The final semester of grad school requires a lot. After studying for the NCLEX, wrapping up nursing work, remembering to submit everything for your RN license in North Carolina, and making the most of clinicals, it’s a miracle if you have time to breathe, much less look for a postgrad nursing role in North Carolina.
Often, we think of the job search as a scary, long-winded process. It brings up images of rejections, long nights revising resumes, and cringe-worthy interviews. But if you start early enough and have the right tools in your corner, this couldn’t be further from the truth.
As a nursing graduate in North Carolina, you possess an in-demand skill set. You simply have to connect with the right employers in order to land that dream nursing role. Luckily, there are some easy hacks to connect faster and make the job search a meaningful part of your final semester.
Recognize your worth as a nursing graduate
Nursing school is stressful, but the job search afterward doesn't have to be! As an RN, your skills are in demand in North Carolina, and plenty of employers are looking to hire you—we should know as we gathered many of these employers on our app.
To give you a confidence boost, check out these stats on nursing in North Carolina:
The demand for nurses in North Carolina is growing, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Not only that, but nurses who work in metropolitan areas make more. RNs in Charlotte, for example, make $73,260 a year on average.
North Carolina is currently short over 12,500 RNs, and UNC predicts that number will continue to grow.
Older nurses in North Carolina are retiring at a faster rate than ever before, giving newer RNs leadership opportunities earlier in their careers.
In North Carolina, your future as a nurse is one of higher salaries, abundant job openings, and leadership opportunities. Instead of dreading the job search, you should strut into it, confident in your worth and ability to find a great nursing role.
Create a game plan early
If you’re graduating this semester, you should also be walking into the job search process now—not next week or in June. Applying for jobs can seem like a process that will take a LOT of time. Between exams and clinical hours, you don’t have time to customize your resume for each employer, network with healthcare professionals, and write cover letters.
Luckily, by starting now, you can take three steps to make the process easier:
Define what you’re looking for in a role. Based on your clinical hours, lifestyle preferences, and favorite topics in nursing school, create a checklist of dream job features. When looking at job postings and potential employers, see how many items they check off and only apply to employers who have many of the features you’re looking for.
Chunk it up. Do one to three small tasks related to the job search each week instead of trying to do it all at once. For example, today, you could polish up your resume, and later this week, you could connect with potential employers on LinkedIn or job platforms like HireMe Healthcare.
Use tools designed to connect you with employers quicker. Often, the best tool is a job-searching app designed for nurses in your state, similar to how HireMe Healthcare specializes in helping nurses find roles in North Carolina.
Make it communal
Navigating the job process alone is tough for a seasoned professional, much less a fresh college grad. You’ve never had a full-time RN role before, and while your clinical hours might have provided some clarity about what to look for, it’s normal to feel lost and confused in the search for your first RN role.
But you don’t have to stay lost and confused. Instead, you can draw on feedback and support from seasoned industry professionals. Don’t be afraid to reach out to RNs at your clinicals, to your professors, or to other healthcare workers who could provide advice and support.
When you reach out, ask if they're willing to sit down and provide career insight. Unsure what to ask? Consider starting the conversation with these questions:
What do you wish you knew when you first graduated?
What are the green flags I should be looking for in my first RN role?
What are healthcare practices and hospitals looking for in entry-level RNs?
If you can’t think of anyone you feel comfortable reaching out to (or want another free opinion), our Director of Nurse Relations, Denise Jones, is here to help. She’s currently offering free 20-minute virtual coffee sessions to North Carolina nursing grads. In these sessions, she’ll walk through how to optimize your professional profile to attract the right employers.
One app to make the job search more efficient
If you're in your final semester of nursing school, you most likely have a LOT on your plate, including the job search. What if there was a way to connect with North Carolina's top nursing employers from your phone? With HireMe Healthcare, there is.
Our app has helped countless nursing grads land more nursing job interviews and land their dream nursing roles. By signing up today, you can find a job before graduation! Download our free nursing app and set up your profile to explore open roles.
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