Job hunting advice for a new grad in BC?

[tareija]

Hi all,

I graduate from nursing school next spring (May 2012) and will be looking for my first nursing job as a new grad at that time. I live in Vancouver. I have some questions about job hunting, as I know it's a bit difficult to find jobs right now. I'd appreciate very much if anyone wanted to share their thoughts on any (or even just one) of the following questions. Nursing is my second career, so I don't know if the job hunting skills I have from my previous career will be useful or appropriate. Here we go!

1. I know nursing jobs are unionized, and for posted positions you are to apply through the HR department of health authorities. If you somehow have an "in" for a particular job (for instance, you know someone who works on that unit or did a clinical rotation there), is it ever appropriate to also approach the manager and let them know you've applied for the job? Or is one strictly supposed to go through HR and not contact managers?

2. Similarly, in other professions, job hunters are encouraged to contact managers at businesses to ask about possible hiring of new staff, even if the company has no advertised job openings. Would one ever do such a thing in looking for a nursing job? For example, say that there's a unit I really want to work on, would it be okay to contact a manager to talk about this even if no job is posted, or is that not the done thing?

3. How bad is the job situation for new grads right now?

4. Since I'm looking for my first nursing job, would it be useful to highlight any of my transferable skills from my previous career? For example, working with people, ability to multi-task and quickly make decisions, things like that? Or are skills from a previous career viewed as irrelevant?

Thank you so much in advance for your thoughts.

[Fiona59]

Do well on your final placement/consolidation. My Managers have traditionally "encouraged" the students that do well to apply for casual lines and they usually get hired.

When it's unionized you have to be very careful when applying for lines. Usually there is someone somewhere in the system that is looking out for a vacancy. I know in my hospital anything in Day Surgery, Outpatients and ICU is highly sought after and there are usally at least 25 internal applicants.

It never hurts to emphasize your time management and working well with others skills.

I know the Unit Manager I've worked for have disliked "cold" calls and drop in visits from people looking for work. They are usually just too busy to deal with it.

[Dela RN]

1. If you somehow have an "in" for a particular job (for instance, you know someone who works on that unit or did a clinical rotation there), is it ever appropriate to also approach the manager and let them know you've applied for the job? Or is one strictly supposed to go through HR and not contact managers?

It sounds like it varies from unit to unit. I've heard of some units where they tell people who drop by to just go apply online. However from my own personal experience and from the experience of my friends who were job searching a year ago, it was good to go to the units, introduce yourself to the manager, give them your resume AND apply online through HR. This way the official paperwork of you applying online is there and then they can put a face to a name.

2. Similarly, in other professions, job hunters are encouraged to contact managers at businesses to ask about possible hiring of new staff, even if the company has no advertised job openings. Would one ever do such a thing in looking for a nursing job? For example, say that there's a unit I really want to work on, would it be okay to contact a manager to talk about this even if no job is posted, or is that not the done thing?

Even if I unit does not have a specific posting, I don't think it would hurt to drop by and hand in your resume. For some reason my unit never posts casual positions (or at least I have never seen it). When they do post positions though, it seems like people from the casual pool sometimes get them and obviously they'll need to fill up their casual pool... So like I said previously I don't think it would hurt to stop by the unit and drop off an resumes, make and impressing to get an "in" even if it's a casual position.

3. How bad is the job situation for new grads right now?

Not completely sure but I don't think it's as bad as it was a couple of years ago??? All my friends and I who graduated about a year or so ago are now employed. Also I'm in Alberta so I'm not sure how it is in BC.

4. Since I'm looking for my first nursing job, would it be useful to highlight any of my transferable skills from my previous career? For example, working with people, ability to multi-task and quickly make decisions, things like that? Or are skills from a previous career viewed as irrelevant?

If it's relevant then highlight it but I would make sure to focus on nursing too :) Hope this helps a little!