in pa r tnership with nacareerstional - the source · 10 rbs apprentice case study 12 specsavers -...

NATIONALCAREERSWEEK 2016

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H

THE DIGITALMAGAZINE

@CareersWeek // #NCW2016

NATIONALCAREERSWEEK.COM 7th - 11th March 2016

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Go to university?Start your career?There’s more than one way to start a successful career in business. So whether you’re going straight to work or you’re off to university fi rst, we’ll help map out your future — your way.

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CONTENTS

FOREWORD

NATIONAL CAREERS WEEK TEAM

04 What is National Careers Week05 RBS - Your passion, Your potential 06 2016 Theme - Future Jobs07 RBS - Opportunities In Technology08 The Careers Bus Tour10 RBS Apprentice Case Study12 Specsavers - A career with a view14 Wedding Planning - A Challenging Career16 Milkround School Leavers18 5 Top National Careers Week Activities 20 Skills For Care22 7 Common Interview Questions 25 Our Favourite NCW Tweets27 Careers Ambassadors 28 Lawyer In The Making30 Success At School

March 7th – 11th sees the return of National Careers Week, the biggest week for careers in the UK. This year our overarching

theme is Future Jobs.

NCW2015 saw an unprecedented take up across Schools, Colleges, Universities and All-Age agencies with thousands of

organised events helping nearly 1 million people across the UK.

RBS are the sponsors for NCW2016, providing a fantastic fully equipped Careers Tour Bus which will be visiting London, Bristol,

Manchester, Hull and Nuneaton during the week.

With over 300 RBS Apprentices going back to school to provide personal insights into the world of work, NCW2016 is going to

have a massive positive impact.

NCW2016 continues to grow, supported by the UK’s largest employers and Training Providers and backed by the National Careers Service, The National Apprenticeship Service and the

Skills Funding Agency.

Nick Newman - Founder of National Careers Week

Campaign Director Nick NewmanEditor Matt BennettEducation Manager Sharron PymCommercial Manager Lisa Ward

NATIONAL

CAREERSWEEK 2016


A love of organising events...

...is an opportunity with RBS

Our programmes offer you the chance to do more than learn. We’ll value your suggestions, stretch you from the word go and give you every opportunity to make your mark. So if you have the talent, vision, fresh perspective and energy to help shape our business, a career with us is a challenge that can inspire and empower in equal measure.

Visit our website, yourpassionyourpotential.rbs.com, to read more about our business strategy, networks for graduates and focus on diversity – including how we’re advancing women and the work we do with communities.

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What Is National Careers Week?National Careers Week (NCW) is a celebration of careers guidance and free resources in education across the UK. The aim is to provide a focus for careers guidance activity at an important stage in the academic calendar to help support young people leaving education.

Careers Week encourages education providers to bring together students, local employers and advisers through careers events and activities.

At a time of high youth unemployment there has never been a bigger need for careers guidance to be promoted and celebrated in education. National Careers Week is your platform to advise and inspire our next generation as they enter the world of work.

During National Careers Week it is up to every school, academy and college to offer careers advice and guidance to their students. We are here to help and can provide free resources, information on current career opportunities and advice on activities and exercises to run.

Last year services provided to students during National Careers Week included daily drop-in workshops; careers fairs; employer visits; focus on subject relevant to careers in lessons and showing careers films.

RBS are the sponsors for NCW2016, providing a fantastic fully equipped Careers Tour Bus which will be visiting London, Bristol, Manchester, Hull and Nuneaton during the week.

With over 300 RBS Apprentices going back to school to provide personal insights into the world of work, NCW2016 is going to have a massive positive impact.

Kate Llewellyn-Cripps of RBS Early Careers stated:

“RBS Group are delighted to be the Lead Sponsor for National Careers Week 2016, helping to improve the life choices of so many across the UK”

NATIONAL

CAREERSWEEK 2016


04

A love of organising events...

...is an opportunity with RBS

Our programmes offer you the chance to do more than learn. We’ll value your suggestions, stretch you from the word go and give you every opportunity to make your mark. So if you have the talent, vision, fresh perspective and energy to help shape our business, a career with us is a challenge that can inspire and empower in equal measure.

