How to Become a Dietitian

At a time when obesity and everyone’s fitness and health levels are of a great concern – becoming a dietitian is a well sought out profession. A dietitian will guide and advise those who may be struggling with their food intake, such as those who are ill and not eating properly or are over-weight.  By educating and showing the benefits of a good nutritional diet, their clients can lead a much happier and healthier life.

To get into this profession there are certain qualities you must have:

• Non-judgemental and patient – remember that you’re there to help, not to judge how they got into their situation; some people may find it difficult changing their usual habits into more healthy ones.
• Being passionate about health – practice what you preach!!! There is no point educating someone on how to look after themselves if you are not promoting a healthy lifestyle yourself; no one will appreciate a hypocrite telling them what to do!
• The ability to communicate with a variety of people – needing a dietitian doesn’t just apply to a specific age group or type of person.  Most of the time you will have to simplify things for your client, there is a lot of scientific jargon with nutrition so you will have to be able to explain these clearly.

Working in hospitals or schools are common places to work as a dietitian.

Possible clients include:

• Pregnant women
• Over weight and obese people trying to lose weight
• Those who are too thin and can’t gain weight
• Children who may be fussy eaters
• Older people
• Those who are ill and cannot eat properly and so need a liquid diet
• An eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia.

Qualifications and training to become a dietitian

To become a dietitian, you will have to have adequate training due to the fact it is such a responsibility to educate someone on these major life choices, which can dramatically affect their quality of life.

You will need a degree, MSc or postgraduate diploma in nutrition and dietetics approved by the British Dietetic Association (BDA), which is a professional association for dietitians.  These courses can take four years to complete and will include both practical and theory.

Though all university entry requirements will differ, you will usually need to have a minimum of three grade C GCSE’s in subjects including maths and English.  You will also need two or three A-Levels in chemistry plus another science-based subject.

Examples of some of the subject areas covered are:

• Communication
• Health education
• Dietetics
• Nutrition
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Food science
• Microbiology

Benefits of freelancing as a dietitian 

There are many benefits to freelancing as a dietitian, some advantages include:

• Flexibility and time management, you can make the decision when and where to work
• Control of your destiny
• Job satisfaction
• Greater tax benefits being a freelancers

By using our Freelancer Calculator you can work out exactly how much you could potentially take home.

Finding work as a dietician

One of the most important tips to becoming a dietitian is to register with the regulator, Health Professions Council (HPC) to prove you are qualified to potential clients.  Word of mouth can be an extremely useful tool, but this is only be achieved once you start gaining clients.

Here are some useful ways in finding work as a dietitian:

• Register with the BDA – as well as being the professional body for dietitians, it also acts a trade union for those in the union.  By becoming a member you will be untitled to monthly copies of industry journals, as well as job opportunities which are shown on the website.
• Join the Freelance Dieticians – a database of registered dietitians that offers their services to organisations and the public.
• Build your own professional website.  This way any potential or existing clients can find information on you, your services and contact details. 
• Use social networking sites – by linking your website onto your personal account this should help to attract more attention for your business.
• Make business cards / leaflets – leave them with friends and family as well as seeing if places such as health shops will put them out or leave with staff.