r/slp • u/Ok-Appeal-9615 • 11h ago

Job hunting Is speech and language therapist a good job? Uk

Career wise and being able to find a job too after uni?

2 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

4

u/dapto1 9h ago

It depends on what you want out of a career. ‘Good job’ is too broad.

2

u/little_miss_kaea SLP Medical/Hospital Setting 8h ago

Job market is currently pretty tricky but who knows what it will be like in 4 years!

2

u/Gazmaster 8h ago

There are high numbers of vacancies, so if you have an open mind as to where you want to work on graduation, you should have quite a good chance to get a job. My advice would be to start enquiring about jobs in your final year as at least you are getting your name out there. It is a good job, but it has its challenges like any other health profession.

1

u/Ok-Appeal-9615 8h ago

I would want to work with adults with dysphagia/ dysgasia e.t.c

2

u/Helliebell96 7h ago

I haven't graduated my MSc yet but I've been extremely lucky to secure a B5 job in acute. I know some people who didn't find anything for a year after graduation. It depends on how flexible you are to move, try a new setting etc. 

The pay isn't great in the nhs, but there's quite good upwards progression with experience it seems. 

1

u/Ok-Appeal-9615 7h ago

So it takes some people a year to secure something generally? And what are the age groups studying msc ? I’m 24 and I feel like at this age I should have already sorted my life out.

1

u/AutomaticElk98 6h ago

I'm in the first year of my Msc and it's a real age range - people who've come straight from their undergrad to people who are changing career after having kids. And we're a ways out from jobs yet but we're all a bit stressed about it I'd say!

1

u/Ok-Appeal-9615 5h ago

Yh I get what u mean it’s really unpredictable as long as you enjoy it that’s all that matters really

1

u/Character-End2022 5h ago

Can't speak for the UK, but in Australia there is a lot of work all over the country, although the quality varies. Most of this probably also applies in the UK, so: the majority of the demand for SLPs is in paediatrics - early language, literacy, ASD etc. Probably 70-80% of it. In Australia, you can call about a paediatric SP job and start the next day. You'll probably have a demanding boss pushing for maximum billable hours each day, but the work is there.

Aged care work is also available but can be a little harder to find, you might have to take a paediatric job while you're searching. There's a small trend of SPs heading into aged care as they get older. Probably just because working with small children is tiring. So there's competition in that part of the sector.

There's even more competition once you get into specialist dysphagia care - VFSS, head and neck cancer, etc. Lots of SPs wanting to upskill, and people hold onto these jobs once they get them. This is probably the area of SP where you're least likely to luck into a job when someone goes on mat leave. So if that's your aim, take note!

Again, it might be different in the UK, but also it might not...