Hi mate.
I have also submitted a post along the same lines as you. It seems very difficult to gain employment within H&S at the moment. Before I completed my NEBOSH this is what employers where looking for. Now that I've got the qualification it seems that they now want the Diploma for the same roles. Frustrating but if I get any help or advice from the post then I will also pass it on to you.
All the best
Steve

Guys

it will get better. Those short sighted employers who have realised that H&S bods who normally would have commanded a certain salary, now have to take what they can get if they get made redundant, or looking for a first/etc role. Also means that those with diplomas now are being forced into taking jobs which general certificates were the required level for previously.

But when the situation improves, those who took roles lower in pay than they normally would have, will be swiftly on their way back to higher pay rates. This will mean lots of H&S vacancies.

Keep trying, you will get in somewhere.

I recently was made redundant and due to a cocktail of things - good luck, hard work, a really good recruitment consultant rejigging my CV - I was back to work after two weeks. Also, the recruitment consultant advised me to have a number of slightly different CVs dependent on the requirements of the role I was going for - some want strong Environment, some 18001: you get the idea. No lies, just different emphasis on each one.

If you wish I can send a copy of my most generic CV, which got me interviews. Let me know.

Cheers

Martin

Thanks Martin if you could send a copy of your cv it would be very helpful with me looking for my first full time H&S role. Your confidence is a great help and it is early days for Steve and I, I agree that to keep trying is the way forward for us and anyone in our position. My email is paulturnbull29@hotmail.com

Thanks again

Paul

Steve, Paul
I will send it hopefully tonight when I get home from work, I cannot load it onto my work computer. There are obviously no guarantees - even though my CV was helpful, I still got 'no's from three of the five interviews which I was called to attend. You never know if it is earmarked as an internal post but they are going through the motions; alternatively, someone else may have better experience or a better skills mix for that particular post. That is important too - in one of the interviews they started talking about the requirement for the postholder to source cheaper electricity and water. Recruitment consultant did not tell me about that! I have never done that before and would not know where to start. I told the interviewer and that was the end of that.
I was told that experience is key to a lot of employers, so emphasise whatever you have - skills are transferable - and if your experience is limited, highlight other achievements and indicate how they have turned you into the person who should not be missed for the post.
I found it quite frustrating, in that it is a lot more difficult to get recruitment consultants to call you for interview. They are under so much pressure that their focus is very tight on finding as close a match to the client's requirements as possible. To counteract this somewhat, if you haven't already, upload your CV to sites such as Jobsite and Monster, and CVlibrary, and allow others to look at them. Recruiters look at these sites and it means that they can see your CV even if you have not sent it to them directly. Some of the interviews I got were as a result of recruitment consultants ringing me out of the blue because they had seen my CV online.
So keep at it, you will get in somewhere.

Cheers

Martin

Hi guys, all that you say is valid, but please remember, H&S as a full time career is quite difficult to enter, some ar lucky, some not so lucky. I have woorked in various disciplines from Construction to Building to Roads to Commercial to Docks, airfields, Facilities Management etc so have a wealth of practical experience but I only moved into full time H&S in tandem with my general work duties. I increased my H&S knowledge and qualifications gradually until eventually passing my Diploma and becoming a Chartered Member of IOSH. The suggestion for Tech paper to IOSH is excellent idea.

So to sum up? look for a job where you can do your trade.....and H&S, it worked for me

Best of luck to you both

George Lamond

Steve,

I too served my time as a welder working offshore, perto-chem, power st etc and now I'm head of a HS&E Dept. Yes qualifications are essential, I completed cert, then diploma and then on to a BSc (Hons) SHEM. A lot of hard work and expense but I thought this would give the leg up required. If you can self-fund this route then great but it is expensive.

You have the basic foundation and you have extensive experience, working offshore encompasses an enormous amount safety on a daily basis. I would suggest you concentrate your efforts on that experience when sell yourself to potential employers. Explain those daily activities, your inspections you would do, put the emphasis on your working experience which undoubtedly includes safety.

You do need a certain amount of luck but you definitely require a lot of hard work. With that hard work comes a lot of satisfaction as this is not only a frustrating industry to be in; it is also a rewarding industry. If I can help in any way please do not hesitate in contacting me.

Best of luck,

Chris