second career nurses finding jobs

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in Hopefully ICU one of these days..

I see a lot of posts on here about people having trouble finding jobs when they graduate. I also saw a lot of posts from people applying to nursing school that were talking about being rejected multiple times or waitlisted. I was recently accepted into an ADN program that is supposed to be notorious for its difficulty to get into on my first try with no previous healthcare experience, that said I am 28 years old and this is a second career for me. I am interested to find out how many of you who are starting nursing as a second career have had trouble or lack there of fortunately finding a job upon graduation. Please specify ADN or BSN.

Specializes in Med Surg - Renal.
I am interested to find out how many of you who are starting nursing as a second career have had trouble or lack there of fortunately finding a job upon graduation. Please specify ADN or BSN.

Second career ADN here. Was (still am I suppose) a mechanical engineer.

I got a job offer 4 weeks after graduation and 10 days after passing the NCLEX.

I started my job search 4 years ago. I began by doing my absolute best in my prerequisites and getting experience in direct patient care. I started my healthcare career as a CNA on the TCU of a horrid nursing home (the only job I could get). Hellish job, but I learned a lot.

Then I attacked nursing school like I found it in bed with my girlfriend, graduating with a 4.0 by the skin of my teeth. I made some great friends (and absolutely no enemies).

In the meantime I built a reputation of being one of the best employees you ever saw at every healthcare CNA job I had (LTC, Home Health, and Med Surg floor) I was never late and haven't called in sick since 2007. I built a list of shining RN references as long as your arm.

I took advantage of a fortunate clinical placement along with my good grades and experience to get a Summer Internship with a hospital network after my first year of nursing school. A year later, I applied to a New Grad program in the same network and was offered a position. I feel very lucky to get such a position in this economy, but I worked my butt off to qualify for it and stand out among the applicants.

Even if I did not get the coveted job that I did, I know I could get a decent paying job at a number of Home Health agencies or a less decent paying job at a whole lot of nursing homes.

Every once in a while in school and sometimes at work I would be asked "Aren't you overdoing it? Why do you study so much? Why do you read the textbook? Why do you practice skills so much? Why do you tutor so much? Why so many study groups? Why do you work so hard?"

Because 21 years ago, I graduated into one of the worst job markets in history with zero experience in my field and a 2.64 GPA. It took me almost two years to find a job. 21 years later, I AGAIN managed to graduate into one of the worst job markets in history. This time, however, I made sure I did absolutely everything in my power to excel and stand out.

Good luck!

Second career ADN here. Was (still am I suppose) a mechanical engineer.

I got a job offer 4 weeks after graduation and 10 days after passing the NCLEX.

I started my job search 4 years ago. I began by doing my absolute best in my prerequisites and getting experience in direct patient care. I started my healthcare career as a CNA on the TCU of a horrid nursing home (the only job I could get). Hellish job, but I learned a lot.

Then I attacked nursing school like I found it in bed with my girlfriend, graduating with a 4.0 by the skin of my teeth. I made some great friends (and absolutely no enemies).

In the meantime I built a reputation of being one of the best employees you ever saw at every healthcare CNA job I had (LTC, Home Health, and Med Surg floor) I was never late and haven't called in sick since 2007. I built a list of shining RN references as long as your arm.

I took advantage of a fortunate clinical placement along with my good grades and experience to get a Summer Internship with a hospital network after my first year of nursing school. A year later, I applied to a New Grad program in the same network and was offered a position. I feel very lucky to get such a position in this economy, but I worked my butt off to qualify for it and stand out among the applicants.

Even if I did not get the coveted job that I did, I know I could get a decent paying job at a number of Home Health agencies or a less decent paying job at a whole lot of nursing homes.

Every once in a while in school and sometimes at work I would be asked "Aren't you overdoing it? Why do you study so much? Why do you read the textbook? Why do you practice skills so much? Why do you tutor so much? Why so many study groups? Why do you work so hard?"

Because 21 years ago, I graduated into one of the worst job markets in history with zero experience in my field and a 2.64 GPA. It took me almost two years to find a job. 21 years later, I AGAIN managed to graduate into one of the worst job markets in history. This time, however, I made sure I did absolutely everything in my power to excel and stand out.

Good luck!

WAY TO GO!!!!!! That's the way to do it!!

I have said it before and will continue saying it .. This is all about "salesmanship" !!!! :redbeathe:redbeathe The most important product or service you will ever sell is YOU!!!:heartbeat:heartbeat

Then I attacked nursing school like I found it in bed with my girlfriend, graduating with a 4.0 by the skin of my teeth. I made some great friends (and absolutely no enemies).

Ha! This has to be the best commment I've seen!!

Awesome.

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