Can you work as a CNA without being certified?
Well, if you’re asking this question, chances are that you’re still in high school and wondering what your options are. As an unqualified individual who is just beginning their career, there’s quite a bit of confusion about whether or not becoming a CNA will be worth the effort. After all, do you really want to spend your summer studying while your friends are having fun?
Fortunately for you, there are individuals out there every day who pass off their skills as “nursing assistant” without ever having received formal training.
This can be done by following some very simple steps, but only if the job market conditions are right. If you’ve got great people skills and a willingness to learn, there’s no reason why you can’t work in the field and secure your certification at a later date.
Where can I get the job without CNA certification?
Of course, this all comes down to what type of job market we’re looking at.
Generally speaking, the more rural the location and the further south you go, the easier it is for unqualified individuals to get their foot in the door. This is true whether they’ve got formal training or not. In fact, when you stop and think about things for a moment, this makes perfect sense.
Many companies out there rely heavily on word-of-mouth advertising when trying to find potential employees. When there are fewer people living within the community, it only makes sense for them to hire unqualified candidates in order to get the work done.
When you look closely at the job market, it’s easy to see that experience is really more valuable than anything else for most companies. However, there are some areas out there whose population tends to be lower and who are willing to hire individuals without CNA certification.
When deciding where to work as a CNA without being certified, consider what you can do in order to differentiate yourself from other candidates. If your resume lists relevant experience but nothing related to formal training, go ahead and list any volunteer service or shadowing.
While this may not hold much weight on paper, it will allow potential employers to better gauge your level of interest in working with patients. Of course, all of this presupposes that your resume is strong enough in the first place.
How to get a CNA Job without being certified
If you don’t have formal training but feel that you meet most of the qualifications listed by a particular company, simply go ahead and apply anyway. While it’s good practice to include any relevant information on your resume, many companies are willing to work with unqualified applicants.
Allowing individuals without certification is part of what makes them so great!
The key here is being able to show off everything that makes you stand out from the rest. While experience undoubtedly trumps enthusiasm when it comes to actually working with patients, companies are more than willing to overlook this in favor of enthusiastic individuals who want to learn.
As long as you have a positive attitude, don’t appear too nervous or overwhelmed, and know how to show off your best qualities at the right time, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t work as a CNA without being certified. Of course, there are some job markets that aren’t quite so forgiving.
So yes, there are ways that you can work as a CNA without being certified. All it takes is some initiative and planning ahead, so keep your head up and never give up!
If the idea of not having certification is scary for you, keep in mind that you can always apply for jobs in different locations until something works out! If nothing else, simply consider qualifications such as experience and demeanor over formal training when applying for the position.
Would working as a CNA before certification, hurt my certification process later?
No, it’s not. in fact, it will help you in many ways if you had the experience.
A CNA certification is a good start for your career and proof that you can perform these tasks. Your work as a CNA will give you more insight of what to expect when on the job. Also, it will give you an idea on what are some things to do/not to do during your training class later.
If you want to learn all there is about being a CNA, here’s how much does it cost for the formal training.
What do I have to do with my resume?
It’s important to keep in mind that every company is different and that they all care about different things. Because of this, it’s absolutely essential that you do your research before pursuing any job.
For example, some companies place the highest priority on the CNA certificate while others simply want to see real-world experience on paper. While having both certainly helps increase your chances of landing an interview, there are plenty of examples out there of people who worked as CNAs without certification or formal training.
What questions will I be asked?
Typically speaking, you can expect to hear a lot of general questions during an interview. For example, most candidates are going to have questions related to what their daily tasks would include and whether or not they’d be expected to work as part of a team.
Of course, every company is different and there’s no shortage of unique questions that might come up during your interview. As such, it’s worth brushing up on various CNA topics before attending the interview in order to show off both knowledge and enthusiasm for the position.
A strong work ethic and willingness to learn will go a long way toward making you an attractive candidate, regardless of your current experience or education (or lack thereof). If you can prove yourself capable and willing to put in the effort required by any given task, then it won’t matter whether you worked as a CNA before becoming certified.
What are some ways I can get experience without being certified?
There are many different ways that you can go about getting the hands-on experience you need in order to land an interview for your dream job. The why really depends on what kind of background you have and how “hands on” the position actually requires (for example: nursing aide vs. home health care).
For instance, if you’re already working within another field then chances are that your skills can be applied directly to this kind of position. It’s still important to get whatever training is required by both state laws and company policy, but having some experience under your belt will go a long way towards helping you stand out from other applicants.
Perhaps the quickest and easiest way to get hired as a CNA without certification is by simply talking to people. If someone knows of an open position available, chances are they’ll be more than happy to help connect the two of you together so that you can start working immediately. Don’t be afraid to ask around for whatever kind of assistance anybody might have to offer, because it could easily turn into your dream job if everything lines up correctly for both parties involved.
If you’re still searching high and low for ways that you can gain some “real world” experience then volunteering or even shadowing someone in the field are excellent choices as well. These are particularly good options if you’re on a very tight budget, or just need some “quick wins” that might help to soften the blow of certification.
Why should I not do this?
It goes without saying that taking shortcuts typically don’t pay off and that you should avoid doing anything that could jeopardize your future in any way. Therefore, it’s not advisable to work as a CNA without certification unless the job description specifically states that it is okay.
Since this isn’t always the case, you might end up facing some issues (such as pay discrepancies or lack of employment opportunities) if you attempt to do so anyway.
Also, keep in mind that “hacks” rarely result in good outcomes for your career and that taking shortcuts will only ever hurt you in the long run.
What are the drawbacks of not becoming certified?
The biggest drawbacks to not becoming certified almost always come back to money. If you’re looking to work as a nursing assistant without certification, then you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the totem pole more often than not.
Not only can this hold your job security back, but it may also prevent you from moving up the ladder and advancing your career. While there are exceptions to every rule, many employers will choose experienced candidates over newbies when given two equally qualified choices.
This doesn’t mean all hope is lost though: with hard work and some real-life experience under your belt, you should be able to punch above your weight class in no time at all.
What are the benefits of being certified?
While it’s easy to focus on the drawbacks of certification, there are plenty of benefits that come along with this road as well. Some of these include:
- Having a qualification that proves you’re serious and willing to work hard
- Admittance into formal programs at local colleges and universities
- Better pay scales in most cases
How does one become certified?
We’ve discussed the steps necessary for working without certification, but what about getting your CNA credentials?
While it’s true that some employers won’t even bother asking for documentation, we still recommend you get familiar with the process just in case. There are dozens of different organizations out there offering everything from boot-camp style training courses to more traditional classroom settings.
The great part about all of this is that you can find one in your area almost any time of year. There are some differences between different states and regions, but the basic requirements remain the same across the board.
You’ll need to fill out an application, pay a fee (which may or may not include exam fees), send in some documentation and then pass your exams with flying colors.
This process generally takes around two weeks to complete if all goes well, but many organizations will allow you to schedule things ahead of time so it’s easier on you. As long as nothing goes wrong, this means you should be able to get certified within a matter of days instead of weeks or months!
What is the best way for someone to become certified?
We believe the best way for someone to go about learning how to become a CNA is by taking an intensive course that forces them into action. This will help to ensure that you come away with all of the necessary skills in place, which will make your transition from training to certification much easier.
Try not to get too discouraged if you feel overwhelmed at first because this is somewhat typical when starting out in any field.
Remember: your prior experience has prepared you for this so there’s nothing stopping you from being successful.
If you’re still feeling uncertain or confused about what it takes to work as a CNA without certification then contact us! We’d love nothing more than to lend a helping hand and provide information that’s up to date and based on real-world experience.