Unit Clerk Job with AHS

[streetdreams]

My girlfriend has been looking for a unit clerk position with Alberta heath services in Calgary for quite some time. She just moved her and is trying to find a job somewhat similar to what she did back home. She has applied for allot of jobs through the Alberta heath services website with no luck. There are quite a few positions available so she is just wondering if she is going about things right way. She would love to work within a hospital or even at a private practice. She has been to a few places like Bethany care center but no one really had time to speak with her. She thinks it would be better to give a resume to someone in person or even just to talk to someone in Calgary that currently works in that field. If anyone has family members in or significant others that works in this field in Calgary. That could give her some advice it would be greatly appreciated. Her background is in long term care she is really looking for anything in the unit clerk field.

[adam c]

she will need to start off as casual to get her foot in the door unless she knows someone on the inside, my wife is in the same position right now

[suen17]

As an external applicant you have to be far more "qualified" than an internal applicant to be hired for the exact same position. Due to union rules that strong-arm managers into hiring internal staff, your best bet would be to 1) contact HR and sweet talk your way into having your resume pushed through or 2) apply & get hired for a rudimentary position (housekeeping or dietary) to obtain internal applicant status, even if you don't end up working a single shift.

The reason why you don't get a call back very often is that managers often hire within their own staff on acute care units, awarding positions ("lines") to staff that are looking to move from part-time to full-time positions. With that in mind, don't apply for full-time positions, you're wasting your time. Same goes for high acuity units like ICU or Emerg. Ask yourself, why would they train you when they have equally qualified internal staff.

Above all, don't get discouraged: go to the units & ask to speak to the unit manager. Call the hospital switchboard & ask to get transferred to "x" unit, then ask to speak to the patient care manager.