Will 2020 be the year that you make a fresh start in your career? Julie Watkins, RCN careers coach, shares her top tips on searching for jobs
If you’re not sure about the kind of role you’d like to consider, take a look at the RCN’s careers pages for inspiration.
Consider where you’ll search for jobs. Start by visiting the RCN's careers job searching pages, where you’ll find links to help you.
Use inverted commas if you want to search for a specific phrase, or a specific order of words. For example, if you type "practice nurse", you should get results that contain this specific term, instead of results that contain the word “practice” and the word “nurse”.
Register your job preferences with a job search website by submitting information like job title, field, pay, or location. The jobs website will notify you by email or text when jobs that match your description come up.
Many jobs are printed in journals, newspapers and in the local press.
Consider the job adverts in your print copy of RCN Bulletin and on the RCN Bulletin Jobs website.
Follow an organisation that advertises jobs on Twitter. Follow the RCN too and you might see useful courses running in your local RCN office to help you progress into your dream role. If you’re a registered nurse, always make sure you are acting within the NMC Code when using social media.
Use this online professional network to join relevant discussion forums or contact people that you might not otherwise have access to. Make sure your profile is up to date so potential networks get an insight into your professional qualities, skills and experience.
Don’t wait until you see a vacancy. Contact employers and attend job fairs. Build your network and enquire about potential vacancies. Read more about networking.
Arrange an informal visit or shadowing. It’s so important to see if the role is one that will suit you, your values and strengths. Find out more about informal visits.
