The Experience Dilemma

One of the biggest challenges when starting your career as a phlebotomist is gaining real experience after training.

Many job ads will ask for prior experience – but how do you gain it if no one will give you that first opportunity?

We’ve already shared some common ways to build experience in our “First Steps” blog. But what if you’ve tried those, and you’re still struggling? This article is about creating your own opportunities, based on an idea that came from our personal journey.

A Personal Story

My wife is an immigrant from Peru, and her story may resonate with many of you.

She was highly qualified and experienced in the travel industry, but her Peruvian qualifications weren’t recognised in the UK. While she studied for a BTEC in Travel & Tourism at Leicester College, she worked at McDonald’s for two years.

Even after graduating with outstanding marks, she still couldn’t find a job – every employer wanted UK experience.

So, we decided: if no one would give her a job, we’d create one. We started our own travel agency.

Was it a huge success? Not really. We made enough sales to cover overheads, and occasionally bagged free hotel upgrades by flashing our business card. But the real value wasn’t financial.

The agency gave my wife something crucial to put on her CV: for a year, she had been the manager of a travel agency. That experience opened the door to her first proper role, which led to another, and then a better one. Eventually, she was on her way with a career in the UK.

We even sold the agency for a small sum, covering our initial costs and funding the next adventure (which, funnily enough, led to Bloods & Beyond).

How Does This Relate to Phlebotomy?

Clearly, you can’t just open your own phlebotomy clinic – that requires CQC registration, which is costly and time-consuming.

But there is another option: IV vitamin therapy.

With some additional training – which we provide through our IV Therapy course – you can start offering this service almost immediately. Our course is designed as a “business in a box,” so you’ll leave with everything you need to get started from day one.

Best and Worst Case Scenarios

Worst Case Scenario:

You purchase a few IV therapy kits and practise on friends or family. They may cover your costs or you might make a small profit. Either way, they’ll be saving hundreds compared to normal clinic prices, and you’ll gain valuable venepuncture experience to put on your CV.

Best Case Scenario:

Word spreads in your community, and you discover a market for your services. At standard pricing, each treatment can earn you over £100 profit and takes about an hour to deliver. After a few months, you might even consider running IV therapy as a full-time enterprise.

Even if you move on to a phlebotomy role, you can keep a few regular clients on the side.

Restrictions & Regulations

You might assume IV therapy requires CQC registration, but currently, it doesn’t.

• If a registered healthcare professional (doctor, nurse, midwife, etc.) delivers an IV drip, it counts as a healthcare intervention and requires CQC registration.
• If a phlebotomist or non-registered person delivers it, it is classed as a wellness therapy and does not require registration.

This unusual quirk may change in the future, and we’ll update this blog if it does, but for now, it opens the door for you to start gaining experience from day 1.

Costs to Consider

• Training: Provided at a discounted rate if you’ve already completed our Introduction to Venepuncture course.
• IV Kits: Around £300–£350 for six treatments (worth £1,000+ in a clinic).
• Insurance: Approximately £300 per year.
• Business setup: You can register as self-employed (free if you self-assess) or form a limited company (£14 with Companies House, plus optional accountancy costs).

Final Thoughts

If you’re stuck in the “no experience, no job” cycle, sometimes the solution is to create your own opportunities. Just as we did with our first business, starting something small can give you the experience you need — and in the process, you might even build something bigger than you first imagined.