You see a new grad internship position or even a staff nurse position available. But NO! You can't send my resume directly to the nurse manager. You have to put in an application with HR. "Fill out an application online. It's good for 3 months. If we need you we'll call." ARRG!
Some secretary says, "Sure, you can fax HR a copy of your resume if you want." What's the point???.. I'm gonna fax it and will will make it's way right to the trash.
In one instance there was a new grad position that opened for 1 day. It closed the next morning. I saw it because I obsessively check the websites for jobs many times a day. About a week after I called to check the status. The secretary said, "Oh, they haven't review the application yet." That's ok! They are just taking their time. Meanwhile I called the nurse recruiter and left a message. Of course no returned call.
Well, almost 3-4 weeks of putting it in there, I called and told the secretary that I now have my license and if there was a way to amend my application. She actually checked and said " your application still wasnt accessed-- oh wait... the positions have already been filled a while back" WHAT? You mean they didn't even look at all the applicants??????
I have a somewhat impressive resume, I think. I believe that if I give my resume to a nurse manager, they would be interested. How am I supposed to get a job if they wont even look at it!!!????
Many employers now use optical character recognition to weed out job candidates without ever actually looking at their online applications. Donna Cardillo has some great advice for how to get around this. Make sure your cover letter and resume contain the right words to get past the electronic scanner!
Many employers now use optical character recognition to weed out job candidates without ever actually looking at their online applications. Donna Cardillo has some great advice for how to get around this. Make sure your cover letter and resume contain the right words to get past the electronic scanner!
Maybe you should leave out words to...like new grad...if it means them looking at an above average resume for a new grad that they might consider vs not look at it at all because some program caught the word "new grad" and threw it out completely...it could be worth it
I applied to an RN Residency online, was sent an application packet to fill out complete with 2 letters of recommendations... my teachers went to the trouble to write letters for me, I put the packet in the mail, and the NEXT day get an email saying I'm no longer under considerations. So I and my teachers went to all that trouble and they didn't even open the packet. GRRRR
I know EXACTLY how you all feel! What bothers me the most is that most of these positions are almost done for even before they post them online. Example:A friend of mine used to work as a MA for the hospital I want to go work for. She tells me one of her old co-workers contacted her, since she graduates in May, and asked her if she was interested in a NICU position. That she basically could get her an interview with the Nurse Manager and the position could be hers if she wanted her to talk to the Nurse Manager, all this BEFORE the GN positions are posted online.
and this is NOT for first time I've heard this before. Other ppl I know that work for the same hospital have basically told me that when a position becomes open, they will first ask current employees if they know of someone that could do the job before posting it online!
So basically, they hire before ANY positions are posted online, because they hire based on networking!
This has lead to believe that the Nurse Recruiters, at least with this hospital, do nothing! They basically get a call from the different managers to post a job, but basically the position has already been given to someone that they (the nurse managers) have ALREADY interviewed before the position has been posted for the public!? So how can ANYONE have a chance if this is the way things are going to work?
I have thought of going myself to the unit I'm interested in and introducing myself to the unit manager as interested GN applicant. But I don't know if that would come out as crazy or something. Plus do you go in professional attire? Resume in hand with recommendation letters?
I went in person to a unit to introduce myself, and it turned out great-- I got an interview, but didn't get the job. I still think it was a great experience though, because I wasn't getting any interviews at all, and now the nurse manager knows me and said she's hoping she'll have a position for me (she might just have been being nice, but it's a heck of a lot more than I was getting before). When I just went by to introduce myself, I wore a conservative Sunday morning type outfit...not really interview attire, cause I didn't want to seem like I was expecting something, but that's your call...with a nice copy of my resume and cover letter. So even if she blew me off, I could still say, well can I leave this with you? Anyway, I did that at another hospital too, and even though they aren't hiring new nurses, they were sooo nice and I got to meet some VIPs. So worst case scenario, you'll get a little more comfortable putting yourself out there. With that said, every nurse manager and every situation is different, so I can't tell you what to expect... but if nothing's happening from you just applying... what have you got to lose? :) best of luck to us both!! we'll get the jobs we're meant to that will help us be the best nurses we can be.
I didn't read through the other comments, but I am in the same position as you are. I have applied to numerous hospitals and LTC in my area, but when I call to check on my applications, they are never forwarded or even reviewed, then a week later I receive a rejection email about persueing another candidate, ect.
I finally had to look into relocation and I applied to a hospital 2.5 hours away, ahd my application forwarded, got a phone interview, then an actual interview, and now I will know next week whether or not I got the job. eek!
Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.
Just wanted to throw this out there - a lot of places actually have to try filling positions with internal candidates first before opening up the position to the general public, so this is why you might not find things online first. If you think about it, it would save money for the hospital to hire from within because then they don't have to put the person through the whole general hospital orientation process that they would with a brand-new employee.
Also, if someone who already is employed by a hospital is able to access the internal job postings, they might refer a friend or acquaintance because if that person lands the job, the employee could get a nice referral bonus.
How about asking to shadow some of the units. They offered that at several hospitals. Many people made good impressions and got hired that way.
The HR depts were the same here with online applications. One hospital didn't have any new grad jobs, but after one month ended up having some. Don't give up hope. :)
The other thing that sucks is that a lot of hospitals, as required by the union, are posting positions, such as new graduate ones with the intentions of never hiring any at all. They have to post because the union requires it, then these 200 applicants resumes and efforts are in a spot for "4 spots" which are never going to be filled anyway. (I have a friend who is a nurse recruiter at a local hospital, who told me this.) She was frustrated because all it does is waste a lot of people's time.
You mean they didn't even look at all the applicants?????? 
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Freedom42
914 Posts
Many employers now use optical character recognition to weed out job candidates without ever actually looking at their online applications. Donna Cardillo has some great advice for how to get around this. Make sure your cover letter and resume contain the right words to get past the electronic scanner!
Here's a link to her article on the subject: http://www.dcardillo.com/articles/keywords.html