Hello, my name is Eilidh, I am a technical instructor in Cardiac Rehabilitation and HARP.
I was never very sure about what my career path would look like, I tried my best to get exposure to as many different occupations as possible to get a sense of what I would like. I’ve tried performing, retail, and catering, but I never felt truly passionate about any of them.
I also studied a broad scope of subjects at college, social sciences, as I thought I would get the best chance of sampling different topics without fully committing to a course dedicated to one.
After some browsing and feeling stuck working in the catering industry, I began to look at different career paths to any I have considered before. I began looking at physiotherapy as I had many friendships with those in this field and they were fulfilled and happy with their work.
I first applied for a physiotherapy assistant role in the wards but was unsuccessful. I was a little disheartened but not surprised as I had never had any ward or physiotherapy experience.
A family friend then sent me the job advertisement for my current position, and they suggested I applied for it and just see what comes of it.
To prepare I went over my feedback from my previous interview and went to the department to see how things ran there, to meet the team, and to get a better understanding of what is going on within their field. I also spoke to people who had previously held the same role I was interviewing for to get their advice and have a better grip on what would be expected of me.
I love this job as it is so different from any other thing I have done before. It gives me the flexibility I wasn’t aware was available. With the walking groups and exercise classes, I don’t feel stuck or in a repetitive routine. With different conditions and reasons for seeing all our patients I am always learning and training to improve my ability to help them. Also, I love this position because of its team of highly skilled nurses and physios that have taken me in and helped me learn as I came in with zero experience and now through their guidance and training, I can give advice and help patients navigate their new health status.