Hi Leslie, Am I right in saying then that you are the only H&S Professional in your work place and that it is in an add on to your existing duties? It is great that you have managed to get the NEBOSH Diploma and this will stand you in good stead for the future. A lot of people have carved their way into H&S this way - by having it as an add on! myself included so do not be disheartened. Could you stay in your current position and try and develop your existing roles / responsibilities so that they are more focused on H&S? Are you tailoring your C.V / application form to reflect the H&S Job that you are applying for? Would an entry level position be a possibility for you? I wouldn't knock doing the odd bit of voluntary work / shadowing - if that would even be a possibility. In this current climate it definetley helps to have gone the extra mile - have done something in a voluntary capacity as it shows drive and determination. I'm sure you will get there, you sound determined enough - best to sit down and make a plan of attack. Even if you stayed in your job for another 6 months - 1 year how could you develop H&S in your existing workplace / your role etc? Also don't sell yourself short in interviews etc about the H&S that you have implemented in your current role and the challenges that you have face. This alone can be so important.

Lesley Having specialised for some 12 years in career management, may I suggest that your observation AS IT IS WRITTEN about 'experience' may be the core of your problem (and that of many others who express the problem the same way). For 'experience' has a huge variety of meanings..... Since you indicate that your own sphere of work has included purchasing and quality as well as safety management, an obvious way in which you can greatly enlarge your 'experience' in your present role is to step up the quality of your use of inferential statistics. If you are already the most proficient person in your organisation in this facet of work that is common to all management roles, you're equipped to lecture at college if not university level - as well as to offer a course through the IOSH training programme to coach thousands of safety professionals in their use of inferential statistics. A lot of scope for fresh 'experience' while you remain in virtually the same place.