New grad looking to relocate to Colorado and looking for advice

KMbodi1002 · Jul 24, 2011

Hello! My family and I just recently moved to Colorado last month from Massachusetts. I graduated with my BSN from rhode island college this past May and took my boards in Colorado once we arrived. The job market here seems to me to be the same as back home but a few more new graduate residency opportunities then I saw in the Boston area. The new graduate jobs here are definitely highly competitive and many of the hospitals appear to be looking for BSN graduates only. I've applied to two residency programs in Denver but won't hear back until beginning of August. How we looked as it before we moved out here is that right now it is hard to find a new graduate nursing

Position everywhere so why not find a place where you would like to live and then the on will come. We live in a suburb north of Denver. It is absolutely beautiful here and the winters I've heard are nothing like the east coast!!!

As far as states that are hiring new graduates, I've heard Texas and Oregon are hiring.

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Jul 25, 2011

ADN and out of state will put you at a disadvantage in a market that is already beyond AWFUL for new grads. My advice is do not move to CO until you have already secured a job because you could be looking for well over a year, maybe two years. Look beyond hospitals for jobs.

2RNornot2RN · Jul 26, 2011

I suggest finding out the names of Clinical Managers at some places u are looking to work and giving them a call. Tell them u are relocating and are willing to commit to a year or two. Also, I suggest, whether u intend to or not, say u are looking into programs to get your BSN. I have an associates and I am having a hard time finding a job, WITH experience, in Denver. Have u thought about Colorado Springs? Good place to live and better prospects for new grads. Good luck, hope u find something!

whiskeygirl, LPN · Aug 2, 2011

ADN and out of state will put you at a disadvantage in a market that is already beyond AWFUL for new grads. My advice is do not move to CO until you have already secured a job because you could be looking for well over a year, maybe two years. Look beyond hospitals for jobs.

Yup! What she said! I have been looking for 14 months. (With 6 years of hospital experience, 15 years total experience) We are talking about leaving soon and I am so sad. Colorado has been the ONLY place I've wanted to be for 18 years.

Oh and I have a Bachelor's degree in Nursing.

parks71 · Aug 21, 2011

Let me tell you about my experience with finding a job. I am going to graduate next week from an ADN program and I have been reading these boards for the last 2 years wanting to relocate to Colorado. From reading these boards, I thought there is no way it's going to happen, I'll have to find a job here in Florida, get a years experience, then try.

The problem is, people with experience state they have looked for months and its just HOPELESS, TERRIBLE, and every other word in the book! My wife is an RN with 10 years experience so we both need jobs!

So I decided to see if living out of state would be a disadvantage and I called a recruiter, no answer, I leave a message. I called another recruiter, no answer, leave a message. Then I thought, this isnt going to work, nobody is going to answer the phone and I decide I'll wait until I pass my boards.

The next day, the person I called second calls back, asks me to send me and my wifes resumes. We send them. He sets up 2 phone interviews, we both interview. They say they want to see us in person, they pay for our air fare, hotel, rental car and we flew out 2 weeks ago. We meet two totally different managers that have no idea our spouses are here. I had 2 interviews set up for 2 different departments. I go to my first interview, 15 minutes into, the manager says she wants me. Hired. I leave and think, do I even go to the next interview? Well, I dont want to be rude so I'll go. I go to the next interview, the manager says she wants to hire me. I really dont know what to say because she doesnt know I just had a different interview with a different department.

With in 45 minutes, two managers want to hire me. I go down to the lobby and wait for my wife which takes her another hour. She also has a ADN degree. She comes to the lobby and says shes hired. We are just waiting on her temp CO license then she will put in a 2 weeks notice and we move.

Now the funny part, we get home and there is a message on the answering machine from the first hospital saying sorry it took so long for him to call back, he was on vacation, gave us an email address to send our resumes. Obviously we didnt because we are very happy with the first hospital.

