...Until It Doesn't (Why it's not so easy to "just get a job" even if you're highly qualified)

January was rapidly approaching so I began submitting my information to travel nursing companies, only to find out that it's not as simple as packing up, flying to another state and walking into a new hospital to rescue them from low staffing on an exciting unit where I would gain all sorts of experience.

Road block #1: Nursing licenses are expensive and a pain in the butt to obtain.  Apparently no one actually wants you to work in their state, despite the fact that we all take the same national certification exam.  There are a few exceptions, and those are the compact States.  If you are lucky enough to have residency in one of them, you can work in any of the 24 states who have joined, without jumping through the hoops everyone else does.  Unfortunately, as you can see from the map below, Ohio is not one of these States.

Map of the States who have adopted the Nurse Licensure Compact, photo credit NLC.

Those unlucky schmucks who aren't residents of one of these States, and/or want to work in a State who is not a member, are saddled with fees, paperwork, multiple background checks (read: more fees), and trying to convince every school they attended that they "only need one more transcript sent" (and pay more fees) just to then wait for weeks or months to see if they will accept you and allow you to work in their State.  

Then you wait to see if you can get a job in that State, because no one is going to hire you before you have the license since it can take weeks or months for you to be licensed and they need help now.  The way around this particular hurdle is to apply for a temporary permit (good for three months to one year, depending on the State) at the same time.  Which means….yes! more fees! (Up to an extra $284 for Alaska.)

Dreams of lying on the beach in Hawaii between shifts dissolved into excitement about exploring the streets and restaurants of San Francisco.

Road block #2: All your references need to come from the unit in which you want to work.  I had been under the impression that with both pediatric and emergency room experience I would be welcome on any basic pediatric floor and probably adult emergency rooms as well.  Well, no.  Apparently I only qualified for other pediatric emergency rooms, and those are about as scarce as you think they are.

At the beginning of February one of my recruiters suggested I contact my previous hospital and try to pick up some extra shifts while my recruiters continued to try and find me any travel jobs, in any of the multiple states they were now combing.  Luckily I found a listing for practically the perfect permanent position, at my old hospital.  I wouldn't have to move, I could quit my State to State search, I could get the massive amounts of experience I was looking for, and I'd still have my beloved Crossroads down the road.

Road block #3: It takes weeks just to get an interview with anyone. In the meantime you are considered an idiot if you assume you will ace the interview and get the job, but also ungrateful for the opportunity if you continue to look for other positions just in case.  

Toward the end of February I went in for my interview, which I thought went really well.  Everyone I talked to in my field thought I was shoe-in for the position.

Roadblock #4: Arbitrary Preferences.  You are not everyone's cup of tea.  When you are their cup of tea, you don't necessarily fit their budget.  Chances are that you will never know the real reason you weren't hired, so you can't even improve your chances the next time.  Even if you could……you just aren't everyone's cup of tea.

The second week of March I received confirmation that I would not, in fact be hired for what I had built up to be my "dream job."

Roadblock #5: Shame and fear.  I had just spent a month trying to get a travel position and six weeks waiting on a permanent position, and I had nothing to show for it.  Maybe I deserved it for going gallivanting around the world.  What if everyone continued to pass me up for either nurses far more experienced or new graduates and I couldn't get a job anywhere?  Would I accept unemployment?  Would I even qualify?  The Obamacare deadline was fast approaching and I was involuntarily exempted from the benefits of it because I didn't have a job (What? Yes. That's actually how it's "working.")  Should I give up and apply at a big box store?  Would I be overqualified?  Would that be a red flag to hiring managers at hospitals?

Luckily I have a great support system and managed to pull myself together (after an hour of sobbing and waking my boyfriend up with 500 text messages going off next to his ear, because why not? That's his job right? /kidding.).  I applied for more jobs at more hospitals and also contacted the local free clinic about volunteering.  I buckled down and focused on the community involvement to which I had previously committed.  And I waited.

Roadblock #6:  Lack of communication.  I'm still not sure if we're talking about bad luck when it comes to "slipping through the cracks," an over-reliance on inadequate technology, or just bad manners.  After several weeks of radio silence I logged back into all the hospital websites to check for new job listings for which I could apply.  I was irritated to find that over half of my previous applications had been marked as "no longer being considered" and I had never been notified.  I had received automated emails that I was being considered, but not when they had ruled me out.  

To end on a positive note, I do have another interview this upcoming week so... *crosses fingers*