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Discussion

New Grad Advice

Hi All!

I graduate in December and my dream is to get hired into the new grad residency program at a local NICU. What advice can you give on what I can do in the meantime or how I can stand out as an applicant? I already work on a different unit at the same hospital, but my school does not offer a preceptor option during last semester. Should I get some certifications during my last semester or are there any associations I can join to beef up my resume?

Any ideas are welcome and thank you!

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    Working in the same hospital makes you an inside hire, which should help your application. Tailor your resume to the organization, using ATS keywords from the job description as well as your knowledge of the mission statement.

    Network within your organization- let your current manager know you want to work in NICU and ask if she will put in a good word for you. I would consider asking for an introduction or even dropping by the NICU managers office to briefly introduce myself. This can be both risky and very effective. You could also send a short note to the NICU manager saying you will be graduating soon and would love an opportunity to work in her department, with a brief example of why you'd make a good fit.

    It's still not too late to do some community volunteer work which boosts your resume and sets you apart from other equally qualified candidates.

    Do you have letters of recommendation from previous clinical instructors? On your resume, highlight your GPA if it is high (>3.75), any community/volunteer work, professional organizations (SNA?). See if there is a local chapter of the

    National Association of Neonatal Nurses in your area, and join or attend as a guest. While you're there, be prepared to network and have an elevator speech ready.

    You could get your NALS as it would show initiative although if you get hired into NICU, the course will most likely be provided.

    Finally, if yours is a competitive area for new grads, be open to other areas. You can always transfer to your dream position later. Best wishes, Nurse Beth

    Author, "Your Last Nursing Class: How to Land Your First Nursing Job..and your next!"

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    Nurse Beth has a lot of good suggestions.

    I was hired into a new grad residency program, into their perinatal unit. My impression, during my interviews, is that there wasn't really an expectation that new grads know a lot of clinical information about these specialties. Eg. OB/perinatal, NICU, OR, Peds. In our program we had 5 weeks in OB, 5 weeks in perinatal, and floated to NICU for a shift or two during those rotations. Most new grad programs know this. So I wouldn't worry too much about that part.

    Some things that worked for me in the application phase:

    1. Personalize your resume to the specialty you're applying - As I said, I had very little OB/perinatal experience in my nursing program, but I made sure I highlighted interesting things I did and my accomplishments during that rotation. I also used a new grad RN template to make sure that my layout was clean, legible, and easy to scan for the most relevant information.

    2. Join specialty-specific professional associations and put that on your resume - My first interview was for the OR training program, which I had NO experience in in my nursing program (except for c/s's during my OB rotation). So I highlighted that on my resume, and I made sure to join the AORN before my interview. During my interview, the panel was impressed I had joined the organization. The bonus: Joining professional associations is an EXCELLENT way to stay up to date on new information, education, research and conferences, and I look forward to receiving my JOGNN and Women's Health magazines - there's always something interesting and applicable inside.

    3. Get at least one of the big certifications done - for perinatal, and NICU, the big one is NRP. I would at least do that one IF you can afford it, and put that on your resume. It can't hurt.

    4. Work with a resume coach - If you can afford a resume coach (there a lot out there, charging varying rates) I would have them look at your resume at least once before submitting it. At the very least, have a friend who is also a professional look it over before submitting.

    5. Don't submit your resume when you're tired - Wait until you can skim it once more with a fresh eye before submitting it.

    6. Run your resume through an ATS database - I found this to be helpful when applying to non-residency program jobs, since I'm new to the medical field and had very little previous healthcare experience. It helped me make sure I highlighted key words.

    You are lucky in that you are already working in the hospital where you would like to be hired. As Nurse Beth mentioned, network! You already have one foot in the door, which is a foot more than thousands of other applicants.

    Good luck! I wish you all the best.

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