Testimonials

After being a pretty silent follower on here, I’d like to share my experience.

First off, thank you to the moderators and all those who contribute for such a helpful resource for new grads. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

**WARNING: SUPER LONG EXTREMELY DETAILED POST**

I am in no way, shape or form, trying to boast or brag, because I know how tough the job search is, especially in the Bay Area as new grads, but always found it comforting and motivating to read other people’s stories of their struggles, their experience, their success and their journey. So here is mine 🙂

I graduated from SMU’s ABSN program in 2017 and was licensed shortly thereafter. This was my second degree, because I couldn’t get into SJSU’s nursing program after they changed their policies on re-taking any pre-nursing prerequisites.

My journey to become a nurse felt like FOREVER, in reality, it took 8 years total. Fast forward to June 2017, we were alerted by our school and a former classmate that a local hospital was *possibly* going to have a new cohort for their new grad residency program since the new hospital is opening up at the end of September.

I applied about 3 days after the application opened, only because I spent a lot of time thinking about and researching what I wanted to include in the short essay questions and getting together my documents. I included my resume, cover letter, 3 letters of recommendations, and all the necessary documents they required.

The application did NOT have a personality component like I have heard that it has had in the past.

After almost 2 months, I wondered whether the hospital decided on moving forward with the new grad residency program, so I emailed them following up on whether they were, and shortly after they confirmed that they were going to have a fall cohort this year, and applicants who they were interested in would receive an email in the next week or so.

So I waited, and didn’t get an email until July 2017 (the day I took my NCLEX) that the hospital was “highly interested” and I would receive a call within the next week.

About a week later, I did, and was offered to come in for an interview in their L&D unit for the new grad residency program – my dream unit!

After following this page since nursing school, I already had some sort of idea what kind of game I had to bring to the interview. I knew I had to PREP PREP PREP, ‘wear the suit’, make it a conversation, and bring my resumes and portfolios.

I made it a point to ask the manager who scheduled the interview with me WHO I would be interviewing with. She gave me the names of the managers and their positions — I took this information, typed up their names and positions and used this as the cover sheet to the portfolio I handed them. In the portfolio I had my cover letter, resume, letters of recommendations, copy of my RN license, certifications (BLS, PALS, ACLS, NIHSS, S.M.A.R.T. training, EBP poster on skin-to-skin, and unofficial transcript.

I’ve heard that this hospital would rather not receive portfolios for interviews, and they’ve been explicit about this in their emails, but my email had nothing about not bringing portfolios, so I prepped 4 (1 for each manager, and an extra 1 just in case), with about 15 copies of my resume on resume paper in color – the managers were glad I brought my portfolio and actually went through it in front of me before starting the interview, because apparently they don’t receive all supplemental info that is included in your application – go figure!

I felt the interview went well. Since it was my first nursing interview, I prepped for both general interview questions (tell me about yourself, why this hospital, why L&D) and behavioral interview questions (I found the 31 behavioral question list within this page and in the comments were very helpful). I even had labor & delivery scenarios that they could possibly be asked and brushed up on common meds just in case, too. I made sure to review hospital as a whole as well – their missions and values, and reasons why I was interested. I made it a conversation, and I even made jokes without knowing I made jokes – because of this, I felt that my personality was able to shine, I didn’t feel like a robot just spewing out answers of what I’d think they’d like to hear. I had a list of about 10 questions prepped for when they asked, “do you have any questions for us?” and they were really impressed by the questions I asked – I did a quick google search for these questions and on this page as well. I prepped about 3 days prior to the interview. I prepped with mentors and friends, who had been through the interview process before and they helped me keep my answers more than 1 minute but less than 2 minutes and made sure that my answers were in STAR format – situation, task, action, result — THIS IS SO IMPORTANT!

Lastly, the outfit you wear to the interview is SOOOOO important. I knew I wanted to feel really confident going in, so I went out and shopped for an outfit. I wore a lined black/white skirt that hit below my knees, with a white top tucked in, and a navy blue blazer with 2 inch black heels with a professional bag to hold my portfolios — the managers even complimented my outfit!

I planned to write out thank you notes and hand deliver them the next day, but before I had the chance, the manager of the unit (who couldn’t be there during the interview) and another asst. manager called to offer me the position, “before I went anywhere else” — UNREAL and was so completely floored and humbled. Needless to say, I accepted the position in the L&D unit at this awesome Northern CA hospital within their new grad residency program and am scheduled to start before the end of Sept 2017.

With hard work, perseverance, prepping like a mad-woman, and just enough self-confidence, I was able to land the job of my dreams. Funny thing is, I was born at here when the current hospital opened, and now I’m about to start when the new hospital is opening. Things really came full circle.

For those struggling for the (new grad) job hunt, please don’t be so hard on yourself, don’t lose hope, do your research when putting together your application, and before the interview, put in the work, BE CONFIDENT in yourself and your skills, and good things will come your way. Just because it’s taking a little longer doesn’t mean it won’t happen – it will, just in your own time ❤

Disclaimer:
Please keep in mind that, between March 2017 – July 2017 I was applying to jobs here and there, since I had just graduated at the end of May I felt I wasn’t that strong of an applicant since I wasn’t licensed yet and decided to focus on studying for the NCLEX and put the job hunt on hold while doing so. I applied to several other hospital positions thinking I’d have a fighting chance since I completed my preceptorship with them, only to receive around 7 rejection letters shortly after, I applied to another  new grad program, never to even receive a rejection letter, but knew they were hosting interviews, so I figured I didn’t make the cut, even after completing my ped’s rotation there. I even tried applying for patient care assistant positions at other big name hospitals. I didn’t do any of my rotations at the hospital I was hired at, but did do my preceptorship in L&D within a local hospital.

*I also volunteered between 2012-2015 on and off, had healthcare experience as a caregiver in 2013 and currently.