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How to Find Jobs in the NHS: a Guide for Beginners
Hi, my name is Divya. I am a Czech medical graduate from India, and I started work in the NHS recently. In today’s blog, I am going to guide you through the process of finding work in the NHS. I will discuss the following:
1. Eligibility criteria for the job
2. How to find vacancies
3. What role do you apply for
4. Process of applying for a post
What role are you eligible for?
If you have not completed an internship during or after your medical studies, you will only receive Provisional Registration with the GMC. With this, you will only be able to obtain an F1 training post, provided you send in your eligibility application. You will have to complete Foundation Year 1 in order to obtain Full Registration.
On the other hand, if you have completed 12 months of internship, you will receive Full Registration with the GMC and a license to practice medicine in the UK. Once this is obtained, you are free to apply for either F2 Standalone Training or a Trust grade job.
How to find vacancies
There are several ways to find out who is hiring. Some websites you could look at are:
1. nhsjobs.com
2. jobs.nhs.uk
Some other ways include looking through the ‘Current Vacancies’ section within a particular trust’s website. Newspapers, BMJ careers, and LinkedIn offer updates on vacancies in the NHS as well.
What role to apply for
There are several terms for the various grades in NHS. This can get quite tricky when it comes to applying for jobs based on your experience.
The three main levels of doctors in the NHS are:
• Junior grade doctor
• Middle/senior grade doctor
• Consultant
Elaborating further, several titles may pop up that refer to the level of a junior doctor:
• Foundation Year 1 (FY1)
• Foundation Year 2 (FY2)
• Senior House Officer (SHO)
• Junior Clinical Fellow
• Clinical Fellow (usually ST/CT1/2)
• Trust grade doctors (FY2, CT1/2, ST1/2)
• Locum appt. for Service (LAS) - CT or ST
• Locally employed doctor (LED)
Process of applying
First and foremost, you should create an account with the website you wish to use to send your applications. For example, if you want to apply to a post advertised on trac Jobs, you must create a trac jobs account first. All your correspondence with the employer will occur through this platform, and if you set up email notifications, you will get updates via your email as well.
The next task is to create a good Curriculum vitae (CV). You should be able to modify your CV to showcase your skills and qualifications for the job you are applying for rather than send in a standard CV to all the vacancies.
While searching for jobs, put in the different titles to see all the jobs that are advertised for a junior doctor. The main things to look for when looking for a vacancy are:
• Title
• Speciality
• Person and job specifications
• Salary
• And most importantly, the closing date
Most employers can close the vacancy well before the advertised closing date if they have received the required number of applications for the particular post.
The most important part of ensuring that you stand a fair chance at getting the job you wish to apply for is reading through the Person Specification mentioned at the end of the post description. The description is usually split into an Essential Requirement and a Desirable requirement. The more you align with the Essential requisites, the higher the chance of getting short-listed.
I sent my application - What next?
Once you have sent a couple of applications, the next thing to do is to wait for a response from the employers. This usually takes about 4-6 weeks from the closing date. You will be notified if you have been selected to proceed to the next stage of the process, i.e., the Interview.
However, do keep in mind, some employers do not inform you if you have been unsuccessful!
Need more tips?
• Make sure you have 3 references informed and ready before you send your application
• Prepare something about Teamwork skills and Leadership and Management skills
• Jot down any procedures and practical skills you do during your internship, like cannulation, inserting a catheter, inserting an NG tube, etc., to make it easier during the time of your application
• Having NHS experience is always a bonus, so if you wish, you can do a Clinical Attachment in the UK after you have obtained your full registration with the GMC; however, it is not mandatory to get a job in the UK!
If you have any questions regarding finding jobs in the UK, I would be happy to answer them at trewlink.com. You can register using the link https://trewlink.com?referrer=dj1919096
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