Summer, for some, is a time for fun in the sun. For Amy Alderson, a soon-to-be graduate of the nursing program at the University of Texas Health Science Center, summer means lots and lots of hours in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). And she couldn’t be happier about it. Alderson took some time to share her story about landing the job of her dreams:

I am a nursing student with just one semester left before graduation and am trying to get my foot in the door . . . not just any door, but the door to the NICU where I want to begin my career as an RN. You see, since high school, I have known I wanted to work at this NICU and nowhere else. The only problem is I didn’t exactly know how to go about reaching my goal. I’m 23 and this “career business” is all very new to me. Who do I talk to? How do I write a resume? What do I say or not say in an interview? The questions were endless, and this seemed an impossible feat. But, I knew I would never get anywhere if I didn’t at least try, right?

So my journey began online at the hospital’s job bank. Scrolling through the never-ending sea of jobs, I spotted it. “Nurse Extern, neonatal intensive care unit.” So many thoughts flashed before me at that moment. You name it, I thought about it. But my philosophy is that you’ll never get anywhere if you don’t try, so I decided to apply. After that, it was out of my hands, right?

Well, not really. If I really wanted it, I had to give it all I had to get someone’s attention.

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