Every student in Year 9, 11 and Sixth Form at Sacred Heart has the opportunity to have a careers guidance appointment with a qualified careers guidance adviser. These appointments occur between October and December in Year 11 and after January in Year 9 and Sixth Form.​ A careers guidance appointment is an impartial, one-to-one meeting between the student and a professionally qualified careers adviser.​ If a student outside Year 9, 11 or Sixth Form would like a careers guidance appointment they should contact Mr Donnelly, who will find a suitable time for an appointment.

 

What to expect from your careers guidance appointment.

The aim of a careers guidance appointment is to help you move forward. It is not about telling you what to do or doing it for you! A guidance appointment can last about 25 minutes. A careers guidance interview is not like a job interview - there are no right or wrong answers!

 

What does the careers guidance appointment do?

The careers guidance appointment is there to help students:

• Explore the range of options available to them.

• Research where to look for information to support their decision-making

• Plan out their career ideas and put them into practice

• Manage difficulties and setbacks with strategies such as back-up ideas.

• Decide on an action plan for them to work on.

 

What is discussed during the careers guidance appointment?

During a guidance interview the careers adviser will help you to:

• identify your personal qualities and skills

• identify the skills you would like to develop

• come up with ideas for study and work

• explore specific career areas open to you

• explore current and future job opportunities

• understand the process of job search, writing a CV and going for interviews

• explore your interests, likes and dislikes, family influences, personal barriers and work experience

• think about how study, work experience, and home-life can all contribute to your employability

 

What will the careers adviser provide?

During the appointment, the careers adviser will provide students with:

• accurate and up-to-date information

• alternative sources of information and help if required

• an action plan to help them move forward

 

How to prepare the careers guidance appointment

Students find that the more preparation they put into their guidance appointment, the more they benefit.

 

There is a guidance form that students should fill in before the appointment, available at the bottom of this page, so that the careers guidance adviser has useful background information to help provide relevant advice.

 

In addition, ideas to help students prepare could be to:

• write down, in advance, what they want to discuss during the interview, including any specific questions.

• make a list of things they are really good at and what they like to do out-side of school.

• discuss their career ideas with parents, teachers and friends.

• use internet resources such as UCAS or take the National Careers quiz to ‘Discover your skills’.

 

Further resources

Alongside a school careers guidance appointment, it is possible to contact the National Careers Service to speak to an adviser.

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This can be done by:

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Calling 0800 100 900 to speak to an adviser. Lines are available from:

• 8am - 8pm Monday - Friday

• 10am - 5pm Saturday

 

Calls are free from landlines and most mobile numbers. Please check for possible call charges and freephone numbers.

Other contact methods are available.