Need some New Grad advice:(

Nurses New Nurse

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I have recently graduated from an ADN program an obtained my license in the state of Maine a few weeks ago. I currently live in Maine but want to relocate somewhere down south (NC,SC) In the last week and a half I have applied to almost 50 Nursing Jobs, new graduate residency programs, and non new grad positions, and have been rejected by almost all of them within a few days after applying. I have almost 10 years of CNA experience, seven years at one hospital alone. I have no criminal history and my resume should be impressive for a new grad (float CNA in the same hospital for 7 years with experience on every floor in the hospital). My references are excellent and are people who have worked with me for almost 10 years now (none of them have yet to be contacted by any of the dozens of hospitals I have applied to). I am getting so frustrated:( Some of these applications are so tedious to fill out and include mandatory personality surveys (110-240 questions long... and I feel like I have a good personality! Haha!) that need to be done before your application can even be submitted, just to be rejected within less than one day... I highly doubt anyone has even looked at my resume yet... I am at a loss. I feel like I have applied to literally almost every hospital in the Carolinas and nothing.... I have called at few Nurse Managers directly and they have advised me to apply to the New graduate programs but most of the New Grad programs don't want someone with an ADN only a BSN. What can I do differently??? I know its only been a week, but its not looking very promising when you can rejected from over 30 jobs in just a few days! I feel like I'm getting nowhere! Help!

Staying at my current hospital would be worst case scenario only because it have been my dream to relocate for such a long time and the thought of relocation is literally the only thing that kept me going in nursing school. This is worse than nursing school itself! :(

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Specializes in Med/ Surg/ Telemetry, Public Health.

The job market for new grads is rough. It took me at least six months before I got a job. I lost count of how may applications I submitted. It seems like it's about who you know rather than what you know. Many new grad residency programs limit the number they will take and then it's only once a year. I interviewed for so many places and positions, but they all wanted experience. I am like how can I get experience if no one will give me a chance. What I did was redo my resume so that it was professional for a new grad status. I would submit an application every week for the same position, and call every week to check the status of my applications. HR and the unit managers all knew my name by heart. I was determined to get somebody's attention and finally after my last interview three days later I got the call for a job offer. Which areas in SC are you looking to relocate?

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Thanks for the reply! I'm literally willing to relocate anywhere in NC or SC... I wanted to go to a mid sized city like columbia, charleston, charlotte, wilmington, ect., but at this point I realize I will prob end up at some rural hospital in a small town which is still better than staying in Maine! I'm just frustrated. I feel like its such a waste of time to keep filling out all these applications, background checks and surveys just to get immediately rejected:( I didn't expect to get hired right away but I didn't really expect to get rejected so quickly either. It's just so frustrating. I think a lot of the places I'm applying to on-line are just automatically booting me out for whatever reason and I highly doubt by resume has even been eyeballed by a human being yet... I feel like I'm stuck in a hamster wheel of filling out pointless job applications and getting nowhere....

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Well................ if you don't fill them out you DEFINITELY won't get anywhere. If you want it badly enough you will do the work to obtain what you want.

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Maybe you should have your resume reviewed, the format, presentation like font and paper that it's printed on. Just get it polished up, like I only learned last semester that they should be one page, and where it says references, you should out "Furnished upon request", which is terribly confusing because it seems the process is the request... Anyway just a thought. Good luck in the search process *hugs*

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Hahaha I know. It sounds like I just don't want to fill out applications but I promise its not that. Its just frustrating to spend an hour filling one out to get a rejection email a few hours later when I know that no one even looked at it. I somehow need a different strategy or this cycle will just keep repeating itself. I think I am going to start applying to smaller hospitals and then contacting the unit managers directly to hopefully avoid these automatic rejection emails....

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I have had my resume review by nursing instructors in school and it is just one page but I guess that would be a good place to start! Thanks!

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Specializes in Med/ Surg/ Telemetry, Public Health.

I felt the same way you did. There are three hospitals in SC that do new grad residency programs, McLeod in Florence, and Palmetto Health in Columbia, and MUSC in Charleston. I don't know the specifics of their programs, but I had classmates who all got hired at those hospitals in new grad residency programs. The only reason I didn't apply to those because I wasn't ready to relocate. All the areas that I mentioned are really nice. If you get some time go online and check these hospitals out or apply. Good luck with your nursing journey, something will happen soon, if you are spiritual just keep the faith.

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Applying to McLeod right now. Thanks!

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Have you considered going to the hospital that you worked at for 7 years and working for a year or two? I'm in Maine now and got a job offer within 2 weeks (Internal Medicine). I have 10 years of LPN experience, so maybe that was part of it.

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Specializes in Complex pedi to LTC/SA & now a manager.

Do you have a license in NC or SC? You may be rejected if your address is in ME if its not clear that you are in the process of relocating at your own expense. It is more difficult to obtain a first job out of state with only an ASN and not a BSN. Have you tried LTAC, subacute, rehab or LTC?

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Maine, NC and SC are all compacted states so I automatically have a compact license and do not need to apply for a new license. How would I make it clear that I am planning and willing to relocate at my own expense? Should I somehow say that in my cover letter? Like I said I'm pretty sure my application isn't even being viewed by a human being so i doubt anyone is even reading my cover letter... Should I just pick a spot that I'm interested in and just move there so that I look like I'm local? I've thought about making a trip down so that I can apply in person but I feel like ill just get brushed off anyway as a ADN new grad. My next step will be applying to subacute/ LTC places but Ive heard mixed opinions about doing that if your goal is truly hospital work. My absolute last resort would be to stay in Maine another year even though that would def be the easiest solution. I'm trying to be patient and give it some time but I'm so discouraged already...

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