Is this the end or a new beginning?

Image sourced from Wikimedia
Author: Diego

Now that the end of term has gone, with exams finished and coursework handed in, you’ve finally reached the finish line!  And with the Olympics happening, there will be plenty of time to enjoy watching them.

 

But it's not quite ‘all over’ yet. It will really help you if you view the next few weeks as a new beginning too. The reasons why are as follows. Firstly, it would be good to spend time reflecting on what you have found interesting, challenging or dull this year and why. The reason? By reflecting on the knowledge gained this year you can decide if or how you could use it in a potential career. Does the thought of using what you’ve learnt about equine nutrition, landscape design or commercial horticulture excite you?  What does this tell you about your career aspirations?  Do you need to talk this through with your tutor or Careers Adviser? 

Secondly, it is not just about the knowledge that you have learnt.  It’s useful to reflect how your skills have developed this year.  This is equally as important as reflecting on your knowledge.  Employers and universities want to see that you can identify and apply the skills you’ve gained to a new situation, e.g. a job or a postgraduate course.  Not only is it important to show others you can do this, but it is crucial for you too.  Why?  Because you need to be able to compare what you have to offer to what an employer or university are asking for.  If you can’t demonstrate that you are a good match, an employer or course scheme manager won’t do this for you.  So part of this ‘looking back’ is about applying this to developing your career/study plans for the future.





Planning ahead will help you graduate!

Are you wondering about whether to use the knowledge and skills you’re gaining or if there’s a ‘better something’ out there?  Within each degree area there will be a variety of related and unrelated careers or further study you could go into.  About 80% of graduate jobs don’t require a specific degree subject, so you could apply for any number of interesting graduate schemes or jobs.  Roughly 10% of graduates will get onto a graduate scheme, often these schemes do not want a specific subject.  There are a huge number of SME (small and medium enterprises) who are very keen to take on students who have developed graduate level skills, in a variety of career ideas.  Just being a graduate itself will give you plenty of skills and experience which will be appreciated by employers if you can present them well enough.



Image sourced from Wikimedia
Author: Petey21

So, the end of this academic year is here, and the beginning of the future is just around the corner!  Is this true for everyone?  If you are finishing your degree course, the answer will be an obvious yes.  But if you are in your first or second year, it is also worth viewing this summer as a new beginning too.  Doing an audit will help you identify what opportunities might be worth targeting to develop your skills or test out your newly acquired knowledge over the next academic year.

 

Your career is going to last a very long time, and it can take time to find the ‘perfect’ career or vacancy - this won’t always happen straight after university.  Did you know you can use the College careers service for up to 3 years after finishing your course?  Careers support is often about helping students audit themselves, to develop their own career management skills.  And you can use the service forever if you are an employer looking to fill a vacancy in the future!  So, whatever year you are in, now is a good time to celebrate the end and start to plan for the beginning.

Written by Mark Yates, Careers Coordinator

Shape your future with an apprenticeship!

Writtle College Graduation 2015

Apprenticeships have been around as an option for a very long time! In fact, apprenticeships were first developed in the Middle Ages, as a way of developing skills in particular vocational areas like stone masonry or bakery work, often taking 10 or more years to complete. Nowadays, apprenticeships are available in a much wider range of areas – from Agriculture to Horticulture, and Finance to Health Care. And they will usually take a lot less time to work through than 10 years – most can be achieved within 12 - 18 months whilst some may take 3-4 years, depending on the qualifications being gained. It’s even possible to do a Higher Apprenticeship and get a degree!

So why bother doing an apprenticeship?

Employers are often reported as wanting employees who are motivated, passionate, have the right skills/be willing to develop more skills and have some commercial experience. An apprenticeship will give you the chance to demonstrate motivation, and gain the skills and commercial awareness, whilst also earning money! So whilst some of your friends are still in sixth form, college or university, you could be learning the skills for a specific career – and gaining qualifications from level 2 (GCSE standard) to degree standard. This will mean either going to college one day a week, or doing some study while you are with your employer. What’s there to not like?

 

What are the drawbacks to doing an apprenticeship?

There will always be potential drawbacks to any option. These might include:

·    Combining work and study - you will need to be organised!

·    Fewer hours for social commitments.

·    Having to decide a specific area to get your qualifications in – for instance if you have a general interest in Horticulture you would have to apply for an Horticultural role to do the apprenticeship in. 

·    Focussing on a career area like this for some people would be a bonus, others may need longer to decide.

 

What would you get out of doing an apprenticeship?

As an apprentice you would gain valuable work experience, a qualification (or more often a range of qualifications) a salary, skills and plenty of opportunities to further your career. Once you have finished your apprenticeship you may well be offered a job where you have done the apprenticeship, or you could find a new employer with the qualifications and experience you have gained.

Apprenticeship in Horticulture

Which is better, college or an apprenticeship?

There is no right or wrong answer here! Partly it will depend on what vacancies are available locally to you for both college courses and apprenticeships. Some apprenticeships, like veterinary nursing or farriery can be very hard to find, so applying for a related college course can give you a very good plan B in case you do not get an apprenticeship straight away. Another aspect you may want to consider is how much practical experience you would get with either, to develop the skills for your chosen career. Also you need to think about how you learn best – would you prefer a work environment or a college environment more? Do you need any extra support with your learning – or to redo your English or Maths GCSE? Both these will be available through an apprenticeship and at college.

 

What next?

Mark Yates (left) Careers Coordinator

Now would be a very good time to start looking for an apprenticeship. You can contact employers directly to find out what opportunities there will be with them, and also register with http://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/ to find out more information and https://www.gov.uk/apply-apprenticeship to register for local apprenticeships. If you want more information about higher apprenticeships where you could do a degree as part of it, you can also use http://www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/?gclid=CNe8j-_skMsCFRBmGwodfAwKhA. It’s worth talking through your plans with your parents/carers and a careers adviser, to ensure you get all the support you need. 

  

Written by Mark Yates

Writtle College Careers Coordinator