Reports from the Job Search Frontiers for US New Grads

About this time of year emails start coming in from students about those who have gotten jobs after passing NCLEX-RN.  In the past few years, reports have shown anywhere from 5 to 8 months to get a job right out of school.  Students who moved out of their home training area were more likely to have a job in 5 months or less.

Here's what I'm hearing from former students since graduation season:

• Most students have a job within 5 months of passing NCLEX with interviews often coming before the exam is taken.  This is a big change and may reflect what's going on with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obamacare).
• New York, Philadephia, Boston, and San Francisco remain the toughest job markets for inexperienced nurses.
• Jobs are readily available in the US South, Midwest, and Southwest. Most students who have gotten a job in 3 months or less have moved to one of those areas of the country. Message: You might need to move to get that first job.
• Willingness to move may mean you're more likely to get a job in an ICU or specialty area of choice.
• Rural areas remain a great place to get your initial experience and get a job quickly.

I'm also hearing that hospitals are considering applicants as "experienced" after working 15 months. These nurses have often moved into specialty areas of choice in a shorter period of time.

Based on what I'm hearing, the US nursing job market is improving!