Job Applications – How many is too many?

I’ve always been an advocate of quality over quantity when it comes to job applications (especially in the nursing jobs and social care sectors), but how do you strike the balance between sending quality applications and maximising your chances of getting a job?

Unfortunately I don’t think there is one simple answer to this question. The answer is going to be personal to you and your situation. If you’re desperately looking for a nursing or social care job, aren’t currently working full time and you have the time to carefully plan and tailor each of your applications, the answer will be that you can manage more applications than someone working full time and only passively seeking the ideal position.

The key thing is not to overload yourself by trying to do too much. You have to consider the possibility that every application you make will attract an invitation to interview, which you will have to prepare for and book time off work to attend. Imagine if you’ve sent 10 separate applications, all of which attract the employer to contact you by phone or email – you now have 10 different contacts to manage, plus to decision whether to move forward with every single one.

Only you can decide how many job applications you want to send at any one time, but I would definitely say less is more. Don’t forget you can always follow up the ones you’ve sent but not heard back from by contacting the employer directly. Not only does this show you’re a committed job-seeking candidate, but also that you’re on top of your game by keeping records of communication and following up where you’ve not received a response.

Never applied for a job on a nursing job board before? Here’s a helping hand

If you’re someone who is used to using the internet on a regular basis but never before applied for a job on a nursing or social care job site before, here’s an introduction to how it works and how you can make the process work for you.

Applying for nursing and social care jobs online is now such common place that you will rarely ever fill in a paper application any more, but if you’re not familiar with how it all works, it can appear a little bit daunting. In this article I’m going to give you an insight into how it all works and give you hints about how to be successful using it.

First off, when you arrive at any of our sites whether that’s Nurses.co.uk for Nursing jobs, Socialcare.co.uk for Social Worker Jobs, Healthcarejobs.ie for Healthcarejobs in Ireland or Carehomejobs.com for Care Home Jobs, they all work in a similar way. If you’ve not registered with us before you will need to do so in order to apply for any of our jobs. Go to the Sign Up link on any of the sites to register, your login will work across any sites in our network (check out the logos at the top of this blog for which sites they are). Simply follow the instructions all the way through to uploading your CV and once you click upload CV, you’re done. You can now apply for any jobs on any of our sites. You can only apply for a maximum of 10 jobs in a day, and that limit is part of our anti-spam policies, plus it’s not good practice for candidates to manage a potential 10 interview requests at any one time.

So you’ve worked on your candidate profile, uploaded your CV and now you’ve found a job you really like the sound of. Simply click apply and you will see a cover letter box appear at the bottom of the page. You can write a message to the recruiter in this box, and while your CV and career profile details will automatically be sent with your cover letter, it’s a good idea to give the recruiter a summary of your experience and why you’d be a great candidate for that job in the cover letter space.

When you’re happy with everything you’ve written you simply click submit. Your CV, career profile information and cover letter are automatically bundled into one email that goes directly to the recruiter who posted that vacancy. They are given your contact details and will either contact by you by phone or email, so make sure you are monitoring both!

Unfortunately if you don’t get a reply within 1 working week, it’s likely you haven’t been successful, but that doesn’t mean you can’t follow it up with the company you sent your application to just to be certain. It’s always good to get feedback about the applications you make so that you know how to improve for the future. In order to find out the email address of the recruiter that received your application, simply check your email inbox because each time you apply, a copy of the application is sent directly the email address you registered with. If you haven’t received a copy be sure to check your junk folder in case it’s ended up there.

If you would like more details about this and to find out more, check out our careers toolbox article – Here’s how to find and apply for nursing jobs.

New school year and new jobs coming online for nursing and social care

With the last bank holiday of the year in the rear view mirror, that means it’s time for the kids to go back to school and time for healthcare recruitment to be given a new injection of life. We usually see that approximately 25% more jobs are posted this month than at any other time during the year, and that candidates have a similar heightened response by making more applications.

