TPA step 4 workbook 2013-14

THIS WORKBOOK BELONGS TO:

Name: .......................................................................

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IntroductionRaising the participation age (RPA): all young people must continue in education or traininguntil they are at least 17 years old. The year groups behind you, who are currently in year 11 and below, must remain in learning until at least their 18th birthday. RPA doesn’t mean you have tostay at the same school. You may have already moved to another school, to college or to atraining provider. You may even be currently working as an apprentice, earning while you learn.You may even be working or volunteering and learning or training at the same time. There ismore detailed information on Raising the Participation Age including fact sheets at:www.education.gov.uk

The activities in this booklet will help you to:• Understand more about yourself.• Look at your options and plan for the future after you are 18.

Use this workbook together with other sources of information about post-18 options covering education, training and employment, for example the National Careers Service website:https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk or the careers advice line: 0800 100 900.

ContentsIntroducing... me! Page 3

What’s important at home? What’s important at work? Page 4

How about what is important in the workplace? Page 5

Online consequences Page 6

Online opportunities Page 7

Political lives Page 8

So, what are you going to do next? Page 10

How much do you know about Apprenticeships? Page 11

Higher education: go to university... or not? Page 13

Researching higher education Page 15

Where is it? Page 16

Keep your distance: remote study options Page 17

All abroad! Study beyond the UK Page 19

Volunteering: who benefits? Page 23

Opportunity knocks Page 25

Apply online Page 26

Tim’s Mind Map Page 28

Where do I go from here? Page 30

CAREER SKILLS TO ENSURE PERSONAL SUCCESS STEP 4

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Introducing... me!Throughout your time in school, you have probably had experience in writing ‘statements’about yourself, and your skills, achievements and experience. Some of these statements may have been quite long and detailed – a bit like writing an essay. Others have been designed tofit into a set number of words in preparation for filling in an application for higher education.But how would you cope if you were really restricted to how many words you could use – for example to produce a personal profile to introduce your CV. How would you cope if you had to follow the rules on www.twitter.com and explain everything in 140 characters?

STEP 4 CAREER SKILLS TO ENSURE PERSONAL SUCCESS

Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Exercise

1 A national employer is running a competition to find the skills young people think are most important to be a good employee. Tweet them back to show that you know what they are looking for.

If you need help with some ideas, how about telling them that job applicants need:

1) a range of employability skills – the skills you need to do any job well and show employers that you would make a good employee;

2) job-specific skills – for example creative design and technical or scientific, medical and technical skills;

3) a willingness to carry on learning and take qualifications – as they are evidence of personal, functional and employability skills.

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There are many aspects of your free time away from school, college,training or the workplace that are really important to you – it couldbe anything from the sort of music and clothes you love; to the time you devote to your religious life; to the sports you follow or take part in, to hobbies, clubs or arts and crafts; to the TV and films you watch or the time you spend with your family, friends or even pets. How about picking the 4 most important parts of your free time andillustrate them in the shield below? Here is an example from a youngperson who loves going to the cinema, supporting LiverpoolFootball Club, exercising at karate and walking their dog Spot!

Exercise

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What’s important at home? What’s important at work?

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How about what is important in the workplace?In the ‘Twitter’ exercise earlier, you looked at the employability skills that employers look for. Buthow about what you are looking for from your future career? You will be spending up to 40 hours every week at work. It is estimated today’s 18 year olds won’t be retiring until 2063 at the earliest1. You might as well be doing something that interests you, but what else is important?It could be high wages; something challenging; something creative; something stress free; something dangerous? Use the shield shape below to illustrate your ‘career values’.


Year 9 10 1187 12/13

1 You may be able to have a bit of fun with the following statistic – tell an older adult that you won’t be retiring until 2063 at the earlist –and then tell them that will be 100 years since The Beatles had their first number one single. Watch their horrified reaction!

Exercise

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Online consequencesEVERYONE loves Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogging don’t they? What a great way ofexpressing your thoughts, views, social life and experiences. How fabulous to be able to sharethose daft memories of a wild night out or to tell the world exactly what you think about yourboring part-time job or the horrible person who interviewed you for a college place... Only yourfriends will ever see it, won’t they?

But just imagine if your boss, or that horrible interviewer read the following Facebook statuses –what might be the consequences?


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Exercise

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John Smith Not happy, that uni interview panel were well stuck up. Even if they offer me a place, there is no way I wanna go on their rubbish course.

