Junior Dietitian / Nutrition
Discussion
My wife (41) was a high school languages teacher for 15 years. This was a career she kind of fell into after doing arts and humanities stuff at college and university, and she kind of felt she had no real other option (for the rights and wrongs of that). She has always (by her own admission) been one of these people that was academically high achieving but struggled to translate that into work achievements, or financial reward.
She briefly held a head of subject role before we had kids and she then took a step down and also went part time. It ended up being a bit of a drudge, and didn't feel like it was really going anywhere for her. She kind of fell out of love with it and decided to change career during COVID.
She had a think and opted for a subject matter she was interested in, nutrition and dietetics. It required an access course due to her not having any science A levels, which she did. She then went on to do the full degree and has just graduated 1st class. She does have some work experience as they require you to do placement work, and she has also done some additional voluntary work experience.
However.... where are all the jobs?? It turns out that the NHS has a sort of silent hiring freeze on allied health professions roles (and I think some medical roles etc too) and she has performed well in some interviews for private sector jobs but has sort of ended up close second in the race and has had no offers.
She has been searching private and public sector job boards and has sort of tentatively been enhancing her linkedin profile but is at a bit of a loss as to what else to do, and i'm aware as a tech industry guy there is only so much help and pointers I am able to give.
We've sort of created a startup which brings together bits of her background and also her new knowledge and skills, but the idea was that she'd be doing this alongside an actual job. There is also private practice but she can't even start that until she gets her formal accreditation which doesn't happen for some weeks yet.
She's pretty down about it and doesn't really know what to do, as it all feels a bit up in the air and a bit directionless to her.
Does anyone have any sort of tips or advice? thanks
She briefly held a head of subject role before we had kids and she then took a step down and also went part time. It ended up being a bit of a drudge, and didn't feel like it was really going anywhere for her. She kind of fell out of love with it and decided to change career during COVID.
She had a think and opted for a subject matter she was interested in, nutrition and dietetics. It required an access course due to her not having any science A levels, which she did. She then went on to do the full degree and has just graduated 1st class. She does have some work experience as they require you to do placement work, and she has also done some additional voluntary work experience.
However.... where are all the jobs?? It turns out that the NHS has a sort of silent hiring freeze on allied health professions roles (and I think some medical roles etc too) and she has performed well in some interviews for private sector jobs but has sort of ended up close second in the race and has had no offers.
She has been searching private and public sector job boards and has sort of tentatively been enhancing her linkedin profile but is at a bit of a loss as to what else to do, and i'm aware as a tech industry guy there is only so much help and pointers I am able to give.
We've sort of created a startup which brings together bits of her background and also her new knowledge and skills, but the idea was that she'd be doing this alongside an actual job. There is also private practice but she can't even start that until she gets her formal accreditation which doesn't happen for some weeks yet.
She's pretty down about it and doesn't really know what to do, as it all feels a bit up in the air and a bit directionless to her.
Does anyone have any sort of tips or advice? thanks
Blown2CV said:
However.... where are all the jobs?? It turns out that the NHS has a sort of silent hiring freeze on allied health professions roles (and I think some medical roles etc too)
It's not that silent and Wess is expecting more than just a freeze.https://www.healthcare-management.uk/streeting-ree...
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmsel...
Something in life luck really does have a massive impact. Pretty much every NHS organisation is under the same financial pressures as the rest of the country, it use to be hard to fill some roles, now every role that's advertised is attracting high number of good appointable candidates, so those who are just starting off is competing on an unlevel playing field.
The NHS does go in cycles though interns of recruitment, but sadly I don't think we are at the midpoint of the current cycle. But when things do change all those who are newly trained and could get a role would have moved on, so we'll be back in a position where vacancies go unfiled
.There is however no harm in approaching departments who are advertising, there is usually a contact detail in the advert. Go and speak to people, visit the department, emphasis a williness to try something different to help improve outcomes or productivity. Use the fact she is new, has ideas about innovation versus someone who's already worked in the system so likely fixed in their ways to her advantage.
Edited by gangzoom on Wednesday 22 October 07:06
Edited by gangzoom on Wednesday 22 October 07:08
as above, she's found a job now in the private healthcare sector, that allows her time to work on her own business interests. The NHS would have been a poisoned chalice anyway as having been burned in the education sector for years, going straight into working for yet another mass public sector employer with most of the same attributes would have probably been a bad idea.
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