Visiting Texas in a month -- need ideas on how to network

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.

Hi all,

Next month, I'm heading to Texas to see the lay of the land and to also try to network at the hospitals. I emailed some of the nurse recruiters who I've been in contact with for nurse internships (I'm an applying machine! :lol2:). I asked to take a hospital tour and/or about shadowing opportunities but I haven't heard from anyone yet. Do hospitals even give tours or shadowing opportunities?

I have a friend in San Antonio and another in Houston -- both moved down for jobs and I'm hoping I can visit their floor and meet their managers. I also have one at a hospital in Temple, Texas who's interning. I hope to be able to atleast see something!

Any other ideas on how I can let the nurse recruiters and/or managers know I'm serious about moving and what I can do while down there to convey the message? Also, would stopping by the HR department be any good?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

So you want to look at SA, Hou & Temple? That's a lot of ground to cover. I hope you plan to stay for a while and don't mind driving (a lot). In Houston, I would strongly advise you not to limit your search to The Medical Center. Those are high-demand facilities, and unless you already have specialty qualifications and experience, chances of being hired are slim. There are a lot of really top-notch suburban and community hospitals in the Houston area.

I would advise you to make appointments in advance if you want to speak with recruiters/HR folks. They are busy folks, and do a lot of travel so drop-in visits would not be a good idea. Pretty much everyone will require you to submit an application - and if you indicate your available date, that gives them enough information about your relocation timeline.

Are you alredy licensed in TX? If not, you need to do that ASAP. In this current climate, employers aren't usually willing to waste time with applicants who aren't ready to go... since they have so many others waiting in the wings.

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Specializes in CTICU/CVICU.
So you want to look at SA, Hou & Temple? That's a lot of ground to cover. I hope you plan to stay for a while and don't mind driving (a lot). In Houston, I would strongly advise you not to limit your search to The Medical Center. Those are high-demand facilities, and unless you already have specialty qualifications and experience, chances of being hired are slim. There are a lot of really top-notch suburban and community hospitals in the Houston area.

I would advise you to make appointments in advance if you want to speak with recruiters/HR folks. They are busy folks, and do a lot of travel so drop-in visits would not be a good idea. Pretty much everyone will require you to submit an application - and if you indicate your available date, that gives them enough information about your relocation timeline.

Are you alredy licensed in TX? If not, you need to do that ASAP. In this current climate, employers aren't usually willing to waste time with applicants who aren't ready to go... since they have so many others waiting in the wings.

It is a lot of ground to cover but that is the purpose in my trip is to network and put my face to my applications. I'm staying from March 15th - 19th. I have an itinerary with the cities and distance between them and already contacted hospitals that I handpicked (some of which I've applied for internships, others where I didn't see any internsips but inquired about them). I would never drop in without notifying them I'm there -- I don't even want people doing that at my home!:lol2:

I am a driving queen. I am from northern NJ and went to college in Williamsburg, VA a 6/6.5 hour drive. I would go down to VA and back in the same day -- and I have family in the south. It is nothing to drive to Alabama and Georgia for us -- it's in my blood so I am actually looking forward to putting my CDs in the cd player, rolling the windows down, hooking up my GPS system and smelling that Texas air.

In Houston, I have a friend working at Kingwood and she's giving me a tour of the hospital and a potential chance to meet her manager. That's the only hospital I'm going to. I can't do EVERY hospital in the cities so I have selected only a few and so far the recruiters are responding well. I have a hospital in Austin, Scott &White in Temple, Kingwood in Houston and St. Luke's in San Antonio (I also have a friend there and hope to get a tour and potential meeting with the manager). Recruiters have been really nice, letting me know when the internships are being posted (or letting me know that they were JUST posted) or letting me know that they aren't hiring new grads.

Everything is planned and just about ready for me to go. I'm excited!!!:yeah:

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