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LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER

BUT NOT SURE WHERE TO START?

Are you ready to move to a new career or have you been unable to work for some time and want to get back into the workplace?

If so, it’s vital to carefully consider and research what will be a good fit for you based on your skills, experience, current training and qualifications. Your interests, personal qualities and lifestyle are also factors you should consider.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS A PLANNED APPROACH

Think about it!

Spend some time on YOU and self-assessment this will allow you a starting point for your investigations, you could try any or ALL of these:

  • Help for Heroes Pathfinder Experience https://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/get-support/recovery-programme/the-pathfinder-experience/
  • National Careers Service Skills Health Check https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/skills-health-check/home
  • Prospects https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles
  • RBLI Lifeworks http://www.wearelifeworks.org.uk/

Sometimes self-assessment confirms your own ideas and sometimes it throws up new ones you never thought of!

Research it!

It’s always a good idea to use impartial information to delve deeper into suggestions and ideas – this will further inform your decisions and plans

  • National Careers Service job profiles are a good start https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/job-profiles/home
  • Prospects have more in-depth career profiles https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles

Try it out!

Work experience is organised with an employer in a real work setting and gives you the chance to test the water and show how you operate – your chance to shine!

  • UNSWIS - Universities in support or wounded, injured, sick https://ctpassist.ctp.org.uk/partner/Details?id=3572 * Planned programmes like Step into Health http://militarystepintohealth.nhs.uk/
  • Decide on an employer of interest, approach them independently

Volunteering is brilliant for getting back into the workplace and valuable for some careers that need experience that is difficult to get. It’s a longer-term activity that grows your confidence, gives you new skills, and sometimes allows access to specific training opportunities.

  • Step Together https://www.step-together.org.uk/recovery-and-rehabilitation-through-volunteering
  • Local volunteer opportunities https://do-it.org/
  •  Your Local Authority volunteer programmes

Go for it!

By now you should have a better idea of where your interests lie, so you can start to build a targeted CV to apply for the job that will make you happy and fulfilled. If you don’t have a CV, you can create one at the following places:

  • Reed have free CV templates no matter what your background https://www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/cvs/cv-templates/
  • The National Careers Service has tips for each section of your CV too https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/get-a-job/cv-sections

‘Take your time, getting back in to work is a big change and it may not happen overnight’