The Difference is in The Recruiter!
It has been 2 weeks since I first applied and had that infamously awkward and somewhat frustrating first phone call with a Recruiter from a travel nurse company that I will refer to a “Company A”. In these 2 weeks, Company A Recruiter has called me only once and that was to inform me that one of the hiring facilities I was interested in dropped Company A from its approved list and as a result my “profile” was removed. I have received no further communication or updates from Company A Recruiter and I have had no hiring facilities call me for interviews. Moving on….
GREAT NEWS!!! A few days ago, my temporary Texas nursing license was approved and the process to having my full blown Texas Compact License is almost complete! My TBON profile states “submitted for Perm Lic” and its music to my eyes to see this transition almost complete! When the BON say to start the application process early, I would recommend taking their advise.
With my new Texas temp license, BLS certification up-to-date and the huge disappointment of Company A and my recruiter, I applied to a different agency to not only see if the first impression was different but to also broaden my job reach. Company P, as it shall be known, offered more jobs in my search area than Company A and more jobs nation wide in my field of specialty.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! My wonderful new Recruiter from Company P called me roughly 2 hour after I applied for a position and completed the required skills check list documents. Not being called within seconds of the application instantly gave me a good feeling about this company. When my Recruiter finally did call, she was incredibly nice and took the time to ask me questions about myself and why I was choosing travel nursing. I was asked about my goals and where I had hopes to travel while on contracts. She told me a little about herself and the company, and then asked me what I would like to know about Company P. She took the time to answer all my questions, told me about the benefits the company offered and even told me about the experiences of previous nurses and what they enjoyed about Company P. She sold me her company knowing that I (meaning Nurses in general) was the only reason she was employed. She highlighted why I should choose Company P to work with and what she will do for me to keep me happy and in contracts. At the end of our conversation, she also reviewed how the “pay packages” worked but did not talk actual jobs with me. She simply took the time to make sure I understood every aspect of how traveling worked including how travel nurses get paid and taxed because she knew that I was new to the process.
Are you kidding me?!? Company P and my Recruiter never once talked jobs on our first “meeting” conversation, there was no rushing me into getting my “Profile” completed, she did not scold me for not yet having my Permanent license, she never once asked for proof of my certifications but instead, simply asked if I had them, and she told me that she would contact my references today and call me back tomorrow. There was NO RUSH to send my profile to a hiring facility.
My first impressions of Company P was the COMPLETE OPPOSITE of Company A!! Company P Recruiter was putting me first and not her wallet. It is true when they say “It all depends on which recruiter you get”. I have a fresh start and am actually excited about this prospect! I look forward to hearing from my Recruiter at Company P and am feeling ready to take the next steps.
