I'm one of those who is having a tough time finding a job in this economy. I have a BSN, I live in CA, no prior medical experience but I'm coming from the tech field. I did my preceptorship at Stanford Hospital, have looked for jobs ALL over CA, Nevada, and Arizona. Almost 2 years after graduation, NO job.
I'd like to hear from those who have actually gotten RN jobs in Hospitals. Did you have BSN? previous medical experience? as a CNA, respiratory therapist? Did you have a good contact at the hospital that hired you? any unique tactics you used to find your job? how long did it take? Any pearls of wisdom are greatly appreciated by all on this board who are struggling to find that first RN job...
Wow! This happened back in '94 in CA. Do you know how many years it took for the market to turn around and for hospitals to start hiring new grads again? was is 2 years? 5 years? 7 years?
I started my job search 4 years ago. I began by doing my absolute best in my prerequisites and getting experience in direct patient care. I started my healthcare career as a CNA on the TCU of a horrid nursing home (the only job I could get). Hellish job, but I learned a lot.
Then I attacked nursing school like I found it in bed with my girlfriend, graduating with a 4.0 by the skin of my teeth. I made some great friends (and absolutely no enemies).
In the meantime I built a reputation of being one of the best employees you ever saw at every healthcare CNA job I had (LTC, Home Health, and Med Surg floor) I was never late and haven't called in sick since 2007. I built a list of shining RN references as long as your arm.
I took advantage of a fortunate clinical placement along with my good grades and experience to get a Summer Internship with a hospital network after my first year of nursing school. A year later, I applied to a New Grad program in the same network and was offered a position. I feel very lucky to get such a position in this economy, but I worked my butt off to qualify for it and stand out among the applicants.
Even if I did not get the coveted job that I did, I know I could get a decent paying job at a number of Home Health agencies or a less decent paying job at a whole lot of nursing homes.
Every once in a while in school and sometimes at work I would be asked "Aren't you overdoing it? Why do you study so much? Why do you read the textbook? Why do you practice skills so much? Why do you tutor so much? Why so many study groups? Why do you work so hard?"
Because 21 years ago, I graduated into one of the worst job markets in history with zero experience in my field and a 2.64 GPA. It took me almost two years to find a job. 21 years later, I AGAIN managed to graduate into one of the worst job markets in history. This time, however, I made sure I did absolutely everything in my power to excel and stand out.
I want to thank you all for your inspiring posts! It makes me feel like this forever long job search may end sometime soon! Grad May 11’ here… passed boards in July… 100’s of applications… 1st interview this past Tuesday and one on Friday!
What changed… I made up packets of my portfolio, (resume, letters of rec, research, and resolution i co-wrote) and hit the ground… walked right into the two places dressed professionally and dropped it off. Made follow up calls. like magic I finally got 2 interviews! No job offers yet, but at least it’s a start! Good luck on your hunt! I’ll be praying for you!
Just wanted to stop by and let you know that Chicago and the suburbs in the surrounding 75 miles are also very saturated.
Don't be discouraged. I landed my job by sheer persistance. It's at the #1 ranked hospital in the state, with no previous experience. If it was possible for me, there is still hope for everyone.
Granted it took me 6 months of calling in every favor I had, filling out applications like a kid at a candy convention, volunteering and networking, as well as reworking my resume every other day and personalizing each cover letter to see if I could get a bite. (seriously, I still have around 80 versions of my resume and maybe 25 versions of my cover letter choking up my documents folder).
What did it in the end for me?
Sheer persistance got my foot in the door for the interview, but meticulous research and planning landed me the job. I went through each website as I applied and looked for each hospital's values and underlying culture and made cheat sheets to carry with me. I did mock interviews with my sister and best friend to get used to quickly turning an interview into a mutual assessment for fit, and injecting humor into an otherwise mundane task for the interviewer. I also got used to reframing negatives into positives as a previous poster stated, and flipping the conversation around at the end by asking questions that would allow the interviewer to tell me all the great aspects of working as a nurse at the hospital, basically trying to get them to sell me on it.
In the end I got two job offers from the two interviews I managed to get. I also had three contacts I made through networking come back with offers to meet their managers but by this time I had already accepted a position.
To anyone that reads this I hope it gives you hope and encourages you to use whatever personal gifts you may have as assets in landing a job. I know it is tough out there but keep pushing yourself. Ninety-something percent of my attempts resulted in not so much as a rejection email but it potentially only takes one call back to hit pay dirt. If you get an interview and it doesnt result in a job offer, don't be too proud to ask for advice and tips on interviewing if they are willing to give it. I specifically asked for feedback both times, and it didn't hurt my chances at all. I find it best to ask for feedback immediately, when they ask "do you have any questions". Thank them afterwards and redirect to another question regarding their hospital.
I know this post is huge, but I have tried to be thorough since I have been there and know how stressful it is.
I applied for around 100 positions and only got 1 interview and I got that job!!! This was only last week so it did take a while. It is a small hospital with 112 beds and I will be in Telemetry. I think it will be a great place to work and I hope I learn a lot.
At first I wanted a big hospital but now that I think about it I believe God always gives you what you need to grow and I am sure this is the best place for me in the long run. It is only 15 minutes from my home and 5 minutes from my daughters daycare.
Hi Amisidai! I too am in an ABSN program (kinda wish I wasn't...but oh well) and my best advice to you is this: part time weekend work at a major hospital network in your area. It sucks, but it's what you have to do in this type of job market for new grads. See if you can get a job as a unit secretary, CNA, anything to get your name out there to supervisors and other nurses. Think of it like this: You may have a 3.75 GPA, but if no one knows your name your resume will never get chosen out of the pile of hundreds of them. Be okay with a lower (but still good) GPA. Sounds like you want to go for the NP though and grades do matter. Best of luck to you!
