Careers advice

The National Careers Service can help you make career decisions throughout your life. From deciding your education route, planning a career change at any age or getting the job that is right for you.

Contents

Making career choices

Helping young people make education and career choices

Support for parents, carers and guardians to help young people make education and career choices.

Explore green careers

Find out about green careers and how you can help to tackle climate change in your job.

Education advice if you have special educational needs or a disability

Advice and support to help you choose your next step if you're leaving school or have recently left.

Job support if you have special educational needs or a disability.

Advice and support to find and stay in work if you're disabled or have a health condition.

Post 16 options

Help for young people when choosing which options to take after year 11.

Post 18 options

Help for young people exploring which options are available to them after turning 18.

Gap year advice

Advice on taking time out of education before continuing your studies.

Redundancy and dealing with losing your job

Useful advice and resources if you've been made redundant or become unemployed.

Postgraduate study options

Discover what postgraduate courses you can do to progress your career after university.

How to deal with setbacks in your career

View advice on how to stay positive and deal with difficult career experiences.

Armed forces careers 

Information about job roles in the British Army, Royal Air Force or Royal Navy.

Getting a job

Where to find job vacancies

Discover where to look for job vacancies and get advice for job hunting.

Make the most of a careers fair

Learn how to prepare for a careers fair and what to do when you're there.

How to write a CV

Tips on what to include in each section of your CV to make it stand out.

How to write a cover letter

Advice on how to write a cover letter to show why you are right for the job.

Application form advice

Advice on what to include in an application and tips on how to structure your answers.

Interview tips

Learn what to expect from an interview and what you should prepare.

How to answer common interview questions

See common interview questions and example answers.

Phone interview tips

Get advice on what to do before, during and after a phone interview.

Video interview tips

Tips for what to consider if you need to prepare for a video interview.

Explain a gap in employment

Guidance about how to explain any gaps in your work history to an employer.

How to stand out on LinkedIn

See our guide to create a LinkedIn profile that shows your skills and accomplishments.

Graduate schemes: getting a place

Get advice on what graduate schemes are, where to find them and application tips.

Psychometric tests: prepare and practise

Find out what to expect from a test which assesses your skills, knowledge and personality.

How to find an internship

Tips for how to find an internship to gain work skills and test out career ideas.

Progressing your career

Develop your soft skills

Learn how to build soft skills such as leadership, problem solving and communication.

Volunteering advice

Find out how to become a volunteer and learn new skills to support your career.

Networking: tips to help your career

Use your network to find job opportunities, build your reputation and get support.

How to get a mentor

Learn where to find a mentor and how they can support you in your career.

Understand and develop your skills

Identify the skills you have, how you can improve them and develop new ones.

Digital skills to help your career

See how to improve your digital skills to help you in the next step of your career.

Get the most out of online learning

Get advice on how you can prepare and benefit from an online course.

How to get work experience

Find out how work experience can help you try out a career to see if it’s right for you.