Nervous about the after graduation unknown!

RunBabyRN · Jan 4, 2014

I say keep applying everywhere you can. I'm graduating in May, too, and am in the midst of job searching. However, those connections DO make a BIG difference.

WHY do you plan to move to St. Louis? Any chance of waiting a year and getting experience back in Chicago where you've been doing clinicals? Do you have any way of getting connections in St. Louis? Do you have people you know there that might know people who might know people?

Have you thought about getting a CNA job this semester, just to have SOME actual paid experience, even though it may not be calculated in as nursing experience?

Unfortunately, applying online without putting a face and a personality behind a new grad (or worse, soon to graduate) resume is a total crapshoot, and is less likely to get you a job than having some sort of connection (something you're clearly aware of). Do anything you can to make yourself stand out. And do what you can to utilize any connection you possibly can.

All the best!!

Katja508 · Jan 4, 2014

Thanks so much for the reply! The move to St. Louis is family-related and was always the longterm plan. We could put it off and likely will if neither of us can find jobs before we'd move.

I'm realizing more and more that I need to get a CNA job but it takes about 3-4 months to do the whole process (I did it earlier in the year and didn't follow through with taking the test because I realized I didn't have time for another job. Silly mistake). A lot of hospitals advertise that they will hire a nursing student with at least one semester of clinicals but I have had no luck with them.

I have people that I know that work at hospitals, of course, but none with influence on the individuals hiring. We also aren't prepared to make it public that we are moving to St. Louis so a blanket FB post would probably cause more harm than good.

I just feel like I'm doing all of this work on applications just to get filtered out of the running within minutes!

RN9742 · Jan 4, 2014

The job market, even for adn's is not that horrible in STL, I would quit applying for jobs you obviously cannot take though. Most places do not fill RN jobs with students who have yet to even graduate, and are months away from doing so. BJC hospital system was on a hiring freeze as well just an FYI.

nursephillyphil, BSN, RN · Jan 4, 2014

Apply everywhere and don't be picky. If you get an opportunity at an acute rehab or SNF or whatever, take it. It may not be the hospital job we all imagined getting right off the bat but it'll give us what most hospitals want: RN Experience. The hiring process takes a while, apply for new grad positions and get your IP permit while studying for boards, you won't lose by applying but you may lose if you don't try.

Katja508 · Jan 4, 2014

Nurse2b9742: Oh, I've heard the opposite! Apply early and often! I do feel pretty silly, though, having to fill out forms as not graduated and no license. That's why I feel like I'm being filtered out. But I don't know if there's another option. If you have to wait until you technically graduate, no one would have a job secured before they left. I did know they were on a hiring freeze but my dream is SSM. I'm hoping BJC opens up and takes out some of the competition :) Thanks for the response!

Nursephillyphil: That's my plan! I'll take anything! I just want a job as soon as possible. The problems I'm running into are not being taken seriously because I have neither a degree nor a license. I'll keep at it though! Thanks for the response!

I'm really hoping to be accepted into a residency program with one of the big hospitals but most of them prefer BSN.

Camwill, ASN, BSN, MSN, DNP, LPN, APRN, NP · Jan 4, 2014

I feel for you! My family wants to move also but we will have to do our time in the town that gave me the opportunity to get my nursing degree. The best thing I would advise is to see if your school helps with hiring. My school helps with hiring and 100% of students have had a job offer before graduation. I hope your school can help you! My plan is to spend a couple of years here working until I get my MSN.

RN9742 · Jan 4, 2014

Nurse2b9742: Oh I've heard the opposite! Apply early and often! I do feel pretty silly, though, having to fill out forms as not graduated and no license. That's why I feel like I'm being filtered out. But I don't know if there's another option. If you have to wait until you technically graduate, no one would have a job secured before they left. I did know they were on a hiring freeze but my dream is SSM. I'm hoping BJC opens up and takes out some of the competition :) Thanks for the response! Nursephillyphil: That's my plan! I'll take anything! I just want a job as soon as possible. The problems I'm running into are not being taken seriously because I have neither a degree nor a license. I'll keep at it though! Thanks for the response! I'm really hoping to be accepted into a residency program with one of the big hospitals but most of them prefer BSN. [/quote']
Applying early is ok, but right now you are applying 6 months before you will even be able to take your boards, lots can happen between now and then. I think I would wait until you were closer to graduation(spring break maybe) with the exception being nurse residency programs or other deadline specific jobs. SSM is a decent hospital system, also Mercy is always hiring, and I know for a fact they hire new grad ADN's. Depending on where you settle in the St. Louis area, you also have many hospitals in Illinois that are not far from the interstates so commuting to them is not much different than commuting into the city.

RunBabyRN · Jan 4, 2014

I'm of the school of early and often, too. Even if you keep getting rejected, just keep applying, even at the same location. As you said, the hiring process is a long one (I know at Kaiser, which is a large company here on the west coast, it can take up to a YEAR), and it's hard to know at what point a hospital will say, "Okay, this person is close enough to graduating now, let's interview them." The worst that can happen is they say no, but if you don't apply, the answer is DEFINITELY no, ya know? So keep at it at both places.

Just because people aren't in the position to have say over hiring in St. Louis doesn't mean they can't have a good job lead or that they don't have an aunt that runs a home health company or something like that. Really, network as best you can. Don't spread it all over FB, like you said, because of course, prospective employers check that stuff now. But do send messages to people just saying that you'd appreciate any help you can get, that you'd like to get out that way sooner rather than later, and that the move is contingent upon you and your hubby finding work (so do the same for him as well!!). The instructor we have this semester for our leadership class who's guiding the resume/interview etc process for us was saying that every job she's ever had she got from a lead from someone she knows.

She has a great website for the course, here's a link to her page about resumes: Nursing 425 - Schedule

There's a ton of info out there, of course. Keep doing research, and keep putting yourself out there.

Also, if you don't already have one, get a LinkedIn profile set up, start connecting with hospitals and nursing associations, Monster.com's page, etc. You can get some good leads and tips there. Look for your instructors, nurses you know, etc. Monster has posted some good articles I've been reading on there.

RN9742 · Jan 5, 2014

A year? That's crazy, it will definitely not take that long in the STL area, most places hire fairly quickly, and want to get you interviewed and orientating to your new position as soon as possible. But then again, there are still a ton of nursing jobs in this area, unlike some areas. Several hospitals do ask if you have friends or relatives who work there when you apply, even if they are not in human resources, they may be friends with someone who is so always use whatever lead you can.