New grad woes

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I always knew the Chicago job market for new grads was tough but wow it's REALLLY tough. I can't help but wonder if I was the only one who had this much trouble. Luckily now I have an offer for a RN position (which I happily accepted!!). I just want to see if there were other new grads in Chicago that had a difficult time.

I graduated in December 2014. I passed the NCLEX and got licensed in January. I started applying immediately (even a little before graduating). I sent out more than 150 applications to this day now and even to the suburban hospitals and a little in Indiana. I felt like I had an upper hand as a candidate because I had an internship and a student tech position but that clearly didn't make me stand out. That hospital that I worked for had a hiring freeze for new grads unfortunately and right after I interviewed for them too. Aside from that, I had 3 more interviews that all went well based off what the nurse managers said. The first two liked me but decided to go with a more qualified candidate. When I asked if there was anything I could better (in terms of interviewing) they gave positive feedback and said I did well and seem like a good fit but it came down to experience. It sucks to know that you have the potential but just can't get the opportunity due to being a new nurse.

This current position that I accepted was actually through my brother's friend's aunt who works on this unit that had an opening. It wasn't originally intended for a new grad either. Without her referral I definitely wouldn't have gotten this position and still struggling to find a job. I don't keep up with any of my classmates (I don't have social media) so I don't know how they're doing but it felt like I was alone in this. With the summer rolling in there is more residency position openings but it would've been equally as competitive because I would have had to compete with a fresh batch of new grads. Thanks for listening and if you can please share your experience as a new grad applying in the city of Chicago. Also to all the newbies graduating soon...GOOD LUCK!

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Oh boy... Looks like I'm the only one! :p

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