Question 1

How long did it take you both to get jobs?

Accepted Answer

We both got our roles quite quickly- Dee accepted first AP role straight after masters but it took 3-4 months for recruitment and Tilly- straight after undergrad. Both of us did have other rejections though. It is not very common for it to happen that quickly and we appreciate it is different for everyone as the AP job market is just so competitive! However we have both had rejections so we have been in your shoes as some point!

Question 2

Work Experience Reccomendations

Accepted Answer

Anything works really! It is all about how you apply the skills rather than what the role is. However, here are some examples:
NCS team lead
Support Worker
Healthcare assistant
SEND TA
Care home assistant
Research assistant
Peer leader
Recovery worker
Volunteering with organisations such as Shout, Samaritans or Barnado's
Charitable work
Retail

It is all about the transferrable skills.

Question 3

When is the best time to apply for AP roles?

Accepted Answer

Most people who have gotten onto training will hand their notice in over the summer- think mid June - September time!
There are sometimes quite a few roles in March- April time too as lots of services receive funding for AP roles at the end of the financial year or at the start of the next one.

Question 4

Do I need to have a masters?

Accepted Answer

Definitely not! Most services will ask for a 2:1 or 1st in undergraduate psychology with eligibility for GBC. Some services ask about masters as part of the desirable criteria and some band 5 roles will ask for further study/ evidence of research design. For band 4, you definitely don't need a masters.

Question 5

Jobs close too quickly, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Have a to go template ready so that you can just edit for each individual role and send! Trac jobs usually saves your previous applications for you so always use a 'recent application' and it will fill in your saved information which will save time.

Question 6

What do you think of supervision with an external clinical psychologist?

Accepted Answer

Supervision is a key competency of a trainee clinical psychologist and it is a wonderful space to have! Any supervision from a clin psych is beneficial- naturally it can be harder if you don't work together as they may not be aware of certain situations and your working style. However, having supervision is useful as it will help you reflect on your work. It is often a part of AP job role specifications so if having external supervision is an option that will help you meet that, go for it!

Question 7

How do you structure your supporting statement?

Accepted Answer

Be concise! Don't waste word count on introductions or endings. With your supporting information, go straight into discussing how you meet the person specification! Definitely use bullet points to space out your application and if not- at least paragraph so it doesn't look like a huge chunk of text!

Question 8

Is it best to use the STAR method in applications?

Accepted Answer

For structure- think: point and example. However, word count is limited, so state how you meet the criteria with an example. Remember- example for everything! If you have space definitely use STAR method but since you will likely run out of space, save the in depth reflections for interview!

Question 9

What do you think about reusing applications for multiple AP roles?

Accepted Answer

100% yes! Chances are, the job will disappear within a few days as the demand is so high, so keep a template and just edit it so it is specific to the role you are going for! Most AP roles will have some similar points on the PS which should save you some time.

Question 10

When mentioning psychological interventions/strategies and legislation in examples, do we have to have known we were using these at the time? Or should it be more of a reflective process if we didn’t

Accepted Answer

No you don't have to have known that you were using something at the time! Psychologists want to see that you are unsure of things and are learning, part of being an AP/ trainee is making mistakes and moving past these or learning things you don't know! Remember that no one knows everything! So you can be completely honest and share you did not know something but you can turn that into a strength and reflect on that- say what you learnt from it and how you can use it in the future.

Question 11

I always feel more comfortable when I’m writing the ‘meat’ if you will (lol) of an application but find an intro/ending a bit more tricky, what would you guys recommend to include in these parts?

Accepted Answer

Don't waste word count on an intro- ending! You can insert one if you really want to but you won't get points for it! Use the supporting info to directly state how you meet the person specification e.g. if the first point is degree requirement then start your supporting info with 'I have X degree...'.

Question 12

How long is the recruitment process?

Accepted Answer

Recruitment for the NHS can be LONG! 
After interviews, it can take up to 3-4 months to complete references, DBS and other document checks until you receive a start date so hang in there!
Private usually has a faster turn around and that is mostly within 1-2 months.

Question 13

Do roles tell you if you are unsuccessful?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately not. It is rather unfair that everyone puts time and effort into an application, only to have to wait forever to not even receive an official rejection! Sadly there are just that many applications to process that services can't individually say no to everyone they are rejecting. Some jobs can get over 200+ applications! If you haven't heard in a few weeks you can chase! If it is more than 6 weeks with no response then assume it is unsuccessful.

Question 14

Is there a lot of difference between NHS/ Private?

Accepted Answer

Having worked in both NHS and private, I think there is! In the NHS, there were far more opportunities to do audit and service evaluation. That is a key part of NHS service improvement whereas it is harder to find opportunities for audit in private as the priorities are different for a business. There is often more of a focus on meeting KPI's in private! The amount of clinical work you do can also vary within the NHS and private service- I personally had a much bigger caseload in the NHS due to demand and I found more opportunities to contribute to the service. However, in both NHS and private, the job is what you make of it!

Question 15

Do I need to write something for every point of the person specification?

Accepted Answer

Try and demonstrate how you meet each point! However, if you are really struggling for space, prioritise the essential criteria and that usually also sometimes covers parts of desirable qualities they are looking for.

Question 16

How long do AP roles stay advertised for?

Accepted Answer

Turn around can be as long as 2 weeks to apply, or unfortunately as short as 1 hour when there is really quick demand.

Question 17

Does having an AP job make it easier to get other roles?

Accepted Answer

As much as we would love to say it guarantees more AP roles, it sadly doesn't! Having an AP role definitely helps in terms of meeting more parts of the person specification as you will develop skills and competencies in areas that other roles will be looking for. So, you will find it easier than someone with no AP experience- however you will mostly, if not always be up against a minimum of another AP and so both of you will have the relevant skills and it comes down to luck and the interview day really! The rejections definitely don't stop even when you are an AP.

Question 18

Can you email the hiring manager prior to an NHS interview asking more about the role?

Accepted Answer

Yes it is always helpful to express your interest! It shows your enthusiasm. You can ask about service value, models, opportunities for CPD, a day in the role etc.

Question 19

Advice for NHS AP roles if you only have experience in private?

Accepted Answer

You can definitely go from Private to NHS and vice versa! There is no penalty for having private experience and services look for your experiences and reflections of working there. If you speak about transferrable skills and highlight some differences between NHS and private and why you want to work in whichever you are interviewing for that is fine! Be careful not to talk negatively about your service though.

Question 20

How to cope with struggling to remember whole interview questions?

Accepted Answer

- Follow: what, so what and now what
- You can also ask to take notepads and pens in to jot things down- some services may not allow this but you can ask!
- Ask for the question repeated as many times as you like- this is not a weakness.

Dee and Tilly

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