DECEMBER NEWS: YEAR 12 & 13

Year 12

You've probably started thinking about your options after school already, even if by mistake, but soon your teachers are going to start pushing you for a plan.

So when the family's getting on your wick over the festive period, what better excuse is there for finding some alone time than that you want to get ahead of the game?

Even if you have no idea where to begin thinking about a career, start with that thing that makes you happy, whatever it is. Think about when you feel most fulfilled, what you think you're best at and what you enjoy the most. 

Whether that's helping people, being creative, problem solving, playing football or performing in front of large groups of people, having a starting place is sometimes half the battle. 

Spend some time looking at possible routes to get you here. And try out more than one - portfolio careers (when you've got many different jobs that usually feed into each other) are on the rise and there's no limit to what you can do. 

​Our advice is always to begin with what makes you happy.


​Year 13

If you've decided you want to go to uni, then we're going to go ahead and assume you're feeling pretty smug and have already submitted your application. If you haven't, then you've got about two weeks till the January 15th deadline.

And don't forget, your school has to add a reference too before you application is complete and they’ll need at leat a few days for that. So between now and then, put down the remaining Celebrations and focus on where your chosen degree might take you.

​Your application is how you make it happen. Check out the careers prospects from the course (they should be on the uni's website) and you can even think outside the box a bit with help from our friends over at Best Course 4 me.

If you're in year 13 and you're not going to uni (or have at least decided against it for this year), start thinking about your CV.
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Have you got one yet? What does it have on it beyond your school and grades? Remember every CV will look different but there are a few things that should definitely appear.

1. Content: List the jobs you've had or your work experience as well as the length it lasted for. Remember you can include any voluntary stuff, baby sitting for the neighbours and extra-curricular awards you've achieved at school (DofE, being an ambassador, Sports Leadership awards, ABRSM grades etc).
2. Style: The overall format of CVs varies but keep it professional, simple and neat. It should definitely include your name, address and summary of your education so far. Avoid slang, abbreviations and lies (yes, they'll know...).
3. Write with rose-tinted glasses: Even if you hated the job you're writing about or quit because you didn't like it, remember to write positively in your CV focusing on the roles and responsibilities you had and the skills you've taken from it rather than what you really thought.

Even if you're gap-yearing or not thinking about work just yet, it's still good practice to have a CV to hand. You never know when an opportunity might arise and you'll need it. If you're one step ahead and already have an interview lined up we can help with that too.

TOP TIP: Get yourself a LinkedIn profile It’s like an online CV and a work-related version of Facebook rolled into one. You may not need it yet, but, like a seat belt, it’s best not to wait till you need it before strapping in.