Not Sure I Can Take Much More Rejection

[newgradRN001]

I thought I did everything right in nursing school. I maintained a high GPA, worked as a nurse aide for a year, sat on the Board of Directors for a medical non-profit, volunteered like crazy, joined honors societies, professional nursing organizations, and completed a preceptorship. I passed boards and I am completing ACLS, PALS, and NRP.

Like most new grads, I have made finding my first RN job my full-time career. I thought the gods had finally smiled upon me when I was granted an interview for a new grad residency program at a large academic teaching hospital in my first-choice specialty. I was more than ecstatic and more than happy to fly the 5,000 miles and spend several hundred dollars of my own money to fly in for the interview.

I thought the interview went great. I really loved the team, I worked a 4 hour shift on the floor, and I thought everything went great. There was one question I really wish that I had answered better, but all in all, I thought I had done really well.

I tried really hard not to get my heart set on the place as I try with each interview. But I did. I envisioned living there, telling everyone that I got the job, the immense relief of not having to look anymore, and I thought about the excellent training that I knew I would get at this institution.

To get the rejection email this morning saying I didn't get the job was just heart-breaking. Now I'm going to have to tell my friends and family the sad and disappointing news. Its so hard not to take it personally. It's so hard not feel like I failed in some way. And when you don't get any feed back it leaves you constantly wondering what you could have done to have been chosen.

When I went back to school to be a nurse I never, in a million years, imagined the hardest part was going to be finding a job. It's so hard to remain positive in the face of so much competition and so much rejection. I just had to share my sadness and disappointment. I hate when you get your hopes up only to have them dashed...

[kristyly1023]

I totally feel you. Sometimes rejections are hard to take because you put your heart, time and effort in it and in the end you receive a message from the email saying that " sorry you are not selected for the position".

I graduated in June 2010 because I had family business to take care of so I didn't seriously apply until October. Finding Nursing Jobs online has been my full time job for 2 months. I sat on the computer from days to days. All I got was rejecting emails from the hospitals I've applied for. I got so depressed. But one email has lightening up my mood and brought me back to life. I got an email from a recruiter saying that she wanted to set up for a phone interview with me. That was my dream hospital and oncology unit was exactly where I wanted land on. I got so excited. I passed the phone interview and was scheduled for a face-to-face interview with the unit manager. During the phone interview, the recruiter asked me if I can work immediately, talked about pay and benifits. THat really boosted my confidence that I will get this job. I was well prepared for the first RN interview. My friend did a mock interview with me. I talked to a friend who was a new grad and recently got hired on a different unit for interview tips. She said the unit manager on the oncology floor is nice, don't worry about it that I will get the job. That was a total false reassurance I thought. I tried not to be nervous, as we all say "fake it until you make it". I thought the interview went well. I even sent the unit manager a thank you card as I got advice from others. I told my family and friends about the interview because I thought that I had the job. The rejection was devastated. I cried because I've tried so hard and had my hope up so high just to had it bashed. Until today I don't know what I did wrong or the things I could have done better in order to get selected.

I did not give up hope. I told myself that I will keep looking until I find a job. I decided to look for jobs in LTC, clinics. I went online and found a bunch of nursing home in my town. I came to the facilities and filled out job applications. During my search for LTC facilities, I found a small hospital in my town that I've never heard of. They have a brand new sub acute unit opening by the end of Jan. and is hiring nurses. I've been looking into big hospitals and forgot about the small ones. I decided to walk in there and apply in person. I filled out a paper application and was lucky enough to have the nurse manager available at that time and interviewed me right on the spot. I was offered a part-time job a week later. THe manager said that because she already hired all the full-time positions but once the patient census goes up, sHe will able to hire me full-time.

What I got out of my job hunting experience is that don't lose hope even when you are hit so hard in the chest and just wanted to lay still, not moving at all. However, try to stand up and tell yourself that I've been through tough time, I've accomplished a lot nursing school was so hard, NCLEX. I did all of that. Now there is one last step I have to take to reach to the top and I can do it.

Good luck with your Job Search. Believe me you will find a job. Keep up the positive attitude because it will help get you where you want to be.

Sorry my post is kinda lengthy :)

[newgradRN001]

Thank you guys so much for all of your support. That first interview and rejection was quite a difficult experience but...I have just received a job offer for my dream job, much closer to where my family is, and in my dream specialty, so I could not be happier!! Sometimes things really do happen for a reason. And that first medical center that rejected me did me a huge favor. I think this job is going to be a much better fit for me and my life. And to all the new grads out there do not give up hope. It is such a difficult and trying process but keep up the optimism and hard work and don't take anything personally! Thank you so much to everyone for all of your kind words and support!!! I can't believe after so many years of hard work I am finally going to be able to live my dream!