New Grad Nurse in NY...advice on landing that first job!

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It seems that NY is a tough cookie to crack.

Here is what I have going against me...

I currently have an AAS in nursing. (not the coveted BSN)

I have terrible credit from putting myself through nursing school.

I am in a catch 22 about pursuing my BSN due to not being able to get loans because of the aforementioned bad credit, and not having a decent (or even livable) income.

Here is what I have going for me:

I hold a bachelors degree in something else.

I graduated with honors from nursing school.

I was awarded best nursing student of my graduating class.

I LOVE BEING A NURSE.

I know...we all love it, right? I am becoming a little discouraged though because I have finally found something I love to do, and yet I cannot seem to catch a break.

So any NY nurses out there with any good advice for me? I would appreciate anything you could tell me.

Also, I am incredibly interested in Bellevue. I have loved the hospital since my very first clinical. Tomorrow I am going to talk with someone to begin volunteering there, is this a good idea? And when the volunteer dept asks me about my reasons for volunteering do I include that I am a newly graduated nurse who would really love to pursue a career there at some point?

Thank You!

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The economy is tough. Several hospitals have already closed. Others hospitals are merging (or buying out part of the hospital's unit or services like dialysis).

Hence, the job market in NYC is very competitive right now because of the scarcity of available positions. This situation makes it especially harder for inexperienced-newly grad nurses; how much more for ADN nurses. Many major hospital in the city are only hiring BSN nurse, I know it's unfair but this is the reality.

Volunteering is good but getting a job in a hospital is a lot better even if you are not providing direct patient care. The reason for that is when a hospital has an available position that you really want, you, being already an employee there, have priority over the people whose applying from outside -especially if you are a union member.

Being able to network with people at your workplace is another big advantage. Even though available positions are posted with certain required qualifications and/or experience, you may eventually be able to get a more desirable position for you with a recommendation from a nurse manager.

To answer your question about volunteering, I am not sure if it's good and "not a good" idea to mention your real intention of why do you want to volunteer. Personally, I would not mention it.

Goodluck!

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It's weird though. Others say that there is are not enough placements for nurses, but all hospitals post job openings in their websites. Especially Mount Sinai. They post 10 or more pages of job openings but they never really get back to anyone.

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Renee, i am in the same boat as you. i wish you the best of luck...i managed to get an interview at a brooklyn hospital by emailing the chief nursing officer telling him about my qualifications, it landed me the interview for next week...its all i'v gotten since march 5th when I get my license in NYS...

Many of my friends who graduated in may of last year are still looking while they complete their bsn. I am almost done with bsn, should be completed by june 2013. I also went a got ACLS certified and took a volunteer gig at a hospital for a short while.

best of luck

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CAn you give me tips on what to write or start off the letter? and subject head line you used to get her attention?

Thank you so much

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ReneeI was fortunate enough to know the name of administrator who works at the hospital my mother does. She is a nurses aid and encourage me to email them. I wrote thank you as the subject line. My theme was my passion for nursing and the thank you was to being a male nurse who became a doctor of nursing and i mentioned I admire that. So he like my email and had HR set up an interview to meet him. I am the only once out of my class who has gotten this fair. I feel extremely lucky. My advice is continue the search. Most friends who graduated a year ago have been doing home care agency work and vaccines. I will say only thesl persistant folks are getting those jobs. And now their resume shows they arent new nurses anymore hence they are getting call backs for vnsy and other more well known agencies. Unfortunately not hospital jobs. Make connections with people at job fairs or other venues in which you can interact and make a personal connection. During these times its gonna take unconventional ways to acquuire a start in the career you are coveting. The hard work will pay off. The universe is good to us like that. ;)I wish you lots of luck and positive energy. Please think creatively!!

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My 2 cents. I was a new grad back in August 2011 and landed in an ICU setting as a Staff RN 2 months after graduation. Also received MANY offers from other hospitals to work for them (this was not happening to my friends). What did I do different? First, I made sure my resume was written by a PROFESSIONAL resume writer, I also had f/u letters and thank you notes written professionally. After that i submitted applications online BUT what really worked for me was going to hospitals and knocking doors down.....yes...you read right! I went to hospitals and presented myself to prospective employers, I worked 24 hours for those two months after graduation and finally landed MANY interviews and my dream job. Recently I got accepted to start the Acute Care NP at NYU in the Fall 2012. Moral of the story. Be pro-active, don't do what everybody does (online submissions, they write their own horrible resumes....blah....blah...blah). Be creative, but among all, stop spending too much time on boards complaining and take that precious time to take action. BTW, i'm not saying that you guys are complaining, I mean it in general, it's a saying :). God luck!

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hey joe

yes i agree..do you have your bsn btw?

also when receptionist say, "apply online" you shouldnt walk away. what did you say or do in certain situations to make your visit to a hospital notable to a recruiter? how did you get through the "doors" that were closed.

i have been to a few hospitals and they refuse for me to meet with the recruitment staff...

thank you

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I agree with Vencentp5 I feel like they have a sign on their door that say No Dogs Allowed ( New grads I mean)! These HR peeps are a.s.s.h.o.l.es!! They have jobs and don't know how it feels to be broke and helpless!

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Specializes in Ambulatory care.

xxx deleted

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I was thinking about doing the same thing, going in person, but everytime I have called they tell "no don't do it" should I still go? I have almost 2 years of ED experience.

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Specializes in Ambulatory care.

@yeyaRN - go for it lol ah just plan your intro well gotta be fast before they decide to call security on you hahaa. I'm a new grad and job searching too, and I've been doing this for a week so far I've been met with employers who were impressed, surprise, annoyed and even had a few doors slammed in face. Hey can't blame the newbie for trying. Make sure you in about 30 secs can answer the unspoken question, "who are you?" and "What do you want" and say Thank you. Good luck! we will get jobs its just a matter of time.

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