STILL don't have a job?? Vent here!

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Hi all! I've been on this site for a while now, but haven't posted much. however, i feel like it'll just make me (and hopefully a few others) feel a bit better about this whole job situation if we vent it out together. i just need to complain, and i need people who understand how frustrated and hopeless i'm feeling.

i graduated from a somewhat prestigious university over a year ago, and passed my nclex without a bead of sweat. great grades, great clinical experience, killer references and resume....still can't get a job. i live in the northeast, where things are tight...but still. i work at the grocery store...THE GROCERY STORE! i paid $100,000 to get a degree so that people can supervise how i bag their eggs and talk to me like i'm stupid. i have nothing against my current job - they're great to me and it pays my bills kinda sorta for now - but it's so damn frustrating!

on top of all of this, i'm getting so sick of people constantly saying to me "but i thought we needed nurses!"...when is oprah gonna do a show about all of us who are graduating and finding a completely closed off job market? and now that a second year of nurses are finishing up, us 2008 grads are getting more and more lost.

it's not like i'm not trying - i apply to jobs nearly non stop. i call and ask for nurse managers and recruiters personally, who never answer their phones or my voicemails. i feel like a complete and total failure pretty much all of the time, and don't know what to do. i have at least 15 friends in the same boat, but none of them currently live nearby and i don't have anyone to talk to about these feelings. i cry a lot when i'm alone, but put on a big smile and just tell people i'm staying optimistic and i'm still looking etc. etc.

anyway - if you wanna chime in, please do. i know our families and friends are probably getting sick of listening to us talk about this stuff, so it feels better to talk to strangers who understand. :)

much love and keep the faith, my friends. we're gonna rise above this someday.

Has anybody on this post done any volunteering at a hospital? Since many "new grads" in here complain about that potential employers ask them for experience? I think that maybe it would be wise to volunteer before you trying to get a job. Tell me your thoughts, maybe I'm assuming something wrong, if so let me know. Thanks. :smokin:

Volunteering is what got me my job (graduated in Dec 08). I got my job in Jan, and during my interview, my now employer was really interested in my 2-year dedication as a hospice volunteer. I didn't work during school, maintained my GPA (graduated top of class), and just volunteered weekly. I know some of my classmates NEEDED to work, but to volunteer even an hour a month says a lot...no pay, just service...haha, what they're looking for in nursing to the tee!

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Specializes in LTC, PCU, Med/Surg, Hospice, OBGYN.
Amazing.....and VERY true....the Mayo is constantly hiring - they pay well and pay to move you.....if you're willing to move, there are A LOT worse things to have on your resume than the Mayo Clinic!! They really like it up there - of course Rochester, MN is just about ALL Mayo Clinic, but hey - who cares??

Just a thought and thanks for letting me rant about my past health care career that never was, and my future career that BETTER BE!! :angryfire

Good luck!!

I'd call or check out their website first to contact them. I heard that intern students who were pre-hired for their New Grad program at Mayo got a letter 2 months prior to graduation that they were not going to be able to hire them anymore 'cause of financial difficulties with the program. Remember they may be hiring RNs but not necessarily New Grad RNs. Just an FYI.

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Specializes in LTC, PCU, Med/Surg, Hospice, OBGYN.
Has anybody on this post done any volunteering at a hospital? Since many "new grads" in here complain about that potential employers ask them for experience? I think that maybe it would be wise to volunteer before you trying to get a job. Tell me your thoughts, maybe I'm assuming something wrong, if so let me know. Thanks. :smokin:

Thanks for the advice but if I was living at home with Mom and single I wouldn't have a problem with that. Unfortunately, I lived on student loans and on my husband's pay throughout most of school and he's been recently laid off more. So I needed a $$$paying$$$ job to support my 2 kids, pay rent, and pay the bills.

That's what I get for deciding to go back to school and being a nontraditional student and believing people when they told me "Don't worry, you'll get a job right away after your graduate." Pure BS and so wrong!:madface:

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Has anybody on this post done any volunteering at a hospital? Since many "new grads" in here complain about that potential employers ask them for experience? I think that maybe it would be wise to volunteer before you trying to get a job. Tell me your thoughts, maybe I'm assuming something wrong, if so let me know. Thanks. :smokin:

yes, I've been trying to volunteer. I haven't even heard back from the American Heart Association. And I guess the hospitals have all the volunteers they need. I haven't exhausted potential volunteer opportunities yet though. I'm sure some place would appreciate the help! I just have to be more creative I guess.

