New grad just licensed - can'T get an interview for "NEW GRAD" jobs

Lev, MSN, RN, NP · Oct 28, 2014

Just keep applying. Expect to apply to dozens of jobs and not receive callbacks on most of them. It's a tough, competitive market out there. If you are friendly with any of your clinical instructors, see if their places of employment are hiring.

~Shrek~ · Oct 28, 2014

You applied to 3 jobs. Not 300. Come on. It's been like 7 months since graduation and all you applied to is 3 jobs? It's not the job market, it's you. Most new grads need to apply to at least 100 jobs.

BabyNurse14 · Oct 28, 2014

I applied to 200+ jobs! And it still took a considerable time to get an interview. Apply for any and everything that you're willing to do! I actually expanded my job to two other neighboring states and that's where I experienced the greatest success...keep applying. Apply every day and tweak your resume.

PCnurse88 · Oct 28, 2014

I'm going to echo the two people above me- you only applied to 3 jobs? It took me 9 months to get a job after graduating. In that time I applied for well over 200 jobs and actually traveled to states hundreds of miles away for interviews. I used to apply to three jobs EVERY DAY. Get crackin!

schnookimz · Oct 28, 2014

As a new grad I had four years of experience as a CNA and then lpn, and I still had to apply to HUNDREDS of jobs to find a new grad position. KEEP APPLYING.

jennyx33 · Oct 29, 2014

It took me about a year and after 100+ applications before I finally landed my first hospital position. Good luck!

starlane · Oct 30, 2014

I also applied to over 200 RN jobs and got 2 call backs out of all those applications.

1. Apply-everyday- to every position and look at different locations as well

2. visit a career center-where they can help you tweak your resume and help you to prepare for interviews

3. Connect with clinical instructors, nurses, anyone working in a healthcare related field that can help out

4. Consider moving

5. When you find a job that you are really interested in call HR, find out who the manager is, and email the manager directly

6. Volunteer- to gain experience and to give back to your community, try aiming for something health related of course

7. Positive thinking :-)

KellyRN2013 · Nov 9, 2014

You need to be more proactive about applying. You need to apply to multiple jobs daily. Also look at your resume and cover letter and make sure it stands out! With hundreds of people applying for a job you want your cover letter to get the employers attention! Make sure you recite words that are used in the posting for the job. For instance if they are looking for someone who can multi task then make sure you put that you have the ability to multi task in a multi faceted environment. Also make sure your references are professional references and not just friends. They want to hear from previous bosses, clinical instructors or maybe even a physician you have previously worked with. It will take time to get a job but you also have to have a comprtitive cover letter and resume and stay on top of applying for positions!

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Nov 17, 2014

I graduated in May, licensed in September, I've applied for 3 jobs marketed to "new grad" (all at hospitals) & all I get back is the "you're not being actively considered" response. Is it my age, which is apparent by my resume, or am I just expecting to much. Should I continue to apply to the facilities when they list for new graduates? I'm at a loss right now as to which way to turn. I've also applied at a dozen nursing facilities with no response. Any suggestions - I really need to find employment.

Why have you only applied to 3 jobs marketed to 'new grad'? You shouldn't be just applying to new grad positions (far and few between). You asked for suggestions....apply, apply, apply. If it doesn't specify X amount of experience...apply to it. A new grad can't be too picky. Even if it may not be the shift you want or the schedule or even the hours, apply to it.

After I graduated it took me almost a year to land a job (and I have LPN experience). I applied to hundreds of positions...hospitals, clinics, offices, etc. I had a daily routine of going to the hospitals websites and checking the new job postings. If it didn't specify requiring RN experience I applied to it. I then would go to indeed.com and looked over those positions and applied to any of those that I was eligible to.

Have someone look over your resume. And make sure you have a killer cover letter (the interviews I did get the nurse managers all mentioned my cover letter piqued their interest.) Your cover letter is really the only thing that helps you stand out from any other new grad with no experience. The cover letter is where you sell yourself. All the resumes look the same to most NM, but the cover letter is where you can shine.

You need to really step up your game with applying. Only applying to a dozen in a month really isn't going to cut it. I was applying to no less than 5 a day.

amoLucia · Nov 19, 2014

You did mention something about your age on your resume. Discriminatory ageism is present in healthcare, even unconsciously, altho a recruiter/HR rep would say 'not so'. Is there some way to delete/avoid dates? And most places only want to look at the last 10 years or so of employment, so that may be giving away your age, too.

I know a friend who was getting nowhere with his job search. Went to a resume specialist who had him delete dates. The interviews then started to roll in and he was hired for his desired career position.

Like the others have pointed, you will need to expand your application filings.

Good luck.

scaredsilly, BSN, RN · Nov 19, 2014

Contact all your connections, any preceptor that knows you from clinicals, any instructors who may work at hospitals, etc. Ask them for a reference or to put in a word with a NM who may be hiring.

Depending on what part of the country you are located in, you may have much better luck taking your resume to a NM on a unit you know is hiring. I'm in the west, and that worked for me and most of my classmates but I understand it does not work well in the east. I would apply for any job that doesn't say experience required. If it says experience preferred, you have a chance. It doesn't have to say new grad.