These past few weeks, I have been battling a tough respiratory infection and have really fallen off the “blogging” ladder. Now that I am back to semi-normal health, I want to catch up on how my hunt for contract #3 is going.
I started looking into possible contracts 2 weeks ago while I was on bedrest. I either applied or looked into at least 6 different locations ranging from San Antonio to Dallas, Myrtle Beach, SC to West Palm Beach, FL and Albuquerque, NM.
I was so excited about San Antonio when I applied. This was a coming home location for me because I grew up near there and first attended college at San Antonio State. This contract unfortunately was filled just before I applied. This is a common occurrence because it truly is a first come, first serve job. If you meet the requirements and were interviewed, you are almost guaranteed the job. The hiring managers don’t want to waste time interviewing travelers when they already found one that fits the bill.
Myrtle Beach also gave me hope only to put the pending contract position on “hold”. I am not entirely sure what “hold” means but my recruiter was not optimistic about it re-opening, so, I had to move on with applying to other locations.
My Dallas, West Palm Beach, FL, and Albuquerque, NM interest didn’t get far. I have mentioned before that I have to make sure that there are RV parks with availability before I officially submit my profile for a contract. Both of these locations were a bust because I was unable to find a place to park for the dates required for the contract.
And then there was Calhoun, GA. This location was selected for convenience but the actual contract requirements were a bit absurd with the amount of call hours vs working hours vs pay. Travel Nursing is hard enough and don’t want to burn myself out on a contract that just doesn’t add up.
So, now I am back in the hunt. I have another promising location that I would love to accept if I can get an interview and an offer! This location requires PALS and to make myself meet requirements, I have already registered for the class. Not having my PALS before applying may be my downfall but it is worth a shot! Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me that the hiring manager sees my registration for the class as proof that I am someone who is willing to do what it takes and not someone who doesn’t have experience with Pedi patients! (I do have Pedi experience, just not officially PALS certified in the past)
Keep following along, Contract #3 is bound to happen and I am excited to share every step of the way!
