No experience.....no job, no job.....no experience!!!

[StarLite1980]

I am so tired of the same story over and over again! I am currently waiting to hear if I got accepted to nursing school for Spring 2012. However, a year ago, I got my CNA certification, EKG, PCT, and Phlebotomy certification, hoping that I would be able to get a job in a hospital to get some experience. I have submitted soooo many applications I've lost count. I was actively searching for jobs for about 6 months and stopped because school got demanding and I wanted to focus on doing well. Now that I have finished all my prerequisites, I have been actively trying to find a job since June. I have had a couple of phone interviews, but the same issue always comes up. I have no direct patient care experience. But wait....there's more. How am I going to get experience when no one will give me a chance. Even the LTC facilities in my area want someone with at least 6-12 months experience. I volunteer at 2 hospitals in my area, and hoped that would have helped, but it's not. One Nurse Manager even told me that she would love to hire me, and wishes she could create a admin position (I have a strong admin/paralegal background) so I could get my foot in the door, but because they are a smaller hospital, she can't take that risk. She told me to apply at bigger hospitals and see if I can gain experience there. So.....I've been applying to the bigger hospitals in the Atlanta area, and although they always have at least 10-15 postings for PCT/CNA's all the time, I can't seem to get a break. I don't know what else to do. How do I get experience when no one will hire me??????? Is there anyone in the ATL area that has had any success getting hired without having any experience and NOT being a current nursing student? I just feel that my experience along with others that I have met goes to show that the lovely saying, "It's not what you know, it's who you know" is so true.

[RNDesiroo]

I'm an RN with an associate's. MUCH harder to find a hospital job with an associates compared to BSN. A friend I went to school with got hired at a great hospital as a student and worked as a tech. When she passed boards, they offered her an RN position. Since I didn't already work there, I had tons of rejected applications from them. Had tech experience, my references were awesome, GPA super, and I've never interviewed for a job I didn't get offered. But because I didn't have a BSN, HR never delved into my resume enough to even know any of these awesome points I had going on. And HR is doubtfully impressed by that I know a nurse who works there. It would be different is I knew a higher up! Super frustrating!!!

So my friend talked to her Nurse manager of her floor. Told her all about me, and the trouble I'd been having. So manager tells my friend to have me email her. I send my resume, she likes it. So then she tells HR to set my application aside when it comes in, and emails multiple other nurse managers. All of a sudden it's like I know someone important! Got hired by a different floor who had open positions, and I've been there almost 8 months :) And I never even met my friend's manager!

So my point is, if you know anyone who has a job somewhere you'd like to work, and know that person would be proud to have you represent them, have them talk to their boss! Find a way to make yourself seem like you know someone important, even if you just know someone who knows someone who knows someone!!!

[ctmed]

Unless your state is like Oregon that makes a differetiation between CNA and PCT, you may want to try CNA work at a nursing home. It may not be the coolest, but gets something to put on a resume. A psych ward can also be considered. Those places do not always advertise and some folks may view them as "scary" because of the few rare psych horror stories of some tech getting beat down or raped but those stories are rare. Psych ward is a great job and you have less competion.

That said, I was in a state that does not differentiate and when i worked agency. Have you ever tried an LTAC? Those places are lessr known, too. But.. they exclusively use PCTs and will take even CNAs. The accronym is Long Term Acute Care. For those with decent insurance, it is usually the last place before getting better or going to a nursing home.

[chcltrose]

I have been having a hard time finding a job here too. I live in New Jersey. I am a PCT and I have been on several interviews. One really wanted to hire me but she had already hired the last person that department needed, the rest didn't hire me because I lack experience. I don't have a CNA certificate. I am not interested in going to more school. I was lead to believe that if I went through with this program that I would have a job at the completion. Now I didn't pay for my schooling, I was lucky enough to have received a grant. But All I want is a job using what I was trained for. I feel like this has just been a big waste of time and money..