Choosing next assignment

Just wanted to see if anyone had any advice on choosing my next assignment. I am from Baltimore, MD and am finishing up my first contract in Kansas City, MO at St.Luke's Hospital (great place to work by the way as a traveler!). I am finishing up the end of this month and am stressing looking for my next job. I was wondering how far in advance I should accept a new position. I have learned that timing is everything in this industry and am hesitant to accept a position somewhere now and have another opportunity come up and regret it. I am talking to about 3 different recruiters wtih different companies who have presented opportunities at Yale, CN, mayo clinic AZ, and anaheim CA. I work critical care and all these options seem to have their pros and cons. Does anyone have any recommendations on when I should commit to something or on any of these locations? Thanks! Ashleigh :)

Hey Ashleigh. I'm often puzzled at how travelers choose their assignments. I always had a list of places, rather than a list of assignments. If I wanted to see the Grand Canyon, I would have to choose between Flagstaff and Phoenix. If I wanted to SCUBA dive in the Keys, I'd have to choose between Ft Lauderdale and Miami. Choosing between CN, AZ, and CA seems a very diverse option list.

Bottom line, where do YOU want to go? What are the things that make you consider each of these areas? Or is it just a monitary thing? Nothing wrong with that, it's just hard for me to understand how people fully enjoy travel when they are only choosing locations for the money.  What do each of these locations offer, other than work? You can certainly ask about certain hospitals like, "Is Del Mar Memorial a good place to work?", but without knowing your situation, the dollar amounts involved, the other attractions in the area, and all the pros and cons of each, it's really difficult to advise you in one over the other.

The one thing I can say is that if you are ending an assignment in Sept, I would want to secure another location ASAP. I usually like to have everything set by the time my assignments end, which usually means starting the process anywhere from 2-6 weeks in advance. It all depends on how far out the location is accepting applications. I have had assignments where I have confirmed my next one over a month before ending the current one. This is especially important now days because you could call back next week and find all of the positions you were considering, filled.

I advise travelers to center in on the location they want to see, then go after the first assignment that gets them there. Waiting for something better used to be an option, but I have known many travelers that have lost out on assignments even waiting a day or two to commit.

Hope this helps.

David
travelnursesbible.com

I try to find another assignment 2-4 weeks before ending my current assignment.  Of course I’m with a couple of companies and know which ones will work for me best and try to get me to the location I want to be near.  Since I work with the Laboratory field, I don’t always have the option of going where I want and often have no assignment  for a week or two.  I have always taken the first offer that comes along, and this is still after working as a traveler for 3 years.  Most of the companies have the same job and a dozen techs trying to get the same job.  I’ve declined some assignments based on location, pay rate, or company.  I would like to say I want to pick my target location but sometimes you have to take what comes along with the whole travel life thing.  Of course location is key and I was lucky to find an assignment near Niagara Falls this time, which is what I was looking for. 
 
The nursing field is different as you have more options.  I always check out the town/city before committing to an assignment.  I look up the area using city.data.com which gives all the information you need about the town.
 
Good luck finding your next adventure. 

i am currently working at Mayo Clinic. It is a wonderful place to travel to. I have been here for almost a year, having a hard time tearing my self away. Love the hospital but not wanting to make Phoenix my home. Im not in to biking, hiking, or hard core outdoor activities so I haven't found a lot of things that fit my interest. So I guess it depends on what you are looking for! good luck

I can't thank you all enough for your feedback! It has really helped me out and I have decided to extend my current contract a couple weeks to give myself a little more time in deciding about next job. I think I am going to head to the west coast considering I just got my Cali license and explore that region for a couple months there are a few good job opportunities right now in northern california one in particularly in Santa Clara. About 55 miles south of San Fran. Anyone have any familiarity with this region or area? Thanks again! Ashleigh

San Fran is FANTASTIC!!!   We are in San Jose right now, about 55 miles south.  We go there most weekends, we actually hop on the CalTrain and skip the parking and traffic issues.  I have also been in LA, Santa Maria, Torrence, and Palm Springs.  San Fran is definately my favorite!  I am about 4 weeks out from being done here as well.  Hoping to explore NYC next.   =)    Good luck in Cali!

-T

Hey girl, I was in Vallejo for 3 months earlier this year.  There are tons of things to check out there.  You will love the area!!!  I am working at St Lukes South right now but I am PRN here.  This was my job before I started traveling.  How are you liking the plaza?  What department are you in?