Visit our website, yourpassionyourpotential.rbs.com, to read more about our business strategy, networks for graduates and focus on diversity – including how we’re advancing women and the work we do with communities.

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NATIONAL

CAREERSWEEK 2016


Theme for 2016FutureJobs

Previously we have had themed days throughout the week, focusing on sectors and interests. This year has been different. We took the view that future generations need to be inspired by the exciting opportunities that will exist for them when they leave education.

NCW 2016 is all about Future Skills, Future Jobs and Future Careers.

It is often said that students entering Secondary Education now will have jobs that may not have even been invented or created yet. Hold on to that thought.

The future is about personal skills and their portability.

So, whatever age you are, the future world of work will be an exciting place to learn and earn - a place with opportunities to be discovered.

Welcome to the future, today!

View all

UKCES’s

#CareersOfTheFuture

infographics

on our website!

WRITTEN BY

Nick Newman

7TH - 11TH MARCH 2016





NATIONALCAREERSWEEK.COM

yourpassionyourpotential.rbs.com

2016

NATIONALCAREERSWEEK



@CareersWeek#NCW2016 #RBS @RBSEARLYCAREERS

#NCW2016 #RBSBizBus

Jobs

Skills

2016

NATIONALCAREERSWEEK


@CareersWeek#NCW2016 #RBS

@RBSEARLYCAREERS#RBSBizBus

NATIONALCAREERSWEEK.COM

#NCW2016 #RBS #RBSBizBus

yourpassionyourpotential.rbs.com

2016

NATIONALCAREERSWEEK



yourpassionyourpotential.rbs.com Jobs

Skills

Education

Internship

s

Graduate

s

@CareersWeek#NCW2016 #RBS @RBSEARLYCAREERS

Anyone can use Start. And it’s free.Comprehensive - Start covers the whole journey exploring jobs, qualifications and study optionsAccessible - students, teachers and parents access Start from anywhere and on any deviceRelevant - a unique profiling technology enables students to make better choices

Schools and colleges sign up at startprofile.com/signup

The Careers Bus TourNew for National Careers Week 2016, in partnership with RBS Early Careers will be the Careers Bus touring the UK! Visiting a new city each day from 9AM-4.30PM, the careers tour bus will be packed full of careers resources for students, teachers and for all to take advantage of.

TUESDAY / BRISTOL8th March - Centre Promenade

WEDNESDAY / MANCHESTER9th March - Skills North West, Event City

THURSDAY / HULL10th March - Malet Lambert School

FRIDAY / NUNEATON11th March - Harefield Road

MONDAY / LONDON7th March - University of East London, Docklands Campus

TUESDAY / BRISTOL8th March - Centre Promenade

WEDNESDAY / MANCHESTER9th March - Skills North West, Event City

THURSDAY / HULL10th March - Malet Lambert School

FRIDAY / NUNEATON11th March - Harefield Road

MONDAY / LONDON7th March - University of East London, Docklands Campus

NEW POSTERSBrand new for 2015/16 is this set of 10, A2, laminated posters which offer job and career suggestions across the following different fields and industries:

Business and Finance ConstructionEngineering Hair and BeautyCatering and Hospitality Information TechnologyPublic Services Creative and MediaEnvironment, Animals & Plants Health and Social Care

To order simply call us on 01229 814840 or email: [email protected] and Jobs in Posters (x10)

Set of 10

Posters

£55

for quality resources to deliver careers education & IAG services.

At Prospects we supply a comprehensive range of books, software, DVDs, games and posters for Careers Education, Information, Advice & Guidance, Higher Education and much more.

We offer a one-stop-shop service, supplying resources from all the leading publishers as well as providing our own unique, specially developed products.

Call us on 01229 814840 for a free catalogue.

