Seeking a first job with planned travel?

[SummitRN, BSN, RN]

i graduated nursing school and am going to take my boards in late july or early august.

i need a job. i am searching for one hard. i have even applied (without a license in hand).

i am supposed to travel to another country for two weeks in september with a few select rescuers to teach a foreign rescue team, making me a guest of the chinese government through cooperation with the us state dept. i am a subject matter expert and was selected to be the lead instructor in my area of rescue expertise. this has little to do with nursing, but is very important to me in my other professional pursuits.

i am worried about receiving a job interview, being selected, then saying, "i need these two weeks in september for training foreign rescuers," and receiving the, "sorry, you cannot have two weeks," response.

any advice?

[Dixielee, BSN, RN]

I am not a nurse manager, but since you won't have your license until August, and it is already July, and your trip is planned for September, I don't see a problem. Most orientation programs start on a set schedule depending on the size of the facility, so they may only begin orientation once a month or every other Monday, etc.

Since your trip involves leadership and special skills and is not just a family vacation, I would think you could use this in your favor. While I would not mention it in your cover letter, I would certainly highlight your skills and accomplishments in your resume. It sounds like you already have the makings of a great leader and a solid nurse.

I think as you get interviews and begin to tell your story, managers and recruiters will see the value in your trip and accommodate you. It takes a while to get the paperwork, reference checks, drug tests, etc done anyway, so your timeline may be quite reasonable.

Best of luck to you in your travels and in your nursing career.

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

Normally, I'd say be prepared to give up that vacation if it was going to interfere with a new grad job offer...but this isn't a drunken week in Tijuana that you're talking about--this is a pretty major achievement.

I agree with Dixie: this is something that you could use to your advantage in the resume and job interviews. Hopefully you will find an employer willing to accommodate your schedule...I can't promise that they definitely will as this is a tight job market and they know they are not lacking for new grads. But then again, you won't know until you ask :)

Best of luck!