Launching Your Career in Nursing and Midwifery: A Practical Guide
It can be daunting entering the third year of your midwifery degree. There is a lot going on with your course, plus the fact that you need to start looking for a post-qualification job.
Launching Your Career in Nursing and Midwifery by Annabel Smoker may be just what you need if you're approaching this crossroads of study and employment.
We all have different ambitions, and that is something that Launching Your Career… actively supports. Help is given to assist candidates looking for work in the NHS, but the book also provides information about a vast array of opportunities outside of our health service, and even outside of the UK. Independent midwifery is covered, as well opportunities in the armed forces, postgraduate education, clinical academic careers and experiences abroad, with tips and advice about how to secure such roles and opportunities.
The book is easy to navigate and can be read in any order, so you can pick and choose the information you need. From career planning to ‘employment beyond first post’, the chapters each cover a different part of the application process and provide activities that will help you think about your skills and goals. Links to useful websites are also given throughout the book, with a section at the end directing you to a number of careers-based websites both within and outside of the NHS.
Launching Your Career… is hugely user-friendly in terms of its layout, which is clean and concise with appropriate tables, charts and figures to accompany the text. Case studies and accounts from current students and registered midwives are helpful, allowing the reader to gain a more personal insight into the topics being discussed in the book. It is interesting and thought-provoking to discover how other individuals have overcome certain obstacles and to learn about the various pathways they have taken with their nursing or midwifery degrees.
Spending the past 3 years of your life in full-time education means you may not have had an interview or applied for a job for a long time. It is understandable that you may lack confidence or feel ‘out of the loop’ with regard to filling in application forms or attending interviews. Smoker recognises this, and gives detailed support from the beginning, with how to create a CV and fill in an application form, as well as discussing appropriate conduct at interviews. Useful tips are offered for distinguishing yourself from other candidates applying for the role.
Launching Your Career… is current and up-to-date with the information and advice it gives, including aspects of the NHS Constitution, the 6 Cs and demonstrating your accountability as a professional. You can therefore feel confident that the information you are receiving is credible, and that the phone numbers and web addresses provided should still be active. Some of the stress and burden of lengthy internet searches is removed, knowing that everything you may need is packed within one book.
In addition, Smoker has provided a wealth of information with regard to employment law and current UK legislation such as border and immigration agency guidance for non-EU nationals. Work health assessments and declaring disabilities and health needs to a potential employer are also covered, alongside a variety of issues that can help applicants feel reassured as they look for employment.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. It is full of information about a range of post-qualification options, and is concisely written. Smoker ensures that all details are easy to understand and are presented in a helpful way, so readers are able to navigate the book with ease to find a quick answer to their query. Launching Your Career… offers something for everyone including students, registered midwives and overseas applicants. You feel like you are in good hands with the information that Smoker provides, able to take your career in any direction you wish. I certainly found this book a very informative, thought-provoking and helpful read.