When to Apply for Jobs?

[QEOLAdvocate]

Any help/advice/words of wisdom/comments from people in the same-similar situation are much appreciated!!!

I'm trying to figure out how to by-pass the "well I'm not certified yet..." part of job interviews, and how to keep the employer's interest alive or should i just wait til I'm certified to apply to jobs? ... read below for more information...

I want to work in a internal medicine office and working out of state or in another part of the state is not an option. My clinical instructor advised prior to our graduation that we should focus on passing the board exam and then apply for jobs....

I graduated from UCLA's MSN Adult-Gerontology Primary Care program last month on June 16th and I plan to take my ANCC exam mid to late August 2018. I'm finding that because I haven't taken my board exam, potential employers are not willing to take the job interviews/offers to the next step.

• I've had a very positive phone interview with a housecall group and the recruiter/hiring manager said to get back in touch once I'm certified... but the pay at this place was the same as I make as a RN....
  
• 1 phone interview with a well known medical group with their senior recruiter and that interview went well but since I am not certified it ended up with the same ol' "stay in touch and keep applying and definitely reach out when you pass your board exam".
  
• This week I had a face to face interview with another reputable medical group and it seemed to go in the same direction as the phone interview...
  
• The clinic manager at one of my clinical sites asked me to stay in touch with her cause one of the MDs was potentially looking to hire a NP, and I'd rotated with the group but with another MD (who knows that this other MD is looking to hire and will speak well of me), so I've emailed her every couple of weeks to check in and I keep checking the office's website. (THIS WOULD BE THE DREAM JOB FOR ME)
  
• I'm reaching out to other preceptors and people I've come into contact with prior to NP school just to let them know that I'm actively looking for a job and sending them my resume to pass long/keep with them in case anything comes along their way...
  

[ToFNPandBeyond]

I would say it depends on how urgently you will need a job after graduation. I graduated this June, and for me, it was extremely important that I got secured a job after I graduated. I have a family and with both my husband and I being at school at the same time at one point, we are barely getting by.

I went to a job fair 3 months before graduation. . I was lucky enough to get many prospective employers who were interested in me. I accepted 3 interviews scheduled for the month of May, and signed my offer at the end of May. I graduated in June, and just passed my boards this month!

For me, not being licensed was not a hindrance. Those I interviewed with were interested in me enough to wait for my credentials. The only other downside to applying early, other than not being credentialed, is the pressure to pass boards because of a pending job offer. I hated the anxiety that brought me.

[aok7, NP]

I began applying for jobs a few months prior to graduation. I figured I would learn to navigate job sites and practice interviewing. I was offered a job prior to passing my boards.

Just that you are considering opportunities and networking as you described says a lot about you. Do it your own way! Good luck.

[QEOLAdvocate]

Thanks for all of your advice, I took the ANCC AGPC boards last week and passed and finally the California BRN is processing applications received June 16-30th... so hopefully I'll have my license soon enough. The job search ya been going well enough.... so I'll keep you all updated with what happens. If I was starting over and about to graduate... I would wait to apply until I am licensed and or certified... it is a morale buster to interview well and then not get the job because you're not licensed or certified.