Not getting hired because no BSN?

Sour Lemon · Aug 7, 2017

Hey everyone,
I work on a stepdown floor right now and have been there for 1 year. I am looking for a new job because I am very unhappy with my current one (very unorganized!). I was waiting to approach my year mark and now that I have hit it, I have applied to about 15 jobs within the past week. The thing is, I am not getting ANY call backs! I thought for sure it would be easier to find a new job now that I have a year of critical care on my resume, but I just keep getting the "you do not meet the requirements" email . I am just wondering if this is because I do not have my BSN? I fully plan on getting my RN to BSN but want to establish a new job first.
Why else do you think I am not being considered? I have been mainly applying to hospitals and some home care positions. I feel my resume is well written and I always provide a cover letter. I felt very confident in the beginning of my job search that I would be able to be a little more picky about what jobs I am looking for now that I am not a new grad anymore but not I am getting more and more discouraged by the day.
Any advice on resumes or ways to get recruiters to give me a chance is appreciated!
Thanks everyone! :)

One week is not very long, so you might still get a call or two. Your degree may or may not be a factor ...depends on the market where you live. One year is not a tremendous amount of time to spend at a first job. My second position required 2-5 years of experience for consideration.

As far as "other reasons" go, that's impossible to guess without seeing the positions you're applying to and what you're sending to those employers. Your job history before you became a nurse might also be a factor.

Susie2310 · Aug 7, 2017

What did the potential employers state as their job requirements? Did they specify they require or prefer a BSN?

caliotter3 · Aug 7, 2017

If you enroll in one class, you can put on your resume that a BSN is in progress. It can be a pre-/co-requisite course being taken at a community college. This won't guarantee you an interview, but it is a step in the right direction.

butters9812 · Aug 7, 2017

Many of the hospital jobs I have been applying to have stated "BSN preferred".

llg, PhD, RN · Aug 7, 2017

Many of the hospital jobs I have been applying to have stated "BSN preferred".

Then there is a good chance that is the reason: you are applying to jobs for which you don't have the desired level of education. Get yourself enrolled in school, then reapply.

allnurses Guide · Aug 7, 2017

There are just too many potential mitigators to speculate, though if they say "BSN preferred" that will be a primary potential. Other potential reasons come down to where your education was, how much experience they want, how many other applicants they are getting, how well you represent when compared to the other applicants, how soon they are wanting to hire, whether they are actually wanting to hire, whether they like your resume format, whether your application is hitting on the key words in the job ad (so as not to get thrown out by the pre-screen software companies now use), whether you are using a cover letter, whether the individual getting your application has too many people working for them with your first name already, whether they are putting out other fires and have not gotten around to contacting you yet....etc...etc...etc. You get the idea.

However, do get your BSN. That is one factor you can control.

SN2014 · Aug 9, 2017

What type of job are you applying for?

chacha82, ADN, BSN · Aug 9, 2017

There is no shortage of new grad BSNs, especially at this time of year. So if they prefer the BSN and you don't have one, unfortunately that could be why. 1 year of experience is also not that competitive. There are lots of people with 5+ years of experience probably applying for the same job as you. I'm not saying don't try to leave if you are very unhappy where you are, but it may take more applications. And it has only been a week. Good luck!

Workitinurfava, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2017

You are in competition with those that have BSN degrees. I went through the same thing until I got my BSN. Experience does make a difference but I am noticing that a lot of places will take a person without experience as long as they have a BSN.

ItsThatJenGirl, CNA · Aug 9, 2017

Maybe this is too simple, but have you had anyone else look over your resume?

kbrn2002, ADN, RN · Aug 9, 2017

The hospital hiring process can take a long time. A week is not nearly long enough for you be panicking about not getting call backs. As for your lack of a BSN, that may or may not be an issue depending on your job market. In some places it's almost impossible to land an acute care position without a BSN, in other places it's not a barrier at all. A bigger issue might be your scant one year experience. Too much experience to be considered a new grad but not enough to really be considered experienced in your field.