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I am wondering daily if I made the biggest mistake of my life!!!I left a job to go to school fulltime,I graduated in September and past NclexPN in November,I started filling out applications for employment all over and my license came last week and still no one is calling,I even followed up on a few and get...your application is being processed and we will call you if interested.....okay I am feeling over whelmed and depressed because I did not think it would be this hard to find a job...no one wants a new graduate....the school I went to tells you they will help find employment and they give you agency but none of them will hire a new graduate,,,how the heck am I suppose to get 1 years experience??the only job I could of maybe had was a 3-11 kinda far from my house and with traveling in bad weather I was kinda iffy about and that fell through..

now I am sitting depressed and not knowing what to do....:confused: my husband has been working so much this past year to make up my old salary but this is getting old...so how long does it take???I feel like I am not even a nurse and I am afraid of losing what I learned,I have applied fulltime-parttime per diem anything

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Are you applying to LTC? In my area LPNs are always needed there and the pay is pretty good. I always recommend getting some face time in with HR rather than just faxing or dropping of a resume. Keep in mind also that 3-11 may be the shift they need so I'd take what I could get even if it is a bit farther away than you'd like. Good luck.

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I am going through the same thing! It is so frustrating I graduated in June and passed my NCLEX-PN in Aug. I have applied every place and gone on a dozen interviews and it's always the same " we're really looking for someone with some experience" How do I get that experience if no one wants to give me a chance!

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I have tried all LTC,ALF's and now just random Dr.Offices...only 3 have I actually met with HR everyone else you fill application out and they take it at the front desk with the same old "I will give this too HR"

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Specializes in Mother-Baby, Rehab, Hospice, Memory Care.

Wow I'm sorry you are having such a rough time. In my area most LTCF will take anyone with a license and a pulse. I had a job and was working before I had my license. It amazes me that things are so different in other areas of the country. Can you apply for PCT jobs in the hospital just to get your foot in the door? Don't give up yet!

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Hi,

I'm sorry to hear your discouraging news. Can i ask what state you live in. I'm considering an LPN career but not if I cant find a job! There's supposed to be a nursing shortage!

But hang in there. Have you tried subbing as a nurse at schools, private and public? The PCTidea sounds good too.

Best of luck!!

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south new jersey

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Specializes in psych. rehab nursing, float pool.

mume,

when you are filling out applications are you stating that you will work any shift?

That was how I got my first job, and my current as a matter of fact. I was willing to work anything to get my foot in the door. I worried about getting my shift choice later as it became available.

Lpnor not,,, go for Rn , that is my recommendation. While being an Lpn has been great. I do not envy anyone entering the field of nursing at this time. Let alone as an Lpn.

If you read all the posts on the subject in the forums , you will realize it is to your advantage the higher education, and nursing is not recession proof as pointing out in other forums.

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Your situation sounds exactly the same as mine! Except that I've been licensed and trying to find work for over three months, now. I am encountering the same problems you are -- everyone wants one year of experience, and everyone is either not currently hiring OR only hiring RN's (and this includes LTC facilities).

I am continuing to apply for LVN positions, but have been applying for other positions, as well (medical assistant, phlebotomist, etc.) I'm sure I'll find something eventually, but I expect it will take awhile (I have classmates who have been looking for six months.)

I'm in Southern CA. Where do you live?

I am wondering daily if I made the biggest mistake of my life!!!I left a job to go to school fulltime,I graduated in September and past NclexPN in November,I started filling out applications for employment all over and my license came last week and still no one is calling,I even followed up on a few and get...your application is being processed and we will call you if interested.....okay I am feeling over whelmed and depressed because I did not think it would be this hard to find a job...no one wants a new graduate....the school I went to tells you they will help find employment and they give you agency but none of them will hire a new graduate,,,how the heck am I suppose to get 1 years experience??the only job I could of maybe had was a 3-11 kinda far from my house and with traveling in bad weather I was kinda iffy about and that fell through..

now I am sitting depressed and not knowing what to do....:confused: my husband has been working so much this past year to make up my old salary but this is getting old...so how long does it take???I feel like I am not even a nurse and I am afraid of losing what I learned,I have applied fulltime-parttime per diem anything

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I am in south jersey!!!!! still no luck,now I am told that basically 3-11 is the shift that is open,then the next sentance is I am sorry but you have no experience and we need someone with experience!!!:banghead:

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Specializes in OB (with a history of cardiac).

You mentioned filling out applications- do you have an actual resume? (I may have missed if you mentioned you did). I'm convinced that if you have a good resume you can easily find some sort of work. If you, or someone you know has a good way with words you can make your previous employment, even if it's not nursing related sound good.

For example- I had no nursing experience myself when I graduated. The closest thing I had to that field was working as a phlebotomist at a plasma donation center. Other than that I worked in child care. But hey- child care means I am responsible for the care and well being of children. Not just entertaining them, but making sure they're safe, getting good nutrition, and developing the way they ought to be. I'm responsible for a classroom, and organizing things and communicating with parents and all that... I digress- but you see, those are good, important skills for a nurse as well.

Also, are you following up with HR, or the nursing supervisor of these places you apply to, after you put in your application? Make sure you do that, and talk to the supervisor themselves- not just a receptionist. Talk to the head honcho who looks at resumes and decides who to call. Make sure they know that although you're a new grad, you're eager and willing to learn, you're passionate about your field, and excited to further your skills. (Put that on a resume too). I'm basically telling you what I did.

I'm not sure how things are in your area for clinics, because you said you were hitting up random doctors offices. Oftentimes, if they're just small independent clinics with 5 providers or whatever, there's not going to be a lot of job turn over. I'm not saying don't look there, but they're a little bit harder to come by. In my area we have clinic "chains" like Health East, Aspen, Health Partners, Fairview etc... they have multiple clinic locations and are usually owned by a bigger health system and affiliated with hospitals. You may want to look into clinics like that, plus if you go on for your RN, you might have an in with one of the hospitals that the clinic is affiliated with.

Just be aggressive, but not overbearing. Get a list of references- were there any nursing instructors you really liked and who you think would give you a good reference? Add them to your list, and just... follow up. Let them know how much you are into your career as a nurse and how excited you are to put your education into practice. You can be as good as any nurse with experience! :christmastree:

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I have done everything you mentioned doing....I have good references but guess what not one person was even called yet...I am just getting discouraged and it's not helping my holiday mood!!!I am so down these days,my friends told me to take a break untill after the holidays but I feel like I am disappointing my husband and kids

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