Embarking on a job search is often an exciting, and yet exhausting process. Beginning a new role, especially one that matches your professional and personal goals, reminds you of why you started a career in nursing and can restart your passion for what you do.
But a job search takes a lot of work, so some preparation before you begin will save you time and will help you find a good match for your skills and your own needs (a higher salary, a shorter commute, a new location).
Minority Nurse recently caught up with Anne Jessie, DNP, RN, and president-elect of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN), for some tips for nurses who are thinking of making the big move and starting a job search.
Q: Should nurses do any kind of self-evaluation or career evaluation before they begin a job search?
A: Yes. Self-reflection is always helpful. It is important to spend time thinking about why you think a job change may be needed or desired. Are you stuck in a place without opportunity? Is the company you currently work for unstable? Is there an unanticipated career opportunity that is too good to pass up? Once you determine your motivation for doing a job search, ranking the following areas in order of importance can be helpful in narrowing your search.
Company culture
New level of responsibility
Opportunity for growth within the new company or new job role
Pay and benefits
Company stability
Q: What is the best way to get organized and think about a job search?
A: Ask yourself what you have enjoyed doing most throughout your career, what you’d prefer never to do again, and what areas of career growth opportunities you may have identified. This self-exploration should help you to picture your ideal role more clearly.
Browse job postings for the different types of roles that align with your identified career goals. Are the responsibilities described in the postings appealing and do you meet most of the qualifications?
Edit your resume so that prospective employers will understand what type of position you are seeking and how your experience aligns. You may need to edit the content depending on the job you are seeking. Highlight accomplishments and experiences that are most transferrable, listing the most recent and pertinent to the posting at the top of your resume.
Create a one-page cover letter template that identifies the position you are applying for and clearly demonstrates that you have done research on the company–for example, mention a recent company accomplishment or news story. This template can easily be customized to each job role you apply for. Address the letter to the hiring manager, recruiter, or human resource representative at the company.
Identify 3-5 people to be your references and ask them if they would be willing to speak to your skills. Consider present colleagues, professors, or supervisors.
After participating in a job interview, write an amazing thank you note within 24 hours of the interview.
Q: What are the best tools to use in a job search and what makes each one distinctive — for instance LinkedIn, networking, job boards, alma maters.
A: First, consider all your resources: General nurse recruiting websites or agencies, and nursing specialty job boards like AAACN’s Career Center, or those offered by the Organization for Nurse Leaders. Networking is, of course, one of the best ways to find a new position. I’ve heard our AAACN nurses say they found a new job after they joined one of our Special Interest Groups (SIGs), and I see job discussions frequently in our online community. Such new connections can help a nurse discover an area of practice they didn’t know about or had never even considered.
Second, create or optimize your LinkedIn profile. It should be an extension of your resume and cover letter, and should include a professional profile photo and engaging summary that highlights your skills, career achievements, and accomplishments. Also, include volunteer experience as appropriate, as well as education and professional certifications. Maintain your presence by regularly posting and commenting so you appear active and engaged.
Social media can also be a positive platform if used to contribute to conversations regarding timely health care topics. Ensure that you refrain from engaging in conversations that could be considered controversial. Also, make sure your profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and other platforms are set to private.
Q: Should recently graduated nurses conduct a job search in a different way from a more experienced nurse? Are there better approaches for nurses in different stages of a career?
A: While knowledge, skills, and attitudes are important, a positive attitude and ability to communicate flexibility in the acceptance of job assignments is key for the new grad. Content and processes can always be taught, but a positive attitude in an employee can sometimes be hard to find. Take full advantage of job fairs that are organized by your nursing school as well as healthcare systems recruitment events. Employers who offer nurse residency programs as part of orientation and onboarding are committed to hiring new graduates and investing in them as long-term employees.
Q: Is there anything about this time when so many processes are remote, that can impact a job search positively or negatively?
A: The biggest impact is the uncertainty of the impact from COVID-19 on the job market. Many organizations have suspended hiring and have temporarily furloughed nurses. That said, facilities that offer remote work such as nurse call centers have been vital to providing virtual clinical support to vulnerable populations and have expanded during this unprecedented time in health care.
We’ve seen this trend reflected in a jump in demand for AAACN’s telehealth resources and the networking among our AAACN members who practice telehealth. I think telehealth is going to continue to grow significantly in coming years because its value will remain even when COVID-19 has been tamed.
Q: How can a nurse prepare to use this time as an advantage?
A: Self-educate and develop skills that support patient engagement, mutual goal setting, and motivational interviewing that promote patient self-care management. AAACN’s Care Coordination and Transition Management (CCTM) resources can assist in developing these skills and competencies. These skills are especially critical when working with patients virtually but can translate to any work environment to ensure improved disease management and quality outcomes.
Have a few personal and professional references you could call on to attest to your character and working history (do this before you fill out an application or have an interview).
Polish your networking skills.
Make sure necessary certifications are current—make a plan if they are not.
Understand any educational requirements. If you don’t have them, know what might work in place of a specified degree.
Have an interview outfit ready to go.
Have you investigated?
Have an idea of the type of organization you want to work in—hospital, clinic, private office.
Read up on the nursing industry to identify pain points or trends.
Identify the nursing leaders in the area you are considering.
Can you explain your strengths?
Craft a two-minute elevator pitch to explain your strengths.
Ask those close to you to explain your best qualities.
List both your technical skills and your soft skills.
Look up other resumes with a quick online search to see if yours explains your work experience enough.
