes in Pedi.
Have you tried BMC? They're always hiring and still a teaching hospital. I hear the pay's good as well. BWH has a ton of postings and from postings, it looks like Tufts is definitely looking for people. What is your experience and where are you working now?

And if trauma is what you're looking for, BMC is where to find it.

Specializes in Registered Nurse.
As others have said, it's likely that it's just a really tight market with lots of great candidates from which to choose. However, when an applicant has a good resume, good experience, makes it to multiple interviews and then doesn't get the job offer, it's possible that something you're doing (or not doing) during the interview might be sabotaging your chances. I would sit down with a friend/colleague who is not afraid to give you frank feedback, and ask for their suggestions/advice. Perhaps practice a few mock interviews.

This is so true. You may get less than an hour to tell an employer what you can bring to the table. Some people are very good at interviews. Others may be great employee's, hard working, loyal and so on, but somehow can't communicate this during an interview. Sometimes, it's difficult to determine what an employer is looking for. You have to somehow figure it out during an interview. Some employers are looking for experience, others are looking for leadership skills, others value a team player, some may want someone with less experience that they can mold. It's hard to determine what they may be looking for and getting that job may depend on determining this. It helps to prepare and read their job descriptions and list of things they are looking for. Sometimes, we may feel like the interview went great, but we did not communicate what the employer wanted to hear. So definitely, practice interviewing and responding to challenging interview questions and focus on how you come across to a potential employer.

Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

It takes longer than a month to land a job. It really takes at least 3 months. Don't start thinking that you are unable to find one until 6 months.

Specializes in Cardiology, School Nursing, General.
This is so true. You may get less than an hour to tell an employer what you can bring to the table. Some people are very good at interviews. Others may be great employee's, hard working, loyal and so on, but somehow can't communicate this during an interview. Sometimes, it's difficult to determine what an employer is looking for. You have to somehow figure it out during an interview. Some employers are looking for experience, others are looking for leadership skills, others value a team player, some may want someone with less experience that they can mold. It's hard to determine what they may be looking for and getting that job may depend on determining this. It helps to prepare and read their job descriptions and list of things they are looking for. Sometimes, we may feel like the interview went great, but we did not communicate what the employer wanted to hear. So definitely, practice interviewing and responding to challenging interview questions and focus on how you come across to a potential employer.

I agree with this. I was bombing my interviews, and I didn't know why, eventually, I decided to practice the most asked questions in an interview, so that way when they asked me something out of the ordinary, I can be ready to answer them. So I practiced them and eventually, landed a job as a medical aide at a school. I did my lines, and boom, I got the job under an hour after I did my interview.

Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.

Hi

The job market in Boston is very tough, as there are many many nurses looking for jobs, and not that many to go around.

Keep trying, at least you are getting interviews!

Annie

I actually have applied to BMC but for some reason they are one of the only hospitals I haven't been able to land an interview with so I will keep trying. I have three years experience at a pretty big level two trauma center; two years in the float pool and one as a charge nurse on a med/surg floor. It's not a ton of experience but I thought it would be enough to find a job. Hopefully something ends up working out.

I feel like now that I have gone on a few interviews I am getting stronger and stronger at them and I am not really thrown off by any questions which is good. I know the process of trying to find a job and interviewing is nerve racking and if anything it's good experience. I'm honestly starting to think that part of the problem is they look at me as being really young and that equates to not having a lot of experience in their eyes?? (I'm in my mid 20s) Hopefully I'm wrong but I feel like it's a common theme because a couple of them have asked me my 5 year goals and then they say something like "well you're really young so you have time." :/

I actually have applied to BMC but for some reason they are one of the only hospitals I haven't been able to land an interview with so I will keep trying. I have three years experience at a pretty big level two trauma center; two years in the float pool and one as a charge nurse on a med/surg floor. It's not a ton of experience but I thought it would be enough to find a job. Hopefully something ends up working out.

I feel like now that I have gone on a few interviews I am getting stronger and stronger at them and I am not really thrown off by any questions which is good. I know the process of trying to find a job and interviewing is nerve racking and if anything it's good experience. I'm honestly starting to think that part of the problem is they look at me as being really young and that equates to not having a lot of experience in their eyes?? (I'm in my mid 20s) Hopefully I'm wrong but I feel like it's a common theme because a couple of them have asked me my 5 year goals and then they say something like "well you're really young so you have time." :/

I don't think it's age. I'm pushing 40 and I had to answer the five year goals” questions. And saying you are young and have time to reach your goals doesn't strike me as a put down on your age; I read it as encouragement that you have lots of time to achieve your goals.

Do you have a really experienced colleague who you would trust to eye ball your resume to see if you need to tweak it? Do you have a list of skills and the types of patients and roles you performed for each job listed?

Like Worked in the PICU of a Level I trauma center facility. Patient population cared for included ECMO, LVADs, peritoneal and hemo dialysis, heart, liver, lung, kidney, and bowel transplants, open chest, external temporary pacemakers, ICP Monitoring, cranial bolts, spinal drains, burn patients, vasoactive, analgesic, paralytic, and sedative drips, ventilators, NO, Helium, BiPap and CPAP, PICC line insertion certified, ART stick certified, pediatric Code Blue Team...” yada yada yada.” They may not know what a Level II can do, so spell it out.

Just some thoughts...

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