I recently applied to a position I really want ....the unit I have wanted to work on for a year. I applied 4 months ago, got a phone interview, but didn't make it past that. I was told by someone who works at this hospital that it's hard to get a job in this hospital and the way to get your foot in the door is by directly emailing the NM. I applied thru HR like normal and also emailed the NM this time. I'm confident that my message, cover letter, and resume are all great, and I took time to put in effort to all of them and to really think about what I wax saying and what I wanted to highlight etc.
Well ...my app wasn't selected and no reply from the NM! Not even a thank you but sorry! I'm just very discouraged because I moved to this state to be with my significant other but it's very rural and this is the ONLY NICU (unit I want) in the whole state ...it's been my goal to work there or idk what I'll do ... I have been on a med/surg Tele floor for 10 months at a hospital in the same network I applied to. Transfer policy is 6 months so I'm good there. Should I call the NM or leave it alone? Or just keep applying when positions open ....it didn't specify that you need any certain amount of experience in the description either!
I don't think it looks "desperate and pushy" . IN a competitive market - you pretty much HAVE to go the extra mile, keep applying for the more coveted positions - managers are used to that.
The only time an applicant is seen as a nag - that I can think of - is if they have reviewed the resume', and called the applicants manager - gotten some negative info about that nurse - and until the NM does the professional thing and replies to the applicant and explains about their decision not to hire - they are going to be "nagged" by the applicant.
NM - if there is some reason why they do not want to hire an applicant - and the applicant is continually applying - should be making a call to the applicant to explain "We received your resume, however, in looking into your employment history there were some negative considerations, and so we have decided that you are not a good fit for our unit." or something to that effect letting the applicant know - they do not want to hire that individual so they stop applying.
Contrary to popular belief - or what is supposed to happen - not all mgrs. will go back 6 months and look at really old resumes/applications because too many will have outdated info, outdated contacts, already have jobs and won't hire someone that would leave a new job in only 6 months - .....they will look at more recently received apps-they don't have a lot of time to waste - so yes, it is beneficial to keep on your target so your are in the right place at the right time.
I don't think it looks "desperate and pushy" . IN a competitive market - you pretty much HAVE to go the extra mile, keep applying for the more coveted positions - managers are used to that.
The only time an applicant is seen as a nag - that I can think of - is if they have reviewed the resume', and called the applicants manager - gotten some negative info about that nurse - and until the NM does the professional thing and replies to the applicant and explains about their decision not to hire - they are going to be "nagged" by the applicant.
NM - if there is some reason why they do not want to hire an applicant - and the applicant is continually applying - should be making a call to the applicant to explain "We received your resume, however, in looking into your employment history there were some negative considerations, and so we have decided that you are not a good fit for our unit." or something to that effect letting the applicant know - they do not want to hire that individual so they stop applying.
Contrary to popular belief - or what is supposed to happen - not all mgrs. will go back 6 months and look at really old resumes/applications because too many will have outdated info, outdated contacts, already have jobs and won't hire someone that would leave a new job in only 6 months - .....they will look at more recently received apps-they don't have a lot of time to waste - so yes, it is beneficial to keep on your target so your are in the right place at the right time.
Oh wow. As a Nurse Manager and a Director I don't have the time to go through and call every single applicant and discuss why I didn't select them. The applications that I don't select are sent the form letter from the application management system.
Let's talk about the application management system...I have used Taleo and HiringManager. In both of those systems once the position is filled, I can no longer see the applications or resumes. They are gone. When a new position is posted, I assume only new applicants are sent to me. I don't believe that HR goes back through the older applications that were not selected the first time and re-sends them to me via the system. (I could be wrong here) So...apply every time.
I oversee Labor and Delivery, Postpartum and NICU. I typically want the path to NICU to be via Postpartum, Peds, PICU, and ICU. I will hire people who have postpartum experience because they have normal newborn experience. Peds and PICU are in the ballpark. ICU has critical care skills. It is very difficult to come to a NICU without having experience in one of those areas. I would attempt to transfer to one of those areas first.
Most organizations have email with a global email address book. If you know that NM email...send her a quick email outlining your interest to eventually work in the NICU and ask what her preferred path to NICU would be. Attempt to meet with her or call her. Don't be pushy...but I like the initiative it shows when someone takes that extra bit of effort. Just my opinion and experience.
I agree with others. Apply every time that type of a position comes up!
I don't think an attempt to reach out would be wholly inappropriate. I think there is a difference between emailing to connect/network or express interest and essentially spamming someone (not saying that you would do this but just a thought).
Maybe switch areas to see about getting a different set of skills and experience?
Oh wow. As a Nurse Manager and a Director I don't have the time to go through and call every single applicant and discuss why I didn't select them. The applications that I don't select are sent the form letter from the application management system.
Let's talk about the application management system...I have used Taleo and HiringManager. In both of those systems once the position is filled, I can no longer see the applications or resumes. They are gone. When a new position is posted, I assume only new applicants are sent to me. I don't believe that HR goes back through the older applications that were not selected the first time and re-sends them to me via the system. (I could be wrong here) So...apply every time.
I oversee Labor and Delivery, Postpartum and NICU. I typically want the path to NICU to be via Postpartum, Peds, PICU, and ICU. I will hire people who have postpartum experience because they have normal newborn experience. Peds and PICU are in the ballpark. ICU has critical care skills. It is very difficult to come to a NICU without having experience in one of those areas. I would attempt to transfer to one of those areas first.
