My journey as a new grad.

[Lgnames]

I went to nursing school in Philadelphia, PA for my BSN; I'm also a Philadelphia/New Jersey native and have worked for the past six years in a hospital as a microbiology laboratory assistant. During the past two years, I've been involved in a long-distance relationship with a woman from San Diego, CA, so it was always planned that, once I graduated, I would move to San Diego and find my first job there. This was under the assumption that nursing jobs would be equally difficult to find all throughout the country, and, since my father worked as a traveling/agency nurse throughout San Diego, I could find connections through him.

I graduated in June 2011, took and passed the NCLEX in late July, and moved to California in late August. At this point, my relationship had it's large share of problems directly post-NCLEX (i.e. cheating, trust issues, an overall sense of drama), all my plans had been made to go to CA and I still really wanted to. I started applying to positions right after I graduated, in hopes that, by August and September, I would get interviews and be offered my first job. I was very quickly confronted with the actual job situation for brand-new nurses in San Diego and Los Angeles. I spent the rest of August and all of September and October filling out online applications, calling nurse recruiters, and eventually visiting hospitals and LTC facilities in person. I've redone my resume several times, written countless cover letters, and attempted networking through nurse managers and nurses that my father and ex-girlfriend's mother was acquainted with. I never received a single callback.

I quickly was losing a lot of hope, especially as I watched classmates in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area start getting jobs. My relationship, already suffering from problems pre-move, started suffering even more. (Lesson: Once you lose your trust in someone, it can be exceedingly hard to get it back, even if you love them.) I made the decision to move back to the east coast, filling out a few applications half-heartedly before I did. No sooner had I returned home, I received a call for an interview. Days after the interview, I was offered a job. Although my emotional health is still suffering with regrets and 'what if's" (e.g. "Should I go back to CA? Did I try hard enough to get a job there? Should I give my relationship and all those dreams a third chance?") I realize now that, to get that first job, you can't always go where you want/dream to right away.

I'm also beginning to believe that everything happens for a reason. I tried very, very hard to get a job in San Diego. Hospitals, subacute facilities, nursing homes, you name it, and I was never offered a chance. My heart wasn't in the applications I filled out in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area, but I was given the opportunity to work almost right away. (This is partially due to connections I had in the area, I will admit, and not just sheer luck.) As much as part of me dreams of CA and of a repaired relationship with my ex-girlfriend, that's not possible right now. And I've been given an opportunity I can't say 'no' to without it being a foolish decision. Maybe someday I'll return to CA and, if it's meant to be, the girl as well.

So, my advice: Don't give up hope! There are jobs out there; they are just, unfortunately, few in comparison to the number of new nurses that want and need them. Don't rely on online applications alone; they will often lost in the system. Utilize your connections (they will be a priceless help), call the nurse recruiters, and visit places in person. And, if it comes down to it, be willing to put current dreams on hold and possibly be willing to relocate (even if it means relocating back home). You will all get through this difficult time, and you will all get that first job. :) Just hang in there!