Have you recently graduated from nursing school? Are you about to? Navigating the post-nursing school job market isn’t easy. There are so many types of facilities in the medical profession – hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, long-term care facilities, specialty facilities, doctors’ offices, quick-care facilities, and more – and an even greater variety of professions within those facilities. It can be difficult to know what kind of work you want to get into, and what you ought to be getting paid for it, too.
Rather than going at it alone, partnering with an experienced healthcare recruiter is a great way to find a job after nursing school that not only fits what you’re looking for, but helps to launch your career in such a way that you’re set up for future success. Healthcare job recruiters act as your trusted career partner, advocating for you every step of the way.
Are you about to get started on your healthcare job search after nursing school, or are you already struggling with it? It might be time to turn to a healthcare recruiter for help. Even though the nursing field is projected to grow – blossoming by 7% through 2029, according to the BLS – the high demand for nurses means you’re dealing with a more competitive job market. And a recruiter can help you navigate it.
Let’s consider when you should start looking for a nursing job and what your resume ought to look like. Then, we’ll discuss what a healthcare recruiter does and how they can help you find a nursing job that checks every box.
When Should You Start Looking for a Nursing Job?
Ideally, nursing school students should start looking for their first job early, even before they’ve graduated. This gives you the best chance of finding a position that suits your needs. Many nursing students begin looking for jobs in their senior year, or their last year of clinical rotations.
You may wonder about being licensed before applying to jobs. Don’t worry – you don’t necessarily need to be licensed to apply for nursing positions. Some states even permit graduates to work during a grace period while they pursue licensure and take the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX). Usually, employers will set a deadline for graduates by which they need to have taken and passed the exam.
Applying for jobs early doesn’t just improve your chances of finding a nursing job. It gives you a better idea of how many job openings there are out there in your particular specialty, where those jobs are located, and what new graduates might be making in those roles.
What Should Be Included on Your Nursing Resume?
Writing a resume as a new graduate isn’t as easy as you might think, especially because you don’t have the years of experience and various job titles to fill up your experience section. So, what should you include on your resume as a new or soon-to-be nursing school graduate?
- A summary or objective – Appearing right beneath your contact information, this section should introduce yourself to employers and describe your experience and why you would be a good fit. The summary should be no more than a few sentences.
- Education – Next should come your education details, which include the name of your school, the dates attended, and the name of the degree you earned.
- Clinical rotations – Employers are very interested in your clinical rotations, since it’s your main experience in the field at this point. Provide details on the type of clinicals you’ve performed, the dates worked, the total number of clinical hours and when they were completed, and the name of a supervisor.
- Licenses and certifications – List the license and certifications you’ve already obtained, including the full name of the issuing body, the expiration date, and any license or certification number.
- Work or volunteer experience – If you have work experience in the field or even volunteer experience that is relevant to the job you’re applying for, include it in this section.
- Additional skills – List any additional skills or qualifications you feel make you well-suited to the role.
Once you have a well-rounded resume put together, you’re ready to start applying. And in both of those steps – polishing your resume and applying to great jobs – a healthcare recruiter can provide help.
What Does a Healthcare Recruiter Do?
You’re about to graduate, or you’ve just graduated and are now looking for your first job. You’re considering enlisting the help of a healthcare recruiter. But you might be wondering… what is it, exactly, that a healthcare recruiter does? How can they help you in your job search?
Here’s how a healthcare recruiter helps you launch your career:
Connects You with Top Healthcare Employers
The first and most obvious way that a professional healthcare recruiter can help you after nursing school is by connecting you with top healthcare employers in your region. Recruiters make it their business to build large networks of employers and job seekers, allowing them to connect qualified professionals with medical providers and employers who need each other.
Because many top healthcare employers don’t post their job openings on the major job boards like Monster or Indeed and instead opt to source talent directly through recruiters, you’re gaining access to exclusive healthcare jobs when you partner with a recruiter. Your fellow graduates don’t have access to the jobs you’ll find when you connect with your healthcare recruiter, so it gives you a significant leg up on the competition.
Provides you with Interview & Resume Prep
Did you know that recruiters don’t just find you great jobs, but also help you polish your resume and prepare for interviews? Your dedicated recruiter can help you make sure your resume includes all the essential information and helps “sell” you to employers as best as possible. They’ll also help you prepare for interviews by sharing insight into common interview questions, giving advice on how to impress hiring managers, and even helping you practice through mock interviews. All of this makes you much more well-prepared when the real thing comes along, making it that much more likely you’ll find a job you love.
Expedites Nursing Job Search
Another benefit of partnering with a healthcare recruitment expert? Your job search goes much faster. A healthcare recruiter’s entire job is to match you with top employers, so it’s likely a great connection will be made quickly. And if you’re still in nursing school, you probably don’t have that kind of time to dedicate to the job search. To find great nursing roles fast, trust a healthcare recruitment expert.
Facility Options for Nursing Jobs
One great thing about utilizing the skills of a recruitment professional for your healthcare job search is that they can place you in a wide variety of facilities depending on your preference. Nursing facility options for new graduates include:
Nursing Homes
Nursing staff for nursing homes are in very high demand. Why? Because the population is aging. The Baby Boomer generation is beginning to retire in record numbers, and as the population ages the number of older folks needing nursing care is increasing rapidly. Nursing homes are scrambling to get enough staff on board to cover every shift – that’s what makes a job in a nursing home a great fit for many new graduates.
Assisted Living Facilities
Assisted living facilities generally provide less hands-on medical care than nursing homes, but these facilities still need qualified nurses to care for their residents. Nursing graduates who work in assisted living facilities are responsible for checking on residents, helping with meals, administering medications, creating service plans, and much more.
Hospitals
Of course, nursing school graduates can also be placed into hospitals. With more people insured than ever before and an increase in the need for high-quality medical care – a fact only spurred on by the COVID-19 pandemic – there are plenty of openings in hospitals and large hospital systems across the country. Whether you’re interested in emergency room care, NICU nursing, radiology, or any other specialized area of nursing, getting a placement in a hospital is a great way to explore a variety of medical paths and career options.
Land a Nursing Job with our Healthcare Recruitment Firm Today
Horizon Healthcare Management is a leading healthcare staffing agency serving new and recent graduates around Evansville, IN, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Whether you’ve already graduated and want help with your healthcare job search, or you’re still in school and are looking to get a job set up after graduation, we can help. Our recruiting experts are well-versed in the healthcare field and have built extensive networks with healthcare employers in your area.
Contact our team to learn more about the temporary, per diem, locum tenens, and permanent roles we have available and browse our open positions to find out what kind of opportunities are available near you. Our healthcare recruiters look forward to connecting with you to help you advance your career.