Graduating from NP school in the spring was exciting!
Passing the ANCC certification test was stressful and exhilarating!
But the nurse practitioner job search has been nothing but frustrating.
Even though the search continues, I can’t help but wonder? What have I learned from being told “no” over and over? From being ghosted by organizations and recruiters? From seeing more qualified persons step into positions that I would die for?
1. KNOW YOUR STRENGTHS BUT MOSTLY YOUR WEAKNESSES
Most of the time, even when you’ve done everything you know to do to get the job, it’s still a big fat NO. It’s easy to take that personally, because—heck!—maybe it really was me they hated! After going down that road a few million times, I realized that there’s no point in beating myself up over this. I eventually learned to stay focused on my strengths and weaknesses.
I KNOW what I know! I know my education and experience have qualified me for the job. I know I’m easy to get along with in the workplace and am a committed team member. And even though my greatest weakness right now is having no nurse practitioner experience . . . this is a temporary weakness! It will pass if you just give me the job!
The bottom line is these people will quiz you on your weaknesses, so being ready with an honest and positive response—that demonstrates self-awareness over desperation—is crucial.
2. DON’T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET
Unfortunately, I had to fill several baskets overflowing with eggs–more than once–to figure out this one. I had an amazing three-hour interview with a private practice internist—they fed me pizza and offered me the job– only to be ignored after I responded to their 16-page contract with three pages of questions and recommendations for verbiage changes. Suddenly, their office became a ghost town. These people hugged me goodbye when I left, why wouldn’t I put every single egg in their basket?
What I learned is that I’m not sorry for taking my career and my time seriously and covering all my bases by recommending alterations to the three year contract. I’m not willing to trade my life and my time for something I can’t live with in the long term. However, I am sorry I didn’t go to the second interview I had scheduled on that same day. Yup, I did that.
Now, even when they make an offer and feed me pizza, I continue the job search until a contract is signed. I keep my options open.
3. SEE THE POSITIVES IN THE NEGATIVE
Most of my rejections have come with either no feedback or with the following feedback: We’ve chosen someone with more experience. Okay, so they don’t actually say that. Word for word it sounds like this:
- “You’re a new nurse practitioner?”
- “You’ve only worked as a nurse not a nurse practitioner?”
- “You just graduated then?”
What I’ve learned from this feedback is to make the most of my inexperience. I push the fact that I’m open to learning how they practice. I stress that as a new grad, I’m familiar with current guidelines and all the latest evidence-based practice. And the best thing about being a new grad is that I’m eager and in sponge mode! I don’t actually say sponge mode just in case you’re thinking that’s why nobody’s hired you.
I used this approach on a phone interview with two docs attached to the other end. It was a large organization and things were going swimmingly on speakerphone! I had all the right answers to all their pointed questions. I could hear the excitement in their voices as they lined up their job with my qualifications, one point at a time. After about 15 minutes, they pulled out my CV and wanted to go over it and realized I was a new grad. I thought maybe their office had suddenly filled with snow. I got the “So you’ve never worked as a nurse practitioner?” question that’s really not a question.
I countered with my ability to catch on quickly and my eagerness to learn everything the way they do it. What I got was “We just need worker bees who don’t need too much attention.” The call was over.
I didn’t say putting a positive spin on things helped get me a job, but it does keep me sane.
So, if I put lessons 1, 2, and 3 together, I guess I can sum it up as: DON’T GIVE UP!
Here are a few kind words from family, friends, and colleagues (who cannot figure out why someone hasn’t scooped me up yet!) to help ease the pain:
- Not everything is meant to be.
- Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- Everything will work out in its own time.
- The right job will come. Be patient.
- What about driving for Uber.
Good luck on your job search.
I’d love to hear about it. Leave me a comment and let me know!
Thanks for reading!
