[00:00:00] I just take the whole grad thing with a pinch of salt. It is just a pathway. It is one option. It is not your only option. You can get in 300 million different other ways and you do not need to make it mean anything about you that you didn't get the grad program and that if you start your nursing career without a grad year, that in some way, shape or form, you're tarnished and you've got a black mark against your name and no one's ever going to take you.

It's total tripe. It is. It's myth. It's lies. It is not factually true. Clear it out of your brain. It's not serving you. Hello beautiful humans, welcome back to the podcast. Today we are talking all things graduate nurses. I [00:01:00] know graduate nurses, we have helped many of you this year. In fact, like a couple of thousand of you this year have downloaded our free guide, which is incredible and we're so grateful to be a part of your journey.

And you've told us all about your amazing successes. You have let us know that you've got your first preferences and you're starting your career next year. And it's so exciting. So we're all very proud of you here at Incasable Coaching and High Performance Nursing. And that's why we do what we do to help nurses.

Globally, launch their dream job and do it with ease and sell and communicate your skill set so that you don't under earn if you've listened to last week's episode Make sure you go and check it out. Now

today. I'm talking to you about What to do when you've been merit listed because there's a few of you sliding into my DMs Say Liam, I got merit listed and it's great and I say, okay.

So what are you gonna do next? And many of you are just sitting waiting. And I wanted to touch on this today. I wanted to spend a couple of minutes talking about this because I think it's very important. And I think so many of you [00:02:00] Might potentially miss out on other opportunities whilst you're waiting to be taking off a merit list.

So, The reason why I'm talking about this is because people are telling me and some of our GCLP grads have been merit listed as well. Okay, this happens across the board and there are so many reasons as to why you could be merit listed. Number one, merit list is incredible. Like, you are like a micro step away from a job.

So do not poo poo it, do not shit on yourself. This is amazing. It's better than not being merit listed, right? So, this is where we've really got to sell and communicate our skill set and our achievements. And be like, this is huge. I worked for three years, I've been merit listed. Now I've got an opportunity, I've got a potential pathway.

The other reason why is because I've been coaching our grads on this and you know, sometimes merit lists can, especially in the nursing world, are just lists that just sit on somebody's drive on their computer and nothing happens with them. And that's a real possibility. In this day and age it might be a little bit different because we have such shortfalls and staffing [00:03:00] shortages, but just remember, not every shortfall can be filled with a graduate nurse because then we'd have a very unbalanced skill base across the board.

So whilst there might be lots of jobs online, on Seek and on the websites of these hospitals and organizations. Don't just assume blindly that they can just hire anybody, because they can't, they, have a particular quota around how many grants they can hire to keep it safe, okay, because new staff, so on and so forth.

However, that does present an opportunity for you to get creative about what you do from here. Now, I'm going to give you a couple of top tips, tips around what I gave to our graduates in the GSLP, around getting yourself off the merit list and getting yourself an opportunity that you can be really proud of.

Now, of course, you're on the merit list and most of these merit list processes will not tell you when they will tell you. They do not give you any clarity. They just keep it vague and ambiguous and we will be in touch. You've been placed on a merit list. Congratulations. We'll be in touch. Now, just to give you a story, we had somebody join [00:04:00] ANSI SLP last year who was placed on a merit list the year before.

So they were out with a job. Out with? Without a job for nearly 12 months, waiting to be taken off this merit list. And they were stressing. And they came to us and I said to them, okay, yep, we can help you. And we weren't very hopeful with the merit list, because it had been 12 months. So they came in and joined the GCLP and we started applying for a couple of different jobs and then they came back to me and they said, Oh, well, I was put on this merit list.

Do you think I should approach them? I was like, that's the first thing that I would do. It's a really, really quick one to get back in touch with the hiring manager and just say, Okay, can you tell me more information about the timeline when the merit list is closing? How long am I on the merit list for?

