Career and Job Guidance
- Free eligibility check first
- Fixed fee, agreed in writing
- Official sources only
Overview
How we help
Registration gets you on the register; the job gets you there.
Employers in the UK, Ireland and the USA expect CVs, supporting statements and interviews in their own style, and international candidates are often screened out for format rather than ability.
Each health system hires differently. In the UK most NHS posts are advertised on NHS Jobs and many trusts manage applications through Trac. In Ireland the HSE recruits directly and through agencies that manage recruitment on its behalf, and voluntary hospitals often recruit through their own pages. German and Dutch hospitals, including university hospitals, usually recruit directly. In the USA, doctors enter residency through ERAS and the NRMP Match, while nurses are usually hired by hospitals and health systems, often through recruiters who arrange sponsorship.
Career planning fits alongside registration rather than after it. Many employers will interview you before registration is complete, and some sponsor your visa and support you through the final steps, such as the NMC OSCE. Knowing what employers want early lets you choose a route and a first job that lead where you want to go.
We help you present your experience the way local employers read it, find employers who sponsor international staff, prepare for competency-based and clinical interviews, and understand the offer: the pay band, the role, the support while you finish registration, and any repayment clauses.
Employers decide who to interview and hire, and the terms they offer. We are a consultancy, not a recruitment agency, so we are not paid by employers and have no reason to steer you to one. Our advice is about what is best for you.
What is included
- CV and supporting statement rewritten in the local format
- Mapping your experience to the role's person specification or job description
- Guidance on finding employers that sponsor international staff
- Advice on job boards and application systems: NHS Jobs, Trac, HSE jobs and US hospital career sites
- A shortlist strategy that matches roles to your registration status and timing
- Interview preparation: competency, values-based and clinical questions
- Mock interviews with feedback, including video interviews
- Offer review: pay band, role, support, relocation package and repayment clauses
- Checks against England's code of practice for international recruitment
- Plan for your first year: preceptorship, induction and next career steps
In depth
Career and Job Guidance: what to know
How health systems hire international staff
In England, NHS trusts advertise most posts on NHS Jobs, and many use Trac to manage applications, checks and onboarding. Scotland and Northern Ireland advertise many posts on their own national job sites. To sponsor a visa, the employer must hold a Home Office sponsor licence; licensed employers are listed on the public register of licensed sponsors on GOV.UK. England's code of practice for international recruitment bans charging candidates fees and active recruitment from red-list countries.
In Ireland the HSE posts vacancies on its jobs search and says many international nurses and health and social care professionals are recruited through a small number of agencies that manage the process on its behalf, while you can also apply directly. The HSE offers an international recruitment relocation package for people moving from abroad. It can only sponsor an employment permit for permanent roles on the Critical Skills Occupations List.
In Germany and the Netherlands hospitals, including university hospitals, usually recruit directly, and some German nurse recruitment runs through government programmes such as Triple Win. In the USA, doctors apply for residency through ERAS and are placed through the NRMP Match. International nurses are usually hired by hospitals and health systems, often through recruiters that arrange an EB-3 green card, and need the state licence and VisaScreen certificate the visa requires.
CVs and interviews for each system
NHS and HSE applications are usually scored against a person specification, so your supporting statement should show, criterion by criterion, how you meet it, with specific examples. UK and Irish employers generally do not expect a photo, date of birth or marital status on a CV. NHS interviews often include values-based questions, along with clinical scenarios suited to the role.
In the USA a nursing résumé is usually short and focused on licences, certifications, clinical areas and measurable responsibilities. For doctors, ERAS has its own structured application, personal statement and letters of recommendation, and residency interviews explore your clinical experience, motivation and fit with the programme. Practice varies by employer and programme, so we look at each one's guidance.
German applications often follow a more formal structure, with a covering letter, a tabular CV and copies of certificates, and interviews may test your German as well as your clinical knowledge. Dutch employers usually expect a CV and a motivation letter. We adapt your material to each system so it reads as a local candidate's would.
