Preparing for my future as a soon to be new grad RN...

[b_matran]

Hello everyone!

I am on my last semester of nursing and will graduate as a BSN. Currently I live in the state of CA and I am well aware of the fact that it is very difficult to find employment without strong networks. That aspect of my future has been the one thing that hasn't been easy for me to accomplish. I have established good rapport with my instructors but I have only been offered a job once during my Psych rotation. However, it is my wish to stay in California and work as an RN throughout my life.

So far, I have spent an entire summer working as a nurse intern at a special needs camp for both adults and children. I have been accepted into STT and my GPA is somewhat competitive (3.5 nursing, 3.7 overall). I volunteer at a hospital once a week.

By talking with others and perusing through the many threads here, I have found that it is a good idea to extern or apply for a CNA position in order to be considered an internal. Since there is only 6 months left before graduation, is it still feasible to apply for a CNA position while I complete my last semester as a student? The reason I ask is because I'm not sure if it is worth it to spend time as a CNA once I have graduated as I am not sure how relevant that position would be to me getting hired. My second question is, should I extern once I have taken my NCLEX, or should I attempt to look for a job right away? Finally, given what I have accomplished thus far, what would my chances be of getting a job in California?

Thank you for all your input!