Today I attended a NurseWeek career fair. The majority of the larger hospitals in the area were in attendance including the three hospitals I either have applied to, or intend to.
After sitting through a truly awful 1.5 hour CE lecture on patient safety, they finally opened the exhibit hall where the employers were set up. I was surprised at the audacity of people. People were there in blue jeans--expecting to get a job. People elbowed past me several times in an effort to grab up the free goodies off the tables, not even stopping to speak with the recruiters. I saw people going from table to table grabbing stuff and stowing it in their tote bags, like some sort of adult trick-or-treating.
I started off at the table of the gargantuan hospital where I have my management clinical. I applied for their critical care internship on Friday, the same day they posted. The recruiter was super nice, super professional, and lo and behold, she actually read my resume. She gave me the email of the recruiter directly in charge of the critical care internship, and instructed me on what to tell her. I emailed her when I got home, and got a response within minutes. She told me I was already on her list of people to contact, and set me up with a telephone interview on Thursday. So far, that hospital has been the most professional by far, which is a big plus.
Next I moved to the table of the Amazing Children's Hospital. The rep there wasn't even an actual recruiter, but he was able to tell me they are posting the internships tomorrow. Only a month after they said they would. After hearing from several people that candidates from pediatric facilities are at a disadvantage for CRNA school admissions, my wife and I are rethinking my plan to work there. Couple that with the way they've treated me, and I think they're going to have to knock my socks off with their offer. I'm not going to hold my breath.
My third table was the large hospital where I've applied to the TICU and the CVICU. This recruiter painted a dismal picture for new grads. She was shocked to hear I'd only applied to two units, telling me I needed to have applied to at least 5. Then she said, "What we're telling new grads is, 'Do you want a job, or do you want to be unemployed?'" I had felt that this hospital was my best option, but after talking with her, I'm not so sure. She made me so nervous I went and visited the two county hospitals as well, and I came home and applied at one of them.
Nothing like a little reality check.
Ugh...doesn't it suck? I'm going to be CRYING by next week!
ReplyDeleteWell you know, elite candidates like you will never have to worry :)
ReplyDeleteGood luck.
M
I'd be willing to bet those "adult trick-or-treaters" were already employed nurses just looking for "swag". They aren't serious about applying for anything.
ReplyDeleteI would say you are smart to put in for county hospitals as well...you never know...it might not be so bad. ;) Couldn't be as bad as prison work... :)
little d: I'm trying to avoid shedding tears over this process, haha! They haven't made me cry yet, damnit!
ReplyDeletePOP: *blush* Thank you!
CC: You're probably right, they were downright ruthless. I think I saw two of them scrapping over a light-up pen. Funny you should mention prison...both county hospitals of course serve the local prisons....
ha, i used to do the trick-or-treat thing in jeans at my (Local Religious School) back in the day. anything for a free pen or a bumper sticker with 'Army of One,' on it, right? it was before i was a graduate.
ReplyDeletethe job market is tight yo. my area of my state has four major university/college/community college programs graduating 20-50 nurses every coupla months, plus the 2-3 smaller private schools doing the same thing.
here's what i think happened. with the economy tanking, hospitals quit hiring the spensive nurses, like the agency types and the travel nurses. and the nurses whose husbands lost their jobs went from part time to full time. and the nurses whose husbands lost their savings with the crash kept working instead of retiring ( i know a few, sad stuff). anyways, like i said, it's tight, regardless of why. good luck.
git-r-done! Sounds like you had a successful day!
ReplyDeleteAt least places in your neck of the woods are hiring, 'round here nothing. We've hired 1 person in the last 6 months despite losing 7 in the last year. We're almost always short and relying on our resource pool and floats from other floors to fill our needs. The outlook for other local hospitals in just as grim.
ReplyDeleteNo one's hiring, especially new grads out here. It's brutal. But, it sounds like you've got your act together. At least you know enough to not go in your jeans!
I have worked in a prison. The inmates weren't that bad actually. And it was a prison full of druggies, pedophiles and sex offenders. I actually would have stayed there had it not been for the politics and other staff that were outright dangerous in practice. Keep an open mind. It might even make you look good on a resume!! "Willing to do shitty jobs that no one else will do" :)
ReplyDelete