Stepping into your career - from graduate to NQP

This page is for SLT graduates who are not currently NQPs. You may be actively looking for your first role or considering your next steps after graduation. 

You may also wish to visit our NQP pages or Student pages for specific information to support you while you study or work towards your competencies in your first supervised role. 

Introduction

Whether you’ve graduated from university or completed an apprenticeship, you should feel incredibly proud that you’ve finished a challenging course and are ready to move into the next phase of your career journey.  

Being a speech and language therapist is a rewarding and exciting career that can take you in many different directions, but we understand that it can feel a bit overwhelming when you’re starting out. Whether you’re searching for your first post or weighing up your options, we’re here to support you as you move into your first supervised role and beyond.   

Finding a job

The following sites are useful sources of SLT job vacancies. There are many more available so don’t be afraid to search broadly and use other reputable job sites: 

Here are some sites where you can find practical advice on applying for jobs: 

Finding the perfect job is rarely easy so being flexible and considering multiple options can help you secure that crucial first role.  

You might find yourself needing to compromise on certain key aspects of a job. For example, a role may come up that has a longer commute than you would like, or there may be a suitable role in a clinical area that you hadn’t envisioned working in, or it may offer less hours than you would like to work as an SLT. However, it can be worth considering being flexible in the short term to help build for your future. This approach might provide you with an opportunity that you didn’t think you would like but may end up enjoying and shaping your future in a really exciting direction – so be open minded!

In this SLT Voices article, Alex Stewart, a specialist speech and language therapist working at Great Ormond Street Hospital, shared with us how her own career has grown in unexpected ways. 

At this stage of your career, the important thing is that you take a role that has the right supervision and support in place, enabling you to start your newly qualified graduate SLT journey and develop your career. If your employer needs to locate a clinical supervisor for you then it may be possible for them to buy in independent supervision. ASLTIP (the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice) has a database that employers can search for members who provide supervision.

Making the most of connections

 

Keep connected 

Use the connections you’ve already built as a source of support and information. Keep in touch with your university speech and language therapy department. Many are keen to actively support their graduates while they seek employment. Also, don’t lose touch with fellow SLT students and apprentices once you graduate; sharing your experiences and learning about any vacancies through your peers can be invaluable throughout your whole career. 

 

Local services 

Get in touch with speech and language therapy services in your area to find out if there are opportunities to get involved (for example, joining the temporary staffing, or supporting with a project) and look for opportunities to utilise your skills as a new graduate in a broader context, such as in schools or charities.   

 

Your RCSLT membership

Joining or maintaining your RCSLT membership is a great way to build your networks. Did you know that if you are a graduate but don’t yet have a job, you can still become a member in the Newly-qualified (non-practising) category at a heavily discounted rate. Find out more on our membership page.

You might also consider joining an RCSLT Clinical Excellence Network (CEN) in your area so that you maintain contact with SLTs and have a link to clinical practice. Or join your local hub – they are always keen to welcome new members. 

 

Social networks 

LinkedIn is a good source of information and support for NQPs (and you can follow the RCSLT LinkedIn page for more sector information and to connect). Find out if there is an NQP peer-support group in your area – or consider starting one of your own. 

Keeping your skills sharp 

 

Keep up with your CPD 

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) requires you to keep up to date with CPD in order to stay registered. Remember that this doesn’t just mean formal courses but any activity from which you learn and develop. It’s good to have evidence of a range of different types of activities. If you have been an RCSLT member for at least two years, one of which can be as a student member, then you can also apply to our CPD grants fund for a sum of up to £800 towards professional development.  

You can find details of all the RCSLT continuing professional development (CPD) resources on our webpages. Although some of these resources are only open to members, our podcasts, webinars and some elearning are open access.  

Journal clubs are another excellent way to keep‐up‐to‐date and to share and discuss latest research and evidence with your peers.  

 

Preparing for your first NQP role 

While you’re hunting for your first role, you can also start preparing yourself in areas you know you’ll need to be informed. You can start to familiarise yourself with the newly qualified practitioner goals to help you gain a clear perspective of the standards and tasks you’ll need to meet and complete once you’re in post. Although you won’t be able to start getting your competencies signed off until you start your first SLT role, you may find it useful to start thinking about learning opportunities that will help you to demonstrate the goals. These could take the form of attending events or presentations, taking part in volunteering or completing elearning modules.  

 

Get involved in RCSLT projects

The RCSLT is always on the lookout for members to support our ambitious programme of work. By getting involved in RCSLT workstreams, you will grow your skill set, meet new people and keep up to date. Visit our get involved section to see the latest opportunities.  

Wellbeing

Job hunting can be difficult and stressful so it’s important to look after yourself.

Sometimes it helps to treat looking for work as a job in itself, with a routine and targets. Aim for quality over quantity. Make sure you look after yourself, taking breaks, eating well, getting exercise and meeting people. 

You might like to take a look at these resources too: