The Student Room Group

Careers adviser Rosy is live on TSR tonight until 9pm!

Good evening and happy Wednesday! Adviser Rosy with you tonight to answer all your careers questions.

Want to talk about exam stress, options after your exams, career options, apprenticeships or employment? I'm here to help!

Post in this thread or send me a private message to chat in confidence.

Come and join the discussion!

Rosy
Original post by National Careers Service
Good evening and happy Wednesday! Adviser Rosy with you tonight to answer all your careers questions.

Want to talk about exam stress, options after your exams, career options, apprenticeships or employment? I'm here to help!

Post in this thread or send me a private message to chat in confidence.

Come and join the discussion!

Rosy


I’m 17 and I want a part-time job to help manage my expenses, but most places require at least a B in English and Maths, and it makes me doubt my ability to tutor children.

I already seem to compare myself to people I know. I feel as if at school “I don’t fit in”.
Original post by TheAlchemistress
I’m 17 and I want a part-time job to help manage my expenses, but most places require at least a B in English and Maths, and it makes me doubt my ability to tutor children.

I already seem to compare myself to people I know. I feel as if at school “I don’t fit in”.



Hi there

Thanks for your message, finding part-time work can definitely be an excellent way to get experience and that will make future applications to jobs, apprenticeships, and universities more successful.

From your message I’m getting that you would like work in tutoring children but if I’ve got this wrong feel free to correct me. If this is the case you might want to take a look at our job family for education and training as you can skim through a number of related job profiles where you might be able to find similar work that is potentially more widely available. I’ve included the link to this below:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/education-and-training

You could also contact one of the expert advisors at the National Careers Service as they can talk through your qualifications, give you extra job search websites including regional websites which will make your job search more specific and give you advice on writing a strong job application.

You may feel like your Maths and English GCSE grades are a barrier to you being able to find part time work but we know you have the potential to develop a successful career and we are here to help you overcome barriers and find that career. You can contact the service on 0800 100 900 or you can email, text, or webchat from our website below:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/contact-us/home

Good Luck!
Rosy
Original post by National Careers Service
Good evening and happy Wednesday! Adviser Rosy with you tonight to answer all your careers questions.

Want to talk about exam stress, options after your exams, career options, apprenticeships or employment? I'm here to help!

Post in this thread or send me a private message to chat in confidence.

Come and join the discussion!

Rosy


I'll be heading off to university in September and just today started planning societies and extra-curriculars that I can get involved in that will improve and evidence soft-skills. I've been doing fine on most skills, getting multiple options for them, but have been having trouble on ways to improve presenting/public speaking. The only option I can think of is some sort of debate society but I'm not too keen on that... Just wondering if you had any other ideas?
Original post by Goz Unlimited
I'll be heading off to university in September and just today started planning societies and extra-curriculars that I can get involved in that will improve and evidence soft-skills. I've been doing fine on most skills, getting multiple options for them, but have been having trouble on ways to improve presenting/public speaking. The only option I can think of is some sort of debate society but I'm not too keen on that... Just wondering if you had any other ideas?


Hi

It sounds like you are taking a really organised approach to university which is great to get the most out of it! Presenting and public speaking is an essential skill for many jobs so it is a good idea to look at how you can show you are capable of this, if you are not keen on debating society how about taking part in the students union as they often have a volunteering week or a welcome team?

Depending on which course you are studying you may have to do some presentations as part of your seminars or assessment which could be another alternative to evidence your skills. You could find out by looking at your course in more detail on your university website or even create your own discussion to get information from students already on the course.

I hope this helps and if you need any more support don't hesitate to ask or contact our advisers!
Rosy
Original post by National Careers Service
Hi

It sounds like you are taking a really organised approach to university which is great to get the most out of it! Presenting and public speaking is an essential skill for many jobs so it is a good idea to look at how you can show you are capable of this, if you are not keen on debating society how about taking part in the students union as they often have a volunteering week or a welcome team?

Depending on which course you are studying you may have to do some presentations as part of your seminars or assessment which could be another alternative to evidence your skills. You could find out by looking at your course in more detail on your university website or even create your own discussion to get information from students already on the course.

