EBME Forums Forums Management Professional Issues Advice needed

Hi,

Just need some advice ,

If i manage to get a work experience role in a NHS hospital biomedical engineering department, do you think it will help me find a suitable placement as a service engineer?. If yes how long do you think i will have to do this work experience posting( in terms of months or years).

I do have service and maintenance experience but since i have taken a long break(about 7 years worked in a sales role), i need to brush on my basics of component testing and stuff like that. Do you know of any courses that may be available for this in the UK.

Thanks in advance

Have you considered agency work?

It is a good way of gaining "current" experience reasonably quickly, and you need not hang around at each booking too long if you want to maximise your exposure to different situations. And not all of those agency bookings are at hospitals, so there's always a chance with servicing companies as well.

There are usually vacancies in the Midlands.

Check out the two agencies in the Jobs section.

Regarding training ... since the sad demise of Capital, Eastwood Park remains the only real contender for "generic" training in the UK. Which is a pity, as a bit of competition is always a good thing, I reckon. But there again, "across the board" practical training has always been in short supply, for as long as I can remember. And these days, it seems that techs are expected to be "ready trained"!

My advice would be:- just get stuck in. If you have enthusiasm, a real interest in the kit, and a willingness to work ... everything should turn out OK.

Thanks Geoff...

I am in touch with a contact in a hospital and i am hopeful i will get something for work experience.

When you talk about agency work are you saying i should ask them if i can shadow the engineers working for them?

Just be careful that, in your eagerness to return unto the fold, that you don't get taken advantage of.

As I must have said on here a hundred times, good techs are always in short supply (as they always have been, and probably always will be) ... so don't sell yourself short.

No ... there's no question of "shadowing". Just get in touch with the agencies and register your interest. No doubt they will moan on about "we only have positions for experienced techs" etc., etc. ... but (take it from me) there are not that many techs around willing to take on agency tasks, so they will phone you sooner or later with something like:- "how do you fancy [such and such a location]" and "can you start on Monday"?

Another thing about agency roles is that (to be honest) a lot of the bookings are not really at Rocket Scientist level (if you take my meaning) but generally arise due to backlogs of work, absences through sickness or whatever, or an inability to recruit on the part of the in-house department, for whatever reason. Often the work is "just" PM ... or some other task that the in-house techs just haven't been able to get around to doing. Give it a try. You might like it!

Thanks geoff..u make it sound real easy,...is doesn't look that easy so far....