I’ve applied to over 100 different job applications and I haven’t heard anything yet! Now what do I do?
Well first of all, how many of those places have you followed up with? When I say follow up, I mean how many of those applications did you call and speak with a live recruiter about your application? How many times did you follow up? Just once? Then that will not do. Persistence is key. Chances are if it’s a great job, there are many other applicants applying for the same position as you, so you have to do more than above the average to stand out. Just clicking “Submit” is only half of the process to getting hired.
Here’s a great example. In the past, I sent in a job application, didn’t hear anything after a couple of weeks. So I decided to call human resources to follow up. When I called them, I spoke with a human resources personnel and you know what they told me, “We’ve been having some technical difficulties with our online applications, so it’s better for you to actually come in and apply in person”. See that. If I had not of called, I would never of known that. Employers are not going to call you to inform you of details such as this, you have to get out there and find out for yourself. Follow up because you never know.
Also are you keeping track of when you apply to certain positions and what dates? It maybe much harder if you’ve applied to over 100 places. Did you know that when applying online for hospital positions, it usually takes on average four to six weeks before it even reaches the recruiter or nurse manager’s desk? Probably much longer than you thought it would be, but most good positions do take time. It’s important to be aware of the time frame so you know which jobs are still really available to you and which ones are not.
Next, where are you applying? Only the large big hospitals in populated cities such as Los Angeles or San Diego? The ones with also limited openings. There are probably hundreds of other nurses who are also applying with you. There <em>are</em> hospitals that are hiring plenty of new graduates, they’re just not in the places you want to live. The reason why nobody hasn’t called you yet, is because you’re applying to the same places everyone else is. If you want to get a job, if you want to get experience, relocation and rural areas has to be an option for you. Just because it’s a rural area doesn’t mean the quality of the job will not be good. You may be surprised how many other nurses you will find who will also be commuting a distance away, working in what seems to be the middle of nowhere. Or who also left their family and friends to live in North Dakota for a year or two to build up their experience. You have to be willing to make the sacrifices now to get where you want to be later. You have to be willing to put yourself in temporarily uncomfortable situations to get to permanent comfort-ability. That’s why I say, your first year will be your hardest year. (Check out “Your First Year Will Be the Least Rewarding” for more info). Because you’re not only learning how to be a nurse, you may also be learning a new area, new people, new everything! Things you’re not used to, so you have to be able to believe in yourself enough to make it through the unfamiliarity.
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Next, have you attempted to speak with the director or manager of any of the units or places you’ve applied to? Have you called them, told them you applied and demonstrated to them how much of an earnest desire you have to work there? Sounds intimidating huh? But you would be surprised how many people have mustered up the courage to do this and have found it to be very effective. And remember do not just call once and then give up. Keep calling. Persistence is the key.
Finally, if you don’t mind waiting for a nurse position but still need to bring in income, consider an agency. Now I am not referring to working through a agency to work on the floor. Very bad idea. You need adequate training that an agency can not provide you with before you do this. I am talking about other things you can do through agency work. Such as being a sitter, working in a flu clinic, covering for someone sick; work that does not require a lot of training. This will also help keep you busy.
Use these tips as a guide along with my other article, “How to Find A Job As A New Grad” to help you with your journey to find your next nursing job. I believe with these tools and little bit of faith, you will be on your way to working in no time.