Question:
Dear Donna,
I am a new graduate with a BSN and have recently retired from a 25-year career in child welfare and social work. Now that I’m an RN, I am searching for a job but finding most employers want a nurse with at least one to three years of nursing experience. I do have experience in skilled nursing in clinicals as a student, but not in actual employment. What should I do to get my first job?
New Graduate
Dear Donna,
I am a new graduate with a BSN and have recently retired from a 25-year career in child welfare and social work. Now that I’m an RN, I am searching for a job but finding most employers want a nurse with at least one to three years of nursing experience. I do have experience in skilled nursing in clinicals as a student, but not in actual employment. What should I do to get my first job?
New Graduate
Dear Donna replies:
Dear New Graduate,
The hospital job market for all nurses is very tight right now. New grad or not, if you don't have recent hospital experience, many hospitals won't hire you. The good news is that the job market for nurses is shifting out of the hospital and into the community, the home, outpatient and alternative inpatient settings — such as long-term care, rehab, subacute, etc. Read “New nurse, new job strategies” (www.Nurse.com/Cardillo/Strategies).
As the article indicates, all nurses, including new nurses, need to look in new directions for employment and use new strategies to find jobs. Networking is a particularly effective way to find a job. This involves doing informational interviewing (www.Nurse.com/Cardillo/Interviewing), attending career fairs, being active in professional nursing associations (joining, attending meetings, participating on a committee), attending seminars and conferences and contacting everyone you know to tell them what you're looking for. Also, it involves being active on social media, especially LinkedIn and Twitter. You never know from where the spark, idea, information, contact or opportunity will come. See what's coming up at www.Nurse.com/Events/.
Volunteering in a healthcare setting is another great way to gain experience, make contacts and get your foot in the door.
Even though you may have been led to believe that you need to start your career in a hospital, that is an old model for nursing. By all means go after any and all opportunities that interest you or that come your way. Once you get started with something, you can continue to explore options, make contacts and see where the road leads.
Persistence and determination will always win out. You'll find additional helpful advice in “The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses” (www.nurse.com/ce/7250).
Best wishes,
Donna
Dear New Graduate,
The hospital job market for all nurses is very tight right now. New grad or not, if you don't have recent hospital experience, many hospitals won't hire you. The good news is that the job market for nurses is shifting out of the hospital and into the community, the home, outpatient and alternative inpatient settings — such as long-term care, rehab, subacute, etc. Read “New nurse, new job strategies” (www.Nurse.com/Cardillo/Strategies).
As the article indicates, all nurses, including new nurses, need to look in new directions for employment and use new strategies to find jobs. Networking is a particularly effective way to find a job. This involves doing informational interviewing (www.Nurse.com/Cardillo/Interviewing), attending career fairs, being active in professional nursing associations (joining, attending meetings, participating on a committee), attending seminars and conferences and contacting everyone you know to tell them what you're looking for. Also, it involves being active on social media, especially LinkedIn and Twitter. You never know from where the spark, idea, information, contact or opportunity will come. See what's coming up at www.Nurse.com/Events/.
Volunteering in a healthcare setting is another great way to gain experience, make contacts and get your foot in the door.
Even though you may have been led to believe that you need to start your career in a hospital, that is an old model for nursing. By all means go after any and all opportunities that interest you or that come your way. Once you get started with something, you can continue to explore options, make contacts and see where the road leads.
Persistence and determination will always win out. You'll find additional helpful advice in “The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses” (www.nurse.com/ce/7250).
Best wishes,
Donna
Donna Cardillo, RN, MA, well-known career guru, is Nurse.com’s “Dear Donna” and author of “Your First Year as a Nurse: Making the Transition from Total Novice to Successful Professional” and “The ULTIMATE Career Guide for Nurses: Practical Advice for Thriving at Every Stage of Your Career.” Information about the books is available at www.Nurse.com/CE/7010 and www.Nurse.com/CE/7250, respectively. To ask Donna your question, go to www.Nurse.com/Asktheexperts/Deardonna. Find a “Dear Donna” seminar near you: Call 800-866-0919 or visit http://Events.nursingspectrum.com/Seminar.
