I’m a National Careers Service Adviser – Ask Me Anything

Hi I don't know what to do in life. Please help here are my threads, please read them...
-Jobs 1: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5736476&p=81254724
-Jobs 2: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5789432&p=81736676

Thanks :smile:

Reply 22

Tommaso PF

7

Original post by tesconyc

how do I stand out from the competition

By following three basic points:
1. be focused - invest time and energy only on what really matters and be 100% sure about what you want to do
2. be connected - attend relevant networking events and establish relationships with professionals (this is key for finding information and name dropping)
3. work hard but mostly smart - gain quality work experience

Point no. 3 obviously depends on the previous points

Reply 23

OP

Original post by hasnat614

Hi I don't know what to do in life. Please help here are my threads, please read them...
-Jobs 1: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5736476&p=81254724
-Jobs 2: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=5789432&p=81736676

Thanks :smile:

Hi there,

I've had a read of those posts and it certainly sounds like you're feeling unsure about what to do in the future.

Can I ask if you have tried any careers match tests to help you see what your skills and interests are best matched to as a starting point?

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 24

DrewKid

8

Original post by National Careers Service

If you have questions about careers, education, employment, training or apprenticeships - ask here and a National Careers Service expert adviser will get back to you.

what things should I put into my CV and how do I structure it

Reply 25

OP

Original post by DrewKid

what things should I put into my CV and how do I structure it

Good question!

It's important to tailor your CV for the specific job/opportunity you are applying for.

To get started with making your CV look professional you could try this free online CV builder tool - https://www.reed.co.uk/cvbuilder

For a step by step guide on what to include on your CV you can use our website - https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/get-a-job/cv-sections

General rules:
- No longer than 2 sides of A4
- Same font all the way through
- Clearly mark each section
- Check all spelling and grammar

I hope this helps, if you have further questions don't hesitate to get back to me!

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 26

Original post by National Careers Service

Hi there,

I've had a read of those posts and it certainly sounds like you're feeling unsure about what to do in the future.

Can I ask if you have tried any careers match tests to help you see what your skills and interests are best matched to as a starting point?

Thanks - Sophie.

I have literally tried everything. Quizzes (gave me a massive range of results), national careers service people, not very helpful. I have tried EVERYTHING.
Thanks for reading the threads by the way :smile:

Reply 27

OP

Original post by hasnat614

I have literally tried everything. Quizzes (gave me a massive range of results), national careers service people, not very helpful. I have tried EVERYTHING.
Thanks for reading the threads by the way :smile:

I am sorry to hear that you didn't find any of those things helpful.

Positives to point out here -

- you're 15, which means you do have time on your side for making a decision
- you're in a very normal place for your age which is not really knowing what career you want to do
- The A-level subjects that you have picked are strong academic subjects and linked to STEM so you are keeping a lot of career paths open which is great and STEM careers are set to grow in the future so your job prospects would look good.

Can I ask if you have tried matching your A-level subjects up to degree subjects to help you?

If not give it a try here - https://sacu-student.com/?page_id=5203

At least this way we can start to narrow down your options.

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 28

Laurawolf3

7

I know what I'm passionate about in terms of subjects but I can't seem to find a job that I really aspire to do.

Are there any resources or websites to look for a wide list of jobs that I may want to do in the future?

Reply 29

Original post by National Careers Service

I am sorry to hear that you didn't find any of those things helpful.

Positives to point out here -

- you're 15, which means you do have time on your side for making a decision
- you're in a very normal place for your age which is not really knowing what career you want to do
- The A-level subjects that you have picked are strong academic subjects and linked to STEM so you are keeping a lot of career paths open which is great and STEM careers are set to grow in the future so your job prospects would look good.

Can I ask if you have tried matching your A-level subjects up to degree subjects to help you?

If not give it a try here - https://sacu-student.com/?page_id=5203

At least this way we can start to narrow down your options.

Thanks - Sophie.

Okay, I will do. I think I will only do maths, chemistry, and further maths. Are these still good? DO you still think the same about these? How does it affect iy? Thanks a lot Sophie :smile:

Reply 30

Lils2003

how can i stand out from competition in medicine? what sort of gcse grades are desirable

Reply 31

OP

Original post by Laurawolf3

I know what I'm passionate about in terms of subjects but I can't seem to find a job that I really aspire to do.

Are there any resources or websites to look for a wide list of jobs that I may want to do in the future?

Hi there,

There are few things I can suggest to help you get started.

