It's NOT fair!!!!

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How on earth am I supposed to get nursing experience if NO ONE will hire a "new grad"?! There are so many job positions supposedly available....but they won't even consider me! It's NOT FAIR!!!!:mad: I can't even get my application/resume past HR. The longer I wait, the more I forget! 3 years of school....over 20K of student loans... and I'm decorating cakes to try to earn a little money! COME ON!!!! There has got to be someone, somewhere willing to hire a new grad RN - one who did great in school, who received multiple compliments throughout clinical training, and who even received a Leadership Award at pinning ceremony!

I'm getting so discouraged. :crying2:

oh and try applying to urgent care clinics. i mean, 6 months at that place means more than nothing.

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OMG! I'm from vegas but I moved to California to get my BSN. Try Spring Valley Hospital. I heard that they've been hiring for new grads lately.

Nope... nothing pans out for SV either. They are the ones I was referring to in a previous post about it not even letting me finish the application now because of just recently graduating. I used to get the rejection emails regularly...but it's like they've made their systems "smarter" and won't even let you turn in the application unless you give the "right" answers. I love that hospital...live really close to it...have friends that work at it... did a clinical rotation there... etc....it just hasn't worked out thus far!

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girl, you do not apply via their online system. the trick is to personally go to each unit on every floor, find the manager and introduce yourself. that's what my classmate did. it takes a lot of guts but she nailed a job.

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Won't that really bug the nurse managers who are super busy to begin with? Won't they think that I'm trying to "cheat the system"...or "that's why we have HR departments"? The last thing I want to do is get on their "bad side." So it seems to be a fine line of getting your name out there and driving them crazy!

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Specializes in ICU, Home Health, Camp, Travel, L&D.

You can't get any less hired than you are right now.

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moving wasn't an option for me either - i have children and we have a home (that's paid for) and we grew up here and have no desire or intent to leave. i also had no desire or intent to be unemployed or be working for $7.25 an hour with a bachelor's degree.

it's good to have the attitude that "this too shall pass" but if you get tired of waiting, you could always start working on your higher education goals. if a job opportunity arises in the meantime - GREAT! if it doesn't, you'll be open to new opportunities.

this is the quote i lived by when i felt like i couldn't drag my butt to class one more day for my first degree, and it's the quote i live by while i'm working on my nursing degree (which i'll have gone to college for 6.5 years by the time i obtain) :

“Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use.” - earl nightingale

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I really hope you didn't take my comment harshly. I understand you are frustrated, all that hardwork and time put into your career and now you are struggling a bit to secure a job. Believe me when I tell you, it will work out. I'm not in your position as of yet, b/c I'm still in school BUT I have been down and out and it always works out. It really does, think of it this way..you spent years getting your degree. Now you have to spend a couple of months to put it use. It really hasn't been that long, I believe you passed 4 weeks ago right?

It will work out.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.
Won't that really bug the nurse managers who are super busy to begin with? Won't they think that I'm trying to "cheat the system"...or "that's why we have HR departments"? The last thing I want to do is get on their "bad side." So it seems to be a fine line of getting your name out there and driving them crazy!

Karleena, this is what I was saying about being an aggressive professional. You need to really start thinking outside the square and start networking more FACE TO FACE. Computer aren't going to cut it I'm afraid, if you really want a nursing job. It is so easy for the NMs/NUMs to say 'Well our system is all online, you can apply there' and dismiss you. But YOU need to say to their face: 'Look I have my CV/resume/portfolio here, I will just leave a copy with you', and HAND it to them or leave it with the secretary. Or even 'Can I have 5 minutes of your time to discuss re any positions, I just want more info re the unit and how it runs, I have my CV etc here now' (and make sure it is only 5-10 minutes). I can almost guarantee you they will see you. Ensure your appearance is immaculate and another hint: don't take kids along with you when doing this, they are too distracting. And always say once you've seen them and/or handed over your CV 'I will call/email you in a week to see how my application is going'. Always shake hands firmly and genuinely thank them. Also get some sort of commitment from them re you contacting them, or them contacting you. You might have to do role playing at home and start doing some acting but as I said, just do not be too fake.

I used to do this and people remember you. Try putting a photo on your CV, smile (don't oversmile or act fake, if you know what I mean), plug the line that you are local, won't take long for you to travel, and also - VERY, VERY IMPORTANT - if they ask you to start on nightshift or be on call and to work in ANY department, JUST SAY YES IMMEDIATELY! If you say no I can't due to blah, blah, they will lose interest. It will be hard juggling work with children, but millions of people do this everyday and manage somehow. You will have to get friends and family to help out maybe more with childcare to get nursing work, or re-shuffle your finances to pay for day care perhaps - I know people who have done this to work n/shift just to get experience.

The reality is you just have to get through the interview, once you start working, that will have it's own set of problems which can be dealt with another time. And remember: do not EVER argue/question or negotiate during an interview if you really want the job!

