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lizize  
#1 Posted : 25 February 2018 17:39:53(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
lizize

All,

Im tearing my hair out here, i have 3years experince as a health and safety tutor/trainer, can i get a job in health and safety? "NO!" I can see there are others in the same boat.

I can teach anything from confined spaces to manual handing or A to Z of health and safety if youd rather. I can walk round places and because i know my subjects inside out, i can see the problems or lack off. I was employed as a trainer for a few weeks, unfortunately the company lost the contract that they emplyed me to do, out i went. 

I get feedback from my interviews "lots of knowledge not enough experience" yes i ask the employer for feedback, i dont see a problem asking for it as i already know i havent got the job.

I have quals coming out of my ears, from a diploma in health and safety to a class one driving assessor. Like the employers say alot of knowledge.

So, does anyone know how to get a work experience placement ? 

thank you

Lizzie 

bxuxa  
#2 Posted : 25 February 2018 23:45:56(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
bxuxa

Are you applying for the right jobs? I mean qualifications are qualifications and you start for getting some experience.
thanks 1 user thanked bxuxa for this useful post.
lizize on 26/02/2018(UTC)
lizize  
#3 Posted : 26 February 2018 05:29:49(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
lizize

Originally Posted by: Joao Go to Quoted Post
Are you applying for the right jobs? I mean qualifications are qualifications and you start for getting some experience.
Hi Joao, Thank you for replying, I'm applying for consultancy work and advisors, I look at the criteria and apply from there. I do get interviews and usually get to second stage or short list, but always get the same feedback lots of knowledge not enough experience may be I don't interview very well? I'm 're learning HSG 65, even though I do that as a matter of cause. I'm tryjng to figure out my weakness. When you teach health and safety for every hour in the classroom you revise two hours. Do I know it al,l no every now and again I get a curve ball thrown and I can't answer the question. I was considering nebosh construction, but I def don't have experience in that field. Can I write a risk assess Yep, can I train ppl yes , can I apply the law yes, you get the picture. I'm also.grad iosh Anyhow thsnk.you Lizzie
Centurion  
#4 Posted : 26 February 2018 09:16:22(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Centurion

Hi Lizzie,

I am sure that with your qualifications and training abilities that you would be attractive to the likes of large facilities management companies as they need people who can undertake a variety of activities on the nationwide premises that they manage.

If I were you I wouldn’t wait to see an advertisement but I would get in direct contact with the Head of H&S and tell them what you have to offer and in return that you just need a little mentoring on the practical side.

I gained a lot of practical experience as a Risk Assessor when I worked for a large facilities management company some time ago.They were involved with a whole variety of workplaces and some included building works.

My role was to assess the areas where the onsite workforce were working and submit risk assessments and method statements accordingly.

It wasn’t highly paid but in a short time I was familiar with a wide variety of workplaces.

I would have been a greater asset to them if I had been a trainer as well.

Cheers

Andy

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lizize on 26/02/2018(UTC)
RayRapp  
#5 Posted : 26 February 2018 11:50:49(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
RayRapp

Hi Lizzie

I can understand that consultancy work may be limited because they generally want someone who is the finished product. I am surprised that other organisations cannot see the value in your knowledge and qualifications. Yes, I understand experience is one of the four pillars of competence, but we all have to start somewhere.

All I can say is keep applying, do your homework and sooner or later you will get the break - it's a numbers game. Good luck.

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lizize on 26/02/2018(UTC)
hilary  
#6 Posted : 26 February 2018 12:04:26(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
hilary

You could apply for Assistant posts as well.  I know they don't pay as well as Advisors or Managers but if you want the experience then that's a good place to get it.

thanks 1 user thanked hilary for this useful post.
lizize on 26/02/2018(UTC)
lizize  
#7 Posted : 26 February 2018 19:47:34(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
lizize

Thank you for all your comments. 

chris42  
#8 Posted : 27 February 2018 09:52:44(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
chris42

Just a thought, but can you use whatever working experience you had prior to getting into H&S. That way you have experience of a particular industry and H&S and so be able to bring them together. Could you look (Target) for a short-term role (something like maternity cover etc) where an employer may be effectively just looking for someone to hold the fort until their employee returns. You get experience and potential for continued work.

