my problem with allnurses...why so pessimistic?

caliotter3 · Jul 9, 2011

I haven't been able to find a job for almost 3 years since I moved back to my hometown. I am not a New Grad! Woo hooo! Lets party! :hpygrp::hpygrp:

When I went back to my hometown, I experienced the same thing. No job while I was there. I left. :lol2:

hiddencatRN, BSN, RN · Jul 9, 2011

I'm on the luckier side of my classmates in that I had a whopping 3 job interviews (resulting in 1 offer) out of 150+ applications (150 is where I stopped keeping track because I realized it was actually depressing rather than inspiring) and it only took me 4 months post graduation to get a job.

If you don't like negative posts, skip them over. But it's not really a good analysis to dismiss them as merely the unlucky minority who fail at life when EVEN the mass media is starting to cover the difficulties that new grad nurses face. The notion of a nursing degree as a guarantee of a job is a dearly held on in mass media, so the shift in that is, imo, a good indication that it's not just merely an issue of people taking the effort to complain rather than to share positive stories.

dance4life · Jul 9, 2011

When I went back to my hometown, I experienced the same thing. No job while I was there. I left.

Yes, I am leaving for an onsite interview very soon. I can't believe I stayed for so long, but I was trying to be positive you know what I am saying. lmao! :lol2:

allnurses Guide · Jul 10, 2011

I wasn't trying to make anyone mad. I just wanted to give people an optimistic perspective. I hope that a little optimism didn't make anyone mad.

Are you really confused by the reaction generated by your post? I think a big part of the reason for that is you are assuming all these negative, struggling, unlucky pessimists posted primarily to spread the message of gloom and doom to other people when for the most part -- people relate what they have gone through personally.

I suppose if you read enough of those the overall effect must seem to be a group dynamic when it isn't. It's a whole lot of similar individual accounts - so your experience seems to be invalidating their experience or somehow blaming them. Maybe your including the tag "eat their young"when I don't see anything in your post that relates to that caused some irritation too, it is a well-known hot button, not usually included in an attempt to cheer people up.

why is all nurses so negative and inaccurate? I checked this website before I ever went to nursing school and read all kinds of post about how 85% people are rejected from nursing school and it is impossible to get in unless "you know someone."

I think that sentence itself is negative and inaccurate. :)

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2011

Don't excpect the rn who graduated in a major city with unemployement in the double digits, hospitals closing down completely or shutting units, and nursing schools left and right, to find a job as fast as you did.........................

anotherone, BSN, RN · Jul 11, 2011

Frankly, I ENJOY reading the vents/negative posts. This kind of talk is strongly discouraged even amoung co-workers on the job. So knowing other nurses feel the same way is somewhat soothing or at least I know these are not just issues I deal with......Also sometimes out of those "negative" posts, comes useful advice about how to solve or deal with those issues.

caliotter3 · Jul 11, 2011

Yes, I am leaving for an onsite interview very soon. I can't believe I stayed for so long, but I was trying to be positive you know what I am saying. lmao!

I seemed to have forgotten back then why everyone leaves my hometown as soon as they graduate from high school. Most never look back. :lol2:

dance4life · Jul 11, 2011

I seemed to have forgotten back then why everyone leaves my hometown as soon as they graduate from high school. Most never look back.

Mine too! But, silly me became homesick. :rolleyes:

Old.Timer · Jul 11, 2011

NYGiantsGal- Literally Lol'd @ "hoochified." Many people do not seem to know how to present themselves for an interview. I was in a hospital recently for a different purpose, and a young lady stopped me and asked me if I knew where HR was. This young woman would tell you she wore a suit to her interview. And she did. A suit with a jacket two sizes too small, boobs in push up bra spilling out over the top, this wild hot mess of badly dyed blonde hair piled up in some weird Media star updo, a skirt that came to mid thigh, and 5 inch patent leather stiletto peep toe "FM" pumps. Unless I am totally mistaken and she was going to HR to give the HR manager a birthday stripper gram, which is entirely possible. I was so taken aback by the hair, the boobs and the outfit, that I failed to notice the nails, but i'd bet the ranch they were a few inches long and either bright red or hot pink, or had rhinestones or glitter on them or something. :) Now, she may not have been a nurse at all (jesus god I hope not), and since I didn't know where HR was, she may never have even made it. But if she did, and failed to get the job, I'm sure she is stunned and wondering why. I am sure she thought she looked great. Anyway...
I concur that they do not know who they are. Further, often these same individuals do not take suggestions well IME, which would make them bad employees anyway. Waddaya gonna do?

