[Spence_LJS]

(Original post by Ellll)
no but there was some good points down the bottom, found a few other helpful things..... urrrm

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Becoming_a_Spe...Review_5747440

and

http://www.essayforum.com/graduate-a...thology-16595/

about to make a start on mine today/tomorrow, however trying to get my brain to do work after doing next to nothing for 6 weeks is a battle i'm losing at the moment!

Thanks for those!

Haha, tell me about it... I've been working in marketing for over a year and can now write salesy drivel in my sleep; but trying to write something which actually matters?... I think I'm going to have quite a few re-drafts!

[Spence_LJS]

(Original post by Georgiahoneybee)
Yep, weekly placements. For the first few you either do five full days or 10 half days (they have 10 week terms) and then later you do 10 full days. Then in your fourth year you go on 2 placements a week (one adult, one paediatric). As I said, great for getting a range of experience. You do your first official paediatric placement (as opposed to observation clinics, where you sit in the clinic and watch between the mirror) in the summer term of 2nd year. And you do your first adult placement in the summer term of 3rd year.
Yeah definitely, I tried not to get my heart set on anywhere and just see what happens when you apply. It's good to have a rough idea where you're keen on, but obviously since it's so competitive, it's great to get a place anywhere.
Good luck with the personal statement! Looks like Phoenix has got some really good tips. I would definitely get it checked on here too. Not quite the same thing, but I had a CV checked on here once, and although it did get slightly ripped to shreds- the guy was very nice about it haha and it made a big difference! I wish I could remember more about what I wrote on my personal statement (not that I expect it would be massively helpful for you), but it was on an old computer and I really can't remember it!

Great - thanks again for the info! Hows the new job going??

[eve1293]

I'm going into my undergraduate degree (french and linguistics) in a couple of weeks, majorly regretting that I didn't apply for a speech therapy degree. So I will do the Msc afterwards. But this thread has just highlighted the fact that after I graduate I will have to wait 1 year to apply for a postgraduate, which will mean I'll be nearly 25 when I qualify, by which time I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking of starting a family in a few years....I really regret not applying for an undergrad now!
Do you think I will have a better chance of getting onto the Msc with French and Linguistics or Psychology and Linguistics?

[aisha_12]

(Original post by eve1293)
Do you think I will have a better chance of getting onto the Msc with French and Linguistics or Psychology and Linguistics?

I would say Psychology and Linguistics? A lot of the SLT course is based around development and communication, so I would've thought that a psychology degree would give you a good understanding of how and why certain speech and language disorders come about.

Have you thought about where you would do your post-grad studies? Try phoning a few universities and asking if French would be of any use? I think both would be acceptable, but Psychology may give you a bit of a head start...

[shelly1]

(Original post by eve1293)
I'm going into my undergraduate degree (french and linguistics) in a couple of weeks, majorly regretting that I didn't apply for a speech therapy degree. So I will do the Msc afterwards. But this thread has just highlighted the fact that after I graduate I will have to wait 1 year to apply for a postgraduate, which will mean I'll be nearly 25 when I qualify, by which time I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking of starting a family in a few years....I really regret not applying for an undergrad now!
Do you think I will have a better chance of getting onto the Msc with French and Linguistics or Psychology and Linguistics?

Don't bank on getting an MSc place - around half of the students on the SLT course I have just completed (an undergraduate ) already had a degree. The MSc route is extremely competitive and lots end up disappointed. Why not take a gap year and go the undergrad route instead if you feel already as though you have made a major mistake? As competitive as undergrad courses are they are almost certainly less so than the MSc route. It would also mean that you could be a qualified SLT even before you'd have started the course following the MSc route.

[Spence_LJS]

(Original post by eve1293)
I'm going into my undergraduate degree (french and linguistics) in a couple of weeks, majorly regretting that I didn't apply for a speech therapy degree. So I will do the Msc afterwards. But this thread has just highlighted the fact that after I graduate I will have to wait 1 year to apply for a postgraduate, which will mean I'll be nearly 25 when I qualify, by which time I'm pretty sure I'll be thinking of starting a family in a few years....I really regret not applying for an undergrad now!
Do you think I will have a better chance of getting onto the Msc with French and Linguistics or Psychology and Linguistics?

I'm going to be 27 when I graduate (I've already done an English degree) - but then again, I don't want a family til I'm bout 32ish... I really wouldn't worry about stuff like that. SLT is very flexible with regards to taking a break and/or going part-time for a bit... I think when you get to 25 anyway you'll be thinking 'A family in a few years? Hell no!'.

I think French and Linguistics would be just as good as Psychology and Linguistics.. they're crying out for bilingual SLTs, so that'd make you stand out a bit from the crowd.

[Ellll]

i'll be nearly 23 after graduating! thats going straight from 6th form.... joys of being old for the year

[aisha_12]

(Original post by Ellll)
i'll be nearly 23 after graduating! thats going straight from 6th form.... joys of being old for the year

I'll be 22 when I start the course (hopefully...), meaning I'll either be 25 or 26 when I graduate

Doesn't leave me much time to be career woman, if I want babies - guess that's a plus side to SLT, there must be more part time work options afterwards...
well, I hope so anyway.

[shelly1]

I was 41! Others on my course were in their 50s. Mind you there are no jobs anyway!!

[eve1293]

(Original post by shelly1)
I was 41! Others on my course were in their 50s. Mind you there are no jobs anyway!!

Thanks for that optimism. Is this really true?

[aisha_12]

(Original post by eve1293)
Thanks for that optimism. Is this really true?

