Reply to: The NHS, Banking, Insurance, Law & Criminal Justice Sectors...

[Mustang]

I was asked by NHS ClientCo this week to join an interview panel interviewing some contractors.

I wish you had been on mine......!!

[MPwannadecentincome]

Well I was asked by NHS ClientCo this week to join an interview panel interviewing some contractors (even though I'm a contractor as well) for an analyst position.

Several applied, some with NHS experience, some without, but it was the chap with no experience of the NHS who got the job. He was simply the best on the day. Good experience as an analyst/developer and came over the best in the interview.

Perhaps this time 'cos you were there!

I think biggest obstacle is getting TO the interview stage, but it depends on role etc.

[Sysman]

For banking there is a good reason. The users are total morons. You have to be able to tolerate them.

An "outsider" is a risk.

Very true. They are also very conservative with a small "c", in the sense of not liking change. Anyone likely to rock the boat isn't wanted.

[Scotchpie]

... Can in general be forgotten about unless you have experience in those sectors, despite whether or not you have the experience and can easily do the actual roles.

Well I was asked by NHS ClientCo this week to join an interview panel interviewing some contractors (even though I'm a contractor as well) for an analyst position.

Several applied, some with NHS experience, some without, but it was the chap with no experience of the NHS who got the job. He was simply the best on the day. Good experience as an analyst/developer and came over the best in the interview.

[Not So Wise]

Really only started to notice the "previous NHS experience required" postings shortly after the IT banking sector started to nose dive, coincidence? Think not

[Coalman]

No trust me Banking people are 'special' - I did a so called Banking role before - never again.

Scary Stuff.

Hard Working Bankers.

Best Sector to work in ?

Engineering - they actually understand what you are saying.

Couldn't agree more. I work with Engineers and Traders - I'll take the Engineers any time.

[Mustang]

NHS dev managers only want to employ people who have a track record of NHS work

This is true in my experiences so far.

I went for a panel interview recently at a top London hospital trust. I was in the final 3 from all the candidates that had applied. I was given a brief about the programme and asked to prepare a presentation on what I would do moving forward to get things back on track. The programme was about an OT system introduction that had been installed and encountered problems with Users. I did the presentation and had a Q&A session.

I didn't get the role and I was told they were very impressed with my experience (including health sector) but they were disappointed I didn't research the product (I did!) they had installed. One of the other candidates had "more experience" and was therefore chosen.

I was disappointed and therefore went back and search again for product info in the public domain. Zip. Nada. Nothing. All the public references I could find only refered to the problems that the NHS had experienced and not what the product was. How is someone from outside the sector supposed to overcome this?

[Mustang]

No bluffing required, the manager was quite pragmatic about the relevance of IB experience and could see I would pick up the intricacies over time. He was more interested in solid infosec experience.

I wish there were more clients out there like that!!

[ratewhore]

well done - so what role are you doing? did you have to bluff your way in?

Security Architecture. No bluffing required, the manager was quite pragmatic about the relevance of IB experience and could see I would pick up the intricacies over time. He was more interested in solid infosec experience.

[MPwannadecentincome]

I jumped from public sector to investment banking with no banking experience...

well done - so what role are you doing? did you have to bluff your way in?

[ratewhore]

I jumped from public sector to investment banking with no banking experience...

[AlfredJPruffock]

I thought all users were morons - or did I spend to much time in IT Support?

No trust me Banking people are 'special' - I did a so called Banking role before - never again.

Scary Stuff.

Hard Working Bankers.

Best Sector to work in ?

Engineering - they actually understand what you are saying.

[tim123]

I thought all users were morons - or did I spend to much time in IT Support?

I don't think that he meant morons as in "technically illiterate". He meant morons in real life as well.

tim

[jim2406]

OK you talk about your development manager - are you working as a developer or project manager? I think this thread is about project manager roles.

i am a developer, my manager is technically a 'web team lead' and is highly technical but doesn't have as much time as he'd like due to having to wear a people management / project management hat.

i just wanted to point out that there are both good people and roles in the NHS.

i'm enjoying it a lot more than the financial software house i was at prior :-)

[zara_backdog]

For banking there is a good reason. The users are total morons. You have to be able to tolerate them.

An "outsider" is a risk.

I thought all users were morons - or did I spend to much time in IT Support?