When will you/did you start applying?

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I am a senior nursing student in a BSN program... I will graduate in May, 2009. My school is in Pittsburgh, but I want to go home to the Philadelphia area after I graduate. Over the last month or so, a lot of people in my class have been talking about job applications and hospitals to which they have already applied. Am I way out of the loop here? I had no idea everyone would start applying so soon! It's November... I planned on waiting until at least after Christmas. Should I be starting the job hunt now? When did you or will you begin applying?

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I've wondered the same thing.

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I graduated May of this year. I started applying in January. I got my top choice.

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Specializes in ER, urgent care.

I started applying before my NCLEX and again after, still no luck here in Oregon. Melissa

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Congrats HeartsOpenWide on getting your top choice. When you started applying in January, did you apply for GN or RN positions?

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Specializes in Ante-Intra-Postpartum, Post Gyne.

I got a RN position. They do not hire GN, they do not accept IP licenses, I could not start working until I passed my boards. A lot of hospitals are not hiring GNs in this economy; it costs about 60,000 to train a new grad, hospitals can not afford to start training on some one that is not guaranteed a license.

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Specializes in VA-BC, CRNI.

You should have started applying 3 months ago!

Jobs are VERY VERY VERY difficult to find right now. Try to lock something in now. Talking to my class mates and others on average the wait is generally 3-6 months with 300-600 apps being sent out.

If you do not have an offer before you graduate then expect to wait many many months.

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Hmmm... I just reread my post and realized that I told you I'd be graduating in May 2009, but that's incorrect. It should be May 2010.

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Specializes in mental health.

I'm in my first semester of an accelerated program and am already talking to prospective employers. Graduation is only 13 months away!

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Specializes in Vascular Surgery.

Graduate in December and began applying this month. The online application process takes a few hours to set up, so you might as well do it early. Also, the jobs posted now will be filled by January and (hopefully) there will be new ones up to replace them.

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I was wondering when I should be looking for a job also. I'm graduating in June but I'd really like to travel before settling down with a job. I would probably like to start working around Aug or a bit earlier. I'm just concerned about the timing because of the competition and the different new grad programs accepting at only specific times in the year.

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Specializes in ER, urgent care.

It seems like most programs in my area hire in June-Aug and Jan-Feb. So you would need to apply before those times to be in the running for that hiring. I graduated in 9/21 and nclex on 9/25 and I'm just being looked at for the winter hirings now. Melissa

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