My anger

[antesignani]

ive sat sat here and watched almost half of my classmates get a good job in either ICU or ED. I am a 2 time iraq veteran medic with ATLEAST trauma II and ICU experience, as well as the nursing school bells and whistles. i have applied for pretty much every ER and ICU position around the D/FW metroplex, and nothing. i actually got 2 interviews at parkland, the number one trauma center in dallas, but i apparently i screwed it up.

i cant understand why i dont have a job but my classmates have jobs with no prior medical experience besides nursing school.

jealous? damn right.

angry? youre **** right.

what am i doing wrong. 100+ jobs applied

[Marshall1]

Have you gone to the VA? Not to work but for the Vets to Work program..I can't comment how it works in Texas - though I know hospitals in San Antonio are hiring nurses..but I do know the Vets to Work Program in Ga. has helped a lot of Vets become employed. Also, many times private sector employees don't understand about military nursing. You could also apply to the VA of course and would be given preferential consideration. You probably already know this but here is the address

http://www.usajobs.gov

I know the VA's in Georgia need nurses. Good luck

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

I know you feel discouraged but I have to say...I bet it isn't half of the grads from your class. Please be careful with dichotomous thoughts like these. They can, in and of themselves, be damaging and kind of lead to negative self-fulfilling prophecies. Sounds like the market is tough where you are. Try to decide whether you want to tough out the wait for your dream job or you want to get started right away. Either way, you decide and you are not the victim in the process once you decide. Other than that, network with these folks that have jobs. It's how my husband got started in his icu. He knew a guy who was willing to vouch for him. I got my start at a job fair and it took seven tries to get to the regional trauma center I wanted when I left my first job the next year (because it was a bad fit). Good luck. I am sending positive energy into the universe for you!

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I too was an experienced military medic when I went to nursing school. That was a ong time ago but what I have discovered is that certain hospitals, like certain nursing schools, appreciate experience and some simply do not. Some hospitals seem to actually prefer new grads without any health care experience.

The same for nursing schools. Here in Wisconsin an experienced military medic can become and RN in 9 months. Across the border in MN they are lucky if school will give them 2 credits in physical education for their military experience. VS WI who accepted my entire AARTS transcript and even bent the rules a little to accept as many credits as possible.

See if you can work on your interview skills. My nurse manager will do mock interviews with people and provide feed back to help people do better in their next interview. Also, based on my experience, do not highlight your military medic experience. Certainly note it in the resume and respond to any questions you are asked about it but don't be all about your medic experience. I know it's a shame but many people simply do not want to hear it.

[thecool1Nscrubs2no]

Don't sell yourself short. I know you may want a specialty unit right now. Don't worry about what your classmates are doing. It’s your time now focus on you. Sometimes friends have connections they keep hidden. Them calling or texting you can makeyou feel in negative space sometimes. But apply to all units, work in an area six months to a year then apply for lateral positions when there is an opening inyour desired field. Also contact HR at various places with email of your resume. Tighten up your resume to one page. When you go on your interview, keep your military exp. brief. When you are being interviewed, don't forget to ask them questions....and keep the reason you want to work at whatever position related to the mission and vision statement of the company. Most interviewers ask of a time when you use critical thinking and when you didn't get along with a coworker and dealing with diffculty situations such as patient or families. Also mention that you appreciate diversity of others when working on a unit, shows you are a team player and unbiased. What could you contribute to the unit if you were hired, as interview questions. Focus in on your strengths. Realize your shortcomings such as experience but remain flexible and have a goal such as in continuing my career in nursing....keep it educational they are looking at you as an investment. Tell your story of why you are the best person for the position.

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

I am in DFW too. I got hired before I graduated, but that is because I have a lot of connections in the medical community. As The Commuter stated, DFW is EXTREMELY tight. If you are applying for just ICU and ER, you are going to be looking for a long, long, long, long time. There are people who have been out of school over a year who have not found positions yet, not just in ICU or ER, not just in a hospital on any floor, but in any capacity as an RN in this area.

Get outside of DFW. If you go 2-3 hours outside of a major metroplex area your opportunities will increase exponentially. Try Tyler, Sherman, Witchita Falls type areas and even more rural. Open yourself up to nursing in any capacity at all, not just ICU or ER.

Your military service will matter to some and not at all to others. Being a vet no longer holds the same clout in terms of hiring as it used to. As you have seen, it definitely does not move your application to the top of the list. If you are stressing that in an interview rather than your enthusiasm for the job you are actually applying for, that may be what you are doing wrong. They want to know more than anything else that you are excited about them and that you know how to get along with people, as well as that you are aware of all the things you do NOT know moreso than all the things you do.

And finally - work those connections. In the DFW area, that is the golden ticket. My hospital did not hire anyone who didn't already work at the hospital (either as a job or in clinicals) or who didn't know someone. Most applications get lost in the la-la land of modern day internet application processes. It isn't that you aren't good as much as that nobody even saw you. Think about who you know and get in touch.

I wish you luck.

[timmedico]

Shop around, not only for jobs in certain hospitals, but also hospital news. I do believe Parkland is under construction for a new facility, which might open doors for you and many others; other hospitals in the metroplex might be as well. Do whatever you can to get any job. In some wards, there are MANY openings (for various reasons I'm sure...good and bad)...but not so many in ICU and ER. Hopefully you'll get the job you want soon. :) In the meantime, search online for any strategies that can strengthen your resume and give you some tips on the best interview answers to specific questions. I wish you the best! :)

[biomimetical]

I know how you feel. A lot of my classmates and I applied to the same New Graduate Nurse Residency Program at a hospital that is very friendly to grads from our school. Despite having the same if not better qualifications as my classmates, I got rejected (not even an interview) while 3 of them were accepted. So it must be something other than just background experience. It is easy to feel angry and jealous, especially when others deny that the market is discriminatory (wrote a post on that, and everyone who wasn't a minority denied it) and tight.

[PMFB-RN, RN]

I know how you feel. A lot of my classmates and I applied to the same New Graduate Nurse Residency Program at a hospital that is very friendly to grads from our school. Despite having the same if not better qualifications as my classmates, I got rejected (not even an interview) while 3 of them were accepted. So it must be something other than just background experience. It is easy to feel angry and jealous, especially when others deny that the market is discriminatory (wrote a post on that, and everyone who wasn't a minority denied it) and tight.

*** 10 to 1 those who got hired knew sombody in the hospital's managment.

[biomimetical]

*** 10 to 1 those who got hired knew sombody in the hospital's managment.

Oh, absolutely. That, plus a better externship, or maybe previous work experience or a resume that looked better than mine. But I'd absolutely bet on them knowing someone on the inside, too. That's how things work, although of course one might not feel so objective right after getting a rejection letter. :-/

[Nurse SMS, MSN, RN]

How does someone know what your race is based on a resume? Just wondering. More than half of my internship colleagues were of minority descent. In fact, there were only three white people in it.

[oluchika]

How does someone know what your race is based on a resume? Just wondering. More than half of my internship colleagues were of minority descent. In fact, there were only three white people in it.

For some, their last name gives a hint.

[TheCommuter, BSN, RN]

How does someone know what your race is based on a resume? Just wondering.

A name can sometimes give major clues to a person's racial-ethnic background.

I'm an African-American female with a very common anglicized first and last name, so anyone who sees my name on a resume or job application would not be able to determine my race unless they personally knew me.

However, names such as Tameka, LaToya, and Tanisha are stereotypically 'black-sounding.' Names like Teresita, Miguel, and Carlos are 'Latino-sounding.' Names such as Thuy, Chang, and Liong sound very Asian.