My advice to GN's having difficulty finding a job

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Hi everyone,

I just graduated in December and took my NCLEX today (keep me in your prayers)! I wanted to give some advice to the GN's who are looking for jobs. From my personal experience, it's very frusturating getting out of nursing school and expecting to pretty much have a job ready and waiting for you when it's not the case. Even though I started applying a few months before I graduated, I figured I would have no problem finding a job with the nursing shortage these days.

BOY, WAS I WRONG. I'm not sure if it's the fact that I wanted a position in the ICU, or what. But I applied to all kinds of positions and wasn't called back by many of them, especially at the particular hispital that I wanted to work at. Anywho, long story short, my preceptor gave me some great advice. BE ASSERTIVE. I called the director of the unit I wanted to work in at another hospital. I told her about myself and set up a meeting about a month before I graduated. The directors like people that are assertive and know what position they want. It may not work for everyone, but it worked for me. I got a job at one of the top teaching hospitals in the US in the unit I wanted.

So, get your foot in the door at the place you want to work. From my view, there's no better way!

I hope this helps, because it helped me immensely. Good luck fellow grad nurses! :bugeyes:

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Thank you and Congratulations! Did you just go on the hospital website and look up the nursing directors name/phone number? Also, did you have any special experience as a student--jobs? externships? etc? Thanks again!

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Specializes in med surg.

I am afraid the job market is going to be very tough this year, with the cuts in Medicare reimbursement and the unemployment rate may hospitals are downsizing. You are correct in being assertive, the squeaky wheel gets the oil.

If a manager hears from you or if they interview you in a day or two do a follow up thank you call, this can keep you in the forefront. Also any teaching projects, community service , volunteer work that you have done either include in your resume or make sure you discuss it in the interview.You really need to sell yourself and if you got an interview something about your resume impress them, so relax and be y ourself.

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Yes assertive! I think we learned about that in Leadership the three different kinds of RN's and Assertive is always the best choice.

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You are exactly right. That's what I've been doing. I got a CNA job in the float pool but everytime I work on the unit where I want to work as a nurse, I let them know how much I love it and I talked to the manager and assistant manager, made sure that they know who I am and how much I want to work there. I graduate this december but I intend until then to be very visible to them and maybe that will work in the end and they will offer me a job. :bowingpur

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehab.

Thank you for the advice. I am looking now and go on my first interview tomorrow. I get very nervous , so I'm hoping I remember how to act. LOL

It's been a long time since I had to go on interviews and that was in food service, which I imagine will make this a different experience for me.

BTW, what does everyone wear to their interviews? I just have black dress pants, a v-neck blouse and a black suit jacket. I'm assuming that will suffice even if it's not in the first throws of fashion.

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I don't think you should worry too much about fashion. But what I would do is check the hospital website for some historical trivia that you can bring up at the interview so that they see that you are not just looking for a job but really care about the hospital and believe in their vision. I chose the hospital I work at because it really touched me reading the reviews of people that were treated there and I just wanted to be part of the team. They really loved that and hired me immediately.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, LTC, Rehab.
I don't think you should worry too much about fashion. But what I would do is check the hospital website for some historical trivia that you can bring up at the interview so that they see that you are not just looking for a job but really care about the hospital and believe in their vision. I chose the hospital I work at because it really touched me reading the reviews of people that were treated there and I just wanted to be part of the team. They really loved that and hired me immediately.

Good luck!

That's a great tip! Thank you!

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Thanks, that's really good advice, thanks for sharing!! And it is so true. May I ask which teaching hospital you are/will be working at? I'm interesting in working at a teaching hospital, mainly b/c I would think that they would offer a great New Grad training program.

Hope to hear back:)

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Specializes in psychiatric nursing.

I AGREE WITH YOU 100%! ASSERTIVE IS THE WAY TO GO. I WANTED SO BAD TO GET INTO PSYCH. YES I KNOW! WHY? 1. BECAUSE WHEN I ROTATED THERE, I LIKED THE LAYED BACK STYLE, THE NURSES DID NOT LOOK BURNT OUT AND TIRED. 2. BECAUSE I AM ALREADY WAY OVER 30 AND DONT FEEL LIKE GOING THROUGH THE MED SURG FLURGE!!!!!!!! (IS THAT A WORD?) ANYWAY, MY STORY IS I STILL HAVE NOT PASSED MY EXAM FROM LAST OCTOBER, I TOOK IT TWICE ALREADY AND I AM STUDYING FOR IT AGAIN. I WONT TAKE IT UNTIL I AM READY! I KINDA TOOK A LITTLE BREAK TO RECOLLECT AND THEN REGROUP MY THOUGHTS. I STARTED ONE MONTH AGO STUDYING LIKE I JUST GRADUATED. THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT IS I ROTATED TO PSYCH, LOVED IT AND GOT PERMISSION FROM MY NURING DIRECTOR, WHO CALLED THE PSYCH DIRECTOR, AND BAM OUT OF SCHOOL I WENT STRAIGHT THERE. SO FAR THEY HAVE STILL NOT HIRED ANYONE FOR THE POSITION THEY TRAINED ME FOR, AND THEY ARE WAITING ON ME TO PASS MY EXAM. BUT I WORK AS A NURSE EXTERN, HELPING THE NURSES AND LEARNING, BUT MY FOOT IS IN THE DOOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I don't think you should worry too much about fashion. But what I would do is check the hospital website for some historical trivia that you can bring up at the interview so that they see that you are not just looking for a job but really care about the hospital and believe in their vision. I chose the hospital I work at because it really touched me reading the reviews of people that were treated there and I just wanted to be part of the team. They really loved that and hired me immediately.

Good luck!

Oo, good tip!

And may I suggest buying a LARGE piece of velcro and using it to attach yourself to the hiring manager? LOL!

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