Almost a Year

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This week I have been qualified and working as a Therapeutic Radiographer for ten months. Time has flown by and the past few weeks I have found myself helping third year students prepare for their first interviews.  Has it really been a year since I was preparing for my Band 5 interviews?  Another topic of conversation on a recent lunch with one of the third years was the transition to being qualified.  This was something I asked several radiographers about as I prepared to start my first job.  However as much as they told me it was different, a nice different was a term many used and to prepare for being really tired to begin with, I wasn't prepared for not being given regular feedback.  After three years of having regular feedback and planning sessions with my annual mentor aswell as radiographers offering feedback on set and my clinical lecturer being there to offer support and feedback, as a newly qualified member of staff you can feel a little lost.  Whilst I appreciate that as a qualified member of staff I shouldn't need regular feedback, but this is my advisory for those heading towards to transition.  Be prepared to no longer have regular feedback sessions.  As everyone said to me when I mentioned it. don't panic, if I was doing something wrong I would be told!

So ten months in and I feel settled, but am ready for new challenges.  A natural progression is to start considering what I need to be able to do to consider applying for a Band 6 role.  Pushing myself a little harder, expanding my knowledge and trying to problem solve more. Next up on the agenda is deciding which postgrad study to complete,with a meeting this week to look at options with my manager.  With an idea of where I want to be in the next five years or so, I am hoping we can find post grad options to suit. Just beacuse I was older when I qualified does not mean I don't have plans! Finally a new challenge is about to begin as last Friday I was voted in as the departments SCoR Learning Representative.  Already full of ideas I am excited to see what myself and the team can achieve as I take on this role.  This is one of the many reasons I chose radiography, so that I could continue to learn, regularly taking on new challenges.  Bring it on!

Until next time, take care.
Zoe
xo