João Silva has been collaborating with Vitae Professionals for the past 2 years. He's part of the nursing recruitment team, specialized in the United Kingdom market, and his main goal is to find positions that will boost his candidates' careers and change their lives! Let's meet João!
Hi João, could you please tell us a bit more about yourself and your role at Vitae Professionals?
Hi, I soon realized that what I enjoy the most was helping others, that’s why I studied Psychology as my first degree. On the other hand, I always had a particular interest in the business environment so I decided to specialize in Strategic Management of Human Resource to acquire skills that would allow me to help both people and their companies.
I have experience working abroad and I know how challenging it is to embrace an international project without any support and the difference an agency specialist can make in the process. Helping people find jobs and careers they love, as well as working with clients to understand their business and collaborate with a group of dynamic like-minded people, was always a milestone.
Considering the difficulties that I faced, I decided to look for an opportunity helping other people in similar situations.I found this opportunity at Vitae Professionals who I have been working with for two years now.
Currently I recruit nurses for the international market, with a particular focus on the UK having the honour of working with the most renowned public and private hospitals, such as the University Hospital of Southampton and the University Hospital of Bristol. We have created many successful partnerships that have resulted in many placed candidates with high levels of satisfaction among our clients and candidates.
We have placed hundreds of candidates in the UK market over the years, which is why I know very well the needs, specific characteristics and benefits the country has to offer.
Considering myself an adventurous person, I love to embrace new challenges in which sports and adrenaline have both a strong presence. A quick motorcycle ride to the office to help new candidates and a surf session to think over the work done combine perfectly when the goal is promoting the success of those who come to us.
What are, in your opinion, the best rewards working in this area?
The rewards of being a recruiter are enormous! There is no better feeling than knowing you have helped someone to advance in their career or helped a client find someone that suited their needs.
Watching candidates moving from a stage where they are job-searching without much knowledge on what to expect, to gaining full-time employment, gives me a sense of purpose that not all jobs can provide. I consider myself to be more like a career coach and motivator to my candidates, particularly the ones who are new to the workforce and unfamiliar with completing an application or participating in an interview.
A new job can mean much more than just a new job. It can provide new challenges, a better team, a better commute, more flexibility in their schedule, and much more. For this reason, I have no doubt that the most rewarding part of being a recruiter is finding the perfect position for each candidate and changing their lives.
I believe we can help to improve the chances and the experience of every candidate by finding their hidden skills, answering their questions, and boosting their confidence so they will feel comfortable and prepared throughout the recruiting process.
Working with other recruiters is definitely a perk of the job. I have built solid relationships with my colleagues because we truly rely on each other and have each other’s backs. We celebrate our successes together, provide or ask for support when needed, and bounce ideas off one another to expand our knowledge and become better recruiters.
And what about challenges?
The most challenging part is meeting the different levels of expectations and requirements of each person when searching for a new opportunity. It is very important to build a strong relationship and get to know the person and his/her career path in order to find the best option to meet the needs of each nurse that reaches out to us.
As I am working in the international recruitment sector, one of the biggest challenges is to provide a smooth transition on what will be a huge life change. Therefore, we work closely with our clients to create interesting job offers and provide strong support to make the process of relocation and adaptation to the new reality a unique and pleasant experience.
I can also rely on the support of our previous candidates, with whom I have established friendly relationships that today turn out to be a key element in welcoming new colleagues.
Many times I find candidates disappointed with past recruitment experiences and with the current work conditions, so it isn’t always easy to regain their confidence. My goal is to explain and clarify all the doubts related to the offer, conditions and tasks they will undertake when embracing a new professional challenge.
I truly believe that candidates need to be aware of the opportunities and the challenges of an international career in order to make the right choice, because only in this way they will be able to reach the desired professional achievement. Moving abroad can be very rewarding but it can also be very challenging and certainly not for everyone. So, I believe that is our job to provide as much information as possible and sometimes even advise our candidates that this is probably not the best time for the move considering present circumstances or the job on offer.
With Brexit, has working as a nurse in the UK changed much? What were the main changes?
Definitely not. International recruitment has been and continues to be a key focus in helping the NHS to meet increasing workforce demand.
All nurses are treated equally, offering many opportunities to train and educate and enhance their clinical practice. International nurses will have the same rights and responsibilities as the British trained staff in all terms of employment and conditions of work and appropriate support and induction. Strong policies aim to ensure equality for all job applicants and employees, assuring that everyone is heard and recognized.
To be honest, I really believe that the interest in European nurses has been increasing over the years. This high demand is driven by the recognition of the value, quality and importance that these professionals have for the British healthcare system, and it does not seem to me that this will change with Brexit. Before Brexit, nurses who wanted to apply for a registered nurse position had to complete registration with the NMC, which requires a language test. With Brexit, this requirement is still in place, with the addition of a Work Visa.
In this context, the most significant change in the whole process was the addition of an extra step and an increase in bureaucracy. To mitigate this situation, a new Health and Care Visa, designed for healthcare professionals, has been created, making the process quicker and easier, facilitating the change of all those who wish to practice their passion in the UK. Furthermore, this new Health and Care Visa comes with a reduced application fee and an exception from the Immigration Health Surcharge.
Every change comes with a challenge, but I’m more than sure that our team at Vitae Professionals, in partnership with our clients, is more than ready to help and provide the smoothest transition to everyone that gives us such a vote of confidence.
Do you think working in the UK as a nurse is still a good idea?
Of course it is! The UK has been a destination of choice by a number of nurses across Europe and I believe it will continue to be so. It is a multicultural market and this multiculturalism opens opportunities to different professionals that decide to pursue their career in the land of Her Majesty. Equality is the key word and there are a lot of nurses moving to senior positions in a very short time.
The job offers in this country are very complete and stable, as there is a big investment of the employers to create all conditions to attract and retain new talents in their hospitals. When arriving in the UK, all nurses can rely on the support of specialized teams that will support them during the on-boarding process and create specific career plans for their professional growth and development. In addition to all of this, the UK has always stood out for the recognition and appreciation of all the healthcare professionals.
Therefore, if you are looking for a country where work and dedication are recognized and appreciated, where growth opportunities are within the reach of anyone, the UK will always be the best choice.
How Vitae Professionals can help?
Well, Vitae Professionals can help you with everything along this path!
The process of seeking a new job opportunity is not always easy, many times you don’t know where to start your research, what are the requirements or simply you don’t know how the process works. Vitae Professionals has taken a leading position in the national and international market, not just for the different opportunities available, but also because it offers a unique and comprehensive service. We are not just a recruitment company, we offer languages courses, OET and IELTS preparation courses and we provide document translation and certification services. Our structure ensures the best recruitment experience and the most complete follow-up for anybody who is looking to embark upon this new adventure.
Sometimes, candidates describe the recruitment process as a long and stressful experience, but the truth is it doesn’t have to be so! When starting a recruitment process with Vitae, you will have at your disposal many highly qualified professionals that will advise you according to your needs and goals, prepare and schedule the interview, facilitate all the compliance process, VISA and registration with the council. These are some of the added values you will encounter while being supported by our team, always available to clarify any doubts and assist you along all the recruitment and professional integration processes.
We always want to present to our candidates the best offers and opportunities, currently we have offers with exclusive conditions, a result of excellent achievements and relationships with our clients.
