New Jersey Excelsior grads where are you working?

emv2008 · Jun 29, 2013

where did you get the online fax number from?

natnat122 · Jun 30, 2013

Faxzero.com has free internet faxing. I've tried it a few times, it's fast and efficient.

natnat122 · Jun 30, 2013

I am officially employed. So my number one advice: make sure your resume stands out.. Don't apply to stuff you do not qualify for (tip my HR buddy and my recruiter friend gave me) it really annoys HR when you do. Remember the difference between required and preferred. This is time consuming because it is all electronic..learn about who is trying to hire you as well.

Congrats on the employment; thanks for all the great advice! :)

phengro · Jun 30, 2013

I can't thank you enough for the inspiration and motivation you gave me with your testimonies. Thank you so much for the detailed information. My heart was leaping with excitement when I read about all the job interviews you were having, and now the employment. I told you in the past already that I have been looking for a job for more than a year now. Your post really motivated me to press on with my final hurdle with Excelsior, the CPNE. Wow, I can't wait to be there myself.

If I do graduate and pass my NCLEX, would your friend Adam accept a resume job from me with the same fee as well? :)

ladybug28 · Jan 15, 2014

I apologize for the delayed response. Yes, he charges i believe that flat fee of 100% --- RESUME SERVICE : Ross Recruiting Services. As an update, I am still working at the nursing home, have gained a lot of managment experience and clinical experience. I am now enrolling in University of Texas - Arlington online to pursue my BSN which I know is my next step if I want to go to the hospital eventually. My objective is to complete the program during this year. I also have to add that working at the nursing home has given me the opportunity to network.

medicalboy · Jan 16, 2014

just get your foot in the door. rutgers, formerly UMDNJ is hiring lpn's for correctional setting. its a very easy gig

medicalboy · Jan 16, 2014

I am officially employed. Here is how It went finding a job as an Excelsior graduate in New Jersey.
I got my conferral date in Feb (CPNE back in December). Took boards April 2nd but did not get a NJ license until May 15. A little bit of background about myself. I graduated from LPN school in 2011, worked as a staff nurse and then got promoted to MDS Assistant/Medicare Charge nurse (small manageable nursing home 77 beds). Worked full time in that position until I finished Excelsior and the hubby and I got relocated to NJ in January.

So after I had my license in my hand - I began the job hunt. First thing, I checked out resumes on indeed. Wanted to see how nurses out there were making their resumes to get an idea, all I found were dreadful resumes. My husband is a hiring manager at a corporate so he said he would make one for me, and then our friend Adam at Ross Recruiting Services could polish it really well (he charges a small fee of 100 bucks, well worth it in my opinion, others charge hundreds). Got my resume back and it looked perfect. On several interviews it was mentioned how well written and good my resume was. So my number one advice: make sure your resume stands out.

Found every hospital within a drivable distance of my house and started applying to hospital positions. Don't apply to stuff you do not qualify for (tip my HR buddy and my recruiter friend gave me) it really annoys HR when you do. Remember the difference between required and preferred. This is time consuming because it is all electronic.

I made a list in Excel of every job i applied, what hospital, shift, reference number etc. Nothing worse than an HR person calling and you applied to so many jobs you do not know which one they are calling you about.
After I was done with the hospitals I moved on to nursing homes. Again made a list of the ones within drivable distance, I verified their medicare ratings which eliminated some of them, also looked at their online reviews, (research this places first, nobody wants to work in a dump) and their websites. Some had emails on their websites to submit resumes, some simply had fax numbers. I got an online fax number which is free for the first 30 days and then 7.99 a month, you upload your cover letter, resume and you can fax it with no problem. I faxed every single nursing home I was interested in (some dont advertise their openings)

Week 3 though 5 of this process have been interview after interview. I gave people a chance to interview me, remember it is a two way street, learn about who is trying to hire you as well. Overall I got an offer from a hospital -- which ended up too far from home and the pay was not as good as other places. However I did learn that Barnabas wants to become a magnet and eventually hire all BSNs sometimes it is just hard. Got a unit manager offer in Jersey city at 32/hr with benefits, 34 w/o benefits. Another unit manager I did not get but was refered to their assisted living facility for an ADON position. I got an offer for a case manager position for a nursing home at 32/hr, I got offered a staff nurse position at 29/hr at a nursing home.

Eventually I choose a unit manager position with a big nursing home company that gave me a great impression from the get go, my future bossess were super nice and relaxed, but on top of things. Company was well rated online overall, HR very professional and knowledgable. I get to work 7-3pm Monday though Friday, full benefits, dont work holidays, only have to work a saturday or sunday every 8 weeks (and get a day off during the week). It is a salaried position, they did take into consideration my LPN experience and I got 34/hr (but I am really salaried). I am really excited to start using my RN degree :) The effort definitely paid off.

Ddid you feel comfortable in a managerial role fresh out of school. Most would not recommend it.

ladybug28 · Jan 16, 2014

Medical Boy in reply to your question: let me give you a little bit more about my background. I was an LPN before going to RN school. Before being an LPN I was a medical assistant at a very busy medical practice and was blessed to work with a doctor that taught me all sorts of skills, I ended up being a manager there. After LPN school i started at a nursing home where we had no treatment nurse, so I had to do meds and wounds from the get go. I was lucky to have co-workers that loved teaching and taught me more than any school ever taught me. I worked the skilled unit there. I got promoted while being in RN school to a unit manager position. It was a small facility 77 beds. I also decided to pick up 2 days as an MDS assistant so I would learn it. I could have gone to another facility and get payed more, but I stayed where i was because I was learning a lot, and that in my opinion was more valuable than a dollar sign. It payed off, because of that experience i was able to get my current job. When I interviewed the fact that I was an LPN weighted heavily, they loved seeing the hands on experience that LPNs have. We are not your traditional RN graduate, that gets the degree but is fresh with no experience. I see my patients everyday, I am not a manager that sits at an office and does paperwork, I do all the wound rounds, hang IVS, and practice my skills every chance i get. i think what is "recommended" or not is a personal choice, it should not be based on what people say. It really depends on what you see in your future and what path you want to take. I personally think that in my case a managerial position with more responsibilities was appropriate since it would reflected advancement throughout the years in my resume. I also like challenges and learning. Some people are happy with passing meds all their life (nothing wrong with it), others want to try to switch it up. It is a personal choice at the end of the day. :)