How many jobs have you applied to?

RN403, BSN, RN · Feb 2, 2015

I must have put in over 100 applications before I was hired. I applied to multiple positions at multiple hospitals within an hour and a half commute from where I reside.

desertstar6 · Feb 2, 2015

I applied to 100+. In town, 3 hours away and out of state. Hospitals, nursing homes, companies. My advice is to make a list of what you want and what you can deal with and split to everything

theradiantforce · Feb 3, 2015

I live in the Chicago area and have applied to 100's of jobs. Indeed.com has been helpful in getting me to the interview point, which is great. At least I get my face and personality in front of a human being! I feel pretty good about getting interviews because I know some new grads aren't even getting that. Overall, I seem to get a lot of "we were very impressed BUT, we went with a candidate with experience more aligned to our needs or internal". I am frustrated each time I see that email.

Keep hope alive. Although it is hard, something will come along. Unfortunately, depending on your location you may have to cast your net a bit wider (i.e. rural areas or less desirable nursing positions) in order to get a response.

sourapril · Feb 3, 2015

hundreds and six months.

work77 · Feb 3, 2015

I applied over 200 + jobs including hospitals, rehab center , nursing home etc. Finally, I got a job today.

Keep applying . I know its frustrating but that is the only way out .

Good luck !!!

XoXoNewNurse · Feb 3, 2015

I just graduated having never worked in a hospital as a tech or anything and I applied to 2 jobs both of which I simply walked in, introduced myself to the nurse manager, and turned in my resume. I got interviews from both and accepted the first one I was offered. Let me also add that I live in a rapidly growing city with too many nursing schools so jobs are not very easy to come by. Applying in person is without a doubt the way to go!

theradiantforce · Feb 3, 2015

I just graduated having never worked in a hospital as a tech or anything and I applied to 2 jobs both of which I simply walked in, introduced myself to the nurse manager, and turned in my resume. I got interviews from both and accepted the first one I was offered. Let me also add that I live in a rapidly growing city with too many nursing schools so jobs are not very easy to come by. Applying in person is without a doubt the way to go!

Wow! I have seen some other nurses post that they walked up to managers and got hired. Kudos to your moxie. Unfortunately, in a city like Chicago, walking onto any hospital unit is near impossible and most managers I know would promptly direct me to HR.....which is often in a whole other building or some other inaccessible area of the hospital.

XoXoNewNurse · Feb 3, 2015

Wow! I have seen some other nurses post that they walked up to managers and got hired. Kudos to your moxie. Unfortunately, in a city like Chicago, walking onto any hospital unit is near impossible and most managers I know would promptly direct me to HR.....which is often in a whole other building or some other inaccessible area of the hospital.

Thanks! That's unfortunate. I would definitely call the nurse manager first especially if I had never set foot in that particular hospital. I guess my classmates and I all felt comfortable aggressively going after the jobs we wanted even at a large level one trauma center since we spent years doing our clinical rotations there. I just think that in this current job market with an abundance of nurses and not enough jobs, it is necessary to be more assertive when seeking employment.

RunBabyRN · Feb 6, 2015

Somewhere around 2000 jobs before I landed an offer for full time. I have held 3 very PRN positions in the meantime. I also live in one of the most saturated markets in the US.

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Feb 6, 2015

I applied to just over 300... starting back in May... basically 8 months and a few days. I got a verbal offer about 2 weeks ago and my formal offer today. I will be starting in the ED, within the month as exact start date is TBD.

Update: I start in about 2 weeks. Also, my soon-to-be previous employer reinforced the practice of giving a courtesy notice (2 weeks, usually) whenever possible. While they can't hire and train my replacement that fast, it allows for the out-processing paperwork process to go much more smoothly. Had I given less notice than that, I would have been placed on a "no-rehire list" and that could negatively impact future reference checks. Had I already been unemployed, I would be starting in a matter of days.

~Shrek~ · Feb 6, 2015

First job I got hired into: I applied to about 25-30 jobs. I got this offer and took it right away because I read online about how bad the job market is. Worst decision of my life so far. I ended up getting 5 interviews at better places after I had been gainfully employed which I could not attend because I was working literally every day of the week due to scheduling nightmares.

Current job I have: I applied to about 15 jobs and got this one right away. This job is much more stressful/ chaotic but my schedule is perfect for me, and I have very nice management who understands that I am gradually applying to other jobs.

Now: I have sent out about 8 applications and have another interview. I am no longer going to apply to a billion jobs in a panic. Every week, I am looking through applications and finding what is a best fit for me. I am being picky about where I am applying to. I already am gaining RN experience and there is no need for me to hop ship from this job to another one unless I find something better.

I never worked in acute care.