How do nursing students look for jobs?

Published

I'm a 3rd year nursing student (entering fourth year) and I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about conducting a job search (for when I graduate). I do not want to limit my choices to my current location so I wanted to get advice from nursing students and new grads across the county.

What have you all used that has been successful?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Most hospitals have nursing websites that list all available positions. Start there.

Back when I started, you had to go to the hospital and look at a board with jobs posted. The internet has made some things easier.

If you have any friends or family in nursing, ask if their area is hiring. An insider can be helpful in finding a job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric ED.

I graduate next year too and I've been googling different places I would like to live and finding the hospitals in the area, then coming back here and using the search function to find out what other nurses have said about them.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I just graduated and looking for a job in another state. I posted my resume on monster jobs and have gotten alot of offers from all over the US. I would start thinking about where you would like to go to. Good Luck!:wink2:

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I've done heaps of internet searches. Think of a place I'd like to work, type in google the name of that place and "new grad nursing programme" and hey presto info. Then I email the peeps involved and ask when the programmes start and can I have an application pack. I've also used the old fashioned method of news papers.

We also have employement sites down here, like seek.co.nz with job listings. Its just a matter of sifting through the info.

Of course, New Zealand is small and while there might not be a huge range of jobs on offer to new grads, there aren't a lot of new grads spewing out of the insititituions mid year - like I am.

There's about four hospitals in NZL that offer mid year intakes that I"m applying for, and there's a chance I could get offered a job where I'm doing my electives - in our local emergency department, I'd probably take that job if offered.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Geriatrics, WCC.

I work in St. Paul and use only careerbuilder to post all of my ads. It works very well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

journal ads, classifieds, associations and societies

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would recommend going to a job fair, or any situation where there are employment representatives giving information.

I went to the student nurse association for my states convention this past Fall and there were at least 75 employers from the entire east coast there. It was a great experience to be able to talk to all of the representatives and see what the different hospitals had to offer. I gave my information to a few of them and get updates and phone calls from them from time to time. Plus I got all kinds of great crap like t-shirts, pens and hand sanitizer.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Rural Health.

The internet has made this to be a much easier task to find jobs. Google where you want to live and then start looking at facility websites, newspapers, etc....

The only thing about hospital websites that drives me crazy insane are the canned job openings they have. They may post they have a job opening and it may look like it's actually an opening, but it's not.

I prefer the places that actually update their websites with jobs that they actually have open or the places where you can actually get an HR person on the phone to ask them questions.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

thanks for the feedback. Does anyone use their school web site to look for a job? I'm not too impressed with mine.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion