Careers Hub
The Trust is pleased to announce the opening of our Careers Hubs. Learners can use this fantastic new resource to find out about different career pathways, option choices, apprenticeships, T Levels, college applications, CV and letter writing and much more. Parents/carers are also welcome to make an appointment with their child to discuss post-16 options and career pathways.
Our Progression Map shows the choices on offer to learners who are considering what to do when they leave and beyond. It is very important that both learners and parents understand how their choice of GCSE subjects affects the choices they make when they are preparing to leave school at 16. Equally, the choices they make at 16 affect the range of opportunities open to them later.
For the Options booklets published by each academy, please see their websites.
A great way to start finding our about careers is to download our:
Another excellent starting point is the National Careers Service https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk
Other resources include:
https://russellgroup.ac.uk/for-students/school-and-college-in-the-uk/subject-choices-at-school-and-college/ Advice from top universities on which A Level subjects to choose.
www.connexionsdudley.org is a great place to find information on careers, post-16 options, CV writing etc
Why not visit the Black Country Careers Expo for local and regional opportunities and information
Careerpilot helps you to plan your future career and pick the right courses
Next Gen Makers tells you all about engineering opportunities in your region
https://www.prospects.ac.uk/ Match your skills and personality to 400+ job profiles
https://www.barclayslifeskills.com/ Tools, tips and learning resources
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk Useful information about jobs with the NHS
http://careermap.co.uk/live-careermags/ Learner careers information magazine
Can’t make up your mind?
Click here to take the Buzz Quiz to identify your strengths icould helps you to explore careers that would suit you and gives you real life careers stories
Can’t decide? Tactics for making decisions is a useful list to work through to help you make choices, and includes examples around GCSE subjects
Choosing well: how to pick the right path for you is a more detailed guide to making decisions
College and 6th Form Information
http://www.bmilner.dudley.sch.uk/ Bishop Milner Sixth form
www.dudleycol.ac.uk Dudley College of Technology
www.dudleysixth.co.uk Dudley Sixth
www.halesowen.ac.uk Halesowen College
www.invictussixth.com Invictus Education
www.kidderminster.ac.uk Kidderminster College
www.kedst.ac.uk King Edwards VI Sixth Form College
https://www.oshsch.com/sixthform Oldswinford Hospital school sixth form
www.sandwell.ac.uk Sandwell College
https://theroyalschool.co.uk/sixth-form/introduction/ The Royal Sixth Form
www.ucb.ac.uk University College Birmingham
Windsor High School Windsor High Sixth Form
www.wolvcoll.ac.uk Wolverhampton College
Use this toolkit to identify local training providers and colleges who provide the type and level of course you are looking for. You can search for courses by sector, occupation, level , age group and locality to find the provider in your area who you can then make contact with.
Website information about Apprenticeships
https://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk is one of the best sites for explaining apprenticeships and helping you find one.
Dudley College of Technology Apprenticeships.
BAME Apprenticeship Alliance http://bameaa.co.uk
Website Information about University
www.ucas.com Central Website for UCAS (University Admissions Service).
www.push.co.uk Guide to University written by students for students.
www.university.which.co.uk A website that gives you a snapshot of each university, the fees they charge, accommodation costs and their ratings for research and teaching.
UniTasterDays is a great website for learners who are thinking of going to university in the future.
www.notgoingtouni.co.uk Guide to alternatives to university, including travel abroad, gap year etc.
Would you like to be a Career and Business Mentor? As part of our wider careers programme we are always looking for professionals/former learners to support us. Are you able to act as a mock interviewer or a mentor? Could you offer careers talks?
If you would like to be involved in the rich pool of local talent we are assembling, please contact Mrs Turton who will be keen to discuss volunteering opportunities.
Before the Interview:
Identify the skills, interests and experiences that the organisation is looking for by looking at its website and social media channels.
Plan your journey in advance, aiming to arrive ten minutes before your interview is scheduled.
What to Wear:
Make sure you wear smart dress—avoid jeans or trainers!
Ensure that any briefcase or handbag you take is smart.
Wash and iron your outfit.
How to make a good impression:
Be well-mannered with any staff you meet before or after the interview.
Give a firm handshake to the interviewers before and after the session. Once you’re seated, sit naturally without slouching in your chair or leaning on the desk. Throughout the interview, remember to smile frequently and retain eye contact.
Answer all questions clearly and concisely, evidencing your most relevant skills, experiences and achievements. It’s perfectly acceptable to pause before answering a difficult question to give yourself thinking time, or asking for clarification if, at first, you’re unsure what the question means. When answering, don’t speak too quickly.
A CV is the first impression an employer will get of you. It is important this first impression is good enough for someone to invest their time into you so make sure you sell yourself as an ideal candidate for any job or work experience!
- Your details. Include your full name, address, phone numbers and email address so that employers can easily contact you.
- Personal Statement: Briefly tell a bit about yourself – include something interesting about you to make yourself memorable to the employer reading your CV. Include the main skills you have and relate it to the job/s you’re applying for.
- Education: Give brief details of your qualifications. Remember to list them in reverse chronological order (newest first, oldest last).
- Voluntary/ Work Experience: List where you have worked in reverse chronological order. Include the name of the employer, the address and dates of how long you worked. Briefly list some of the responsibilities and achievements obtained during your employment.
- Hobbies and Interests: You can include some of your hobbies and interests if you wish to do so. This can help employers get a better idea of what you enjoy doing or are good at.
- References: it’s not necessary to list referees on your CV, but you should state that details are available on request. If this is your first job, it’s a good idea to nominate your Personal Tutor. You’ll obviously need to choose references that you’re confident will give positive remarks, but you should also make sure they would be easily contactable by potential employers when the time comes.
- Always keep your CV to two pages of A4. It should be clear to anyone reading your CV where to find the information they’re looking for, with enough ‘white space’ to ensure they’re not overawed at first glance.
Speak to your Academy careers lead for additional help and support.