Advice needed

[Hellebore41]

Hi all. Sorry for the long post but just need some advice as I'm feeling really down at the moment. For the last 8 years I have been working as a nurse advisor with the Ambulance service. I'm currently a band 6 but would like to progress to a band 7 role. Over the last 4 years I have applied for a band 7 position six times and been unsuccessful. Five of these positions were within the Ambulance service, basically a promotion to line manager. I've asked for feedback each time and had some vague comments that I don't have enough management experience. I know this isn't true though as the last two people they promoted have less experience than I do.

I am currently in the process of moving to a new area ( don't need to change jobs, just switch my base) and I have applied for a couple of jobs at the local hospital. I got an interview for these but again was unsuccessful. This time I was told I don't have enough recent hospital experience. I just don't know what to do next. It feels like I'm just being knocked back all the time and I'm starting to feel this means I'm not good enough. Should I just accept that a band 7 role isn't going to happen for me and try to make the best of it or keep trying?

Quote Edit

Hi op

I think sadly there is a fair amount of nepotism in the NHS when it comes to recruitment. Also to be fair to them though how did you know the successful candidates had less experience?

Can you email again and ask for a bit more feedback, the lack of hospital experience sounds vague, what was the role without being too outing?

Oh sorry I read that wrong, I see what you’re saying, the last few roles are in a hospital setting.

Is there any way that you can speak to your line manager and see if they can offer any professional development opportunities in your current role? Providing you with some experience to fall back on in the interviews and also perhaps some confidence in your own abilities.
I work in a very different role to you but went though a similar process last year. I went to 12 interviews unsuccessfully and then finally got a role which I started in January.
I started to think through the questions I had been asked, looked for similarities, identified the ones I thought I hadn't done so well in and then (without letting my manager know I was looking) started to get involved in/asked to learn more about things that I felt were my gaps.
So for example if you are not a line manager but need experience of that for the next step, can you offer to support new members of staff or students? Are there opportunities to sit on staff forums, or get involved in pilot projects to gain experience in leading/implementing projects?
I don't know the ambulance service so may be completely off the path here, but I would have thought those things would be transferable in some way?

@Planterina22 yes there is unfortunately and my line manager definitely has her favourites 😔 I know they don't have the experience as we all started at the same time and trained for this role together so I know thier backgrounds

@afromom I have asked and its supposed to be part of my development plan but nothing has come of it yet. I already act as a mentor for new staff and students and have been on interview panels and involved in developing a new training package. This is as well as regularly being in charge of the shift so I don't know why these things aren't enough

@Hellebore41 sorry to hear that, I think it’s a big problem being flagged up in countless reports lately and it’s not healthy for the NHS.