No relevant experience despite working

[Animallover2325]

Wondering if anyone out there can help? I am trying so hard to get started in admin in the NHS. I have had temporary ones in the last year but every single interview I have, and there have been lots, I’m told I don’t have the relevant experience. It’s always I don’t have the required IT for that department - I’ve never worked in it so why would I?? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Has anyone here managed to get in permanently without the relevant experience? I’m qualified, I’ve trained at college a couple of times in medical terminology and office procedures etc hut there’s still no permanent job.
how can I explain myself the best way of there are certain things I don’t have the experience they require? I am a fast learner, each place I’ve been in has been within short spaces of time and I’ve had to learn fast on the job for each department so what else do they want me to do?

What IT are they asking for? Word/excel or specific NHS systems?

I know all the MS packages so I’m confident with that. I trained in Trakcare and Clinical Portal when I started last year but none of the areas I’ve been in have requested me to use them. Then at interviews they come up with new ones like to do with maternity, or mental health or other health center related ones. I can’t win

Is this following an interview they tell you this?
If so then "Don't have the relevant experience" is basically the NHS way of saying there was someone else they interviewed who had more relevant experience for that job role and could hit the ground running.

You say you've had temp roles so you're best chance may be getting into a dept as bank staff or temp role then permanent position coming up while you're there.
Good luck

Probably getting into admin is on par with becoming a GP receptionist, so very hard.

A friend eventually got into the NHS after a number of interviews for different roles, with zero NHS experience they eventually had success and got accepted for what turned out to be a contact centre role on a 1 year fixed term. Apparently, once you are in, you get better success at the role you really want.

Months later when finally starting; first day, they were somehow expected to know a system called medway changed the night before starting! contrary to what sometimes gets posted on here about NHS training, there was no formal training and they were expected to hit the ground running, it was quite a position to be put in.

I've just escaped a private medical company, who had the most horrendous system and the number of weeks of training they gushed about involved a half-working training system which differed from the real thing! so you could never practice really before just being put on live calls. (due to the absolutely sensitive nature of the live system it could not be touched during training) so to use the IT experience to reject is a cop-out.

Yeah it’s the bank I’m already in. It’s so scarce right now

That’s the thing, so many of my colleagues tell me they never had experience, didn’t know much IT etc. then I’m told I have nothing when I have an been trained in several college medical and IT courses, know medical terminology and had several years of administration experience previous to where I am now so I know my way around an office. It’s so upsetting because I’ve been getting interviews now for a long time

What Band are you applying for? The first band (so 2) we wouldn't expect any NHS system knowledge just competency responses in the interview. Band 3 and 4 would expect much more system knowledge - depends on the role/you are applying for.

I’m band 2. Long time dream has been medical secretary and have applied for several band 2 and band 3’s. Every one tells ms you were great, next in line etc BUT you’ve no relevant experience 🤷🏻‍♀️

I prepare and prepare til I’m blue in the face before them

We did some admin recruitment last week, we had over 70 applications for 2 positions. We could only interview 7 people.

However if you're getting interviews but then offers, it could simply be that you're losing out to people with more relevant experience OR it could be that you're not interviewing well.

Do you prepare answers for various scenarios that may come up in interviews? Are you concise in your answers, and make sure you're actually answering the question asked?

I admit I sometimes get nervy. I’ve had great ones and poor ones but the one thing I do is prepare. 9 times out of 10 I get asked the same kind of questions which should probably come naturally to me by now. I go through the values using the STAR technique. I can I my think it’s me who’s rubbish at speaking when it comes to it