Meet Orla, 25, a nutritionist working for Morelife, a healthy lifestyles service in Manchester. Find out more about her job and journey into the role.
Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
I enjoy helping people with their nutrition to better their lives.
Orla:
My name is Orla and I am a nutritionist. I enjoy helping people with their nutrition to better their lives.
The main role of a nutritionist is to advise people on diet and food, sharing the scientific principles behind food and what it does for our body. The advice that we give varies depending on maybe what medical conditions they might have, generally just how to improve their lives using diet.
This is done both in one-to-one and in group settings and I often work with clients for several months.
I started off by studying an undergraduate degree in food science in University College Dublin, I then worked for two years in the food manufacturing industry in Ireland but I just felt that it wasn't the role for me, so I decided to embark on a career in human nutrition by studying a Masters.
So my first role was as a Dietetic Associate Practitioner. I worked in that role for a year before being promoted to an Associate Adult Weight Management Practitioner.
So a lot of the subjects that I studied in school were really helpful for this current role, particularly biology as they talked about the scientific principles behind the body and how it works, as well as home economics which gave me that background knowledge of food and diet.
The skills and attributes I have that, I believe, make me a good nutritionist are that I have a good working knowledge behind nutrition and the scientific principles of food. I also believe that I have good communication skills which come in handy when interacting with my clients and motivating them, and then IT skills are another key factor as well as we're often handling client data on online systems.
What I enjoy most about being a nutritionist is being able to work in a client facing role where I can interact with people on a daily basis. I love advising them on nutrition, helping them achieve their goals and it's such a rewarding feeling knowing when somebody struggled with their health and their diet for years and they can make progress on that journey with my help.
Rebecca, Manager:
What make Orla really great at her job is that she's very empathetic and she's a great communicator. She is able to talk to the clients about what they need and understand their journey so she can then them with their nutrition needs.
She is a great team player, she is always there to offer and help the team in whatever way that they may need.
Orla:
Some tips I would give to somebody who wanted to become a nutritionist would be firstly, when looking for a job in nutrition not to limit their search to roles just titled nutritionist.
It can be d under a lot of different headings like health coach, wellbeing advisor, so it's important that they're using a broad search when looking for job opportunities.
Another tip I would give would be to engage in some volunteering experience in the community, as this gives you an opportunity to work one-to-one with people and can be a good starting point when looking for a job in nutrition.
If you enjoy biology and food technology, then a nutritionist job could be the one for you.
- Orla uses the scientific principles of food to advise people about diet and nutrition, and the effects it can have on their health and wellbeing.
- The main skills Orla uses in her role include having an up-to-date knowledge of science and nutrition, good IT skills, organisational skills, empathy, and people skills.
- Subjects at school that Orla found useful for her job include Biology because it helped her to think scientifically and understand how the body functions. Home Economics taught her how to understand the science of food.
- Orla always had her heart set on food science. She completed a degree in Food Science before studying a masters degree in Human Nutrition to become a nutritionist.
- She enjoys interacting with her patients and clients, helping them to reach their goals.
Top tips
- Don't limit your job search to 'nutritionist'. Many nutritionist jobs are d under different names such as health coach or wellbeing advisor.
- Volunteering can help you gain the people skills required for the role and can set you apart in interviews.
What to expect if you want to be a nutritionist
- Nutritionist average salary: NHS bands 5-6. Read more about NHS bands. Salaries will differ in private healthcare.
- Nutritionist typical working hours: 37 to 39 hours per week.
What qualifications do you need to be a nutritionist?
You could get into this role via a university course. You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification approved by the Association for Nutrition. Approved courses include food and nutrition, biochemistry and public health.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service.
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website and the NHS Health Careers website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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