How hard is to find a CNA job with minimal work experience?

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Due to the advise of members here, I have decided to start my CNA training soon. I'll be taking it through Red Cross, January 1st-February 4th. Now that I've payed the fees and everything, I'm concerned about actually finding a CNA job. I'll be 20 by the time I start looking for a CNA job, but I only have a small amount of work experience. I've been nothing more than a seasonal cashier in retail, and I'll a full time student. Based on this, would any hospital, LTC, etc., even consider hiring me? I payed $1000 for the CNA course, and I can't afford to not find a job next year after the training is over.

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Specializes in VA-BC, CRNI.

Jobs are hard to come by, apply where you do your clinicals. As long as you bust your ass and really shine above the rest you will be fine.

LTCs/SNFs tend to hire the inexperienced.

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with LTC you won't have any problems.... in our facility there are always openings. I work on call and pick my my own schedule, and believe me.... I don't complain about lack of work :)

Most hospitals require at least 6 months of experience in LTC before even they will look at your application. But you may be the lucky one and you will find the job in hospital without experience like one of my friends :)

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I got hired on one week after taking my state exam at the facility I did my clinicals at. While I have 5 years admin/project management experience I had never done anything in health care and I think thats whats important. No hospital will touch me right now because I don't have the experience. I'm starting to get calls now from other LTC's that I applied at, but I'll warn you the pay is so low!

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Where are you located?

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
Where are you located?

Yea, this is impotant b/c it really all depends on your area. It took me 2 months to find a job here in MD. Maybe you could research what the job market is like in your area so you can get a better idea of what its like out there for CNA's. good luck :up:

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Thanks for the help. I live in Michigan, a not so hot market to be job hunting....

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Hi. I'm taking a cna class on may 8, 2010. I currently volunteer at a hospital, and i have about 100 hours of volunteering in re and trauma. I would love to be a cna in the ER in the summer and have the job until i get into nursing school. The cna jobs require hospital experience, do you think my hours count as hospital experience? I have been volunteering for about three and a half months so i hope it shows im really determined and im passionate about the medical field. I just hope once im certified as a cna, I wont get a job because of the experience they want? I need some advice so please reply back:)

Thank You.

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Hi. I'm taking a cna class on may 8, 2010. I currently volunteer at a hospital, and i have about 100 hours of volunteering in re and trauma. I would love to be a cna in the ER in the summer and have the job until i get into nursing school. The cna jobs require hospital experience, do you think my hours count as hospital experience? I have been volunteering for about three and a half months so i hope it shows im really determined and im passionate about the medical field. I just hope once im certified as a cna, I wont get a job because of the experience they want? I need some advice so please reply back:)

Thank You.

Volunteering doesn't usually count as experience, but it never hurts to put it somewhere on your application. You may even be able to use a few of the people you have worked with as references; they will be able to put in a good word for you with their supervisor, which may increase your chances of getting the job.

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Specializes in LTC, Med/Surg.
Volunteering doesn't usually count as experience, but it never hurts to put it somewhere on your application. You may even be able to use a few of the people you have worked with as references; they will be able to put in a good word for you with their supervisor, which may increase your chances of getting the job.

Let me just say that I got hired for a Med/Surg hospital job based on volunteering experience, and this was before I was even listed on the CNA registry. They weren't exactly itching for CNAs, either-- I was one of many applicants who were just as eager as I am to get out of the nursing homes.

You will probably have no issues getting hired at a nursing home. The working conditions range from tolerable to hellish, depending on general morale and whether or not the administration is "shady." The LTC I work at right now is merely okay, but I find that I can hardly tolerate the shift wars and the high volume of call-outs. I'm itching to get out, but don't let that concern you-- if you have a genuine love of geriatrics, something I will never have, then you will enjoy it. Even if you dislike the nursing home environment, six months experience to put towards a hospital job isn't that bad at all.

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if you apply in person at ltc/alf and you look the part, you're going to get a job in my area with no exp.

cna pay is low and the work is hard at ltc/alf, so the turnover is high.

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It only took me a couple of months to find an LTC job and I only halfway tried to look. If you are motivated and job hunt everyday, it should be no problem. What worked best for me was applying in person at the facility. Try to go in the morning b/n 8:30-10:30, when management is there and available, and you may get hired on the spot.

Good luck!! :p

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