New Grad with no experience feels like being discriminated

lilbearzmom · Oct 9, 2010

I believe discrimination is when all things are equal except skin color, age, religion, etc. With experience versus no experience, things are not equal. It's not discrimination. Employers are free to choose who they want, especially in the current economic climate, assuming they don't choose applicants based on the above criteria. I do feel for you. I hope you find something soon.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2010

OP, try to see it this way:

You just found out that you need to have knee surgery. You can go to a surgeon that just finished residency and has been on his own for 3 months, or you can go to a surgeon who has done knee surgery for 16 years. Which would you choose? Of COURSE you would go to the one who has been doing surgery the longest! Is that discrimination? The poor new surgeon can't help it that he just finished residency, but you still would prefer the older dude, right?

It's the nature of business. We all prefer to put our trust into a person that has experience, no matter the circumstance. You will get that experience, but you must change your outlook and do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door. Keep your head up. Get through the frustration. Apply, apply, apply.

Otessa, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2010

To the OP:

You don't think that experience beats inexperience in all job situations?

If you were the employer and had a choice, where would you get more bang for your buck and time? Experienced vs. inexperienced/

That will hopefully assist you with your anger.

otessa

OttawaRPN · Oct 9, 2010

Geez, I read the title of the thread and was expecting to read a true example of discrimination in the workplace.

Foiled again.

It's getting lame how often people play the discrimination card at every turn, then expect to be taken seriously.

Like the story of the boy who cried wolf... sadly real instances are going to be ignored if this unfortunate trend is allowed to continue.

Life experience and maturity will go a long way here in preventing abuse/overuse of this over-exploited word.

OCNRN63, RN · Oct 9, 2010

i went to a job fair today and i was so enthusiastic to meet with the recruiters. upon my arrival, i noticed some applicants were waiting and some were called into another room as i continually filled up my application form. i excitedly handed in my resume and the recruiter immediately asked me if i have experience with the job that i'm applying for? i replied that i'm a new grad and just got my rn license and hope to get a job in their hospital. she stapled the paper and without even looking at my resume, she said "i'll just put your resume on file". most applicants who were turned down in the past knew that what she meant to say was a big "no, you are not qualified!". i felt so bad 'coz it looks like a form of discrimination!!! how come those applicants with experiences were called for an interview in another room, and we, new graduates with no experiences, were not even given a chance to be interviewed at all. the least they can do is glance at our resumes, but they didn't even bother to do that either. hospitals, nursing homes or any establishments that provides healthcare and employs nurses should stop this kind of discrimination that they are doing to new graduate nurses right now! we worked as hard as these other nurses who was ahead of us and already had experiences. but definitely, one time in their lives, they too were in the same shoes as we are right now...new grads and without experience! the recruiters or human resources people should give new grads a chance to prove themselves. i'm sure, if we'd be given the right training or orientation, we can be as good as the old timers. i am just too tired seeing and hearing that only nurses with experiences can apply. and i strongly believe that we are being discriminated and we don't deserve that!

uhm, i beg your pardon? calling experienced nurses "old timers"? that's discriminatory language.

babyNP., APRN · Oct 9, 2010

You should probably widen your search to include out-of-state if you are seeking to get into a certain specialty. Look for programs specifically asking for new grads with an orientation, if you can.

It's been mentioned to me that it costs tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thouands of dollars just to train a new grad in an ICU, for example. This is not just the classes that cost $$ that folks go to (like certifications and paying for the educators), but the other fact that they will be paying you while on orientation but not getting any benefit out of it, paying your preceptor...

Be diligent, follow-up with everyone. I wish you luck in your journey.

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Oct 9, 2010

I went to a Job Fair today and I was so enthusiastic to meet with the recruiters. Upon my arrival, I noticed some applicants were waiting and some were called into another room as I continually filled up my application form. I excitedly handed in my resume and the recruiter immediately asked me if I have experience with the job that I'm applying for? I replied that I'm a new grad and just got my RN license and hope to get a job in their hospital. She stapled the paper and without even looking at my resume, she said "I'll just put your resume on file". Most applicants who were turned down in the past knew that what she meant to say was a big "No, You are not qualified!". I felt so bad 'coz it looks like a form of DISCRIMINATION!!!

Well...if you want to be literal about it, it is. From dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/discriminate): "to note or observe a difference; distinguish accurately: to discriminate between things." They're looking at two things- your lack of experience and someone else's experience, distinguishing between the two, and deciding that they prefer candidates who need less training (or none at all).

How come those applicants with experiences were called for an interview in another room, and we, new graduates with no experiences, were not even given a chance to be interviewed at all. The least they can do is glance at our resumes, but they didn't even bother to do that either.

