How do I get there?
Career advice
Real career questions answered by SHP magazine's health and safety recruitment experts
How do I get there? Where the job opportunities are
Question:
I am an experienced and qualified (NEBOSH Diploma) health and safety advisor and am looking to enhance my skills and employability in this difficult market. The areas I am interested in are fire safety and the environment – which of these do you think would be most worthwhile to pursue, or, if you don’t think either of them is a good bet, what other areas would you suggest, in terms of employment opportunities?
Answers:
Shirley Parsons, specialist health and safety talent broker, says: Career development, or ‘up-skilling’ in a difficult market, is always a good idea. Although you possess the NEBOSH Diploma, you haven’t mentioned whether you are a chartered member of IOSH. If you have not yet done so, it will be highly beneficial to investigate and enrol on IOSH’s CPD (Continuing Professional Development) programme, as prospective employers are likely to be impressed that you are actively on the road to gaining CMIOSH status. Fire safety and the environment are both excellent areas in which to specialise; the former is topical following the introduction of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, while the latter is often added on to a health and safety professional’s responsibilities.
Membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers should be considered, as it is often sought by prospective employers as a good indicator of ability. Although membership of this body, like IOSH, requires an investment upfront (starting at around £110 for exams and subscriptions), it is likely to prove worthwhile, as any prospective employer will probably look for it on your CV. It will also connect you to conferences and publications that will assist your continuing professional development.
While it is possible to do a three-year degree course in the environment, the NEBOSH Environmental Diploma is one of the most highly-recognised courses in this discipline for qualified health and safety professionals.
Other topical areas worth diversifying into include: health and well-being, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and business continuity. Gaining a Lead Auditor qualification would also open up opportunities in the auditing field. If times are hard, and paying for further courses and qualifications is difficult, it’s worthwhile investigating work-shadowing to gain valuable experience in a particular discipline.
As for which is most worthwhile to pursue, it really depends on the sector in which you intend to work. While the environment is, in some ways, a more broadly applicable specialism and required in most sectors, you should also consider which area you enjoy working in most. If you want to move into construction, for example, training in the CDM Regulations would be advisable. In areas such as public sector or property management, fire safety would serve you much better.
Tom Primrose, of Macdonald and Company, says: Expanding your knowledge base is a great idea, particularly in today’s overcrowded market. There is, of course, no definitive answer to the question of which area is best to expand into – both of the areas you have highlighted are extremely valuable in their own way.
Based on my experiences in recent times, I would advise you to expand and develop your knowledge on the environmental side. This is a growth area, to one degree or another, for virtually every company and we are experiencing a definite increase in clients requiring risk professionals to be fully proficient in the likes of ISO 14001 auditing, environmental impact assessments, sustainability, etc. In fact, environmental management has so many emerging facets that many health and safety professionals are choosing to specialise entirely in that area.
On the other hand, fire risk management is an extremely important part of workplace safety and, on occasions, it is difficult to find practitioners with an in-depth knowledge of fire risk assessments.
The deciding factor for you must ultimately lie with your own strengths and interests. Both areas will enhance you as a professional and as an employment-seeking candidate. There are, of course many other directions available to you, such as business continuity and crisis management; skills in these areas are considered highly valuable in the business world!
How do I get there? – Transferable skills
Question:
I am a detective with 12 years’ experience in specialist squads, and trained in various aspects of incident control. I am well-versed in investigative interviewing of witnesses and suspects, as well as advanced defensive driving, security, media presentation, and high-level report writing. I have seven years of scaffolding experience and some military experience, and have passed my NEBOSH General Certificate. What advice can you give on the best way to make use of my skills and what, if any, courses would help me further my chances of moving into health and safety?
Answers:
Steven Bryan, section manager at Hays Health & Safety, comments: Anyone planning a career change should first identify relevant transferable skills and experience. This will ensure that you target the most appropriate industry sectors and apply for positions that give you the best chance of success. Taking a balanced and structured approach to finding a new role will help keep you focused, and convince potential employers of your suitability and commitment. While it may be tempting to adopt an indiscriminate ‘apply for everything’ approach, it is important to be clear about what you can offer, particularly given the competition for jobs in the current climate.
There are three routes you can take: enforcement, advisory, or working abroad. An enforcement role with the HSE would be an obvious choice and complement your experience – you would typically be responsible for undertaking site inspections and accident investigations. Securing a traditional advisory role may prove to be more difficult, as you have limited hands-on experience and may be perceived as an ‘enforcer’ rather than an advisor. The final option would be to work abroad; you mention that you have military, security, defensive driving and media experiences – all potentially desirable skills to private security companies, or the MoD.