Do I need to go to organisations and pitch myself and tell them that I'm on the merit list so that they can take me off it? Or do I just sit and wait and hope for the best? So this amazing human did this. She was an RN and an RM. And she went away and they offered her a [00:05:00] job on the front. They offered her a job on the phone and she was like, Oh my God, I'm freaking out.

I got my dream job. And it was her dream job. And they had literally said to her, Oh we forgot that we had a wait list. Like we forgot this was a public hospital in a very big state. So, these things do happen, and you really do have to be hot on their tail and give them a bit of a push, a bit of a nudge, because remember, they've done this recruitment round, they've taken their first selection, their first group, and then things happen.

People leave, people move on, they're not always going to think about going back to the list, it depends on the manager, there's so many variables. So I want you to take full control. Email them immediately and ask them, what's the plan? When will I be taking off it? Do I need to go out and pitch to other people, or do I just sit wait tight, and when's the deadline?

When will I know that I'm not being taken off the merit list? You're within your right to ask these questions. Okay, so get creative. Call them. Email them. And get the answers that you need. Because what would you rather do?[00:06:00] Sit there and wait for 12 months and not be taken off it with no job and kicking yourself that you didn't give yourself more opportunities.

Or dive in, be proactive, show them that you're keen, which could be a Recruitment turn on is the wrong word, but I'm going to use it. It could be a turn on for them. They're like, Oh, they want the job. Like, let's go. And, or just sit there and wait. Okay. I know what I would do. If you are like, you want a job, you want to start making money, push, push, push, push, push.

Now that's the first thing that I would do is get in touch, clarify, confirm, and create a bit of a plan and a safety net for yourself. Because if they come back to you and say, Hey, you just got to sit on the list. And we're not really sure. That sucks. But it gives you great ammunition to then go and go, well, I need to create another opportunity for myself.

I do not want you working in Coles, Aldi, bloody Woolworths, anywhere with a nursing degree when you could be nursing. Because you're waiting for this job to miraculously appear from the merit list. Okay, go out and create new [00:07:00] opportunities for yourself. So, what am I doing in the GCLP with some of the grants that have been waitlisted?

Amazing! Let's celebrate. Contact. Clarify. Creates opportunities for yourself and let's go back out to the job market. Let's go back out to these hospitals that you really love working in. The placements that you've been on that you thought, Oh, I could work here. Let's start making connections. Let's start networking with the manager directly, going through the switchboards, calling, Hey, can I speak to the NAM of Six West?

Great. Put me through, talk to them, have this scary conversation. Remember, they're just a human being. That has a position and a title, and they're just like you. They were like you at one point in their time in their career. if they've got a job and you're great and you're proactive, they'll want to give you the job.

Trust me. By doing that, you will set yourself out from other people. And you will also get great insights. And you can even tell them, hey, like I'm on the merit list for New South Wales Health. And you're at New South Wales Hospital. Do you think there's an opportunity for me to send you a resume and to apply for a position on your ward?

I'd [00:08:00] really love to be a student there. I'd love to start my career there. Have a conversation about it. The worst thing they can say is no. And you'll feel a little bit of maybe shame and embarrassment, and you'll feel a little silly, and then you'll get over it. Because you need a job, right? You need a job, you need to start making money, you need to start consolidating your skills.

We need you in the workforce. So, do that. Call the network, and create a list of all these potential opportunities for yourself. Once you've done that, go to their job website, and find jobs that are actively open. And apply for those. These RN level 1 positions, RM, EN level 1 positions, apply for all of them.

Every job description is going to tell you. Suitable for only people with 2 years experience. And I'm rolling my eyes, because listen, if you learn how to sell yourself and communicate your skill set, and show them why they should pick you over somebody that's been qualified for 2 years, you might just get hired.

Okay. Do not believe that it's over before it's even started. [00:09:00] Give yourself the opportunities. I talk about this so many times. For those of you that only applied for one program, you're in trouble! Because at the end of the day, you want a buffet of options at every stage in your career. Do not ever just apply for one job.

