Top Tips from a Kiwi Cardiac Tech in London

UK In The Spring of 2004

I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived in the UK in the spring of 2004. I was a naive young Kiwi Cardiac Physiologist, eager to see the world and have new experiences. Looking back now, as the Director of Globe Locums 10 years on, it strikes me how innocent I was both professionally and personally. I was concerned London was going to just eat me up and spit me out all the way back to Auckland. What has happened has been quite the opposite. In the 10 years I’ve been here I’ve worked with some of the most talented and famous Cardiologists and Cardiac Scientists in the world, at some of the most prestigious hospitals. From the Wellington Private Hospital in North West London to St Mary’s Hospital at Imperial College, my experiences enabled me to get exposure to areas I’d be in a very long queue for in NZ to get!

To cite an example let’s look at EP (Electrophysiology). Being in the UK and working at the Welly (Wellington) gave me the opportunity to work under Anthony Nathan and Tony Chow and in a short space of time my career evolved to a new level altogether. As an EP Physiologist you’re a sought after commodity here in London and it was fantastic to feel as wanted as I did! Everyone wanted me, not so much because I was good at what I did but because there weren’t any EPs in London at the time! Think Lieutenant Dan and Forest Gump when all the shrimp ships sink in the storm! Maybe I’m being hard on myself who knows. Anyway, after a few years I started training and mentoring young Cardiac Physiologists in EP before they undertook their exams. This spawned my true love, Training and Mentorship. Seeing young Cardiac Physiologists get a buzz for what I love and move into exciting careers was and still is truly gratifying.

So 10 years on, I’m writing this now from Globe Locums’ head office on Fleet Steet. I started Globe (www.globelocums.co.uk) back in 2011 as I was personally getting a bit sick of dealing with recruiters who had no technical knowledge of what I did. I found that I could only get so much out of the recruiter/candidate relationship so I saw an obvious gap in the market and started Globe. Now we’re firmly established in London and are the go to agency for many Aussie and Kiwi Cardiac Techs looking to come and work here.

I’ve learnt a lot over the years so have some good info I’d like to share with you now if you’re thinking of doing a UK or Irish Working Holiday

1. Don’t sign up with more than 2 Agencies. We all get the same jobs and it can actually work against you if 3 or 4 agents send you to the same job
2. Establish a good relationship with your Agent. We make things happen and let’s face it we prioritise the people we work best with
3. Stay the full 2 years! If you’re coming on the tier 5 visa, try not to leave early. So many of my friends who did this regretted it afterwards
4. Do you have a British Grandfather or Grandmother? If so you can get an Ancestry Visa which gives you a visa allowing 4 years of work
5. Get out of London for a bit! I worked in Manchester and Norwich for a while. It’s great to get out of London and discover other parts of the UK. It’s so different to London
6. Be yourself. You’re a Kiwi or Aussie you’ll fit in well here! ; )

Globe Locums are the UK’s only Cardiac Physiologist owned and run Recruitment Agency. We’re experts in providing jobs for Kiwis and Aussies seeking locum and permanent jobs in the UK, Ireland and Australia. Feel free to visit our website at www.globelocums.co.uk and explore the opportunities we have. You can also email me at [email protected]