Prospects, 1 Andrews Court, Andrews Way, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria LA14 2UEtel:01229 814840 fax: 01229 814859

e-mail: [email protected]

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Apprentice case study

We talked to Eleanor Hall a Portfolio Manager at RBS about what it is like to work for our lead supporter

Why did you join RBS?I wanted more independence not just to feel more ‘grown-up’ but it’s also nice to get treated like an adult now by my family and my friends. I’ve gained so much more responsibility and respect from others, and it feels good to say that I work for such a well-known global company. Describe what it is like to work at RBS in three words.Challenging, hard-work and an experience. What does RBS have to offer women?Lots of networking opportunities with women as you can join the Focused Women network, and get the chance to meet a wide range of individuals from all over the bank. What experience at School or University best prepared you for your role in RBS?To be honest with you I came onto the apprenticeship after I did my GCSE’s so I am

only 16, and I thought it would take me a fair while to fit in and know what I am doing without help from others! But from a woman with next to no experience in this particular area in banking, it’s been an amazing experience and there’s no need to think you can’t apply for a particular role due to lack of experience. As long as you have a hard-working, motivated mind set, you can do it! What do you wish you had known then that you know now?I wish that I knew how many opportunities you get through getting an apprenticeship, and how beneficial the program is. Many people are still stuck in the mind set that you need A-levels and degrees in order to get yourself a good job. But in this day and age you don’t, and the amount of experience you gain from the program is amazing, and it is definitely worth it.

What’s been your biggest surprise at RBS?My biggest surprise has been the amount of responsibility that has been given to me. I thought I would be coming onto the role and have to watch people until I was trusted that I could do the role properly. You also feel really welcomed by people not just in your team, but the people running the apprenticeship are so supportive and really care about how you feel about the apprenticeship and if there are any problems, they will support you to make you feel better about any issues. Who would be your dream breakfast guest?My dream breakfast guest would be Michael McIntire becauseI know that it would be a good time! What are you most passionate about in your role?I am most passionate about making the customers and my team happy and doing what I need to do in an efficient amount of time. What would be your ideal weekend?My ideal weekend would be going out on Friday to the cinema to see a good film, Saturday morning go to the gym then go out for the day somewhere nice, maybe to a park in London, or ice skating or something fun and outdoors. Then go out for a meal in the evening somewhere unique and different. Finally on Sunday just have a chilled movie day at home! Do you have an inspirational quote you’d like to share?Live the life you love… Love the life you live!

Explore nationwide Apprenticeship scheme via the RBS Early Careers website

http://yourpassionyourpotential.rbs.com/pages/apprenticeships

A CAREER

Specsavers are backing a campaign in schools to encourage the next generation of optometrists and eye care professionals

Rachel Chapman’s story is a great example of just how far a career in optometry can take you. She’s gone from a weekend job in her local store to running her own practice in Wales.

“I started working for Specsavers when I was still a teenager, as my summer job when I wasn’t at school,” says Rachel. “I started out working on a Saturday in the offi ce, typing up the data from the eye tests. I did a three year degree at Manchester then a year as an optometrist under someone else’s supervision. Then I worked my way up gradually to the job that I’m in now. As soon as I started that fi rst role I realised that this was what I wanted to do as a career.”

Today, Rachel is an ophthalmic director at Specsavers, Colwyn Bay, Wales, running her own store and responsible for a team of people. It’s a job that brings her plenty of challenges – balancing caring for the clinical needs of her patients with making sure that the store is running as a sustainable, successful business.

“I really wanted a professional role where you could help people but in a commercial setting

too, rather than in a medical environment like a hospital,” says Rachel. “And as a director, you need to be focused on retail as well.”

Rachel is now also part of a team of Specsavers’ Ambassadors who have been visiting secondary schools to spread the word about the opportunities in this fantastic profession. The Career with a View workshops are aimed at Key Stage 3 and 4 students and are all led by Specsavers’ professionals – many of whom, like Rachel, have been given the chance to run their own business. The sessions are full of practical advice on possible career paths within the industry, as well as activities designed to get students thinking about the challenges of running their own business. Rachel is keen to get across that a career in optometry can be whatever you want it to be. “You can do as much you want in terms of your career – whether you want to stay working in a store, or if you want to do a professional qualifi cation and specialise in a particular area. It’s fl exible and I think a lot of careers don’t give you that option.”

That fl exibility is a big draw for students, as the different paths into the industry give them the chance to forge a career that suits their skills. And once they’re qualifi ed, the chance to learn and develop their careers doesn’t stop there – especially if they join Specsavers. Optometry is a dynamic industry that suits people with a good grounding in the sciences, who love physics, biology, chemistry and maths. However the vibrant, customer-facing high street environment also means that a good Specsavers optometrist needs to be able to talk to anyone from any walk of life. And, if you show enough talent for business and leadership, you could even fi nd yourself running a store like Rachel in Colwyn Bay.