Secret Sal Going to have to get dad to ring me in sick for my Saturday job (again!) Can’t believe how late me and mate one and mate two were outtonight. Getting to sleep just as the sun is rising, that’s the life!!

Mate One tagged Secret Sal and 7 others in a photo: Wild Friday Night

The Admissions tutor has seen 3 candidates with similar predicted grades. She does a quick check to see if any of them has an interesting Facebook profile to help her decide which 2 she can make an offer to. 2 of them are private and for friends only... but not John’s... consequence?

The boss is irritated after Sally’s dad makes that phone call. He can’t check for clues on her Facebook wall to prove that Sally is lying because it is all private. He does remember that he IS ‘friends’ with mate two though... consequence?

Sally’s boss is too busy to check up on her fake ‘sickness’ straight away. He phones the other part-time member of staff, Deep, to demand that he comes into work to cover for Sally. Deep is furious as he had social plans for the day. He does not like Sally and is not friends with her on Facebook – but he is friends with two of the others tagged in Mate One’s photos... consequence?

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Online opportunitiesYou may know that Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn can all be important for finding contacts andopportunities: you may even know that videos posted on www.youtube.com have been responsiblefor launching musical careers.

www.facebook.com – most people use Facebook for connecting with friends – see the previous page for a few hints to help you use it wisely. It can also be an effective networking tool.

www.twitter.com – allows you to connect with people you don’t know, based on your commoninterests. It is a good idea to mention your job search, mention the type of job you are looking for etc.

www.linkedin.com – is a business-oriented social network site. It allows you to connect with people you know – and then from that, to people they know (i.e. their network) which may includeprofessionals or companies useful for your job search.

Another way of online networking: local recommendations How many times have you heard the question: does anyone know a decent local mechanic;hairdresser; electrician or just someone who will help me to repair my laptop without overchargingme? Many small businesses rely on ‘word of mouth’ to help to build up their reputation andnetworks – many more benefit from encouraging satisfied customers to post an online review.If your future plans for a career include starting your own business you could be relying on website reviews and recommendations. Examples include: www.trustatrader.com or www.thebestof.co.uk. Another sector where online reviews and recommendations are important is the travel and tourism industry – the best known is: www.tripadvisor.com.

Exercise

4 Networks are important in building up a business reputation – however, can you think ofany ways in which these widely available tools could be a threat or cause problems for asmall business?

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Political livesRead through the life stories of three young people who set out on a journey that took them into a career in politics. At the age of 35 each person has advanced to at least reach their career goalto serve as a Member of Parliament.

Alexi Jimmy Zee

At 18

Had always enjoyed debating, arguingand standing up for a cause. Was activeon the school council and chaired theirmeetings. Left school to do a Physics degree. Continued to be active instudent politics.

At 18

Always a talented athlete, Jimmypursued a career in rugby league witha team in the north west of England.He began studying part-time with theOpen University to work towards adegree in International Studies.

At 18

Both of Zee’s parents are active inpolitics. With a mother who is anelected Mayor and a father who hasbeen a constituency MP for more than20 years, it seems natural for thefamily ‘business’ to continue. Zeeleaves school and volunteers to serveas a member of the Youth Parliament,to which she is elected.

At 21

Left university with a First ClassHonours Degree and as President ofthe Student Union. Got a job working in the NHS as a laboratory technician. Continued to be active as a TradeUnion representative and member ofa political party.

At 21

Jimmy’s rugby league career wascruelly cut short by injury. Hecontinued to study with the OU andfound a part-time job working for thelocal MP as a researcher. He enjoyed his new political role so much that hedecided to stand in the local council elections.

At 21

Zee was already looking for ways tofollow her father into the House ofCommons. She is also interested in campaigning against plans for ahigh-speed rail link and toll road feeling that the schemes will ruin green belt land. Her family has no hesitation in funding her £500 deposit so that she can stand for election as an independent candidate. She was not elected.

At 25

Alexi is elected in a by-election asMember of Parliament for an inner cityconstituency.

At 28

After serving as a local councillor for several years, he was invited to stand in the parliamentary elections for a ‘safe’ local seat. He was elected at the same time as his political party forms the new government.

At 28

Zee had worked hard to exploit her family’s political connections; she hadjoined the political party currently in power and had been selected to standfor election as an MP. She was notelected.

At 35, Alexi has been an MP for tenyears. His party leader invites him to serve as spokesperson for Health andScience issues.

At 35, Jimmy is promoted from theback benches to Junior Minister forSport.

At 35, Zee finally makes it into theHouses of Parliament. She serves as anMP for a rural constituency.

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Exercise

1Choose one of the stories: Alexi, Jimmy or Zee. Continue writing about their lives asyou imagine them at 40, 50 and maybe older? Which political offices do they hold?Do they progress to a senior position in the party or government?Does ‘your’ MP eventually become Prime Minister?

For more information about political careers see the Job Profiles on the National CareersService website or www.parliament.uk

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So, what are you going to do next?You are heading rapidly towards one or more BIG decisionpoints – what are you going to do after you are 18? Is it tobe an Apprenticeship or higher education? Are you goingto take some time away from learning to do somevolunteering at home or abroad or are you going to gointo paid employment?

And after that?

Look back at the previous exercise – you spent some time planning out someone else’s life –but what about your own life? You don’t need to have a ‘plan’ until you retire from work, you will find that your career is probably going to take plenty of unexpected twists and turns. But how about thinking just 5 years ahead?

Exercise

2 Write yourself a ‘To Do’ list of the things you would like to have achieved by the age of22/23. Take a copy and put it somewhere safe. Take a look back on it when you are thatage – did it work out as you planned?

TO DO:

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Exercise

1 1. Apprenticeships are only for young people who want to study a trade like bricklaying.

2. You learn all the skills for an Apprenticeship from your co-workers or colleagues.

3. Entrance to an Apprenticeship is competitive, there will be entrance requirements and you will need to treat the application process as seriously as for any job or university course.

4. Once you have done an Apprenticeship course, that’s it – you are fully trained and there is no need to think about carrying on learning.

5. You get paid a wage while doing an Apprenticeship don’t you?

6. You can only find out about Apprenticeship vacancies by asking around in local factories or by searching individual employers’ websites.

7. There is a lot of research around that proves that apprentices have better long term prospects than others, including earning more over their working life.

8. Apprentices have the same rights as their co-workers don’t they?

9. Apprenticeships are only available at certain times of the year.

10. If you don’t know anyone who has done an Apprenticeship, there is no-one to advise whether an Apprenticeship is the right thing for you to do is there?

How much do you know about Apprenticeships?Answers are over the page but don’t turn over until you’ve had a go at this short quiz.

True / False / I don’t know










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Answers...

1. False: an Apprenticeship is for anyone aged over 16. They cover over 1,200 roles from jobs in finance and accountancy to the music business, travel, animal care – and, of course, construction.

2. False: apprentices do work alongside experienced staff to pick up job-specific skills – however they also receive off the job training at college or with a specialist training provider – usually at least one day per week or sometimes over a number of weeks as a block of study.

3. True: at 16/17 or 18 years of age, applicants may be in competition with older workers who already have some experience – or even in competition with recent graduates.

4. False: there are 3 levels of Apprenticeships, offering a possible progression route to gain a Foundation Degree • Intermediate Level Apprenticeships – Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as a Level 2 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualification. • Advanced Level Apprenticeships – Apprentices work towards work-based learning such as a Level 3 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in most cases, a relevant knowledge-based qualification. • Higher Apprenticeships – Apprentices work towards work-based learning qualifications such as a Level 4 Competence Qualification, Functional Skills and, in some cases, a knowledge-based qualification such as a Foundation Degree.

5. True: the minimum wage for an Apprentices is £2.65 per hour (£2.68 from October 2013) – however many apprentices, particularly at higher levels, earn significantly more.

6. False: there is a national website: www.apprenticeships.org.uk that includes the National Apprenticeship Vacancy Matching online recruitment system that can help you to find and apply for Apprenticeships right across the country.

7. True: there are a lot of facts and figures in research that do point to the fact that an Apprenticeship can be the stepping stone to excellent career progression. The National Apprenticeship service says that, on average, those with an Apprenticeship earn £100,000 more over their working life than those without (www.apprenticeships.org.uk)

8. True: apprentices are employed – and therefore have the same rights and responsibilities as other workers – including paid holidays, the right to join a trade union and some additional benefits such as help with childcare costs. Unfortunately that also means that Apprentices also have to pay tax and National Insurance just like their colleagues. To find out more, go to www.worksmart.org.uk.

9. False: applications are open throughout the year and depend on the number and availability of positions with employers.

10. False: there is a lot of information on www.apprenticeships.org.uk, including real life stories of other people who have been through the system; you can contact the National Careers Service via https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk or talk to a careers adviser in your school or college.

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Higher education; to go to university... or not?The recent changes to finance for students wishing to study at an English university mean thathigher education institutions may be charging up to £9,000 per year for tuition fees. This is sorecent that no-one has yet completed the full cycle from graduation to employment so there areno new personal stories about the added value of a university education to share here. So howabout interviewing a few of the people at home or who work in your sixth form or college to findout about their personal experiences of higher education?

You could use the statements below as prompts to get the discussion going:

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I always expected to continue my education to degree level, living away from home as anundergraduate

I was one of the first in my family to ‘go to university’

I took a gap year break which included time travelling abroad

I took time out to do some voluntary work overseas

I attended university/college at a time when there were no fees and there was anon-repayable grant system

I spent part of my degree studying in a foreign country

I studied my degree with the Open University

I attended university/college away from home and paid £1,500 per annum tuition fees inadvance and had a student loan to live on

I attended university/college away from home, paid tuition fees in advance andsupplemented my student loan with part-time jobs

I lived at home and went to a local university, paid tuition fees in advance and workedpart-time to fund my living expenses

I attended university/college away from home and now have a £20,000 plus student loanto repay which covered my tuition fees and living expenses

I don’t have a degree, going into debt for thousands of pounds to pay tuition fees is very scary!

I would have loved to have studied abroad, but never dared to find out how to go about it

Exercise

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Your decision about whether it is the right decision for YOU to continue into full-time degree level education after you are 18 is likely to be influenced by a wide variety of factors – yourinterviews from the previous exercise may have brought up quite a few factors that influenced the previous generation(s) of university students.

Who or what is influencing you? Take a look at the options in the boxes below and fill in yourthoughts about how the opinions or ethos of each of the following could be key to your decision:

Parents/carers/family – what is their opinion? Friends – for example, are most of your mates considering going to university, are they staying close to home or are you the only one thinking about leaving the area?

School/college – are you attending aninstitution where there is a lot of support with applying to university? Do a high percentage of learners traditionally carry on to higher education?

Yourself – have you really thought about yourdecision, are there any factors to take intoaccount for example if your grades are not as you expect – are there any barriers?

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Researching higher educationYou may, or may not be thinking about continuing in education after you are 18. Even if you arenot, it is a good idea to have a look at what higher education is all about. Remember, there is noupper age limit to when you can start a degree – these websites may still be of use to you at a(much) later date!

Exercise

1 Link up the following websites to their ‘Google’ description:

www.ucas.com

www.prospects.ac.uk

www.bestcourse4me.com

www.unistats.com

www.push.co.uk

www.ukcoursefinder.com

www.brightknowledge.org

Your independent and free guide which shows the link between what you study, what you earn andthe jobs you can get.

The official graduate careers website – the best way to find graduate jobs, postgraduate courses, work experience and careers advice.

Central organisation through which applications are processed for entry to higher education. Includes information and services for prospective students.

Here to help you work out what you want to achieve and how... updated with the latest news and new resources.

Find your ideal university courses. Get degree subject ideas from our questionnaire and search through our comprehensive list of UK courses.

Compare official course data from universities andcolleges. Subjects, Universities and colleges, Course assistant.

The ruthlessly independent guide to UK universities with university rankings.

http://university.which.co.uk

The free and independent way to search and compareUK degree courses and universities from Which? – find the best one for you, with insider tips from unis.

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Where is it?UCAS, which as you know from the previous page, is the central organisation that processesapplications to UK universities. UCAS publishes statistics about trends in admissions. A continuing upward trend is the number of applicants who decline an offer of a place, or even give up shortly after starting a course because they did not realise how far away from home the university is.A little geography research might have solved that problem!

Exercise

1 Have a practice locating university campuses across the United Kingdom. Use www.ucas.com and choose 5 universities – either choose 5 starting with the same initial as your surname or family name – or 5 universities offering a course that you are interested in. Use the map below to plot where you live and the position of the 5 universities.

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Keep your distance: remote study optionsMany thousands of students opt to continue their learning after the age of 18 by taking a distancelearning course. Distance learning means a method of studying in which lectures are broadcast or classes take place via the post or over the internet, without the students needing to attend a school or college. Courses are offered by most, if not all UK universities and there is a growing worldwide market.

There is also a household name in the UK which is world famous for distance learning – try this quiz...

Exercise

1 1. Which higher education institution (university) is the largest in the UK with more than 240,000 students?

2. Which university offers access at introductory level to students with only one A Level or lower qualifications?

3. Which university is the largest provider of law graduates?

4. Which university was ranked the highest in the National Student Survey in 2012 and has not been out of the top three places since the survey began in 2005?

5. Which university had more than 17,000 people with disabilities studying with it in 2011/12?

6. Which university has more than 71% of students who combine full or part-time work with their studies?

7. Which university encourages students to watch more television?

8. Tutors from which university won’t mind if you attend classes wearing your dressing gown and slippers or with a plate of beans on toast on your desk?

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Answer to all questions is: The Open University (www.open.ac.uk)

Exercise 2: Use the columns to create a list of positive points about distance learning compared to positive points about traditional attendance at a college or university.

– for example courses offered by highereducation institutions in the UK or abroad or bythe Open University

Distance learning ‘Traditional’ courses

– where the student attends lectures and classes on a regular basis

No travel expenses to get to a universityor college campus.

Can use the computers and equipmenton-site at the university or college.

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

All abroad! Study beyond the UKYou may have been lucky enough to travel to countries outside the UK. You may even be in aposition where you are thinking about taking a Gap Year that involves some time abroad before you carry on with your post-18 studies. But have you ever considered living and studying in anothercountry? Try this short quiz to check what you know already – and what you may need to researchfurther.

Exercise

1 1. What is study beyond the UK?

2. Can you think of 3 reasons to study abroad?

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3. Can you think of any disadvantages?

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4. Where would you like to go, why?

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The key to finding out about study options abroad is...

Research,Research,

andMore Research

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

All abroad! ExerciseFor this section, you will need to practise your research skills. Choose a country where you thinkit might be possible to study and prepare a few facts ready to do a presentation.

_____________________________ – a great country for higher education study

Find out about the country itself – what sort of climate is it? Is it famous for areas of natural beauty; magnificent cultural/historical/religious importance; fabulous vibrant cities – what about THAT countrymakes it uniquely attractive for young people?

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Find out about the higher education system – do any of their universities feature highly in worldrankings (see www.timeshighereducation.co.uk); are any courses taught in English; is there acentralised application system (for example www.cao.ie in the Republic of Ireland); how do you apply?

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Dipping a toe in the water: how about studying abroadfor just part of a UK degree course?Erasmus is a scheme to enable higher education students to study or work abroad in Europeas part of their degree.

Exercise: Find out more

Go to: www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus

Which countries are covered by the Erasmus scheme? Did any of them appear on your list of places where you’d like to study from page 19?

Who can go?

Take a look at the News section – find the latest press release about the numbers of students taking part from the United Kingdom – is the number growing? How does the UK compare with otherEuropean countries?

Other Options Abroad

Exercise: work in pairs or in a small group.

Use a search engine for research and find out a little about one of the options below. Use your notes to prepare a short presentation for other learners:

• English Language Assistant (clue: that is another British Council scheme)• IAESTE• AIESEC

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Volunteering: who benefits?During a survey of real employers in 2012, a careers adviser reported the following piece ofadvice for young people who feel that they are locked out of the job market because theyhaven’t had a job before: “make sure that you tell us about any voluntary work you’ve done –if you are struggling to get a job, anyone can volunteer to get more work experience”.

Interested in finding out more?

There are some excellent websites listing real-life volunteering opportunities for everyone – anda few particularly aimed at young people including:

• ‘V’: www.vinspired.com

• Youth Parliament: www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk

Exercise

1 Apart from that all important addition to your CV or a job/higher education application –think about the other personal or social benefits that could follow if you decide to giveup your free time to help others. You may not be making money but you could be...

Building employability skills

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Exercise

2 Your tutor is responsible for your school/college/organisation website and has asked fora volunteer to help to write a page of information about opportunities for young peopleto use their free time to help others. You jump at the chance to be able to demonstrate your research, design and writing skills. Make sure you include some advice or questions for potential volunteers and at least 6 useful website links.

Web page title:

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Opportunity knocks?Unfortunately opportunities to find the right course or part-time or full-time job won’t come alongand knock on your door unless you are very lucky! On previous pages you have seen some of the places where you can look for an Apprenticeship, a higher education course or a voluntary placement – but what about where you can look for work?

Exercise

1 You need to think of 10 places where you may be able to find out about part-time orfull-time job opportunities. The first one is done for you – that just leaves 9 for you todecide on!

