Job Hunting

[sander1x]

I just recently graduated from the nursing program with my ADN and I am have a difficult time even making it to the interview process. I have applied for several nursing positions and residency programs within the Franciscan and Multicare Health Systems and I am not selected. What am I doing wrong? How can I make myself stand out and valuable?

[llg, PhD, RN]

First of all ... congratulations on your recent graduation and your new RN license!

For job hunting, the first thing you need to do is assess: What is the job market like for new grad ADN's in your area? Which employers are hiring ADN's? ... and which are hiring only BSN's at this time? That might be part of your problem -- but you'll need to do a little homework to find out the situation in your area. In some areas, the acute care hospitals are preferring to hiring nurses with BSN's, particularly at the new grad level.

Talk to some classmates. See what they are finding. Maybe some of your recent faculty members know which employers are hiring new ADN grads at the moment. Scrutinize the employers' web sites to see if they express a preference for BSN's. Talk to anyone else you know who is "in the know" about local hiring practices to identify which potential employers are going to be most interested in you and which will not.

Has your resume been reviewed by someone who has current experience in the hiring process? Issues with your resume could be another source of your problem.

Another issue might simply be that this is not "hiring season" for the hospitals that you are applying to. Sometimes, employers only hire during certain months of the year. Make that topic part of your assessment.

Once you do a good, thorough assessment of your local job market ... then you can start to plan your job-seeking strategy.

Good luck to you!