“Specsavers are great in that you can learn the retail side of things as you go along in the stores that you work in,” says Rachel. “You have the opportunity to own your own business as well as being a clinician. I don’t think there are many careers that allow you to do both of those things.”

Find out more about careers in optometry with Specsavers at www.acareerwithaview.co.uk

WITH A VIEW

“You have the opportunity to own your own business as well

as being a clinician. I don’t think there are many careers that allow

you to do both of those things

“

you to do both of those things

“

you to do both of those thingsRACHEL CHAPMAN – OPHTHALMIC

DIRECTOR AT SPECSAVERS COLWYN BAY

WEDDING PLANNING A Challenging CareerWedding Planning is a challenging career choice that will also give you a lot of satisfaction.

If you decide to make your career in planning weddings, our training is a solid step in the right direction. The real planning you will learn by doing; therefore, a large portion of the training is out of practical assignments. But what skills do you actually need to be a good Wedding Planner?

Wedding planning consists mainly of organising and co-ordinat-ing. If you like to organise and coordinate, then you already have a great chance of success. As a Wedding Planner you must have excellent people skills; you will be working with different people: the bride and groom, guests, suppliers and venues all with their own standards, values, ideas and wishes. Therefore, a flexible attitude and respect for others is desired. A Wedding Planner should be able to keep a cool head under pressure. Moreover, a service-oriented and proactive attitude are also of great importance when planning the perfect wedding as well as enterprising, being meticulous, creative with a good sense of style and a humour. So if you are a people person, energetic, enthusiastic, self-motivated and you enjoy organisation, then this may be the training for you.

A Wedding Planner ensures that the happiest day of a couple’s life becomes a reality.

Yvonne, Director at The Wedding Planners Guild UK

WRITTEN BY

Yvonne

Bennett

The Wedding Planners Guild UK provides wedding planning

courses, workshops, regional meetings and study trips. The

three-day course aspires to ensure that its students are the

most successful in the wedding-planning industry both

in the UK and abroad through in-depth teaching throughout a wide variety of topics including

health and safety regulations and customer service.

The training programme is ideal for both individuals wanting

to pursue a career in wedding planning and businesses such as

hotels, florists and photographers wanting to build on their existing skills and enhance their already

established business.

Director at The Wedding Planners Guild UK Yvonne Bennett said:

“A Wedding Planner is essen-tial to ensure the ‘big day’ runs

smoothly and does so by sourc-ing anything that comes with

organizing a wedding, including catering, photography, invitations

and locations. Training at The Wedding Planners Guild UK is

designed for aspiring wedding planners and already established businesses in the industry, and is located in Liverpool. The training

is classroom based, after which students are required to complete

a portfolio within six weeks to be forwarded to our Liverpool based

Head Office for assessment.

“The guild currently offers two qualifications to students. Firstly, The Award in Professional Wedding Planning, which is an intensive

classroom course compromising mainly theory based learning, which teaches students about marriage and wedding plans,

themed weddings and weddings from other cultures. Following the course, the student will then be allowed six weeks to build and

complete a portfolio which will be sent back to us for evaluation.”

Find out more at www.weddingplannersguilduk.com

Milkround School Leavers

Milkround, the UK’s most widely used student and graduate

recruitment website have now branched out into the school

leaver market. Our mission is to provide school and college

leavers, with the career confidence they need to succeed.

Visit our new website

The new exciting website will provide 16-18 year old

students with all the tools they need to make the right

career decisions after school or college, including:

• A wide range of post school and college career advice

and guidance

• Featured apprenticeships, school leaver schemes and jobs

• Access to the latest events and courses

Get in toucht 020 3003 4017

e [email protected]

A The News Building, News UK, 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF

Support for teAcherS And pArentS

If you’re interested in receiving free copies of The Times School Leaver supplement, would

like us to attend free career workshops and get access to exclusive events, please get in touch.

