Thread: My journey to a new career.

Well sent off an email to NHS Professionals and to the Head of Midwifery yesterday. So hopefully should get some replies soonish...

I emailed the following to the NHS Professionals about the HCA application I sent in;

Dear Ms *******,

I recently sent in an application form for the position of HCA at MK General Hospital through NHS Professionals. I wonder if you can confirm that you received it and let me know how things are progressing, as I am very keen to get things underway! I trust that the information was to your satisfaction?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sarah-Jean ******

And I sent the following letter regardng some voluntary work experience to the head of midwifery...

Dear Ms. *****,

Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Sarah-Jean ****** and I am currently applying for an Access course leading to a Midwifery Degree. I have been keen to attain such a career for some time and am delighted to now be in a position where I can realise this dream.

In the light of this, I am hoping to find a local hospital where I could either spend a day accompanying a Midwife in her everyday activities or alternatively work as a volunteer alongside Midwives for, perhaps, a week or so.

I am fit, energetic, hard working and eager and hope that you would be prepared to offer me such an opportunity to gain an insight into the everyday duties of a registered Midwife.. Please let me know whether this would be feasible as I would appreciate any help that you could offer me.

Many thanks,

Hopefully they were good enough and polite enough to warrant responses!

We'll see....

Oh, and I've also arranged like a meet-up for lunch with a few of the girls from SMS forums. That should be a giggle! Am really looking forward to it! It's supposed to be on the 1st May in Watford... So far there are 5 of us going. Can't wait!

Love,

Sarah-Jean

Got an email last night from NHS Professionals.

It said...

Hi Sarah-Jean,
I can confirm we have received your form.
You have been successfully shortlisted for interview. Can you telephone (*****) ****** so we can arrange an appointment with you.

We will need you to submit 2 business referees names & business addresses. Preferably 1 from your current/last employer and the 2nd from your previous employer-***** Solutions Ltd.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Eek. One I hate phones. But I'm working on that one and will be OK to phone them later today.

The problem is the references. I gave two referances on the form but they're asking for different ones. My current/last employer was Martin and the employer they're talking about before that I left on very bad terms with. Basically they only paid me £70 a week for a full weeks worth, a lot of stress and a job load that was too large for two people to carry never mind one. I asked for a pay rise, was offered £110 which at the time after tax and NI would have left me with... £70 a week!
So I handed my notice in and asked if I could cut the month down from one month to two weeks as I had another job offer and the MD said no... I walked out and never went back.

NOT good people to give as referances.

I'm going to call them later today and try to sort it out... I have loads of other people I can give as a reference so they should be happy with one of them....

Oh plus I got APU Prospectus through the post yesterday which is interesting but a bit far away for me to travel to and from each day

And I've got to pay for the book I ordered the other day today... So it should arrive next week!

Sarah-Jean

Well, I phoned the lady from NHS Professionals.

This is gonna be interesting. She booked me in for an Interview at 12pm on the 8th April. I will be up North on the 6th, 7th and 8th as Martin has some business meetings up there so the boys and I are going along and staying in a suite at the Manor House.

So now I have to phone them tomorrow and tell them I can't make the 8th... They do bookings of Interviews though so God only knows when the next one will be... Not happy.

On top of that they need references from people I have actually worked for... I don't have any. They said they can't take ANY other types of references. I said that was a bit strange and I would try to dig some up, but I really don't think I can... So tonight is going to be busy trying to figure this all out.

At the moment though. Things are looking bleak.

I'm going to have to really work hard to get through this one. I WANT this job. I'm going to GET this job if it kills me. But it's turning out to be a lot harder then I first thought.

Hey! I like a challenge though, so I'll be OK! :P

Sarah-Jean

Well, just tried phoning the lady from NHS Professionals again but got her answer phone so emailed the details instead... Here's what I sent to her...

Dear Ms. ********,

Here is a list of referees I thought you may be able to use. I will phone you to confirm you got this email shortly but I thought it probably best to email this to you as it could become a rather long and complicated phone call!

Last Employer;
Martin ****** - Managing Director
****** Solutions Ltd
Home address:- **, ****** ****, **********, Milton Keynes, *** ***
Employed as a Director of Marketing & Advertising from 2000 to current. Although ******* was taken off the list by Mr. ****** through companies house he still operates it, although at the moment I am no longer working for him unless needed.

Temporary Admin Work.
No references as I worked through multiple agencies on a short term basis as and when I was called.

***** Solutions Ltd
Contact the Administration Manager
Business address: ***** Solutions Ltd, ****** House, 312-314 ******* ****, Milton Keynes, *** ***
Employed from 1999 to 2000 under my maiden name Sarah ******.

*** Training
Business address: *** Training, ****** House, 330-332 ******* ****, Milton Keynes, *** ***
Joined them for work based raining towards an NVQ in Admin and Office work. However decided it wasn't for me and left after a couple of months. Aug 99 - Oct 99 Under my maiden name Sarah ******.

