How to Get Your First Nursing Job
Entering into the nursing field looks promising for those interested in a long-term career. It’s expected that nursing jobs will grow 16% between 2014 and 2024. This is a lot faster than the average for other occupations.
And, there’s even more good news: breaking into nursing isn’t all that hard. In this quick guide, we’ll offer some tips for getting your first nursing job.
Let’s review what you can start doing today to inch closer to becoming a full-time nurse.
Get the Proper Training
If you haven’t already, it’s time to look for a training course that’ll get you up to speed. You can go for a quick CNA license, which only takes weeks or a few months to obtain.
Or you can get a home health aide license. The only other option is to take college courses to become an RN or LPN.
If you’re still considering this field, you’ll find these reasons to become a nurse practitioner reasonable.
Scout Your Employment Opportunities
There are various places where you can work as a nurse. Are you looking to work with the elderly in a nursing home or assisted living facility? Or do you prefer to work at a hospital or clinic with patients?
There are also other venues you can consider, such as in a local government agency or travel nursing agency. Even health insurance providers hire nursing professionals.
In the home health aide industry, you work inside of people’s homes helping the elderly and disabled with their day-to-day activities and care.
Go to a Career Center
If you’re not having any luck applying to the job ads in the classifieds because of your inexperience, then you’re next step should be to go to a career center. Some nursing schools have a career center you can go to.
If not, you can find one in or near your city. Many choose to partner with hospitals and clinics, helping new graduates get their first nursing job.
It’s also not a bad idea to consider entering into an internship to get some hands-on experience. Other options include applying for temp and on-call positions (more experienced nurses overlook these positions, so they are readily available).
Get a CV Prepared to Land Your First Nursing Job
Since you have yet to work in the nursing field, you’ll need to impress potential employers with your CV. You can use this to sell yourself and the training you received.
Include whatever courses and programs you took, as well as the licenses and certificates you obtained. It’s also a good idea to include two references – this can be your former trainers, bosses you interned for or past employers from an unrelated industry.
The key is to give references that can vouch for you as a worker and/or trained nurse.
Start Looking for Your First Nurse Job
It’s time to take your career into your own hands. If you’re serious about becoming a nurse, then it’s time to get proper training and your CV in order.
You’ll find that there are many nursing jobs to fill in various sectors. If you need help with improving your work life, productivity or making a career switch, then visit What Your Boss Thinks.
Here, you can find articles and tips to help make you better at whatever career endeavors you embark on.
