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Making Career Decisions

Making Career Decisions. Learning outcomes. You will: Understand a range of career factors which can help inform your choices after Foundation training Know how to evaluate specialty preferences and options in a systematic way Have access to a range of decision-making tools and resources

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Making Career Decisions

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  1. Making Career Decisions

  2. Learning outcomes You will: • Understand a range of career factors which can help inform your choices after Foundation training • Know how to evaluate specialty preferences and options in a systematic way • Have access to a range of decision-making tools and resources • Be able to use and interpret competition ratio data realistically • Be able to “scenario plan” for the range of decisions and choices which typically occur as part of specialty training application • Understand the importance of contingency plans

  3. Deanery Careers/LTFT Team • Dr Melanie Jones Associate Dean and Careers/LTFT Lead • Sally Blake Career Development Adviser pgmedicalcareers@cardiff.ac.uk • E Guidance link from www.cardiff.ac.uk/walesdeanery/careers

  4. Who provides support ? Career Support for Trainees SpecialistDeanery You

  5. Are you ready for this?

  6. Your career at its simplest… • Go to Medical School • Become a Junior Doctor • Enter specialty training • Become a consultant

  7. The road ahead…

  8. InteractiveCareer map From hot button on Deanery homepage www.walesdeanery.org

  9. Main Options after F2 • Specialty Training programme • Integrated Academic Training (WCAT) • Specialty doctor • Time Out/Abroad • Research/teaching • Other use of medical training (law, finance, informatics, sales, health related)

  10. Typical decision dilemmas Which round should I apply to? Should I wait/re-apply in Round 2? Should I accept an offer if I don’t know where my posts will be? Dual career issues Am I prepared to move to pursue a specialty or stay and let Plan A go? What is my 1st, 2nd, 3rd choice? What is my Plan B? Should I go abroad? Do I still want to be a doctor?

  11. Influences on career decisions • Time - earlier decisions are now required! • Generation (Boomers, X and Y) • Choice left to individual – (UK norm) • Prior exposure to a speciality helps inform choice • Peer influence (what others think) • Role models • Positive and negative experiences (“horn and halo”) • Life style and work life balance You need to take an evidence-based approach!

  12. Where should we be now? • Self assessment Exploring career values, motivators, preferences, personal strengths, limitations • Career exploration Establishing options, alternatives and plan B’s, information gathering, networking, reality checking • Decision making (you are here!) Evaluating options, mapping skills and attributes against actual roles, considering options and preferences, clarifying personal factors, making choices • Plan implementation Applicant research, CV update and applications, preparing for assessments and interviews

  13. Still exploring? • You can organise “tasters” in F2 to look at specialties you may consider or want to find out about • Go to national medical careers fairs (RCP, Mersey 15 September, BMJ London 19 – 20 October) • For diary of all UK Careers events http://www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk/career_planning/career_exploration/medical_careers_events_calend.aspx • Talk to trainees – what did they choose, why?

  14. Try SCI59 • On line self assessment tool • Improves self awareness if questions considered • Gives 10 specialities most likely to enjoy • Gives 10 specialities which will be a challenge • Take it with a pinch of salt – hazard warning!!! • Free to BMA members via their website • http://www.bma.org.uk/careers/careers_service/Careersguidance.jsp

  15. Do some personal research • Visit departments and talk to people • Have your questions ready • Have contact details to hand • “You’re the ideal person to ask about …” • “I’d really value your view on…” • “What’s it really like working as a ……?”

  16. What do I need to know about particular specialties? • Skills and competencies required • Experience needed • Pathways and progression • Competition ratios • Number and type of posts • Local and UK variation • Qualifications and training needed • Must be up to date information

  17. Have you got what they want? What I want What the specialty 1 wants 3 What I offer 2 What the specialty offers 4

  18. Exercise • Compare 2 Person Specifications • How do the first sections differ? • Look at common behavioural attributes e.g. Communication, Team work • How do they differ?

  19. Competition ratios – a word of warning! • Medical students and doctors like evidence-based approaches • Numbers look an attractive way of planning or justifying decisions • Posts are based on NHS service need; this changes from year to year • Everybody presents information differently (and usually not the whole story) • Using ratios to determine choice is like driving whilst looking in the rear view mirror

  20. Case study – Radiology in Wales 2009/10 224 applications for 7 posts Competition ratio = 32:1 39 invited to interview = 5:1 15 attended = 2:1 3 appointable candidates, 4 posts to Round 2 2010 = 28 applicants put Wales first choice in national process (but 20 interviewed and 5 offers made)

  21. Sources of Information • www.mmc.nhs.uk : on all specialty recruitment; look at person specifications and careers sections • www.bma.org.uk : information on recruitment rounds and procedures • www.medicalcareers.nhs.uk : for specialty information including workforce projections • www.nhscareers.nhs.uk : for outlines of specialities, pay • careerfocus.bmj.com/ : details of UK and other job vacancies, career advice, FAQ Careers in Wales • www.walesdeanery.org : for info on specialty training rounds in Wales • www.medicalcareerswales.com: all vacancies in Wales • www.doctorstrainingwales.tv : for video clips on specialty training in Wales

  22. Gold Guide • Everything about speciality training • Flexible training/LTFT • Time out for research • Time out for approved clinical training or experience • Career breaks • Inter deanery transfers • Time out for other good reasons • www.mmc.nhs.uk

  23. Reality checks: Even with your talent and aspiration remember that: • The NHS will train the workforce it requires, not create the posts you want • Not everyone gets their first choice • Think in terms of “choosing some specialties” not just “choosing a specialty” • There will be changes, transitions and bottlenecks to navigate from hereon in • Learn to live with risk and uncertainty

  24. Action Plan • Weigh up all your circumstances • Prioritise your options and preferences • Think of a Plan B (and C) • Carry out detailed research • Build experience via Tasters / audit / teaching • Get portfolio in shape (Dops, Mini CEX etc) • Bookmark and browse your key information sites • Update your CV • Think about your interview skills

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