SiGn up todAY At SchooLLeAVerS.MiLKround.coM

FIVE BIG FEARS WHEN STARTING YOUR FIRST JOB,

AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM

The first time you will be able to see the value of everything you have developed during your time in education, and you’ll begin to understand why your school was so fussy about you being late (a boss may not let you get away with just a detention if you can’t get to work on time).

1. “Help, I’m shy!”Entering an environment where everyone else already knows each other may seem like a nightmare for shy people, but it’s important to keep yourself relaxed. Remember, everyone has been a new person at some point, and will make the effort to ensure you feel welcome.You may be worried about voicing issues with your manager, or asking for holiday days and time off. Whatever your query, it is your managers job to ensure his staff are happy, as happy staff work better, so don’t be scared to approach them and ask for help when you need it.

4. “I don’t know what’s expected of me”This fear is not unique to your first job. In any role you start you will have an initial period of getting to grips with what you are expect-ed to do, and how you will positively contribute to the company, which is why it is important to meet with your line manager when you start to properly go through your role and set some objectives for you to achieve.

2. “I don’t have any skills that are useful in the work place”How do you know if you’ve never had a job before? The school and education system is designed to give you all the skills necessary to succeed in whatever industry and role suits you. As well as this, it’s in an employer’s interest to give their new employers all the necessary training required to ensure their staff are prepared and comfortable within their role, so anything you don’t know before you start will be explained to you in training.

3. “I don’t have any experience”This is another classic catch, but it is not something you should worry about. Everyone has to start somewhere, and if this is your first role, the employer has hired you because they are confident in your abilities and feel you can sit well within their team. You may not know how to do everything at first but that will come over time, and you can use academic experiences to help along the way.

5. “I don’t know how to dress/behave/speak in a work environment”The best way to tackle is by sticking to the motto “It’s better to be overdressed than underdressed”. If you can’t remember what people in the office were wearing when you went in for an interview, definitely go for a smart as you can on your first day, and they will let you know if you can be more casual on the second day. You may feel silly all suited and booted, but you’ll feel sillier if you turned up in jeans and everyone else is in crisp work wear. Similarly, always be on your best behaviour when you start a job, it may be that others in the office are slacking off a bit, but don’t fall into getting too comfortable too quickly, you want to seem keen and well behaved until you know what levels formality are accepted within the company.

TOP TIP!Always be on your best behaviour

when you start a job, it may be that others in the office are

slacking off a bit, but don’t fall into getting too comfortable too

quickly!

5 OF THE BEST NATIONAL CAREERS WEEK

ACTIVITIESSo we’re sat here reminiscing National Careers Week 2015 and

all the great activities put on by various establishments across the board and thinking what a great idea it would be to share these for NCW newbies to help plan their own week in 2016.

We’ve found the following were amongst the most popular activities utilised during a previous

National Careers Week.

Career FairsOne of the more popular ideas is orangising a Careers Fair for students, inviting a wide spectrum of local businesses to talk to students about what they may be looking for from future candidates. This is great because students can quickly gauge what interests them and can talk directly to employers about their experiences in that sector. A Career Fair is also really beneficial for younger students to visit so they can start to develop ideas of what they would like to do in the future.

A variation of this we’ve seen in the past is a ‘Careers Speed Networking’ event which features a number of stations with employers on, small groups of students then get five minutes on each station with the opportunity to then speak to the employers they liked the most at the end of the session.

Guest SpeakersIt’s always really inspiring for students to hear from individuals they can identify with. Last year a whole host of schools invited some great guests in to speak to their students. Oaklands College in Hertfordshire invited QPR FC manager of the time Chris Ramsey to talk to their students whilst Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy invited former Arsenal FC chairman David Dein to inspire sports students about the different roles in sport.

It is also really effective to invite alumni that now have built a successful career to share their career journey. This is beneficial as current students can really identify with the journey and it may inspire them to do something similar. It also helps set realistic expectations on the process in making a success of themselves – nobody becomes an instant success straight out of Sixth Form.

Interview SessionsWho remembers their very first interview experience? I can, I was absolutely petrified! By hosting interview sessions with students you will get them used to the format and put them miles ahead of future candidates.

Career WorkshopsWhether it’s after hours or during lunch times, National Careers Week is an ideal time to hold specialised careers workshops to aid students in their career goals. Useful sessions may include; CV building, cover letter writing, LinkedIn tips and social media optimisation. Go the extra mile by making these workshops mandatory for all students.

