Strategies for Securing a Band 5 Physiotherapy Job Whilst You're a Physio Student... Tips from physios & physio students
- Physioing
- 1d
- 8 min read
Introduction
If you're currently studying to become a physiotherapist, you may already have heard about some of the difficulties new job seeking graduates are facing or have seen the stories in the media
regarding recruitment freezes. The good news is there are a variety of things you can do now as a student, to improve your employment chances when you graduate or even before you've graduated. We've compiled some of these tried and tested, recommended strategies from fellow physiotherapists and physio students for securing a band 5 physiotherapy job whilst you're still a physio student:
Understanding the traditional graduate path for newly qualified physiotherapists:
First things first, you need to understand how the job market for new graduates traditionally worked. Historically there's been a set structure in which new graduates get an NHS band 5 rotational job with an acute hospital trust and complete rotations (majority inpatients, with some outpatients and/or community) in a few specialisms for 2 - 3 years. The argument for this system is the idea that new graduates get a variety of experience before they chose to specialise.
Following band 5 rotations, employees promote to band 6 rotations, complete rotations for a few more years and maybe specialise at band 6, perhaps then progress to a clinical band 7 or non-clinical role. Some would possibly progress further into band 8 roles or higher, although these roles are less common. Bear this system in mind if you have a particular future specialism in mind as some employers may expect rotational experience on your CV as a prerequisite to senior roles.
Understanding other possible employment routes for newly qualified physiotherapists:
What about now, are new graduates still expected to complete a stint as an NHS band 5 physio? What if you know you what speciality you want to work in as a band 5 straight away, or inpatient rotations and being on call at an acute hospital doesn't fit with your lifestyle? Unfortunately, whilst entry level band 5 static roles directly into a specialism are starting to appear (mostly MSK and some community roles) the traditional system of expecting band 5s to complete rotations is still the norm, so job variety for new graduates remains limited.
What about private practice? Often, well known organisations require 2 - 3 years of post-graduate experience as standard before you can join. What does this mean for newly qualified physiotherapists now? Everyone is competing for the same entry level band 5 rotational roles or a few static roles from the same small pool of potential employers. Yes, to some extent it has always been this way, unfortunately now, further pressure is put on the existing system with recruitment freezes, redesigned services (moving more roles into the community) and reductions in the size of services. Consequently, the CSP are currently campaigning for more acknowledgement, better opportunities and more entry level physiotherapy roles. So what can you do now as a physiotherapy student?
Understand the job market where you want to work:
One of the best strategies for navigating the current job market is to learn about the physio services in the geographical areas and potential specialisms you're hoping to work in in the future. Arm yourself with knowledge, so your job seeking efforts are specifically focussed to
potential futures that work for you.
How many potential employers exist, do they take graduates, what's the competition like? Are there any lesser-known employers out there struggling to recruit? Are there potential employers who traditionally don't employ new graduates but may be open to changing that if an enthusiastic graduate can convince them it's worth the investment? If you're more flexible with geographically where you plan to work, you could also consider areas where there maybe less competition for jobs, such as rural areas compared with cities.
Network on placements:
Placements can be a great networking opportunity. After all, physio is a small world and we're always bumping into former educators, students and colleagues. Even if the placement you're allocated doesn't directly relate to an area you're interested in, is it somewhere that offers rotational positions or band 5 fixed roles in other specialisms?
Get in the habit of finding out what entry level positions are offered at your placement settings. If there aren't any, why not, or what experience is a required for future employment. This is also where shadowing can be really beneficial, take up as many opportunities as you can to see other areas and meet new people. You might just meet someone that will give you an email heads up when jobs are being advertised, put in a recommendation or reference for you or even offer you work.
Arrange placements somewhere that you'd like to work:
If your university allows you to arrange any of your placements (often one of year final year placements), you could be strategic with your choice and opt for somewhere you're planning to live/work in the future. Alternately you could opt for an area of physio you're interested in working in. You'll be getting your name out there in chosen locality or potential field and benefit from having relevant experience before you graduate. Having first-hand knowledge of local services or experience relevant to a specific role can really help you stand out as a job applicant, especially when answering interview questions.
Apply for jobs before you qualify:
If you haven't yet graduated, start applying for jobs before you graduate, ideally at the start of your final year. Most NHS trusts and some physiotherapy employers offer jobs to physiotherapy students in their final year of university, with an agreed start date (usually between May and September when lectures are finished). Whilst you're waiting for your HCPC registration to come through you'll be employed as a band 4 or equivalent.
