Graduating soon... worried about job hunt

[ChayaS]

Hi, I have 6 months to go in the accelerated program at SUNY-Downstate... but from what I'm hearing many new grads are having trouble finding a job. I started thinking about a nursing degree about 4 years ago, but took it very slow due to family commitments etc. B"H I will be finished soon, but not to have a job after all this effort will be quite.. frustrating, to say the least.

Does anyone have any leads for me? When is the best time to start looking? I want to start doing whatever I can to prepare for the job search, even though I still have 6 months to graduation.

I'd love to spend more time volunteering in hospitals etc. to get a foot in the door (especially considering how little clinical experience we actually get--but that's a different story) but I have small kids at home and taking off extra time in addition to school is just too much. But maybe it's worth it if it will help me get a job later...

[medic09]

Shalom Chaya!

The worries about a job are indeed scary.

#1 Don't forget to daven. I know that's not the all-encompassing solution; but sometimes we do forget Who provides for us.
#2 Talk it up with the people on your clinical rotations. Sometimes folks end up being encouraged to apply where they've done rotations.
#3 How far are you willing to commute? Get a map, draw a circle encompassing that radius, and identify all the hospitals in that area.
#4 Would you all consider moving, or does your husband's work keep you where you are?
#5 See number 1, above.

Let us know what ideas you come up with! B'hatzlaha!

[chayan]

Thanks, medic (yes, I'm the OP, I'm still not familiar with how logging in works on this board).

I'm open to moving but only if it looks like something stable. I can't keep moving my family around without a good reason.

[psyched]

If you want to work in my crazy psych hospital, send me a private message! I'm trying to get a strong frum presence here!

[Rivka P]

psyched, from your other posts, I think you have scared us all away!

[achot]

Chaya, hows it going? If you want to make aliya, I would help you but other than that I cant, sorry. Hope this message finds you working hard!!

[chayan]

Thanks for thinking of me, Achot! There's really nothing I can do about the job search right now other than worry. I am studying hard and doing well in school b'H. My sister also lives in Israel and is trying her best to convince me to make aliya. It's a nice idea but a little hard for me to think about at this point. I'll let you know!

[mypprincess]

I don't think I would wanna be a nurse in Israel. I would never work on shabbos if I have an option. And in Israel I believe its harder. It's not like I can have my black or Irish coworkers work instead there.

[achot]

I understand, Baruch Hashem I have always found work that didn't make me work on SHabbat.or even Friday afternoon.
Pitchu Li Petach shel Machak...

[medic09]

Mar 15, 2010 19:09:04 GMT -5 mypprincess said:

I don't think I would wanna be a nurse in Israel. I would never work on shabbos if I have an option. And in Israel I believe its harder. It's not like I can have my black or Irish coworkers work instead there.

Myprincess, with all genuine respect, the Torah/halacha considers all that. Torah was given to create a Jewish society. You notice the halacha clearly deals with very unpleasant issues like a death penalty, waging war altogether and waging war on Shabbat, providing medical care on Shabbat, etc. When great rabbanim like Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach or Rav Eliezer Valdenberg were asked questions about how to run a hospital in a Jewish society, they never even suggested an answer such as 'stay away from the Jewish society and you won't have to deal with it.' How is it that the halacha even states that when a life must be saved (or maybe so) on Shabbat, it should be done by a Jew davka, not a non-Jew; and it should be done by a great Jew rather than a commoner?

I certainly understand the discomfort in dealing with things like a Shabbat of 'work'. Over the years, I was confronted with it several times. Last time as recently as a few weeks ago when I was called into an emergency on late a Friday night. But the Torah isn't meant to be an opportunity to retreat into our comfort zone. It challenges us to rise to challenges and find holy ways to solve them. In cases like this, with the halachic and philosophic/hashkafic guidance of hachamim.

Of course, I understand we aren't all the same and all have different abilities to cope, legitimately so; but I think you touched on an important philosophic issue for those of us who strive to be obedient to and love Hashem's Torah.

[mypprincess]

medic, my comment has nothing to do with halacha.
My concern is spending shabbos with my family, and I'd like to avoid being away from my kids on this special day.
Shabbos is a day when computers, Gameboy, and other muktsa pastimes are not an option. This is the day I spend with my children playing board games, or just talking without distractions. I can't afford to lose the precious time that I have with them.
As a teenager I did work on Shabbos. I used to take care of a special needs child. It was a great excuse to leave my boring house .

[medic09]

Although it is certainly common, I doubt that every nurse in Israel is working Shabbat rotations. Might there not be a job for you without that necessity?

And you have my genuine respect for taking care of that child on Shabbat. A truly special thing. One I couldn't do.

[achot]

Of course I agree with Medic and want to say that I also agree with MYPrincess- although we do not have gameboys etc, we do have a computer with a strong filter (Rimon). However Shabbat is a special day to be with your family and I try to do so even though I know that as a nurse I am obligated to make sure my patients are cared for properly. It is a fine line and halachically we are obligated to preserve both health and life and SHabbat.
Bottom line it is possible to work in Israel as a nurse and not work on Shabbat,

[Rivka P]

Mar 19, 2010 9:55:03 GMT -5 achot said:

Bottom line it is possible to work in Israel as a nurse and not work on Shabbat,

Good to know! :-) Shabbat Shalom!