Help!! New grad needs help landing a job :(

dee78 · Jul 26, 2012

Have you contacted the nurse recruiters in the hospitals where you are applying? I understand the frustration completely. I was applying to every position. I looked on the state website's job search. I googled individual doctor's office websites to check for job opportunities that weren't on the usual job searches. I emailed doctor's offices advertising OTHER positions to see if they needed an RN. But what ultimately got me the job was going back through the old job postings at the hospital and applying for them. Then I emailed the nurse recruiter and told her that I had applied for 6 positions, I asked for her assistance and advice. She called me immediately and we talked while she sent my applications to the nurse managers. Within seconds of hanging up with her it rang again and was my nurse manager. We scheduled an interview the next day and I was hired on the spot. He needed nurses but I am guessing people were only looking at the new job postings, this one was from March.

When the method you are using isn't working then you try something new. Make sure that you have applied to all RN positions that are still posted on the hospital websites. Call HR and ask to speak with the nurse recruiter. If any of your classmates are already working in the hospitals, give them a call to let them know that you are applying. They are new but they know their nurse manager and can put in a good word.

Chin up, stay focused, and just keep working at it. Good luck!

Columnist · Jul 26, 2012

Moved to Nursing First Job Hunt Assistance for more response.

bubblejet50 · Jul 26, 2012

I'm in the same situation as you. I graduated in May, passed boards in July and applied to every job at the hospitals and surrounding areas. I had a bad experience in LTC as an LPN and wanted to stay away from that area but still applied. I am enrolled in an RN-BSN program also and will grad May 2013 from a very reputable school in the area. I was the only one from my school accepted there. I am current in ACLS and PALS with a year experience as an LPN. I have trach and g-tube experience, experience working with TBI's and I still can't find a job. A lot of my classmates got job offers and I can't even get the interview. I try applying every day. Oh yeah for one hospital in my area I even have a physician who offered his reference for me and an upper management RN offered hers for me at a different hospital. ACLS and PALS each cost me $200 and are not helping me at all. I'm debating right now getting my EMT-B and working on a squad for experience. I found an RN to EMT-B bridge program that will let me sit for the EMT-B exam and there are a lot of volunteer fire dept's where I live. I am also considering TNCC and NRP certs but those are also $200+ each. It sucks but you are not the only one out there feeling like this. Persistence pays off. Keep trying. Go to health care job fairs when they come round and make more contacts. The physician I knew that gave me a reference I met while I was a lifeguard. I used to talk to my members who swam because I worked the same shift everyday and got to know them very well. You will never know where you will meet someone who can help you in life. Try networking. You can try Linked-In. A lot of recruiters use that. It's an online networking place.

DelcoRN · Jul 27, 2012

Thank you for the advice everyone. I think I may look into contacting the nurse recruiter and see if it gets me anywhere. I will try anything at this point.

God luck to all in my position!!