I hope this helps and if you need any more support don't hesitate to ask or contact our advisers!
Rosy


My course is maths so it's unsurprisingly lacking in regular presenting practice :tongue: Welcome team is a great suggestion though! Thanks for the help :yy:
Original post by Goz Unlimited
My course is maths so it's unsurprisingly lacking in regular presenting practice :tongue: Welcome team is a great suggestion though! Thanks for the help :yy:


No problem! Good luck at university!
Original post by Goz Unlimited
My course is maths so it's unsurprisingly lacking in regular presenting practice :tongue: Welcome team is a great suggestion though! Thanks for the help :yy:


Where you going to Uni?
Am afraid you are now associated with your namesake Rosie off Love Island. You should be offering advice for wannabe reality stars.
Original post by Andrew97
Where you going to Uni?


Cardiff.
Original post by 999tigger
Am afraid you are now associated with your namesake Rosie off Love Island. You should be offering advice for wannabe reality stars.


Maybe its time for a career change for myself...

On second thoughts I'll stick to what I know and love to do!

However if anyone wants advice on becoming an actress get your comments to me! I'm live to answer all your career questions for another hour and a half!
Original post by National Careers Service
Maybe its time for a career change for myself...

On second thoughts I'll stick to what I know and love to do!

However if anyone wants advice on becoming an actress get your comments to me! I'm live to answer all your career questions for another hour and a half!


Do you perchance know what the rules are for advanced learner loans and whether there is any criteria which prevents you apply for one based on previous education?

i.e if you had a degree or you had A levels and you wanted to do more A levels or an Access course? Is there a previous learning rule which prevents funding?

Thanks.
Original post by 999tigger
Do you perchance know what the rules are for advanced learner loans and whether there is any criteria which prevents you apply for one based on previous education?

i.e if you had a degree or you had A levels and you wanted to do more A levels or an Access course? Is there a previous learning rule which prevents funding?

Thanks.


Thanks for your question, it's certainly a good one! There is some cases where you would not be able to apply for the advanced learner loan because of your previous education.

The main one is that you must not have studied a similar subject to the same or a higher level before. An example is that if you have studied a NVQ Level 3 in Childcare and then you want to apply for funding for an Access to Childcare course you would be ineligible because they are both at Level 3.

Alternatively if you had studied the same subject but wanted to apply for funding for an Access to Nursing course you would be eligible because they are different subjects.

For those who don't know what an Advanced Learner Loan is, this is Student Finance funding for any course from Level 3-6 for anyone 19 or over. It can be a bit of minefield but our advisers are trained to offer up to date information about funding. If you need more information you can contact our advisers here:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/contact-us/home

I hope this helps!
Rosy
How much impact do GCSEs have on graduate job chances?

What are the best things to do during the Summer which can improve your CV?
Hi there, I'm off to Uni in a few months to study a psychology degree. I've chosen this degree to keep my options open because I'm unsure about what sort of job I want to go in. I'm starting to question whether this degree would be an appropriate one to get a good career because on average psychology graduates seem to have low salaries.

So I'm potentially considering changing my degree to something which will give me wider prospects. Do you think I'd be better off switching from a psychology degree to a maths degree?
Original post by 04MR17
How much impact do GCSEs have on graduate job chances?

What are the best things to do during the Summer which can improve your CV?


Thanks for your message, it's a good question but this one can be difficult to answer because it can depend upon the employer. In general however graduate job applications tend to be more focused on your degree although it is not uncommon if you don't have your Maths and English at grade C (4 for the new system) or above for employers to ask that you complete a level 2 qualification in English and Maths.

Either paid or unpaid work experience is excellent to add to your CV. If you get different types of experience this can really round out your CV with a range of different skills from different environments. You could also take part in a social club, especially if there is an element of teamwork or leadership opportunities involved, even being the captain of a football team is leadership experience that can go on your CV.

If you need any help finding work experience you can contact the service on 0800 100 900 or you can email, text, or webchat from our website below:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/contact-us/home

Thanks again for your message!
Rosy
Original post by National Careers Service
Thanks for your question, it's certainly a good one! There is some cases where you would not be able to apply for the advanced learner loan because of your previous education.

