How to Get Your First Nursing Job as a New Graduate: 10 Steps That Put You Ahead of 100 Other Applicants

Every year, thousands of newly qualified nurses apply for the same handful of posts. Managers often read dozens of applications for one job. The good news is that most applicants make the same mistakes, so a few smart moves can put you near the top of the pile.

Six months from now, you could be wearing your new badge on a ward you chose, with a preceptor who has your back. These steps are how you get there.

10 steps to your first job

1. Start early. Apply in your final months of training. Many employers recruit students before they qualify.
2. Target your placements. Wards where you had a placement already know you. Ask your practice supervisor whether they are recruiting.
3. Tailor every application. Use the words in the job description and person specification, and give a real example for each. See how to write a supporting statement.
4. Lead with a patient story. One specific example of care you gave is more memorable than a list of skills.
5. Show you understand the unit. Read about the service, its patients and its values before you apply.
6. Clean up your online presence. Managers do look. Update your LinkedIn profile.
7. Line up references early. Ask a placement supervisor and a tutor, and tell them which jobs you are applying for.
8. Prepare for the classic questions: “Tell me about yourself”, a deteriorating patient, a mistake you made, and why this unit.
9. Ask smart questions about preceptorship, supervision and training. See 25 questions to ask at the end of an interview.
10. Follow up. A short thank-you email after the interview is rare and remembered.

What managers want from new graduates

• Safety: knowing your limits and asking for help
• Willingness to learn and accept feedback
• Good communication with patients, families and the team
• Reliability and a positive attitude

If you do not get the first job you want

Ask for feedback, apply widely, and consider staff bank work to build experience. Many great nursing careers start somewhere unexpected.

“But every job wants experience, and I have none.”

New graduate posts exist because employers expect to train you. Your placements count as experience, so describe them with confidence and specific examples.

Related: Your first year as a nurse

This guide reflects common recruitment practice in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and Ireland. Requirements differ by employer.