How Exactly Does One Gain Experience If No One Is Willing To Hire You?

I am hoping someone has some advice for the two of us here because I too have also applied to over 40 job postings for RN's and have not had a call back yet! It is so frustrating!!! I have gotten two responses via e-mail that have stated that they cannot hire me because I didn't have at least 6 months of "acute care" experience. What gives here? How does one get hired? I'm frustrating and tired of filling out lengthy applications and not getting call backs. I was also just told by a friend of mine not to list clinical experiences. But what if that is all you have in the health related field? I was a paralegal for 10 years then a stay at home mom for another 5. I have had one CNA position that I was at five years ago for 6 months. Any advice here for us would be appreciated!

This does not get us the nursing experience that we will need, but I am doing employee flu shots and nasal mist with a hospital for now. It's a paycheck and something that I can put down on a resume, until the time returns when they are hiring new grads. I don't know when it will be, but it has been made clear to me that I will be a priority hire when the new grad program opens up. I am just days away from sending out letters begging to let me volunteer for experience. Good luck to us!

Something else that may be helpful: Many RNs do not want tech positions after graduating, but it's a foot in the door if your interested. Many states do not allow RNs to work as CNAs, but in some states it is a myth. If your interested, but you do not think that you legally can do it in your state, contact your board of nursing for the official guidelines on paper. I was told by instructors, clinical directors, and other staff nurses that an RN cannot work in my state as a CNA, but I have written confirmation from my BON that I can. It's not nursing experience, but it's a foot in the door and it's some type of experience - and an opportunity to show off your work ethic.

thanks, MissBrittany...I'm going to check with the CA BRN then. I really don't know...and I really want to work again as a CNA if the agency contacts me.

My point exactly!

Just keep applying. There are programs for new grads. You just have to look.

Good Luck!

Graduating from nursing school BLOWS! Almost as much as nursing school did! UGGGGGH!

Even though I only have 2 months of experience, not hospital, I am still going to attend a job fair tomorrow. The listing says "1 year experience or more" but hey, it gets my face and name out there.

I understand what everyone is saying. I have no experience except for clincials in school. I graduate this December, have been applying everywhere and everywhere is saying the same thing. I am in an accelerated program...so no externship and no time to work as a CNA. The job market right now is an uphill battle.

Haha. Its funny that when I started my acclerated BSN program I was promised my pick of jobs, specialties, hospitals, with hiring bonuses and loan forgiveness. Not anymore...now I'll be happy with any RN position which comes my way.

My thoughts exactly! I graduated in August and I thought after graduation, I would get offered a position at a hospital or there would be so many positions available for graduate nurses, that we'd all have our pick for jobs. Unfortunately, in a bad economy,that was not the case. I applied everywhere, locally and out of state, and I've reached the point of saying yes to the first call back for a nursing position. Til then, just been studying for NCLEX. I sit for my NCLEX in November. Maybe after taking and passing the NCLEX my luck will change.

You know, its funny that when I started nursing school a year ago, the hospital on campus was finishing construction on a new cardiac facility with the hopes of increasing jobs for medical professionals, even promising jobs for nurses graduating nursing school. One year later, and now there are no jobs available right now in that same facility for graduate nurses. It's very competitive out there and, sadly, it has become "who you know within the system" in order to get that opportunity and foot in the door.

Good luck to everyone finding jobs!