I’m quitting my job in law to go and work for the NHS, AMA.

[NHSinterviewupcoming]

As the title says.

Ask you about what? That you’ve changed jobs?

Anything - there’s a real misconception on here that everyone in the law earns £250k a year and has glamorous lives

Magic circle or high street law firm?

What was the role you did and what role are you going into ?

Regional.

Associate solicitor. Going all the way down to band 2

Why? Is the most obvious question…

I think this would work better if you outlined the roles and why.

I agree there is in general a misconception lawyers are all very highly paid - a local solicitor going conveyancing and wills won’t be pulling in the big bucks.

Because I fucking hate it.

The firm has changed considerably in the last ten years. I’m now expected to bill every single moment I’m in the office, turned up early and leave late, for a paltry sum (£35k a year). Im billing on average 10 hours a day and it puts me into minimum wage territory when you look at my pay at the end of each month.

Do you have the job yet ? I worked in the NHS for a few years a good few years ago. It was the most thankless job I have ever done.

Is it a vocational calling and what’s the pay difference?

Good luck

Is this a potential stepping stone to something like a nursing/midwifery degree?

Because no matter how badly an associate solicitor is paid, it can’t be worse than a band 2…

Out of the pan and into the fire. Sorry, not a question..

Days away from my unconditional offer.

I’m in a thankless job already, I’d rather do one where my function isn’t just to put money into someone else’s pocket

oh dear...

ex NHS worker here

I think you should look at civil service and local government jobs too - decent promotion possibilities and not working to make money for directors/shareholders.

A band 2 starts on 12.51 per hour. National living wage is 12.21.

As an HCA, you can expect to be regularly sworn at, assaulted, and watch people die in front of you for that. Obviously it’s possible OP is going to be an outpatient receptionist, in which case only the “being sworn at” part will apply.

Your trust is ripping you off there supposed doing away with band 2

Jesus Christ. Having worked in the NHS for 20 years I’d suggest it’s too soon to start celebrating,

I’ve worked for the NHS for over 10 years, as a band 2, long before NMW increases made band 2 become a minimum wage job. You’re mad to leave your current job for this. You’re going to get just as much stress/abuse/trauma, if not more, for much less pay.

I don’t care, I really don’t.

when you take into account all of the overtime I’ve done in the last year - marketing out of hours, weekends, working until 1 in the morning, I barely make minimum wage. I’d rather be on minimum wage and work in the NHS

OP you haven’t yet answered whether this is a stepping stone to a qualified/higher paying role (ie planning to apply for nursing/midwifery degree but need HCA experience first), or whether this is a dead end band 2 admin job?

This will skew the responses quite a bit. I put up with a lot of shit on a consultant salary that I would walk away from tomorrow if I was on minimum wage (for example, all NHS workers do a tonne of unpaid overtime every week).

No they’re not. Band 2’s cover hundred of different roles within the NHS. HCA’s and a few other clinical roles are going to be up banded to band 3’s.

What was your area in law?

If I can progress on the admin side, I will. If not, I’ll lateral in a few years to another team or role.

Family.