Good grades = job?

Yes and no! Yes if you are applying to a residency program that requires a specific gpa or uses that gpa as a way of listing applicants.

No because your good grades wont mean a hill of beans if you don't pass the NCLEX.

Good luck in your future.

I applied to every major hospital system in my metro area and not a single one required transcripts. They wanted a license number and experience, period. I was joking with a friend that most of the people that barely graduated were the first ones to get jobs. I'm not even exaggerating. I graduated top of my ADN class as well.

The volunteer work *might* lead to something if you networked your butt off while doing it. It doesn't count as experience though. Use your contacts and sell yourself! I was picked over BSNs and ADNs alike because management liked my personality and work ethic. Treat every random conversation like it's an interview. You never know what may come of it.

Good luck!

A student that was at the top of our graduating class took 9 months to find work after passing the nclex.

Grades matter but mostly on the negative side (that is, lousy grades impede the job hunt but good grades don't by any means ensure a job).

Volunteer experience can be an asset but actual work experience in a job which entails significant responsibility and flexibility may be more significant.

More important than anything, though, is your personal network... that is, knowing people who work in hospitals/units where you want to work... unfortunate but true.

Ever heard of C= RN?

As much as we worked out behinds off during NS, None of that matters because in the end, we are all new grads with NO experience...

oh and make sure you pass boards... :)

Ever heard of C= RN?

Though these days, simply holding an RN license is not likely sufficient to obtain a job...

Thanks guys! Another question. What counts as experience? Do I have to be a nurse? Like does being a CNA in a hospital count as experience. Thanks again for the responses, greatly appreciated! =D

Unfortunately, no. When a nurse position says "experience required" it's referring to LPN/RN experience only. However, having any kind of direct patient care experience is a good thing.

ETA: if it's an RN position and it says this, they want RN experience only.....so any time spent as a LPN most likely wouldn't be counted.

What counts as experience?

It depends on what you mean by experience. If you mean as it pertains to "experience required" in a job listing then pretty much only RN work counts as experience.

Salutatorian of my class, received awards from my state league of nursing, president of my college's honor society, passed nclex 75 questions in 45 min, youth mentor, 25 job apps, worked as a student nurse in a surgical ICU= no job. I'm at a loss. Honestly, I don't know what else there is to do. Good luck with everything.