4 Ways to Get Careers Advice in Scotland

Let’s face it, choosing the first or next steps in your career whether it’s after school, college or university, or changing jobs or industries can be a little bit scary. There are so many possibilities and so many opportunities to choose from! But there are lots of useful resources and information available online and in person which can help you make the best decision for you. Take a look at what support is available to you in this article.

Visit My World of Work

Have you visited the My World of Work website yet? If not, what are you waiting for? The site is packed full of information, support and advice all about the many different career options that are available to you. Here are some tools that you might find particularly helpful:

  • About Me – a short quiz that can help you understand who you are, learn about your interests and discover jobs that might suit you. It takes less than five minutes and will share your three strongest character traits and suggested jobs. What will you get? Try it out now!
  • Strengths Quiz – do you know what your strengths are? Maybe you’ll discover something surprising in this short quiz which will help you understand what you do well, what you do often and what you enjoy. Give it a go!
  • Skills Explorer – this tool will help you understand what your skills are. This can be really helpful when you’re considering what jobs might be good for you and what you should include in job applications.
  • A CV builder as well as top tips on applications and interviews, which is super helpful as whether you’re applying for a job for the first time or you’ve been doing it for a while, preparing for a job interview or writing an application can be daunting.

While you’re on the site, you might want to sign up so all of your results and the useful information you discover are in one place! It’s quick and easy to do and only takes a few minutes.

Careers Advice at School

Did you know that every state secondary school in Scotland has a careers adviser? They can provide you with guidance no matter what year you’re in! Throughout school, you’ll meet your careers adviser for lessons, but you can also make use of drop-in times or appointments if you need advice one-to-one. Whether it’s help you need with your subject choices or thinking about what comes next for you when you leave school, the Skills Development Scotland careers service at your school can help! 

Drop-in times will normally be advertised around your school or if you’re not sure, ask your teacher. You don’t normally need to book and can just pop in whenever you have some free time within their opening hours. You can also see your careers adviser for more information. 

To find out more about the support offered at school, visit the Skills Development Scotland website.

Speak to a Skills Development Scotland Adviser

If you’re no longer at school, you can still access face-to-face support from a careers adviser through an SDS centre. There are centres dotted about Scotland which you can visit to get advice and information about your next career steps. They are able to provide information and advice on a whole range of things, for example:

  • Career information, advice and guidance on career choices
  • Advice on different routes into a career that you’re considering including apprenticeships, training, learning and jobs
  • Help and support with writing your CV, completing application forms or preparing for interviews
  • Information about what jobs are in your local area
  • Support if you are being or have been made redundant (when you no longer have a job because your employer no longer needs to employ someone in that role)

You can also visit the centre to access PCs to search for jobs, attend careers events and find out about what funding you might be able to access (for example, to cover travel or new workwear).

Find your nearest centre on the My World of Work website and give them a call to arrange a time to pop in and have a chat.

Call the Helpline

Skills Development Scotland runs a Helpline that can help you no matter what stage of your career journey you are at. The Helpline adviser can offer information and advice and might be a good place to start if you’re not sure where to begin, as they can let you know about other services and support that might be available to you.

  • Opening times: Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm
  • Telephone: 0800 917 8000

This Helpline also turns into the Results Helpline in August, providing people across Scotland with support no matter what their results. At this time, the helpline can offer unique access to information on UCAS course vacancies at colleges and universities across the UK, Confirmation and Clearing, and advice about apprenticeships, employment and training opportunities.

To find out more about career advice and information, take a look at the Scottish Careers Week page.

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