New Grad RN jobs 2012

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It seems so hard to get a New Grad RN position in Southern California...To those that have gotten one, what is your advice? How did you land the job? Networking? GPA? Working as a PCA? Volunteering? Calling recruiters? All of the above?

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My friend had that all (minus the PCA/CNA part). And sheer dumb luck she says. I'm hoping her dumb luck eventually rubs off on me. A job would be a God-send right now.

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That's exactly what my friends who have jobs said too.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.
My friend had that all (minus the PCA/CNA part). And sheer dumb luck she says. I'm hoping her dumb luck eventually rubs off on me. A job would be a God-send right now.

Unfortunately dumb luck plays a bigger part than it used to. So does timing. I know people who got hired simply because someone bailed and they needed a person ASAP.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

No dumb luck here. Just sheer determination and persistence. I applied to hundreds of jobs over the course of a year, walked my resume into hiring managers offices, volunteered at a large hospital in San Diego and took whatever RN positions I could find to gain experience. After a year from getting my license and 9 months from graduating with a BSN, I finally landed a new grad program hospital job. Jobs aren't going to come to you. Looking for something is a full time job itself. Be creative and take what you can get especially in this brutal job market. Network! Introduce yourself to as many people as possible. Even now I notice how unfriendly or unhelpful students and volunteers are. Know that you are always interviewing for a job no matter what. My best advice is to volunteer at a hospital and get to know the hiring manager...then bug that person politely.

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Specializes in Stepdown telemetry, vascular nursing..

I had two high achiever classmates that landed jobs in the ICU of a very known hospital. they got into the Versant program. that seems to be the only way it works. my best friend works as a home health nurse, she didn't have time to get the A's because she has kids at home. be a member of the nurse's association (more than 100 dollars per year) and get your ACLS/PALS, have a great resume, letters from your teachers and practice interview questions- a favorite one this year seems to be "If you could be a vegetable, what would you be and why?" Good luck, I am starting job hunting next week

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