Assistant psychologist job - How long from application to start date

Waiting, waiting, waiting. Holding out for a while. After graduation, one may assume that things will go more quickly and without incident. You recently graduated, you have a tonne of information, and you hope to use it all in your new position. But you'll quickly learn that in order to advance in your career, you must wait. One question that seems to bother most postgraduate is:

When will I start my Assistant Psychologist job after being accepted? 

This blog post is  based on my personal experience and conversations with multiple APs. Most of them applied to several positions as assistant psychologists. Getting one is often very challenging. But difficult does not equal impossible, and if you have enough perseverance, you will get through your initial round of interviews. You have now been hired for your first AP position after improving your abilities, developing your reflective nature, and using the appropriate keywords during your interview. You are undoubtedly eager to get started and have probably told all of your loved ones about it. Regretfully, you do not currently have a designated start date. Don't worry—you own the job. However, administrative work needs to be done in order for you to begin.

You may use your NHS app to monitor your status, which should reassure you. Then, it would be wise to respectfully inform your referrers that they must ensure they received an email from your new job and that they must submit their reference to the relevant parties. You may then be requested to submit to a DBS check. To expedite the check, it is worthwhile to subscribe to the DBS update service. The entire administrative procedure is time-consuming, and you might not receive a formal start date for six to ten weeks following your acceptance. To avoid financial difficulties, it is advisable for you to apply as soon as possible and to hold onto your employment until you receive a start date.

Another piece of advice would be to enjoy the pre-starting phase and take care of yourself in the meantime. Since you will be dealing with a variety of stressors in your role as an AP, it would be beneficial for you to divert your attention from the wait time.

You can also get ready for the job by looking at your responsabilities and population you will be working with. You never know how the service is going to be, so make the most of this time without doing too much. However, it is worthwhile to learn about the methods employed by the service and ask your recruiters for assistance.

To conclude, you got the job. The rest is just a formality. Remember the advices we listed and embrace this waiting phase.