I have recently graduated with a Bachelors of Science in
Nursing Degree and completed my national board certification. I have been searching for a nursing position in Colorado Springs with limited success.
My husband wants me to give the local area a longer try. We really
do not know what is a reasonable "average" time we should allow for me to find a nursing position before going nationally. He thinks about 6 months is fair. I think 2 months is more than sufficient. I have
some contacts in the health care community but they just don't seem to be doing anything
Can you shed some light on what we should expect a job search to take?
From: Catherine A. Janoka, Recent Graduate, Beth-El College of Nursing
ANSWER FROM BRIAN KRUEGER:
The answer to your question of timing depends entirely on you. Any full-fledged job search consists of two basic
timing steps: 1) establishing contact with all companies that currently have openings, and 2) waiting for additional positions to come available. While that may appear to be an oversimplification, it is nonetheless the
simple reality. You will either find your new job among those that are currently available or those that will open up in the future. This applies directly to your timing, since there is certainly a different set of
timing criteria in each area. In establishing contact with all companies that currently have openings, it will take time to do the prepare your portfolio of materials (resume, cover letter, etc.), research the
companies, establish network contacts, and make direct contact. In most entry level searches, you can reach the 80-90% saturation point in 6-8 weeks of full-time job search (this will vary, though, depending on the job
type, industry, and geography). From that point on, it becomes a waiting game for positions to come available. Since you are locked into the job type and limited on the industry (hospitals, nursing homes, home
healthcare, etc.), the only real variable you can change is geography. But before you load up the truck and cart off to another part of the country, do your research. As your local job search reaches the saturation
point, begin to put out feelers regionally, then nationally. You can, of course, modify your job search locally to take in a greater number of positions (taking it to the extreme, you could probably find many positions
open for nursing aides, although it would be starting beneath your training and qualifications). But the first position will set you on the course for your future career, so modify with wisdom and patience. My bottom
line answer is that you are probably closer to the correct timing. After that point, your job search well will probably beginning running dry of new contacts. Then it becomes very reactive as you wait for someone to
move or die. Not the best way to conduct a job search. As you broaden out your job search geography, you can always back away from a position nationally if you have one offered locally. And you can always use a job
offer as leverage to force those locally that are unwilling to move forward. When it comes to offer or lose, you'll finally get their final answer.
Do you have a question that you would like to have answered here in this forum? Send your question direct to Brian Krueger.
All job search information at this forum is provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter, the definitive guide for college grad job search. Used by permission of the author.