This is all very great information, as I have been looking for a job for almost 3 months now. I really didn't want to go into a hospital and "bug" anybody with my new-grad self... but let me tell you it has come that time! I'm really just not that kind of a person... to search out people and bother them with my resume, I'm just kinda shy :-/ But thats their job right!!!!!
So what I would like to know is.... when I go to the hospital, where exactly do I go & who do I want to talk to? HR or The Nurse Recruiter? Sorry if this is a silly question but I'm new at this! This is the first time I've had to REALLY look for a job!
Specializes in Triage, MedSurg, MomBaby, Peds, HH.
I'd like to hear from those who have actually gotten RN jobs in Hospitals.
Hello.
Did you have BSN?
Yes.
previous medical experience?
No.
Did you have a good contact at the hospital that hired you?
Yes. I did a paid summer externship, my Med-Surge II clinical and my Senior Practicum at the hospital in which I now work.
any unique tactics you used to find your job?
No, just was able to know when the hiring was being done for new grads through the grapevine of friends I made through my clinicals/practicum/externship there.
how long did it take?
I took NCLEX in mid July and interviewed for new grad program 6 weeks later and got the position.
I got hired at a hospital today by bypassing HR to meet the nurse manager on the unit. The hospital that hired me has a reputation for hiring new nurses and my friends told me that you have to meet face to face with the nurse managers in order to get interviewed. HTH.
Hi all. I'm a new grad (May 2011) and I recently got hired with my county's health system as a full-time, permanent RN in a psychiatric hospital. I start in a few weeks.
Did you have BSN? No, I have an ADN.
previous medical experience? as a CNA, respiratory therapist? None, nor did I have any volunteer experience.
Did you have a good contact at the hospital that hired you? No.
any unique tactics you used to find your job? Yes! I went to a job fair in order to get face-to-face time with hiring managers. I did not get hired for anything at the job fair, and was told the usual business about how they're looking for experienced RN's and that I should apply for the new-graduate program. However, I made enough of an impression for my resume and information to be kept on file, and I was later contacted out of the blue for an interview for a behavioral health position. I did well at my interviews and got hired.
how long did it take? I began looking for jobs in late August 2011. For the first several weeks I spent hours a day doing applications, calling places, etc. None of this was nearly as valuable as finding a way to get face-to-face with the hiring powers that be. Networking and getting in-person meetings even if not for an interview, but just to talk, is so important.
I agree with Bella39841. Selling yourself is very important. I graduated May 2011 from ADN program in Las Vegas, NV where unemployment is HIGH. I sat for the NCLEX in July and began applying for jobs once I knew I passed. I applied online to the hospitals with no success. I then began to meet with Nurse Managers and HR for about two months with no success (only with a resume in hand). I was becoming depressed. I looked introspectively to see what I was missing. I realized I had a license to practice nursing. I was a business all on my own so why not present myself as that. I went to the Office Max and bought some professional folders and some do-it-yourself business cards and brochure paper. I made some business cards promoting ME. ------- ------- R.N. Patient Advocate providing holistic care, Interdisciplinary Team player and added an area with address and phone number. On the back of the card I put my certifications (BLS, ACLS and memberships). I made a color brochure about ME; where I went to school, areas of clinical experience and a brief background (which contained no healthcare experience but I was a small business owner for 17 years) Threw in a few clipart pictures for flare. In this folder I put my resume, letters of recommendation, clinical skills checklist (from school), a copy of my last semester clinical evaluations the brochure on me and placed the business card in the cut out for it. I picked out the hospital I really wanted to work at. I dressed up in professional attire and went BACK to see the hospital's HR department. Initially, it was just like all the other times I went there. I told the secretary I was looking for an RN position and that I was a new grad. She then told the nurse recruiter and she came out to see me AGAIN. She then told me there were no new grad positions available and AGAIN I thanked her for her time. I then presented my folder and asked her to please keep my information and consider me for any future positions. She brought me into her office to look over my folder. She smiled and said she had not seen anything like this before. She looked at all of my paperwork, brochure, and even plucked out my business card to look at it closer. She noticed the back where I put my certifications. Her eyebrows went up and I could tell by the look on her face (hum, impressive). She then told me again she didn't have any new grad positions but that she would keep me in mind. I wasn't able to go to another hospital (to do the same thing there) for a few days but when I did I was driving to the second hospital and I received a call from the first HR lady. She asked me to come in for an interview for a Med/Surg position. Whoo hoo!! I went in and took the NCB test and she told me I did very well on it and then asked me if I would consider a position in IMC (a step-down unit from ICU) instead of Med/Surg. Well, heck yeah I would!! And that's how I did it. I am now in an IMC course for 6 weeks, which by the way is kicking my A$$ but loving every minute of it and then I will have 6 weeks of orientation.
It took me about 2.5 months to get a job but in that time only a few days once I presented myself correctly. Keep in mind you have a license to practice nursing. You have a scope of practice to practice within and you are, in a since, a business all on your own. The way I look at it is you are a business working for another business. Your business is nursing. Their business is being a hospital.
Hope this helps.
You are truly an inspiration. ALL new grads and future new grads need to take out a pen and a pad and take notes from you. Good job and congrats on your job. :)
:)
rn_yogi
25 Posts
MandaRN94
Wow! This happened back in '94 in CA. Do you know how many years it took for the market to turn around and for hospitals to start hiring new grads again? was is 2 years? 5 years? 7 years?