How to get a job in 30 days

Nice title but it took longer than that. Everyone’s been saying that the job outlook in the NHS is bleak but a fair number of SLT students got jobs within or even before the first month of graduating. I was not one of them.

I had been an SLT assistant previously so was reluctant to apply for assistant posts. I was also fairly certain that I wanted to work with adults and looking at my CV I would not interview me for a paediatric job so I only applied to adult posts. It took around 2 months for me to hone down my personal statement into something that would get me shortlisted. Job applications aren’t kept open very long but it was definitely worth re-writing each personal statement to make it more specific to the job and make it clear why that job is the best for you. The NHS website saved all of your data (schools, qualifications…) and makes job hunting quite easy. During this time I worked a little part time and did some voluntary work within the field I was interested in. Many people got SLT assistant agency work or research assistant jobs while looking for work.

I had one failed interview before managing to get a job and feel that this prepared me for my successful interview. A friend who got a job months sooner than me had 5 unsuccessful interviews before bagging her perfect job. Second time around I revised as if for an exam, looking at topical issues for NQP’s such as prioritisation and caseload management. The most useful thing I did was to order my experiences so that I could use them to evidence the skills mentioned in the job specification. Although it was disheartening not getting shortlisted for jobs this process enabled me to reflect on what my key skills were and to develop a personal statement that would get shortlisted. I had set a time period of 3.5 months (before my birthday) to get a job, after which I would have licence to panic and make a plan B. Although I was pushing 3.5 months I felt more in control and relaxed.