Getting first nursing job in this economy

[cameron764]

I am going to be graduating from nursing school with my BSN soon. I frequently look at the area hospital websites to see their job postings. The number of nursing jobs, in my opinion, is a lot less than months to a year ago. The jobs that are posted seem to require at least 1 year of experience. I'm worried that I'll have a hard time finding a job as a new grad. A few of my classmates said that because of the nursing shortage we won't have any trouble finding a job. They are planning on contacting the nurse manager of the floor they want to work on directly to inquire about jobs. They said they'll most likely be working the night shift but it'll be on the floor they want. I think they are making job searching in this economy sound too easy even with a nursing shortage. What are your thoughts?

[amarilla, RN]

I've noticed that the job postings seem fewer here too, but that doesn't necessarily mean that area facilities aren't hiring. I recently applied and was subsequently hired as a CNA at the facility I hope to work for after graduation; upon starting on the unit, I heard a lot of buzz that most of the open positions aren't listed publicly, (are being filled internally or via transfer or referral.)

With hospitals closing and some in hiring freezes, I decided to take the extra p/t job to gain health care experience and make contacts at the hospital. This is my second career and it seems like much of getting hired in this field is related to who you know and how much experience you have.

I'd agree with those posting before me who suggested networking and following up with former clinical sites, friends or even faculty members who may be able to provide some insight or a referral. Maybe expand the search, keep an open mind toward opportunities you may not have considered?

Best of luck!

Regards,

Southern

[Freedom42]

I'm in the Northeast. I can count the number of jobs I have seen labeled "new grad" or "entry to practice" in my state in the past nine months on two hands. Two hands. I'm weary of reading posts that tell new grads that there really are jobs out there if, as one poster put it today, you're "serious about working." That's ignorant. If there are jobs in your market, consider yourself fortunate -- and in the minority. Maybe you're in the boat I was in: You were scheduled to start that fantastic ICU internship that was cancelled at the last minute. Please be sensitive to new grads who are trying so hard to land that first job. A lot of us are working our tails off trying to find work!

Now that I've got that off my chest, I want to share some good news: I've got a job. I'm a December grad with a damn good job! I applied for 57 jobs and was granted only two interviews. Most hospitals didn't even acknowledge my applications. But there was one: Even though this particular hospital rejected me at every turn, each rejection was accompanied by a personal call from a nurse manager. That gave me the chance to talk frankly about why the manager wasn't interested in me, what she needed to see on my resume, and to ask her for her advice. The fact is, in this economy, hospitals don't want to invest time and money in new grads: Veterans are coming out of the woodwork. These managers urged me not to become discouraged, and several told me about what it was like when they graduated during the recession of the early nineties. That they spent even five minutes talking kindly with me told me something about that particular hospital's culture. Of course, each conversation was followed by a handwritten thank-you note. I wanted them to remember me.

It paid off. Eventually, one manager told another manager about me, and the "please come in and see us" call finally came. I was offered a full-time job that had not been made public. I am the one new grad that this 560-bed hospital has hired this winter. Really, so much of this comes down to luck: The right person remembered me at the right time when an opening arose. But remember, luck is when opportunity rewards preparation. Keep your resume moving!

So here's some unsolicited advice: As one poster has already said, be aggressive. Be relentless. Start with public ads and apply for any job for which you are even remotely qualified. Use the aforementioned thank-you notes to make yourself stand out. Does your school have an alumni association? Find out who's in it and see if there's anyone who can help you get your foot in the door. Network with your classmates -- you're all in the same boat. Talk with your nursing instructors to find out what they're hearing about hiring projections from the agencies they work with. Take advantage of every free career service you can find to hone your presentation. (Sigma Theta Tau, for example, is offering a free "webinar" tomorrow night online to help new grads improve their interviewing skills.) See what your school has to offer. Use every personal contact you can possibly come up with. Make your references hospital-specific; i.e., if you're applying to Hospital A and Professor A works there, make sure Professor A's name and reference are the ones you use. I had 24 names and references lined up so that I could apply to a variety of institutions. Use every rejection as an opportunity to find out why you were not hired, what you might do to be hired next time, and to establish a valuable contact.