Point is, dont listen to these people. You try to find a job, you make the calls. You dont know if these people have crappy resumes, something on their license or interview like crap. You just dont know! On my first interview, the manager asked me why I want to be a nurse. I tell her my reason and she says, it's also great money dont you think? I said, it's OK but I am taking a pay cut to do this job and I have no problems finding work in my other field which I dont. She said, thats a great answer, you wouldnt believe when I ask people why they want to be a nurse, they reply, it's great money and I like people! You dont go into nursing for the money. You do it because you want to care and comfort someone who is probably having one of thier worst days and times of their life and you just want to try to make a difference!

Stop reading these boards, make a great resume, make phone calls, dress nice, and be real in your interview. Don't go read all the how to interview crap on the internet, its public knowledge and everyone is saying it. Be yourself, you will be surprised how far it can get you! Good luck!

Oh yeah, both of these hospitals are right downtown Denver, if thats where you want to live, go get it!

hope3456, ASN, RN · Aug 23, 2011

Congrats Park71.....could you elaborate on what your previous career was, what you said to the recruiters and in your interview, ect? You must be very good at standing out from the croud.

My experience (working as an RN in CO) was that mgrs could be picky. I remember overhearing my mgr stating that she had interviewed 3 people in the past couple days for an open position but none of them were 'appropriate' for the job. Meanwhile, the open shifts were being worked by PRN staff, who often complained they didn't get enough hours. I had got a job on the unit simply b/c i worked as a tech on a unit whom she was friends with that unit mgr and he gave me a good reference....she told me that.

I think people moving to CO and those considering nsg should be aware of what the situation is - not impossible to get a job but it is competitive.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Aug 24, 2011

I agree that the market is very competitive and I think you do need to stand out. I went on an interview for a hospital within a week of graduating and passing boards. I was offered the first job I interviewed for.

The key was that I really stood out to my CI for my peds rotation. My peds rotation was 1.5 years prior to my graduation and it was 3 days. 1 of those days I was in the ER so my CI only saw me for 2 days. But in those 2 days I must have made an impression. I didn't think she would remember me but she gave me an interview and I found out after I was hired from my manager that the other lady DID remember me and told my manager that she knew from my clinical that I was going to be a great nurse and she had hoped I really would contact her after I graduated.

I never knew any of this. But I also hit it off with the HR lady really good and she was going to set me up with interviews with other managers if the first one didn't pan out.

I got my friend an interview with my boss and she was hired too. They loved her.

So networking is key for new grads I think and standing out. My personality was my biggest selling point.

lonestar9918 · Aug 25, 2011

Parks71 - Thank you for sharing this success story. My wife and I have a dream of relocating to CO as well. From TX.

I am working on my BSN and when we move my wife will have a couple yrs experience. We both have killer grades and are very resourceful. So it is good to get a little hope that we may be able to break into the rn job market in CO.

Congratulations by the way!

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2011

parks, congratulations! There are jobs for new grads, they are just rare and competitive. You were apparently talking to the right person at the right time with the right qualifications. Unfortunately, many new grads haven't been able to find such an opportunity in over a year.

So I caution everyone, don't let one success story make you jump in head first moving to CO expecting to find a job. Parks followed the simple mantra that I have been preaching: FIND A JOB BEFORE YOU MOVE TO COLORADO!

tae26 · Aug 25, 2011

The job market can be competitive! I've been a LPN for 3 years and wanted to move back to CO. I started looking about a year ago but became serious about it 3 months ago. I've spoken with nurse managers but it didn't seem promising. I interviewed for a LPN position at Ft.Carson a couple of weeks ago and was just offered the position. I don't start till mid Sept. So, I wish you the best of luck in your job search!

parks71 · Aug 26, 2011

Thank you everyone! My classmate is in Denver right now for an interview and got the job as well with no help from me or my wife. First hospital, first job! I am not providing this information to rub in those who cant find jobs face, I am posting it for those who dream of moving to Colorado and fear not being able to find a job. Those who cant find a job, look again at everything your doing! We are all "ADN" nurses. 2 new grads, 1 with 10 years experience!