1/ I’ve been seeing a few posts re: the difficulty of getting AP/RA positions and how people are exploiting this. I was recently offered an AP post and felt that I should share my experience and tips I learned along the way.

2/ The image below is an outline of the roles I applied to through Trac & NHS jobs, as well as their respective outcomes.

3/ Btw, this list is not exhaustive. It doesn't include applications for RA positions (all rejections) or those that required sending in a CV, i.e., most private AP positions (all rejections) or psychology affiliated roles e.g., Positive Behaviour Assistant (all rejections).

4/ Unfortunately as AP/RA positions are greatly sought after, rejections are part and parcel of the process. However, this doesn’t mean that they are unattainable. There is no special algorithm, or a special person that attains these roles. Here are some tips I learned:

5/ Tip 1: Always use Trac and/or NHS Jobs to search and apply for NHS AP roles. By the time it reaches external sites, e.g., Indeed, LinkedIn; the advert may have expired or reached its capacity for applications (cont.)

6/ This isn’t to say that sites like Indeed and LinkedIn aren’t useful. Many private employers advertise on both platforms and allow “Easy Apply” where you can store and send in your CV.

7/ Tip 2: Check both Trac and NHS Jobs, as NHS trusts may not post on both. Private employers can only advertise on NHS Jobs, so these adverts would not appear on Trac.

8/ Tip 3: Sign up to receive job alerts from Trac and NHS Jobs. Bear in mind that an advert may be posted after you are alerted of a job which you may not receive until the next day which may be too late or too short a window to apply.

9/ Tip 4: When searching for AP roles on Trac, sort by job title and visit *all* pages to ensure that you don’t miss variations like “Psychology Assistant”, “Support Worker/AP”, “Clinical. Psych Assistant” etc. (cont.)

10/ You can’t sort results like this on NHS jobs, so sorting by salary (lowest first ofc ) may be beneficial.

11/ Tip 5: Consider how far you are willing to travel. Before applying for any job, do a quick google search to see how far it is and how long the journey would take during the hours you would travel.

12/ Tip 6: **Always read the job description/person spec** - there may be questions, additional tasks or a specific way that they want you to set out your supporting information. Even if your experiences/application is excellent, failure to do this is a straight up rejection.

13/ Tip 7: Have an application template ready on both Trac and NHS Jobs. This makes applying for a job a lot quicker so that you only have to focus on tweaking the supporting information… (cont.)

14/ However, different trusts may have different layouts on Trac, so basic info on applications may not transfer to the new application. Consider putting all of this on a Word file or downloading old applications so that you can just c+p in the appropriate places (cont.)

15/ Before doing this though, check if the advert is on NHS Jobs and apply through there instead. NHS Jobs is less likely to have a different template, so again, you can just concentrate on your supporting information.

16/ Tip 8: Believe in yourself! Consider your personal qualities, transferable skills, lived experience and link it back to the job description and Trust values. Don't be afraid to sell yourself, competition is tough.

17/ Tip 9: Have regular intervals when searching for jobs. At one point I searched for jobs every day at 9am, 12pm, 5pm, 7pm, 12am. I reduced this to 10am, 6pm, 11pm on my days off and 5am, 2pm, 9pm on workdays (cont.)

18/ But, don’t let it consume you! Come to terms with the fact that you don’t need to apply for every AP/RA job. You may miss adverts, be underqualified, live too close or too far, or the job description may not appeal to you.

19/ Tip 10: Ask someone to read your application/supporting information. Do not, I repeat, do not pay someone to do this. Many people on Twitter have offered support on this. I’m happy to support too.

20/ Tip 11: Make your supporting information specific to the role. If you don't have experience in one aspect, e.g., client group, interventions; think about relevant transferable skills gained from previous experience(s) and acknowledge it as an area of development.

21/ Tip 12: Instead of phases like "I have excellent written and spoken communication skills", consider: "when interacting with services users and colleagues, I am mindful of the tone and volume of my voice, as well as my body posture and proximity (cont.)

22/ In written communication, I am clear and concise to ensure that information is accessible. In my role as a ____, I was required to _______ which enhanced my skills in this area".

23/ Tip 13: Consider HCA/(Peer) Support Worker/Occupational Therapy Assistant roles – esp. if you have limited experience. Don’t underestimate the knowledge that these roles can provide re: systems within the NHS, MH, and access to CPs.