You also mention that you would consider undertaking additional training – the most beneficial training will relate specifically to your chosen career path and industry. A willingness to learn, and dedication to professional development will demonstrate your commitment to potential employers. Highlighting interpersonal, commercial and management skills will also make you more attractive to employers.
Zoe Adkins, recruitment specialist at HSE Recruitment Network, writes: Your 12 years of service in the Police means your background is suited to working with organisations that require practitioners with lone-working experience, such as charities and companies that provide services for the public. To develop your skills in these areas I would suggest studying for the NEBOSH Diploma, as this will give you a deeper insight into health and safety across all sectors and will show your commitment to this specialism.
When applying for positions I would advise you to highlight your relevant transferable skills and any health and safety experience you already possess. You can do this by outlining your key achievements in these areas, either in a covering letter, or by bullet point on your CV.
Your scaffolding background lends itself well to the construction industry, where you would be able to make use of your working-at-heights experience.
My immediate advice would be to undertake the NEBOSH Construction Certificate, which gives a thorough introduction to the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (CDM 2007). Once completed, you will stand a good chance of securing a position with a consultancy that offers CDM-coordinator services – hopefully one that can offer training and development in the role of a CDM-C.
A good point to note is that the vast majority of qualified and experienced CDM-Cs work for a consultancy rather than directly for a construction contractor, and manage a range of projects for a range of clients. Being both project and client-led is something you should be comfortable with, prior to embarking on this career.
I’d recommend getting in contact with the Association for Project Safety (APS), which holds a register of competent CDM-Cs, who are eligible to use the suffix ‘RMaPS’ to demonstrate their competency. I'm sure the APS would be happy to discuss with you the steps required to become a RMaPS.
If you have a question you would like answered in this section, email it to shpeditor@ubm.com putting 'how do I get there' in the subject line
How do I get there? – Keeping up to date while out of work
Question:
I was recently made redundant from my health and safety assistant role in a public-sector organisation and despite actively looking and applying for a new job in the H&S field, I have had no success. If I do have to move into another area, I would like to keep my hand in, and up to date, with health and safety for when better times return. What would your advice be on how best to do this?
Answers:
Tom Primrose, of Macdonald and Company, writes: This certainly is a situation as unfortunate as it is common. The truth is that if you are forced into a position where health and safety is not the primary thrust of your job function, then it is going to be very tough for you keep your practical experience current – something that is obviously of paramount importance to most potential employers. However, if the circumstances are such that you are forced into a position where the main thrust is not health and safety, there is a number of things you can do to keep abreast of the continually evolving market and limit the damage to your CV.
Offering your assistance in a health and safety capacity (even though it isn’t part of your role) will show a good work ethic and assist with your development in the company, possibly leading to an internal role-change when a safety position becomes vacant. In addition, it would be a good idea to keep tabs on the market and new legislation by attending your regional IOSH meetings and seminars, involving yourself with online blogs and forums, and interacting with other people within the industry. Other options include enrolling on that next safety/ environmental course that you’ve been thinking about doing for a while to show that being out of the industry is not the long-term aim.
This might seem like an expensive and futile measure but it is worth remembering that a massive emphasis is put on safety practitioners being certified in this ever-expanding market.
Shirley Parsons, of Shirley Parsons Associates, writes: While you are looking for a new role it’s advisable to do as much networking as possible. The best place to start is your local IOSH branch meeting. Remember that there may be two or three branches accessible within your area; you can go to all of them and they’re free! By attending the meetings you will be able to keep up to date and also meet people who may be looking for staff. If not, they may be willing to let you shadow them for no charge, so approach the chairperson and make it clear at the meetings that you are flexible, available and looking to keep up to date in an area about which you are passionate.
Also, if/when you are successful in getting a role outside of health and safety, offer to shadow the specialists within the company. This will help you keep up to date and could result in a job offer in-house. In addition, don’t forget about trade magazines, briefing documents, and the Web – all of which will keep you current on health and safety issues.
Investigate attending IOSH/similar courses, as well as the free meetings. They are really good value, normally only about £50 per day, and will help you with your CPD. Make it clear as well that you would be interested in short-term interim roles that could tide you over while you look for a permanent role.
Ask as many people as possible and let specialist agencies know you are looking, as some roles in the current climate aren’t advertised. Good luck!
