Alternatives to starting work immediately
Young people in England are required by law to stay in education or training until age 18, so being informed which training or education pathway might be right for you is important in the context of planning ahead and making appropriate choices.
Research by the Department of Education identifies four groups of young people, based upon how and when they make their post-18 choices;
- Early deciders, those individuals with strong career aspirations and self-motivation, who often develop their choices before 16 years old
- Drifters, those who were more ‘risk averse’ or without a specific career plan in mind, who were most likely to drift into continued education
- Switchers, who were more likely to change route in the final year of college or 6th form with a view to moving into a new programme of study or employment
- Undecided, those who remained unclear about future pathways
Higher education
There are lots of different types of higher education level courses available.
Higher education means any sort of nationally recognised qualification which is at Level 4 or above (A Levels, BTEC Diploma and Extended Diploma, Advanced Apprenticeships are all Level 3).
The skills you can gain from a higher education course can give you an edge in the job market and help you progress in your career. Employers are often looking for people with graduate level skills – irrespective of the degree subject studied.
- People with higher level skills are less likely to be unemployed, partly because their higher-level skills allow them to do a range of jobs. And with new jobs being developed all the time, a higher level qualification will put you in a stronger position.
- Many professional jobs require a university degree – architecture, dentistry, physiotherapy and lots more.
- Many professions only employ graduates and many of the opportunities they offer can be open to graduates with any degree subject.
- Even if you have no career in mind you can, through a degree, develop skills employers want such as team working, communication skills, research skills.
- Many universities will give students the opportunity to do work experience or a placement as part of their course, either in this country or abroad, where you work which will add to your CV. You can find out more about a ‘sandwich course’ (with a placement).
- You will meet new people and build a network of contacts that can really help with your future career.
Graduates will earn on average 20% more over their working life than those who did not go to university. Graduates and postgraduates often have higher employment rates, with a greater proportion in high-skilled employment. Graduates can enjoy better health outcomes by being less likely to smoke, more likely to exercise, and less prone to depression.
Additionally, you might choose to continue your studies after a degree to:
- Study a subject you enjoy in more depth
- Get a qualification you need for your career, like teaching or psychology
- Change career, by taking a course like Graduate Entry Medicine or a law conversion course
- Cover topics you need for a professional body to recognise your degree
- Develop skills that add to your degree subject and are likely to improve your job prospects
- Give yourself time to develop your career idea
You can find postgraduate courses on websites like:
- UCAS
- Prospects
- Postgrad.com
- Open University
- Postgraduate Search
You can get a Postgraduate Master’s Loan or Doctoral Loan to help pay your course fees and living costs. In some subjects you may also be able to get a scholarship, stipend or bursary. The university, a sponsor or research awarding body pays these to you. Some universities offer reduced fees if you did your undergraduate degree with them.
Gap Year
You should consider activities around the skills that may benefit you most in the future, such as leadership, teamwork and problem solving. Depending on your circumstances you could:
- A year in industry placement
- Get a paid job, such as in a bar or a restaurant
- Volunteer or find work experience
- Travel or work abroad
- Learn a language or take online courses
- If necessary, resit your exams
When talking to your gap year on your C.V. or within interviews, make sure to highlight the things you’ve done or experienced, the skills you’ve learned or developed and how you’ll apply them going forward.
Work Experience
Work experience can be important for getting into certain careers, but more broadly can be useful for anyone, regardless of age or stage of career. Having this experience can make you stand out on applications for jobs or courses.
Most work experience is unpaid, but there are some opportunities where you can earn at the same time. Choosing what to do in your career might be easier if you have experience of differing jobs and sectors to further establish what you like, dislike, are good at or not. If you manage to narrow down your career choices, you can look for opportunities that will help you to develop skills for that career.
That said, any work experience is better than none. Whatever experience you gain, you’ll learn about work, dealing with people and yourself. You’ll also gain skills in the process. It may even lead to more suitable experience with the same company. It could be good preparation for another opportunity that’s closer to what you want to do.
Employers look for employees who can show that they are trustworthy and reliable, good communicators, great team players, able to solve problems and willing to learn new things.
These soft skills are common skills that are not specific to any one job but useful for most. You can learn and practise these skills in any workplace. Use your experience to show an employer that you have them.
Ways in which to obtain work experience include;
- Shadow someone at work to see what their job is like
- Visit different workplaces
- Go to work with a parent or guardian
- Do a 1 or 2 week work placement
- Go into a workplace for one day a week over a period of time
Work shadowing provides a chance to watch someone doing a job for a day or a few days. You could do this to find out about a job role.
If you’re in a job, you could use it to explore opportunities for personal development or a promotion. It gives you an idea of what a job involves, rather than hands-on experience.
Internships are paid periods of work experience lasting around 2 to 3 months in the summer. They’re usually aimed at undergraduates and recent graduates. There are some opportunities for school leavers.
You can get information from your university careers service. There may be internship schemes dedicated to students at your university.
A placement year is a paid year in the workplace as part of a higher education course. You apply for these in the same way as graduate jobs. University careers services can help you to find opportunities relevant to your course.
Insight events are usually organised by companies or careers organisations. You spend a day or a few days finding out about a specific sector such as:
- Finance
- Law
- IT
Other options to gain work experience include;
- Do some volunteering
- Get a part-time job
- Go to face-to-face or virtual company events and open days
- Help friends or family with a business
- Set up your own small business
- Enter competitions and skill challenges like World Skills
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships combine study with training in a paid job.
Apprentices spend most of their time at work, with at least 20% of their time spent learning on the job.
Apprenticeships are offered at all levels, but most 16-year-olds would enter an apprenticeship at Level 2 or 3. Level 2 is equivalent to GCSEs and Level 3 is equivalent to A-levels and T-levels.
Apprenticeships are offered by employers, who advertise when they have vacancies. Vacancies are also advertised locally, for example through colleges, or on national websites.
Continue with the next part of this lesson you learn more about what to expect in the workplace and how to set career goals.