So, make it your aim this month to apply for the jobs that suit your experience with an updated CV and career profile. We’ve always championed the tailored CV & application approach (anyone not familiar can read this nursing CV article) because it’s more likely to be successful for you in getting an interview invitation. This is especially important during the busy month of September because you’ll be competing with more qualified applicants than at any other time. You need to make your application stand out from the crowd, and I don’t mean by making your CV background pink or writing it in a massive font.

You can make your CV eye catching by simply laying out the answers to the questions that a recruiter has in their mind when they read your CV. They want to know the following things when reading your CV:

1. Is this person qualified to do the job?
2. Do they have the right professional registration? (if required)
3. Do they have the necessary experience and professional development qualifications?
4. What additional skills do they have that could be useful?
5. Can I contact them by phone or email, or both?

You’d be surprised how many CVs we see that don’t provide simple, clear answers to those questions. Don’t make it difficult for a recruiter to figure out answers to these key questions, lay it out on a plate for them. Combine all that information into a section at the top of your CV, directly below your contact details – which should definitely include a phone and a email address. Use bullet points if necessary rather than a large block of text, use spacing in conjunction with text to make it easier to digest quickly. If your CV answers those 5 questions, it’s highly likely you’ll be selected for interview, and once you get through to interview you are more in control of the process and there you can promote all the reasons why you’re great for the job. Follow these links for nurses jobs, social care jobs and social worker jobs.

Now is a great time to update your nursing career profile

I know everyone thinks that not much happens in the recruitment industry during August, but that’s not universally true any more. Nursing and Healthcare recruitment continues 12 months of the year, and just because it’s summer and you’re taking some time to chill out doesn’t mean there aren’t new jobs posted every day.

Recruiters and employers still advertise throughout the summer because they know that it can be a great time for finding newly qualified nursing candidates or experienced candidates looking for a change at the start of the new academic year to fit in with their kids’ routine. But whether you’re looking to apply for a job right away or you’re waiting for the right opportunity to arise, there’s nothing wrong with keeping your career profile up to date.

I’ve written a step by step guide – an updated career profile does all the job hunting work for you. You can follow this easy guide to update your career profile giving you the best possible chance of getting an interview for any job you apply for.  However, this does tie in with my blog from a few weeks ago, “don’t overburden yourself with too many online job applications“, otherwise you could find yourself with up to 10 interviews to attend if you are selected for every opportunity you apply for!

Top 5 things a recruiter would like on your nursing CV when applying for jobs

We’ve been canvassing some of the recruiters that advertise their nursing jobs with us to find out what they expect to see on your nursing CV when you apply for a job. It’s a tough industry to find work in at the moment, so you have to make sure your application cover letter and CV are a great as they can be.

Recruiters are always short on time, and unfortunately unless you can show that you are a suitably qualified and experienced candidate for the position from the outset, then you may be overlooked in preference to someone who has laid their CV out more clearly.

So it’s crucial to get your key information laid out in a logical order in your CV. It seems like such a simple thing, but so many candidates still produce a confusing and jumbled CV which can leave a recruiter trying to figure out for themselves whether you are suitable for the position.

The top 5 things a recruiter would like to see on your CV are:
1. Start with your name, address, NMC pin number, contact phone numbers and email addresses
2. Then give a clear chronological outline of your work history, starting with the most recent and including employer name, job title and dates worked
3. Give a detailed description of daily tasks undertaken including specific responsibilities
4. Give details of extra tasks undertaken in addition to your job role
5. Show evidence of CPD and in particular ENB courses or equivalents, and dates achieved

If you need further assistance creating your CV, cover letter or personal statement, why not check out our help articles below:
How to write a cover letter for a nursing job application
Spend time on your Nursing Career Profile and CV, it will be worth it
How to send and then follow up an online nursing job application

How to write a nursing personal statement for your first nurse job application

When you’re a third year student nurse you’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about your first personal statement. But with NHS nursing jobs few and far between in some trusts, it’s important to write the best possible job application and personal statement. So rather then spend lots of your precious time working on countless drafts, follow our quick guide below to a great personal statement.

