Who do I talk to again?

[none the wiser]

I am graduating in December. Already, I'm petrified I won't be able to find a job.

I have a bachelor's degree in biology (3.3gpa) and I have a 3.75gpa in nursing school. My instructor told me to put that at the top of my resume, cuz I don't have much else to fill it with.

The biggest problem is that I have no clinical experience. I'd like to get some, but nobody's hiring techs PRN. I know some hospitals have internally posted jobs, so I'm wondering if I should just go hand my resume to...well, everybody.

Who do I talk to for this? Where can I find this resume-taking person? It seems like a fundamental question, but it's not something anyone's ever told me. I guess we discuss job hunting in the last semester or something.

Thanks :)

ETA: Also, is this worth the effort? Will any experience help me at all on my real job hunt, even at the possible cost of my GPA?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I am sorry you are experiencing so much anxiety at this stage. I wish I could say that the job situation son't be as bad as you expect, but that would really depend on the area in which you live.

Your lack of clinical experience should not be a detriment. New grads are considered 'blank slates' that will need a lot of support and development opportunities to achieve competency. We do refer to GPA during the new grad hiring process - not that higher GPA means better skills, but it usually is a good indicator of motivation & effort. We give preference to students who worked as nurse techs (not CNA) or other clinical roles in our facilities - not just because of the clinical exposure, but because we know more about them and what kind of worker they are (attendance, team participation, willingness to learn, etc).

I would say that working as a nurse tech will help if your eventual job search will include that organization, otherwise it may not be worth the hassle and added stress.

The job application process is pretty much the same everywhere. Some organizations have special events - job fairs, invitation-only events for nursing students, etc. - where they accept resumes and provide opportunities to talk with recruiters or hiring managers. Otherwise, you have to go through the normal HR-directed employment process of filling out an application which is then screened by HR & passed on to a hiring manager if you meet criteria for a job opening. If you are called for an interview, be sure to take hard copies of your resume with you, but a 'fancy' resume will not make any difference since most applications are online now. Most online systems will not accept fancy fonts and some are programmed to pick up key pieces of data or words as part of an automatic screening process so be sure to follow the instructions exactly.

Good Luck!

[amarilla, RN]

Hi there,

I am a new nurse working on the same med-surg unit where I was a tech throughout nursing school. I originally applied for a tech position at area hospitals during my first semester to get more time with patients and improve my comfort / competency working around them; that being said, with jobs as tight as they are, even being an internal applicant wasn't a guarantee that I would be retained after graduation. We have many techs and unit secretaries who haven't been placed and have subsequently stayed in their original positions waiting for an opening; if they were only recently hired, (less than one year on the job), most were placed behind waiting applications from those longer with the company.

I'm not sure a hospital would hire you as a tech so close to graduation; to train you and only have you work p/t or prn hours until graduation, (knowing you will be expecting a job as a RN), isn't advantageous to the employer unless they are short-staffed to begin with. Beware the short-staffed unit ready to throw you into the mix!

As for what you can do: seek out experiences throughout the semester, not only to cite on your resume but for the practical experience and contacts you can make. Volunteer for health fairs, information days, skills labs with underclassmen - *anything* that you can incorporate skills and network with others. Make contacts with staff nurses at your clinical sites; if they take a shine to you, exchange information and ask if you may forward your resume for consideration as you approach graduation. If you have any shadow days during your last semester, ask to meet with nursing resource, nurse education or nurse recruitment; it could be a good opportunity to ask pertinent questions about resume and cover letters, how to land an interview, what the hospital's hiring status is, etc.

Join professional organizations - I was a student (and now nurse) member of AORN and AMSN - and attend their meetings. Introduce yourself and develop some contacts! Volunteer some of your time with hospice or visiting the elderly; agencies and inpatient units may have openings for a motivated new person they already are comfortable with. Give honestly of yourself and it will always come back to help you one way or another; I had two other job offers just from my extracurricular pursuits and was very flattered to have been considered.

Speaking of extracurriculars - hopefully you have some, (or can develop some), to include on your resume. I was a hospice volunteer and also spent a good deal of time as an advocate for victims of sexual assault, (still do.) I ran fundraisers for charity and did a few weekends of health outreach in rural areas here and there. Though none of it is 'RN experience', I tend to think it gives the interviewer a sense of who you are more than a chronology of clinicals and your GPA.

Most applications nowadays are online, but you can try job fairs, careerbuilder, indeed, so on for direct contacts to recruiters. Write a good cover letter and update it for each job you apply for. Unlike some, I don't advocate showing up in person to units, particularly in this market, but there are a number of facilities lacking an online application process who may ask you to stop by to fill out an application and hand in a resume, (nursing homes, rehabs, etc.)

Good luck,

Southern

[none the wiser]

Thanks guys :)

[RedhairedNurse, BSN, RN]

Start applying and filling out on-line applications now or very soon, don't wait until December. Some hospitals offer student nurse positions where you can work one day/night per week.

I did this and it helped me to learn the charting system, etc. I just couldn't give meds. It also helped me seal my RN job after I graduated. Don't put

clinical experience on your resume. I don't think you should put your GPA on the resume either. What I did on my resume was just put my previous work experience even though it was not related to any medical or nursing experience.

Good luck. Be calm and confident!

[SolaireSolstice, BSN, RN]

My recommendation would be to talk to the nurse managers of units you have done clinicals on that you enjoyed. Ask if they have an extern program, or if there are any prn tech positions available.