Persistent vs. aggravating with HR?

[MissM.RN, BSN, RN]

Hi AN,

Need some advice about dealing with hospital HR. I know this is an awful job market for any nurse, much less a new grad nurse. So I had a successful phone interview with a nurse recruiter, and she said I passed the initial screening for new grad RN positions. In an email from a week ago she says there are no new grad positions right now, but I am on the list to be considered when a position opens up.

My question is, how often (if at all) should I email this recruiter? I want to be persistent and show my interest, but I also don't want to pester her to death and have my resume end up in the recycling bin. Opinions? For those who got a new grad position, how hard did you have to knock at HR's door? Thanks for any/all advice!

[OnwardEver]

Hi BostonSN,

I think it's prudent to say in your cover letter that you will follow up in a certain amount of time, say 2 weeks. It is a very competitive job market and following up and showing interest may distinguish you from the rest of the pack. A handwritten thank you to the HR contact you spoke with over the phone might also be helpful. Anything you can do to stand out in a professional and positive way will be good. In other words, if you can follow up and show interest by navigating the interviewing process in this way--with handwritten thank you notes, etc.--you end up standing out and showing your interest without coming off overly aggressive/aggravating. Definitely network and use what connections you can to find out when positions open up and be the first to get your resume in. If you have family or friends at the hospital, use them as resources to help get you in. Scour the HR sites for positions and apply the first day particular positions become available. Give yourself all the advantages you can.