Upset

[sarbell]

I graduated with my associate RN just this last may. I passed my boards early July. I am so discouraged because I haven't heard back from any of the places I have applied at. I worked as LPN for nine months before I went back to school. My stomach is just sick and I am up at night worrying about this. My husband and I purchased a new home. I thought it would be a lot easier to get a job and here I sit day to day applying and calling nurse recruiters and them never calling me back. I am am tired and I am worried. What does it take to get a simple interview? I am in the St.Paul Mn area.

[sarbell]

Oh Thank you for all the great responses. I am currently applying to two different new grad programs and I hope that this time I hear something. I think I will take your advice and start going to the actual floors where there are positions currently opened. I will take anything at this point. I also am going to redo my resume as I am worried maybe it needs some information. Thank you all so much. I truly am happy to have joined this site, as I have gotten so much great advice already!!!

THANK YOU!! :wink2:

[withasmilelpn]

I would absolutely agree with the above posters. Follow up in person with all your documents and copies of your resume in hand. I think sometimes resumes get lost in that to do pile of all the other papers HR has to tackle. Although HR hires, they don't have to work short, (and thus have no urgency) so find out who the nurse manager is who does get the direct impact of staffing issues. Ask if it is a good time, say that you just wanted to follow up on your application, and get a feel for the unit... If you present yourself well you'll make a good impression and they will have a face to go with a name on a piece of paper. If you do get an interview, send a thank you card as well. Good luck to you!

[mom2michael, MSN, RN, NP]

If you are applying strictly online, facilities love to do what is call "canned" openings that are continually posted openings for jobs that they may or may not have open.

It's important to find jobs that are actually open for applications otherwise you are applying for a job that isn't open and your application is being filed away.

It's also important to apply for jobs that say "new grads" or "new nurses may apply". If it says they require 2-3 years of experience for the job, they are probably serious and won't consider anyone with less than that experience unless you already work there or have a good inside source to get to the manager.

Call the HR department today and ask to speak to a recruiter. Find out if they have email (which you can always ask the receptionist). Leave a voicemail and then send them an email. Ask the receptionist if there is an updated list of openings available (not the online list, but an actual paper list).

If you don't get a response if a few days - but on some nice clothes and just present yourself at HR.

What about your friends in NS, can you contact any of them and see about their jobs? Are they struggling as much as you to find employment? Maybe they work on a unit that needs more staff and they have the inside and perhaps could get you in with the manager.

What about contacting your school. Do they have a career resource center? Maybe they can help. Nursing instructors, maybe they know of a job that is open.

Sometimes you have to network.

Sometimes it's all about timing too - many facilities, especially those larger ones, tend to herd their new grads thru the same sequence of events and only do it several times per year, so you just might be in the *middle* of the herd and you might have to wait until a new round starts up.

Ask, ask, ask and then present yourself in person if you can't get the response you want by phone or email.

[withasmilelpn]

I forgot to say that if you bring your license, Soc#, ID, CPR, and list of contact#s and offer that to them, you'll be that far ahead of the hiring process. And your preparedness (word??:wink2:) will be impressive, even if they tell you to wait until your interview!