Embedded Files
A careers interview is an exciting opportunity for your son/daughter to explore and plan their future study pathways and career. Read below to find out what this involves, what they can expect, and you can support them with their preparations.
What is a careers interview?
A careers interview is a discussion a person (in this case, a student) has with a careers adviser to help:
identify their personal qualities and skills, and those that would like to be developed
investigate their interests, likes and dislikes, family influences, personal obstacles, and work experience
come up with ideas for study and work
explore specific career areas
understand study and work application and recruitment processes
search for current and future job and apprenticeship opportunities
think about how study, work experience, and home-life can all contribute to employability
Why is my son/daughter having a careers interview?
Most young people need help with making decisions about what to do after school and further education, as there are so many options and possibilities available! An interview with a careers adviser has the potential to:
reduce anxiety about the future
improve knowledge and understanding of various study and career routes
illustrate the most effective ways of exploring career ideas
motivate students to work hard in, and engage with, their studies
encourage constructive steps towards decision-making
highlight targets that can be useful for continued careers exploration and planning
show young people how to be realistic as well as optimistic about the future
How can my son/daughter prepare for their careers interview?
We hope that your son/daughter is looking forward to their careers interview. We understand that some students may be feeling worried; please reassure them that careers advisers are experienced in supporting their clients no matter what stage they are at in their careers exploration and planning. It is their chosen profession to provide this support. No question is a silly question!
For students who are feeling very uncertain about their next steps at the moment, careers advisers can help them start exploring broad possibilities, often initially through their academic subject preferences, or any work-related experience they have had. This can help young people start to focus their interests within key study and career areas.
Students can prepare for their careers interview in advance by thinking about:
what subject(s) they enjoy and why
what career(s) they have thought about pursuing (if any) and why
the types of ways they enjoy learning and working (if they have gained work experience)
what they would like to explore during the careers interview
things they do not yet know about or understand in relation to their study and/or career options that they would like to be explained to them
The more a young person engages with and takes an active part in the careers interview process, the more likely they are to benefit from it.
Can I attend my son/daughter's careers interview?
We suggest and encourage that your son/daughter attends their careers interview independently, as young persons often find the opportunity to speak with a careers adviser confidentially and on a one-to-one basis most useful. All careers advisers that The Weald Community School and Sixth Form works with are DBS checked and registered with the Careers Development Institute (CDI), the professional body for careers guidance practitioners whose members must abide by a strict code of ethics for professional practice. Some students may feel the need for additional support from a parent during their interview; a parent is welcome to attend if this is the case. The decision you come to will depend on your's and your son/daughter's personal circumstances and what you feel to be in their best interests.
If you wish to attend your son/daughter's careers interview, please:
Limit this to one parent to maintain social distancing precautions
Email careers@theweald.org.uk so that we know to expect you
Follow all national guidelines and the school's risk assessment with regards to helping prevent the spread of COVID-19
Notify the NHS of your visit to the School via Track & Trace if you are told to self-isolate or receive a positive lateral flow/PCR test, including providing the following information:
Date and times of your visit (time of entry, time of departure)
Location(s) in the school you visited
Staff you visited
Sign in at Main Reception (asking for Ms Morris)
Parents are welcome to contribute to the discussions and support their son/daughter throughout the careers interview process (and beyond); please be aware that the careers adviser's focus will respectfully be on your son/daughter and meeting their best interests.
Year 10 students are receiving a year group assembly about the careers interviews programme, where they will also be provided with information about what to expect during their careers interview and how they can prepare for it. We aim to inform students of their careers interview booking in advance via student notices, typically one or two days beforehand. They will then receive a slip on the morning of their careers interview from their form tutor to act both as a reminder and as permission to be excused from their lesson(s). Unavoidable changes to careers interview bookings may be made by the School at short notice; this might result in your son/daughter's booking being moved/rescheduled.
You can also ask your son/daughter to see their careers interview action plan, including the targets they were set, on their UniFrog profile.
Who will my son/daughter have their careers interview with?
Careers interviews at The Weald are delivered by the following careers advisers:
Miss O'Brien(Careers Manager at The Weald School)
Ms Mallows (careers adviser with West Sussex County Council's 'Think Futures' team)
Ms Armstrong (independent careers adviser)
All careers advisers that The Weald Community School and Sixth Form works with are DBS checked and registered with the Careers Development Institute (CDI), the professional body for careers guidance practitioners whose members abide by a strict code of ethics for professional practice.
You can find out more about the CDI by clicking here.
My question is not answered here.
Please email Miss K O'Brien (Careers Manager), who will be happy to help, via careers@theweald.org.uk.
Adapted from Paul Greer's 'The Benefits of a Careers Interview'.
Page updated
Report abuse