Jobs not being advertised?

JenniferSews · Jan 23, 2011

There are few jobs listed because there are very few available. At least that's how it is in the majority of the country right now. You might check section of the forum for Iowa to see what the job market looks like. Once upon a time you could get a job through clinicals, and a couple of my cohorts did, but most did not.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Jan 23, 2011

I saw a statistic somewhere that indicated that more than two-thirds of job vacancies are not published or advertised anywhere. Advertising costs money, so it would make sense to me that smaller companies with smaller budgets might not broadcast all of their job openings.

Personally, I've gotten several jobs by walking into the facility while neatly dressed. I've also gotten a job because someone put in a good word for me. Of course, these have all been smaller facilities that still accept paper applications and walk-ins.

JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP · Jan 23, 2011

Many job openings are not listed, and many listed jobs are not really open--they may have been filled long ago and were never taken down. Some places put up a "catch-all" category for the new grads but it doesn't represent an actual open position. The best tactic seems to be just to ignore the listings and apply directly to the facility.

kerussll · Jan 23, 2011

I'm from eastern Iowa and it was tough to get a job here. There were plenty of openings listed online, but didn't get a call back for about 4 months. When I finally got called in for an interview, it was for a position that hadn't even been posted. Go figure. Hunt around online, the newspaper isn't too helpful.

University of Iowa hospitals are always hiring. Try there.

Fiona59 · Jan 23, 2011

My health authority is forever posting vacancies both closed and open to the public. Yet somehow, new hires never arrive.

Just because a job is posted doesn't mean it has to be filled. I've applied for jobs that should have been a sure thing due to it being a closed competition and had enough seniority. But the posting is withdrawn because of an "error" then it's reposted (means you have to reapply) a couple of months later. There are several right now that I can think of that haven't been filled in over a year.

Unfilled lines means less expenditure for management.

imagenthings · Jan 23, 2011

I am in New York and I am seeing hundreds of jobs advertised and noticed that after a few months of looking I gathered that:

1. Many places hire from within (if you work in another capacity, volunteer or intern there, u get dibs)

2. It is the law that vacancies must be advertised to give fair chance

3. If you have a direct connection to the recruiter or someone whe has the recruiters ear, it helps

4. The exact same 2600+ jobs are being advertised on career sites

5. Budgets are not being approved for new hires

6. The union and not HR can hire from outside in some places if the position cannot be filled inside

7. By the time the position is advertised "outside", it has already been posted, emailed or word-of-mouth-ed (if that's a word) "inside" for weeks.

etc., etc., etc.

You really have to stand out. I have not figured out how to stand out as a career change with no prior medical experience. It really is bad here. Im still out of work.

ConsideringNursing79 · Jan 23, 2011

Thank you very much for the replies, it has been helpful. I just hope I make the right decision on which career is right for me and this area.

gettingbsn2msn, MSN, RN · Jan 23, 2011

Due to the recession there are not many jobs available for new grads or those already practicing. The hope is that the recession ends sometime this year and hiring budgets increase. Until that happens it will be a very difficult environment.

eriksoln, BSN, RN · Jan 23, 2011

This is what I remember from career training class about job advertisements:

As someone already said, only about two thirds of jobs are "advertised". The reason for this is, it costs money/time to do this. If you put it in the paper, you pay for the ad. If you add it to the website, you have to worry about when to take it down and must be ready to receive electronic resumes etc....

Back in the day where the hospitals were hiring like mad, they'd overlook those inconveniences. They don't have to anymore not though. For every person who limits themselves to using the paper/internet alone for job searches, there are ten or more who are hitting the streets and applying everywhere. They no longer need to reach out to us, it is us reaching out to them.

The class then went on to debate that using the paper/internet was probably the worst way to do a job search because, well, the jobs that are advertised are the ones they can't fill without doing so. Its an assumption yes, but a safe one, that the ones being advertised are not getting filled for a reason. The better jobs are not advertised.

merlee · Jan 23, 2011

Virtually all the local positions are online. Nothing in the newspapers, at all. Nothing.

LongislandRN23 · Jan 23, 2011

I got my job by sending my resume to every facility (nursing home, dialysis, methadone clinics, psych hospitals) literally every facility that would have an LPN working there. My job did NOT advertise any job opening! I would suggest to send your resume by mail to EVERYWHERE within a 25 mile radius regardless if they are hiring or not. Then send them your resume in email/fax, and then a few days after send a thank you letter!