Explore a career in the NHS

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

If you’re thinking about a career in the NHS, the Step into Health programme could help. Step into Health forms a link between the Armed Forces community, including Forces families, and the NHS.

As the NHS is made up of multiple organisations which have their own recruitment teams and policies, the programme highlights the value which members of the military community bring to the NHS and supports organisations to become Forces-friendly recruiters.

The programme is provided with support from partners Walking With The Wounded and The Royal Foundation.

Why work for the NHS?

With over 350 job roles on offer, the NHS is one of the largest and most diverse employers in the UK. Many roles are non-clinical and are suited to members of the Armed Forces community.

Forces families have transferable skills like flexibility, initiative and resilience and an ability to readily adapt to changing circumstances - these are highly sought after by NHS employers. The NHS also supports individuals returning to work after a career break.

Though policies vary between organisations, the NHS is committed to developing talent and rewarding employees.

Step into Health

Since its establishment in 2014, Step into Health has secured pledges from 104 NHS organisations. The programme highlights the skills and values which members of the Armed Forces community bring to the NHS, encouraging employers to see past gaps in employment and multiple relocations and focus on the individual.

Pledged organisations commit to remove barriers into employment. Organisations may also choose to offer dedicated insight days, work experience opportunities, mentorship and guaranteed or ’preferred’ interview schemes for members of the Armed Forces community.

You can reach out to Step into Health contacts and discuss pre-employment opportunities and support via the candidate system and Facebook group.

To do list

  • Sign up to the Step into Health candidate system and join the Step into Health Facebook group
  • Visit the Health Careers and pathfinder websites to explore NHS careers
  • Take the Health Careers quiz to discover roles which may be suited to you
  • Explore vacancies on Forces Families Jobs and sign up for job alerts in areas of interest
  • Tick the Armed Forces Identifier on application forms – some organsiations may get in touch to offer additional support

 

Application tips

  • Reach out to contacts listed on job advertisements to enquire about support
  • Highlight how your skills as a member of the Armed Forces will add value to your employer
  • Use headings and subheadings and use the Situation Task Action Result (STAR) or Context Action Result (CAR) methods to add structure to your application and articulate how you meet job criteria
  • Reference the corporate values of the organisation you are applying to and link these to military values