Apply for more than one job. Especially in this market and especially right now if you've been merit listed you're going to go and find all these RM positions and you're going to see it says suitable only for people with two years experience and you're going to go that's great but I'm amazing and I'm going to apply because I really like the sound of this job and I think that I could do it.

Because you can't. Because you're an RN. And you can totally do it. And to take the edge off that, that worry and that fear for you, you can call them and you can say, Hey, this is my situation. I'm on the wait list. I'd really love to apply for this job. Would you consider me applying? And they'll say yes or no.

And if they say yes, you apply. And if they say no, you say, okay, are there any other opportunities that you think I could apply for in your department? In the hospital? [00:10:00] Are there any other wards that you think I'd be more suitable for that I could apply for? Is there somebody I can talk to on the ward in the recruitment division?

Keep asking questions. Do not take no as an answer. They have jobs. And they will give jobs to the people that present themselves really, really well. Okay? Let's think about how we can make you an irresistible offer to the employer. They want to hire people. They need people, trust me. But they need people that can come in that can show them that they're willing to do the work.

And that they're going to show up and, you know, deliver and be safe and be competent and ask questions and be curious and be coachable. If you can show them all of that through that process, it doesn't matter whether it's a grad program or it's not a grad program. So there's some really amazing gold there.

And we actually did this with one of our amazing grads this week. And we said, Hey, amazing, you're on the merit list. Okay, now what next? We did everything that I've told you today. And then from there. We have already secured an amazing ED interview opportunity for a direct entry position into ED, which [00:11:00] is their dream Tell me that it doesn't work.

It works. You just have to do the work Okay, so if you're on the merit list, this is your golden ticket You might be lucky enough to be pulled off it, but most people sit on it for a while, especially when it's fake and ambiguous. So, create certainty for yourself so that this period of time is not wishy washy, worrisome, you know, indulging in fear for six months before you start your job because you don't know when it's coming.

Create opportunities for yourself, and here's the best thing. When you create these opportunities and you get a job offer from that ED, direct entry role, And you get another job offer from that private practice that you applied to. And then the grad program comes through, you've got three jobs to apply for, to take from.

Which one do you want to take? Which one is best for you? And a final word on grad programs. I've said this three million times and I don't want to be Debbie Downer about them. I think that they're incredible. I love the fact that there's support there. I love that it's 12 months and you get x, y, and z and you get to [00:12:00] taste different areas and you're kind of handheld through the process.

But that is if the grad program is good. That is if the support is there. That is if the people that are supporting you are great And they're not just in that job because they wanted an easy Monday to Friday 9 to 5 job I'm not calling that out, and I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I'm just saying I see so many of you putting grad programs on a pedestal, and they're just one way.

It's one way, it's one way that universities and the hospitals are marketed to you, that is the best way to start your career. And I will tell you, I get more negative reviews of grad programs, which people will always tell you the negative things before they tell you the positive, but I get more negative reviews of grad programs than I do positive.

So, I just take the whole grad thing with a pinch of salt. It is just a pathway. It is one option. It is not your only option. You can get in 300 million different other ways and you do not need to make it mean anything about you that you didn't get the grad program and that if you start [00:13:00] your nursing career without a grad year, that in some way, shape or form, you're tarnished and you've got a black mark against your name and no one's ever going to take you.

It's total tripe. It is. It's myth. It's lies. It is not factually true. Clear it out of your brain. It's not serving you. Okay, and I know there's a prestige or like a, Oh, I got a grad program. Big deal. And great, amazing, good on you. I didn't. And I went at and got an amazing job that actually better aligned with me.

That better suited me. I created a different pathway. I did something I would never have done before. These are all the opportunities available to you inside and outside of a graduate program. So if you have been merit listed, great. If you been merit listed, great. Now you get to go out and explore all these different options.

