First NHS job

[TheTab]

OK, will try to keep this brief, but I do ramble.

DD is 3rd year HCP student now applying for first positions in the NHS. She currently has the following 5 applications ongoing:

1. Trust 1 - interviewed, offered a place, loves the hospital and has worked there on placement, but it is 60 miles from home and uni and she has no connections or life there.
   
2. Trust 2 - interviewed earlier this week, really really wants this job, is in her uni city and only 12 miles from home, would be potentially a life long commitment to the trust. Waiting for a reply. The trust is notoriously slow at responding and there were 70 applications for 20 jobs.
   
3. Trust 3 - Eight miles from home, 5 miles from uni city, interview next week, no idea how long it will take to get a reply. Would be a happy second choice if successful.
   
4. Trust 4 & Trust 5 - Fifteen and 30 miles away from uni city respectively, waiting for interview date/rejection - would be choices 3 and four if successful.
   
   So, my question is, do you accept an offer and then withdraw it if a better offer comes along? Trust 1 has already given her 6 weeks to make a decision which is very generous, that is nearly up. Or do you decline what could potentially be your only offer and you would take it if nothing else came up?
   
   Previous students have said they were told to accept everything then decline if a better offer came up, which doesn't seem very ethical but I understand their motives.
   
   She is a lovely person and would hate to offend anyone, but we just wondered if NHS first jobs were a bit like uni applications and the recruiters understood that the students hedge their bets?

[mojito55]

I'd advise her to accept offer 1 and then withdraw if necessary. It won't have a big negative impact, the NHS isn't a small business and they will easily be able to find someone else to take her place.

[AndromedaPerseus]

For first jobs my first consideration would be to choose the place which would give you the best and widest range of experience, location would be second consideration , never really considered how far I was from parents home tbh

[TheTab]

Mmmm, thanks both. She has two weeks to say yeh or nay to Trust 1 by which time (hopefully) she will have heard from Trust 2, and got a feel how Trust 3 went.

She isn't really that bothered about being close to us, more her uni city which is fab and she has made a life there.

I'll recommend she gives it 10 days then accepts. Appreciate such a quick response.