1. Download the job description and person specification for the nursing job you want to go for. Then write a list of how you fulfill each of the essential and as many of the desirable criteria as possible. It’s important to explain within your personal statement why you are the ideal candidate for the job, and how perfectly you fit the required criteria. Even if they have listed a competency that you don’t currently possess, indicating that you are willing and able to undertake plenty of CPD activities is hugely important.

2. Think about your nursing course and placement experiences, especially if you’ve worked in the kind of environment you’re applying for. If you’ve been lucky enough to work on the very ward you’re applying for or in a similar ward at another trust then you’ve got first hand experience of the job you’re applying for. Even if you don’t have first hand knowledge of the working environment, your placement experience is still some of the most valuable nursing experience you can put into your personal statement.

3. Look back over the reflections you’ve completed throughout your nursing course. Is there a particular incident you can identify which presented a learning opportunity you would not have otherwise had? It’s important to write in your personal statement how you have grown into a nurse, and reflection is a good way to do this. Remember not to waffle, but use your reflections to back up your competency as a nurse.

4. Finally, you have to put it all together. Organise all the notes you’ve made while following this guide into an order you can use to construct your personal statement. It should flow well with any claims you make backed up by experience, qualification or reflection. Take some time to decide how you are going to start and finish – these parts of the personal statement are just as important. Finish with a summary reminding them how well you would fit the position to ensure they finishing reading it with a positive impression of you.

You know when you’ve applied for too many jobs when…

It’s common when you’re searching for a new job that you want to apply for everything out there which suits your experience, but this can turn out to be counter productive. You could end up with more interested parties than you’re realistically able to handle, and that could mean you don’t spend as much time concentrating on the jobs you really want to get an interview for.

It’s a tricky balance to strike, but you can definitely find the right balance for you by prioritising your searching. Start by searching for the most relevant jobs for you, and make them the top of your list. It’s only when you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for that you should expand your search to other jobs that might be suitable for you.

I would always suggest to candidates that a maximum of 5 well thought out applications is quite sufficient at any one time. That way you can organise your time to speak to each recruiter and give equal priority to all your applications. Of course, not every application will result in an interview but you have to consider that you could have 5 prospective interview appointments to attend.

A good way to make sure you give equal priority for every application is to set aside time before you contact each recruiter to prepare the questions you need to ask, and answers to anything they may ask you about your career, qualifications or experience. If a recruiter has left you a message, try to call them back within 1 working day. It’s good practice because you will still be in the forefront of their mind, and it will ensure you are known as a potential candidate who has begun the process. So many people choose to ignore the return contact made by recruiters, it can be very frustrating for someone trying to fill a position.

So make the most of the skills you have by simply taking the time to communicate with recruiters and being responsive to their enquiries. It can make or break an interview request.

5 quick top tips for a great nursing job application

If you’re thinking of looking for a new nursing job, then January can be a great time to look. Lots of recruiters are poised for the usual rush of nurses looking for new jobs, but if you’re having trouble finding exactly the right job for you, don’t worry, we can help. Here’s the guide to a cracking application that will ensure you get that job.

1. Search for specifics A great nursing job application begins with the search. Searching for jobs that match your experience, qualifications, current experience and desired location will give you a small but very relevant list of jobs that you can apply for. It’s easy to feel bombarded by pages and pages of listings, so eliminate the ones that aren’t relevant to you by performing a targeted search.

2. Get your CV up to scratch Simply relying on the last CV you constructed to get you selected for an interview this time around is foolish. You need to make sure your current employment details, experience and professional development information is up to date and as detailed as possible. Play around with the layout if you need more space, remember the older stuff can take more of a back seat the further into your career you are.

3. Simple but effective cover letter This is easier said that done, but remember the CV and the cover letter do totally different jobs. In the case of online applications the cover letter must entice the recruiter into opening your CV, and then your CV confirms your suitability for the job. So your cover letter needs to sizzle with relevant skills, experience and how well you match the person description for the job.