First, you could try the SACU website to help you match your subjects to degrees and careers - https://sacu-student.com/?page_id=5203

You can research you different ideas using our job profiles, we have over 800 specific job and career profiles to help you do your research all in one place - http://bit.ly/2DkzJq0

Finally you could give our Skills Health Check a go as it asks you a range of questions about your skills, passions and interests and tries to match you up to career sectors - http://bit.ly/2DZHhzI

I hope this helps as a starting point but please don't hesitate to get back in touch if you have further questions.

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 32

OP

Original post by hasnat614

Okay, I will do. I think I will only do maths, chemistry, and further maths. Are these still good? DO you still think the same about these? How does it affect iy? Thanks a lot Sophie :smile:

Hi there,

Yes those are still STEM subjects, your maths could still lead you to a career in computing as well.

Did you find anything of interest by using the SACU website?

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 33

OP

Original post by Lils2003

how can i stand out from competition in medicine? what sort of gcse grades are desirable

Hi there, thanks for your question.

Based on your post I assume you are already aware of how competitive medicine is, so it's great that you are looking at this realistically.

Starting with GCSEs - all medical schools set their own entry requirements for both GCSE and A-level so it is important to check.Generally you need to have your Maths, English and Sciences at GCSE some as for grades 6 and above others look for grades 7, 8 and 9.

At A-level, you will need your sciences in either Chemistry or Biology it can help to take both if you feel that would be realistic for you and they will be look for at least 3 A-levels at grades A and A*.

To help you stand out from the competition you will first need to submit a personal statement which really stands out. To help it stand out you will need to be able to talk about how your experiences in health care environments have inspired you to take medicine.

To help you build your experience you can do a few things:

- Look on your local NHS Trust website to see if they have any student volunteer schemes taking place that you can apply for
- Look for voluntary work in any health and social care setting such as care homes, working with vulnerable young people, adults or the elderly for example. You can look online for volunteering here - www.do-it.org
- Finally think about volunteering for the Red Cross or St Johns Ambulance Service to get that medical experience

There is some great advice on the BMA website too - https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/career/studying-medicine/becoming-a-doctor/work-experience-for-students

I hope this helps but please don't hesitate to get back to us if you have further questions.

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 34

Lils2003

Thank you for all the information/ help, i have chosen maths, chemistry and biology for a-level, i am just worrying about my GCSEs because i don’t think i’ll get 9-7 in all my subjects and i was wondering whether it was even worth look at medicine

Original post by National Careers Service

Hi there, thanks for your question.

Based on your post I assume you are already aware of how competitive medicine is, so it's great that you are looking at this realistically.

Starting with GCSEs - all medical schools set their own entry requirements for both GCSE and A-level so it is important to check.Generally you need to have your Maths, English and Sciences at GCSE some as for grades 6 and above others look for grades 7, 8 and 9.

At A-level, you will need your sciences in either Chemistry or Biology it can help to take both if you feel that would be realistic for you and they will be look for at least 3 A-levels at grades A and A*.

To help you stand out from the competition you will first need to submit a personal statement which really stands out. To help it stand out you will need to be able to talk about how your experiences in health care environments have inspired you to take medicine.

To help you build your experience you can do a few things:

- Look on your local NHS Trust website to see if they have any student volunteer schemes taking place that you can apply for
- Look for voluntary work in any health and social care setting such as care homes, working with vulnerable young people, adults or the elderly for example. You can look online for volunteering here - www.do-it.org
- Finally think about volunteering for the Red Cross or St Johns Ambulance Service to get that medical experience

There is some great advice on the BMA website too - https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/career/studying-medicine/becoming-a-doctor/work-experience-for-students

I hope this helps but please don't hesitate to get back to us if you have further questions.

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 35

OP

Original post by Lils2003

Thank you for all the information/ help, i have chosen maths, chemistry and biology for a-level, i am just worrying about my GCSEs because i don’t think i’ll get 9-7 in all my subjects and i was wondering whether it was even worth look at medicine

Hi there,

Thanks for coming back.

What grades do you think you're going to get across your subjects, can you list them for me?

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 36

Lils2003

Hi,
English Lit and Lang - 7
Maths - 8
Combined Science- 8
History- 7
Drama-6/7
Pe-6
French - 6

Original post by National Careers Service

Hi there,

Thanks for coming back.

What grades do you think you're going to get across your subjects, can you list them for me?

Thanks - Sophie.

Reply 37

priyankab

5

Hi, I want to work in the government as someone who is closely related to people’s welfare, that has a direct impact on us. Do you know what that kind of job is called specifically and what I would need to do to get there after doing GCSEs?

Reply 38

Effaiii

What uni course should I pick if I want to start as a creative assistant and build op to become a brand manager or creative director? Is media and communication the right course or something else?

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 39