Career planning
Where are you now?
 I have chosen the specialty I wish to
pursue
 I am not certain which specialty I wish to
pursue but I have started to narrow it
down
 I haven’t decided which specialty to
pursue and I haven’t yet started to
narrow it down
Career Planning
“Career planning will involve foundation
doctors learning and being coached
about how best to match their skills,
strengths and interests with the needs
of the NHS.”
Operational framework for foundation training (Paragraph 186)
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=OperationalFramework-FINAL.pdf
Career Planning
“Good career planning will also involve
helping foundation doctors to
understand that life-long learning is vital
to a successful career, giving them
flexibility and adaptability throughout
their medical working lives. ”
Operational framework for foundation training (Paragraph 186)
http://www.foundationprogramme.nhs.uk/download.asp?file=OperationalFramework-FINAL.pdf
Skills
Strengths
The Needs Of
The NHS
Interests
Career Planning
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Interests
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Strengths
You
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Needs
of the
NHS
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Skills
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Choosing a career
Self awareness
What you have to offer
& What you want
Opportunity awareness
+
What they have to offer
What they want
=
Decision Making
Making a career choice
Having back up plans
Transition
Moving on
Effective applications
The Recruitment Process
Skills Exercise
Demonstrating personal skills
•
Skill
•
Activity
•
Evidence
•
Relevance to
chosen specialty
 In what way are you able to demonstrate that your
own skills and attributes are suitable for a higher
career in this specialty?
Recruitment
 Application form
 Interview
 References
Application form
Application Form
 Section A – monitoring information
 Section B – application for employment
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Registration status
Educational & professional qualifications
Courses attended
Employment history
6 questions
Questions
1. Why this speciality and what have you done to explore your
suitability for this speciality? (300 words)
2. Describe your skills & competencies, highlighting strengths
& weaknesses and areas for improvement (300 words)
3. Your experiences of & contribution to audit (150 words)
4. Describe your relevant teaching experience (150 words)
5. Research work, publications & presentations (150 words)
6. Other helpful supporting evidence? (300 words)
Shortlisting for interview – stage 1
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Question 1
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Motivation
Orientation
Suitability
Insight
Exploration
Use of experience to
date
Quality of written
communication
 Question 2
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Generic skills
Technical skills
Relevance
Strengths
Areas for improvement
Quality of written
communication
Shortlisting for interview – stage 2
 Full application form
 If successful, interviewed
Application Form Exercise
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Complete 2 questions
150 words per answer
30 minutes time limit
These are two of the questions from last
year’s ST1 application forms.
Answers?

Why this speciality and what have you
done to explore your suitability for this
speciality? (300 words)
“…at least you have to use your brian for this
speciality (unlike surgery)…”
Questions

Why this speciality and what have you
done to explore your suitability for this
speciality? (300 words)

What are your experiences of &
contribution to audit? (150 words)
Group Task
 30 minutes to shortlist the application
forms
 Create an agreed scoring system
 Identify which applications you would
shortlist
 Identify which you would reject (at least 2)
 Summary of key +/- feedback
Feedback
 From the short listing groups about the
application form answers
 Positive elements to the answers
 Negative elements to the answers
 Also feedback about the group activity
 How you worked together
 How everyone contributed
Teamwork-positive indicators
 Demonstrates participative, nonconfrontational approach
 Actively seeks contributions from others
Respects others’ views. Listens and
negotiates. Able to compromise.
 Actively supports, encourages and
recognises need to draw on others
 Understands importance of being target
focused
Teamwork-negative indicators
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Lack of respect for others and their views
Little evidence of support for others
Sticks rigidly to own agenda, no negotiation
No understanding of how others contribute
to success
 Dominates the team
Written applications - problems
 Including negative statements about yourself.
 Applying for colleagues -“We..”
 Not giving clear examples that highlight your role and
contribution
 Being too passive/negative (“the role required…”)
 Making mistakes with spelling and grammar
 Leaving time gaps / not answering all questions
 Not including referees and their full contact details
 Too long, important information buried
 Too many fonts/styles/unattractive layouts
Before you write anything…pppppp
 Familiarise yourself with the applications timetable and
keep this in mind when planning holidays etc
 Read all supporting documentation.
 The job description
 The person specification and the application form, so that you
understand what is required from you
 Familiarise yourself with any other material, including any deanery
guidance for applicants
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Gather your evidence
Do your career research
Plan your time
Follow the instructions
Language
Referees
Working e mail account
Interviews
Interviews
 Questions about you (what do they know
already?)
 Questions about the job/specialty (what do you
know?)
 Technical / Specialist questions (to test specific
knowledge / skills that are required in the job)
 Questions about the organisation/profession
(what do you know? Where can you find out more)
 On-the-spot / off-the-wall questions…
 Questions you are dreading…
Competency Based Questions
Questions that require a clear example to show
how you have demonstrated the required
skills/qualities, e.g.
 Describe a time when your communication skills
made a difference to patient care.
 Tell us about a time when you effectively led a team
 Tell me about a time when you had conflicting
priorities and what you did to resolve them.
Structured Answers
• Context
• Action
• Result
 Situation or
 Task
 Action
 Result or Reflection
1. Context. Give a quick introduction by outlining the situation or
task you were faced with.
2. Action – what you actually did. Clearly show your role and
contribution. The skills and qualities you demonstrated.
3. Result- quick summary – the results of your actions (ideally a
positive outcome). Can also show reflection about your
performance / the situation.
Interview Exercise
 Groups of 3:
 Interviewer, interviewee, observer
 5 min interviews – questions from list
 Observer (and interviewer) – give
feedback on answers: what was said &
how it was said
 Rotate roles
Interview Techniques - problems
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Poor body language
Irrelevant answers
Badly organised answers
Recited answers
Repetition
Being nervous / lacking in confidence
Being over confident
Talking too quickly (or slowly)
Failing to engage all the panel
Other selection methods?
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Simulated patient interaction
Group exercise
Written test/MCQ
Written exercise
Others…?
Being more competitive
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Knowing what they want
Understanding transferability
Making the most of current opportunities
Networking & identifying new
opportunities
 Be inventive & original
 Document/evidence (Portfolio)
Summary
 Know yourself and be able to talk about
your skills and experiences positively
 Know what’s out there & what they want
 Make effective plans
 Get yourself in a position to act positively
and quickly towards change, uncertainty
and opportunities.
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