Published Oct 14, 2010
RNewbie
412 Posts
I am planning on relocating LA. I have 8 mo of exp as an RN-BSN. What is the job market like in the Los Angeles area? I'm just wondering how hard it will be for me to find a job. I have enough money saved up for about 3 months, hopefully it doesn't take that long to find a job. I am open to all types of nursing jobs. If anyone has any helpful information on finding jobs in that area I would greatly appreciate it.
caliotter3
38,333 Posts
Take a good look at the standard employment websites for starters and start your job search while saving up more money. I do not recommend coming out to LA with only three months expenses and no job offer in hand. The job market for nurses is not great. You can easily go more than six months unemployed even with a good employment track record.
Thanks. That would be the sensible thing to do, but I just don't know how to find a job there when I live over 2,000 miles away. I don't even know where to start, so I figured I would just come to LA and start from that point.
You can respond to job listings and ask for phone interviews or set up appointments and make a trip out for the purpose of interviews. If you are lucky the employer will pay expenses. Remember job hunting and relocation expenses for a job more than 50 miles from your home are deductable for tax purposes.
puresass
314 Posts
i have about 15 months experience as an RN & i've been looking for jobs in LA for the past two months non-stop & JUST got my first call from a recruiter the day before yesterday. most positions there require a minimum of a year experience in acute care (at least for hospital positions) but you might be able to find something in long-term care.
coast2coast
379 Posts
The job market in california is terrible right now. It would be very unwise to simply to move to LA (From MS, yes?) with no concrete plans.
Do you know anyone there? Do you have any type of support system? Any contacts in healthcare at all?
Can you afford $1500/mo for an apartment, plus $1500-3000 upfront in safety deposits, furniture, etc? How about $50/week for gas, minimum? Plus utilities, groceries, student loan payments?
Don't get me wrong, I love L.A. It's great that you want to move there, but you don't sound adequately prepared. Is there someone you could stay with for a week or two while you ran around and did interviews? Can you apply for new-grad programs?
@ puresass, how did things work out with the recruiter? do you have any tips, since you have been actively looking for jobs there? what kind of jobs have you applied for?
just wondering, thanks.
Thanks for all the other responses. I will be living with a friend until I find a job and a place to live or my friend and I may decide to get a place together. I guess if I don't find a nursing job in a few months, worst case senario I will have to take a job waiting tables or something until something becomes available. The other option is to move back home if the job market turns out to be so bad that I can't find any work, I guess. Nursing is such and open field, even if I can't find a hospital job there are clinics, LTC, and all kinds of other places I should be able to find something at, RIGHT???