New Graduate looking for a job!

[starlane]

Hi everyone :-)

I am a new graduate, passed the CRNE :-) but I'm finding it difficult to find a job. I live in Ontario and have applied numerous places but am getting no call backs? A lot of my classmates seem to have found jobs already, how are the other new graduates finding the job hunt? Another question i have is when I do apply for jobs it asks whether "you are registered with the college of nurses of Ontario" I have not sent in my application yet because I'm waiting for my police check however I did pass the CRNE should I say no? because technically i am not yet registered but I feel that if i say no then they may not even take a look at my application for the registered nurse position (Sorry if i am babbling ). Anyways I would appreciate any responses :-) Thank you!

[loriangel14, RN]

Hi there, so far i have applied to numerous hospitals/various positions. The only areas where I have not applied are homecare/long term care, but otherwise I feel that I am being flexible. I have applied to probably 6-7 hospitals, which is pretty much the limit otherwise i would have to travel an extremely long time and pretty much to every position posted on the hospital websites. My resume is mostly focused on nursing, just with one point listing my "selling fries" type of job but i have worked there for 7 years so i also feel that that is important ? (maybe not)...Thank you for the response, your tip about emailing during closing hours is a good one! :) sorry if this is a dumb question, but what do you mean by staffing agency, is it home care?

Not applying to LTC and homecare is cutting out a huge part of the market. if you really want to work you need to be willing to try everywhere.

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Hospital jobs are dwindling each year. The focus has shifted to community based care. As a new grad, you cannot afford to overlook any position. Zero experience while holding out for that ideal job is not going to advance your skills. Apply for everything.

[xokw, BSN, RN]

Hospital jobs are dwindling each year. The focus has shifted to community based care. As a new grad, you cannot afford to overlook any position. Zero experience while holding out for that ideal job is not going to advance your skills. Apply for everything.

Exactly what I am constantly telling new grads who then roll their eyes and brush me off as if I have no idea what I am talking about! I guess I am still a new grad myself but I took whatever job I had to take to get some experience and get my resume noticed.

For those who are set on a particular area or setting, we are not asking that you give that up. We are merely suggesting that you get some valuable experience in another area while you chase that dream! Work in long-term care, retirement homes, community nursing, anywhere! ANY nursing experience is better than ZERO nursing experience on your resume!

End rant :)

[vintage_RN, BSN, RN]

Gotta agree with the others. I was super lucky and got a hospital job right away, but no experience is way worse than some and you are limiting yourself to a whole other world of possibilities by overlooking ltc and homecare...also clinics/doctors offices. I got my job by emailing managers and personally going into their offices on the units to give them my resume. You have to do anything and everything. I graduated in December and some of my classmates only applied to hospital jobs because they turned their noses up at ltc..let's just say that's it's almost September and they still don't have jobs. The longer they go without jobs the harder it will be. Good luck

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Then you become an old "new grad". Every semester, fresh grads are competing in the market. So now, the competition has increased and your skills are non-existent. Clinicals don't count when you've sat idle for months.

[NextGenRPN]

Hi there, so far i have applied to numerous hospitals/various positions. The only areas where I have not applied are homecare/long term care, but otherwise I feel that I am being flexible. I have applied to probably 6-7 hospitals, which is pretty much the limit otherwise i would have to travel an extremely long time and pretty much to every position posted on the hospital websites. My resume is mostly focused on nursing, just with one point listing my "selling fries" type of job but i have worked there for 7 years so i also feel that that is important ? (maybe not)...Thank you for the response, your tip about emailing during closing hours is a good one! :) sorry if this is a dumb question, but what do you mean by staffing agency, is it home care?

When you work for a staffing agency what happens is x nursing home has someone call in sick, they then call your agency, agency then calls you and then you go to x nursing home to work the shift. i would work 4-5 different homes a week, horrible for a new grad as there is a lack of support on the employers part (in my case at least) dont limmit yourself though take any experience is better than none, i did that job for 7 months right out of school just so i could have some experience under my belt and it has paid off as i am working in a hospital in pretty much my dream job, but that seems to be very rare these day i was extremely lucky :). and yes your fry selling job should go on there but with like 1 or 2 bullets, fatten up that resume with nursing jargon and you should be good. also in your young take an adventure and apply to other cities, i had to pack up leave home and live 4 hours away just so i can have my dream job, you gotta do you. feel free to PM me if you would like some resume help, i helped my buddies girlfriend and she landed a job a week later!