Reading a job offer
In the NHS, most staff other than doctors and dentists are paid on Agenda for Change bands; in England in 2026/27 Band 5, the usual band for newly registered nurses, radiographers and physiotherapists, pays £32,073 to £39,043 a year before any London supplement. The HSE pays on its consolidated salary scales. In Germany pay often follows collective agreements, and in the USA it is set by the employer. Check which band or scale the offer uses, and for which year.
Look closely at the role you will do before registration is complete. Some employers employ international nurses in a non-registered role until they pass the OSCE and join the register, so check the band and pay for that period and when it changes. Under England's code of practice, repayment clauses must be transparent, proportionate and taper over no more than three years, and employers should consider waiving them case by case.
- Band or salary, and the pay year it refers to
- Role and pay while you complete registration
- Who pays for exams, registration, visa and travel
- Relocation support, temporary housing and any time limits
- Repayment clauses: amount, taper and when they apply
- Preceptorship, induction and supervision
Step by step
How it works
- 1
Profile
We review your experience and the roles you are aiming for. We look at your specialty, seniority and registration timing. Together we agree realistic first roles and the employers to target.
- 2
Materials
We rework your CV and statements in the format employers expect. Each statement answers the person specification point by point, using your own examples. We keep it accurate: nothing goes in that you cannot discuss at interview.
- 3
Applications
We guide your applications and help you prioritise employers. We explain each application system and what the screening stage looks for. We track closing dates so you apply on time.
- 4
Interview
We prepare you for the format each employer uses, from values-based panels to clinical scenarios. Mock interviews with feedback help you give clear, structured answers. We also help you prepare your own questions for the panel.
- 5
Offer
We go through your offer with you line by line. We check the band or salary, the role while you finish registration, relocation support and any repayment clause. You decide whether to accept, with a clear view of the terms.
Employers
The hospitals international staff apply to
Netherlands
Who we help
Who it is for
Registered, or close to it
Professionals starting to apply for jobs
Applying to health systems
Candidates applying through NHS Jobs, the HSE or US hospital systems
Comparing offers
Anyone comparing offers or international recruitment packages
Where we help
Countries we cover
United Kingdom
Register with the GMC, NMC, GDC, GPhC or HCPC and work in the NHS or private sector.
Ireland
Registration with the IMC, NMBI, CORU, PSI or Dental Council, and roles in the HSE.
Germany
Recognition of foreign qualifications, the medical language test and the knowledge test.
Netherlands
BIG registration for doctors, nurses and other regulated health professions.
United States
State licensing, ECFMG certification, NCLEX and the visa routes for health workers.
France
The EVC knowledge tests, a two-year consolidation post and CNG authorisation for doctors, dentists, midwives and pharmacists, then registration with the professional order.
Belgium
Diploma equivalence from a language Community, then a federal visa to practise from the FPS Public Health, with proof of Dutch, French or German.
Luxembourg
A licence to practise from the Ministry of Health and Social Security, B2 French or German, and for non-EU doctors prior recognition in another EU country.
Switzerland
MEBEKO registration or the federal exam for doctors, SRK recognition for nurses, a cantonal licence and a third-country work permit within the federal quotas.
Spain
Homologación of your degree by the universities ministry, specialist recognition or MIR via the Ministry of Health, and compulsory college registration.
Portugal
Degree recognition at a Portuguese public university, then registration with the Ordem dos Médicos or Ordem dos Enfermeiros, with Portuguese at B2 or C1.
Italy
Ministry of Health recognition of non-EU titles, any compensatory exam, then an Italian check and registration with an OMCeO or OPI.
Malta
Registration with the Medical Council or the Council for Nurses and Midwives in English, then an employer-sponsored single permit.
Sweden
Socialstyrelsen licensing: education assessment, kunskapsprov, Swedish at C1, a law course and clinical training.
Norway
Helsedirektoratet authorisation, Norwegian at B2, the national course and the fagprøve for doctors, nurses and dentists.
Denmark
Danish Patient Safety Authority authorisation, the Danish 3 exam, medical tests and the 2026 quota for non-EU doctors and nurses.
Finland
Right to practise from the Finnish Supervisory Agency (formerly Valvira), Finnish or Swedish language proof, and exams for non-EU doctors.