* * * Decorators
Contact Mark **** - Managing Director
Home/Business address: * * * Decorators, * *********, ***** ******, Milton Keynes
Employed during 99 on a part time "as needed" basis doing general decorating duties.

I hope some of these will be sufficient for your needs!

Best Wishes,

Sarah-Jean ******

Hopefully they'll get some good references from a couple of those...

Oh, my book that I ordered Year of Wonders came today! Am going to sit down and start reading it soon!

And I also changed my siggy the other day to be this...

GhostHunting Mummy!
To Tristan, Jaeven, Raistlin & 6 Angels in Heaven.

• Until my interview @ Bedford College for Access to Health & Social Studies!
• Sept 05 BSc (Hons) Midwifery Hopeful!
• Until my interview for a job as HCA at MK General!

All good fun eh?! LOL

Sarah-Jean

Well, got lots of post today! LOL

Firstly I got a reply from the Head of Midwivery. She basically said they'd be more then happy for me to do some voluntary work on the Maternity Ward and shadow a midwife but first I had to show proof that I had been accepted onto an Access Course and I also have to have a CRB check!

I then opened the second peice of post to find forms for a CRB check, and Occupational Health from NHS Professionals and some further details about my interview with them next week - which I couldn't change. Apparently the interview will consist of three stages... An interview with a Nurse Manager and a member of the HR department, a registration process and then a communication test. All sounds pretty easy to me! I reckon, assuming my references are good I will fly through this! Am not in the slightest bit nervous strangely enough about either this Interview for work as a HCA, the interview for the Access course at Bedford or the voluntary work... I just kinda knew when I sent the letter off to the Head of Midwifery that she'd say yes. I know I'll get accepted for that Access course and I am fairly certain that within a few more months I will be working as a HCA! I can feel it!!!!! LOL

So, that's my news for today! Oh, and I'm really enjoying that book I bought! Really interesting! Highly recommended!

Sarah-Jean

Thank God, things are finally moving a long a little bit! LOL

One of the people I submitted as a referee has got the forms and has just filled them in and is sending them back off... So at least I know they've sent them out and about and I'll have ONE good reference if nothing else! LOL

Phew! Was beginning to get a bit worried there...

It doesn't look like Jax will be doing the Access course with me after all... Family problems means that she probably won't be able too further her education. I really hope she changes her mind and does do it, but at the moment it's not looking that way...

Eek! Just realised things are approaching me WAY too quickly according to my siggy!!!

• 23 days, 11 hours, 46 minutes Until my interview @ Bedford College for Access to Health & Social Studies!
  
• Sept 05 BSc (Hons) Midwifery Hopeful!
  
• 4 days, 11 hours, 46 minutes Until my interview for a job as HCA at MK General!

I'm not nervous about the Interviews, more nervous that I'll have done all this and gotten nowhere....

I am not nervous!

I am not nervous!

I am not nervous!

Well, I have my interview with NHS Professionals tomorrow at 12pm - that's 15hours away!

I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL

I think I am going to be conservative and go for a long black skirt and purply, mid sleeve blouse. Making me look maternal and caring but smart and professional at the same time..... I hope!!!! LOL

It's going to go well. I've been joking about it all evening but I really am not nervous. It IS going to go well and I WILL get this job.

So, wish me luck!

LOL

Love,

Sarah-Jean

One hour to go until my Interview. Am not nervous but have spent the whole morning reading medical material.....

One hour to go and counting....

I have not been to a job interview in years.... Blimey this feels strange!

Well, just got back from the Interview!

What a blast! I had forgotten how much I actually enjoy the challenge an interview brings being as I haven't had any job interviews in several years!!!!

Anyway, I was interviewed by the two women I've been dealing with the past few weeks, which was good. I got there a tad early so we had a bit of a chat and verything was kept informal. They got the main interview questions over and done with ASAP. I answered them really well - even if I do say so myself - and came across as confident, reliable and efficient and yet still caring! LOL

I was then given paperwork to fill out, including a contract which I did...

They basically said I'd got the job pending the CBR checks and the references - I know they've had at least one reference in that was a good one so it can't be all that bad.

They said that "normally" they'd insist on a 5 day training course, which they've got running one next month and the other in June. But if I couldn't make it, or they couldn't squeeze me in (as they're pretty full) then they'd just let me do 4/5 orientation shifts instead, so I learn the ropes and stuff in practice!

They even started talking about where they were going to place me! They said that because of my longer term goal of becoming a Midwife they'd be placing me on the womens surgical ward (ward 20) and the gynae ward (ward , although that would be after I'd done a period on a general medical ward so I could get a feel for every eventuality. They said they reckoned it'd help me through my application as a midwife and that it would also gve me the edge over other students as I'd have already cared for women who'd had things like Csections!!!!

Ooooo... I'm so excited! I want my CBR checks to come through now, now, now!!!!!

LOL

What a FANTASTIC day!!!!!!!!

Love,

Sarah-Jean