Negotiating Start Date - HELP!

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Jan 15, 2012

You could flat-out ask about it...after all, the worst they can say is "No." Hopefully they will be willing to negotiate something with you.

But if they do say "No," then you will have a decision to make. I can understand why you'd want to pursue a chance to study abroad, especially since opportunities like that are few and far between. However, keep in mind that jobs for new grads are also few and far between. So you do have a tough choice.

IMO, I would take the job if I got it even if I had to give up the trip to Spain, since the chance to go to Spain will always be there (even if I end up paying my own way) but I may not get another chance at a new grad job that easily, especially in a unit that I really like. However I'm not you, and you need to decide what is best for you.

Best of luck to you whatever you decide.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Jan 16, 2012

Every unit and every manager is different. It can't hurt to ask.

I can say with some degree of certainty that that would never be allowed on my unit. Everyone is only allowed to take 1 week of vacation during the summer and only 120 hrs of RN vacation time is allowed per week. The only way people are allowed to take more than 1 week during the summer is if they're getting married. And then only 2 weeks are allowed.

If you get this offer and they do allow you to do this, I'm guessing the time would have to be unpaid as I can't imagine you'd accrue that much PTO in 4 months.

AZMOMO2 · Jan 18, 2012

I would bet they would say no and cross you right out of the running for the position based on availability. Not only will it interfere with your training, but how often would a new hire be able to take an extended 6 week vacation from the floor and management would say OK?

CrunchRN, ADN, RN · Jan 18, 2012

Doubtful. They would probably withdraw the offer I bet. They might think you would take the training until then and then quit and go.

You have a hard decision to make. Consider your age, ability to survive if you cannot find a job before of for a while after your trip, and the general availablity of nursing jobs in your area.

Good luck!

expealidoscious · Jan 19, 2012

Thanks for all the feedback!

Just to clarify, I would never expect a 6 week paid vacation from the unit! I would ask to either train and go for an unpaid absence or start on the unit in August. Even though I described the opportunity in Spain as a paid vacation, it is technically a short-term job offer. I'm hoping and praying that if I get an offer, the nurse managers will show a little flexibility in helping me transition onto the unit - and if not I don't think it hurts to ask. Women always sell themselves short in negotiating job offers -- how will we get what we want if we don't at least try?

So does anyone have any experience negotiating something a little unorthodox before starting a job? Did you get it?

LaughingRN · Jan 21, 2012

To be honest, I would have cut off my pinkie finger to land my dream job as a new-new grad.

I had to look for 6 months before I got offered my first job (with only 1 other interview in between on an ICU floor, but I was on vacation in another country so I missed the call by 24 hours and they had filled all the "interview spots" by that time...talk about disappointment, but I digress)

My first job was not anything I was initially interested in, but when your student loans are due, and you are trying to make you car insurance payments..I took it with a smile.

After a year, I moved onto my "dream job" which I love

I graduated at the beginning of the "rat race" of the new grad crisis, so it wasn't very understood at the time (and no one on Allnurses was really talking about it yet)

I think you are considering Spain because you lucked out (and you did) and you were offered what you wanted immediately.

Almost any new grad in the last 3 years will tell you.

Take the job, and go to Spain another time.

perhaps you have to live the reality of the job market right now to really understand it.

I would hate for you to think that jobs are a dime a dozen right now, based off your two interviews (despite you haven't actually been given a job offer yet).

My personal feeling is that employers are not going to bend for you at all, or give you 6 weeks unpaid leave in the summer.

But like I said, when I first started looking a few years ago, I would have even supplied my own hacksaw to cut off that darn pinkie

Dumplins, MSN, RN, APN · Jan 29, 2012

agreed. take the job. who wants to have fun in spain then come back to a struggling time of job searching.

of course, it wouldnt hurt to ask.

expealidoscious · Apr 19, 2013

I always wish people would post follow ups to the questions they asked.. so here I am! I took the job and got a vacation to Spain to boot because of some savvy negotiating. My manager said that I was welcome to take the 6 weeks, but that she couldn't promise the job would still be here when I got back. I didn't want to take that chance, so I negotiated 2 unpaid weeks instead, which I still got paid for during the Spain gig. In the end there were no hard feelings whatsoever, and I have no regrets about being upfront with my manager and negotiating that trip.