May Graduate--Applying for jobs

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Specializes in Oncology.

Hi you lovely people!

I was having a talk with my cousin yesterday (she's older and MUCH wiser!) and she suggested that I begin applying for nursing jobs NOW, when I mentioned I wanted to start in March. So, this has started my entire search on Allnurses which lead me to MANY threads asking the same thing. So many responses were "Apply 6 months before graduation" or "Nurse recruiters say apply between Nov-Dec".

This has gotten me on the search to find hospitals in my are as well as out-of-state (I have been looking at residency programs, anyway). Since I'm young, she tells me the sky is the limit. I feel like this could give me a leg up on my graduation class. I would absolutely love to have a position before graduation.

My question is, for you all that applied for jobs 4-6 months prior to graduating, would you be willing to list your city and the place that interviewed or hired you way before graduation?

Also, what was the most difficult (if any) thing you encountered by applying so early? Did you get many rejections?

Thanks in advance for your responses I am very interested to hear your responses :)

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I live in DFW. I am going to graduate in December. The first openings for residencies/internships opened up in October. There was nothing to apply FOR before then...our hospitals will not hire new grads outside of the internship programs/residencies. I have been hired for an ICU stepdown position at a local hospital in my community to start at the end of January. There are hospitals that have not posted their internship positions yet and don't plan to until December. You can apply now, but the likelihood of there being anything to apply for is pretty slim I would think.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

I also live in the D/FW area of Texas, and there's lots of major hospitals around here. There's also lots of nursing schools in this metro area. Traditionally, the local students who graduate in May who desire hospital employment are expected to submit their applications in February and March for the summer internships and new grad programs.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Thing is, I see a lot of jobs to apply for. I'm in Chicago and I have been looking for jobs here and in Atlanta for those that do not require experience. I haven't really seen where hospitals have no jobs for new grads at all. For the hospitals with residency programs, I will apply to those within their deadlines, but for all others, I feel like its fair game. I've already gotten my first rejection after yesterday, lol. But I guess that is what will happen when you apply sooo early. Hopefully, a few months from now I can reapply. For now, I am hoping someone will think to give me a chance this early. I think it can be beneficial and work on my part, but, then again it might not. I can only try :rolleyes:

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I'm in the NYC metro area but was applying for jobs both in Manhattan and northern NJ. I got no calls from anywhere I applied before graduation except for a hospital I'd had a student externship with. I interviewed a few months prior to graduation but was told I couldn't be hired until after graduation and NCLEX. By the time I graduated and passed NCLEX a few weeks later there were no new grad openings at the facility. IMO it's a waste of time to apply before you graduate and maybe even before you take NCLEX, unless you already have a foot in the door somewhere. Otherwise you'll just be applying everywhere twice (again after NCLEX when you have license info on your resume)

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Specializes in Oncology.

Honestly, I had never thought of applying AFTER I graduate. I never had ANY intentions on doing that. I just feel like most employers would be willing to hold a position for you if they really want to. I see a lot of people saying that in their state, they won't even look at you if you don't write down a license number on your app. I haven't even seen that as the case here or with any apps I have done at the moment. But I would def not wait until graduation. I always felt that was something you did months before hand, residency or not. Talking with the seniors form last semester, some had connections by being CNA's but I don't think it was the case for all.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I am pretty skeptical given what others are posting here (in droves) that there are "plenty" of jobs for new grads to apply for, let alone not-yet-even-close-to-graduating new grads. Not trying to be negative, but it is time that could be better spent. Why would they hire you over someone who has already graduated and passed NCLEX and is looking for their first job or who is only a couple of months away? You still have a full semester of school to go and a lot can happen in that semester from their perspective. But it sounds like you know what you want to do and are not particularly interested in hearing honest feedback but more that you have a marvelous, gutsy, innovative idea.... so have at it. The worst that happens is you get rejections. The best that happens is you get your foot in the door somewhere.

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Specializes in Emergency.

That's not true necessarily. In DFW Texas health opened theirs on Sept 21st and Seton in Austin opened in August. My biggest advice is to get alerts sent to your phone when jobs are posted. There is not a shortage of new grads...it's a shortage of experienced RNs in my opinion.

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Specializes in Oncology.
I am pretty skeptical given what others are posting here (in droves) that there are "plenty" of jobs for new grads to apply for, let alone not-yet-even-close-to-graduating new grads. Not trying to be negative, but it is time that could be better spent. Why would they hire you over someone who has already graduated and passed NCLEX and is looking for their first job or who is only a couple of months away? You still have a full semester of school to go and a lot can happen in that semester from their perspective. But it sounds like you know what you want to do and are not particularly interested in hearing honest feedback but more that you have a marvelous, gutsy, innovative idea.... so have at it. The worst that happens is you get rejections. The best that happens is you get your foot in the door somewhere.

No, this is definitely not the case. As I mentioned in my post^^, I had wished to here from people that had applied FOUR TO SIX months prior to their graduation date. People here offered their opinion and that was great. But, I am pretty sure that in my original post, I specified what feedback I wished to hear. I've read plenty of posts about how people have applied months before graduation and had jobs secured before they graduated. I don't think I have a "marvelous, gutsy, innovative idea" and don't wish to hear "honest" feedback. I stated that I knew the consequences of applying so early. So I'll stick to my idea and plan (because in life you need to have that, and GOALS), and you can stick to your idea. :)

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
That's not true necessarily. In DFW Texas health opened theirs on Sept 21st and Seton in Austin opened in August. My biggest advice is to get alerts sent to your phone when jobs are posted. There is not a shortage of new grads...it's a shortage of experienced RNs in my opinion.
These internships and new grad programs were intended for the upcoming graduates of December 2011, and not for the grads of May 2012. The students who will be completing school in May of 2012 were certainly welcome to apply to stuff that had opened up in August and September, but I'm sure that most of these early bird applications went into circular bin number 13 (better known as the waste basket).
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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
No, this is definitely not the case. As I mentioned in my post^^, I had wished to here from people that had applied FOUR TO SIX months prior to their graduation date. People here offered their opinion and that was great. But, I am pretty sure that in my original post, I specified what feedback I wished to hear. I've read plenty of posts about how people have applied months before graduation and had jobs secured before they graduated. I don't think I have a "marvelous, gutsy, innovative idea" and don't wish to hear "honest" feedback. I stated that I knew the consequences of applying so early. So I'll stick to my idea and plan (because in life you need to have that, and GOALS), and you can stick to your idea. :)

You are absolutely right. You need to have a plan and goals. Mine have paid off nicely...I graduate in three weeks and have a position secured for after graduation. I applied the first week of October for an internship that starts the last day of January. Last I checked that was a four month time frame and falls in your FOUR TO SIX months that you wanted to hear from. :rolleyes:

Best of luck.

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It never hurts to be ahead of the game in the job hunt keeping in mind that the majority of hospitals will not consider you for a position until you have graduated and some not even until you pass NCLEX. I graduated in May 2011, I started applying for jobs in Feb and was not called back for a single interview until the first week of June. I took NCLEX the second week of June and was finally called back from that first interview and offered a job in the middle of July. Try to keep a positive outlook and good luck in your last semester and in finding a job.

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