I Want to Work In .... Careers Guidance

 

PROFILE: Careers Adviser - Schools

INVOLVES: Interviewing young people (aged 14 -21), filling in forms (such as Action Plans), making presentations to groups of young people, organising & planning work, visiting local employers & education institutions, negotiating service-level contracts with schools, meeting targets regarding numbers of action plans, interviews etc.
EMPLOYERS: Local authorities, private consortia, Colleges of F.E, schools (although opportunities are limited).
RELATED JOBS: Connexions Personal Adviser, Careers Teacher in Secondary School (State & Independent Schools), Careers Adviser in Higher Education, Teacher (Secondary School), Personnel Manager, Training Officer.
SATISFACTIONS: variety, independence, working with many different people, helping people make decisions, travelling to different locations each day.
NEGATIVES: Insecurity of employment (due to Government changes), poor pay, low morale within the occupation. Hard to satisfy all expectations.
SKILLS: written & spoken communication, cooperating, organising, listening.
ADVANCEMENT: Trainee Careers Adviser - Qualified - Team Manager - Centre Manager - Strategy Manager - Director.
DEGREE: Any Degree subject is acceptable. Psychology is particularly relevant. Some work experience (in any field) is also helpful.
POSTGRADUATE STUDY: Postgraduate Diploma course leading to the Qualification in Career Guidance (QCG). This can be “topped up” to a Masters degree by producing a dissertation.
VACANCY SOURCES: Portico (published by the Institute of Careers Guidance), The Guardian (Tuesday), Local Press.

See also the following job profiles

Further Information

How many counsellors does it take to change a light bulb? Just one, but the bulb must want to change.

Career: a job that takes about twenty hours longer per week.

You want to be a tree?

 

 

 

Last fully updated January 2009