1. Job Centre(s)

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Apply onlineMany, if not all, the opportunities you will apply for during your learning and work life will involveonline application systems. For example, if you are headed for university you may have alreadylooked at www.ucas.com. Other centralised application systems include the nationalApprenticeship vacancy matching part of www.apprenticeships.org.uk. Many larger employersalso ask job applicants to apply online.

Exercise

1 Choose one the sites from the text above. Write some simple instructions to explain to someone using that site for the first time how to:

• Register to get a username and password• Search for a course or opportunity• Complete and submit an application

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Some hints about online applications• Print off or save the form if you can and fill it in offline

• If possible, write long sections in Microsoft Word so you can check spelling and grammar, then copy and paste onto the application form

• Don’t rely completely on the spellcheck – always read your sentences for sense. That way you can avoid sentences such as “I am good at duelling with purple” when you meant to type “I am good at dealing with people” (unless the job does involve historical re-enactments of medieval tournaments!)

• Answer all the sections fully and check and double check everything before you click ‘send’

• Keep a printed copy if you can – so you can review your answers ready for an interview.

There are also websites that allow you to practice the art of producing a great online application – for example www.selectsimulator.com.

Exercise

2 If there is one thing that you would like to change about either www.ucas.com orwww.apprenticeships.org.uk – what would it be?

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Tim’s Mind MapYou may already have some experience of being interviewed – for a part-time job, for a place inSixth Form, for college, an Apprenticeship or on a training course. If you have managed to avoidthat pressure up until now, then lucky you! But at some time over the next few years, you will begoing through a process that some young people find is the most stressful part of the selectionprocess for the next stage of your learning or career.

It would be very easy, on the day, for your nerves to take over and drive out all those brilliantinterview answers you have been practising. Some people cope with this by writing theinformation on little cue cards to carry with them right up until they get to the interview so theycan rehearse their answers.

Careers Adviser Tim regularly encourages young people to try a ‘Mind Map’ exercise that hasworked well and can prove to a potential employer or tutor that you have been doing someserious preparation. The idea is to read the job description carefully to try to identify possiblequestions you may be asked – then write key words or phrases to use as memory joggers.

Example: in the person specification for a job working for a company involved with recycling, ayoung jobseeker noticed that team working skills are mentioned. He remembered the praisehe had for his ideas when his class won a raft-building competition during a geography outdooractivities day. Tim helped him to pick out a few key phrases to help him remember to tell theinterviewer about the strengths he demonstrated.

Try this: the same job description says that the person employed must follow very strict healthand safety procedures. The young jobseeker has a part-time job helping his uncle to put away heavy display materials outside his hardware shop before he closes up each day. What wordscould go in the other mind map bubble to remind him to use this information as part of aninterview answer?

Teamwork• Raft Building• Co-operation• (My strengths) Ideas

_______________________________

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Health and Safety

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

Exercise: Make your own Mind MapA few minutes of research on any job site – for example www.monster.co.uk or www.jobsite.co.ukwill give you access to some real information from employers who have written about the sort ofperson they are looking for – find one that may possibly suit you in the future and imagine youare preparing for an interview. Practise constructing your own mind map.

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InterviewQuestions

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Where do I go from here?You probably have a firm idea of how you are planning to spend at least the next few years ofwork or study, you may even have a long term plan to take you through until you retire fromwork in around 50 years’ time. You may need to talk to someone who can help you to matchup your plans to real and achievable opportunities. Your school or college must provide youwith access to impartial, independent careers advice – but what questions do you need to ask?What are you already sure about? How can you make the most effective use of that impartialinformation, advice and guidance to help you to make your plans happen? It is a good idea toprepare for such discussions so you focus on talking about your needs!

Exercise: think about the following and make a few notes ready for a careers interview: fill in thesections that apply to you.

I know what my skills are; I’m good at...

I have some ideas; they are...

I have some ideas but I don’t know where to find out more about...

I’d like to do/be ............................................................................. but I need to know if there are likely to be any jobs

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Year 9 10 1187 12/13

I have ideas but I need to know if these qualifications...

And this experience...

Will get me there?

I have a lot of dreams and plans – but I think that there may be a barrier to making them happen.It is...

I really want to...

But everyone else is telling me that I ought to...

I have done some planning and taken some actions. I have...

I have no ideas!!! Can you help me?

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© Prospects 2013. All information correct at time of going to print (August 2013)

This is Step 4: part of the Steps range of workbooks.

A series of progressive individual student workbooks that are available online or as workbooks.

Documents

TPA step 4 workbook 2013-14