Saturday, December 31, 2011

Landing Your First Nursing Job

The current employment situation in our economy is down, and that is not-so-good news. Here are five tips to keep in mind when looking for your first job in the nursing, or health services field.

The first thing to keep in mind is that you don't have to land your dream job on the first attempt. Broaden your job search. Look for work in related job areas to your dream job. Keep in mind that after you gain experience in any employment situation, you will have a better chance of getting the particular job that you were originally looking to get.

The second tip in landing your first job is to not put too much emphasis on the money. It is important to pay your bills and meet your obligations, but don't make getting a new car a high priority at first. Look for ways to lower your expenses. Share a room or an apartment. Look for a place to live near your workplace, and maybe you can do without the expense of having a car at all. Be creative in keeping your expense needs low, and take away the burden of needing a high paying job when looking for your first job.

Another important thing to remember is that finding a job is hard work. You must pursue the job search as if it were a paying job. Work hard at finding work. Prepare a professional looking resume. Look everywhere for job leads. If you have nothing else to do, call some friends or family and ask them if they know anyone who you can ask about employment. Usually, when you feel like there is nothing else you can do, personal networking is always possible. Make some phone calls, and stay active in your job pursuit.

Don't worry about the job hours. You may have to start second or third shift to begin with. You may have to work weekends and holidays, to begin with. Be flexible, at first. Landing your first job is usually the hardest one. Once you have a job and start to gain experience, you will be in a much better position to look for a better job with better pay, and better hours.

Finally, stay positive about the job searching process. It is hard work. It does take a long time. The reward will be when you have your first job and you start bringing home a paycheck. Keep this goal in mind and you will be better equipped to having a successful job search for your first job.

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