How to Land Your Dream Travel Nursing Destination

One of the major attractions of travel nursing is that you get to live and work in dream locations. Nurses who lived in Texas or Alabama all their lives probably dreamed of visiting sunny California or living in the grandiose city that is New York. Or perhaps, if you’re from Florida, you may have always wanted to visit the Midwest in December to experience a winter wonderland holiday season. Indeed, the best way to travel is through travel nursing. Not only will you get to visit different locations, you will also get paid for it.

However, given the stiff competition out there, many recruiters will tell you that you may not see your dream locations on your first or second assignment. Popular locations like New York, Boston, Los Angeles, just to name a few, will have nurses lined up around the block. If your nursing experience doesn’t stack up, there’s very little chance that you’ll get picked over more experienced and seasoned travelers.

That said, there’s no reason why you can’t land that dream travel assignment sooner rather than later. When it comes to career, whether it’s nursing or business, it’s usually the person who brings their A game who gets the job. So remember to be at the top of your game when competing with other nurses for that much-desired dream location. Here are some tips to help you:

Keep your certifications and documentations up-to-date

Make sure that you have your most updated certifications showing on your resume even before you start looking for an assignment. Research licenses required in your dream location and make sure you have them. Make sure too that your recruiter has all your most recent information. Having all the required documents ready to go will encourage your recruiter to submit your file to a facility in your desired location as soon as something pops up on their computer monitor (and something will!)

References: Be sure to have them

If your dream destination is a popular one among travel nurses, you stand a better chance of beating the competition if you have great references. Nurse managers will want to contact your previous supervisors to find out how you did at your previous employment. Additionally, list down all the new things that you learned from your assignments for the next nurse manager to see. The idea is to showcase you are quick to pick up things and are always willing to learn.

Nail that Interview

Not to put too much pressure on you but your interview is very important. A successful interview could spell the difference between whether or not you get to travel to your ideal location.

Here are some tips for ensuring that your interview goes smoothly and according to plan.

Take Advantage of Your Recruiter

Your recruiter is your friend and your champion. No one wants you to get that dream assignment more than them. So bear that in mind and ask plenty of questions. Listen to their insights as they point you in the right direction. They might suggest a location that at first seem left-field for you. Keep an open mind and take their advice into consideration. They have been in business for a long time and might actually know something you don’t.