When I knew that nursing school was what I wanted to do, I started to take some classes. At the time I had a very good job making 31 dollars an hour but hated it every day. I took classes part time to just start again. I had been out of school for about 15 years. My job offered an educational buyout where for a period of 4 consecutive years, they would pay half my wages, 15k a year toward school as well as full insurance for my son, wife and I. It was an amazing thing.
When I quit my job I knew I needed to get a job in a hospital. I was working at a health food store at the time trying to make ends meet and I met a great lady. I told her I wanted to be a nurse and had some books out at the register to study with anytime business got slow. She told me her husband was a CRNA and I mentioned that I was ambitious and wanted to do that someday. He came in, I met him and he asked me if I wanted a job at the hospital he worked at. Of course I did. He got me in an entry level position as a transporter. I worked my behind off, met people in the hospital and was asked if I wanted to learn the PACU area. I did of course and made myself as valuable as I could. I worked there a while and knew I wanted to get some ICU experience at the start of nursing school. I went and talked to the director. He like the interest I showed and he hired me. I again worked as hard as I could.
There is a huge hospital in the inner city where I live that has a great reputation and is pretty rough. They had an opening in their ER and I put in for it my 3rd semester of nursing school. They decided to interview me because of my experience. I did well I feel and got the job as a nurse extern in a trauma one ER that usually has about 100 patients in it any one time. It's amazing experience. While doing this, I again tried to make myself valuable and learn as much as I could. The hospital staff is like no other. They are my family. Unfortunately for me at the time, they decided not to hire any new graduate nurses. I applied for some jobs in the system because I was to graduate in May. I got a call from a nurse recruiter to apply for a certain job. It just happened to be the MICU as a graduate nurse. I went in for an interview and they told me that they liked my past experience and my work ethic. They told me they heard I was a hard worker. I got the job. A couple days later, I was told I might have the chance to interview at the ER if I wished. I wanted the ER, but already gave a commitment to the MICU that I am not willing to break. It's nice to have two units that you love working for after you.
My point of all of this is during the whole way, I tried to make myself as valuable as I could and learn as much during the jobs and school. I networked my ass off and tried to meet people and not burn bridges. It's all about who you know and your work record is kind of like a running tabulation of you that is always running. If any bridges are burnt, it will red flag people. Talk to people. Make connections. Work hard. It can be done. I know that things just happened for me and I am very fortunate because so many people that are graduates are without work. It is a damn shame. I got lucky, but do feel as I helped to contribute to my luck by soaking up things. Like I said, it can be done.
Let me preface, before going on, that I know (or at least am assuming from the tone that I am inferring from your post) that you are truly trying to be helpful. I hope that you are not reading my tone as snide or demeaning, because that is not my intention. I am just sharing where I am at right now. It is a rotten place to be, and I truly do appreciate any help at this point. I responded because a previous poster asked what happens to people that do not have connections. I am an example of this. I only include this little prologue because I know that on a message board it's difficult to infer one's tone from post to post.
Most of the people in my family are teachers or work in the auto industry (or what's left of it). My Mother is nurse, but she hasn't been very helpful with connections. I have one Aunt that is a nurse also, but only speak to her about once every five years. Most of mine are from school and clinicals, as well as a few friends that work in various hospitals. I am in a real predicament, but it has to do with living 800 miles away from my connections, not from neglecting to network while in school. If I had known that we would have to move prior to beginning nursing school, I would have applied for nursing school where I live now, rather than dual stating it for a year and a half only to move out here and not be able to find a job. The situation was different out here then too. When my husbands work flew us out here to see the area, they set up a reception with representative of community organizations for all of the employees that were considering the relocation. At the time, the hospitals were so short staffed that once the hospital recruiters found out I was in nursing school, they literally followed me around the room talking to me about why I should apply to their hospitals once I graduated. Now the same recruiters won't give me the time of day. Had I known this would be the situation when I got out here, I would have made different decisions, most likely resulting in me trying to transfer nursing programs. But, hindsight is 20/20, and there is nothing I can do about it now.
I would be thrilled to work in a LTC, unfortuanatly I can't get an interview in any of them. The one interview that I did have scheduled was for a subacute/rehab/hospice facility, but it was cancelled. That does give me hope, however that should another position become available, perhaps they would consider interviewing me agian. I tried to go to a job fair, but was turned away at the door because it was for nurses with one year of experience only. No other ones have been scheduled in the area. I check daily. As of right now, I treat job hunting as my job. Daily I check all of the websites/career sites/wanted ads, submit my applications, look for other opportunities to enhance my resume, etc. I've just started putting in applications in different areas of the country, so I'm hoping that will pan out for me. Prior to this week I was only applying to facilities within a 1.5 hour drive. From now on I will be branching out further than that, because I've pretty much exhausted my options within an hour and a half drive.
