New grads who found jobs? Please give advice!

Sun_danc3rRN · Nov 11, 2009

I graduated with my ADN in May and started my new job on a med/surg unit in a medium sized hospital 2 weeks later. I was actually hired a week prior to graduation, pending me passing my NCLEX-RN. When I was looking for jobs, I used a functional resume, as opposed to a chronological resume. This let me focus on my education and skills, more so than previous jobs. I do think this helped quite a bit. In my back ground I have a lot of customer service experience, and in my cover letter I flat out told them that I thought this would be as great of an asset to their facility, as my nursing education and clinical experience. I also focused on these customer service skills with all of the rest of my skills on my functional resume. I sent out resumes to every hospital in a 100 mile radius of my home(I live out in the desert area with one tiny local hospital, so 100 miles is reasonable). I received the job offer where I am currently working, I received a job offer 123 miles away, and through networking with a group of students that graduated a semester ahead of me, I was just offered a PRN job in my town at a LTC facility, which I am considering doing 2 days a week. So...functional resume, highlight education and all skills, including those not related to nursing, send out lots of resumes, and network with people you know. On the 18th of this month I will be CELEBRATING my 6 monthiversary with my job. I do mean celebrate! I feel so sad to hear of everyone who has not found a job yet, and I realize how lucky I am. I hope this info helps a little.

nurse441 · Nov 11, 2009

I like the idea of sending out mass resumes. Did you just fax it to every DON of every department? what specific address did you use?

Sun_danc3rRN · Nov 11, 2009

Actually, I called each facility and asked them the name of their recruiter, then I asked for their email where I could send a resume. Some of the time I was told to go on the hospital website and apply there(which most you can copy and paste your resume, as well as cover letter), and it would automatically go to the recruiter. I never spoke with a DON until the day of my interview.

HappydayRn · Nov 11, 2009

I along with a few of my fellow Portland grads found a residency program at a hospital in Olympia. I'll be working for a med surg renal floor my first choice! I spent about a month after I took my nclex looking for work. I took a crazy job as at a SNF working nights and was called only a week later for an interview for this position. With the economy in its current state I never imagined I would be working for a hospital and certainly not on the floor I wanted with the shift I wanted.

I would suggest just applying to everything, be open to new possibilities even if it's not something you considered before.

Practice inerviewing. My interview was very strong and I'm convinced I was hired because I interviewed well. Look at the common questions you'll be asked and have good responses. It really helps!

A few of my fellow grads were looking as far as New Mexico and Billings, Montana this was a blessing for them as well.

So don't give up the search!

NurseDevonL · Nov 11, 2009

I graduated May 2009, with no prior medical background at all. However, I was DETERMINED to get into the NICU no matter what.

I joined NANN back in March (the National Association of Neonatal Nurses), i attended a 3 day neonatal conference and did CEU lectures from NICUniversity.com and printed them out. I put proof of all this in my portfolio I bring to interviews as well as an evidence-based paper I did back in school on NEC (a preemie problem).

I took my search out of state, I am in Michigan and the market here is ROUGH. It took about 6-7 months and hundreds of apps, I landed about 6-7 interviews,which i drove myself to (Wisconsin,Indiana,West Virginia and others) finally at the 7 month mark I got 4 hospitals interested in me at once!!! I think I started to interview better and I also feel that positions are opening up right now around Dec-Jan.

I got my job in NICU, i start in 2 weeks :).

My advice:

Beef up your resume with volunteer work (if you have done it) and lectures you have watched (find them on the web!), it shows you go the extra mile!

Write a nice cover letter, and change it a little depending on the job.

Bring a portfolio to the interview, I always bring also a cheap little folder that has a copy of my resume,transcripts,NANN membership,etc.etc.

Sit down one night and REMEMBER situations you have encountered in clinical, GOOD and BAD. write them down and try to remember details, this will help you immensely with answering behavioral interview questions. Look at your list before each interview! Always expect "tell me about a tough patient/family" and "tell me about a conflict you had to handle"

Good luck in your job hunt, it WILL happen!!! :redpinkhe

proudnurseRN · Nov 11, 2009

Worked at the hospital I was hired at as an extern a year prior to graduation. Oriented on a specific floor, floated after orientation. Did my senior practicum on the same floor. When the spot opened, I interviewed and was hired. Even had a spot not been open a floor, I already had a job as a float just by already working there.

