New Nurse...No experience=No job...???

tokyoROSE, BSN, RN · Mar 24, 2012

I found a post on AN about how someone got creative and landed a job. I followed the advice and got three job offers in two weeks. Here is my post about it: https://allnurses.com/nursing-job-search/how-i-got-689384.html#post6285244

got2startsomewhere · Mar 24, 2012

Going to preface my post with the following: I am not a nurse, nor a nursing student. Though, I aspire to be one in the near future.

From what I've been told here locally from current RNs, LPNs, CNAs, Paramedics, etc., Don't be picky. Apply everywhere you can, hospital, LTC, agency, etc. Apply in person, dressed professionally, and ask for the hiring manager/DON. Have a simple, clean resume in hand and be confident. From what I understand, LTC facilities seem to be more willing to hire on new grads. Make follow up calls but don't be a pest, show interest, not desperation. You might also benefit from speaking with current nurses to put feelers out there as to where your job hunt energies are better spent. I've found that talking to others who are unhappy with their jobs usually gives you an idea of where they've applied (or if they are about to leave and may give you a good personal reference to their hiring manager, and maybe even dangle your resume under their nose).

GL!

MPKH, BSN, RN · Mar 24, 2012

As everybody have said, you have to apply everywhere. And I mean everywhere. Don't restrict yourself to hospitals--apply to anything and everything that will hire nurses.

Is relocating really out of what you can do now? Rural and suburban places often have more job openings for new grads. That's how I got my first job.

But either way, you have to push out more resumes and keep trying. Good luck!

tokyoROSE, BSN, RN · Mar 24, 2012

I'd like to add that I've heard the advice of apply for LTC/non-hospital positions many times, however I was turned down from jail, home health and LTC positions, yet I landed 3 hospital offers. Interesting to say the least.

sbfairy · May 31, 2012

Going to preface my post with the following: I am not a nurse, nor a nursing student. Though, I aspire to be one in the near future.
From what I've been told here locally from current RNs, LPNs, CNAs, Paramedics, etc., Don't be picky. Apply everywhere you can, hospital, LTC, agency, etc. Apply in person, dressed professionally, and ask for the hiring manager/DON. Have a simple, clean resume in hand and be confident. From what I understand, LTC facilities seem to be more willing to hire on new grads. Make follow up calls but don't be a pest, show interest, not desperation. You might also benefit from speaking with current nurses to put feelers out there as to where your job hunt energies are better spent. I've found that talking to others who are unhappy with their jobs usually gives you an idea of where they've applied (or if they are about to leave and may give you a good personal reference to their hiring manager, and maybe even dangle your resume under their nose).
GL!

I don't know about LTC facilities but I do know that for many hospitals the hiring of nurses is done mostly through HR so showing up to talk to the clinical manager or charge nurse of a department will only get you an annoyed stare. Now of course nursing management staff interviews and decides who to hire but all paperwork is handled through HR. At my hospital, all my clinical manager would do is just tell you if the position is open and then direct you to HR who would then tell you to apply on line, I've seen it happen. Now days everyone wants to hide behind the internet.

nadomel · Jul 9, 2016

I just need to add my two cents to this. Yes you can send out a lot of resumes. I am a new nursing grad and I am currently seeking a job. I sent out several resumes. I volunteered at a hospitals trying to get my foot in the door. I even applied to the hospitals that I did my clinical rotations. I went on interviews at LTC facilities. My feedback that I received from LTC " I am sorry your best bet is to try hospitals because we don't train you . As someone put it how are you suppose to get trained if no one will hire you. For every Job out there someone had to train another person. I am so glad for all the advice on this forum. It's easy to feel frustrated but perseverance is the key

AvaRose · Jul 11, 2016

It sounds so easy when people give advice yet when I apply to NEW GRAD positions the hospital inevitably decides just before the job fair that no they won't be hiring new grads or no they won't offer a preceptorship even though that is what the job ad said, instead they want you to already have been precepted...meaning I've wasted my time and energy on yet another dead end degree I'll never get to use. I hope my student loan guarantee agencies realize soon that they will never see their money...

nadomel · Jul 11, 2016

I fully agree with you. I applied for a new grad position at a hospital. Two days before I would start orientation they rescind the offer without a good explanation. I was devastated to say the least because the day before they call all my student loans were due. No fault of my because I had been on top of that. Navient told me that my loans won't be due till the following year in Jan. So imagine how I felt when that happen. The hospital called I did my interview and the second day I got the job and I was told I wound't start until one month after . I had to do a physical , signed all the paper work , took my ID etc . Now I am new to this and I stop applying to other jobs because I felt that i got it . Now I am job hunting again after all the new grad positions are gone and no one is hiring new grads.

yli08 · Mar 6, 2018

Did any of you end up finding anything? I haven't see anyone mention what the job market is like now