I regularly check the NHS jobs website, just to make sure the career isn't dwindling out before I apply
From my experience, there's always been around 10-20 SLT jobs at any one time. Many of them are out of my city but I'm willing to relocate once I graduate, depending on where the work is... I would find it kind of pointless being a trained professional, and not actively finding work lol.
I would advise having a look every now and then to see what kind of jobs are in demand (I saw a lot of advertisements going for specialists in adult speech disorders, particularly with patients who had suffered from strokes).

But that doesn't count for SLT's needed in schools, or private establishments, which I'm sure there are plenty more jobs going for.

Obviously due to the current economic climate, jobs wont be overflowing, but I like to stay optimistic and think that the skills gained from an SLT degree will come in useful in plenty of places (I may consider becoming an SEN teacher if jobs are really hard to come by, or even a learning disabilities nurse).

[eve1293]

(Original post by aisha_12)
I regularly check the NHS jobs website, just to make sure the career isn't dwindling out before I apply
From my experience, there's always been around 10-20 SLT jobs at any one time. Many of them are out of my city but I'm willing to relocate once I graduate, depending on where the work is... I would find it kind of pointless being a trained professional, and not actively finding work lol.
I would advise having a look every now and then to see what kind of jobs are in demand (I saw a lot of advertisements going for specialists in adult speech disorders, particularly with patients who had suffered from strokes).

But that doesn't count for SLT's needed in schools, or private establishments, which I'm sure there are plenty more jobs going for.

Obviously due to the current economic climate, jobs wont be overflowing, but I like to stay optimistic and think that the skills gained from an SLT degree will come in useful in plenty of places (I may consider becoming an SEN teacher if jobs are really hard to come by, or even a learning disabilities nurse).

Thanks Yeah I've checked the NHS jobs website and there seem to be jobs if you're willing to travel for them, I don't expect my first graduate job to fall at my feet so that's not a problem for me either

[shelly1]

Yes there are jobs but they are for specialist roles. When you qualify you will be applying for Band 5 roles. Those that I know of that have been advertised lately have had almost 100 applicants each - newly qualified SLTs aren't even getting a look in, in fact many of the Band 5 jobs are also requiring post-grad experience so you don't even get an interview 'cause you don't meet the essential criteria. If you know of any Band 5 SLT jobs then I (and every other person from my course that has recently graduated) would love to hear about them 'cause no-one has got an SLT job yet. Sorry to sound so down about it but this is reality at the moment - just hoping things improve in the very near future.

[eve1293]

(Original post by shelly1)
Yes there are jobs but they are for specialist roles. When you qualify you will be applying for Band 5 roles. Those that I know of that have been advertised lately have had almost 100 applicants each - newly qualified SLTs aren't even getting a look in, in fact many of the Band 5 jobs are also requiring post-grad experience so you don't even get an interview 'cause you don't meet the essential criteria. If you know of any Band 5 SLT jobs then I (and every other person from my course that has recently graduated) would love to hear about them 'cause no-one has got an SLT job yet. Sorry to sound so down about it but this is reality at the moment - just hoping things improve in the very near future.

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacde...tion=912733360

[eve1293]

(Original post by shelly1)
Yes there are jobs but they are for specialist roles. When you qualify you will be applying for Band 5 roles. Those that I know of that have been advertised lately have had almost 100 applicants each - newly qualified SLTs aren't even getting a look in, in fact many of the Band 5 jobs are also requiring post-grad experience so you don't even get an interview 'cause you don't meet the essential criteria. If you know of any Band 5 SLT jobs then I (and every other person from my course that has recently graduated) would love to hear about them 'cause no-one has got an SLT job yet. Sorry to sound so down about it but this is reality at the moment - just hoping things improve in the very near future.

This even states that they are looking for newly qualified therapists!

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacde...tion=912729526

[naomiele]

hey, each university has a specialism this would impress them at interviews I was wondering if Sheffield, Reading and UEA has a any specialists I could mention?
It is possible they research this on departmental pages?
btw, anyone else doing their UCAS stuff for speech therapy now for 2012? I am having real problems with teachers who have no clue what it is?
Any advice all you 2012 entrys??
x

[aisha_12]

(Original post by eve1293)
This even states that they are looking for newly qualified therapists!

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacde...tion=912729526

This is unfair! I want to study at Manchester, and hopefully move there once I graduate. AND I want to work with pre-school children. If only they had waited a few years

[Spence_LJS]

(Original post by naomiele)
hey, each university has a specialism this would impress them at interviews I was wondering if Sheffield, Reading and UEA has a any specialists I could mention?
It is possible they research this on departmental pages?
btw, anyone else doing their UCAS stuff for speech therapy now for 2012? I am having real problems with teachers who have no clue what it is?
Any advice all you 2012 entrys??
x

Hullo - I've heard that Reading is quite linguistics based so maybe showing research into that and phonetics etc would help... Try reading David Crystal's Intro to Speech Pathology (says on their website that he founded the course). As for UEA... I'd be interested to hear if you find anything - keep us filled in.

[shelly1]

(Original post by eve1293)
This even states that they are looking for newly qualified therapists!

http://www.jobs.nhs.uk/cgi-bin/vacde...tion=912729526

It doesn't state they are looking for a newly qualified therapist - it states that the post is suitable for a newly qualified therapist. Believe me it is highly unlikely that a newly qualified will even get an interview - I speak from experience!

[naomiele]

Does anyone know anything about the course in Ulster??

Also any advice which I should put as my insurance Manchester Met, Leeds Met, Birmingham City or De Montfort?

THANKS GUYSS xxxxxx