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Help! (Portland and OHSU)
Hi Oregon ladies! I need your advice. I'm currently a new grad RN living/working in Minnesota. Here's what I just posted to my board...
A couple days ago, I posted about my happy job news. After 5 months of hunting, I finally got hired as an RN at a home care agency in the cities. DH and I have been wanting to move to the cities since we got married, and we're so close!
Well, a month ago my uncle (who is a prestigious research doctor) came to visit. He decided to send out a few "connection" requests to the Oregon Health and Science University and the National Health Institute in Maryland. Both are extremely great systems and would basically give me an amazing kick start to my career. My resume and cover letter was forwarded to all of the nurse managers at OHSU by a doctor, and I didn't even apply to a specific position.
Today I got a call from one of them. She told me that she had been through 40+ interviews and didn't want to hire any of the applicants because even though some had medical/surgical experience, no one had the passion for oncology she was looking for. Then she remembered my resume/cover letter that was randomly forwarded to her a couple weeks ago. Well, I have a serious passion for oncology...it's my dream job. Basically she doesn't care that I don't have experience, she cares that I desperately want to work in oncology. What?!? DH doesn't want to move and neither do I really. I just think that in 5 years I might be seriously regretting not jumping on this opportunity! To say the least I'm torn. =(
~~~~~
The ladies on the Minnesota board say that I should look more into the Portland area to see if it's somewhere I'd truly be ok moving to. My mom was born/raised there, and I spent a few family vacations at Canon Beach and other random places in OR. That's about the extent of my knowledge of the state! Can you all please "sell" me Portland and/or OHSU? Should I take a leap of faith?
Re: Help! (Portland and OHSU)
If you've got a hospital dying to hire you in a field that you're dying to work in, I say go for it! Portland might be rainy but we're not in the frozen tundra of Minnesota that's for sure
Plus the culture, small town feel and overall Portland-ness is awesome. I've lived here for 22 of my 30 years on earth and I honestly would never live anywhere else. 
And hey, now you've got some built in friends from The Nest
If your DH doesn't want to move I don't know if I'd do it. I really love Portland and I think working for OHSU would be great. But your DH would have to find a job too and in the current job market that could be hard. We have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation right now.
RN's are in demand everywhere so I'm sure you could easily find a position where you live now. Maybe you could get some more experience first and then try again in a few years when the economy is somewhat better. It's great that they want to hire you even though you don't have the experience right now, but I don't know how you would feel doing a job you're not fully qualified for. It seems like a big gamble to me. That's just my honest opinion based on the information I have from you.
My amateur photo blog
I would do it provided your H can find a job. As PP have said, we have one of the highest unemployment rates in the country and the job market is awful right now.
Portland and Oregon, on the other hand, are a highly desirable place to live. Lots of activities, good people, good food, beautiful country, etc. I would suggest you come out for a visit (possibly in the winter as the grey often gets to people) and see what you think, research places to live and get a feel for the city.
Learning to start all over again... Blog
The problem is that RNs are in demand, but it's RNs with experience because hospitals don't want to train new grads. It has taken me almost 6 months to get hired here in MN, and not even into a hospital. Minnesota doesn't really have a nursing shortage at all. My DH may have a difficult time finding a job out there though...he works in retail/business. So far the most promising company we've heard for him is the Nike Headquarters. He has been trying to get into the Best Buy, Target or General Mills HQs out here in Minneapolis but there's no bites.
And about the being qualified part- this manager said they give new grads extra training and classes, so they wouldn't be throwing me to the wolves thank goodness!
Do you mean Oregon has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country? Or the country in general is at a high? My biggest concern is layoffs. Here we've had numerous hospitals go through layoffs multiple times and sooo many RNs have lost jobs. I'd be concerned moving across the country for a job if there were any layoffs happening because I'd be the first on the chopping block.
Oregon has hovered in the top three for months as having one of the highest unemployment rates in the country...meaning Oregon has been hit exceptionally hard by the economy and we have A LOT of people out of work as a result.
As for layoffs, I know Nike just did layoffs several months back and I believe OHSU did layoffs within the last year. That being said, the oncology area of OHSU is pretty prominent. Retail is taking a huge beating...I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Portland, and Oregon, doesn't have a lot of really big business. It's a city/state that prides itself on small, local business. This is so awesome but it also means that things are a lot tougher when the economy is struggling.
Oregon has hovered in the top three for months as having one of the highest unemployment rates in the country...meaning Oregon has been hit exceptionally hard by the economy and we have A LOT of people out of work as a result.
As for layoffs, I know Nike just did layoffs several months back and I believe OHSU did layoffs within the last year. That being said, the oncology area of OHSU is pretty prominent. Retail is taking a huge beating...I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that Portland, and Oregon, doesn't have a lot of really big business. It's a city/state that prides itself on small, local business. This is so awesome but it also means that things are a lot tougher when the economy is struggling.
THANK YOU ALL for the encouragement! This morning she emailed back and actually said that she interviewed another candidate who could better answer some of the medical questions about the medical issues on the floor I'd be on and that the position was going to him.
What's meant to be will be. God just made that decision for me. Looks like I'll be hopefully moving to the cities then!My amateur photo blog
Here's the Employment section of the MovingToOregon Blog:
http://movingtooregonpdx.blogspot.com/search/label/Employment
Nike is Oregon's only Fortune 500 company which makes Oregon's job market less than desirable if you're looking for work. Oregon also has one of the highest hunger and homelessness rates which ties into our high unemployment rates.
It's a beautiful state with a lot of potential but we're doing very little to attract high-wage jobs to the state and need is increasing rapidly.