Career planning Year 11 and Year 13

It’s never too early to start career planning, so here are CV Shed’s top tips for getting ahead of the game. 

Look at your career options

You’ve probably already thought about what jobs you’d like to do after college or university, but the choices can be overwhelming. It’s very common to leave education not knowing what direction you want your career to take; it’s really nothing to panic about, but understanding your strengths, skills and preferences will help you to make decisions that support your future. There are plenty of websites providing career advice and no end of information about various types of jobs. A bit of research at this stage is time well invested, as it will give direction to your choices. 

Start to build your CV

You may be thinking “I have nothing to put on a CV ! My exam results aren’t in yet and I have no work experience!”. That’s not a problem. CVs are flexible and can still show off your employability, even if you haven’t finished your education. 

In the Qualifications section of your CV, list all the qualifications you’re expecting to take, and the level, alongside a note saying “awaiting results” or “in progress”. 

The Work Experience section may be a bit trickier, but you should still aim to put something here. If you did work experience through school, you can include that. But what about other experience? It’s not just full-time, paid jobs that are worth including on your CV. Maybe you’ve done some babysitting? Set up a weekend car wash? Built a website for a relative? Looked after a neighbour’s cat? Have a good think about what you’ve done outside of school that will show a potential employer that you have valuable skills. This section doesn’t need to be long, it just needs to show that you’re willing to work. 

As a school leaver, your Interests section will probably have more detail than usual. That’s OK! What you do in your spare time can give an employer a good idea of how you’ll fit in to their team. A lot of people include sports here – teamwork or team leadership are excellent skills to show off. If you’ve done the Duke of Edinburgh scheme, be sure to mention that too. What else have you done? Try to stick to hobbies that give you the opportunity to highlight skills that employers are looking for – scrolling through social media, watching films and gaming might be fun, but they’re hardly original and don’t really position you as being very dynamic.

Join clubs

If you haven’t already, look into joining some clubs relevant to your career planning. For example, if you want to work in the conservation sector, see what environmental or animal clubs are in your local area and get involved. Relevant clubs will help you to develop more industry-specific knowledge that will enhance your CV and impress recruiters. 

Volunteer

Instead of joining clubs (or even as well as!) you could look into volunteering. This always looks great on a job application, whether it’s related to the career you're planning or not. You’ll not only get some excellent experience to put on your CV, but you’ll also start to build your network and get a taste of whether you’d like a career in that sector. When you’re ready to apply for jobs, you’ll be able to ask the organisation to provide you with a reference, too. 

Network 

Networking isn’t just for professionals! You’ve already got a network, even if you don’t realise it. Your friends, parents, cousins, family friends, teachers, club organisers, work experience managers and neighbours are all part of your network. If you’re ready to take on a voluntary, part-time or even full-time job, the best thing you can do for your employment prospects is to make sure that people know it! If you already know what sort of job you’re looking for, try to identify someone in your network who either works, or has contacts that work, in that area. Ask for introductions, entry-level opportunities, work shadowing, weekend jobs, anything that you think will help to get your foot in the door. The personal touch almost always wins out against a faceless application and your network will be able to provide support with career planning, as well.

Practice your interview skills

Ask your parents, family friends or teachers to hold a practice job interview with you. This will not only give you some insight into the type of questions you may be asked, but more crucially the feedback you receive will enable you to see exactly what you’re doing well, give ideas to cover what you missed and provide insight into what you should definitely NOT repeat in a real interview!

Audit your social media

Ideally, check through posts on all your social media accounts to ensure they’re employer friendly. If you can’t face the chore, at least update your privacy settings so that potential employers can’t see your posts in the first place. This is a vital step in your career planning, whatever stage of your career you're at.

Leverage your unique situation

If you’re feeling pretty negative and deflated after an education that included plenty of home learning, try to look at it from an employer’s perspective. You’ve survived the most challenging time in recent history and there are plenty of positives to be gleaned from that. Think about what went well this year. Did you work independently and stay on top of your school or college work? Help your siblings with their studies? Learn to use new technology? Teach the adults in your life to use new technology? Get great predicted grades even without face-to-face learning? Take up a new hobby? Participate in online events? You’ve probably learnt new, CV-worthy skills without even realising! Employers love to hear how you’ve overcome challenges, so make sure you communicate what you’ve achieved.

Don’t worry about career planning!

Whether you’re looking at A-levels, university, an apprenticeship, a weekend job or the first rung on the career ladder, things probably seem a bit uncertain at the moment. By focusing on how far you’ve come and what you’ve already achieved, you’ll gain the confidence to identify your next steps and position yourself for career success. 

For more CV and career advice, have a read of my blog or my ebook. When you're ready to take the next step, I also offer CV writing services. Good luck for the future!