Looking for that first job

Nurses New Nurse

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I have a question, well several actually. I just graduated in May, and managed to pass my NCLEX! I live in Pennsylvania, but I applied for my RN in NY. I am looking to move to NYC, and I am not sure of the best way to look for a job.

I have a Monster.com account and I have tried Craigslist (which didn't seem to help much). Would I be better off to just look for hospitals in NYC and apply directly through them? Also, has anyone used Monster? I am not sure if I should attach a cover letter or not. Or if anyone knows of anything open for a graduate nurse, I would greatly appreciate the information!

Thanks for any help!

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Specializes in Critical Care.

Congratulations on passing NCLEX! I too find myself in the same ordeal looking for my 1st nursing job. I did monster but I've also found indeed.com and simplyhired.com to be great sources of find available jobs in my area. Now, I'm just waiting for something to come through. I've applied for almost 40 jobs LOL

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Specializes in Pedi Rehab,Pediatrics, PICU.

Took me 8 months to find a job. I'm from PA and had to relocate for it. Not much has changed since then. Unfortunately, if you're in PA or any of it's close states, hospitals really aren't hiring that much and it's practically non-existant for new grads. If you don't have a BSN, you're in for more of a headache b/c lots of hospitals on the east coast want only BSN nurses, even with experience. All hope is not lost though. You need to decide how far away from home you're willing to work. Do a search of hospitals within that radius ( US news has a search for this), see which ones you'd like to apply to, and apply, and apply, and apply. You have to make it your full-time job. If a postion is listed multiple times within a facility, apply to all of them. Then find HR's # and follow up, even if you don't get to a recruiter, you'll still be able to ask about the response timeline, poss upcomming positions, etc... (This is even listed on some of their sites.) I believe that your chances for finding a job may be better when you look to the outskirts of big cities or more rural areas, but I could be wrong.

Good luck to you all. :)

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I also graduated in May.. I live in South MS.. I passed NCLEX and I have a license in MS and LA... I have applied everywhere within 75 miles and I haven't gotten a single call. I can honestly say that I am depressed. I am 3 months away from having to pay back student loans and I haven't even gotten a single call for an interview.

I really wish all of you the best of luck in finding jobs!

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Well, I have been calling everyone that I can think off that may have a connection, I have been on tons of websites looking at their jobs, monster ect. But I ran into someone from Craigslist that said he went to a job fair from Advanced, (I think that's the name of it) which most of their job fairs are free. He said that through networking at one he finally found a job. I know the next one in NY is in White Plains, towards the end of September. I signed up, hoping that I have a job by then, but planing for the worst just in case! Hope that my help you out to!

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Hi!

I just accepted an offer from a local hospital where I currently reside after months of job searching. I will tell you what the nurse recruiter told me. She told me that I made myself stand out by keeping in touch with her, while not being a stalker or whining (I applied and interviewed for a job at the hosp. in the past and didn't get it, but kept in touch with her). So, communicate regularly with recruiters and maintain a professional relationship and let them know how interested you are. And, do not stalk them! Calling 87420 times to follow up might make you stand out... but not for the right reasons. HTH.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I am in desperate need for a job....I have been applying for jobs close to home(no more than 30min away) but that's not going as planned. Either the job is only PRN or not hiring at all or the workload is just unbearable. And by me being a new nurse I don't want to take that chance... I believe I'm going to have to take something a little further away from home.

Good Luck to everyone that's job hunting!!!!! :nurse:

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I am a new 2010 spring graduate and I finally have my 1st hospital interview on Sept 10th. I have been job hunting ALL spring and summer! I live in Houston, and although there are hospitals on almost every street corner, everybody wanted experience. I finally got my break when I applied to an obscure hospital outside of town, in a community I had never heard of until I looked at the map to figure out where it was.

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