I am glad that as a student you are reading 'how I got a job' posts in this forum, because I really and truly do NOT want other people to be in the situation that I am in, but once you have graduated, it is much more difficult because most people don't want to hire you as anything but an RN. When you are still in school you have a few more options to find connections, such as through extern positions. If people can get these positions, they should definately TAKE THEM. At the same time....I'm getting a little sick of people assuming that the reason that I don't have a job is because I'm picky and don't want to apply to anything but hospitals, or don't know about job fairs. This isn't true for me, as it isn't true for many grads. It's just an awful, awful job market right now, in some areas moreso than others. I thought it was cut throat when I was looking for teaching jobs, but it was NOTHING like this. There seems to be a need to blame it on the new graduates when we can't get a job (we are being too picky, we haven't reviewed our resume, we aren't including cover letters, we don't know how to interview or dress properly, etc, etc.), and while that may be true for a certain percentage, I think the large majority of us are doing all that we can, and aren't getting anywhere. If 'luck' is what I will need to get an interview at this point, than I'll take it.
Thats the second time you've said this. I've yet to see somebody (on this thread at least) say that about you. I know you don't MEAN to come off as being snide, but you are. People posting advice about applying to LTC facilities etc are doing it with the best of intentions so don't chew them out for it. I can certainly understand your frustration, and it seems that you are doing everything within your power to find a job. Good luck
zestfully clean - you are way too organized . My list of contacts is cut and pasted in all different fonts in a Word document!
LOL, yea, mine was like that for a week until I realized I was getting all the same sort of information for each facility... recruiter, contact info, deadline, etc, so why not just stick it into a spread sheet. Once you create it, its actually WAAAY faster and easier to update and keep track of, lol. Yea. I was never this organized until nursing school.... haha.
zestfullyclean I hate to admit it but I don't know how to set up a spreadsheet. I mean, I used Excel for years but it was a very simple setup - basically to keep track of numbers that needed to be added up.
Bobbkat: I am in a similar boat as you are. I graduated nursing school in a different area than where I am living now. I have no contacts here. My husband works six days a week and we have an 8-mo old baby. I was tired of being turned down for jobs or getting no response at all so I (just recently) decided to begin volunteering at a local children's hospital on his one day off. It stinks that on his day off I will be spending part of my day away from him, but I really want to be a nurse and if volunteering will eventually get me a job, then I see it as another investment in my nursing career.
My hat goes off to you in considering moving 800 miles away from your husband and daughter to find a nursing job. I'm not sure that I could do that. With that kind of dedication to nursing, I'm surprised you haven't been able to find a job. Maybe some of your recruiters should read this post. ha, ha. Good luck in your quest. I sincerely hope you are able to find something close to home.
Thank you all for your suggestions and input. It's wonderful to have this forum where we can help one another out.
Considering, but not sure that I have the stomach to do it yet. Good luck on your search babybottomsup, I hope you don't have to look that much longer.
I am truly sorry that you are in this predicament. I too, used to be a teacher and nursing was a second career choice for me, at a much older age than you are now. If you would like to PM me and tell me exactly where in CN you live, I am from NYC originally, I can tell you some of the things that I did to get called for interviews and also some things about my crazy first year after graduation.
Wow..I leave this post for a couple months and it is still here with 5 pages. It's not what I expected, I just wanted people to see how I do things. I do network a lot. What I mean by this is I meet people, strike up genuine conversations with them, try and treat everybody with respect, be polite and be myself. I think the polite thing goes a long way because often in the health care field we are so pressed for time that etiquette is sometimes forsaken. Everything helps.
I worked my butt off and sacrificed a lot of family time (Begrudgingly and at quite a cost) so I could work and go to school to make the connections. I graduated with a BSN with a 3.9 GPA, student taught patho, assessment and pharmacology while an undergrad, Did community work and just leaped at any opportunity to learn something new. While doing this, I met new people and engaged in learning from them. I think this went a long way.
As for people not being able to get a job, I am really sorry because the job market today is crazy. I feel for all of you because the idea that we go through such intense schooling has to be disheartening when you were told years ago that you would have a job at the drop of a dime and now are struggling for anything. I didn't make this post to be a HOW TO guide nor did I address it from anybody else's perspective but my own. All I am saying is it can be done.
. My list of contacts is cut and pasted in all different fonts in a Word document!
caramello
25 Posts
Thats the second time you've said this. I've yet to see somebody (on this thread at least) say that about you. I know you don't MEAN to come off as being snide, but you are. People posting advice about applying to LTC facilities etc are doing it with the best of intentions so don't chew them out for it. I can certainly understand your frustration, and it seems that you are doing everything within your power to find a job. Good luck