Asking Students, What Is Your Dream Job?Get students thinking about their future career paths by asking them about their dream job in specialised career sessions. This can be taken further by dedicating the whole session to researching entry points into their chosen job. This is vital because first of all you’re helping identify their dream job but also researching the journey of how to make the dream a reality.

WRITTEN BY

Matt Bennett

Make a difference with a career in healthVisit www.healthcareers.nhs.uk

[email protected]

0345 60 60 655 @HealthCareersUK Health Careers UK

www.healthcareers.nhs.uk

NCW ad.indd 1 22/01/2016 17:07:08

Knowing I can make people happier is the most satisfying part of my job There are a huge range of jobs available in adult social care, such as...

■ front line care workers,

■ therapists,

■ activity organisers,

■ managers,

■ administration…

How do I get into adult social care?One of the best ways to get into the sector is through an Apprenticeship.

■ Earn while you learn. ■ Gain qualifications. ■ Become a confident and skilled worker.

For more information on Apprenticeships in adult social care visit: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/thinkcarecareers

Knowing I can make people happier is the most satisfying part of my job There are a huge range of jobs available in adult social care, such as...

■ front line care workers,

■ therapists,

■ activity organisers,

■ managers,

■ administration…

How do I get into adult social care?One of the best ways to get into the sector is through an Apprenticeship.

■ Earn while you learn. ■ Gain qualifications. ■ Become a confident and skilled worker.

For more information on Apprenticeships in adult social care visit: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/thinkcarecareers

Ellie left school at 16 to work as a sales assistant. Knowing that she wanted a more rewarding job, she drew on her experience of caring for a family friend with dementia.

Afterwards, she found a job in the care industry.

Ellie was taken on as an apprentice at Gold Hill Care and, for her, the chance to earn and gain qualifications while working was the perfect combination. She had also never worked in care before, so her Intermediate Level apprenticeship in Health and Social Care was the perfect way to get a start in the sector.

As part of her apprenticeship, Ellie has undertaken training in health and safety, first aid and caring for sufferers of dementia. Ellie says: “I’m surprised at how quickly I’ve come to love the job. I’m responsible for the personal care of residents, which covers everything from helping someone get dressed to taking care of their nutrition.

The best thing about working in social care is knowing that you are helping other people, and that every day is different. Sometimes it’s emotionally challenging, but you have the support around you to help with this.

I would recommend an Apprenticeship as there is a lot to learn, and getting qualifications means that it’s not a dead end job; there are opportunities to progress.

To find out more about adult social care Apprenticeships visit:

www.skillsforcare.org.uk/thinkcarecareers

or follow us on Twitter @skillsforcare

I want to stay in care and work my way up; to go as far as I can go!

The key to success in interviews is PREPARATION. The best way to prepare is to make a ‘bank’ of answers to interview questions. This will help you ensure that when you have an upcoming interview, you will be able to print out your answers and practise them. This will improve your chances of success!

These are generic common interview questions. You should also conduct some extra research on interview questions based around your career choice.

1. Tell me about yourselfHint – here you will briefly talk about your background (School/ College courses if relevant) and talk about your career ambitions.

2. Why should we give you the job?Hint – talk about any experience you have. If none, talk about your enthusiasm for this career and talk about relevant skills and qualities you have that the employer is looking for (these should be listed on the job advert or specification).

3. What are your strengths?Hint – discuss your strengths which are suited for the role. For example, if you’re being interviewed for a Retail job, discuss people skills,

communication skills etc. If the job is in Administration, discuss

being organised and your IT skills.

4. What are your weaknesses?Hint – don’t actually say ‘I’m really bad at time keeping’ or anything else that can put the interviewer off you! Be positive and constructive. Say things like ‘I don’t have much experience in retail, however, I am really keen to learn and I am very enthusiastic, so if I am employed I will be really focussed on developing myself.’

5. Tell me about a time where you have worked in a team?Hint – be specific! Discuss what team it was, what you did and how the team was successful. You need to make yourself sound like the ultimate team player! Use the STAR* interviews technique so you can be sure to give a really good answer.

