Career Fairs Helps Ease Post-Graduation Concerns

A career fair is a great way to see what health care institutions are available in your area and what opportunities you will have when you graduate. It expands the possibilities outside of the scope of just the hospital setting—which is often the focus during school. Some participants may include local prison facilities, schools, companies, government agencies, etc.

Recently my school held a career fair and I was amazed to see the many options that were available to me. Not only were there multiple local hospitals present, but each one of them offered something different. Some hospitals offered internships during the summer, while others expanded on their new facilities and benefits.

A career fair is a great way to “shop” for your future job. Instead of looking for jobs online or in the newspaper when you graduate, you can see firsthand what is available and even ask questions to the representatives while they are there. Some facilities even have nursing recruiters who will assist you in completing the application process and ensure that the transition from being a student nurse to a nurse at their facility goes as smoothly as possible.

Even if staying in your local area is not what you plan on doing, career fairs are still great learning opportunities. It can help to narrow the focus by discovering what some health care employers are offering. Once you see what is available and being offered you can start to fine tune what you are looking for in an employer and narrow it down to a place that suits your needs (perhaps one that offers relocation expenses, a sign-on bonus, tuition reimbursement or a newly remodeled department in your area of focus, etc.).

The career fairs that I have attended have helped ease my post-graduation concerns and I have found them all to be worth my time. I hope that you will discover the same.