This winter break, I was lucky enough to be able to attend an employer trek in New York City. In early November, an email was sent out detailing some of the hospitals that would be participating in this event. I chose to attend Northwell’s Lenox Hill hospital employer trek, and after watching the information session, I applied to the trek on hireBING. A couple of days later, an email was sent out from hireBING requesting for me to fill out a student agreement form and submit my resume.
As the date approached, I received instructions about where the trek would be located, what to bring ( copies of my resume, my vaccination card, and my government-issued ID), and who would be checking us in. I also made sure my business casual attire was ironed and ready to go for the day! I made sure that I knew exactly how I was going to get there and what time the buses and subways were running so I could get there 30 minutes before the trek was scheduled to start. The day of the trek began early, so I could get ready and catch the 6:45 am bus to the Port Authority terminal! Luckily after getting off there I was able to make it just in the nick of time to catch the subway to the upper east side. My best friend for the day was definitely the NYC transit app ( it told me exactly what subway to take, what stop to get off at, and what time the subway would be coming!). I arrived 30 minutes early, as the email directed, and met up with a couple of other friends who were attending the event as we waited to enter the building.
The event began with a presentation about Northwell Health and included information about their values, fellowship program, and nursing externship program. We also were able to hear from current Lenox hill employees who were Decker alumni! We heard their thoughts on Northwell Health and they explained why Northwell was such a great place to work. They also shared some anecdotes about nursing school and advice about applying to nursing externships and how to interview effectively. It was great to hear multiple staff, as well as the head recruiter say that they were happy to see us here, as it showed dedication to their hospital and it would make us stand out more compared to others who would apply without attending this event. After the presentation and the panel, we were able to take a tour of one of the units. I took a tour of the cardiology floor and was able to talk to the nurse manager about what a normal day on the floor looked like, and what she expected out of her externs. The cardiology floor was amazing and as we walked by, everyone greeted our nurse manager which spoke volumes about the supportive community that Northwell has cultivated.
After the tour had ended, we came back to the conference room to take a group picture and share some final thoughts. I was able to get the email from the nurse manager who had taken us on the tour, and she told me I could contact her if I had any other questions about the application process or Lenox Hill. My day at the employer trek felt fulfilling and it answered a lot of questions about the externships and the process that surrounded them. I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity to help you stand out against other applications and enjoy your visit to the city!
Visit The Fleishman Career Center website to learn more about the CONNECT program and any upcoming employer Treks!