6. Tell me about a time where you have achieved your goalHint – this is to work out if you’re a committed person or not. If you really can’t think of a goal, you could discuss a goal that you’re close to achieving. It can be personal (such as losing weight, becoming fit or becoming a driver).

WRITTEN BY

Katie Beal

7 COMMONINTERVIEW QUESTIONS

7. Tell me about a time when you have needed to communicate with a difficult person?Hint – they are asking this to judge if you have good communication skills. There are different scenarios you could use; this could be working with a difficult person when on a group project in school or college, having a difficult person in your band/ sports team or a difficult customer in a work experience placement or part-time job. You should use the STAR* interview questions technique to ensure a comprehensive answer. Try to avoid being negative about the individual.

* The STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format is a job interview technique used by interviewers to gather all the relevant information about a specific capability that the job requires.

Could yoube the oneto changethe waywe work?

At Skanska there are certain things we do that are simply in our nature. Like listening to our people when they have an idea. So when Kelachi, one of our graduates, told us that she wanted to create a women’s network, we did everything we could to help her make it a reality. We want people to make their mark, not just on our business, but on the whole community. That’s why Kelachi’s project is now making a difference across our organisation, connecting more and more people each day.

Just imagine what you could do when you begin your career with Skanska.

www.skanska.co.uk/careers

National Careers Week

70 Million People 11.4K

Favourite Tweets

#NCW2015 TWITTER REACH TWEETS

@CareersWeek

Here are some of our favourite tweets from last years campaign along with some amazing ones for 2016.

Post your NCW activity on twitter using the hashtag #NCW2016.

IMI AUTOCITYCAREERS TOOLS AND RESOURCES FOR THE MOTOR INDUSTRY

Search for #MotorCareers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

The automotive industry employs some of the brightest minds around, so we’ve developed a whole host of free resources to help you, including:

World of Work – information for over 160 job roles in the sector

My Dream Job – 10 question quiz to suggest potential jobs

IMI Jobs – search and apply for job vacancies and Apprenticeships

Career Pathway Maps – progression routes and next steps

Training Needs Review – identify development opportunities to help progress careers

FOR CAREERS IN THE FAST LANE, TURN TO AUTOCITYSign up, log in and discover more at www.theimi.org.uk/autocity

IMI Autocity Ad 148x210 (JAN 2016).indd 1 21/01/2016 16:46

MidlandsDavid WallaceTorin Spence

William CostelloHelen Janota

Benedicta BangaMaria Woodhouse

Bill Redhead

NorthCathy O’Donnell Andrew Bernard Stephen Logan

Naomi TimperleyJill Ellis

Ashleigh CarrKaren Perkins

Mark Andrew LeeJess Leech

LondonJanet ColledgeKlaudia MituraDaniel Riches

Mitesh BhimjiyaniElaine Mead Onyi Anyado

Greg ThompsonOris IkomiLisa Larue

Rui Octavio

Our careers ambassadors are the saviours of the whole campaign, real people giving careers advice on the front line. Each ambassador has their very own profile on our website that you can read and get in touch with to find out what is going on in your area.

SouthCaroline Green Dr. Jamie Mackay Nicola Newman

South CentralPerry Timms

Liz Reece

East Of EnglandKamal Hyman

Kate Allen

Wales & Northen IrelandAimee Bateman

Frank Connor-HughesAisling Faulkner

AMBASSADORSNATIONALCAREERSWEEK.COM/CAREERS-AMBASSADORS

Lawyer In The MakingGrowing up I always knew that I wanted to be a Barrister, and this was confirmed even more when I was able to undertake work experience whilst at school. Sadly, you can’t really undertake work experience with Barristers whilst at school but I was able to do a lot of work with solicitors (it was a brilliant experience, but I still wanted to be a Barrister).

My route to studying law was not as straight forward as I imagined it would be. I envisaged sitting my A Levels and heading off to study law at one of the universities I had visited such as Warwick, Durham or a few of the London based ones.

Aspiring Barrister Rebecca Morgan talks about her personal journey becoming a Lawyer. A great read and resource for any students thinking of pursuing a career in law during National Careers Week

Sadly, I ended up not being at school much during my A Levels, so whilst having pretty decent GCSEs, my A Levels were not as expected due to being ill.

