Should new grads only apply for new grad jobs?

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Jun 22, 2011

I am still a student but I've been browsing Indeed.com for current RN openings in my area just out of curiosity. Almost every posting states "no new grads" or "no new grad program available". So my question is: Those of you who have found jobs/ gotten hired after school did you apply to all jobs or only new grad jobs? Is it a waste of time to apply for jobs with experience required or specifically discourage new grads from applying?

I applied to the jobs that said experience preferred. Not if it said it was required. One health system will tell you that you can only apply to the jobs that say New Grads May Apply. The other health system doesn't get specific like that. It's just a matter of the job description. The job I got 27 other people interviewed for it and none of them were recent new grads (from my semester) and I got the job. Description said BSN preferred and experience preferred. I didn't fit either,

MN-Nurse, ASN, RN · Jun 23, 2011

Those of you who have found jobs/ gotten hired after school did you apply to all jobs or only new grad jobs? Is it a waste of time to apply for jobs with experience required or specifically discourage new grads from applying?

I applied to ones that had a year or less experience, but the new grad position was the only one that called me back. Hours and hours filling out those *&*%$#@$* online profiles and they don't even have the decency to send you a rejection letter!

bumblebee2010 · Jun 24, 2011

yea the process is weird...

half the time..the nursing recruiters who arent even nurses...are in charge of the entire thing...so half the time when ur applying...the managers wont even get to see it lol

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Jun 27, 2011

I applied for all jobs: new grad, experience preferred, and experience required. The job I was hired for stated that at least a year of experience was required. Clearly it wasn't. I was hired before I even graduated and got my license, so start early and apply to everything.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Jun 27, 2011

I would caution on applying for jobs early. Find out from the hospital their policy. In my area if you apply before you lic it will end up working against you for one of our major health systems. They clearly state not to apply until you have a lic. If you do anyway you will get the canned denial email and you will be ineligible from re-applying for that job once you do get your lic. They will have a pop up making sure you understand the requirements of the job and one of the questions is if you have your RN license.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jun 28, 2011

I have applied to new grad jobs and to jobs that say "experience preferred." I have not yet applied to jobs that state "experience required." I've been applying for 10 days, and I have a phone screening interview with an HR rep tomorrow morning.

When applying please research any type of screening process during the application. I took that Gallup NurseInsight questionnaire for one application before researching it, and I didn't get a call back. I told one of my classmates about it and encouraged her to research it before applying and taking the questionnaire. She took it yesterday and got an interview for tomorrow. I'm not saying that research will guarantee you pass it--and I'm not sure how much of the research influenced her answers--but it's better than not knowing anything about it at all.

Regardless of where you apply, if the facility has a prescreening tool to take online with your application, and you don't make it through that, you're done.

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Jun 29, 2011

I have applied to new grad jobs and to jobs that say "experience preferred." I have not yet applied to jobs that state "experience required." I've been applying for 10 days, and I have a phone screening interview with an HR rep tomorrow morning.
When applying please research any type of screening process during the application. I took that Gallup NurseInsight questionnaire for one application before researching it, and I didn't get a call back. I told one of my classmates about it and encouraged her to research it before applying and taking the questionnaire. She took it yesterday and got an interview for tomorrow. I'm not saying that research will guarantee you pass it--and I'm not sure how much of the research influenced her answers--but it's better than not knowing anything about it at all.
Regardless of where you apply, if the facility has a prescreening tool to take online with your application, and you don't make it through that, you're done.

Congrats on your phone screening interview. Let your enthusiasm shine though. Seriously, me and the HR lady really hit it off and she has been a dream all because she liked my pre-screening. I fully believe had I not got offered the job I did, she would have done everything she could to get me a job there if it came to that. Positive thoughts and prayers coming for you my friend!

IMOKAY, BSN · Jun 29, 2011

all excellent advice and insight! Keep it coming...

dudette10, MSN, RN · Jun 29, 2011

Congrats on your phone screening interview. Let your enthusiasm shine though. Seriously, me and the HR lady really hit it off and she has been a dream all because she liked my pre-screening. I fully believe had I not got offered the job I did, she would have done everything she could to get me a job there if it came to that. Positive thoughts and prayers coming for you my friend!

Thank you, sweetie! I did make it through the HR phone interview--great HR person, and we were very comfortable with each other with side conversations while going through the structured screening process--and I have an interview with the NM next week. For a variety of reasons--facility location, specialty, nurse-patient ratio, etc.--this would be a dream job for me.

leanne.roberts · Jun 29, 2011

This was an area I didn't feel well prepared for in school. We heard about nursing shortages... cover letters, resumes, interviewing... all of that was covered in our professional issues course. What was glossed over was how difficult it is to get anyone to even look at your resume. Like another poster mentioned above, here there is a system. HR gets your application 1st they then pick what they consider 'qualified' and send to the department hiring manager who also goes through a stack and chooses who they feel are 'qualified' and the select few make it to the supervisors desk. This was a nightmare for me. I understand the reasoning behind having 1yr of med/surg experience and agree that it's an excellent foundation to build skill but I never plan to work in any other field, why not train me, building those foundations in the area I will work? It's frustrating but I do know several from my graduating class who were persistent and patient and got what they wanted.

Best wishes to you :)

~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN · Jul 1, 2011

Thank you, sweetie! I did make it through the HR phone interview--great HR person, and we were very comfortable with each other with side conversations while going through the structured screening process--and I have an interview with the NM next week. For a variety of reasons--facility location, specialty, nurse-patient ratio, etc.--this would be a dream job for me.

Keep me updated. I am so excited for you. I talked to my manager about my best friend, she had her file pulled and she got a phone interview today, she will get the in person one now because it went well. I think I get just as excited for my friends as I did for myself. Prayers being said!