My old boss used to recruit for the clinical side of nursing, and she could not stand it when nurses would come see her, c/o not having work, & she would try to help them and say: 'Well I have n/shift coming up, weekends only' and they would say something like: 'Oh no I couldn't possibly work n/shift!' It used to drive her absolutely crazy. She actually used to say to some of these nurses: 'Why on earth did you go into nursing knowing you would have to do different shifts, then not want to do it?' Needless to say, these people did not get the job.

Look, I know all this seems like desperate tactics, but you ARE desperate. You have to get smarter than all the other grads out there to just get that experience. Getting nursing jobs now is a cut-throat business, and you have to 'play dirty' if that's the right term. And getting jobs IS A BUSINESS, one you have to get clever and professional at handling. Too many people treat job hunting like it is something 'Well I tried my best.' Get as much info as you possibly can re job hunting, CVs, your appearance, interviewing techniques, etc and then you are armed with knowledge re the current job market. I KNOW you have already probably done this, but you need to do MORE to secure the job!

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Carol- THANK YOU!!! That is exactly what I needed to hear tonight!! I so appreciate you not nagging at me about complaining...but instead "lighting a fire under me" and getting me going in the right direction!! I will go out tomorrow and buy a new outfit (suit perhaps) to look super professional, and get my CV, resume, references, etc into a nice portfolio. On Monday I will be "armed and ready" to go "fight" for a job!! :) I will put away my insecurities about the face-to-face job hunt and just do it!

:tku:

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Specializes in Med/Surg, DSU, Ortho, Onc, Psych.
Carol- THANK YOU!!! That is exactly what I needed to hear tonight!! I so appreciate you not nagging at me about complaining...but instead "lighting a fire under me" and getting me going in the right direction!! I will go out tomorrow and buy a new outfit (suit perhaps) to look super professional, and get my CV, resume, references, etc into a nice portfolio. On Monday I will be "armed and ready" to go "fight" for a job!! :) I will put away my insecurities about the face-to-face job hunt and just do it!

:tku:

I am always happy to help in anyway I can. Many nurses don't dress professionally, or used to turn up after shifts for interviews in dirty, stained, smelly uniforms, hair in disarray, etc. You need to look super professional and CLEAN, and smell nice, even if you are just dropping in somewhere.

The more knowledge you have re the nursing job market, the more confident and empowered you will feel. I know rejection is so awful and depressingly disappointing, but you can learn from it. If you do not get a position, or don't get an interview, ask for some constructive criticism. You may not like the truth, or may not even get the truth - sometimes other nurses get jobs because they know someone internally, or have more qualifications. But you really have to highlight and plug yourself. If you don't walk in there confidently, people will notice straight away.

Lastly, sometimes you can do everything right and you still won't get the job. Don't worry too much about it. See it as a learning opportunity. You won't forget but move onto the next job or project you have to attend to.

Job hunting is the hardest thing about working I think!! Any other advice, please ask, and please let us know how you get on. Try to stay positive and be relaxed about it all. Nervousness, depression and tension are easy to spot. Some NMs can be intimidating as well - they are charge nurses after all, just stay calm when talking and stay professional.

You just need a good, sound plan of action, like going to war!

As we say down under, no worries!

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Carol- THANK YOU!!! That is exactly what I needed to hear tonight!! I so appreciate you not nagging at me about complaining...but instead "lighting a fire under me" and getting me going in the right direction!! I will go out tomorrow and buy a new outfit (suit perhaps) to look super professional, and get my CV, resume, references, etc into a nice portfolio. On Monday I will be "armed and ready" to go "fight" for a job!! :) I will put away my insecurities about the face-to-face job hunt and just do it!

:tku:

I have gotten just about every job I've ever had by personally interfacing with the people who have the power to hire me. Even in nursing school, I heard about tech jobs that were very hard to get in the ICU's of a major metropolitan hospital. You sort of had to "be there" when an opening came around or your resume would get lost in the pile. I made it a point to just check in periodically with the man who hired the techs to let him know that his facility was where I wanted to be. It just so happened that about five minutes after I left his office after one of my quick visits, he called me and said an opening had just come across his desk. Because my face was the freshest one in his memory, I got that job. It NEVER would have happened if I had simply sent in my resume. It was the experience I gained in that job which led to my getting a prized spot in a critical care internship immediately after graduation.

I hear of jobs frequently from other nurses. Or they give me their unit manager's name so that I have someone to call.

It's so true that often it is not what you know, but WHO you know. Make it your mission to network and use those connections. Other people do, so don't let them have an advantage over you.

And good luck.

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I graduated in May '10, have 10 years experience in public health and a masters in public health in addition to my RN, and also applied EVERYWHERE. I wasn't hired until NOVEMBER 2010, and I still consider myself extremely lucky to have been hired at all in this economy! But I really understand your frustration. For me the worst part was that everyone I talked to, including nurses who graduated years before, seemed to think I was crazy and getting a job should be so easy. "But what about the nursing shortage?" That was the worst part. Kind of implying that I wasn't trying hard enough. Well, keep doing what you are doing, take advice here, and change your expectations for how long it will take. Good luck!

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