How soon for new grad to apply for jobs?

SionainnRN · Sep 15, 2014

I graduated in 09 in Nevada and I had a job offer before I graduated. Depending on when you were able to take nclex you just worked under your temp license. Luckily I was able to take nclex before I started so it wasn't an issue. The main hospital in the town did a job fair around Oct, we graduated in Dec, and 90% of my cohorts had jobs before graduation.

So my advice is to apply and make connections during this last semester of clinicals. Good luck!!

Summers3 · Sep 15, 2014

Dear SionainnRN,

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts and advice! Did you stay in Nevada for your nursing career?

Also, this seems like a really dumb question but if you were offered a job and for some reason, did not get your license in time (either it was delayed for any reason), do you know if you have to pass completely on that job offer? (since i'm not sure if they would wait for you to get your license depending on how much time that would take....?)

SionainnRN, thanks again for your advice! :)

SionainnRN · Sep 15, 2014

I stated in NV for four years and recently moved back to Cali where I grew up. I want to say the hospitals policy was if you didn't pass nclex they had you tech/cna until you were able to retake and pass. But it's been awhile do I'm not 100% sure.

Things are vastly different in the short time I've been out of school, so I personally would talk to your professors or recent grads about the appropriate timeline for your area.

zzbxdo · Sep 15, 2014

You can apply as early as you want, knowing that by the time you start you will need your license or permit. You have to researxh and plan ahead

Summers3 · Sep 15, 2014

Thank you to sionnairn and zzbxdo for your help!

I appreciate your time to respond to my questions! :)

RunBabyRN · Sep 16, 2014

Where in CA are you? It depends on the market where you are. Have you started networking for jobs yet? That's your best bet. What about hitting up the nurse manager where you're precepting, or where you've done clinicals?

You will need your interim permit to work at all, and if you fail the NCLEX, you won't have your IP anymore, and you'll have to wait to work until you have your RN license. Whether or not the job will be waiting for you in that case will depend on the manager, how easily they can find someone new (most positions now have a zillion people waiting for them), company policy, etc.

I started applying places in February. I graduated in May and was licensed in June. The manager where I was precepting offered me a position in March, however, the offer was rescinded because of hospital politics. By July I had two PRN jobs doing random stuff, and I started a SNF job this month. I am still looking for a hospital job.

Summers3 · Sep 16, 2014

Hi RunBabyRN!

I am in San Diego area (socal) but am not even near graduation yet but I wanted to ask this first just to get an idea way ahead of time!

Many people have been offered positions before their graduation/licensure, but I didn't even know they "hold" your job position for you for that long at all which is why I initially assumed that I should wait until i'm nearing my licensure to apply for jobs.

RunbabyRN, if you don't mind me asking, may I please ask what you meant by "hospital politics?"

Since I'm in CA, a very saturated state, i'm worried about job position after graduation and like you, I would like to find a hospital job as well. Also, may I please ask since you are a new grad from June, was it difficult to find your new grad jobs (since every job nowadays requires years of experience)?

Thank you for taking the time to advise me and I wish you the best of luck for your hospital career! :)

zzbxdo · Sep 16, 2014

Your first job is gonna be tough, San Diego is a major hotspot. Keep an open mind while searching for that first job and consider different states for bedside experience. Don't worry about politics, just do a good job, meet people, apply everywhere when the time comes. Having a BSN significantly increases your chances.

Summers3 · Sep 17, 2014

Thaank you for your reply, zzbxdo.

I would like to end up working in a hospital but of course, that's where everyone wants to go so it would be even more hard. I'll definitely keep in mind your advice.

