HI Career Framework - Examples of Career Progression

Example One

Alice started as an IT Trainer in 1995 having previously worked in a Secretarial role. Her first post was for an IT Training Provider which gave her the opportunity to complete the Microsoft accreditation programmes. Alice also completed the TAP qualification in 1999 which she found helpful in terms of gaining new ideas and practical concepts.

Having worked as an IT Trainer in the health sector for 7 years Alice became involved in the changes brought about by restructuring from HA to PCT. The existing Training Manager was transferred to another Trust and Alice was able to apply for the post. Alice is now an IM&T Training Manager with a major PCT in the North of England. She has responsibility for the delivery of IT Training Services to PCT staff (including General Practice).

She says that her role has changed significantly over the past 12 months with the completion of ECDL and the implementation of MOS. The changes have required, and will require, the development of new skills. These include change management, finance, project management, marketing and people management skills. The continuing development of people management skills will be important as Alice is soon to take responsibility for twice the numbers of staff she has worked with in the recent past.

For the future, Alice feels she could progress into other areas of Training Management i.e. Learning and Development, or IT Training Project Management. To support such progress, Alice is considering a number of learning opportunities such as a Learning and Development Management course, PRINCE2, a local mentoring scheme and an introduction to Healthcare Finance course.

Example Two

Susan left school and went to work for her local NHS Trust as an Administrative Assistant. In this role she was working with a bookings system, receiving calls from members of the public and processing records in a hospital environment. This work gave Susan a good awareness of hospital processes and computer systems. She worked here for several years before moving into work on a Help Desk to provide advice to members of staff on the use of Trust wide systems and communications. This experience around IT helped her progress in IT support, with a particular emphasis on the use of data and information. Her most recent progression has been into the role of Information Analyst. The diagram below shows Susan progression within Health Informatics.

Susan's career progression took place over a time span of 8 years in total. If you had asked Susan what she wanted to do when she left school it is unlikely she would have even thought of information analysis. However, she has found she enjoys the problem solving aspect of the work and the satisfaction of applying different techniques. Susan has recently expressed an interest in the area of project management related to IT systems and this may well be her next area of career progression.

Example Three

Patrick completed his A levels in history, economics and IT, but decided he did not want to go on to study for a degree. He applied for a job in Medical Records as a Health Records Clerk. The work entailed searching and collating patient’s notes, and he enjoyed working in a team and using the various hospital record keeping systems. He progressed in Medical Records to become a team leader, responsible for three assistant’s and one part time member of staff. This he did for several years until he was ready for a change. At that time he had not thought of related areas such as those covered by Health Informatics, but his experience and understanding of the hospital system helped him in his application to become a Project Manager. The project he is now working on relates to a Trust wide systems review and re-development being carried out by a mixed team of project managers, IT staff and Information Analysts. The work is due to be completed in two years time.

In the future Patrick would be able to progress into project management, particularly with regard to IT systems within the health context. He may also consider project management roles within the wider health context and beyond.

Example Four

Diane had worked as a systems maintenance and development officer for a local authority within the housing department. Her work was in relation to the management of housing stock and residential contracts. She had worked with a private IT company to help with the implementation of a new system. With the system successfully in place Diane was ready for a change.

Diane applied for a post as Systems Developer at the local Trust. The work was not unlike that which she had been involved with in the local authority but the system was in relation to staff payments within the finance department. Diane was able to bring a range of transferable skills from her previous post including liaising with external contractors, monitoring the quality of the outputs, contributing to testing the system, carrying out data runs and reporting on the results. After only a year she progressed into the role of Senior Systems Developer when the vacancy came up. She is now applying to lead on a national project to implement a new patient management system across NHS Wales.

Example Five

Jackie applied and was selected for a job as an ICT Training Officer at an NHS Trust having worked in the commercial sector as a trainer for many years. Her interest was in helping people to understand how they could use computers to support their own work. A training needs analysis had identified the need for Trust staff to undergo training in the use of a number of bespoke systems, particularly a new knowledge management system that had recently been purchased.

The links with the hospital library and knowledge management service meant that Jackie developed a good understanding of the clinical need for evidence based data and information. When a vacancy came up within the knowledge management service, Jackie’s experience was very valuable to the department and she progressed into a hybrid role of training members of staff and patients to use the knowledge management system, and managing a range of projects associated with improving the use of the service. Although Jackie was not qualified as a librarian she has acquired a number of skills that librarians need for their work, and these are coupled with project management skills and trainer skills. This mix of skills means that Jackie has a variety of options for future development both within Health Informatics and beyond.

Example Six

Tom completed a degree in applied sports science and whilst looking for suitable employment in this area he applied for a temporary post as a project support officer working in Primary Care IM&T. This post gave Tom an awareness of GP computing and how the IT systems were deployed in GP practices. When a secondment opportunity arose to set up a new service performance managing GP computer system suppliers, Tom felt he had gained sufficient experience to enable him to carry out the role and was successful in his application.

Tom was encouraged to further develop his skills and knowledge by his line manager and undertook training in project management, service management and a general management diploma. Tom did some of the training during work hours and some was done in evenings, supplemented with study leave.

Within a short period of time Tom was successful in applying for a senior management post in IT service management, assisting in the procurement of a national contract for GP systems and services and setting up and managing a department supporting delivery of the new service.

Tom would like to spend the next few years developing his current post and gaining further management experience and has expressed an interest in moving into NHS IM&T policy arena.

Tom was unsure of what career path he was going to pursue after leaving university, finding himself by accident in Primary Care IT, however he has found a career that has provided him with the structure and challenges he was seeking. He would like to make the most of the opportunities offered by the NHS, hopefully working at director level over the coming years.

Example Seven

Stephen was trained as a qualified nurse prior to moving into the role of a Training Manager in Health and Social Care in the North of England. At that time his work as a Training Manager covered IT training, soft skills, occupational standards and qualifications. He also attained a CIPD in Training Practice (Level 3).

He progressed from Health and Social Care to work for a major private company involved in the development and implementation of clinical systems into the NHS. His role in the private sector was as an IT Training Manager. After several years in this post Stephen wanted to return to the public sector where he felt there were greater opportunities for promotion and self development.

His current role is as an IT Training Manager for a large Trust based in the Midlands. This is a challenging role and one in which Stephen feels he has a constant need to develop his own skills and support others to develop theirs.

For the future Stephen would like to progress into Head of Training in a large Trust. He has an interest in corporate training, management development and leadership relevant to overseeing the strategic direction of training. To support this aim he is currently completing a CIPD qualification (Level 7).