Instead of giving up, I persevered, and re-worked my route to studying law. I had two choices, re-sit my A Levels and take two years doing that, or sit a Foundation Law Degree and then study law part time and I made the decision to do the latter.

I am very lucky that I sat my Foundation Law Degree at The University of West London, and then my LLB at The University of Hertfordshire. I had a lot of exposure to participating in extra curricular activities, building up legal contacts and working on advocacy skills.

Whilst at Hertfordshire, I still did a lot by myself, that included undertaking mini-pupillages, sitting in court, working in law firms, setting up my law blog, and lots more.

I spent, and still do spend, a lot of time just sitting in courts and listening. I am fortunate that London is on my doorstep and I have lots of courts to sit in on, and one of my favourites is The Royal Courts of Justice as well as being able to walk around the Inns of Court. I am a member of Middle Temple.

Visit Rebecca’s law bloghttp://lawyerinthemaking.co.uk

Rebecca’s Twitterhttp://twitter.com/lawyer_inmaking

I love studying law, and yes I am probably a bit of a legal geek, but honestly it is the best thing I have done, and I can’t wait to finish my BPTC at BPP and hopefully secure a Pupillage.

I graduated last year and love helping law students out via my blog, which continues to grow!

If you are interested in a career in law, go after it! Work hard, study hard and try and get as much exposure as you can. An-other tip is make sure you are keeping up with the news. A word that is used so often now is ‘com-mercial awareness’, basically that is making sure you are aware of things happening in the legal world, but that you can also read other news articles and see the business, legal, financial aspects of them!

Everyone has set backs, you just have to want something enough to persevere and turn your situation around – if I hadn’t done that, I certainly wouldn’t be study-ing the BPTC right now, running a law blog and writing content for law firms!

If you have any questions about studying law, drop me a tweet or send me an email via my blog!

WRITTEN BY

Rebecca

Morgan

Success at School is a national careers platform for students aged 13-19. Our aim is to help young people make informed decisions about their future.

We provide schools with a Virtual Learning Environment for careers. Teachers can personalise and use our content rich platform to help pupils explore their options and choose their next steps, while employers use us to connect with the talent of the future.

Success at School’s Virtual Learning Environment has been praised by OFSTED, teachers and students alike. But don’t take our word for it – here’s what some of our users have to say:

“Allowing us to personalise the content of the site means the site is no longer generic and allows us to communicate our careers strategy to both students and their parents.” The Mapleseden Noakes School

“Success at School provides a platform for students to access credible information and to access online support with a community feel.” Ecclesfield School

“...the language used on the site is fantastic! It’s so approachable and chatty enough without being too informal.” Student, Churchill Academy We reach over 500 schools and colleges across the UK and 70,000 people every month and are recommended by the National Careers Service.

A careers Virtual Learning Environment for your school

Before setting up Success at School our Founder Mitesh spent a year talking to school staff about careers and employability. He discovered an impossible to navigate maze of information, consisting of the odd company flyer, a list of websites and a couple of phone numbers.

This is what inspired Mitesh to set up a national careers website so young people could understand the different options out there and employers could access the school market. What you getPlatform comes fully loaded with up-to-date, relevant content – from advice on how to write a CV or cover letter, to work experience ideas and live work experience listings.

Students can get advice from qualified careers advisers on our forums.

What you can doSchools can add their own branding to the site, add student users securely and use simple reporting to track students’ career interests and progress.

Students can apply for work experience, update their individual skills passport, and get ready for the world of work via their very own individual profile.

Careers resources for all your needsOur bestselling careers posters help young people link academic subjects to careers – they are now used by one in 20 secondary schools and colleges in the UK!

Our growing range of online resources brings careers advice directly into the classroom, encouraging pupils in each secondary year group to reflect on what jobs interest them, understand how to research career paths and learn more about what different careers involve.

To find out more about Success at School and how we can help you to deliver first-class careers information to your students, please visit successatschool.org or email our education team leader at [email protected].

Helping young people explore their careers

Get in touch with Success at School

Thanks to all our loyal supporters with a special mention to RBS Early Careers

Have a great National Careers Week!

in pa r tnership with nacareerstional - the source · 10 rbs apprentice case study 12 specsavers -...

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