Thank you again! :)

RunBabyRN · Sep 18, 2014

Hi RunBabyRN!
I am in San Diego area (socal) but am not even near graduation yet but I wanted to ask this first just to get an idea way ahead of time!
Many people have been offered positions before their graduation/licensure, but I didn't even know they "hold" your job position for you for that long at all which is why I initially assumed that I should wait until i'm nearing my licensure to apply for jobs.
RunbabyRN, if you don't mind me asking, may I please ask what you meant by "hospital politics?"
Since I'm in CA, a very saturated state, i'm worried about job position after graduation and like you, I would like to find a hospital job as well. Also, may I please ask since you are a new grad from June, was it difficult to find your new grad jobs (since every job nowadays requires years of experience)?
Thank you for taking the time to advise me and I wish you the best of luck for your hospital career! :)

"Hospital politics", in my case, is a long story, but since you asked, I'll elaborate. I don't know if you heard about the big BRN delay from this past winter, but when the BRN "upgraded" to BreEZe, it caused a 90 day backlog, and all of the grads from December couldn't even get licensed until April at the soonest. The hospital that had offered me a position decided not to take any new grads that were from prelicensure programs (as opposed to post-licensure, ADN-BSN bridge programs) out of fear that we would have the same backlog. At the same time, my university did a residency program that included that hospital chain. Many people from my class applied for the residency program, specifying that hospital, not knowing they were not going to take them/us. They only accepted students into this residency program at that hospital chain from the post-licensure program. Thus, all of the new grad positions at that hospital had to be offered to students in the residency program before they could go to other new grads. The unit is a highly desirable unit, and they had several new grads/residency students that went there, so there will be NO new grad positions there for a very long time while they balance out the "talent." (trying to keep it even with experienced and new nurses) It is beyond the hands of the manager that had made the offer.

So the job market. From what I understand, a good number of my classmates are starting jobs at one of the hospitals in the area. However, they took on 40+ new grads, because they have a VERY high turnover rate, and have a terrible reputation for how they treat the staff (I've spent time there- HORRIBLE culture). I didn't even apply. I am currently working 2 random PRN jobs (one of which I got because I have other healthcare experience related to my work) and I just started at a SNF while I search for hospital work. I've interviewed for a hospital job, but was pushed out by a last-minute internal candidate. The manager has said that as soon as something opens up, he's calling me, and he wants to see me, so that's good (and it's with Kaiser, which would be AMAZING). I just got an e-mail requesting reference info for a small rural hospital a bit north of me, and once that's done, I assume they'll call for an interview. I need to find out if that would ruin my chances with the Kaiser position, and whether Kaiser is a guarantee. I have a couple of other leads through contacts, but nothing pans out until it pans out, ya know?

Aside from the group that was hired at that hospital, the people I've heard about in hospitals got their positions through connections. MAKE SURE YOU BUILD YOUR CONNECTIONS!!!!! There are occasionally new grad positions posted, but they either receive hundreds of applicants, or are taken down once they hit the maximum desired applicants (usually 100 or so), which can be a matter of hours. I am, quite literally, obsessively searching for a hospital job.

Summers3 · Sep 18, 2014

Hello again, RunbabyRn!

I see, thank you for explaining out the details so elaborate for me! :)

wow, so you're working 3 jobs currently?! That's overly impressive! If you manage to make a lasting impression on the manager for him to keep you in mind and call you back, I'm sure that means you have a very good chance of being accepted to Kaiser. It's just that an internal applicant was given more priority since they are internal, but this of course is out of your control. I wanted to get my foot in the door by applying for a hospital but non-provider role, like secretary, all to simply into the hospital and gain connections (since I thought there were be virtually no other way for someone average like me to apply externally and actually get accepted). When you apply, was it simply online for Kaiser (like for any applicant interested)? which means you did have to be in competition with virtually 100s of other applicants?!

Thank you so so so so so much again for taking the time to write all that out for me! I appreciate your time very much and with all that you have going on right now, a hospital job is headed your way. Definitely!!! Given that you have only recently gained your license, that is majorly impressive (I was too open minded enough to even to work for a nursing home or small clinic a year or so before even applying to hospitals)!

I will be sure to build my connections and hopefully a few years from now will also land a hospital job.

THANK YOU AND BEST OF LUCK TO YOU, Runbabyrn! :)