Graduating in May...

Apply now. Not later. Most students are interviewing right now for the jobs.

As far as how hard and easy, it depends on you, what type of position you want etc. I foudn ti easy to find a job but I have seen some posts where people have had a very hard time...

I also am graduating in May, but I do know that when to apply for jobs depends on the HR preferences of the different hospitals. For example, I know of a few who want all new grad applications in by March, and any hiring/consideration is contingent upon graduating and passing NCLEX in May/June.

Hello!! Quick question for you all. I will be graduating in May with my RN....i have a few questions I can't find the answer to. First off..when do you apply for jobs?? Prior to obtaining your license?? After??? And for all of you whove gotten jobs..was it difficult? Did you get a reply immediately..or was it not as eay as you thought???

My suggestion is not to wait. If you want to work in a "specialty area", many times they only will hire a limited number of new grads. I graduated in Dec. and waited until nov. to apply and caused myself alot of unnecessary stress. By the time i applied most of my classmates had offers already because they applied early.

Good luck to you!

Hi, I'm graduating in May as well and would agree with everyone else posts to apply now. I am going to be doing an internship, and as long as I pass the NCLEX will start immediatly in august. GULP.

I did interview at another hospital as well, and if I decided to go there they told me to respond by March, because from that point forward they could "hold" an position for me in the summer after graduating if I was interested.

so, go go go and good luck! :wink2:

It really depends on the hospital that you are applying too. I graduated in June 2005 and some of my classmates had interviewed for residency positions in May and was offered positions the same month provided they passed their NCLEX. However, there were other area hospitals who wouldn't want you to apply unless you already have your RN license or you did your student preceptorship at the department you are applying too..

Call around and talk to their nurse recruiters and see what they have to say..

GOOD LUCK!

Do it now. I am graduating in May as well, and I've had a job lined up since late October. It was easy. I went in, asked what they had for new grads, told her what I was interested in, and a week later came back and met the NM and hired on the spot.

If you have a chance to shadow, do it. In my case I didn't, because I'd already known I wanted to work there. I did have a tour, meet some nurses, get an idea of nurse/pt ratios etc.

Go to it! :)

I graduated in June 2005, but had a job by the first week of February (contingent upon my passing school, of course). They wanted my application in by the first week of January, when I returned for my final semester of school. Granted, I had been working in this ICU since December of 2003 after my first semester of school as an Apprentice Nurse. It was nice not having to stress about finding a job, filling out applications, interviews, etc. and concentrate on school.

Melanie = )

Graduating in May....applied at the Hospital I wanted to work for in November....interviewed mid-December.... and was hired the first week of January. Now I am just waiting to hear what department I am going to work in, after interviewing with the nurse managers of the areas I am interested in.

As another poster mentioned, it is a big relief that I won't have to worry about the job hunt and interviewing later this semester, when things get hectic.

While it does vary by facility (how far ahead they hire new grads), I would definitely start now.....I know a few people who have already missed out on getting into the hospitals they wanted because they didn't realize that some of them hire so early.

Happy hunting:)

Agree with everyone else - Do it Now!!!!

I hesitated and lost the position I wanted and found out there were a bunch of people already ahead of me in January...I graduate in May.

I am interviewing right now..........................Actually waiting for the interview time from HR. Same floor I do clinical on. The one I lost was where I was an extern for 9months........Kept everything cool so I can get in there later provided I don't fall in love with somewhere else......

I started looking for jobs and calling organizations, turning in applications and setting up interviews in January, then I finished all of my interviews by the middle of March and made a decision by the end of the month. By planning early, you can even have organizations pay for you to travel to interviews, for instance, I interviewed in 4 different states, not including the one I lived in, and I planned all of my southeastern interviews during spring break so that I could combine travel time to the same part of the country. I got reimbursed for a lot of my expenses, plus, job searching is a tax write off: I stayed at 4 star hotels the entire time I interviewed, it was great. My friends who only interviewed locally couldn't believe it!!

My advice to you is to keep a notebook where you write all of the details of each organization and unit that you are interviewing on and leave space on the same page to write data you collect during the interview itself: like pay, weeks of orientation, shift, whether you have to rotate or not, pt/RN ratio, educational reimbursements, sign on bonuses, if there is mandatory on-call, etc. Try to have a "skeleton" list of basic questions you want to ask every organization, that way it is easy to compare the different places when it is time to sit down and make a decision. Plus, you won't forget to ask something important that might make or break your decision to take a job. And look, look, look. There is a position everywhere. My first job out of school was at a top notch teaching institution, I was a state employee, I got a huge sign on bonus and they paid to move me out of state. Good luck to all of you! Welcome to "the real world" of nursing!!!!

To err is human...to nurse: divine.

I didn't apply for any jobs until I passed NCLEX. I wanted lots of time to study and if you are working you won't have much. I didn't have any trouble finding a job. I do know of at least one fellow student from my class that took a hospital job, took NCLEX, and FAILED IT. Can you imagine how awful that must have been to tell your employer??? That is the main reason I waited to apply...I didn't want any chance of being in that position.

Hi All you Graduatees,

I am set to graduate in May as well and I just was offered a position that starts in July. That means I have 1.5 months to study for the NCLEX. I think that is plenty of time to brush up on what I have learned the past four years. I will not be working the month of June. It will just be constant studying. I will then take the boards before I start. I have been preparing myself all this year. I'm not overconcerned about failing. I just keep telling myself "I WILL PASS THE BOARDS". This has helped in every other situation where I needed to pass and I did.....There is always the chance that I won't pass, but this is not my focus.......I hope everyone does well, keep us informed....................Prayers for you, Heather