New CNA no job..Should I take fastfood job?

M.STYLES · Jan 31, 2011

you can always take another job to supplim,ent income untill you find a cna job. however since you have no expirence i would reccomend going to local nursing homes and vollunteering to gain experience which will help you obtain a job.

barbiebish_91 · Jan 31, 2011

I thought about volunteering but thats me spending money I don't have paying to go back and forth to the facility.

Zalan · Jan 31, 2011

Take what ever job that you can. Have you tried a Temp Agency? You would be suprised how many Temp Agency have opening for a CNA. I`m not talking about home health care agency. I mean a real temp agency. I googled Temp Agency Rochester, NY & got this:

Aerotek

Adecco(they higher CNA locally were I live)

ETS Staffing

Express Employment Professionals

Manpower

Yoh Company

Have you checked indeed.com, & Yahoo Hot Jobs.

cdicapua, CNA · Feb 1, 2011

Most agencies want 6 mos to 2 yrs experience. It is a shame that the schools that advertise to become a CNA don't tell you how hard it is to get employment. I got my job becuase my sister in law worked for the nursing home for 15 yrs. I am also from NY. If your school implied that they had job placement push them hard. I had to take part time every weekend 11-7 shift 22.50 hrs per week and was hired full time after working 6 mos. I was a banker and had to keep a full time bank job and work the cna job. I think becuase of recent health care cuts it has become even harder. I am not trying to be negative, but this is the toughest job and lowest paying job I have ever had. I am 58 I have been working full time for 40 years. Look at small hospitals. I don't think you should have to volunteer to get a job in what you have been trained to do.

soupyjc2 · Feb 1, 2011

I was in the same boat as you until recently. I received my CNA lic last summer, and didnt get hired until a few weeks ago. All I can say is keep plugging away at it. Volunteer experience did help me out a bit. Another factor was there being a recent hiring freeze in all local hospitals/medical facilities. A lot of places didn't hire over the weekend, but with the new year comes new budget allowances, thus new hires. So don't worry, be patient, and keep your options open to anything.

As far as working in fast food, well, if you have to, you have to. But dont forget, a CNA license can be seen as you having good customer service training (my firend, a job recruiter at a big company, mentioned it to me).

Good luck.

northernguy · Feb 1, 2011

Well obviously you need to do something, so take what you can get and keep applying. Eventually there should be an opening, LTC has a high turnover rate for CNAs.

Where I live if you have a CNA license and a pulse you can find a job. Its keeping the job thats tough, they go through CNAs like kleenex where I work. Ive only been there 8 months and I feel like a grizzled veteran.

cna23 · Feb 5, 2011

You can take another job. I work at Winn Dixie, and passed my clinicals almost 5 months ago. I too have been every where looking. I just got a call this morning to be interviewed on Monday. I almost gave up on the nursing thing. Just hang in there. We have bills and kids like every body else, so do what u can until you get the better job.

LexiG · Feb 6, 2011

It's such a hard field to get into, especialy in this economy. Get a job to pay the bills and volunteer as a CNA. Yes it's hard but you will build job experience which will look great on your resume.

volcomcna · Feb 6, 2011

Make sure to include a well written resume that will make you stand out! It took me less than 3 weeks to get called for an interview and hired on the spot good luck!

mymy1219 · Apr 8, 2011

How do yall like your job as a cna and generally what kind of hours can you work.

karamarie91 · Apr 10, 2011

Volunteer! It adds to your resume and you dont have to do it more than 1-3 hrs a week. Do what you must, but keep volunteering and actively networking to find that CNA job.