Desirable skills
To make yourself an attractive candidate, consider first whether you possess the key skills required in healthcare:
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Communication – the ability to work with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds and to liaise with patients, colleagues and senior staff
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Organisation – the ability to understand, analyse and report on complex information and policies quickly
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Decision making – allocating resources in an environment of multiple and competing goals. You need to make tough decisions and be accountable for them
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Project management – working well with a wide range of people to achieve an end goal
If you do not have these skills, now is the time to gain them through work experience, voluntary opportunities, paid work or extra-curricular activities. Have a look at our selection of vacancies on LSE CareerHub|.
Graduate schemes
Graduate training schemes in the NHS and private healthcare companies are popular and competitive.
Within the NHS scheme opportunities exist within general management, finance, HR and information management.
Private healthcare company Bupa offer general management, finance, information systems and marketing graduate programmes.
The pharmaceutical industry also has graduate training schemes, with application deadlines in early Michaelmas term.
NHS Graduate Training Schemes
The following four management placements are part of the NHS Graduate Training Scheme:
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General management – given the skills to become future NHS executive directors and chief executives.
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Financial management – over two and a half years you'll be trained to manage a massive NHS budget and work towards a CIMA or CIPFA qualification, putting you in good stead to be a future finance director.
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Health informatics management – uses IT creatively to generate statistics and information to help shape NHS reform and to improve the value for money service the NHS provides.
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HR management – the programme allows you to take part in leading strategic issues whilst being trained to develop the necessary skills to become a HR leader.
Each of the above schemes require students with a minimum of a 2:2 in any degree discipline or a postgraduate qualification. Equivalent degree level qualifications are also accepted as long as they are in a relevant area. Finance, HR and health informatics also have other stipulations.
See NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme |for full details.
Bupa Graduate Training Schemes
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General – take part in three placements over 18 months, helping you shape your own career interests. The scheme will give you a wide range of skills which can be taken into many roles across countries within Bupa. Professional qualifications can be taken as necessary.
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Finance – a two to three year scheme you'll experience three different placements. Gain financial qualifications, analyse business performance, compile management accounts and contribute to internal strategy.
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Information systems (IS) – the four placements over two years will give the opportunity to work within Solution Delivery, Programmes, Service Delivery and Testing. Whilst gaining professional qualifications you'll also implement infrastructure and application-based technologies, produce design documents and analyse, manage and plan a functional testing project.
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Marketing – the three placements over 18 months will give you exposure to brand management and leadership, customer-led strategy and planning and marketing activation and execution.
You will require a minimum 2:1 degree in the general, finance and marketing pathways and a minimum 2:2 degree in a relevant subject for the IS route. A good standard of written and spoken English is required.
See Bupa Graduate Training Scheme| for full details.
Entry level jobs
Working your way up from a junior position or administrative role enables you to gain an insider view of the health system, a sense of the really important issues and good contacts.
Work experience and volunteering
Getting work experience can help you discover what kind of organisation you would like to join. Your local NHS area will consist of three or four trusts (e.g. primary care, acute, mental health, ambulance) which can be a great place to get work experience.
As there is no formal, central NHS work experience, contact your local trusts' HR departments to apply for work experience (the same applies for voluntary opportunities) by sending a well written CV and cover letter|. A list of trusts in your area can be found on the NHS Choices website|.
Have a look at our selection of vacancies on LSE CareerHub| and contact the LSE Volunteer Centre| if you are interested in gaining voluntary or paid experience in this sector.