New Grads - Share your success at getting your 1st Job

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With so many posts about people having a hard time finding a job as a new grad. I think it would be great to learn from students who have been recently successful and share some of their tips.

Graduated in May, a month later passed boards, returned to home state, asked a family friend who worked on postpartum unit for 30+ years to help me out. She solicited for me with my resume and business card starting with L&D nurse manager up to a CNO she knew. I emailed all (with their permission) my resume and cover letter. They all went directly to HR on my behalf. Days later I had an interview and was told the same day that they would be extending an offer. the next day they confirmed after reference check.

It really was who I knew that got me in the door and then my resume and interviews that sealed the deal. The position wasn't listed externally. Networking starts at home with your family, next with friends, then friends of friends and so on. Older relatives/friends are good because they have probably been with the same employer for many years and they know everyone.

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I graduated in May, and in March began applying. The semester before I had a management class in which I was paired with the director of a local hospital's ER. We hit it off and when it came around to start sending internship applications in I emailed her and asked her if she had any positions. She replied and I sent in an app, interviewed, and had the job offer a week later.

It's all about networking!

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To make it short and simple: I moved out of state! I relocated to Texas and found a job quickly.

NewTexasRN this is what I hope to do as soon as I graduate as well. I heard that there are a lot of jobs in Texas. ... Where were you originally at?

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I was lucky enough to have signed a contract with a local hospital to have my tuition paid during school. They hired everyone they sponsored for a BSN as far as I know, I suppose in order to get a return on their $17k investment. They also required an interview, which apparently never happened before this year. I interviewed well, and was hired into my first choice (ICU stepdown/tele).

May I ask where is the hospital located at or even a name?

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Specializes in Women's Health NP.

I have a question for all of you - what if you aren't able to stay in the same location where you went to school? My husband and I are both in school right now, and being a professor is not as forgiving in terms of finding jobs in all locations as nursing is - so I'm preparing myself for the probability that we'll most likely need to move after I graduate. Therefore, even if I have had a job in a hospital here, it won't necessarily help me get a job if I move! Any opinions/ideas/tips? Thanks :)

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I graduated in May, and applied/interviewed/was hired/passed my boards in June. I started in July on the cardiac care unit.

My hospital had 8 internal new grad RNs, and hired 7 of us. Working there in patient registration for 2 years was my saving grace; they didn't even look at outside candidates.

Wow. Congrats, this sounds like my dream. I am praying that my 8 years as a Cardiac Monitoring Technician will allow me to do the same as yourself !

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Ok, for the folks who are getting jobs because you moved - WHERE are you moving to? I am willing to move - and our nursing program is even telling us we need to move out of state to get jobs, but no one is saying where we should move! I am slated to graduate in November '10. Passed my Hesi exit exam, just need to do my preceptorship in ICU, then sit for the NCLEX. (just. ha ha.) So, what states are hiring new grads?

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

I've been hearing Texas. I know some people that graduated 2009 and looked for a job for almost a year. Headed to Texas and found jobs down there. I'm sure it's competitive everywhere but it seems its "slightly" easier to get a job in southern, rural areas.

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i didn't network/ or have a connection. There were 1500 applicants and i can't believe I was chosen at one of the top magnet hospitals in the country and i'm in california.

my secret? i did something that made me really stood out. it involves leadership. i got the job offer right on the spot

ask yourself, did you do something that makes YOU stand out from the rest.

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Specializes in NICU.
I have a question for all of you - what if you aren't able to stay in the same location where you went to school? My husband and I are both in school right now, and being a professor is not as forgiving in terms of finding jobs in all locations as nursing is - so I'm preparing myself for the probability that we'll most likely need to move after I graduate. Therefore, even if I have had a job in a hospital here, it won't necessarily help me get a job if I move! Any opinions/ideas/tips? Thanks :)

That was my situation too. I went to school in one state, but for family reasons had to move immediatly after graduation to a different state. Unfortuanatly, it wasn't a state that's in a great hiring area right now. I asked every person I knew in healthcare in my old state if they knew anyone in a facility in my new state that might put in a good word for me. Long story short, a person ended up calling her old unit out here on my behalf. The job qualifications were still pretty cut-throat, they wanted BSN's with greater than 3.5 GPA's, extra-curricular experience, etc, etc, but luckily I had all of that so I was able to highlight it in the interview.

I got a few other job interviews without the aid of networking (and even one other offer), but I'm so glad that I found someone to help me out in my new state. Otherwise I would have taken a job that I don't love nearly as much as this one.

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Specializes in LTC, Acute care.

I finished in May, passed NCLEX in June and got a job two weeks after that at a Magnet hospital. I didn't really do anything besides adding 'RN' beside my name on my resume and then prayed everyday not to look for a job for long. I didn't know anybody either so I can't say it was networking that got me the job. One of these days I plan on asking the NM what made her hire me (not in a bad way but so I can replicate whatever it was in the future :)).

If you're still looking, hang in there but if you can relocate do so. If anybody had told me in nursing school that nursing grads were having a hard time finding jobs, I would have told them to 'get out of here' because that certainly wasn't what our instructors were telling us. I'm glad I got a job and I wish everyone else out there looking all the best in their search.:nurse:

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