How i got the job that I wanted.

Published Oct 3, 2011

61 Posts

** This is kinda long, but i hope worth the read.

They always say that “beggars can’t be choosers”, but I think if you really know what you want and your worth, you will land where you’ve always wanted to be all along. I also believe that God do have plans for each of us.

To be honest, one of the many reasons I took the nursing path is because there was a nursing shortage back in 2008 when i applied for the nursing program. I thought that it will be an easy route to take assuming that when I graduate, there will be a job lined up for me. I was wrong.

The class before us is probably the last lucky few who were able to get a job easily. I graduated last June 2011 and two classes graduated in my school due to a changed curriculum. Also, around that time, another college in town also graduated over 60 new nurses. More graduates= more competition. The economy has been down the drain over the years, and things has changed.

When I did my clinical rotation at KMC (county hospital), I fell in love with it. I really tried to get the clinical instructors who teach at that hospital so I can do my clinical rotations there, and I succeeded. I like this hospital because it is a teaching hospital, and I like to be surrounded by people who are like me- willing to always learn. I know that I don’t know everything. There will be people who can be a great resource and help so that I can be the best nurse that I can and will be.

So, during the KMC luncheon on April 2011 for new grads, I talked to the ICU director to learn more about the application. I have always wanted to work in critical care even though I did the POOREST on this class when I was still in school. LOL. I love total patient care and being able to see a patient improve from almost dead in vents, million drips, to smiling, moving and breathing on their own.Those things put a smile on my face. I also fascinate myself with complicated diseases and cases that I take the time to figure out and decipher.

She told me that she doesn’t hire new grads, but she said I can start some other unit, and work my way to the critical care unit. My second choice and actually one of my favorite units is Med-Surg. I love being busy and doing something every second. I go crazy whenever I am idle and not being productive. So i had a mindset that I am just gonna work at Med-Surg.

Come July 2011 after passing my boards and failing the DDI Assessment (personality quiz) in the application for Mercy (including other CHW hospitals), not getting my application to the directors at San Joaquin, the will to work in a hospital setting and the strong desire to really work in a critical care unit..I took the courage to print out my resume and meet with the ICU director.

I went to the hospital, dressed professionally, and went to her unit. I was outside the door of the enclosed ICU/DOU facility, holding my manila envelope, thinking to myself “Should i do this or not?!” and suddenly a girl came up to me and asked “Do you need help?” I uttered “I am here to see the ICU director”. She said that she wasn’t there but she will be back in a few hours.

I waited at the hospital lobby for over 2 hours.. After the long wait, I came up again to see if the director was there and i got on the phone with her. The ICU director asked “Do i have an appointment with you?”. I genuinely said “No, but I am here because I want to meet with you and hand you my resume”.

You see, this gesture can be a make or break deal. I can be seen as someone who’s overly desperate or someone who really wants to work at this unit. Thankfully, it was the latter. She let me in the unit and interviewed me. She remembered me from the KMC luncheon 3 months before. She toured me around the unit. In the end, she honestly told me that she can’t hire me until formal interviews has been made. Since it is a county hospital, I had to go through the whole hiring process of the county.

I waited almost 2 months to get the mail for interview. I still have to face a panel interview, but I know as long as the ICU director knows me, I have a bigger chance of working at this hospital. I never got a chance to EVER get into a formal interview process in my life. My parents has been so supportive all throughout my college life that I never had to find a job to get through every day expenses.

I really believe that success is HARDWORK, WILL, LEARNING FROM MISTAKES, but most of all preparation (when you can). I really prepared myself for this interview like how I prepared for my board exam. The night before my interview, i catch myself even practicing how I was going to shake the nursing directors’ hands. LOL. It’s so silly!

I went in the interview and surrounded by 7/8 nursing directors from all the units in KMC. I was asked only a few questions and found them more interested in telling me what the hospital is all about and how the orientation process will be. I left the conference room knowing that I did a good job. My gut feelings are usually wrong (like when I feel like I aced an exam but actually failed), but this time I knew it went really well.

They kept on telling me that I will hear from them in a week or so.. but 2 weeks has passed and I haven’t gotten a call. Another tip: TRY TO ALWAYS ALWAYS FOLLOW UP. I called the HR every week to make sure. This will really show how interested you are with the job.

Then on my birthday, I had a dream I called the HR and they told me I didn’t get the job. I was devastated. I woke up crying to myself (well ALMOST).. hahaha! Then i looked at my phone and saw a missed call. I jumped out of bed and immediately dialed the HR #. They are offering me a job at KMC!! I was so happy. God had to really pick this day to give me the good news!

After so many bumps along the road, I realized that if you really want something, there will be a way… if there is no way, you make one. Like how this quote goes “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door”. If you have the tools to make it happen, IT IS POSSIBLE.

I feel so blessed, but I think it I owe this success more to my strong desire to really really work there and not giving up. PATIENCE and PERSISTENCE does pay off. It will not be easy.. but it will be worth it.

This is a stepping stone for me to bigger better things in the future, but I am just living my life one step at a time.

Every year, I make a goals list. Last year, this was my list: