Need advice about a new job - and it’s not straightforward!

[blackswan27]

(I haven’t even got the job yet but just in case I do!)

I need some advice. I work full time for the NHS, 4 days a week in community and 1 day a week in a specialism. I really enjoy my specialism and am lucky to have the opportunity, but community work has been stressful and we’re very understaffed. I’m not enjoying it that much and it’s tiring me out, and I also felt a little brushed off recently when I tried to bring up some issues to my manager.
Another thing is it’s 25 miles away from me.

I found a job in a university, 3 days per week. I have done a lecture before as well as had students on placement with me. After a meeting about issues I was having at work, which didn’t really get dealt with, I applied on a whim. It sounds incredibly fun and different.
My specialism supervisor really does not want me to leave - she hopes I can take her over when she retires and it’s a great career path for me.

Ideally I’d love to get this job and work 2 days for the NHS, 3 days for the university.

But here are the issues:

1. I feel like my manager would be fuming if I dropped my community days, we are understaffed as it is and I don’t even know if she’d let me just stay and do my specialism. It’d be such an awkward conversation to have
2. the new job is advertised as fixed term until December 2026 and I’m worried I can’t return full time if I burn bridges
3. this new job is still a fair commute but I think there’s more flexibility to work from home
4. this new job pays a lot more!!
5. I worry I muddy the waters knowing what my career will be (my specialism or university working?)

I would love to know what you guys would do in this situation? Of course I will attend the interview but what do I do if I get the job?! It’s so confusing!

(ps I need to work full time so that’s non negotiable)

You really don't have enough information yet. You need to find out the possibility of reducing your NHS job to two days a week, bearing in mind they might refuse.

Read your numbered points again - my headline is, yes take the job if you get it, and if you can potentially afford to survive on the 3 days if you have to for a bit - but see below:

reasons:
Facing a bad conversation isn’t a reason not to do anything!
The job pays more and it sounds like you want it.
It seems very likely that the contract will be extended. But if it isn’t, you will be well placed to go back into clinical work.

I would have a conversation with your specialism manager first, in confidence. Ask how possible it might be to be employed directly for that area only 2 days a week.

If your community manager says ‘my way or the highway’ and requires you to resign fully from your NHS job, I would do it, once you have found a different day or two days NHS job that will allow you to stay in the pension with continuous service. There will be something, even if not perfect. Keep in touch with your specialism manager and keep asking about working there.

I think I worry as my job in the NHS is quite secure and obviously the pension is fantastic. But I just want to branch out a bit…
Of course I won’t know anything yet as I haven’t brought this up to my manager yet of course, and I won’t unless I get the job!

To me, the crucial bit is the fixed term nature of the new job. Is there any way of finding out the realistic prospects of it continuing after that?

As a PP has said, a confidential conversation with your specialism supervisor might be useful.

You're clearly a conscientious person and I really understand your concern about leaving your community role - but staff shortages are really not your responsibility and you should put your own career first. (As long as you might not need that manager's support for anything in the future.)

But I can’t see much point in going to the interview unless you’re sure you’ll accept the job if it’s offered, unless you just want to see if you like the interviewer. If they offered it and you turned it down, you might be queering the pitch for any future relationship with that organisation.

If the proposal was 2 days NHS but in community, would you accept that?
If the community work has a greater requirement for the NHS.

Get all the info you need before you go to the interview so that you're not wasting their time or yours. Don't go to the interview if you know you're not going to take it. Interviews are a two way process and you might find out information about the role that means you pull out - that's fine as long as the reason you pull out is not something you already knew or could have found out before you took up their time.

Find out what the possibilities are for a contract extension in the new job. Talk to others in the HE sector, ideally in the uni you are applying to. The HE sector is on it's knees currently. Much less stable than the NHS. Consider what would happen if you're out of a job in 12 months. Google the uni name and 'unions' to see if there is any industrial action going on.

You're right about the pension - you will almost never get a better pension than the NHS. But, uni pensions are generally miles better than the private sector. If you're going to give up an NHS pension, higher education is the next best thing.