School Student
What's surgery like?
Choose a job
How to find the right job for you
You should have started to plan your career when you were at medical school. This involves firstly identifying which specialty interests you and then starting to create a portfolio of experience, knowledge and skills which demonstrates your commitment to, and aptitude for, that specialty.
To go through this process effectively, you should consider what you want from your career and what skills you have. Having decided you wish to follow a career in surgery, there are other factors you must also consider. For example, how important is our geographical location? Furthermore, you should consider how competitive you are when compared to other candidates; some areas, such as London, are extremely popular and competition will be fiercer. Only you will be able to answer questions such as these and you should give them careful consideration before applying for jobs. Most importantly, you must honestly assess whether you are suitable for the job: pay very close attention to the person specification and job description. If you apply for a post for which you have too much or too little experience, you may not even be considered.
Completing the application and recruitment process for any job involves a considerable investment of your time and effort. Spending time applying for jobs you do not really want will inevitably mean you are unable to dedicate as much effort to applying for the jobs you really do want. Therefore, well before you begin applying for posts to progress to the next step in your career, make a list of what you are willing to compromise on, as well as what is essential for you to have in any job. Very few people are lucky enough to be offered exactly the job they want so apply for a few and ensure you have some second choice options. However, remember that if you accept a post you must take it up: you cannot accept an offer and then reject it if you are given a ‘better’ offer elsewhere.
