How did you get your placement..?

Re: How did you get your placement..?

Kim Buckley — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:13:05 GMT

I was a bit different because I did the degree but I was really lucky as I got placed in a practice near home for my uni placement in my first year. They then offered me a full time job in the summers and over xmas when I was home which was a really great experience and when I completed my degree they took me on full time.

Re: How did you get your placement..?

Royalsuper_fairy — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:35:55 GMT

[quote user="albatross"]

[quote user="Royalsuper_fairy"]

Well done you! Where's the new job?

[/quote]

Wow! Good on you! Hope it all works out well for you! BIg hugs

Sunnyside Veterinary Clinic, Roydon, Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
And I live in Canterbury,Kent (well I will for part of the week, and part in Norfolk, and go to college one day a week in Canterbury!!!)

[/quote]

Re: How did you get your placement..?

paula morgan — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:38:37 GMT

I sent my cv to all the vets in the area but decided to take it personally to the practice that I used, it turned out that i knew the practice manager as we both worked in an endurance yard, went for the interview on the friday and got acceptance letter the followin wednesday x

Re: How did you get your placement..?

albatross — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:13:20 GMT

[quote user="Royalsuper_fairy"]

Well done you! Where's the new job?

[/quote]

Sunnyside Veterinary Clinic, Roydon, Kings Lynn, Norfolk.
And I live in Canterbury,Kent (well I will for part of the week, and part in Norfolk, and go to college one day a week in Canterbury!!!)

Re: How did you get your placement..?

johannapage — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:03:24 GMT

I was really lucky with my placement, phoned round all the tp's in my area got told by one of them that they wernt taking on but another practice was, phoned them and dropped my CV in by hand on the same day, had an interview the following week, got invited back for a training day and was offered the job on the spot!! Left after 2 years and with 8 weeks before my exams due to being offered a job (providing I passed my final exams) closer to home in mixed practice.

Re: How did you get your placement..?

Royalsuper_fairy — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:44:54 GMT

[quote user="albatross"]

I spent three years beating my head against a brick wall and getting slowly more and more demoralised by the whole training practice route...

I sent CV's in application to jobs found on websites, through search engines, and in the newspapers.
I sent CV's to every TP in Kent, on a 6 monthly basis.
I sent emails to every TP in Kent at the times of expected student exams.

I spoke to friends who used different practices, I spoke to vets I worked with or the practice I used for my own animals.
I did work experience during college, offered to do work experience once already working in a charity vets.
I applied for receptionist or kennel maid jobs (often to be told I was overqualified so they didn't want to consider me - a year or more in the charity vets plus HND in Animal Management at that time!)

I then started to apply for jobs outside Kent and found a job via this website working nights in a TP in Watford - the job is advertised again due to other members leaving so if you're preprared to relocate for a while it might e a good route in, even though they aren't currently taking on SVN's and you'd have to wait to transfer over, or use the experience gained to get interviews in other TP's.
After a year there, I found I could get interviews in TP's for trainee places - but still NEVER EVER had one in Kent!!!

I then replied to an advert on here about salary for a SVN, and then to the advert when it was posted. The staff are wonderful, the place is lovely, I am starting on 2nd July, and training once enrolled, college in September (a lot of places want you to work a year or more before they start officially training you!). The downside is that it's 160 miles from home and petrol, plus room rent will eat up all but £50 of my weekly wage until I go to college. But I've finally got my place and £50 a week in my pocket is more than I earn from dropping one of my two afternoons a week at the charity vets. So if home life falls apart, the houswork doesn't get done, hubby runs off with the barmaid, the car falls apart through 320+ miles each week - I don't care, I CAN START TRAINING!!!

However I have met personally quite a few young people who were amazed at my difficulty in getting a place, because their mums knew a vet, or their auntie used a TP, and so they secured work placement, then saturday work, then a SVN place just like that.

It is often a case of who you know rather than what you know, or just being in the right place at the right time.
I recently heard of a girl who completed the HND l(same as my qualification and at the same college) ast year, went to a companion care to buy some stuff for her dog, asked if there were any jobs going, got interviewed and a non-training place just like that. They may now start training her this september! That job was never advertised, and they had received several copies of my cv, but never contacted me. Much miffed!

I found it so hard to get a place (partly also because I was 42 when I started the HND and 44 when I started bombarding practices), but I know of others who have tried for much longer than the three years I've been trying, then again I know of others who didn't try at all and never even competed against others at an interview!

Good luck, it will happen one day.
My two tips:
make sure you have a driving licence and access to a car
be prepared to relocate even if it's only for a short while

[/quote]

Well done you! Where's the new job?

Emma xxx

Re: How did you get your placement..?

loobylou — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:25:45 GMT

I think it is sometimes a case of right time, right place or who you know.

I was very lucky and got a placement pretty much straight away. I found out about a local training agency when on my school work experience. I contacted them and had an interview with them. They then contacted local practices on my behalf and got me an interview. I went and had a chat with them, worked a day with them then started my job there 2 weeks later

Most of the trainees we have taken on have been school work experience students wh o have shown potential or have come through the same agency I used.

Re: How did you get your placement..?

Naomi Jackson RVN — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:36:06 GMT

I had always wanted to be a VN but my family persuaded me to take a nice office job as it was better paid. I hated it. I left work to look after my son who I had at 32. I then became a dinner lady at 38 cos it fit in with his school hours. At 40 I saw a job advertised in the paper for a trainee VN. I figured why not never dreaming I would get the position due to my age. I did and couldnt believe it. After being there 3 month I broke my arm and thought that I would lose my dream job. After delays and surgery (on arm + knee)leaving my first practice, finding another and hating it and finally finding one I loved and ANA, Level 2+3 I finally qualified this year at the age of 46 and it is amazing. I am now wearing my badge with great pride.

Re: How did you get your placement..?

Kelly 26uk — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:43:19 GMT

Thank you both for your replies. I'm interested to hear peoples experiences - from the people who have actually been there.

It's a shame that it seems such a difficult area to get in to, I haven't been looking for anywhere near as long as you, but I am trying not to get too disheartened. I saw the first advert so far the other day for a trainee nurse in my area, but unfortunately it turns out they were in the middle of appointing..

I'm in the fortunate position of having a fairly well paid job anyway, so I'm able to look alongside my current job..

I hope everything goes well with your job! - They sound lucky to have you

Kelly

Re: How did you get your placement..?

A Little TLC — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:33:48 GMT

[quote user="albatross"]

I spent three years beating my head against a brick wall and getting slowly more and more demoralised by the whole training practice route...

Good luck, it will happen one day.
My two tips:
make sure you have a driving licence and access to a car
be prepared to relocate even if it's only for a short while

[/quote]

i hope you realise you are such an inspiration!!

Re: How did you get your placement..?

albatross — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:24:48 GMT

I spent three years beating my head against a brick wall and getting slowly more and more demoralised by the whole training practice route...

Good luck, it will happen one day.
My two tips:
make sure you have a driving licence and access to a car
be prepared to relocate even if it's only for a short while

Re: How did you get your placement..?

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:21:58 GMT

Hi,

It took 2 years of writing out to TP practices. Luckily my practice who I'm registered with contacted me for an interview.

It can take time but worth it in the end.

Good luck x