LOL LOL :) !!

dance4life · Jul 11, 2011

How did I miss this negative post? Well I'll be!:igtsyt:

I am currently hiring at my own facility (here is a rare view from a hiring nurse manager: MESSAGE!). I cant tell you the amount of resumes that I receive that look like 5th graders wrote them. Spelling and grammatical errors are unacceptable especially with spell check nowadays. People send in 4, 6, 10 page resumes. No cover letters. I had someone come interview that stated though she had been out of the field for a while she was waiting for someone to give her direction as to whether she should take a refresher course... Really? Keep waiting. Keep complaining about it. Here is something else: dress appropriately. If you actually have a good resume and send it in, back it up when you arrive for the interview. Look groomed, wear appropriate attire, wear a business suit or at least a jacket. No open toed shoes, do not go to your interview hoochified and do your hair for crying out loud (I dont care if its raining - stop by the bathroom first and fix it before you come in to see me)! I have had 2 positions open for the past couple of months and have not hired yet. I bet some are on this forum right now 'I have been to interview after interview and cant find a job...' and cant figure out they knocked themselves out of contention.

Actually, I learned how to write a resume and cover letter in high school, because I you can work with a permit at the age of 15 (I had a paper route so I have been working way before then) so I am pretty darn good at it. Not to mention, since I was an Administrative Assistant before I was a RN I have plenty of business attire. My mentor who has been a nurse longer than I have been alive, says my resume looks better than hers. She even tried to pass it around to find me work. The Unemployment Office says there isn't anything wrong with it either. Impeccable! :up:

The market is EXTREMELY competitive now. True. Make yourse.lf standout. New grads: volunteer somewhere, take phlebotomy certification (shows you have hands on with needles which is necessary), get your ACLS/BLS and have that on your resume, apply to something other than a hospital, go into the human resourses department yourself with an impeccable resume - just show up it shows spunk/motivation. If you cannot write up a resume, look it up online or hire someone. Seasoned nurses: take refresher courses, volunteer, know how to answer questions appropriately - look up interview questions and know what to say and how to respond. Maybe you have to travel further. Live in NY? Get a Jersey license and see what they have to offer. Both: dress appropriately if called in. If you're bilingual, put that on your resume.. Take a Rosetta Stone course in Spanish, put it on your resume. Arrive early, not on the nick of time or late. Dont think you're getting hired just because you're a nurse... So what? What else do you have to offer?

Really? How do you do this without money? A refresher do you know how much they cost? If you go to Indeed.com there is a forum with many nurses who have spent the thousands of dollars it costs to take one and still no job. Volunteer? :lol2: Yeah no one really cares that I volunteer in my community and the references that I have. They only care about business references that pertain to nursing work.

But, more advice from the five million job applicant/interviewer here if anyone would like some free courses the Unemployment Office in your area does have some free programs. Mostly, office related, but they might help you if you are unfamiliar with computer programs and such. They can also help you with anything. Just call them. Sometimes they even know about the jobs that no one else knows about. Or, even job fairs!

As for attire which you keep mentioning, that doesn't work all across the country. Before I started working in NM and went for an interview they thought I was coo coo for wearing a long sleeved jacket/business suit. Trust me, they are not as uptight as the North East is about business attire. :cool: Even in AZ same thing. My best friend is a Hiring Manager in LA, she even wears shorts to work. Just saying open toe shoes might not be such a big deal in the warmer parts of the US.

I am not saying people are not struggling, but how many people are only looking for hospital employment? How many only want to work in a specialty? Look for somewhere other than the hospital, look for something other than what you believe your specialty might be. Be proactive, make sure your resume is impeccable, go into the human resources department yourself, look the part. Try to start thinking positively and lets not attack the ones that do think so. Believe me, that negative, defeatist attitude shows. It'll show you right out of a job offer.

Just to make things clear, no actually at first when I moved back yes of course I applied to all the ICU positions. That was my specialty, I worked my butt off to get there. Excuse me for not wanting to start all over in LTC again like I did when I was a New Grad. Then I tried Tele and Med/Surg. Finally, I tried everywhere.

You give great advice, but it isn't cutting it for me and many others who I know that are struggling not only with nursing but with any career. Plus, it might not be the case with the Unemployment Rate in the country. It is rising if you didn't know.

You know what? Why don't HIRING MANAGERS UP THERE SKILLS? I have seen many dress inappropriately, act unprofessional, not introduce themselves, no tour, never smile because they are sick of interviewing everyone, etc. that made me not even want to write a Thank You letter after an interview. Which you forget to mention is a great thing to do after an interview, especially if you want the job. :yawn:

If you want to see what we look like before the interview everyone should start posting head shots/body shots on their cover letter/resume. It would save on gas money. :twocents:

NayD_RN · Jul 12, 2011

People that are unhappy are generally louder and more vocal that those that are happy. So it's easy to see why the number of negative posts outnumber those that are positive.

Agreed!!

dance4life · Jul 19, 2011

When I am homeless I won't have computer access so it will be quiet around here so don't worry happy nurses!

@Otter the facility cancelled my itinerary said they weren't hiring anymore. Not sure what to do. My agency really doesn't have hours where I live. Food sounds great right now.