Do not underestimate what you do.
Does your job search fit your plan?
Know how a job move will help you advance in your career.
Decide if this is a stepping stone or a long-term move.
Envision how this new position will fit in with your personal and family obligations.
List how this move will contribute to your personal satisfaction (more or less responsibility, greater impact, higher salary, more service opportunity).
Use these as starting point to make sure your job search starts off on the right foot. The more you have considered, the better your focus will be.
Are you thinking it’s time to test the water on a job search? Is your career feeling stagnant and you think it’s time to move to a new organization or even a new branch of nursing?
What can help you with your decision if you’re not ready for a full-fledged job search?
Testing out whether it’s time for a job switch takes some thought and a little bit of work. Here are a few ways nurses can gather information without jumping into a full search.
Sit in on Seminars
Find some seminars or classes that will help you decide if you want to move from emergency nursing to travel nursing or from infusion nursing to cardiac care. Get some experience, talk to a professor or class leader, and chat with others in the room (even in online classes) to get a point of reference in your job change decision.
Become a Visible Networker
Networking isn’t all about finding a new job, but it is about becoming noticed in your profession. And if you have an active and extensive network when you are looking for a job, you’ll have a valuable resource. Find association meetings, nursing groups, or even a few general business groups and regularly attend meetings. Meet new people and offer your help as well.
Go to a Career Fair
Find a healthcare career fair and take some time walking around. Come prepared with resumes just in case you find an excellent opportunity, but make gathering information your primary goal. Investigate what jobs are out there and see how your qualifications measure up.
Gain Skills
Whether you take on more responsibility in your current role or gain skills on a team to learn new skills (volunteering for your town’s emergency response team, for instance), know you need to learn more. Start the process for a new certification or volunteer to learn the new software at work – just make sure your skills are current, cutting-edge, and marketable.
If you decide a career move is your next step, you’ll be ready with a solid understanding of the available opportunities and how your skills will meet the market needs.
Starting a job search is exciting. Thinking about a new nursing role or working in a new organization is often energizing and helps get you through the work of looking for a new position. But if you are getting lots of rejections (or even flat-out silence), it’s time to shake things up.
Today’s job market is intense and competitive. If you’re a qualified nurse with a solid background of great work, finding a job shouldn’t be as hard as it sometimes is. If your resumes and inquires are being met with a solid round of no, it’s time to step back and see what you could do better.
1. Take a New Approach
If you’re only sending out resumes, it’s time to do something different. Branch out into professional organizations or networking groups. See if there are any seminars or lectures on LinkedIn or in local organizations. Get yourself out of your routine and meeting new people. Despite today’s incredible technological advances, many job offers come though personal connections not computers.
2. Check that Resume
Sending out the same resume you started with months ago could be a problem. Lots of rejections means it’s time to change it. Your resume isn’t getting replies so check it over for obvious things like spelling errors or grammatical mistakes. But also look at your resume with a critical eye. Should you try easy-to-read bullet points instead of a paragraph? Do you have an outdated phrase like “references available on request” that you should delete? Are you showing rather than telling your experience? Change it up.
3. Prepare for Your Interview
Even if you have an interview with people you know, you have to remember you’re probably up against some highly qualified candidates. Each interview has to be your best interview. There’s no way around that, so you have to be prepared. Know the job, know about the company, be ready to talk about your accomplishments, and ask relevant questions. Be prepared enough so you can listen to your interviewer without just thinking about what you’ll say next. You’ll respond better and will be more relaxed.
4. Do the Follow Up
Follow up after your interview with a handwritten thanks. Email is fine, but in today’s electronic world, many people appreciate a handwritten note.
5. Keep Your Momentum Going
Even after you land a new job, keep growing your professional networks and building your reputation. Careers are always changing and you might decide on a new direction a few years down the road. If you are ready, the next opportunity might seek you out.
Vision boards are an excellent way to visualize your best life, goals, and dreams. Vision boards are a creative way to generate a visual of the things that you want to see manifested in your life, and a way to provide yourself a daily reminder of why you work so hard, and what your outcome will be. Creating a vision board does not have to be a tedious process. This can be a fun opportunity for a girls night, wine, and some creativity
Here is what you need to host your vision board party:
-Poster boards/Paper or Cork Board
-Magazines
-Scissors
-Glue
-Snacks
-Most Importantly Some Good Wine/Vino
Have a Method to Your Board
There is no right or wrong way to do this. I tend to divide my poster board into sections by category. Divide you vision board into 9 different sections. The top three sections of the board (from left to right) should be prosperity, reputation, partnerships/love. The second row should be family, health, and unity. The third row should be self-improvement, career, and travel. You can see a visual example of several options on Pinterest.
It is important to remember that you can change or update your vision board as much as you deem it necessary. I typically opt for the cork board version of the vision board because it is easier to modify. If you are hosting the vision board party and would like to utilize the cork board, it may be more cost-effective to collect those funds from your guests in advance, or request that they bring their own if they would like to use that.
Get Digital
Don’t have the time or resources to buy supplies for everyone? Get digital with your vision boards. There are several different ways that you can complete a vision board digitally by downloading simple apps from App Store from Apple or the Android Market. I particularly like the Success Vision Board Application by Jack Canfield, the creator for chicken soup for the soul. You can also create one online at www.dreamitaliave.com.
Remember the law of attraction! Hang your vision board somewhere you will see it daily. Use it to inspire you and generate positive energy at the beginning of your day. Live and work towards your dreams every day.