Sell the fact of your lack of experience, fresh eyes, no preconceived ideas, new way of looking at any company issues and all that (especially if you think the interview is going south anyway)

Chris

nic168  
#9 Posted : 24 April 2018 09:42:56(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
nic168

Lizize, just a thought but have you considered doing any voluntary or charity work? I used to work for a government department and felyt that my experience was rather one sided ( deep and narrow) so I offered my RA services to local fetes etc to get some experience of dealing with real people and events.

It helped at interview to have real examples to talk about

O'Donnell54548  
#10 Posted : 25 April 2018 13:48:50(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
O'Donnell54548

Originally Posted by: lizize Go to Quoted Post
Originally Posted by: Joao Go to Quoted Post
Are you applying for the right jobs? I mean qualifications are qualifications and you start for getting some experience.

Hi Joao, Thank you for replying, I'm applying for consultancy work and advisors, I look at the criteria and apply from there. I do get interviews and usually get to second stage or short list, but always get the same feedback lots of knowledge not enough experience may be I don't interview very well? I'm 're learning HSG 65, even though I do that as a matter of cause. I'm tryjng to figure out my weakness. When you teach health and safety for every hour in the classroom you revise two hours. Do I know it al,l no every now and again I get a curve ball thrown and I can't answer the question. I was considering nebosh construction, but I def don't have experience in that field. Can I write a risk assess Yep, can I train ppl yes , can I apply the law yes, you get the picture. I'm also.grad iosh Anyhow thsnk.you Lizzie

Lets clarify what 'experience' means in the situations you are facing (job interview). You say that "can I write a risk assess yep, can I train ppl yes , can I apply the law yes". OK prove it! Give me, the interviewer examples of when you have done this, outside of an academic scenario? You say you have all these qualifications, but without examples of where you have used this knowledge in a 'live' situation to influence change, to asess and re-assess risks, carry out investigations of actual incidents, develope and implement a safety strategy and costed and resourced such a plan, where you have actively worked with senior managers, operational managers and employees to foster a safety culture, then these qualifications are pieces of paper.

So what is the problem? Please forgive my bluntness, but it appears that you are applying for jobs for which you are NOT qualified, in that you do not have the evidence to support your application. Many on this thread have given you some excellent advice on how you can begin to gain this experience, but what this means is being realistic and starting at the begining. Because like it or not you are effectively changing profession from trainer to advisor.

   

Elfin Davy 09  
#11 Posted : 25 April 2018 14:04:48(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Elfin Davy 09

Lizzie

O'Donnell may (by his own admission) have been a little blunt, but sadly, he may be right.  There's a massive difference between health and safety theory, and what actually happens out there in the big, bad world, and that's why experience is valued, even over qualifications in some cases. 

Now I'm not saying that you couldn't do the job (we all had to learn somewhere), but in the current climate, it's probably more difficult than ever to find "entry level" jobs (often because "departments" have been cut back to one person, so that person has to have the knowledge and experience to be able to cope with everything that's chucked at them !).  That said, I'm sure they still exist somewhere, so it's just a case of keep trying I'm afraid...

Good luck

thanks 1 user thanked Elfin Davy 09 for this useful post.
lorna on 26/04/2018(UTC)
Kim Hedges  
#12 Posted : 30 April 2018 13:34:12(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Kim Hedges

Lizzie - join the club.  I'm pretty certain there are hundreds of people like you an me who have obtained lots of qualifications, I too have taken all the Nebosh qualifications and currently hold 5 certificates.  I've also obtained a certificate from the NCRQ level 6 and I'm stuck on a large law section of the home study course at the moment.  I've taken other complimentary courses along the way, most of them have expired because they only last about 3 years.  I am dyslexic and find learning very hard, I discovered I was dyslexic in my 4th year at University in 2004 as a mature student.   