NewTexasRN · Nov 11, 2009

Persistence, persistence persistence. I was told "no" over 250 times. Even though I was discouraged, I held my head high and continued to believe. Sending out mass resumes will work in some instances, but as one recruiter put it, "Many people don't even look at your resume. It goes to black hole." You have to be flexible. You might have to take a position at a nursing home even though your dream job is in the ICU. Also, be willing to relocate. You have to talk to the nurse managers in person. HR is just going to tell you same stuff that they are not really currently hiring new grads, but yet you see other new grads working there. Good luck.

mzjennx, BSN, RN · Nov 14, 2009

i got lucky. i grad dec 2008. i use to be ward clerk and aide but could not get jobs at the hospital i was working/worked at. i applied to all the hospitals in hawaii. i interview for 2 positions at my local Kaiser. one for an aide and the other for an RN. i was offered both, but took the the RN position even if it was call-in. I was hired in June 2009 for a med-surg unit.

PERSISTENCE is key. having hope and faith is important. and putting yourself out there even if it mean working as an aide or ward clerk just to get your foot in the door. many hospital have the job freeze now so just keep trying and good luck!

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Nov 14, 2009

I went to nursing school to become a OB nurse and I knew it was a hard position to get right out of school so I signed up for extra classes and did everything I could out while still busting my ass for grades in the classroom to increase my chance. This all began before the economy when to the crapper, so I am even more grateful I made the choices not to just go through nursing school and graduate. I graduated Cume Laude, am a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society, I did 300 extra curricular clinical hours through a separate nursing program in a local OB department, became a certified doula while I was in nursing school, got extra certifications early like ACLS and NRP. My senior project was to create a grant to get money to fund a program called "No Woman Births Alone", I managed to get people to offer a small grant and to manage whatever money was created; but since starting working and this economy it is on hold right now. I did some volunteer work my last semester by writing exam questions for the California Certifying Board for Medical Assistant, I had also been asked to write CEUs for them but I have bot found the time for that yet. I did a Beginning Midwifery class my third semester but did not mention that one in my resume.I have also done a lot of volunteer work in the medical field, and have past experience as a Certified Medical Assistant. I helped create a local doula program; we got a "Meet The Doulas Tea" for all the OB nurses at the hospital I am working at now, at what time I met my now nurse manager and let her know how interest I was in working for her. As nervous as I was during my interview it went really really well. It was touch and go there for awhile but a few weeks before graduation I got offered my dream job,

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Nov 14, 2009

If you're still in school, if your schedule and circumstances allow, get a job as a CNA/aide/nurse tech to get a foot in the facility. Also try to get a internship/externship if you can.

Get as many certifications as you can afford to get.

Add experience to your resume with volunteer work--and yes, you can get RN experience by volunteering: go to your local free clinic and offer your services. And yes, many places including hospitals consider it "real" experience, or at least a point in your favor.

Be persistent. You may not get a job in one week...or one month. But if you give up you definitely won't get a job.

Use the web to search. Network. Talk to your classmates/friends/acquaintances who are connected to hospitals and see if they can help you get a foot in the interview door. One of my classmates ended up getting a job because she talked to someone who went to her church who happened to be a manager in a L&D unit.

Be nice to the recruiters. They're as frustrated as you are (in their case, it's having to deal with a lot of people applying for jobs), and being nice to them goes a lot further to help you than ******** at them about why they won't hire new grads.

Apply for as many jobs as you can...but be realistic: if you have no experience, don't apply for the one asking for 5 years' worth. Do apply for anything that says "1-2 years experience" or less if you think you can really sell yourself to them on that specialty.

Show up in person to drop off your resume. Be dressed to interview and have copies of your resume, cover letter, certifications and license ready to give them. It doesn't always end up in an interview though.

Practice interviewing. Make up list of common interview questions, both ones you may be asked as well as ones you may want to ask them. Reheorifice. I interviewed with my poor cat so much she started avoiding me.

Be willing to work any shift.

And last be flexible and willing to look at all fields and facilities because you never know what you'll find: you're just looking for a place to get started on that year's experience. You can always move towards your dream specialty later.

And you never know--what you find, you may like a lot. I swore to high heaven that I'd never go into psych nursing. I landed here and am enjoying it so much, I'm now looking at specializing in addictions once I get my BSN.

NewTexasRN · Nov 14, 2009

The worse part about is that when I try to find a job a CNA for home health aide, most facilities are saying they can't allow me work under my license. I tell you nursing was one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Good luck.