My confidence is sinking

[09RN]

Im not sure what to think or to do...here's my situation. Im a new grad ( May 09) and went on an interview back in July. The interview went great. I was taken around the unit and introduced to all the nurses working that day and shown where my mailbox would be. I was told I would be hearing from the NR in a week due to the nurse manager was on vaction. A week went by and nothing. I finally get a call but it was in regards to something completely different. So I asked if she had heard from the manager on the unit I had interviewed with. She said that she knew she had been on vaction and was busy with work that had piled up while she was gone but she would check and see if she was still interested in me. Another week goes by and no calls so I call and leave a message that I was checking to see if she had heard anything yet. She called me back and said that the manager had told her that she wanted to offer me a spot on the unit. The manager was going to get an approval from the board and HR was starting my back ground check. I was then told I would her back on Monday late or Tuesday with an offer. If I didnt get a call to call her and she would see what the delay was. So again Mon passes, Tuesday passes and no call so I call and leave a message ( do they ever answer a phone ?? ) and no return call yet. Granted I called yesterday at 2 and its only 12:00 the next day but she has always called me back the same day that I have left her a message. My heart is sinking and Im starting to think she may not call me. What could have happened? Why would she get my hopes up??

The most upsetting part is that the hospitals in my area are not hiring new grads right now. With this hospital I would be driving an hr but it worth it to have a job. This is the only hospital there so its not like I can apply at another.

Am I crazy or is there still hope that they will call and still offer me a job? Thanks for reading this it really helps to get it out!

[blkaffana]

Sorry to hear that you are having as hard time getting in touch with someone. It is best to be patient, but still let them know that you are interested. My husband is in the same boat that you are in. All the local hospitals are hiring nurses, but they want experienced nurses not new grads. He just graduated in May as well. How are you supposed to get any experience if they won't hire you. I don't get it. He applied to a few hospitals out of state and hopefully within the next week we will know if he has the job and if we are moving. Best of luck. Keep your head up.

[09RN]

Quick update...I got the call today and was offered the job. It took almost 6 weeks from the first interview till the offer came thru. This is my second carrer and I can tell you that it doesnt take this long in other professions. This is more stressful that getting your NCLEX results. Im just very thankful that I have an offer. Jobs are hard to come by in my area.

I wish all the new grads out there the best!!

[Asklepios]

Congrats on getting the offer! I also feel like I'm being strung along by some of the HR people I've had to deal with. They take forever to get back to you, if at all. Then they call and tell you the full time position you applied for isn't available and all you can hope for is per diem with no benefits.

You really have to be your own advocate in the job search. It takes getting on the phone and calling the HR contact people over and over until they finally work on your application just to get you to stop calling them.

[CrunchyMama, ASN, RN]

Oh good....glad to read a good update! Congrats!

[I_See_You_RN]

There is definitely still hope,.. and I learned that yesterday. I applied for the position that I just got back in JANUARY!!.. I got no call back,.. apparently they weren't interested. I applied to the same hospital, same floor, just different type of nursing position and got a call the next day saying that I didn't qualify for the job that I just applied for (needed experience) but I did qualify for their fellowship program which is what I applied for in January. So i started the interview process at the end of June and I just got an offer yesterday. In the mix of all that, after my third interview with them they told me that they chose a different applicant for that specific position, but that a different position in a neighboring ICU just opened up and I could interview for that. So 4 interviews later, over a month later, I got the job... and it was the EXACT job that I always wanted! :)

Second crazy story of hope. I interned for a hospital last summer, called them this March and asked them about a position. I was given two interviews but no job offer, I was told I was put on a waiting list which I just believed to be a nice way of saying, sorry but you didn't get the job. MONTHS LATER,.. this morning!,.. I get a call from them and they asked me if I was still interested in the position.

Point of the story is that when you are down and even desperate everything seems like a NO. When I was told that I was put on a waiting list I felt hopeless. I did a great job during my internship, all the nurses liked me, me and my fellow intern even catered breakfast for the ENTIRE OR the day before we left!! When the nurse recruiter for my current job didn't answer her phone I felt a wave of dread just fall over me... forget the fact that she could be at lunch, busy, in the bathroom, lol.You just have to stay persistent and hopeful and have faith that something will work out for you.