The main one is that you must not have studied a similar subject to the same or a higher level before. An example is that if you have studied a NVQ Level 3 in Childcare and then you want to apply for funding for an Access to Childcare course you would be ineligible because they are both at Level 3.

Alternatively if you had studied the same subject but wanted to apply for funding for an Access to Nursing course you would be eligible because they are different subjects.

For those who don't know what an Advanced Learner Loan is, this is Student Finance funding for any course from Level 3-6 for anyone 19 or over. It can be a bit of minefield but our advisers are trained to offer up to date information about funding. If you need more information you can contact our advisers here:
https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/contact-us/home

I hope this helps!
Rosy


Thanks. Think I will need to track down the rules as a lot of people get confused when they can and cant apply because of their previous study.
Original post by ZiggyStardust_
Hi there, I'm off to Uni in a few months to study a psychology degree. I've chosen this degree to keep my options open because I'm unsure about what sort of job I want to go in. I'm starting to question whether this degree would be an appropriate one to get a good career because on average psychology graduates seem to have low salaries.

So I'm potentially considering changing my degree to something which will give me wider prospects. Do you think I'd be better off switching from a psychology degree to a maths degree?


Hi! Thanks for taking part!

Again yours is a difficult question for me to answer because this depends on what kind of career you would like and what you think fits you better. Unfortunately the only person who can answer those questions is you but what I can do for you is give you the tools and resources you can use to help you figure the answers out.

The first tool that might help you is a job match quiz and if you are interested in a degree then the career planner on prospects may be useful for you. This will take into account your motivations, skills, hobbies and interests and match them to a number of careers. This doesn't mean that you must do these careers but it can help to give you ideas:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/planner

You can also compare statistics, like the employment rate after university by going to the UniStats website. This will be useful because you can compare facts about each course so that you can make an informed decision about which course is best:
https://unistats.ac.uk/

Lastly I will just say that although you may want to go to university it is 3 years and a lot of money so if you do need more time to decide you can defer entry for a year and use the time to get experience to get an idea of which direction you would like to go in. Our advisers can talk through your situation in a little more detail for you and help you to plan your next steps, whatever you decide. You can call them now on 0800 100 900 or they are still available by text, email and webchat on the National Careers Service website.

I hope this helps you to decide but remember there is no limit to the amount of times you can contact the service so if you need to figure out things a little bit at a time you can work on the next steps then keep calling back to work on the next part of your journey with the support of our advisers.
Rosy
Original post by National Careers Service
Hi! Thanks for taking part!

Again yours is a difficult question for me to answer because this depends on what kind of career you would like and what you think fits you better. Unfortunately the only person who can answer those questions is you but what I can do for you is give you the tools and resources you can use to help you figure the answers out.

The first tool that might help you is a job match quiz and if you are interested in a degree then the career planner on prospects may be useful for you. This will take into account your motivations, skills, hobbies and interests and match them to a number of careers. This doesn't mean that you must do these careers but it can help to give you ideas:
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/planner

You can also compare statistics, like the employment rate after university by going to the UniStats website. This will be useful because you can compare facts about each course so that you can make an informed decision about which course is best:
https://unistats.ac.uk/

Lastly I will just say that although you may want to go to university it is 3 years and a lot of money so if you do need more time to decide you can defer entry for a year and use the time to get experience to get an idea of which direction you would like to go in. Our advisers can talk through your situation in a little more detail for you and help you to plan your next steps, whatever you decide. You can call them now on 0800 100 900 or they are still available by text, email and webchat on the National Careers Service website.

I hope this helps you to decide but remember there is no limit to the amount of times you can contact the service so if you need to figure out things a little bit at a time you can work on the next steps then keep calling back to work on the next part of your journey with the support of our advisers.
Rosy


thank you very much!
You're all very welcome, and thank you all for taking part! Our session is done for today but we will be back next Wednesday from 6pm to 9pm and in the meantime feel free to take advantage of our service! You can get free careers advice by contacting us through our website!

https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/contact-us/home

Bye for now folks!

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