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Who You’ll Hear
Kati Kleber, MSN RN CCRN-K – Nurse educator, former cardiac med-surg/stepdown and neurocritical care nurse, author, speaker
Chelsea Klekamp, BSN RN – Experienced bedside nurse, Nurse Residency Program Coordinator.
What You’ll Learn
- Ask for Feedback
- Now What?
- Final Thoughts
When You Don’t Land Your Dream Job
You don’t have to land that dream job right out of nursing school! Don’t freak out!
First, ask for feedback about why you didn’t get the job.
- While the nursing manager will decide you didn’t get the job, an HR recruiter is typically who delivers that news to you.
- It might be a numbers thing. Two spots for 45 applicants?
- Maybe you didn’t interview well. Ask for feedback for improving your interview skills.
- Remember that the decision has already been made, this is not a bargaining place, it’s a learning opportunity for you.
- “What should I be working on if this job is still my end goal?”
- It’s very expensive to train a new grad. An organization can’t afford to hire the wrong person.
- Just because there is a nursing shortage in the United States does not mean you will get any nursing job you apply for.
- Just because you already work at a facility doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a nursing job.
Are you finishing nursing school and worried about how you’ll land that first job? Not sure what to put on the resume, what to wear to the interview, or what kinds of questions to expect? In this course, you will learn how to write a resume, market yourself, finding jobs, interviewing, and more.
The interview is a huge piece of whether or not you get a job offer.
- Grades, resume, clinical references, previous job history all also contribute, but the interview can make or break it for a candidate.
- The interview should not be a performance, it should be genuine.
- Do some self-reflection to collect your thoughts and ideas.
- Prepare responses to common interview questions, but do not rehearse a prepared script.
- Talking about yourself can feel awkward or unnatural, so you will benefit from organizing your thoughts beforehand and practicing a bit.
- Try to accept that the first few minutes of the interview may feel uncomfortable because your anxiety is up and the adrenaline is rushing. Realize it, accept it, don’t overthink it.
You didn’t get the job, now what do you do?
- Find another job
- Ask the HR recruiter if there are other positions open at the same organization that you could be considered for.
- Research what other types of nursing jobs are available in your area (nursing home, home care, procedural center).
- Wherever you work as a nurse you can and will be learning the elements of delegation, prioritization, time management, etc.
- Stay at your job for a decent period of time before applying for your dream job again.
- Having three different jobs that you only stayed with for a few months each doesn’t look so good.
- Your job history demonstrates your loyalty and commitment, or lack thereof.
Final thoughts
- You have not ruined your career by not getting this dream job right out of nursing school.
- Don’t expect to get a specialty track (ED, ICU, L&D) dream job right away. With those positions, many people are vying for very few spots.
- Use the experiences and skills you have developed from your first nursing job to your advantage when you interview for your dream job the next time.
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