New Grad needs a JOB!!

Nurses Career Support

Published

Hello all,

Well I recently passed the boards(wow never want to do that again) and now I am need of a job. All thru school was told nurses are in demand bla bla..now it kinda seems like that is still the case but landing a job is a lot harder than I thought. Maybe hospitals don't want to hire new grads???

I have applied to many hospitals,,and heard nothing yet. Its been about 2 weeks. What else can I do?

All resumes are done online..so you can't personally drop it off or make it stand out. When you call to confirm they got it,,HR tells you to check your application status online....so yeah I feel like I am getting nowhere.

Any advice?????:confused:

Shegal, looks like we are in the same boat. How long have you been looking for and where r u located? Im in Florida, been looking for a couple of weeks so far (maybe it too early to panic??:)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Shegal, looks like we are in the same boat. How long have you been looking for and where r u located? Im in Florida, been looking for a couple of weeks so far (maybe it too early to panic??:)

I have been actively looking since graduation after June 4. Before I actually took NCLEX and passed (hooray!) all the hospitals I was looking at told me that until I actually had my license, they didn't even want to get me in to interview. Now that I do have my license, they just tell me to go online and fill out an application. I guess I must have missed the summer hiring cycle and now looks like I may have to wait until February!!! Here in Los Angeles, most hospitals hire twice yearly. What's it like in Florida? I thought Florida was a "nursing" state!:rolleyes:

Shegal

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am feeling real despair right now. I have looked everywhere for a job! :banghead:Across the country! Every agency said they want a nurse with at least 1 year of experience! How can I get experience if I don't get hired? There are openings in Nursing homes but I really want a job working in a hospital. I want to be a Nurse Practitioner and I don't want my clinical skills to atrophy from disuse. I have looked high and low for a job. I finally got an offer of a $6000 sign on bonus but here is the catch. I have to move to Louisiana to a place with high crime rate, lower wages than where I live, and to a location that I don't want. The real plus it will be in a hospital setting working in med-surg. I'm giving it serious consideration but honestly, going from a low-crime cold climate to a hot and humid high crime area is a hard choice to make.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, sounds like a true dilema! I don't know where you are from, but if there is a big sign - on bonus...why not? Crime is everywherem and you may just find you will enjoy the change of scenery! Just get your foot in the door, stay for as long as you need to and then pursue your bigger and better dreams. I wish I could travel, but my 12 year old at home wouldn't like me very much if I left him for a job! Anyway, give it some serious thought. I am still sitting here jobless, with not a prospect to be had. I have been everywhere and don't know what to do. Travel nursing agency said they require 1 year min. for any type of position. I have a feeling this is going to be alot tougher than I ever imagined. Good luck to you!

Shegal

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am off the market, had my first interview today and 2 hours later they called me and offered a position! I am so happy!!! wish you all the best of luck!

God Bless!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am off the market, had my first interview today and 2 hours later they called me and offered a position! I am so happy!!! wish you all the best of luck!

God Bless!!!!

:up:Congratulations!!! That is great news, I too went on my first interview and I am very confident that I got the job. The nurse recruiter was very nice and I felt very comfortable and confident with my responses to her questions. She will be calling me to tell me where they can fit me in....looks like Tele or L & D. I am hoping for the latter, keep your fingers crossed for me. Congrats again!

:yeah:Shegal

Up Vote Up Vote ×
:up:Congratulations!!! That is great news, I too went on my first interview and I am very confident that I got the job. The nurse recruiter was very nice and I felt very comfortable and confident with my responses to her questions. She will be calling me to tell me where they can fit me in....looks like Tele or L & D. I am hoping for the latter, keep your fingers crossed for me. Congrats again!

:yeah:Shegal

Thank you very much! I got into ER Triage. Let us know how it goes! Good luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in clinical pathways - ED, home infusion, IT, lab.

Ditto comments re: trying to get resume in front of unit manager. I've been trying to get interviews for 6 weeks (even at hospitals advertising that they "want new grads") with no luck until...