Most organizations have email with a global email address book. If you know that NM email...send her a quick email outlining your interest to eventually work in the NICU and ask what her preferred path to NICU would be. Attempt to meet with her or call her. Don't be pushy...but I like the initiative it shows when someone takes that extra bit of effort. Just my opinion and experience.
Oh wow..
I find it interesting that nurses are expected to be ultra-professional,
when making applications, to even get past the HR pen-pushers.
As an NM, I think it is incumbent to match that level of professionalism,
& reply, both as a matter of nurse-to-nurse collegiality, & managerial propriety.
IMO, that 'I'm too busy' dismissal, is not excused by 'that's the way it is', either..
I did not read any other responses yet, but my reply is:
I hope you did not move to that state before applying for the job assuming you'd get it!
Were there jobs open on the unit?
Sometimes it takes longer than 10 months to get where we want to go!
Good luck!
P.S. Just read a few replies. I agree- not all managers will let you know you didn't get the job. Actually, I have experienced that most do not contact an applicant to tell them that in recent years.
Since you don't even like the commute, try at another hospital. One that is easier to get into, but preferably with an educational program. Once you get your foot in the door, you will become emplyable in other NICU's
In this case, I was speaking of if a candidate had sent you multiple applications and you kept seeing the name cross your desk.
Also, and maybe I'm wrong, but I thought you HAD to keep a resume on file for at least 6 months....?
Oh wow. As a Nurse Manager and a Director I don't have the time to go through and call every single applicant and discuss why I didn't select them. The applications that I don't select are sent the form letter from the application management system.
Let's talk about the application management system...I have used Taleo and HiringManager. In both of those systems once the position is filled, I can no longer see the applications or resumes. They are gone. When a new position is posted, I assume only new applicants are sent to me. I don't believe that HR goes back through the older applications that were not selected the first time and re-sends them to me via the system. (I could be wrong here) So...apply every time.
I oversee Labor and Delivery, Postpartum and NICU. I typically want the path to NICU to be via Postpartum, Peds, PICU, and ICU. I will hire people who have postpartum experience because they have normal newborn experience. Peds and PICU are in the ballpark. ICU has critical care skills. It is very difficult to come to a NICU without having experience in one of those areas. I would attempt to transfer to one of those areas first.
Most organizations have email with a global email address book. If you know that NM email...send her a quick email outlining your interest to eventually work in the NICU and ask what her preferred path to NICU would be. Attempt to meet with her or call her. Don't be pushy...but I like the initiative it shows when someone takes that extra bit of effort. Just my opinion and experience.
Yeah , in my mind - as she said - she keeps putting in her application, and she works for the organization already - so, I'm thinking that they KNOW her name, and KNOW she wants a job there by now - but have filled it-
The only reason, and I said this in my original - which was Oh wow'd as well, was if a NM kept getting the same application, and KNEW /RECOGNIZED the person, and had decided not to hire them, then got their application again when another position opened, and still decided not to hire them - which is what it sounded like was going on - in that case, especially since she works for the org already, I would give her a courtesy call and let her know what she needs to do, or change, or that the position is filled and they feel she's not right for it.
that's a far cry different than having to respond to EVERY application. That's like when teachers tell parents "if I had to do that for EVERY student, I wouldn't have time left to teach" - I hate that. It's never EVERY student. It's one or two - and other teachers have done it - own up. lol
Oh wow..
I find it interesting that nurses are expected to be ultra-professional,
when making applications, to even get past the HR pen-pushers.
As an NM, I think it is incumbent to match that level of professionalism,
& reply, both as a matter of nurse-to-nurse collegiality, & managerial propriety.
IMO, that 'I'm too busy' dismissal, is not excused by 'that's the way it is', either..
In this case, I was speaking of if a candidate had sent you multiple applications and you kept seeing the name cross your desk.
Also, and maybe I'm wrong, but I thought you HAD to keep a resume on file for at least 6 months....?
I would assume that the application management system does "keep a resume on file" but that doesn't mean that the NM is able to view it once their job requisition has been filled.
Unless someone's name is unusual...I may not notice that the same name keeps popping up. There are a lot of variables, time between openings, number of applicants etc.
srercg
54 Posts
I don't think it looks "desperate and pushy" . IN a competitive market - you pretty much HAVE to go the extra mile, keep applying for the more coveted positions - managers are used to that.
The only time an applicant is seen as a nag - that I can think of - is if they have reviewed the resume', and called the applicants manager - gotten some negative info about that nurse - and until the NM does the professional thing and replies to the applicant and explains about their decision not to hire - they are going to be "nagged" by the applicant.
NM - if there is some reason why they do not want to hire an applicant - and the applicant is continually applying - should be making a call to the applicant to explain "We received your resume, however, in looking into your employment history there were some negative considerations, and so we have decided that you are not a good fit for our unit." or something to that effect letting the applicant know - they do not want to hire that individual so they stop applying.
Contrary to popular belief - or what is supposed to happen - not all mgrs. will go back 6 months and look at really old resumes/applications because too many will have outdated info, outdated contacts, already have jobs and won't hire someone that would leave a new job in only 6 months - .....they will look at more recently received apps-they don't have a lot of time to waste - so yes, it is beneficial to keep on your target so your are in the right place at the right time.