Key Points
- To work as a CNA, you first need to be certified and on your state's nurse aide registry.
- CNA is an entry-level role, so you can apply without prior experience.
- Skilled nursing facilities and hospitals employ the most CNAs, but nursing homes and home health are the easiest places for a beginner to start.
- The BLS projects about 211,800 nursing assistant openings a year through 2034, largely from turnover.
- A simple resume, the right soft skills, and direct outreach to employers go a long way for a new CNA.
First, Make Sure You're Certified
You cannot be hired as a CNA until you are certified and listed on your state's nurse aide registry, so if you are not there yet, that is the real first step. You complete a short state-approved program and pass your state's competency exam, which together usually take about one to four months. To get started, compare CNA classes near you, weigh the cheapest and fastest programs if cost or speed matters, or look at online CNA classes if you need to study around another job. Once your name is on the registry in active status, you are ready to apply.
Where CNAs Get Hired
Most CNA jobs are concentrated in a few settings. According to the BLS breakdown of the largest employers of nursing assistants, skilled nursing care facilities employ about 35% and hospitals another 33%, so those two account for most of the openings. Assisted living and continuing care communities make up about 11%, home health services about 5%, and government settings the rest.
For someone just starting out, nursing homes and long-term care are usually the most accessible entry point, since they hire the largest share of CNAs and often take people fresh out of training. Hospitals employ nearly as many overall but sometimes prefer some experience, so a lot of new CNAs start in a facility and move to a hospital later. Home health is a smaller slice, but the work is more independent, often one-on-one in a patient's home. Staffing agencies are another route, placing CNAs on flexible or temporary shifts, and they often take newly certified aides.
How to Stand Out and Land the Job
Once you are certified, a few simple things help you land a job faster, even with no experience.
- Build a clean, one-page resume. Highlight your certification, your clinical training hours, and the soft skills employers care about, like compassion, patience, and communication. It helps to show you understand what a CNA actually does day to day.
- Apply directly and in person. Beyond job boards, call or visit the facilities near you, even ones without a posted opening. It is a common way to find openings that are not listed online.
- Use your clinical rotation. If you trained at a facility and made a good impression, ask them about openings first.
- Prepare for a short interview. CNA interviews are usually straightforward, so be ready to talk about why you want the work, how you handle hard moments, and why you are reliable, which matters to employers as much as clinical skill.
- Follow up and keep applying. Turnover in CNA roles is high, so new openings come up often, and persistence pays off.
Apply to several places at once rather than waiting on one, and you will move faster.
If You're Moving or Certified in Another State
Your CNA certification is tied to the state where you earned it, and it does not automatically follow you across state lines. If you are moving or already certified elsewhere, you apply for reciprocity through the new state's registry before you can work there. How to transfer your CNA license walks through the process so a move does not stall your job search.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need experience to get a CNA job?
No. CNA is an entry-level role, so employers expect to hire people fresh out of training. Nursing homes and home health agencies in particular are used to bringing on new CNAs, which makes them the most common first job.
