can't get a job

[mLPN79]

I completed school in February of this year, and I still don't have a job I guess relying on online applications is not a good thing, but most of the girls i went to school with got their jobs through online applications. I have went onto units and into LTC facilities, and, still nothing. Last week I had a short phone interview that ended up in me becoming disillusioned and upset because I was told that an "LPN who has been out of school for as long as I have will have a hard time getting a job". I had tried to explain to the lady interviewing me that I was out of childcare since we just recently moved into a rural district, and i think she was just annoyed because she was desperately looking for someone to start like the next day!

Point I'm getting to is....any other LPN facing this crisis (in Alberta)? I have tried redoing my resume and really trying to "sell myself" but still... I really want to get working and the longer I sit waiting, the more confidence I lose not only in myself but knowledge and skills as well .

[Fiona59]

How I see it, it's better to try than not try at all. If you don't try then how does one expect to land a job. I don't think sitting around and looking at the computer screen really helps. When looking for a job always look for different methods to search for those jobs. It's not easy, you do have to be aggressive because it's competitive. Fiona59's hospital is one hospital out of 1000s other facilities, each facility is different so just try it out and see. Have you considered moving? I know it would be hard because you have child(ren) so I don't know how you would feel about that. All I have to say is don't limit yourself, think positive and be innovative.

Between myself and friends, I know how it is is in nine Alberta hospitals in the urban and rural setting. Trust me, AHS doesn't like cold calls/walkins.

Alberta has a superboard and decisions are very rarely made at the local level. It's only in the last two months that postings are begining to appear as "open to the public". In the rural areas, it's usually an AHS facility and maybe one for profit facility. With staff stretched to the limit, you'll find it a long wait to find a nurse or manager that is willing to stop their day and do an "impromtu" interview. If anything, they will remember you as the person who disrupted the shift.

I don't know how it is in Ontario, but regular posters that work there are saying it's difficult to find work there as well.

[m_aidez]

I've spoken to many new grads (2009-2010) that graduated from my school here in ON. They got jobs, some started May but some will start September. Yes, not all of them are full-timers and a lot of them got two part-time jobs. Some got hospital jobs but a lot of them are in LTC or homecare. Also, the people I know have connections from inside their facilities so I do believe that networking helps when it comes to landing a job. I actually have a friend who called the hospital she wanted to work in and asked if they received her resume/cover letter through Health Force Ontario. They told her no and that it probably got lost in the system. They told her that this happens a lot because they receive so many applications especially during their hiring peak season. So then my friend went to HR the next day and handed the resume/cover letter in person. They called her two and half weeks later for an interview and she got the job a few days later. She's starting the end of September beginning of October.

Fiona59, what do you suggest the OP do? What steps can the OP take in order for her to land a job in Alberta? Can you give her tips? Personally, as I said before, I think it's worth to try the networking method but I don't know, you know the Alberta system. Yes, I agree that some managers will hate it but I know that not all managers will react the same. At the end of the day, the OP needs money and to utilize skills. Desperate times calls for desperate measures. As you said, don't expect the dream job so if the OP already accepts this I don't see why she should not explore other options/methods in finding a job.

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Cold-calling will definitely not work in Alberta. Everything has been centralized, as Fiona says. Everything has become far more complicated than it ever needed to be. Even many of us already in the system are finding our mobility severely restricted by the centralized seniority list - meaning that seniority is province-wide, not even regional, facility- or unit-based. The people with the most seniority are the ones whose applications are looked at first. The application form has a space for the applicant's hire date in Alberta and HR's screening software spits them out in order of date of hire. By the time the applications get to the unit level, they've been carefully sorted through and a fraction of the original applicants are actually considered. With this system in place, all a cold call will get a person is, as Fiona says, a tick in the "disrupted my day" box. An email to the patient care manager would likely be more accepted since the manager can decide when or whether to look at it.

[Guest233447]

Do you have any contacts from your graduating class of nurses? I know (from watching this past spring's grads and keeping my ears open at the LTC facility I work in as a NA) that some positions are filled by "Hey, you have an opening and I have a friend..."

Positions are being opened up here, so hopefully you'll find something soon. Good luck!

[mLPN79]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone :) I finally landed an interview! It's for LTC, and although I am aiming for women's health or maternal/fetal health, I will gladly take this experience and utilize it in the best way I can. It has been a tough few months, but I learned that you do have to apply online AND hope to catch the right person at the right time!!

[m_aidez]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone :) I finally landed an interview! It's for LTC, and although I am aiming for women's health or maternal/fetal health, I will gladly take this experience and utilize it in the best way I can. It has been a tough few months, but I learned that you do have to apply online AND hope to catch the right person at the right time!!

You'll get there sooner or later.

[mLPN79]

Ok...So after 5 months of not being able to find employment, I'm getting phone calls once a week! Quite obviously the hiring freeze is letting up! I've excepted one casual position at a rural hospital, and just received a call from a Dr. for a position in a clinic. I'm having a bit of a dilemma as to what to do because the Dr wants someone Monday-friday, but for now is willing to give me a few shifts during the week that are mandatory shifts. The clinic is only 5-9 PM and pays less, but, I don`t know how many hours I will get from the hospital being casual. Will clinic experience be beneficial to me down the road if I decide to stick with acute care? The clinic is going to orientate me to do triage, some administrative paperwork, injections, etc.. I just don`t want to pass up shifts at the hospital on the days i`m to be at the clinic, since the hospital is more hours and pay. Hmmmm.....decisions, decisions!