Job hunt frustration

[punkydoodlesRN, BSN, RN]

Hi,

I'm a pretty new LVN, just graduated in June. I am currently employed as a med nurse in a psych hospital. Not my ideal job, but when my husband was laid off from NASA after 8 years, I had to take it. In fact, it was the *Only* interview I had after school, despite over 40 applications.

Now, here is my frustration. I'm not sure if this practice is industry-wide, or if it's a Houston thing. But I absolutely HATE that 99.999% if job applications are online. I'm fairly young (28) and maybe just old-fashioned, but what ever happened to walking into a place and actually filling out an application. I feel that I've maybe been shorted some opportunities because everything is digital now.

As I said, I'm a brand new LVN (who just applied for 4 BSN programs!!) but I'm not new to the medical field. I have my EMT-I certification and have been a medic/nurse in the military for 8 years. I don't lack experience. But I feel that I never have the chance to define myself--- especially not over the internet!!

Just wondering if anyone else feels limited by online-only job applications. Or maybe I just need to get with the times and deal with it?!?

-Sarah-

[nursebenson]

Yep, I hear you and feel your pain. I too have been job hunting and have found a decided Lack of responses to online job apps. Even though I have 4 years RN experience, Nobody is calling back. I even returned to school to finish my BSN just to "pass the time." Ha. I feel very frustrated, like you sound, and disillusioned by nursing. I think it'll change eventually, with time. I hear that nursing job shortages is cyclical and jobs should eventually open up. In the meantime, I've applied to be a coffee barista or bookstore cashier and even there I've heard no reply back. Currently, I'm an effing whiz at reading romance novels, applying into the ether of the internet for RN jobs, and being a housewife. sigh-lol. Good luck to us all.

[punkydoodlesRN, BSN, RN]

I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone... At least there are two of us. I'm still trying so hard to get out of my psych job and hope to start the BSN program next fall. An area hospital recently had an LVN antepartum job opening. I jumped on it, and after 4 weeks of trying to follow up with the submission, I got a thanks but no thanks email today. I'm pretty disillusioned too

[Cthulhu]

I am currently working agency, but I'm looking for part/full time work. Most places in my area require online applications also. A new trend I have seen is that AFTER the application, they tag on a 5 to 6 page PERSONALITY TEST to the application. And you cannot submit the application without filling it out. I do not think that is a good indication the job market is gettting better. Who knows how much this "personality test" is just an excuse to discard applications.

[JulesB72383]

I felt the same way in my recent job search this summer! The only way to apply for positions was through an online form and I felt that HR was getting flooded with applications and that my application probably wasn't even getting a second glance. I feel like that my chances of even getting an interview would be better if the hiring managers could see it (seeing as though they are nurses themselves and HR people are not) and that HR people might not know as much about what experiences make nurses beneficial for a position. I finally became so frustrated with constant applying and no call-backs that I e-mailed the nurse recruiter basically re-stating my qualities and selling myself to her. I expressed my frustration and belief that this method of applying does not do justice to what I can offer and that I would like to talk the nurse manager of the particular unit I was applying for. Eventually I got a call from that nurse manager (although I had already accepted a job elsewhere by the time she did contact me). I think it takes being aggressive and going the extra mile to get the job you want! BTW I did learn after being hired that HR will often use a computer to sort applications based on key words...it might help to cater your application with key words from the job description!:)