Iceland
Licensing by the Directorate of Health through a university evaluation, no Icelandic language test for the licence, and an employer-led expert work permit.
Austria
Nostrification of non-EU degrees, the Ärzteliste and ÖÄK German exam for doctors, and Gesundheitsberuferegister entry for nurses.
Poland
Right to practise from the medical or nursing chambers, the LEK and LEW exams, Polish at B1 or above, and the Ministry of Health's simplified route.
Czechia
Ministry of Health recognition for non-EU doctors and nurses: nostrification, the aprobační zkouška in Czech, and employee or Blue Card permits.
Slovakia
Two-stage recognition for non-EU health professionals: diploma recognition, an 18-month supervised traineeship and the supplementary exam in Slovak.
Hungary
Diploma recognition by the Educational Authority or OKFŐ, practising registration with the OKFŐ, chamber membership and the EU Blue Card.
Slovenia
Ministry of Health recognition under the 2025 ZPPKZD law, Slovenian at C1/B2, the professional exam and chamber registration.
Croatia
Recognition by the HLK or HKMS, B2 Croatian, adaptation or aptitude tests and the stay and work permit.
Romania
CNRED and Ministry of Health recognition, the CMR joint commission, Romanian language and the IGI work permit.
Bulgaria
The Bulgarian medical language exam, Ministry of Health admission and the university state exams for non-EU graduates.
Greece
DOATAP recognition and exams, the PIS practice certificate for doctors, ENE registration for nurses and Greek at B2 to C1.
Cyprus
KYSATS equivalence, Cyprus Medical Council and Nursing and Midwifery Council registration, Greek and the work permit rules.
Estonia
Harno evaluation, the Health Board's compliance examination in Estonian and registration in the healthcare professionals register.
Latvia
AIC evaluation, recognition by the Latvian Medical Association or Health Inspectorate, an aptitude test or adaptation period, and Latvian at C1.
Lithuania
VASPVT recognition of non-EU qualifications with an SKVC academic assessment, a possible aptitude test, Lithuanian category II and a practice licence.
Liechtenstein
A narrow route: Amt für Gesundheit licences tied to EEA nationality and EEA or Swiss qualifications, German, and capped work permits for non-EEA nationals.
Sources
The official pages the rules on this page come from.
FAQ
Questions about career and job guidance
Straight answers before you start. See all questions or contact us.
We help you find and apply to the right employers and give you the best chance at interview. The hiring decision is the employer's.
The pay band, the role while you complete registration, who pays which fees, relocation support, and any clause that makes you repay costs if you leave early. We go through each with you.
Often yes. Many employers interview international candidates before registration is complete and support the final steps. The offer will usually be conditional on registration, right to work and pre-employment checks.
In the UK, employers that can sponsor are listed on the GOV.UK register of licensed sponsors. In Ireland and the Netherlands, check whether the role and employer meet the permit rules. We help you check before you spend time on an application.
In England the code of practice says agencies must not charge candidates fees for finding work. Rules differ in other countries, so read any agreement carefully. We do not charge employers, and our fee for guidance is agreed with you in advance.
It is the part of an NHS or HSE application where you show how you meet the person specification. Shortlisters usually score it against each criterion, so a clear, example-based statement matters more than a long one.
Many NHS employers ask questions that test whether your behaviour matches their values, such as compassion, respect and working together. Answers based on real situations, with what you did and what happened, work best.
Many employers count relevant experience abroad when setting your starting pay point, but practice varies by employer and pay system. Ask for it to be considered and keep references with exact dates ready.
We help with the ERAS application, personal statement, choice of programmes and interview preparation. ECFMG certification, the USMLE and the Match itself are run by those bodies, and programmes decide who they rank.
Yes. We help you plan the experience, training and registration steps that lead to specialist roles, such as specialty training in the UK or specialist registration in Ireland. Your first year sets the foundation, so we plan with that in mind.
Yes. We help with application documents in the expected format, interview practice and understanding offers. Most posts require the language level and recognition or registration your route needs, so we plan those alongside.