What places will hire a new nurse with no experience

[edigio10]

Hello. I live in Arizona but am willing to move anywhere in the country. Any ideas of a place where I can get some experience? Everyone here was a new grad at one point in time. Just curious to find out where everyone got their first job. Please post where you landed your first job and how you went about doing it.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

I just kept applying until I landed an interview. If you are applying to a bunch of places and you aren't getting any callbacks, it could be your resume. Take a look at it and make changes as necessary.

I applied to a bunch of different positions and only got 2 callbacks - one was for an ICU internship (but the director made it sound like my chances were slim since they picked most of the candidates already and I was out of state at the time so to interview I would have to fly out at my own expense) and the other was for a position on PCU. The PCU position asked for experience but I surprisingly got a callback that same day for an interview. I made it very clear that I was a new grad. I got the job.

Prior to an interview, search this site along with Google to common interview questions. Write them down and brainstorm your responses to them. For my interview, I remember being asked:

* Tell me about yourself

* What are your 3 strengths and 3 weaknesses?

* Why did you choose nursing?

* How do you handle conflict?

I had some other questions and some basic behavioral questions.

For your interview, dress to impress. Please don't wear scrubs. Wear shoes that you are comfortable walking in as you may be given a tour of the unit. Good luck!

[SycamoreGuy]

North Dakota and Alaska come to mind. Although I have a feeling that if you look hard enough you could find a job anywhere but the most saturated places.

[edigio10]

I have had 4 interviews since october and no one has gotten back to me. I don't even care where I work at this point in time. I just want to make a living. I feel like I am about to run out of places to apply for in Arizona. I don't think anyone takes me seriously when I apply for out of state jobs. I appreciate all your feedback

[RNYaz]

Hello!

I too am from az and having a hard time finding a job. I have a year and a half of experience and still nothing. It is indeed frustrating. However to get to your question, how do you feel about working in isolation? A rural community? I know for sure there are openings on the reservations. It is an adjustment but it's a job. Some places provide housing. You should look at the IHS.gov website.

I hope this helps!

Good luck!

[Concerto_in_C, BSN, RN]

Check out the job opportunities at my hospital: SwedishAmerican : Job Opportunities

There are tons of openings. Most of those openings will hire new grads. But alas, nobody wants to live in Rockford, they want Chicago where life is sexy. For this reasons Chicago sucks: very few quality openings, refusal to hire new grads. Also, I noticed if one of the Chicago medical centers posts an opening, it will be for a very specialized position. I'm seeng few, if any, entry level nursing jobs there, such as medical surgical or ortho.

Desirability of the area where you apply is a huge factor. Everybody wants to live on Michigan Avenue in Chicago (impossibly competitive job market), so if you apply there, at Northwestern Memorial, you will face the most intense competition in the country. On the other hand, backwards provincial towns like Rockford or Belvidere can't find nurses, esp. BSNs.

[Barbara H.]

2 words...AZ sucks!! I had some luck in NM...but ended up taking a job at a state prison, mostly because it pays better than most here in AZ. LA is another state which seems to be more welcoming to new grads. Good luck!!

[May 2014]

Come to North Dakota please..visit Trinityhealth.org, sanfordhealth.org, saint alexius.org, altru.org.. You will land a first class job. Good luck.

[edigio10]

Thanks for all the feedback I appreciate it greatly