I agree (as I always do) with llg: You've got to have multiple backup plans. Presume you are going to be unemployed for a while. What will you do with that time to make yourself an even more attractive candidate? Is there value in working as a CNA while waiting for an RN opening? Could you take a graduate course or pursue a specific certification? Volunteer on a public health project? Get involved with research? How about that unit where you did your practicum -- maybe they'd let you attend an in-service, another way to get yourself in the hospital and possibly in front of a manager.

Most importantly, surround yourself with people who are rooting for you and understand the challenge you face. They won't let you become discouraged. I found meeting my former study group for coffee every week really kept me energized.

Good luck. It will happen. Maybe not right away, and maybe not exactly the way you envisioned it. But it will happen.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Great post, Freedom42. You really said a lot of good things in that post. I hope people take it to heart.

[fiveofpeep]

I take it to heart. Thank you so much Freedom :)

[beckyu04]

I am in PA

[Jules A, MSN]

I'm weary of reading posts that tell new grads that there really are jobs out there if, as one poster put it today, you're "serious about working." That's ignorant.

Nice.

In my area of the north east there are new grad jobs. They are not as plentiful as in the past and possibly not the dream positions in ICU but they are out there. Oh but they might require working swing or night shift and possibly a weekend or two. Both the facilities I work for have already made offers to new grads from this spring's classes. Unfortunately like with LTC many people turn their noses up at psych nursing. The large teaching hospitals in Balto. and DC do have their new grad orientation programs going also so while I can't speak for every state in this area there are jobs available. Sorry if thats "ignorant".

[Jules A, MSN]

I HATE how everyone keeps saying that new nurses will be able to get a job without trouble, when obviously that is NOT true everywhere. It's just so ignorant, and gives new nurses unrealistic expectations.

I haven't read one post that said that it is true EVERYWHERE. I'm sorry if things aren't as plentiful in your area but that doesn't make it "ignorant" when people post that they have gotten new grad offers. I think in the overall picture of the economy and of people losing jobs we as nurses have it pretty good. We are big boys/girls and can use our own good judgment when it comes to our expectations. There is always LTC in the meantime but no one wants to hear that.

[Freedom42]

Nice.

In my area of the north east there are new grad jobs. They are not as plentiful as in the past and possibly not the dream positions in ICU but they are out there. Oh but they might require working swing or night shift and possibly a weekend or two. Both the facilities I work for have already made offers to new grads from this spring's classes. Unfortunately like with LTC many people turn their noses up at psych nursing. The large teaching hospitals in Balto. and DC do have their new grad orientation programs going also so while I can't speak for every state in this area there are jobs available. Sorry if thats "ignorant".

As I noted in my original post, if you're in a part of the country where there are new grad jobs, you are fortunate. I do, however, consider it uninformed and insensitive to suggest that jobs are available for people who are "serious" about working or, as another poster suggested, not available to people who "must be doing something wrong" since it's so easy to get a job in nursing.

New grads struggling to find jobs are not unemployed because they are not "serious" about working. They're unemployed because in many parts of this country, if not most, unemployment is on the rise, and hospitals are no different from other employers. Many are not hiring. Moving to another market is not an option for every new grad.

[arelle68]

I am a new grad, and I thought I'd never work in a LTC. This was the job I was offered. I needed it, I took it, and I LOVE it!

[fiveofpeep]

It is frustrating to me how my instructors continue to gloat about how the world is our oyster and we can do anything we want to do, but I look at the job offers and get feeds on them every day and it's not doing nearly as well as our instructors say they are. I am very glad though to be in a career that is less affected than others.

[cebe385RN]

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[cebe385RN]

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