Why your career matters
Recent studies show that more than 987,000 16-24 year olds in the UK are out of work, education or training. These figures are the highest they’ve been in the past decade, and are related to things including poverty, discrimination and poor mental and physical health.
Getting a job isn’t an option for everyone, but for those of us who can work, getting a job allows us to take care of ourselves, live the lifestyle of our choice and invest in ourselves and our community. Not being able to work, or choosing not to pursue a career, limits the choices you can make in life and may have a negative impact on your mental health.
What is a career plan?
A career plan is a personalised plan of action to help you get a great job and succeed in it. Though school and college can often put pressure on you to pick a career path early on, it’s perfectly normal to not have a ‘dream job’ while you’re still in your teens. Think of your career plan as a direction to head towards, not a final destination; you don’t have to stick to it rigidly, but having a goal to work towards can be great!
No job is perfect— if they were, companies wouldn’t have to pay us to do them! That being said, no one wants a job that they don’t enjoy, and it’s important that the job you choose aligns with your personal priorities. This could mean that your job is enjoyable, helps support a cause you care about or gives you something you value, like more money, time or flexibility.
How to build your career plan
Building a career plan is simple and can really kick-start your plans for the future. Follow our tips below to help you create a career plan which aligns with your skills, goals and dreams.
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Find a job role or industry that’s right for you.
Many people know exactly what they want out of life and have a dream job already in mind. This is a great starting point for building a career plan, but if you’re unsure of what job you want in the future, that’s perfectly normal.
We’ve put together a quick and easy template which you can use to help you find the right path for you if you don’t have a dream job in mind yet. Download it using our link below.
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Be realistic in your expectations.
It’s important to choose a realistic and achievable career path. You may find that your foster parents or other adults in your life try to turn you away from certain jobs, such as becoming a streamer, influencer or e-sports competitor. While people can really make it big in these industries, it may not be wise to put all of your eggs in one basket, as it’s very difficult to make it big in these job roles.
Being realistic does not, however, mean giving up on your dreams— most people who made it big in these industries started off by doing it as a fun hobby, not for financial reward. These roles can be great passion projects to work towards alongside a regular job, with the hope of one day making them your full-time career!
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Research your next steps to success.
Now that you know where you’d like your career to take you, it’s time to research the steps you’ll need to take to get there. You could use google, head to your local library or discuss your options with a work coach or trusted adult.
Write down every step you’ll need to get the job of your dreams— for example, to become an Engineer, you’ll need to focus on math and science at school, choose a branch of engineering which interests you most such as aerospace or computers, and then study this branch at university. Once you know your career path, you can begin making your first steps. Your first step to success will depend upon your age and personal circumstances, but some ideas include:
- Selecting the right GCSE, A-Level or T-Level options
- Taking up an apprenticeship
- Getting a university degree— be sure to look into the support on offer for care experienced students
- Getting a degree apprenticeship— these are a great option as they allow you to work and earn money while earning a university degree, without having to go into debt the way you would if you soley attended university
- Taking on an unpaid internship or volunteering in your industry to gain skills and work experience
- Signing up for the job centre or attending job fairs
- Researching job interview skills and having mock interviews with your foster parents
- Chatting with the adults in your life about their own careers
- Creating a vision board of how you want your future life and career to look
- Looking for free courses— for example, Google regularly run free online courses, including one on how to kickstart your career. Your local job centre may be able to register you for free courses on topics including health and safety and food hygiene
- Creating a great CV—try out Barclay’s Life Skills CV building tool
- Researching how to start your own business, which will allow you to work for yourself on your own terms— check out this podcast if you’re interested in learning more!
- Learning about freelancing and ‘side hustles’— you can freelance all sorts of careers, from writing articles for websites to commissioning artwork or selling crafts at comic con stalls and pop-up fairs
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Take your first steps.
Now that you know where you want to go, it’s time to start the journey! Remember, no one starts at the top— in order to get the job of your dreams, you’ll have to work your way up the career ladder. This can take a lot of hard work, the occasional misstep and some frustration, but it will be so worth it in the end to reach your dream job.
Flexibility is key; remember that your career plan should adapt and change to suit your needs. Your goals may get bigger and more ambitious once you start achieving them, or they may change altogether as your personal life evolves and your priorities change.
Whether it’s finding yourself a summer job for some experience, researching volunteering opportunities in your local area or applying to university through UCAS, you can make the first small step today towards building a successful future for yourself— good luck, and we can’t wait to celebrate your success!
Stay on track, and keep on learning!
Interested in more tips and tricks about gaining your independence? Check out our Young Person’s Hub for more helpful content to help you navigate approaching young adulthood and plan for a successful future.
