I want to start a support thread for us unemployed New Grads in California

Published

Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

Hey yall. I want to start a support thread for us unemployed New Grads in California. I've recently lost a lot of my hope and optimism for finding a New Grad position. I graduated in May with my BSN and I've applied for about over 100 positions at this point and I've gotten one interview.:cry: The rejection and lack of options has taken a toll on me. I literally made an Excel spreadsheet of almost every New Grad program with information/dates/links in the state PLUS almost every hospital in the state with links to their job listings that I check multiple times a week with notes from their HR dept about if they hire New Grads. Part of what makes it worst is when "outsiders", I know they mean well, mention oh why don't you apply at this hospital or be a traveler or there's a shortage you'll get a job soon, etc. You just want to scream :arghh: I realized the best way to get through this is with the support of those in your shoes. Although we are in competition with each other we can help each other through the tears, hissy fits, and psychotic laughter.:roflmao:

I got the idea for this thread from another thread posted here on allnurses: https://allnurses.com/nursing-first-job/unemployed-new-grad-797292.html

I'm not saying we all need to meet in groups in our own areas (it's nice it comes about). But I want this to be a place for us to vent and support each other. If you're like me and you're so depressed that your mom gave you one of your Christmas presents early (It was a Tweety Bird robe) to try and cheer you up then please come and I have a virtual box of Kleenex and a pat on the back for you.:sorry:

One thing I learned in nursing school is that icebreakers can really do good sometimes so you're welcome to use the following to introduce yourself.

Hello my name is kenderella89 and I'm an unemployed New Grad.

License type: BSN

Time out of school: 8 months

# of positions applied to date: a little over 100

Dream RN position: NICU however I would love to start in Med Surg as well

Hospital experience: No but I have over 300 volunteer hours and I worked for the California Dept. of Public Health for 3 years

Where do you live: The Sacramento area although I just moved from the bay area

What are you doing now: Volunteering at a daycare trying to get a hospital volunteer position as well

Favorite color: Purple

How you cope with unemployment: I bake. A LOT. My friends' and family's waistlines hate me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

What was your GPA? Have you applied out of state?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I'd love to join the "party"

Hello my name is RNinC and I’m an unemployed New Grad.

License type: ADN - will finish my BSN this summer

Time out of school: Almost 2 years :(

# of positions applied to date: I've lost count, but certainly well over 100, maybe even into 200

Dream RN position: In school I wanted to work NICU or peds. After my senior preceptorship, I found my calling/passion in Burn ICU. I still think I would like Peds/NICU (I was on a peds burn unit for that preceptorship). I also think I would like wound care.

Hospital experience: Not outside of nursing school.

Where do you live: SD

What are you doing now: Working as a part-time nanny. Waiting to hear back from hospital volunteer aps.

Favorite color: Depends on the day, but always a fan of pink.

How you cope with unemployment: Like you, I also bake (and cook).

As for the other poster's question - I had a 3.6 (we were not on a 10 point system, so a 90 was a B not an A. We also only used .0's for GPA. So a B-, B, and B+ were all 3.0s) and I was the valedictorian for my class.

As of right now, my husband is the breadwinner and we can't risk him quitting his job to move so I can find a job.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.
What was your GPA? Have you applied out of state?

My GPA wasn't terrfic. Mostly due to my low test scores my first year but after accomdations I got excellent grades my 2nd year but it didn't boost my GPA high enough. However, I have friends who graduated a year before me and both had honors and both just got jobs this year. Apparently GPA isn't eveything although there's a few new grad programs I can't apply for because my GPA isn't over 3.5.

To answer your 2nd question I can't apply out of state. That cost more money that I don't have. Extra moving expenses, plane tickets if I can't get a phone interview, license fees, etc. Even if I was to stay with family out of state it wouldn't matter because they live in major cities like D.C. and Atlanta where new grads are having as hard of a time as us here.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.
I'd love to join the "party"

Hello my name is RNinC and I’m an unemployed New Grad.

License type: ADN - will finish my BSN this summer

Time out of school: Almost 2 years :(

# of positions applied to date: I've lost count, but certainly well over 100, maybe even into 200

Dream RN position: In school I wanted to work NICU or peds. After my senior preceptorship, I found my calling/passion in Burn ICU. I still think I would like Peds/NICU (I was on a peds burn unit for that preceptorship). I also think I would like wound care.

