Ok I already have my own personal blog but I decided I should start create a careers advice based blog as well. I won't be giving careers advice directly to anyone via this blog but I want to talk about issues surrounding careers advice and guidance and why it can help others. I also want to know what people want to know about will do my best to research into certain areas as best as possible. In a time where youth employment is at its lowest and people are being redundant especially in the public sector I think careers advice and guidance about how to look for a job or change career is more crucial then ever!!
I would like to find out what young people think of connexions a service that is catered towards young people aged between 13-19. This service has already been cut completely in several areas and people are still in danger of losing your jobs within this area of work. See article below from the guardian website about how cuts are making many high schools in the UK very angry. http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/mar/13/warning-on-cuts-to-careers-advice-to-teenagers
Also From April 2012 the government are hoping to replace this with an all age service that caters towards everyone. We currently have a next step service available for anyone over 19 this new service will also replace this too. See link below for further information.
Also From April 2012 the government are hoping to replace this with an all age service that caters towards everyone. We currently have a next step service available for anyone over 19 this new service will also replace this too. See link below for further information.
I want to know what people's views and general experiences have been with careers advisers or if you work as a careers adviser what you think about what's currently happening etc. As well as your experiences and the changes you have seen as and adviser and the impact or lack of impact its had on people. Also I want to see people's general awareness about the services that are available to them. For example many universities have your own careers service run by the institution themselves but many students don't know about it or are maybe too intimated to approach the service for whatever reason. I knew where my careers library was at my university but somehow felt too shy to approach them. Maybe that's just me but I don't think I am the only one. Because if I am being honest when I look back now I don't actually think I realised all the services that were on offer so was unsure about how they could help me really.
I think careers advice does matter. I am not just saying this as a trained adviser although maybe that gives me a different angle on things. However many people are looking for work and just want some advice about how to this so logically isn't that where a careers adviser should step up and help.I recently went to a careers CV workshop which was really useful. The workshop really centered on motivating people who are not in work to go out and look for jobs in a positive way. I think encouraging people and giving them confidence to do something is really important. One of the things I observed when I was working as a careers adviser for connexions is that alot of people had great amounts of ambition and wanted to go forward with their lives. However maybe due to setbacks or lack of encouragement they were not empowered to follow their ambitions. I am not saying everyone can become a popstar or movie star if that's their aspiration as you need to be realistic. However many indivduals sometimes just didn't have enough self belief in themselves and a popular saying amongst many clients was 'That sounds like hard work'. In fact not realising that hard work is something that they are going to have to do if they want a to fulfill their aspirations.
Also many people think I don't need careers advice especially if they know what they want to do!! I used to get this from many year 11 students who wanted to become a Lawyer or Doctor they were very set on their future career. Which bothered me sometimes as it did seem that some of these young people were talking through the influence of their parents aspirations and not necessarily themselves. When I trained as an adviser we where taught that its clients needs that are most important and we as advisers need to explore various avenues with them. Not just the one that seems like the safe option or the choice that their family wanted them to make. Not all students are academic and some may be more practical so what options are available to them? Also what about clients with special needs and those clients who don't get 5A*-C's at gcse level what happens to them. Without some sort of advice or guidance from someone namely a careers adviser how can they know what route to follow. Which is why I think Careers advice matters.
I will end on that note but I want to hear from people about topics to discuss and any comments they want to make!! So please email me at sgcareers27@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading :)!!!
Also many people think I don't need careers advice especially if they know what they want to do!! I used to get this from many year 11 students who wanted to become a Lawyer or Doctor they were very set on their future career. Which bothered me sometimes as it did seem that some of these young people were talking through the influence of their parents aspirations and not necessarily themselves. When I trained as an adviser we where taught that its clients needs that are most important and we as advisers need to explore various avenues with them. Not just the one that seems like the safe option or the choice that their family wanted them to make. Not all students are academic and some may be more practical so what options are available to them? Also what about clients with special needs and those clients who don't get 5A*-C's at gcse level what happens to them. Without some sort of advice or guidance from someone namely a careers adviser how can they know what route to follow. Which is why I think Careers advice matters.
I will end on that note but I want to hear from people about topics to discuss and any comments they want to make!! So please email me at sgcareers27@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading :)!!!
