Will I be more likely to be hired?

[Brandon15]

I am a Junior male student in a 4-year BSN program with a cumulative GPA of 3.5. I am a captain and 3 year member of my NCAA division II sports team with a decent amount accomplishments on the field. Will this experience make me more marketable in the nursing field when I begin the application/interview process and increase my chances to find a job?

Thanks for the opinions!

[NRSKarenRN, BSN, RN]

Moved to our Nursing Career forum for member advice.

[Madras]

The BSN... Yes will do you some good.

Now about that other stuff.......

[llg, PhD, RN]

I think it will help -- but of course, it won't guarantee anything.

1. The fact that you are a man may help. Some hospitals are always "on the look-out" for qualified minority applicants so that they can avoid accusations of discrimination. Men are considered a "minority" in nursing - so simply being male gets your resume a decent look. It's unlikely your application would be tossed in the "reject" pile without someone looking at it closely.

2. Some hiring managers would interpret your athletic success as evidence that you are a hard worker, reliable, take coaching well, etc. I do. I look at the whole person when I am hiring, not just their previous nursing experience.

Of course, that being said ... those things just get you "a good look." To actually get the job, you have to have shown decent performance in nursing school and in the interview ... and appear to be a "good fit" for the position.

Good luck to you.