No- the least they can do is nothing. A prospective employer doesn't actually owe you anything. Is it frustrating to new grads (I'm still looking for a job)- YES. Is it completely within the hospital's rights to select candidates based on qualifications? YES.

Hospitals, nursing homes or any establishments that provides healthcare and employs nurses should stop this kind of discrimination that they are doing to new graduate nurses right now!

They're employers, not providing you with a service. New graduates are not a protected class.

We worked as hard as these other nurses who was ahead of us and already had experiences. But definitely, one time in their lives, they too were in the same shoes as we are right now...new grads and without experience!

Yes, everyone is new at some point. We had the misfortune of graduating during a job shortage. That sucks for us but we haven't yet worked as hard as those with experience, or we'd also have our years of experience.

The recruiters or human resources people should give new grads a chance to prove themselves. I'm sure, if we'd be given the right training or orientation, we can be as good as the old timers. I am just too tired seeing and hearing that only nurses with experiences can apply. And I strongly believe that we are being discriminated and we don't deserve that!

I'm tired of "experience only" job ads too, and I'm tired of constantly being asked by people outside of nursing if I have a job yet when I graduated a month ago. I can imagine the frustration of those who have been looking for much longer. I wish more hospitals were willing to invest in new grads, but to call it discrimination is incredibly entitled.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Oct 9, 2010

OP: I'm sorry that you are going to a frustrating time and I know from experience that it doesn't seen fair in the least. However, what you are experiencing is not discrimation, not even by a long shot. It's an employers' market so they can have their pick of us.

As far as gaining experience, have you actually looked outside of the (hospital) box? Unless you're willing to wait forever for the dream job, you're going to have to start thinking creatively and look at other ways to gain experience. There's SNF, LTC, dialysis, psych, doctor's offices, schools, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers...lest you think these are automatically dead-ends, my classmate just got her first year's experience as a supervisor in a nursing home. With that year, she applied for and got a spot in a PCU. Some experience--any experience--looks better to an employer than no experience.

Or consider positions that aren't in your dream field. Maybe you want OB or ER but get offered a med-surg job--take the job, get the golden year, then try to transfer.

If all you can get is part-time or PRN, take it while you keep looking...and be willing to take whatever schedule they'll throw your way. It's experience and sometimes they can pan out into full-time jobs or into better shifts. I started as PRN evenings and ended up with full-time days. It took several months of sucking up lousy hours and doing a lot of floating, but I was in the system when the opportunity arose, so I could apply and get it.

Let's face it: it's not 2006 where new grads could write their own ticket. It may not be like that for a long time. So if you want to be employed, you need to be willing to be flexible and compromise--while it's no guarante, doing that will greatly improve your chances of finding work.

Best of luck, OP.

AtomicWoman · Oct 9, 2010

"i’m sure, if we’d be given the right training or orientation, we can be as good as the old timers." well, not quite. right training and orientation plus years of experience and you can be as good as the "old timers". :)

AtomicWoman · Oct 9, 2010

I hear you, and I speak as someone who was distressed at how long it took me to find a job. And yes, the "how can I get experience if no one will hire me?" complaint buzzed in my head many times. But we need to face reality: this is a buyer's market for nurses in some areas of the country. We need to keep applying to as many jobs as possible and possibly take a job that isn't exactly what we want to do so that we can get some experience. (I got lucky and found a job that I love.) Employers have the right to hire the most qualified person for a job. That sucks for new grads who can't find a job, but that's the way it goes; it's a kind of "discrimination" that is perfectly legal and makes good business sense. Keep a positive attitude, keep trying. It's all anyone can do.

himilayaneyes · Oct 9, 2010

Unfortunately, the job market has been really tight for the past few years..but from all the posts I've read on this site...this has happened before in nursing. If a job has to pick between a new grad and an experienced nurse, typically they'll pick the experienced nurse...it's just good business sense. However, I suggest you look for preceptorships for new nurses...these typically train you and require you to work for a certain number of years...but a job is a job. HCA hospitals have a lot of these preceptorships. The only way to find out about these programs is to call recruiters. Also sell yourself. Good luck.

50caliber · Oct 9, 2010

Welcome to the real world.

Its exactly like this in any other profession. Just because you are a new grad, that does not entitle you to anything. You must understand that its only going to get worst unless you have the right mindset/attitude to tackle this new challenge. You will not be given a thing and be ready to compete with hundreds of others who are just as qualified or more qualified than you are.

I was in your situation about a year ago and did was able to land a job in the department of my choice as a new grad in CA. Sure it took me forever but I did everything I could to make myself more marketable than my competition. Get ready for plenty of rejections by potential employers but all it takes is 1 offer to seal the deal so don't give up, don't get down on yourself, and don't get too worked up. Just get ready to work for that new job.

Good luck.