There are a number of ways to find out what jobs are available:

• Job advertisements in Synergy News (make sure you collect your copy each month from your University);

• The UK’s largest database of radiography jobs is on the recruitment section of sor.org;

• NHS Careers jobs database;

• Many hospitals have details of job vacancies on their websites. If you don’t have the website address, you can find it using a search engine;

• If you would like to work in a particular department where you have been on placement, make enquiries of the senior staff;

• You could also write to prospective employers enquiring as to whether they are likely to have vacancies at the time you expect to graduate.

Although the majority of radiographer posts are in the NHS, there are a small number of independent hospitals with a Radiotherapy department and diagnostic imaging services are increasingly being provided by the private sector. Pay terms and conditions vary, so check these carefully.

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The job advertisement should give details of how to obtain an application pack. This can be obtained by downloading from a website, phoning a recruitment line, or sending an e-mail.

It is advantageous to have the application form in electronic format so that you can word process your responses directly on to the form. However, you must carefully check any instructions for completing the form because some employers insist that an application is handwritten and even specify the colour of ink. When this is the case, take a copy of the form to use for a rough draft before completing the final version.

It is important for you to keep a copy of the completed form for reference, especially if it requires a statement of interest saying why you are applying for the post and what specific experience you have that is relevant.

Often advertisements give details of the person to contact for more information, or to arrange an informal visit. Have your diary ready so you know when you can visit and before phoning think about what information you need to know about the post. It is important to tailor your responses on the application form to the specific job and department.

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The purpose of a job description is to provide a resume of a post including the tasks and responsibilities.   

Typically, details covered include: The job title; Who is accountable for the employee; The location of the job; A brief description of what the job entails; Professional and technical duties; Patient care responsibilities; Hours of work; Working conditions and pay.

A job description clearly defines what the job is about and what is expected from the individual.

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Always include a covering letter if you are using a CV to apply for a job.

The CV tells the employer what you have done, but not why you believe you are suitable for the job, why you are interested in the post, or the organisation. The CV is the product, the covering letter is the marketing.

You should try to include the following in your covering letter:

• Introduction - Why are you writing? Is it in response to a vacancy or are you making a speculative enquiry.
• Why you? - Refer to the information in your CV and state clearly how you match what the employer is asking for in the advert. If you are making a speculative application, what would you expect them to be looking for?
• Why them? - Say why this employer and job appeals to you. Draw on the research you have done into this area of work and on this employer.
• Sum up - Summarise in a confident and up-beat way by combining all the positive messages from the previous two sections.

Do

• Use one side of white A4 paper.
• If possible, address it to a person by name.
• Set out your letter as a formal business letter. If you are not sure how to do this, look at this example.
• Check for spelling or grammatical errors. Employers will not consider someone who couldn’t even be bothered to proof read their own application documents.
• Use the same font as your CV so that they are consistent.
• Deal with a problem area if you feel that it needs to be raised. For example, a retaken year or a health problem. Try to be brief and positive and don't draw attention to something which is minor.

Don't

• Waffle. Make the employer want to read your CV.
• Be overly humourous or too informal - you want to be taken seriously.
• Underplay your skills or make negative comments about yourself.

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If you are sending your CV as an e-mail attachment then you should also attach your covering letter rather than type it into the body of the e-mail message. The format of an e-mail can change drastically depending on the software used by the employer and may not look the same when it arrives or be easy to read.

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There are many schools of thought as to how a CV should be organised. Much depends on the individual and the job you are seeking, but some of these general points may be useful:

• Use good quality, unlined A4 size paper;
• Type the information, spacing sections well, so it doesn't look cluttered;
• Check spelling;
• Keep your CV to no more than two sides of A4;
• Personal details: Full name, address, phone number, date of birth and age;
• Education and training: List in reverse date order (the most recent first) the schools and colleges you have attended since age 11;
• Academic qualifications: List the examinations passed with grades attained;
• Clinical education: List the clinical departments in which you have been placed giving details of the type of experience you gained in each;
• You should also list, under the title 'Positions held', any positions of responsibility, for example, Prefect, Student Rep, etc.
• Work experience: Include details of any holiday, part-time or voluntary work undertaken, briefly mentioning your duties and what the job involved. Mature students should detail any previous full-time employment;
• Interests and achievements: Consider what impression it is you want to create before completing this section. List any special skills or hobbies and give details. Include any special courses you have attended;
• References: Provide names and addresses of two people who are willing to be contacted by the prospective employer with a view to commenting on your experience and personal qualities. In the case of references for a first post you should ask your course leader and someone involved in supervising your clinical education or another lecturer. Mature students may ask a previous employer. Ask permission before using their names.

CPD Now, the Society’s CPD tool will eventually have a CV facility to enable you to use evidence from your CPD portfolio to support your application for a job or programme of education.Click on the CPD Now button that is in the right hand column of each page of the members’ area of the website.

Click for more advice on writing a CV. (external link)

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Many employers will send you a standard job application form and prefer this method to sifting through CVs. Find out whether they will accept a CV as well as the application form, or just the application form alone.

Departments that receive many applications will usually use the application form as the first stage of their selection process and draw up a shortlist of people to invite for interview. It is therefore essential to take time and care when completing an application form.

Don't start filling in the form until you've read all the details and any accompanying literature fully. Sometimes a separate set of guidelines will be provided. Study these carefully. Read through all the information and make notes. For example, you might be asked to fill in certain sections in BLOCK CAPITALS or use black ink or type.

Before completing the application form, map out your answers to any detailed sections in rough. If possible photocopy the form and practice filling it in to ensure everything fits. Remember presentation is very important so try to type if at all possible. If not, hand write as clearly as possible. Make plenty of copies of the form beforehand in case you mess up the first few.

Photocopy your completed application form, especially a statement in support of application so at interview you don't forget what you said on the application form!

Be precise about your work/placement experience: give clear details of where you worked and full summaries of experience gained.

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Careful preparation will help you cope with any interview. Remember that the employer believes you to be as capable of doing the job as any other candidate.

Interviews test out this positive impression and assess your suitability for the job. They also indicate whether you will fit in with colleagues, present a confident and professional image with patients and cope with the pressures of the job.

Interviews vary a great deal. Interviewers may be trained, experienced and astute judges of character or inexperienced, untrained and as nervous as you.

Some employers use just one interview as the basis for their decision. Some ask candidates back a second time.

Interviews are also your opportunity to find out more about the job and the organisation. Employers want you to have enough information to make your decision to accept a job offer with confidence.

Thorough preparation is essential if you are to arrive at your interview ready to make the most of the opportunity and with enough self-confidence to conquer inevitable interview nerves.

• Read over your CV or application form. Think about your personal skills, motivation and personality.
  
  
• Read the job description and think about how your skills and experience match what the employer is looking for.
  
  
• Make sure you know about the employing organisation and the department.
  
  
• Decide what to wear. Make sure it's appropriate and comfortable.
  
  
• Find out how to get there and allow plenty of time for your journey. It takes time to find your way around a hospital when you don’t know where you’re going.
  
  
• Remember: If you have been invited for interview then the employer is serious about your application and is looking to build upon an already positive picture.
  
  
• If you can, hold a mock interview with someone else acting as the interviewer and try to replicate the interview experience. Ask the ‘interviewer’ to try out questions that require you to think about your response and whether it is likley to be what your employer-to-be would want to hear.

At the end of the interview, the interviewer may ask, “Do you have any questions?” It is a good idea to have one or more questions prepared; if they have been answered during the course of the interview, explain that the questions you had have been covered.

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