Finding the right nursing job is one of the most important aspects of the nursing career. There are many places and ways for nurses to find jobs. Many nurses begin their careers where they completed nursing school, and are offered positions before graduation. Nurses can also find jobs through classified advertising, both online and in newspapers. Networking is another important way that nurses are able to locate job openings. Finding a job in nursing does not necessarily need to be difficult if the nurse knows where to look.
Many nurses begin their careers working in the location where they finished their practicum or capstone in nursing school. Most nurses are able to choose their capstone experience, and many elect to work in a clinical area that they feel they would like to specialize in. These new nurse graduates are often offered a position right out of nursing school. It is important for the new nurse to make a good impression during the clinical experiences and work as hard as if she were already employed. Many nurses have found that they are able to gain employment directly with the hospital or clinic where they learned as students.
Nurses can also often locate new nursing career opportunities through classified advertising. Many companies and hospitals still advertise in traditional newspaper classified advertisements, particularly on Sundays. It is worth looking through the classifieds to see if there are any available positions that match the interest of the nurse. Many companies are now looking to online advertising as it is more cost-effective and seems to be more effective in locating talented staff. Job boards like CareerBuilder and Monster often have local and national job listings for registered nurses, and nurses can also post their own résumés to be contacted by companies that may be interested in hiring them.
Craigslist.org is another online classified advertising forum that many employers have turned to as it is free for both the employer and potential employee to use. Many jobs are listed daily on the healthcare section of available employment in each city. This can also be a great way to locate positions in new areas if the nurse is looking to move, as positions are listed in each city of interest. Communication is usually achieved first by email, then by phone. Many jobs are now only listed on the free advertising sections of Craigslist to help employers save money in the employment process.
Networking is another important tool for locating travel nursing jobs. Many jobs are never advertised in classifieds, and are only known through word of mouth. It is worthwhile for nurses to find ways to network with other nurses in the community, or with nurses who work in the specialty that the nurse would like to work in. Nurses can often find out about new or upcoming job openings simply by listening to and talking with other nurses. A nurse may mention that a co-worker is about to leave, meaning that there will soon be a job available. Without networking, a nurse might never have known about the opening.
Finding a nursing job is an obviously important part of the nursing career. The nurse should be open to new ways to explore finding out about available positions, particularly in a difficult economy. Employers are looking for ways to save money, and free classified advertising is among the most popular of the job boards. Networking can also be a great way to find out about jobs that might never be posted as available. A nurse should always listen and keep her options open when attempting to find new employment.
