For many third-year students in nursing, midwifery and paramedic science, applying for your first qualified role can feel both exciting and overwhelming. You have spent years working towards this moment, but translating your training and placement experience into a strong job application can feel like a completely different challenge.
One of the main places newly qualified roles are advertised is through NHS Jobs, and understanding how this system works can help you present yourself more effectively when applying.
When applying through NHS Jobs, many organisations use a shortlisting process where personal details are removed at the initial stage. This means the panel reviewing applications may not see information such as your name or other identifying details when they first assess your application. Instead, they focus on how well your supporting statement demonstrates that you meet the criteria in the job description and person specification.
Because of this, it is important to clearly explain your experience, skills and what you have learned during your placements.
At the same time, many NHS organisations actively recruit their own student nurses, midwives and paramedics who have trained within their Trust. For this reason, it is helpful to clearly state which university you attend and which course you are qualifying from early in your supporting statement, as well as where you have completed placements. This helps employers recognise when an applicant may already be familiar with their organisation and clinical environments.
It is important to remember that reviewers may receive tens, and sometimes hundreds, of applications for a single role. Because of this, they may not read every personal statement in full before deciding whether an application meets the shortlisting criteria.
This means the opening one or two paragraphs of your supporting statement are particularly important.
Use this space to clearly explain:
Try to make these first paragraphs specific to the job and person specification, highlighting the skills and experience you have developed during your training and placements. While previous jobs may have helped build transferable skills, recruiters are usually most interested in how your clinical training and placement experiences relate directly to the role you are applying for.
Many students also tend to play down their own skills and experience in applications. Wanting to avoid sounding overly confident, they sometimes write in a way that comes across as hesitant or unsure. In reality, employers want to see that you can communicate your abilities clearly and professionally. Writing confidently and succinctly can make a big difference when completing supporting statements.
Tools such as ChatGPT can also help students refine their writing and organise their ideas. For example, prompts such as “make this section sound clearer and more confident” can help improve the tone of a paragraph. Writing with confidence is not the same as sounding arrogant, it simply means clearly explaining the knowledge, skills and experiences you have gained during your training.
It is also helpful to make your statement specific to the Trust, department or role you are applying for. Recruiters want to see that you have taken the time to read about their organisation.
For example, you might mention:
This shows that you are applying because you are genuinely interested in working there. It helps your application stand out and shows that you have taken the time to tailor your statement to that organisation, even if the reality is that you might also be applying because you’re skint and waiting for that dream job in Australia to appear.
It can be really helpful to prepare a generic supporting statement template that you can adapt quickly for different roles.
NHS jobs can sometimes appear and close within a few days, or even sooner if there is a high number of applicants, so being able to apply quickly can make a real difference. Having a well-written core statement that explains your training, key skills and values means you can simply adapt sections to match the specific Trust, department or job description, rather than starting from scratch each time.
Being in the right place at the right time can matter when applying for newly qualified roles.
It is also worth signing up for email notifications through NHS Jobs so you are alerted when relevant roles are posted. This allows you to apply early and stay one step ahead of the rush of applications.
If you are applying for roles in an area where you have not completed a placement, for example because you are moving back home or relocating for work, it can be helpful to learn more about the service before applying. If you are feeling brave, you could consider contacting the organisation and asking whether it might be possible to visit the department or have a short tour. For example, if you are a student midwife applying to a maternity unit where you have not previously worked, seeing the environment in person can help you get a sense of the culture, the team and how the unit operates. Many students choose to email the Head of Midwifery or the education team to ask if this might be possible.
While not every service will have the capacity to arrange this, organisations that are keen to recruit enthusiastic new staff are often happy to help prospective applicants learn more about their service. Even the response you receive can sometimes give you an early sense of the culture of the team and how welcoming the environment might be.
Applying for your first qualified role can feel like a big step, but remember that employers understand you are newly qualified and still developing your confidence and clinical experience. What they are often looking for is evidence that you are safe, reflective, compassionate and committed to learning.
Take the time to show how your placements, training and experiences have prepared you for the role, and how your values align with the service you are applying to.
And remember, every application is a learning opportunity. The right role is out there. Remember, The Scholars’ Network is here to help you. If you need support with your applications drop us an email on info@thescholarsnetwork.org.uk.