And there are so many different pathways for you to choose. So. Meritless people, I want to hear from you. I want to hear all the action that you're taking. Come and tell me. Talk [00:14:00] to me. Tell me what you're doing. Let us help and support you. Even if it's just through a voice note and a DM. I love to hear this stuff because I know that it works and it will get you from A to B and it'll get you to your goal faster.

If you want to sit there and just wait, you can sit and wait. You don't have to do nothing I tell you. But then don't be bitching on the Facebook groups, okay? Don't be complaining. You don't have a grad yet or you haven't heard back yet. Because you haven't created more opportunities for yourself. And for those of you that do not have a job.

it's tough. you don't have a job. You have applied for maybe one or two programs and you've not been shortlisted. You've not been merit listed. You know that we can help you. We are here to support you. We have everything that you need. Okay. We are the only. I said this to somebody the other day and they couldn't believe this.

We're the only nursing career coaching service in Australia that guarantees that you land your job. Because we work with you until you land a job. It's 100 percent risk free. All of our grads this year were like, Oh my God, I cannot believe how much value and how much support is in here. [00:15:00] And for those people that got merit listed, we are still working with them to apply for other jobs because they're going to beat the people that are not.

Getting jobs that are not doing that work. They're just sitting on the merit list. They're gonna create a job for themselves. They're gonna find that job. Because they gifted themselves the support to make that happen. Because when you're in this lull and you feel like you've quote unquote failed, Right, or you're a little disappointed because you didn't get it on the first go.

That takes a bit of mental and emotional work to get out of that place to be able to go back out into the world. So our grads have jumped on it and they've got the support and they're out back in the workforce. Booking in interviews, connecting with managers and creating amazing job opportunities outside of a graduate program.

So they take control of their career. So I know there are many of you that are international nurses that have not landed jobs that listen to this podcast. If I'm speaking directly to you, contact me. We can work with you. We will support you. We'd love to support you in getting into your first job. Now, what I will say as [00:16:00] I wrap up, if you're a domestic nurse and student as well, that's going through that process, connect with us.

We will help you and support you to take it to the next level and to get creative about where you go to from here. What I will say is that for those of you that have not landed a grad, you're going to find it pretty difficult to find a job, unless you're happy taking any job. I don't say that to be negative, I say that to be realistic.

There are vacancies across the whole country in or in level one positions that you can directly apply for, but it depends on the state and the territory. A lot of these states and territories are very, very strict about grads not going into RN level 1 positions. In particular, up until this point. A type of recording, Queensland, is very challenging to get people into the system, into the public health system I'm talking about, if they have not landed a grant.

Okay? So, I have noticed this year that they've put more people on the merit list, which is maybe what they've done strategically, so that they can then offer second round offers, which makes so much sense. It's [00:17:00] great. But for those of you that don't get an offer... Then it will be more difficult and that's where I encourage you strongly to come and work with us so that we can support you.

In applying for all of the jobs, you're going to need to apply for more than probably five, six jobs based on our experience last year with grads that did not land a grad that came and joined GLCP afterwards in round two, and then we helped them land a grad. It just took much longer. If you go to any other career coaching service, they'll charge you for one application and the average is around between 800 to about 1, 200.

per application. And in our GCLP it's all inclusive, one price, and you get unlimited support, unlimited application support, unlimited exploration support, unlimited interview support. It's ridiculous. It should be like 15 grand. it's so good. And we guarantee you the job we work with you until you land a job So if that sounds like you you know where we are The link is in the show notes come and join us in the gclp round [00:18:00] two.

We'd love to support you and if you are on the merit list go and do the work create these opportunities for yourself connect with me on ig at high performance nursing and let's Make it happen. Let's get another job opportunity so you're not relying just on this merit list and get yourself into the nursing workforce.

Until next week, I will see you then. Stay safe, stay forever curious, and I'll chat to you soon.