I've been trying to break into safety since 2010.  I'm not a confident person by any stretch, I taught when I was with the Territorial Army, I actually understand the spirit of the law, but I can't  quote verbatim legal acts - except Section 2 of the HASAWA 1974. 

I've recently retrained, yet again, this time into a construction skilled job, a Slinger, because I get nowhere with job interviews (only had 3 in 8 years) dispite hundreds of applications all aimed at low paid safety jobs.  I've pretty much given up on trying to get a safety job.  I share your frustration Lizzie.  I wondered about going self employed, but after talking to others who were already doing that job I chose not too, as it was apparent that wasn't going to pay the bills. 

I'm looking for a Slinger job at the moment, I'm a newbie trained operator, Red Card holder and being so new, it's hard getting a contract in the Bristol area and I'm twiddling my thumbs at the moment and have only worked 13 days in the last 4 months - probably due to the -3 % downturn in the construction industry.   

Trying to end this note is hard, i've rejected 9 sentences already. 

It's easy to say keep positive, but that's a load of [expletive deleted].  You don't have to be beholden to anybody or any one thing.  Personally, I've decided to make safety a hobby, I'll never get a job in it, so why should I stress myself.  In the meantime maybe try something else.   

jodieclark1510  
#13 Posted : 30 April 2018 14:14:04(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
jodieclark1510

Originally Posted by: Kim Hedges Go to Quoted Post

It's easy to say keep positive, but that's a load of [expletive deleted].  You don't have to be beholden to anybody or any one thing.  Personally, I've decided to make safety a hobby, I'll never get a job in it, so why should I stress myself.  In the meantime maybe try something else.   

Have you considered having another look at your cv and your letters of application? I found that adpating these more to health and safety roles, including points that are actually mentioned in job specs etc helped a great deal when I was trying to get into my first role as well as my current one. I was a Criminology Graduate working as a cleaner ( 5 year wait to join the prison service) when I first landed a health and safety role. It took time, sleepless nights and rejections, but there is aways something out there for everyone. Did you self fund your qualifications? Tell them. Did you assist in something safety related in your current or previous roles? Tell them. Do you have transferable skills that will help in the role? Tell them. Don't purport to know everything, but show them what you are capable of currently as well as in the future.

thanks 1 user thanked jodieclark1510 for this useful post.
Kim Hedges on 30/04/2018(UTC)
Kim Hedges  
#14 Posted : 30 April 2018 14:36:28(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Kim Hedges

Yes, I've tried some of what you've mentioned, all to no avail, but I agree with the premise of your post in general.  I've not given up on safety. 

Mr.Flibble2.0  
#15 Posted : 30 April 2018 15:14:36(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
Mr.Flibble2.0

Kim, 

I'm also dyslexic, I know there are very levels of dyslexia, but don't let that hold you back. If it takes you longer it takes you longer. I get people to proof read a lot of things I send out. In real life you are never expected to quote legislation just knowing how to impliment it.

I started in Safety 20 years ago and done my NEBOSH Certs in 2001 and only just getting around to doing my Diploma via the NCRQ route. I started off in an entry level job at a Consultancy and then moved around various health & safety jobs getting as much exposure to as many industries as I could.

The key is playing to your strengths. I worked on building sites when I was 16-18 and then Warehousing for 5 years after. So I started of in Contruction Safety with the Consulatncy and then Safety for Warehouse and Distribution centres. So if your background is in Construction, high-light that on your CV and promote such things as Method Statements and Training; Tool-box talks etc. 

Try consultancy's as these are more willing to take you on at entry level poistion. Good luck and just keep trying.

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