Top 5 career advice tips for GCSE students
By Louisa Peacock, Jobs editor
Now that you have your GCSE results, make sure you think carefully before rushing into A-levels and take a look at these career advice tips, Louisa Peacock writes.
1. Take a step back
Not everyone will want to do A-levels after having completed their GCSE exams. That’s fine. Some people just aren’t built for academic study – no matter what their parents say – and would be far better off getting a job, work experience or doing something life-changing, like travelling. Talk to as many people – teachers, friends, parents, careers advisers - as possible to get a good idea of what your options are.
Remember that A-levels have traditionally been a pre-cursor to doing a degree, but now that tuition fees are rising from 2012, many people will be put off going to university and so may find they don’t necessarily need to do A-levels either.
2. Career advice online – do your research
Visit sites including…
- Career Academies UK
- thestudentroom.co.uk
- volunteering site VSO
- The Times 100 Careers Guide
- The Telegraph’s Britain’s Top Employers site
- the National Apprenticeship Service
... to build up a picture of what’s out there and where you can take your career next.
3. Get work experience, if you can
Employers constantly state that work experience is more important to them than academic qualifications. Even if you are going down the A-level/ degree route, it won’t hurt to spend a bit of time in your school or university holidays building up experience with employers. Rate My Placement is a great site to see which employers hold good internships and work experience schemes.
4. Choose wisely
If you are doing A-levels think about how “employable” they might make you. Employers are crying out for people who are technically-capable or who can demonstrate they have a good grasp of maths and science skills. You are more likely to find a decent job in areas which aren’t oversubscribed, like science, technology, engineering or maths, rather than arts-related subjects like media or music.
Of course, not all of us can or want to go into more technical fields. But if you are capable, don’t dismiss taking up these subjects at A-level just because they seem like the harder option. In the long-run, it will pay off.
5. Stay positive
Think about where you want to end up in five or even 10 years’ time. What do you picture yourself doing? What industry or sector appeals to you most? Which job can you see yourself in? Once you’ve worked this out, research as much as you can about the types of qualifications and skills you might need to get there. Don’t give up and stay positive. It can seem daunting with endless opportunities and career paths on offer, but stick to your gut feeling about what is right for you.
Now that you have your GCSE results, make sure you think carefully before rushing into A-levels and take a look at these career advice tips, Louisa Peacock writes.
1. Take a step back
Not everyone will want to do A-levels after having completed their GCSE exams. That’s fine. Some people just aren’t built for academic study – no matter what their parents say – and would be far better off getting a job, work experience or doing something life-changing, like travelling. Talk to as many people – teachers, friends, parents, careers advisers - as possible to get a good idea of what your options are.
Remember that A-levels have traditionally been a pre-cursor to doing a degree, but now that tuition fees are rising from 2012, many people will be put off going to university and so may find they don’t necessarily need to do A-levels either.
2. Career advice online – do your research
Visit sites including…
- Career Academies UK
- thestudentroom.co.uk
- volunteering site VSO
- The Times 100 Careers Guide
- The Telegraph’s Britain’s Top Employers site
- the National Apprenticeship Service
... to build up a picture of what’s out there and where you can take your career next.
3. Get work experience, if you can
Employers constantly state that work experience is more important to them than academic qualifications. Even if you are going down the A-level/ degree route, it won’t hurt to spend a bit of time in your school or university holidays building up experience with employers. Rate My Placement is a great site to see which employers hold good internships and work experience schemes.
4. Choose wisely
If you are doing A-levels think about how “employable” they might make you. Employers are crying out for people who are technically-capable or who can demonstrate they have a good grasp of maths and science skills. You are more likely to find a decent job in areas which aren’t oversubscribed, like science, technology, engineering or maths, rather than arts-related subjects like media or music.
Of course, not all of us can or want to go into more technical fields. But if you are capable, don’t dismiss taking up these subjects at A-level just because they seem like the harder option. In the long-run, it will pay off.
5. Stay positive
Think about where you want to end up in five or even 10 years’ time. What do you picture yourself doing? What industry or sector appeals to you most? Which job can you see yourself in? Once you’ve worked this out, research as much as you can about the types of qualifications and skills you might need to get there. Don’t give up and stay positive. It can seem daunting with endless opportunities and career paths on offer, but stick to your gut feeling about what is right for you.
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