New Rn job search

[butterflyflower]

I'm a new RN and have done several online applications to try to get a job and for all but one I got no response and for the one I got a response from they would like to pursue other applicants. I don't have any prior job experience and dont have anything special to put on my resume to make me stand out. I don't even know if my resume and cover letter are good or not. I've never had to make one before and I can't afford to pay someone to make one for me. My GPA was 3.3. I wasn't in any special programs in high school or nursing school. I did my clinical rotations at the hospitals I'm applying at. On the application where it asks for years of experience, do clinical rotations count or do we put 0 years. Should I apply to all the RN positions for the local hospitals or does that look too desperate? I am kinda desperate at this point. There are a lot of RN positions open, but I'm not getting any response. Should I do a different cover letter for each position I apply for at the same hospital? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[shell1206]

My advice would be to go to the library and get some books on how to create a good resume and cover letter. I had a basic format for my cover letter and would just change the first paragraph to fit the job I was applying for.

I would also recommend researching the hospital you are applying at (either on-line or through nursing administration)- what is their mission statement regarding patient care? Is it a teaching hospital? Do they have a high nurse turnover rate and if so why? How long is their orientation program for new graduate nurses?

I would also recommend showing up in person to the hospitals you are applying at in addition to applying online. Go to meet the people in personnel and put a face to the application. Ask how to get in touch with the nurse manager on the floor you are applying for. If personnel isn't helpful go to the floor and ask one of the nurse's who to turn your resume in to. Show them that you are willing to be a go-getter and take the extra step in appying 'in person'. This also allows you to make a good impression and ask questions if they have the time. I applied to countless jobs on line after graduation w/out one single response- it wasn't until I went in person to the hospitals I was applying at that I got a job. Good Luck!

[birdie22]

I'm an "old" new grad myself, and just landed my first interview, 9 months later. i have no idea what made my resume "stand out" this time as opposed to the hundreds of other times i never heard anything.

some suggestions that people have told me, which worked: look at the specific job description in which you are applying for and use those key words in your resume. example: if they say "medication administration" then you should list "medication administration". a lot of places use electronic systems to help narrow down the pool of applicants this way. the more hits you get on your resume, the greater the chance that a real person will look at your resume. just use key phrases here and there, dont go crazy listing everything they list though.

clinical rotations dont usually count as experience, but what I do is list my rotations in my resume. also it does not look bad if you apply for tons of positions within the same hospital. one person told me they applied for 45 positions at one place before getting an interview.

also, in my case, i think a cover letter actually hurt my chances rather than helped. unless yours is really good, i'd think about skipping that all together...unless of course they specifically ask for one.

good luck.