Landing that First Nursing Job

Congratulations, you've completed nursing school! You've completed one of the biggest milestones in your professional career. You can finally say goodbye to all of those clinical rotations. All those hours studying with your classmates and sitting in the classroom is finally over! If you were a pandemic student, no more zoom!

You are pinned, licensed...now what? You've just gotten through a large hurdle! Nursing school is no joke. If you know, you know. Now, the next challenge awaits. You may be unsure of what to do or where to even start with the job search. Nursing specialty aside, you are here because you might need a little boost on how to start. Here are my biggest tips that helped me land interviews and a job.

1. Talk to your Career Advisors from Your College

I cannot emphasize enough how much this helped me land ALL of my healthcare jobs. It is literally their profession to help you from resume building, portfolio building and interviewing. They will be familiar with local clinics, hospitals and patient-care settings you may not even know. They are trained to understand the market enough to help you land a competitive role. I highly recommend being in touch with them as soon as you set foot into nursing school. They will turn you into an interviewer's dream candidate. They'll connect you to recruiters, invite you to webinars with the hospitals, help you practice interviewing and roast your resume into perfection. If you don't know their contact information, a quick phone-call to the university will likely direct you to their line. You may also be already receiving emails from them, check those school emails!

2. With a Paper/Post-It Note, Write Down Jobs and new-grad program Application Dates

I used to write down everything on a spreadsheet. Big mistake. I was more in love with the idea of being organized and having it beautifully color-coordinated on the spreadsheet. Reality is, it's boring and ineffective. Not sure if this is the case for everyone, but I make it and never come back to it. Nowadays, I come realize that I prefer jotting down quickly on a post-it note and taping it right on top of my desk. This way, everything is in front of me. I have designated areas on my desk. This could be the "yes", "no", "back-up" section on my desk. Other categories could be "ASAP" and "Soon". As a tactile learner, I find this to be an effective way to strategize and quickly do tasks without figuring out how to work the spreadsheet. I'm a nurse, not a data analyst! If you love that spreadsheet, do it! Just get organized so you can prioritize which tasks to complete first.

3. Follow other Career-Focused Blogs/Content Creators

While this is not a necessity; I truly think following other creators allowed me to grow professionally. I have became more mindful about interviewing with confidence, curating resumes per the institution, cover letters that actually highlight you and even bouncing back from hearing a "no". It has even introduced me to job search engines I didn't know existed. The nursing world is huge, yet it can seem small. Especially in some specialties, it is about who you know. For some of us, we are studying nursing in areas we don't plan to work in! So networking locally may not as helpful all the time.

Become familiar with these content creators and take note. All these resume and cover letter tips for tech are very much fundamentally the same throughout different industries. See how you may apply their resume-building tips, interview tips into your own, utilizing linkedin, etc. If your portfolio, cover letter and resume are the only things the employer will go off of, you want to do it well. You may be surprise at how many doors open up for you when you know how to market yourself.

4. You Don't Have to Take the First Job Offer

It can be scary searching for a job! Get familiar with using job searching websites to compare new-graduate salaries and benefits. Often times, these jobs will offer you a position over the phone without telling you entirely what you are signing up for. They don't mention the benefits or even costs. Sometimes you can find a booklet of benefits offered by an institution, just do a quick google search! There are hospitals that will charge you for not completing your new-grad program fully. Nursing is a difficult, yet rewarding career. You want to start off on a strong foot, it is your foundation for a happy fulfilling career. I want you to choose a sustainable option that will leave you happy providing patient care.

Once you receive a job offer, make sure to ask about the pay, benefits, retirement plan, PTO and professional development before accepting. Sometimes they aren't comprehensively stated over the phone, so make sure you know what you are signing up for. It's okay to decline a job offer, but it can hurt your ties to an organization if you say yes then back out. I know this advice may be harder to follow in smaller cities where there may be less healthcare organizations. However, the fundamentals still apply. Choose what will help you maintain sustainability in your career. If you love wound-care and can't imagine anything else, then don't settle for a OB position! If you like the emergency department, then land a job there! Or take on a position that will mimic the environment/get you to the ED. Sometimes you can apply to multiple jobs simultaneously within the hospital, so do not fret. That job you want will come.

Final Words....

Good luck on this job search! You're gonna do amazing. Know that all the emotions that you're going through are not foreign. It is normal and expected to go through the turmoil of emotions in the job search and the post-grad life. Remember to care for yourself and do not feel guilty about taking any rest. Nursing jobs will always be out there. There is only one of you - and you deserve just as much tender love and care as your soon-to-be patients.