Nursing Jobs Guide

Where can I find information about job openings?

Campus Career Center

Your campus’ Career Center is a good place to start. Career Center provides various services such as critiquing and improving your resume and cover letter, conducting mock interviews and publishing your resume in their database. It also helps matching your profile with the employer’s need. If the career center finds that your profile matches the job requisition from the employer, it will contact the employer, so they can arrange an interview with you.

Do not forget to post your resume on your career center’s website, and check the job opening in the website every so often.

Campus Career Fairs

Most US colleges / universities are having career fair two or three times a year; some are having more than that. Big colleges / universities are having the career fair for each academic department. That way, both the students and the employers are more concentrated or more focus.

The benefit of attending a career fair is that you have the opportunity to meet with your potential employer. You can make a good impression, ask question, and give your resume directly to the employer. If you are lucky, you might get an interview offer at the career fair itself.

Companies where you had internships with

If you enjoy your internship experience, you might want to contact your previous employers and see if they have a full-time job opening. The benefit of this approach is that the employer already knows you and you already know the employer. In another word, you already build a networking with your potential employer. You can bypass the human resource and directly contact your potential manager. That way, your chance of getting the job is bigger.

On-line Job Search Engines

Using on-line job search engines is the most common way to look for a job here in the US. There are many dot com companies provide this service. Please have a look at our useful link to find some job search engines.
You can post your resume in these websites to let the employer finds you. However, you have an option to submit your resume and also your cover letter in each of the job opening. It is advisable for you to do so because it will increase the chance that the employer will read your resume. These job search engine websites will transfer your resume, your cover letter, and your other personal data to the employer. If the employer likes your profile, they will arrange an interview with you.

Company’s website

If you are interested to work in a particular company, you can directly go to the company’s website, and find the link to the career section. In the career section, you will see if the company has job openings that correspond with your profile. If so, you can apply directly from that website. Your application will be filtered by the human resource department before it goes to the user (potential manager). If it passed the human resource’s screening, the human resource will contact the potential manager. If the potential manager likes your profile, he / she will ask the human resource to arrange an interview with you.

Job hunters

Job hunter is an individual or a company which sole purpose is helping an employer to find an employee and helping you to find a job. Normally, a job hunter will get a commission from the employer. Therefore, you don’t have to pay to use its service. However, you should confirm it with the job hunter to make sure that you don’t need to pay.

Consultants

Consultant is also an individual or a company that help you to find a job. Other than only helping you to find a job, some consultants offer other services, such as improving your resume or providing you training, which is more relevant to the job. Unlike in the case of job hunter, normally you need to pay a consultant for its services. Some consultants charge you a one-time pay in advance, some others charge you a percentage of your pay for a certain period of time. You should make clear of this payment term with your consultant if you hire one.

Family / Friends

You should not forget your family or friends when you are looking for a job. They are your closest “ally”, and sometime they offer you more help than any other sources explained above. If you have a family or friend who is currently working or even the retired ones, you can ask their help to inform you if there is an opening in his / her company. You can also ask if they could forward your resume to the respective manager. If they know your educational or working experience, most likely they will say good things about you in front of the manager, and it will create a good impression on you.

 

What documents should I prepare when I am looking for a job?

There are three main documents that you need to prepare when you are searching for a job:

* Resume

* Cover Letter

* Recommendation Letters (if applicable)

 

Do you have some tips in looking for a job?

* Write a nice resume and cover letter that portray your experience well, but don’t lie on it. Make sure that you include your important working or educational experience. In the cover letter, write how interested you are in filling the position and working for the company, and that you are the right person for the job.

* Networking is very important, build and maintain a good relationship with your professor and faculty. They can help you either to refer you to a particular company or to give you a nice recommendation letter.

* Try to ask question, show interest, and build a good relationship with guest speakers from companies, which you would like to work for.

* Build and maintain a good relationship with your friends or families. Once they are on the job, they will be good ‘internal’ sources for you when you look for a job at their companies. They can help you forward your resume, introduce you to a hiring manager, or even give you a nice recommendation.

* You can utilize your summer to do an internship. Internship is relatively easier to get than a full time job. During the internship, try to impress your employer with your job. A good impression during your internship will give you a huge advantage when you look for a full time job in the same company.

* Post your resume on as many job search websites as possible. You should realize that there are thousands of students looking for a job through job search websites. In order to make sure that your resume appears on the top, you should up-date it often by re-submitting it every so often .

* When you attend a career fair, make sure that you have your schedule with you, in case you get an interview offer at that time. Make sure that you are free on the interview date. Canceling an interview creates a very bad impression on you.

 

How to prepare for the interview?

Searching and applying for a job is the “easy” part of looking for a job. Your real battle starts when you get an interview offer. Most likely, interview is your only time to impress your potential manager. Therefore, you should really be prepared for it.

If you are applying for a job out of town or out of state, sometime you will be offered a phone interview instead of on-site interview. Don’t feel bad if you are getting a phone interview. It does not mean that you are less important compared to other candidates. If the interviewer is satisfied with your performance, then you will be called for the on-site interview.

Below are several items that you might want to prepare before the interview:

* Familiarize yourself with the company background, especially with the group that is going to interview you. At the least you should know the business of the company, and the role of the group in the company. If possible, get to know the objective of the company and how well the company does in the market.

* Know your potential company well, but know yourself better. Get a sense of what you will be doing if you get the job from the job requisition, and try to match your experience with the skill required for the job.

* Recall your educational and working experiences as well as your technical, organizational, and social skill. Explore your strengths and your weaknesses. Try to show your strengths and cover your weaknesses.
You can start from your resume. Try to make your own questions based on the information in your resume, and try to answer it nicely. Most likely the interviewer will ask you questions based on your resume.

* Go to your campus career center, and ask them if you can have a mock interview with one of their staff. Mock interview is like a trial interview, which is usually conducted in a professional setting. You can even videotape your interview. Mock interviews are immensely helpful as it helps you to see how you speak and how you present yourself in the interview. Many times you will be surprised to see your expressions in the recorded interview. That way you will have an idea of what to expect during the interview, and you can improve your interview skill.

* Go online and search for interview sample questions. Learn to answer those questions well.

* If you are informed in advance that the interview will be held in a restaurant instead of in the office, be sure to learn the dining etiquette or table manner before the interview. You can ask your career center if they have a document or a guidance regarding dining etiquette. You can also find it online using the search engine.

* Pick a nice formal suit for your interview. Usually navy blue or grey would make a good choice. For more information regarding suits for interview, visit this link

What to do and what not to do during the interview?

* Dress (and for ladies put make up) appropriately

* Do not be late. If possible come 10 – 15 minutes early

* First impression is important, give a strong hand sake, maintain eye contact, and be attentive.

* Carry your resume, your recommendation letter or your references’ contact numbers, and your EAD card, just in case they are needed.

* Be confident in presenting yourself. Say good things about you, but do not lie.

* Show your interest in the job and in the company, but do not give impression that you desperately need the job.

* Don’t forget to turn off your cell phone or pager during the interview

* Ask intelligent questions based on the information given to you during the interview or based on your knowledge about the job and the company. Asking question shows that you are interested in the job. Therefore, you should do so appropriately.

* At the end of the interview, ask for follow up. For instance, ask what you should do next or when you should expect to hear from them.

What should I do after the interview?

* At the end of the interview, make note of important detail information that you get from the interview.

* Send a thank you note to the interviewer promptly after the interview. Thank you note does not always be so formal, but you should also know the limit. There are many sample thank you notes on the internet. You might want to check it out before you send one.