Trying to find my first job

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Hi everyone,

I passed my NCLEX on October 25, 2018. I may be just really impatient, but I feel like it is taking me FOREVER to try and land a job. I have applied pretty much everywhere at this point, and I have yet to get a call back. How long did it take you to get your first job? I feel because I am a new graduate, they are hesitant to hire me (which is understandable). I just really want to start and begin my career.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

How long ago did you graduate?

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Hello, I graduated in early August of this year

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

It depends on where you live and what you are applying for as to how long it may take you to find your first position. If you are limiting yourself to high-demand specialties, like ER, ICU, NICU, L&D, the OR or pediatrics, you are going to have a harder time finding work. In some places, like where I live, new grads generally are only hired twice a year - spring and fall - with interviews occurring months before graduation takes places. Where I work now, our latest cohort of new grads started six weeks ago and graduated when you did, applying prior to graduation for these jobs. We don't hire new grads outside of internships/residencies. You will want to find out if that is how it works where you live as well.

You'll need to keep applying - three weeks is not very long at all, certainly too short to be hitting the panic button. Apply to everything, not just acute care. Good luck.

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Thank you for the advice, I will look into it!

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Specializes in oncology, MS/tele/stepdown.

Did you apply places before passing your boards? If so, you may want to follow up and let them know you passed. I graduated in a very competitive market and excluding certain residencies, they wouldn't even look at the application if you hadn't passed your boards.

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Specializes in Pedi.
Hello, I graduated in early August of this year

When did you start applying? Most people graduate in May and most new grad programs are geared towards their timing. When I worked in the hospital, new grad programs ran in July, September, November and March. Everyone was hired months before their start date so if you waited until after you were licensed to start applying, you'd be waiting months to find a job.

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