I have a part time job starting in September (flu shots), which is better than nothing. I'm staying pretty optimistic, hopefully I'm not being foolish . . . per the grapevine, these hospitals have open positions but no approval to fill them. They will have to hire eventually . . . . and all these job postings that insist on at least one year of experience . . . where are they finding these candidates - who is job hopping at a time like this? I don't know . . . I think the economy will improve and all will be well again . . . how gullible is that? :nurse:

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Specializes in Surgical, Community Health.

I am glad to see a thread where we can openly vent about this job search. I appreciate it a lot when people say encouraging things and suggest us to keep the faith, because we should, but sometimes the best medicine is just laying it all out there!

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I hear encouragement from most nurses. It's true a lot of nurses will be retiring within the next 5 years, and the baby boomers will need health care, so there really is a nursing shortage, even though some of us are not seeing it in our job markets right now. That doesn't help us get a job RIGHT NOW, but it does reinforce our decision to go into nursing :nurse: . . . Our national economy hasn't been this bad in over 20 years - we are not the only ones hurting right now. I've heard from a lot of nurses here in Philly who say it took them 4-8 months to get their first job . . . . that the hiring goes in cycles . . . . that of course the hospitals are nervous right now. Like I said, that doesn't help those of us who have to have a job right now (and I will need to relocate if I don't get one soon) but overall nursing was an excellent choice, and we will all be okay :bow:

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Specializes in PEDS.
Has anybody on this post done any volunteering at a hospital? Since many "new grads" in here complain about that potential employers ask them for experience? I think that maybe it would be wise to volunteer before you trying to get a job. Tell me your thoughts, maybe I'm assuming something wrong, if so let me know. Thanks. :smokin:

most hospitals around my way are not accepting volunteers at this time, due to the high volume of applicants. even getting volunteer work is tough out there.

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Specializes in Cardiac.

This is the main reason I took a nurse extern job at the hospital I want to work at when I graduate in May 2010.

It's going to suck working full time while doing the last two semesters, but I do not want to be looking for a job post graduation because the money situation will be dire by then. One of the recent articles in the local paper here was that only 30% of graduates had a job lined up at graduation. It's scary.

For those of you still in school, try to get your foot in the door now! For those of you still looking with your license, keep your head up. It can't get much worse, only better!

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Specializes in chemical dependency detox/psych.

Instead of the hospitals, try volunteering at the local free clinics. It's been a great plus on my resume.

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Let say if I volunteer, can I used that as an experience when getting a job? The reason why I asked is because when I had my job interview, the employer told me that it has to be paid in order to be considered as an experience. I guess if the place you volunteered at hired you, then its ok because it is within their system. However, if you volunteer and try to use it as an experience at a different employer, then they will not accept it. It wouldn't hurt though because its an additional points in the resume.

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Specializes in LTC, hospice.
As far as the prison thing, good luck. I was so excited to get an interview (any interview) at a Nevada prison and after a few minutes the guy says "oh, you're a new grad, sorry I didn't realize. Why don't you come back after you get some experience. We can't hire new grads rght now." Umm excuse me, were you just to lazy to read my application. I mean there was a little box to check about number of years experience and I ckecked the 0. Really didn't appreciate the 4 hour drive for a woops. Anyways it is all just so stressful. I just want a job already, it seems pathetic that even the nursing homes and clinics are turning away new grads. and i am looking into relocating but thats a big process too. sorry for the diatribe, its been a tough few months

To Play4 Lock in Berkeley, CA: How's the job-hunting going? Hope you are getting some bites, if not a job yet.

I'm your neighbor in Oakland, CA, so I know very well what you are going through. I have a year to go in my BSN program, but fear what is to come after graduation...it shouldn't be this way!

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Specializes in Telemetry, Med-Surg.

I noticed that a few people have mentioned government jobs and I just want to echo that. I work for a VA hospital in a management capacity and we are always in need of nurses. We've even had to rely on pricey contracts because we just can't seem to get nurses to us. Please look into VA and government/public health nursing. usajobs.gov I've always seen nurses cringe at the thought of working for the VA. Sure the patient population is "different", but I think it's worth looking into. I am very much looking forward to working for my VA. The government is offering to pay my tuition, books, AND salary while I'm school in exchange for a 2-3 year committment which by the looks of things I will gladly take.

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