Going to hospitals in person-- yes or no?

[RN1298]

I'm a new graduate looking for a job in a different state. I've applied to about 30 positions, called a few HR departments, and still no interview. I'm going to the area I'm trying to relocate to next week, and a few people have advised me to go to the hospitals in person so they can put a face with a name. Do you think this is a good idea, or would it come off as too pushy? And if I did go-- who should I ask to speak to? What should I say? Thanks for any advice you have :)

[Freedom42]

Going to HR and requesting an application from a secretary is one thing. Going to the unit and asking to speak to the nurse manager is a very bad idea. It shows complete disrespect for the manager and his or her time.

I'm all for being aggressive in pursuit of a job, but do it the right way. Network, write effective letters to managers requesting meetings, ask nurses who work on units that interest you to make introductions. But never show up unannounced. I was a manager in my last profession and did a lot of hiring. Applicants who showed up without appointments or who stopped in "for a quick tour" because they were "in the area" never made it onto the long list, let alone the short one.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

I am old enough to have job hunted in pre-internet days, so I can appreciate all the nuances that are indeed lost in the current system of electronic job posting and application submission.

However ... I cannot recommend showing up at any place of business unannounced and requesting someone's time. It's just not courteous and demonstrates a lack of understanding of work flow -- not the qualities that you're hoping to project.

Most medium to large organizations no longer have the structure to process paper resumes. It doesn't matter if yours is hand delivered in gold ink and sealed with a kiss -- they just aren't set up to deal with it.

And a word about "nurse recruiters" that I think is important for newbies without professional experience in other fields to recognize: nurse recruiters are simply HR people who specialize a bit in processing applications for nursing positions and interviewing nurses. They have familiarity with nursing education, certifications, what types of experience indicate certain skills, etc. Occasionally they are licensed nurses who have chosen to work in an administrative capacity. But they are simply information-gatherers without the responsibility of selecting whom to hire -- that is the perogative of supervisors/managers/directors of individual nursing units or departments. Any face to face time that you spend in HR -- just concentrate on presenting yourself as an efficient, personable professional. Save your big guns for interviews with people who actually make the decisions.

*If* you deal with a hospital that will accept paper applications, phone ahead and find out what days/hours they accept applications, if you can pick up the paperwork and take it with you or if you need to spend some time there to complete it. Take all your documentation with you - a cheat sheet of your previous employment with dates, addresses & phone numbers, the names, addresses & phone numbers of your references, your previous addresses, a copy of your license, etc. It's fine to ask the receptionist or whomever you give the completed application to what the process is from there, but I would not ask to speak to anyone right then.

[NeoPediRN]

I would also read about the hospitals you want to apply to, find out the departments you're interested in, then go to those floors and ask for the nurse manager. Hand her your resume and introduce yourself. This is what I did and it worked for me. I am not an HR fan, they aren't the ones with the ultimate say in if you get hired, the nurse manager is, so he or she is the one you want to make the impression with.

[RN1298]

Thank you so much everyone!! I'll just have to do some thinking about what the best thing for me to do is... I'm not a naturally assertive person (which is something I'm always working on!), but I'm also afraid that I'm falling through the cracks in the application process because I'm from far away. So I'll pack my resume and a nice outfit and do some thinking about this. If anyone else has an opinion please let me know!! :)

[nopainNurse]

Somehow it has to be a balance between assertive and respectful of the nurse managaer's time, but my vote is to try and get the resume into the NMs hand. My experience 10 years ago was that I went to HR and filled out forms/ submitted resume etc and then about a month later got a letter stating no current openings but my stuff would be kept on file. At the same time I was finishing up a preceptorship on a unit in that hospital and the NM came up to me asking why I hadn't yet applied for a position. I let her know about the HR letter --- she was quite frustrated, as she had multiple openings and had never even seen my resume. (I got the job and really liked it!) So I don't know if this was a onetime situation or a comment on the HR process, but I think it is important that the person actually hiring you gets your resume. IS there a way to get a cover letter and resume to the NMs office and then follow up with an email version of your resume?

[Freedom42]

Somehow it has to be a balance between assertive and respectful of the nurse managaer's time, but my vote is to try and get the resume into the NMs hand. My experience 10 years ago was that I went to HR and filled out forms/ submitted resume etc and then about a month later got a letter stating no current openings but my stuff would be kept on file. At the same time I was finishing up a preceptorship on a unit in that hospital and the NM came up to me asking why I hadn't yet applied for a position. I let her know about the HR letter --- she was quite frustrated, as she had multiple openings and had never even seen my resume. (I got the job and really liked it!) So I don't know if this was a onetime situation or a comment on the HR process, but I think it is important that the person actually hiring you gets your resume. IS there a way to get a cover letter and resume to the NMs office and then follow up with an email version of your resume?

Send your resume and cover letter directly to the manager via registered mail so that s/he has to sign for it. It's a great way to get the manager's attention without intruding. The receipt is then sent to you, so you know when s/he received it. Send the required application to HR, along with your resume and cover letter, at the same time. (Be sure to do your homework: Get the correct spelling and title of the NM for your letter. Yup, that's obvious. But you wouldn't believe how many cover letters I received that were addressed to the wrong person, telling me the applicant was too lazy to do her homework.) Once the NM has received your smartly written letter ("I look forward to discussing this with you, and I will call to arrange a meeting at your convenience") you've opened the door. She's expecting your call.

Donna Cardillo has a great website that's packed with tips for nurses on the job hunt.

[Jules A, MSN]

I also like getting 'face time' but understand many want online applications. I'd probably do both. Submit it online and then go in person with a resume to reiterate your interest. Good luck!