Before

Securing good work experience is one achievement. Maximising the opportunity beforehand, at the time and afterwards is quite another. It’s all about gathering the evidence you need to prove you’re fit to train for a career in healthcare.

To help you make your case we’ve compiled some top tips which are included below.

Top tips

• Prepare, prepare and prepare some more
  Enough said!
• Do your research
  Find out all you can about the hospital, ward, department, clinic, practice or organisation you’re going to.
• Find out what you’ll be doing
  Will you be shadowing or getting more hands-on experience?
• Think about what you want to learn
  What would you like to know or be able to do as a result?
• Find out what will be expected of you
  Is there any information you should source? How actively will you have to participate?
• Get the basics right
  Find out where, when and to whom you should report. Work out how to get there and how long it will take. Arrive on time, wearing the right clothes.
• Talk to someone who’s been there before
  This may not always be an option, but if it is, who better to help you prepare? And don’t forget to try and do the same for the people who follow in your footsteps!

During

When taking part in any kind of work or voluntary experience you really want to make sure you make the most of it whilst you are there. Below are some top tips to help you maximize every experience whilst you are there.

Top tips

• Ask questions
  Quiz staff about their role; how they got into it, why they enjoy it, what challenges they face.
• Get real
  Keep your eyes and ears wide open and get the best sense you can about the realities of working in that environment.
• Speak to patients
  There's so much to learn from speaking to patients, so after you've checked it's ok with a member of staff, you could approach people to see if they're willing to share some of their experiences. Remember that with all interaction with patients, and whatever they may share, you are very privileged to be in that position.
• Maximise the opportunity
  While you’re there, enquire about fresh opportunities in other departments, and don’t be discouraged if the answer is ‘no’.
• Get any hands-on experience you can
  There may be many small but vital practical tasks you can do, and they will be less than glamorous, but the way you manage them (and your patients) will speak volumes.
• Record everything
  You’ll be amazed how quickly you forget things, so try to keep a daily record of everything you observe, do and learn.
• Reflect on your experiences
  Once established, the essential ability to reflect on what you do and improve the way you work as a result should stay with you always.
• Make your best case
  Whether you write it down on paper or include it in your blog, think about what you’ve learnt and how best to express it when it counts.

After

As you prepare your case for interview, get into what should become the habit of a lifetime: Think about the experiences that really stand out. Why have they stayed with you and what did they teach you? What do you know now that you didn’t before? And how have the things you’ve seen and done opened your eyes to the realities of working in healthcare? Don’t forget you could use a blog or journal to help you with this process.