4. Be available on your phone and email It’s no good putting all of this effort into a killer job application and then not being available by email or phone to talk with whoever responds to your application. Even if you can’t take a call at the time, make sure you return it within 24 hours. It’s just good manners, if someone is interested in you then it’s good practice to contact them in a timely manner.

5. Be flexible with interview times This is one the trickiest parts of all, and an age old dilemma. The interview will most likely be in office hours, which is when you should probably be at work too. Everyone appreciates it’s tough to arrange an interview time, but at the end of the day if you want the job you have to make it happen. Give the recruiter a couple of options for scheduling it, and be sure to confirm you’ve got the time off work as soon as you know when it’s going to be.

Top 5 tips on how to use the year’s experience in your nursing personal statement

Whether you’re applying for a nursing degree course or your first nursing job, every experience you have from either work or volunteering is relevant to your personal statement. It’s who you are as a person and your life experience so far that will make you a great nurse.

Here’s 5 simple steps you can take to update your personal statement with new experience. You may think you’ve not achieved a great deal in the year, but that’s often far from accurate.

1. Make the most of new skills

Think about everything you’ve achieved in the past year, whether that’s new nursing competencies because you’ve completed a professional development course or better communication skills through working with a different group of people, they are all relevant. Make sure when you reference your new skills in your personal statement, you apply them to the nursing course or job you are applying for.

2. Give details of voluntary work

If you’ve worked as a volunteer with any group of society, that experience is valuable on your personal statement. Working with the elderly, children or vulnerable adults is great for a social care personal statement, but it’s also great for nursing. A large part of being a nurse if being able to communicate with anyone who is in your care to understand their needs and how you can best help them. The fact that you’ve worked as a volunteer is also to your credit, because it shows commitment to the care of other people, which is essential to demonstrate in your nursing personal statement.

3.  Analyse new responsibilities in your work

Whether you’re already working as a nurse, or you’re working in another industry applying for a nursing course, any new responsibilities you’ve taken on outside your original job description can be used in your personal statement. If you’ve volunteered to manage new tasks in addition to your current job role, then you definitely need to mention how that has enhanced your capabilities as a nurse or potential student nurse.

4. Look at your progress from last year

Reflecting on your progress over the past year, or since you qualified as a nurse will always help to remind you just how far you’ve come. Using a simple reflection model, such as Gibbs Reflection Model, can give you a framework in which you can analyse your performance throughout the year. Compare your progress to reflections completed in the past or keep this as your starting point for your career in nursing. When you’ve identified the improvements you’ve made, or could make, use this in your personal statement.

5. Grow your ambition

Ambition for the future is essential, and a great way to demonstrate your nursing career plans is to go into detail about your professional development ideas. Nurses are always expected to enhance their skill base and complete professional development courses to increase their range of competencies. Even if you’re not yet a nurse it’s important to show you understand that lifelong learning is an essential part of nursing.

December is still a good month to apply for a nursing job

So many people think that the recruitment industry as a whole basically shuts down for the entire month of December, but for anyone recruiting in healthcare and nursing it’s the ideal time to attract brilliant candidates.

It tends to be the really serious candidates looking for work that continue to apply in December because they are always on the look out for the ideal nursing job for them. So if you’re one of those candidates hanging back because you think your application won’t be seriously considered until the new year, think again and get applying now!

It could be to your benefit to apply in December because you will most likely be competing with fewer applicants for the same role. If you put together a brilliant nursing CV, a strong personal statement and a clear covering letter explaining why you’re the right nurse for the job, you will be in with a very strong chance of getting an interview. It’s about putting the right details straight under the recruiter’s nose. So your NMC pin number should always be at the top of your CV, your most recent job title underneath that and also stated in your covering letter along with your nursing competencies that are relevant to the role you’re applying for.

Make it easy for the recruiter to find out every single detail about your nursing career, even if you think it’s obvious. Go into detail about your current job role and responsibilities, and in particular the ones that are relevant to the nursing job you’re applying for. It’s all about presenting the information in a way that makes sense to someone trying to understand if you’re relevant for their role.