what to think about if you're in y13

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 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, stop dreaming of a White Christmas and dream instead about 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).

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. 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. ​
4. Don't shy away from things you've done in the past that didn't work out exactly as you planned. As long as you frame these experiences in a way which highlights how it made you grow as a person and what skills you learnt from it, there's no reason you can't include those on a CV. The more skills you have to show how much of a well rounded fantastic person you are. The more likely the employer/university are going to take notice.

Author

ARON TENNANT is  the Talks and Editorial manager for Push. He is originally from South Yorkshire and has a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Sheffield. He also has an MA in Creative Play and Screenwriting from City, University of London and came runner up in Nickelodeon's international screenwriting competition in 2018. Alongside Push he does screenplay work for independent production companies and is working on his own independent film projects