Jobs after graduation

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I know there have been alot of posts of this subject already. I graduate in two years and was wondering if anyone is having any luck finding jobs after graduation. I see all of the post of people who are having no luck. There has to be graduates who were able to land jobs after graduation.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

The entire nursing landscape may be different in two years ... things always come and go in cycles. There are plenty of new grads with jobs, but you may have to move to where the jobs are. Best of luck in school! :)

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Specializes in Rehab/LTC.

Or you may have to take a nursing job you don't really want. I want to be a midwife someday, so I need labor and delivery experience. Only job I could get was at a nursing home passing meds and rubbing lotion on BLEs. So not what I went to school for.

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at this point i would take any position i could get! here in socal i cant get a call back from anywhere... and im applying to jobs on craigslist even...im looking into relocating...again...just to get a job. so if anyone knows where those ever elusive jobs are...hook me up! yeah in 2 years things could be different!

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Specializes in pediatrics, oncology.
at this point i would take any position i could get! here in socal i cant get a call back from anywhere... and im applying to jobs on craigslist even...im looking into relocating...again...just to get a job. so if anyone knows where those ever elusive jobs are...hook me up! yeah in 2 years things could be different!

Same here. I went through this when I graduated last August, and now I'm going through it again because all I wanted was to work in a PICU and I finally got hired into one of the top PICUs in the country and ended up hating it and leaving after 2 months. My advice (not that you asked lol) is to be open to different types of nursing. I was so anti-one-year-of-med/surg but now I'm wishing I had taken a med/surg job in the first place. You just never know what's going to be right for you. GOOD LUCK! :)

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yeah i really wanted l&d but with everything ive been told, i now want a year or 2 of med/surg. but relocation is almost a must for me

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I'm one of the lucky few who got exactly the job I wanted. I went into nursing school to be a NICU nurse. I passed NCLEX last week and start work in a NICU very soon.

I'm in Orlando. I would estimate that about 1/2 of my class has found jobs. Some of them have taken positions that were not their first choice. Some who expected to be working in a hospital have taken jobs in other settings. Some have taken positions that require relocation in order to get, for example, an ICU internship (still within the state). I know one who took a part-time position she found on Craigslist because it was all she was offered... but she was planning on going right back into school to work on her BSN, so it's working out for her.

Here, SOME of the hospitals are requiring that ADNs at least be working on the BSN, or they won't offer you the job. With so many nurses in the field right now, they can afford to be a little picky.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I sent out maybe 30-40 applications and got 2 interviews. I was hired at the first one, fortunately. None of the hospitals even responded, and I ended up in hospice where I wanted to be anyway but thought I needed experience. I also sent all of those out after the NCLEX but before I was issued a license.

I applied to a few more positions after licensure and got a much better response. So my advice is to think outside the box; apply to hospitals but think about other settings that might interest you, despite what you might have heard about needing med/surg experience.

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Specializes in Hematology/Oncology.

I graduated May 16 with an ADN, and just got the call a couple of weeks ago offering me a per diem position on an inpatient hem/onc unit at a teaching hospital -- exactly what I wanted, except for the per diem part. I initially applied back in March, and was finally told in late May that the hospital had temporarily suspended their new grad progam for lack of positions. I had a connection on the floor, and also elsewhere in the hospital, and basically just kept (gently, professionally) working them, reminding HR of me and my commitment, and held out, and I finally landed an interview in early July. So it wasn't easy or smooth, but I got the only job I applied for, before I got to the point of applying for an LTC or Dr's office job (both of which are AWESOME jobs -- but I really want to do onco nursing, and LTC and office work was not going to me any closer to the experience I need for OCN certification). My state (Vermont) is one that seems to be experiencing a serious slowdown in openings for new grads, so I count myself extremely lucky, especiially considering that I had no LPN or LNA experience even to point to.

I would try not to stress too much about now -- 2 years is forever in the economy -- things could be very different. Just do your best in school!

Hope this helps....

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Specializes in pediatrics, oncology.
I'm one of the lucky few who got exactly the job I wanted. I went into nursing school to be a NICU nurse. I passed NCLEX last week and start work in a NICU very soon.

I'm in Orlando. I would estimate that about 1/2 of my class has found jobs. Some of them have taken positions that were not their first choice. Some who expected to be working in a hospital have taken jobs in other settings. Some have taken positions that require relocation in order to get, for example, an ICU internship (still within the state). I know one who took a part-time position she found on Craigslist because it was all she was offered... but she was planning on going right back into school to work on her BSN, so it's working out for her.

Here, SOME of the hospitals are requiring that ADNs at least be working on the BSN, or they won't offer you the job. With so many nurses in the field right now, they can afford to be a little picky.

Good luck! Hope you like it. :)

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.

The nursing job market was totally different three years ago when I started my BSN, and it could just as easily be totally different two years from now.

Even as tough as things are right now, jobs are still out there. It's just gotten more competitive.

I only applied to one position, my dream job, in an intensive care unit at my favorite hospital (a level II trauma center and magnet hospital), and I got the job. But I worked very hard, did a lot of networking, and had a little luck.

I wouldn't let the current job market singlehandedly derail your plans to embark upon or continue a nursing education at this point.

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Specializes in ED.

I did it!

I knew what I wanted and applied the DAY the job was posted. I was interviewed within 2 weeks and was offered the position a week later. This was 5 MONTHS before I graduated. I still don't start for 3 more weeks so I was hired 9 months before my orientation date.

All of my friends told me I was crazy for applying so early, but I am one of 5.. out of 30 other graduates who currently have jobs (4 months after BSN graduation). Not only do positions have somewhat of a first-come-first-served characteristic, but you also look like the most assertive, confident, and ambitious student if you apply as soon as possible.

My advice to all of you who haven't graduated yet, apply ASAP. It IS possible and I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors :) (I ended up getting hired in an ER and I've been an EMT for years, but the other girl who was hired has no experience.. so it's not always necessary).

To all my peers who are having trouble finding jobs, don't give up! You are all brilliant and will find a position when the time is right. Good luck all!

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