New Grad, No experience so no work

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So I passed NCLEX back in July and have been looking de a job ever since. Massachsuetts' health care centers apparently want nothing to do with new grads. Three months searching for employment and I'm afraid it's not going to get any better. ? Is anyone else in the same position? Or was successful enough in landing a job as a new grad? I really want to work in a hospital but it seems like a far-fetched dream at this point.

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Specializes in Post Acute, Home, Inpatient, Hospice/Pall Care.

Where are you a new grad from? Did you get an ASN or BSN? Hospitals want BSN, some even want that plus experience. When I passed my NCLEX (ASN) I worked on a sub-acute unit in a TCU. Clinical skills but lots of med pass, feel attached to the med cart, some like it, I didn't. You can look into home care that will train, there are some that will and ease you in. Get some experience anywhere LTC, TCU, HC and then go for the hospitals. Good luck.

Also don't know where you are in MA but I am in SE MA.

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Specializes in Pedi.

Where are you applying and what degree do you have? It's October so most new grad jobs are gone already.

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Specializes in Post Acute, Home, Inpatient, Hospice/Pall Care.

I wouldn't say most new grad jobs are gone, I am still seeing them...different schools graduate at different times of the year as well. Some folks have to wait to take or retake NCLEX. Keep looking, if you are not super picky you will find something! Good luck!!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Rehab.

LTAC is a difficult setting but they are very willing to hire new grads and not all of them are bad places to work. I worked for a year in a SNF on a rehab floor and then moved up to a LTAC where I worked for a little over a year. Now I finally got an acute-care job! You have to be patient and willing to work in a different setting to get new grad experience. There are a few people who got jobs in hospitals when I graduated but most took jobs in alternative settings (home health, school nursing, SNF, Rehab, LTAC).

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Thank you everyone for your input and advice. I have a BSN and I'm far from picky. I'm just feeling tired of applying online to all these different job postings in exchange for nothing. I feel like I'm wasting my time.

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Specializes in Post Acute, Home, Inpatient, Hospice/Pall Care.

Have you had your resume looked at? Sometimes that is the biggest issue in landing an interview. Or the cover letter. I have had several interviews in which HR told me the first line of the cover letter caught their attention. What sites are you using to job search? Also more companies are using craiglist as a means to advertise jobs for free. There are legitimate jobs for legitimate companies I have interviewed for some off there. Also if your resume is strong consider posting it on monster I had a company contact me (a 1 year RN with and ASN) for an interview. If you are willing to give me your general area I can send you some leads, I am forever looking. Also I had to be willing to travel for my first jobs (I am on Cape and had to go off Cape) so your radius is important. I can't wait until I have my BSN (Lord knows when that will be) I am very limited with my ASN. PM me if you want me to send you some leads. Good luck you will find something I am sure!!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, ER.

Arlyne, I'm happy to look over your resume if you want to email it to me to see if there's anything that might be improved to catch recruiters' eyes. Also, check out Franciscan Hospital for Children. They hire new grads almost exclusively.

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Specializes in Reproductive & Public Health.

It is really, really hard to get a good hospital RN job as a new grad. You almost *have* to know somebody to even get your resume looked at. The sad reality is that hospitals use computer based resume screening, meaning that your application can be tossed without ever being reviewed. There are easily hundreds of applicants for every job.

My advice? Network, network, network. Find someone who knows someone in HR, and try to get your resume viewed by a real person. I'm a new RN; was licensed in January 2012. I have 2 awesome hospital jobs in L&D, and got them both through personal connection. Don't give up, and don't limit yourself to looking only in the hospital. My first job was in pedi home health (which I hated, omg, just so much.), and I worked there until I found something better.

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