Posted By Linda Crossland-Clarke Hi One idea is to look for a job in your field of experience, but aim for companies that may need your H&S knowledge - they may not have a H&S person or only have one for a multi site company. This way they are getting a "bonus" asset for free. So, you can worm your way in, developing your experience and cultural skills etc and will find it easier to either find the job you want and get it, or get promotion and pay rise in the future. Regards Linda. SHE Knows.

Posted By Charley Farley-Trelawney Paula Now if we had a spellchecker you would have had it first time! It would not have been as funny thow tho thogh...mind! John I have said this on numerous occasions, if you have other strings to your bow that you can run alongside H&S you will have far more to offer a company. Yes if you consult and get enough clients you will be fine, yes if you work for a specialist H&S agency (most will require a minimum of MIOSH (to read CMIOSH soon) and look for some previous practical experience) Getting through an interview and being offered the prime H&S jobs will, (in my opinion) be few and far between, there is a lot of competition and it greatly depends on what part of the country you are in. Whilst statistically H&S would appear to be one of the best employment growth industries I do wonder as to the integrity of these surveys. I have within the last 12 months assisted a PLC client in recruiting a suitable H&S Manager, the advert was in 'SHP' and they received hundreds of responses, unfortunately most candidates were unable to offer any other 'skill' base other than H&S, and a lot were good on paper but lacked the practical..(Groan, yes I know, chicken and the egg scenario) If you can see yourself including say, Quality Assurance, DDA, basic employment law, etc etc etc, as additional skills that will fit in nicely with H&S then I would suggest you will be onto a winner, you need something that convinces the employer, client, agency that you are worth employing, that makes you head and shoulders above the competition, and there will be competition, believe me there will! Good Luck and best wishes for your future. Please can we have a spellchecker IOSH.? CFT