CAREERS INTERVIEWS

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 am I 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 your knowledge and understanding of various study and career routes

• illustrate the most effective ways of exploring career ideas

• motivate you 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 you how to be realistic as well as optimistic about the future

What happens during a careers interview?

The careers adviser will introduce themselves and explain the format of the careers interview. They will ask you some questions about what stage you are at in your careers exploration and planning. This is not a test! It is used to help the careers adviser structure the careers interview in a way that can best support you.

During the careers interview, you may be keen to explore one or more study or career areas. The careers adviser can help you begin this process by showing you how to find accurate and high-quality careers-related information and exploring this with you. The careers adviser may then set you some targets on your action plan (which will be logged on your UniFrog profile) so that you can continue with this independently. This might include:

• exploring a particular careers-related website

• attending a specific event (such as a college open day)

• arranging work experience in a suitable organisation

• consulting a teacher about improving your achievement in an important subject

• becoming familiar with the structure of different study routes (for example, apprenticeships)

Careers advisers promote informed and realistic decisions, not discouraging ambition but, instead, emphasising the need for high grades or particular personal qualities. Sometimes, you may be interested in a study option or career that is beyond your current abilities and/or achievement to date. If so, careers advisers:

• sensitively help you to recognise this

• encourage you to identify and act on ways you could develop your abilities and/or improve your achievement (if applicable and realistic)

• suggest alternative career ideas to explore within the occupational sector(s) you are interested in

The most important thing to remember is that a careers adviser's job is to help you reach important decisions, NOT to make these for you! Instead, a careers adviser's role is to provide careers:

• Education: empowering and helping with understanding

• Information: sharing facts, knowledge, and data alongside useful ways to independently source this

• Advice: recommending (but not insisting on) certain course(s) of action, study route(s), careers choice(s) etc. based on the information that has been provided

• Guidance: impartially suggesting and supporting the process of identifying options and narrowing down choices

As such, careers advisers support you with starting the process of exploring your study and work options and equipping you with the tools, knowledge, and resources to continue with this independently (and with your continued support). By being proactive, taking ownership of, and having responsibility for planning your future in this manner, you are developing important employability skills for their future!

Miss O'Brien (Careers Manager) is available throughout the school year for careers support via:

• Email (careers@theweald.org.uk)

• Careers drop-ins (lunchtimes and after school on Wednesdays in the LRC)

How can I prepare for my careers interview?

We hope that you are looking forward to your careers interview. We understand that some students may be feeling worried; please be reassured 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!

If you are feeling very uncertain about your next steps at the moment, careers advisers can help you start exploring broad possibilities, often initially through your academic subject preferences, or any work-related experience you have had. This can help you start to focus your interests within key study and career areas.

You can prepare for your careers interview in advance by thinking about:

• what subject(s) you enjoy and why

• what career(s) you have thought about pursuing (if any) and why

• the types of ways you enjoy learning and working (if you have gained work experience)

• what you would like to explore during the careers interview

• things you do not yet know about or understand in relation to your study and/or career options that you would like explained to you

The more you engage with and take an active part in the careers interview process, the more likely you are to benefit from it!