Nurse Practitioners: How to Choose Your First Job

As a fresh graduate, finding your first nurse practitioner job can be tough! The process is fraught with anxiety. Never fear! This article outlines a few things to consider before beginning your search. When you’re ready, check out the awesome online job search tool built by Health eCareers.  

This article was originally written for HealtheCareers.com.

Be Picky

It’s easy to jump on the first place that offers you a job, but be careful! As a nurse practitioner, you are in very high-demand, and you can be more selective. Make sure you choose a place that you are excited about. If you’re beginning your career there, you might as well be pumped about it!

Skill Building

When choosing your first job, identify a place that will help you safely and comfortably growth as a novice nurse practitioner. It might be a good idea to choose a place where you are exposed to a variety of patients and conditions so that you don’t specialize too quickly. For example, my first job as a psychiatric nurse practitioner involved treating adults and children. I am grateful for this opportunity because it forced me to stay current with the treatment of both populations. Later, I chose to pursue just pediatrics, but I still had a strong foundation in adults as well.

Use Your Network

Seek advice and guidance from your preceptor or a professor. They likely have a good sense of which clinics or hospitals are appropriate for a new graduate. They will also be able to offer some insight into what their experiences were like as a new graduate and what you might want to avoid. Your network can also help you get the job you want. If you know someone employed at your preferred place, reach out to them with your resume and ask them to pass it along to the hiring department.

Good Pay and Benefits

When finding your first nurse practitioner job, remember: just because you are a newbie doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your pay or benefits. Ensure that your employer is compensating you fairly. According to Health eCareer’s 2016 Healthcare Salary Guide, the average nurse practitioner salary in the United States is $100,549. Of course, that amount varies by specialty: emergency nurse practitioners make around $120,000 a year while family nurse practitioners make around $98,000 per year.

Fun Location

If you have the flexibility, you might consider a job in a new, fun location. Often, larger companies will fly you out to interview, pay your moving costs, and provide temporary housing. Nurse practitioner jobs can be found all across the country in urban and rural areas. Don’t feel limited just because you’re a new graduate!

Mentorship

As you interview at various places, consider what degree of mentorship a company has to offer you. Some organizations have structured mentorship programs and will assign you a more experienced nurse practitioner to learn and grow from. These types of programs can be incredibly helpful and inspiring during your first year out of school.

Don’t Give Up!

The process of looking for jobs can be exhausting. You’ll get accepted by some and rejected by others. You’ll be nervous before every interview, but you’ll keep getting better and better at it. Make sure you persevere through the process because you’re making a big decision that will impact the next few years of your career. Be sure to seek support from friends and family and don’t give up!

Do you have any other tips for finding your first nurse practitioner job? Comment below, or email me!