Once your HCPC registration has come through you'll be promoted to a band 5, so it's worth applying as early as you can for your HCPC registration. Starting a new job takes months of paperwork, occupational health appointments etc so you can get all this completed whilst you're still studying and start your job after you've finished your studies.
Sign up for job search alerts early:
Sign up for alerts on job search sites (we've included a list of popular job search sites for graduate physiotherapy jobs in the table below). Band 5 rotational jobs usually have employment start dates between July and September, so that all the rotational staff can be coordinated with the similar start dates and rotate specialities together. Rotational roles tend to get released a few times a year, initially between September to January and as a second campaign in May to August for those just graduating.
You can usually guarantee the jobs you want will appear when you've got a couple of assignments due and you're mid-placement, so it's worth being prepared! Sometimes local NHS hospitals will advise universities of upcoming recruitment campaigns for band 5s, or you might hear from other students. If you're qualified and it didn't work out in earlier interviews, keep an eye out for job adverts popping at more unexpected times of year from places you've interviewed at or applied to before. Spaces on rotations often become available when staff have left or been promoted.
NHS Job Sites | Private & Public Sector Physio Job Sites | Job Search Sites |
Have a draft personal statement ready:
Personal statements are a standard requirement for NHS job applications and are required from many other physio employers. To secure an interview, your personal statement needs to be written so that you reference how you meet (or are working towards meeting) all of the person specifications and role requirements of the job. These are scored by HR and only the highest scoring applicants are offered interviews.
If your university has an employment module or specialist healthcare employment advisors, they may be able to support you to develop a draft personal statement which you can specifically tailor for job applications. If not, there are plenty of online resources that can point you in the right direction. Make sure to always tailor your personal statement to the role and employer you're applying, anything too vague or generic won't make the cut. Writing personal statements is time consuming and some job adverts close early if they have a large number of applicants, so it's a great time saver having something drafted and ready to adapt to get your application in quickly.
Carry out part-time work, bank work or volunteering:
If you're completely swamped with studying or other commitments this one might not be for you but if you've got the odd bit of time to squeeze in some work or volunteering this can be a great strategy for bulking up your job applications and gaining additional practical experience.
Areas of work to consider for NHS bank work or volunteering include HCA (Health Care Assistant) roles, therapy and rehab assistant roles or agency carer work. Many physiotherapy students volunteer to help out at sporting events or for sports teams. If you're interested in a particular specialism aim to work or volunteer in a suitable environment where you'll develop transferrable skills and experience e.g. paediatrics (schools, nurseries, baby and toddler groups etc), orthopaedics (private/NHS surgical treatment hospitals) or palliative (hospices or palliative care providers).
If you're in your final year and have finished all your studies, a bit of work on the side between enjoying your summer and applying for jobs could help you stand out where it counts. Don't forget until you're qualified you can't act as a physiotherapist, so ensure you stay within the scope of role you're employed or volunteering for.
Start practising early for interviews:
Get in the habit of practising for interviews so you're well prepared and more polished for the actual thing. Familiarise yourself with common types of questions and how you can personalise your answers to your experience, skills and knowledge.
On placements consider how your experiences contribute towards your skills and attributes for future job roles and keep a note of these in a folder to refer back to. Interviewers want to see that you are enthusiastic about physiotherapy and have relevant knowledge but are also safe, reliable, efficient with time, can prioritise work and manage well under pressure. Think about all those difficult times when you stepped up into a leadership role, managed sensitive conversations, diffused a situation, advocated and safeguarded as that's what they're going to ask about.
If you're looking for band 5 interview question banks, and hints and tips on answering, it's a bit of a minefield out there regarding the quality of advice, so spend time searching the web and looking at multiple sources. For well-priced downloadable UK specific interview guides for multiple specialities and rotational roles check out the Qualified Physio.
In Conclusion...
We genuinely hope that the future brings more graduate roles and opportunities to newly qualified physios. Don't forget that the current state of a job market isn't a reflection of how hard you've worked or how much you deserve a job. We hope these strategies from physio students and physiotherapists to utilise as a student improve your employment chances when you graduate or even before you've graduated:
Best of luck securing a band 5 physiotherapy job.
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