Career Advice for an NHS

The National Health Service (NHS) is one of the biggest employers in the world and the largest in Europe, employing some 1.3 million staff. This figure includes staff in hospital and community services, ambulance workers, mental health specialists, support workers and central management bodies. There are also many other staff groups, such as GPs and dentists, but they are not directly employed by the NHS.

Slightly more than half of NHS staff have clinical roles, such as doctors, nurses and midwives, but an enormous variety of roles are needed to keep the NHS running, such as IT staff, administrative staff, cleaners and maintenance workers.

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How to Become an NHS

Choosing your career path and learning how to become the person you aspire to be is not always straight forward; getting a job in your chosen industry will take dedication, focus and the right qualifications.

When you have chosen the career path you wish to follow, you will need to learn how to become an NHS

Should you wish to work as an NHS you will need to evaluate what courses are required, their cost and what qualifications you need. It is important that you also assess whether you have the right credentials from a personality point of view, what the demands of the job are and whether they complement the lifestyle that you desire.

Another factor to consider, should you wish to fulfil your career aspirations, is the number of jobs you will need to have to reach your ultimate job, and the length of time it will take to reach this goal.

Common Qualifications for an NHS

  • Hospital doctors will need a five year degree in medicine, recognised by the General Medical Council, a two year foundation course of general training, plus a five to eight year speciality training programme
  • Nurses will be required to have a nursing degree or a nursing degree apprenticeship
  • To apply for a physiotherapy job in the NHS, you will need to have completed an approved degree level qualification in physiotherapy, obtained either from a full time course, which takes three years, or a part time course, which takes four to six years
  • A career in HR within the NHS has a variety of entry requirements, depending on the role. Joining at an administrative level would require four or five GCSEs at grades A-C. However, if you have ALevels, you may be able to start at a higher level with a supervisory role in HR. Graduates can apply for junior management posts, or apply for the NHS graduate training scheme
  • There are a range of roles in estates and facilities in the NHS. Some are highly skilled, such as carpenter / joiner, and will probably require an NVQ, along with relevant experience for entry.

Key Responsibilities for an NHS

  • Whatever role you are hoping to secure within the NHS, certain qualities are required from everyone. Teamwork is vitally important when working in such a large organisation, as is a positive attitude and a friendly demeanour.
  • The ability to work with a wide variety of people, with different skill sets, is also critical, as is the ability to work well when under pressure, and sometimes under-staffed.
  • The NHS looks for people with transferable skills that have been acquired from working in other sectors, and they will consider applicants who come from a non-traditional background. That doesn't of course apply to medical roles, where very strict entry requirements are in place.

What to expect as an NHS

Many people spend their whole working lives employed by the NHS. As it's such a large company, there are countless career prospects and opportunities to move up the career ladder, whatever area you work in.

Everyone employed by the NHS will receive a salary that matches their ability and responsibilities, and there are numerous opportunities to increase your salary through training and development.

Recommended NHS Jobs

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How to get NHS Jobs

Our advice on how to get an NHS job is to focus on preparation and personalisation.

Preparation

This occurs before you write a CV cover letter or complete an NHS application. If you have not held an NHS position before, it will help to research the industry and review what a typical career path might look like. If you have held an NHS role, focus your research on the company where you are seeking employment.

Valuable resources that will help you learn about the employer include the company’s career page, social media page, blog, job ad, and job description. Helpful information will consist of the company’s mission statement, values, and vision. You could also use an employer review site to gain insights on average salaries, what current employees say about the company culture, and what it is like to work for the organisation.

Personalisation

You are now in a position to use what you have learned in your NHS CV, cover letter, and application. You should personalise each NHS application, cover letter, and CV; prioritising job skills and relevant experience and providing examples that show you have similar values and goals.

This pre-application stage is a crucial step in how to become an NHS in the UK. It puts you in a superbly informed state, ready for forthcoming telephone, video, or in-person interviews.

Students: How to Become an NHS 

As with all professions, choose your study topics carefully. Review the qualifications needed to be an NHS and the subjects you will need to enrol in certification courses, higher education, or online courses. 

Aligning your study subjects

The more closely you align your study subjects with your career path, the more likely you will be to have projects and modules that you can refer to and show a prospective employer that you have practical or theoretical NHS experience.

How to get NHS Experience

What does it take to be an NHS? The best way to find out is to get work experience, which will be invaluable when applying for NHS jobs. You can learn how to be a successful NHS through internships, apprenticeships, or volunteering for a local business.

How to be an NHS Part-Time 

If you are wondering how to get into NHS part-time, there are several possibilities. You might find a new employer looking for a part-time NHS or find your existing employer is amenable. Often companies recognise the value of flexible hours and having more staff at work during busy times of the day. 

NHS freelance work

If you have impressive NHS qualifications and experience, you could take on the challenges of working freelance with control over your schedule.

Making a Career Change

How to start a career in this profession if you work in another industry may require studying for qualifications online and focusing on transferable skills when writing your CV and attending job interviews.