Hospital experience: Not outside of nursing school.

Where do you live: SD

What are you doing now: Working as a part-time nanny. Waiting to hear back from hospital volunteer aps.

Favorite color: Depends on the day, but always a fan of pink.

How you cope with unemployment: Like you, I also bake (and cook).

As for the other poster's question - I had a 3.6 (we were not on a 10 point system, so a 90 was a B not an A. We also only used .0's for GPA. So a B-, B, and B+ were all 3.0s) and I was the valedictorian for my class.

As of right now, my husband is the breadwinner and we can't risk him quitting his job to move so I can find a job.

Welcome RNinC! I just came up from the Scripps interview. I miss SD :( I use to live in Spring Valley.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Near Future: ED, Future Future: ACNP!.

Hello my name is ExPharmaGirl and I’m an unemployed New Grad.

License type: BSN

Time out of school: 7 months (licensed for 4)

# of positions applied to date: According to my spreadsheet: 112

Dream RN position: ED (at this point ANYTHING)

Hospital experience: None other than school clinicals.

Where do you live: San Diego

What are you doing now: Getting as many certifications as I can. Working in the pharmaceutical industry (non-RN - Get me OUT OF HERE!).

Favorite color: Light blue.

How you cope with unemployment: My dogs are my therapy.

GPA: 3.89 in nursing and science, 3.5 cum (I have another Bachelor's from the same school- and a Master's).

If one more person tells me the right position is out there for me, I'm going to scream.

I would be out of California yesterday if I could be.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult Gerontology Primary Care, Palliative.

Hey ya'll

My name is PedsOncHopeful and I'm a unemployed sort of "new grad"

License Type: BSN with honors

Time out of school: 18 mths (licensed for 15 mths in Cali, 16 mths in GA)

# Positions applied to date: I never counted, I never saw the point in keeping count of how many apps I put out....

Dream RN Position: Burn Unit, Peds Onc

Hospital Experience: 9 mths as a Nurse extern on a L&D floor in GA

Where do you live: OC :(

What are you doing now: Filling out apps, interviewing (when the nursing gods are benevolent and grant me an interview), being a housewife/puppy mommy, taking time off from a hell hole of a position as a home hospice RN case manager,taking cert classes

Favorite Color: blue/green

How I cope with unemployment: My dog, and my incredibly supportive husband

GPA: 3.62

I know I'm not technically a "new grad", but I still consider myself to be one. I was working as a RN Case Manager for a hospice company for 9 mths, but honestly, I never did anything that was what I thought I would be doing my first job out of school, and now feel like I've forgotten a lot of stuff, especially skills. The only way I would ever recommend the job I was doing is if someone was on the verge of being homeless and needed a paycheck. The job literally drained everything out of me, energy, life, personality, confidence, and so much more.

I'm still fighting with the company to get paid, I quit 6 weeks ago...

I'm a out of state person, I left a job offer on a L&D floor in GA to be with my husband in CA, but if I could redo things, I would have taken my L&D job....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

Welcome PedsOncHopeful and ExPharmaGirl!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice & Palliative Care, Oncology, M/S.

Hello my name is Coriander and I’m an unemployed New Grad.

License type: BSN

Time out of school: 8 months

# of positions applied to date: I started a spreadsheet after about 20 apps and I stopped using it after 42 more. So, ???

Dream RN position: Oncology/Palliative Care

Hospital experience: Nursing assistant for almost two years

Where do you live: San Diego

What are you doing now: Still working as a nursing assistant, often under my own classmates as they start their RN careers.

Favorite color: Turquoise

How you cope with unemployment: Not very well. Lately I took up baking. And exercising. And trying very hard not to be ridiculously self-destructive over this job hunt thing.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.

Welcome Coriander!

Okay everybody so what's the fastest that you've been rejected for a position after applying. For me my record stands at 48 hours.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hospice & Palliative Care, Oncology, M/S.

I was rejected as I was faxing in the application to the program. I received the email on the twelfth out of 14 pages.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in School Nursing, Public Health Nurse.
I was rejected as I was faxing in the application to the program. I received the email on the twelfth out of 14 pages.

I don't even understand it. Maybe I need to start shipping cookies when I submit my application.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion