A Career Counselor Gives Insight On Standing Out in a Competitive Nursing Market
By Jill Randolph
June 25, 2010
The following is an interview transcript with Mark Werbeach, Career Development Counselor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington,who works with 11 different concentrations, including Nursing. In 2002, Mr. Werbeach graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor's in psychology and received his master's degree in counselor education at Radford University, where he also taught a career development class.
UNCW, a highly sought after school, is featured in a number of reviews, including the Princeton Review who named it one of the Best Southeastern Colleges. UNCW enrolls approximately 13,000 students each year and the Career Center serves the entire student body, as well as alumni. The Career Center helps students determine their career direction, create resumes, cover letters, and portfolios, prepare for interviews, apply for graduate school, and find internships and jobs.
Jill Randolph: What are the most important things high school students should do in order to be accepted into their preferred nursing program, and how soon should they start working on that plan?
Mark Werbeach: As high school students are going into their junior and senior years, they need to start taking things very seriously. Prior to that, they need to earn a good GPA. At most colleges, aspiring nursing students will spend their first two years in pre-nursing taking general courses, and then they will apply to their university's nursing school. Therefore, a lot of the decision is based on the first two years of college as well.
Students need to keep their GPA well above a 3.0, but grades alone do not guarantee admission into the nursing program. Pre-nursing students stand out by gaining related work or volunteer experience. Gaining this experience will show the nursing school that they are really determined to be a nurse and will be an asset to their community.
Jill Randolph: How has your program changed from the past?
Mark Werbeach: I've been working with nursing students for five years, so I would like to talk about the recent recession and how it's affected us and driven significant changes. Prior to the recession, nursing was a booming field. Recruiters were bending over backwards to attract candidates, and nursing was one of the hottest job markets.
Other fields have also slowed down. We hold a nursing career fair annually, and we've seen a significant drop in the number of employers attending. We also offer sponsorship opportunities, and that's dropped off as well; employers are cutting back.
Jill Randolph: Do you think that more healthcare employers want their employees to work per diem or as needed without offering the benefits that a full-time employee receives?
Mark Werbeach: I doubt that. A lot of other industries don't recruit; they wait for candidates to apply with them. Before there was such a need for nurses, hospitals spent a lot of time and money trying to attract candidates. For our career fair, we still have a lot of core recruiters attending, including the ones that receive the most value from interacting with our students.
I believe that all nursing students will find a job before or soon after they graduate. Landing their top choice will be more difficult and they are going to have to work harder to find opportunities, but nursing has not been as negatively impacted as other markets in the recession.
Jill Randolph: In the past, when nursing was very competitive, some programs tried to weed the students out who weren't as likely to succeed in the field as others. Do you think that is still the case, or are college and universities today more concerned about helping their students succeed?
Mark Werbeach: Nursing is still one of the hottest fields today, and if students are really interested and willing to put forth the work and effort, I encourage them to pursue it. However, nursing programs today are not any easier or more difficult than they have been in the past. They are as difficult as they have always been, and every year I see students who have planned their whole lives to become nurses, but are not accepted into the nursing program. They have high GPAs and they've joined related organizations, but there are many students who want to go into this field. Nursing programs have the luxury of being choosy.
We are building a new nursing building so that we can admit more students, hire more faculty and have more resources. I hope that we will be able to take on a greater number of students as a result.
Jill Randolph: So the nursing industry is still more protected than business, for example?
Mark Werbeach: Yes, there is still a shortage of nurses, so healthcare facilities continue to hire, however now they are able to have their choice of top candidates. Since it is an employers' market, most companies and healthcare facilities let candidates who are interested approach them.
This means nursing students may not be able to rely as much on career fairs as they were able to in the past, and they may have to go through the application process more formally.
Jill Randolph: Do you have mostly traditional students, or have you seen more non-traditional students coming into the program since the economy has been declining?
Mark Werbeach: I almost exclusively see traditional-age students. Community colleges seem to have more non-traditional students than four year universities, though.
Jill Randolph: What do you think are the most important things that students can do to prepare to find a job in the nursing field after graduation?
Mark Werbeach: Nursing students have to separate themselves from the competition. For example, involvement in clubs and organizations is really important, especially those related to the field of nursing. Students need to excel in their coursework and in their clinical rotations, and if they have insights from these experiences to talk about during an interview, that may help separate them for their competition as well. Employers tell me that it is very important that students have related work experience or complete an internship so that the students can offer the experience that most people do not have.
Jill Randolph: Do you recommend that nursing students gain experience with both a private practice and a hospital while in school, so they can determine which fit is best for them before graduation?
Mark Werbeach: Yes; aside from helping students decide which fields fit them best, this will also help them build their resume, which is extremely important. One of the things that I work on with our students is helping them to understand that all nursing students, regardless of their school, receive great training. Therefore, completing internships and volunteering will help them land the job of their choice.
Jill Randolph: What do recommend students highlight about themselves so that they can outshine the competition?
Mark Werbeach: I hope that recruiters look at candidates and judge them based on their accomplishments in their relatively short careers, and not only on the number of years for which they have worked. A student who has been packing his or her schedule full of internships and leadership experience should be more highly valued than someone who has four years of school experience doing the bare minimum.
Students who have a lot of internship, work or volunteer experience are a much better bet for recruiters because they have proven themselves to be able to accomplish a lot in a short period of time. They may not have years of experience, but they offer promise as to their potential.
We often see that happening here, as we have many candidates with five or ten years of experience applying for the same job. Students don't know where their competition lies, so they should strongly consider taking the time they have in school and making the most of it in order to stand out from their competition. This way, they will have specific accomplishments that they can list on their resume and talk about during their interview, no matter which other candidate they are competing against.
Jill Randolph: What else do you recommend to people so they can stay competitive while in the workforce, in case they eventually decide to change careers?
Mark Werbeach: It depends on how big of a change that they are looking for. If a nurse decides that the healthcare field is not for him or her and that person wants to do something else, there are still other opportunities available.
In order to stay competitive, networking is really important. Especially as people are further along into their careers, a lot of their success becomes dependant on who they know, so people should make sure that they are shining in whatever they do. They should make sure that their supervisors, coworkers and anyone who might be working with them has a positive experience. Going the extra mile, even if it doesn't need to be done, is going to impress their peers, and when that person is looking to move up the ladder in the future, employers will remember that.
It goes beyond simply working hard, however, as there are committees people can join and research to become involved with, either in or outside of hospitals. By volunteering and using nursing skills to help the community, people are going to set themselves apart from the rest of the competition. If people are working extremely hard and going above and beyond, they have to make sure someone notices. Employers and coworkers have to see what they are doing, but sometimes people have to toot their own horn because no one else will do it for them.
It is important to be tactful about this, however, because if coworkers start resenting people who go the extra mile, their extra effort will work against them. People need to realize that those who are not their boss can also influence future career moves. For example, employees who want to become supervisors should ask the people who have reported to them what they think of the experience. If the direct reports don't like dealing with that person as a boss, there are going to be potential problems in moving forward.
Employees who want to be promoted have to play every angle and make sure that they are not upsetting anyone, that they are taking everyone's concerns into consideration, and that they are making things better for both themselves and for others around them.
Jill Randolph: What do you recommend to people who may be more introverted and don't necessarily want to get involved in office politics?
Mark Werbeach: I don't know that it needs to be looked at as a political game. There is that potential, but I think people who are more introverted still need to make an effort to make professional friends. A lot of people get nervous about the word networking, but it really is simply about making friends. If people are so introverted that they are not making friends at work, then I think there are some questions as to whether or not management is the right role for them.
If I am going to hire someone to be a manager, I first have to see evidence that they've been a leader in other roles. I need to see instances where they've led other people and have been successful. If someone who wants to be a supervisor or manager has that experience, along with a decent amount of praise from his or her coworkers and supervisors, it will go a long way.
Jill Randolph: What other advice do you give to students regarding networking?
Mark Werbeach: More students find their jobs from internships, work experiences, volunteer experiences, and others they have networked with, more than any other source. A lot of students feel like they don't have a network, but friends, family, co-workers, and classmates are all potentially great networking contacts. Students can start with the people they already know and start building from there.
Students also have to be aggressive about getting out of their comfort zone and meeting people. If they are able to go to a conference or join a professional association, those offer opportunities to network as well. Becoming involved in as many clubs and organizations as possible is crucial, as people never know which contact from their network will be the one to present a job opportunity.
I believe that where people choose to go to college will open up different networks for them as well. If students are not involved in different organizations, however, and if they are not completing internships, they are not building the most effective network. A network isn't only a list of friends.
To use nursing students as an example - if their friends aren't other nurses or hiring managers in healthcare, what exactly are those contacts going to be able to do for them? An effective network is more about professional contacts within one's industry or related industries. By getting involved, joining organizations, taking leadership positions, or volunteering, people can build a network very quickly.
Jill Randolph: What do you recommend to students regarding having a work-life balance once they start working full-time?
Mark Werbeach: Everyone has what I call a 'happiness equation,' or what it takes to make that person happy in his or her life. One of the most important things for a good work life balance is an employer that will truly be a fit, along with choosing a place to live that is the right fit.
Sometimes students look closely at the job, but they don't think about the city where the job is located, or vice versa, where they only want to live in a particular city and they don't care as much about the job demands. Employees need both a job that fits well and a city that matches their needs; otherwise part of their life is going to be potentially out of balance.
Once students or recent graduates start working, however, they need to realize that they are not going to be in love with everything about their job every day. There are going to be some tasks or co-workers that they are not particularly fond of. That's why I think it's important to have fulfillment outside of work.
Work can be very gratifying, but if people have a bad day and they have nothing else to turn to, it can make a bad day worse. Building a good support system is going to bring joy to people's lives when another aspect of their life isn't going well, such as their job.
I've seen students who have taken positions only based on the job they were offered. If the city is not a fit, the job may quickly become less and less important. People need more than work to make themselves happy. Therefore, I recommend that students research everything related to the jobs they are considering, including location, that city's cost of living versus their starting salary, the average age of the city's residents, and more.
Students can also use LinkedIn or Facebook to find people who are close to their age group and who may give them an honest opinion of what they think of that city and the things it has to offer. These things could include the city's dating scene, athletics, shopping, weather, cost of living, and other things the student is interested in. If students can find people who are in the same demographic, it's a good idea to ask about the positive and negative parts of that particular city, to have a reference point.
People need to visit a new city before accepting a job there, and check things out for themselves as well, rather than listening only to their friends' feedback about that area. Taking a mini vacation to see what's around that town will make the decision about accepting a job less stressful.
People often interview and they don't really make an effort to explore the city in which the job is located. Then if they take the job, they assume that every city has a music scene, a downtown scene, and fun local places to visit, and once they move, the new city may be very different from their expectations.
Moving for a new job is a major decision. If people are not familiar with an area, it is not logical to assume they will move there and automatically set up a good life. Students need to put just as much attention into where they are going to be living as to where they are going to be working.
Students also sometimes forget to consider how many people of their own demographic live in the area. I've always grown up having a lot of social things to do, and I assumed it was like that everywhere. I don't know why it didn't cross my mind that there are places in the country that don't really have a lot of social things to do. When I came to Wilmington, I realized I needed to put some effort into where I had moved. Fortunately, there is a strong base of young professionals here, and a lot of people are active in a lot of different organizations and activities.
When I meet with students trying to decide where to live, I challenge them to see if they've done the research in order to make the right decision for them. I sometimes have students who want to move based on impractical reasons or naive assumptions, because they haven't explored the area well enough. I also recommend that students look at budgeting and finance issues that will help them to be prepared for the working world as well, to make sure that their intended career is the best fit.
Jill Randolph: Do you think that nursing students in general are more directed than other students, or less directed?
Mark Werbeach: We sometimes hear seniors and recent graduates from other majors saying that they don't know what they want to do with their degree. However, nursing majors have been exposed to different experiences through their educational program. Rarely do I hear nursing students who are about to graduate say that they don't think the field is for them, because the nursing school constantly forces them to check and ensure that it's the right fit.
Nursing students are exposed to many different facets of the field during their program, including blood draws, working with patients, completing chart paperwork, and more. They are able to regularly experience what their future job will entail while they are in school, and during this time they can make sure that nursing is a good fit for their needs and skills.
Jill Randolph: Do you have websites related to nursing that you recommend to your students?
Mark Werbeach: We have a website created by UNCW that I highly recommend, called "What Can I Do With A Major In...?" On this site, we research and post other websites and resources for students that are focused on the careers they can pursue with each major. We list options for each major we offer here at UNCW.
For example, the page related to nursing lists job and internship links, along with career information and professional association data as well. We try to make our website a one-stop shop for someone looking into the listed career fields, by posting informative websites and by showing students how to become more involved in their industry of choice. This site is also open to the public, and many universities link to it because it is very valuable for many students and alumni.
Students should also always research companies, understand how their skills will benefit those companies, and sell their skills as a solution to each company's needs. This advice is true regardless of the economic environment.
Students should use their career services office to help them with their resume, interviewing techniques, finding jobs and or internships, and more. Career counselors can help students highlight their unique skills and abilities, making them a standout to employers.