1.) DURING MY PAP SMEAR chatting with my doc, who offered to give me name & phone number of lead nurse recruiter (had phone interview + talking about next avail openings) !!!CAN'T believe this is what finally landed me an interview!! talk about "networking!!"

2.) Walked resume to HR b/c I was having trouble with another Hosp's web site (really was). Recruiter told me she's "inundated new grad resumes on her desk" so I guess mine got attention the old-fashioned way (even though receptionist said "we don't accept paper resumes"

Other ideas I'm trying... going to educational event at specialty organization (e.g. CCRN) in my area.

I know they're working hard but these recruiters seem more like "gate keepers" to me.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Hem/Onc/BMT.
Ditto comments re: trying to get resume in front of unit manager. I've been trying to get interviews for 6 weeks (even at hospitals advertising that they "want new grads") with no luck until...

1.) DURING MY PAP SMEAR chatting with my doc, who offered to give me name & phone number of lead nurse recruiter (had phone interview + talking about next avail openings) !!!CAN'T believe this is what finally landed me an interview!! talk about "networking!!"

2.) Walked resume to HR b/c I was having trouble with another Hosp's web site (really was). Recruiter told me she's "inundated new grad resumes on her desk" so I guess mine got attention the old-fashioned way (even though receptionist said "we don't accept paper resumes"

Other ideas I'm trying... going to educational event at specialty organization (e.g. CCRN) in my area.

I know they're working hard but these recruiters seem more like "gate keepers" to me.

Congrads:yeah:I completely understand I was having a terrible time finding a job in boston and I looked in NYC/NJ and had no avail I started looking for jobs since last January and I couldn't find anything. I was so frustrating because they tell you there is a shortage but they don't tell you how to land a job!!:(So I was reading Newsweek about hospital rankings and you know what I applied for every single one of them!I then hopped on a train and went to Baltimore and I appiled to every hospital that I could find in Baltimore in two days... and you know what they all called me back! I took the job at John Hopkins because I wanted to go to grad school there.

There is a job out there for everyone and we will find that job just look outside or your comfort zone. Hey if anyone is looking for a job come to MD there are plenty.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Ditto comments re: trying to get resume in front of unit manager. I've been trying to get interviews for 6 weeks (even at hospitals advertising that they "want new grads") with no luck until...

1.) DURING MY PAP SMEAR chatting with my doc, who offered to give me name & phone number of lead nurse recruiter (had phone interview + talking about next avail openings) !!!CAN'T believe this is what finally landed me an interview!! talk about "networking!!"

2.) Walked resume to HR b/c I was having trouble with another Hosp's web site (really was). Recruiter told me she's "inundated new grad resumes on her desk" so I guess mine got attention the old-fashioned way (even though receptionist said "we don't accept paper resumes"

Other ideas I'm trying... going to educational event at specialty organization (e.g. CCRN) in my area.

I know they're working hard but these recruiters seem more like "gate keepers" to me.

Good for you! Sometimes, opportunities come at the most unforseen times! No paper resumes? Why on earth would anyone want to hire someone without the benefit of human contact...don't you want to know who you are talking to? Don't you want to look them in the eye when you are talking to them? Well, I believe most recruiters like the old fashioned face to face. I just think that society is trying to be too efficient, and not in a good, productive way. I finally decided to get off the computer and start networking in person! It works..so get yourself out there everyone! Oh ya, I agree with you on the Specialty Org's...more like secret societys!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

have you checked out the career tab at the top of this page

Up Vote Up Vote ×

from my experience, paper applications work better than online. and also I would suggest applying for all kinds of positions, even those that say "experience required", not just "preffered". When I went to get an application at the hospital I wanted to work for the most, the recruter asked me what units I was interested in (ER, ICU), she said there's only 1 available position in the ER, but I shouldnt even bother applying, because they wont take a new grad. I dont know why, but I still put this position on my application + all ICU internship positions and guess what? The day after I put in my application, I got called for the ER position and got the job!

It doesnt hurt to try!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment