Graduate recruitment schemes & changing career direction .... http://jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/ - the job site linked t
Alternatives to Teaching
Contents Overview Skills gained whilst at university & what employers want Sectors & employers related to working with Children & Young People Where are jobs advertised? Alternatives to teaching - some examples of job titles Career Motivations Graduate recruitment schemes & changing career direction Networking and Research Self-Employment Speculative Applications Further Study Professional Organisations and Societies How the Careers & Student Employability (CaSE) team can support you
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ‘Frederick Douglass’ Overview This mini-guide has been written to provide information about career options related to education and working with children and young people other than mainstream teaching. It may be a useful resource for: undergraduates and recent graduates who are drawn towards working with children and young people, but who are not necessarily sure that mainstream teaching is what they would like to do. undergraduates and recent graduates who are considering alternative sectors to education and/or teaching undergraduates and graduates who have commenced mainstream teacher training, but want to consider other options those with some teaching/education experience who would like to learn more about alternative roles How to use this mini-guide This mini-guide is split into different sections, with a different focus in each topic area. You may find it useful to read the whole guide, or you may wish to skip to the section that is of particular interest to you by using the hyperlinks on the front page. It is important to note that sectors related to working with children and young people can experience change due to government policy and funding. Every attempt will be made to update this guide to reflect sector changes when they occur, but readers are encouraged to undertake their own research to keep up to date with emerging trends. It is also important to note that there is a wide variety of job titles and availability of posts. Similar job titles may be used in different settings, and job roles may vary depending on location. Readers are advised to study the specifics of individual job roles rather than make any assumptions about job tasks or required qualifications.
Skills gained whilst at University Throughout your degree you will have developed a vast number of transferable skills which will be relevant to a career within almost any industry or specialism including: Communication and interaction Knowledge of theories, models and methods, legislation, policy, practice The ability to maintain records and manage competing priorities Computer literacy (word-processing, electronic communication, electronic databases, statistical software, using the internet for research) The ability to draw on a range of practice skills and knowledge The ability to work with others; sustaining respectful, professional relationships Planning and time management skills The ability to design and conduct research Professionalism and inclusion http://www.uel.ac.uk/cass/undergraduate/ourprogrammes/ What do employers want? Research has shown that there are common skills that all employers are looking for, regardless of the sector and work area. These include: teamwork; problem solving; communication; time management; IT skills; numeracy; customer awareness http://www.prospects.ac.uk/applying_for_jobs_what_skills_do_employers_want.htm As well as these general skills, employers will also look for knowledge, experience and skills that are more specific to the job role. The best way to find out what these specific skills are is by looking at the person specification of job descriptions, as these will often list essential and desirable criteria. Once you have an awareness about what employers are looking for, you can decide whether you need to develop your skills, knowledge and experience to match their requirements.
Sectors & employers related to working with Children & Young People Employers of professionals who work with children and young people can be found across a very wide range of sectors, and provision can depend on local identified, need as well as local authority decisions in relation to prioritising services. Public Sector Traditionally, a lot of roles related to working with children and young people were provided by local authorities. However, this has changed in recent years due to an increase in tenders and local authority contracts, which has outsourced work to the private sector. Some services have moved towards an intensive or targeted approach, which focuses on vulnerable children and young people, and may bring a range of professionals to work together. The provision and structure of services can be very varied. Some local authorities have continued to retain employees in house (directly employed by them), whereas others have chosen to contract services to other providers. If you are interested in working for a specific local authority it is a good idea to research the roles available by looking on their website. This should provide an overview of the services they offer. Charitable/Third Sector There are currently over 180,000 registered charities in Britain. The sector is very varied and includes direct provision of services, research and campaigning to raise awareness of particular issues. There are many local and national charities that have a focus on providing help and support to children and young people. Many charities focus on providing assistance in a wide variety of roles that may represent a vast array of causes. Some national charities related to children and young people include Barnardos, NSPCC, Kids Company, the Children’s Society and Action for Children. It is important for charities to have a high calibre of staff, to help increase the organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness. Private Sector The private sector refers to organisations that are privately owned and not part of the Government. This may include corporations, partnerships, and businesses, and may range ranges from small startup businesses to large international firms. A wide variety of services and job roles that were previously operated and managed by local authorities have been contracted out to private companies in recent years. Examples include social and care work, advice and guidance work and some education services.
Where are jobs advertised? It is a good idea to identify the type of organisation and/or roles that you are interested in, before signing up for job alerts on websites. This will enable you to be more selective, and it will mean that any emails that you receive are more likely to contain jobs that you are interested in. The danger of signing up for job alerts without researching in advance is that you may receive lots of emails that you may not have time to read and then you may delete an email that has details about a job that would be ideal for you! The below websites are some good starting points, and may help you to identify specific employers that you would like to work for. Many large organisations have their own careers area on their website that you can register on to receive job opportunity information. The link to the careers area is often towards the bottom of the home page of organisation websites and may be titled, ‘work for us’, ‘careers’ or ‘vacancies’. Public Sector Roles http://www.jobsgopublic.com/ register for updates related to local government, charity, education and housing. http://www.lgjobs.com/- the official government jobs site advertising council vacancies. Register to receive vacancy alerts from your selected boroughs. It may also be useful to sign up to receive alerts from the individual boroughs that you are interested in working for. http://jobs.theguardian.com/jobs/government-and-politics/ - the Guardian website can be a useful source of vacancy information. The paper and website also features a ‘Society’ section every Wednesday with updates on public sector trends. Charity/Third Sector http://www.charityjob.co.uk/ - includes a search function for both paid and voluntary roles in a range of services within the charity sector. http://jobs.thirdsector.co.uk/ - the job site linked to Third Sector magazine, which contains lots of useful sector updates and news. http://www.goodmoves.org.uk/ - useful job search and alert for charity sector roles. General careers websites The two websites below pull vacancy information from a range of other job websites, so can be time saving: https://www.gov.uk/jobsearch - the government’s job search website. You can register to o save job searches, upload your CV, set up email alerts and keep track of your past applications. http://www.indeed.co.uk/ - this website searches a variety of recruitment websites and is quite intuitive, so you can search by your degree title and/or a range of keywords and it will suggest vacancies that may be of interest.
Alternatives to teaching - some examples of job titles & roles The jobs listed below relate to working with children and young people, or are related to education and/or training. It represents a very small sample, and is intended to act as a prompt for further research. It is important to note that some of the below roles may have different job titles depending on the employing service or organisation. The below information is intended to be an overview only, and students are encouraged to undertake further research and look at the person specification section on job descriptions to gain a better understanding of what employers require. For further information in relation to vacancy sources check some of the vacancy sources listed in the Where are the jobs advertised? section. In addition, the Graduate Prospects website http://www.prospects.ac.uk is a very useful source of information, and includes information about required qualifications for specific careers, as well as a career planning tool and an ‘options with your subject’ section to provide further suggestions and ideas related to career options. Community Education Officer Community education officers work within communities to promote and organise adult or family education or training opportunities. This may include practical life skills and helping people to build confidence in their abilities, as well as literacy and numeracy skills. The role may also involve assessing local training needs, and applying for funding and grants to implement projects. Community education officers often work closely with other agencies such as Jobcentre Plus staff, and other community based workers such as housing support and financial support staff. Education officers may also work for a specific organisation or charity to raise awareness and provide training on particular issues. Experience of working with a particular group of people and/or in a community setting and specific knowledge and/or skills is often just as important as educational qualifications. Therapy roles Therapy professionals often have specialisms in specific areas, for example drama, music, play, speech and language, physiotherapy and child psychotherapy. Therapy roles may involve working in a range of settings, with a variety of different client groups and may involve one to one work with clients, as well as work with groups. To work as a therapist, accredited post graduate study is normally required. Many providers of post graduate study will require applicants to demonstrate their experience of working with particular client groups as well as an understanding of what therapy is. Additional skills related to the type of therapy are often required. Therapy is a large and varied career area, and students are encouraged to undertake further research related to the area of therapy that interests them. A useful starting point may be the British Psychological Society’s website - http://www.bps.org.uk/careers-in-psychology . Student welfare The term ‘student welfare’ can cover a wide range of pastoral roles, including mentoring, counselling and advice work. Some schools and colleges directly employ counsellors and other welfare focused workers, but some services may be contracted in from external providers. Examples of external providers of counselling for children and young people include Place 2 Be http://www.place2be.org.uk/ and Catch 22 http://www.catch-22.org.uk/. There may also be work opportunities within charities and community organisations. Although counselling is not currently a regulated profession, most employers will require counselling qualifications when recruiting for counselling roles. Experience is often a requirement for other
welfare and advice roles. In addition, some roles will require specialised knowledge (in relation to the benefits system, disabilities and/or visa regulations and restrictions for example) as well as excellent communication skills. This area of work often involves working with other professionals such as teachers, social workers and the youth offending team within local authorities. Careers/Employability Advisers A careers or employability adviser provides information, advice and guidance (IAG) to individuals and groups of people. They may work within educational settings such as schools, colleges or universities or with at places such as Job Centre Plus offices and other community locations. The role can vary depending on the service, but commonly involves helping people to assess their values, interests, abilities and skills, as well as employability skills such as writing a CV, interview techniques and using social media to look for work. Increasingly, careers advisers who work in educational settings work with academic colleagues to negotiate careers education within the curriculum and liaise with employers regarding effective recruitment practices. The qualification required by employers may vary depending on the service, but there has been a move in recent years towards employers expecting a minimum of a level 6 qualification related to careers. This may be gained through a work based route or by studying a higher education qualification related to career guidance and/or coaching. Youth Offending Team Officers Youth offending teams are part of local authority provision. They work with young people who get into trouble with the law to try and help them to reduce the risk of reoffending. Youth offending teams are often involved with local crime reduction initiatives, and will often support young people and their families through the criminal justice system. As well as face to face work with clients, this role will often involve writing reports, accurately recording information and creating action plans for young people. Paid or voluntary experience of working in a related role is often required by employers, and qualifications related to the Youth Justice National Learning and Skills Framework may be offered by employers to assist with accreditation and continuing professional development. Support Work Similarly to advice and welfare work, the term ‘support work’ may apply to a range of roles, including a case work approach with a specific group of children or young people, as well as direct work with family units. Referral to support services may come from social workers, and usually focuses on helping individuals to develop skills to enable them to function better as a family or on their own. This may involve delivering direct training and identifying other supporting services to assist clients. Support work requires a wide range of skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with a range of people, the ability to work with a range of other professionals, and effective record keeping. The majority of support work roles are provided by charities and local authorities. Careers within Social Housing There are many roles within social housing. These range from ‘frontline’ roles dealing directly with tenants and supporting their needs and their options, to managing advice centres to help the public with matters arising from housing legislation, landlord and tenant relationships or rents; or advising tenants on their welfare rights. Some housing associations also offer roles to work with a specific group of tenants, such as children and young people, or older people.
The Chartered Institute of Housing has some useful information related to careers in affordable and social housing, including information about graduate entry routes within housing association. For more information see http://www.cih.org/startingyourcareer . EFL/ESOL Teacher Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) or English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) may work in a range of settings including further education colleges, community areas such as libraries, and commercial language schools. These roles usually involve teaching adults, or sometimes young people. The qualifications required by employers may vary depending on the setting. There are two specific qualifications that are widely accepted by employers for EFL roles – the Cambridge CELTA and the Trinity CertTESOL. Both of these qualifications involve observation of teaching practice. Information about the qualifications required to work in a FE setting in a teaching or training role is available at http://www.feadvice.org.uk/.
Career Motivations Understanding what motivates you within your career aspirations can help you to build up a picture of the right sector or employer for you. Take a look at some of these career motivation descriptors and think about which describe your motivations most accurately. It may be that you are motivated by a range of factors, or that one is dominant. Ascending Motto: Climb as high as you can Method: Gain promotion and advancement Desires: Money, status, responsibility, power Dreads: Getting stuck at a level below my potential Question: How quickly can I get there? Securing Motto: Stay safe Method: Manage risks, hedge your bets Desires: Stability, employability, continuity Dreads: Losing my job, changing my lifestyle Question: How can I keep things going? Learning Motto: Follow your passion Method: Find opportunities to pursue your interests Desires: Education, subject focus, new ideas Dreads: Rehashing the same knowledge Question: How can I explore this topic further? Choosing Motto: Be in control Method: Take charge whenever you can Desires: Autonomy, independence Dreads: Having to answer to someone else Question: How can I do it my way? Investing Motto: It will be worth it in the end Method: Work hard to lay a foundation for the future Desires: Building resources, enabling dreams Dreads: Not making it by wasting time Question: What will it take to get there? Defining Motto: What you do is who you are Method: Seek clearly defined roles Desires: Sense of identity, status, respect Dreads: Undermining or devaluing of role Question: What does it say about me?
Growing Motto: Become a more rounded person Method: Take on roles that allow development Desires: Self actualisation, wisdom Dreads: Staying the same person Question: How will this change me? Relating Motto: Be somewhere you belong Method: Focus on nurturing relationships Desires: Community, family, being valued Dreads: Being isolated, not fitting in, conflict Question: Who do I connect with? Exploring Motto: Keep trying new things Method: Always looking for new opportunities Desires: New challenges, the unexpected Dreads: Repeating the same actions Question: Where could this take me next? Auditioning Motto: My time will come Method: Get your talents noticed Desires: Recognition, nurturing, reward Dreads: Being overlooked Question: Who will give me my big chance? Fulfilling Motto: Live up to your promise Method: Accept challenging goals Desires: Achievement, being worthy, fulfilling duty Dreads: Giving up on the mission Question: How can I achieve my purpose? Expressing Motto: Articulate your individuality Method: Self-expression Desires: Being creative, being oneself, Dreads: Having to conform Question: Can I be myself?
Graduate recruitment schemes Graduate recruitment schemes are structured programmes that include work and training. They are usually offered by large companies and are usually competitive to get on to, as they offer good salaries and employment opportunities once completed. 70% of graduate recruiters require a 2:1 or above 27% of employers/graduate roles demand specific degrees, which means that around 73% don’t! Graduate recruitment schemes are available across a wide range of sectors. Examples of popular graduate recruitment schemes related to public sector work with children and young people includes: Teach First (Teaching) Frontline (Social Work) Charityworks (placements within social sector charities such as NSPCC) Graduate recruitment schemes usually start accepting applications in the September of the preceding year that they are due to start. The selection process can have several stages, and will often include an application form, online tests, phone/Skype calls, group activities and sometime a full day of assessments. Changing career direction Many employers are looking for the transferable skills you have gained throughout your degree, such as problem solving, teamwork, presentation and communication skills. The career paths available with non-specific degrees include: Management and administration roles Finance and professional services Civil service or local government roles Not for profits and charitable sector roles As well as the skills you have gained from your degree, consider your personal technical or specialised skills. These may be degree specific, but could also be related to work experience, voluntary work and any hobbies that you may have. This will help you to build up a picture of what you can offer to employers, and may help you to identify additional job roles or sectors that you may not have previously considered.
Networking and Research Physical networking You are probably networking all the time in your daily life without realising it. Although the term can sound very formal, networking is simply meeting and making connections with people in a way that is mutually beneficial. This can happen informally through your own family and social networks, through volunteering and working with different organisations, and at more formal organised networking or career events. The key to networking successfully is being aware of your own knowledge, motivations and goals so that you are able to engage in conversation with others. If you are attending a formal networking event it is a good idea to do some research about the event in advance. The type of information to find out might include the organisations who are attending, and the type of topics that are likely to come up in discussions and conversation. Try to relax and be yourself. A lot of people find it difficult to speak to people for the first time, so it’s likely that the person you are talking to feels the same as you. By asking open questions and being an active listener, you can encourage people to talk about themselves and their profession. Consider how you will give people your contact details. Pre-printed contact information might be useful to take with you, and you might want to make sure you have some good quality copies of your CV to hand out to potential employers. Make sure you follow up on any contacts you make – this could be by sending a short email thanking them for their time or by connecting through social media. Virtual networking Social media can be a great way to keep up to date with sector news and trends, as well as networking with other professionals in your field. Jobs may sometimes be advertised through social media before going out to a wider audience, as this can save organisations advertising costs. Twitter offers a great way to stay up to date of news relevant to your sector, to create and develop relationships with peers and to get yourself known by contributing to debates. Search for and follow key employers in your chosen field. LinkedIn remains valuable for network-building – the key to using it effectively is to use it regularly, rather that treating it as a static online CV. You can join forums and contribute to discussions to raise your profile and make connections with recruiters and peers within your sector. Facebook can also be useful for your career research and progression. You can ‘like’ groups related to your sector and curate lists of relevant organisations on your Interests page. Be aware that your Facebook profile may be one of the first places potential employers head to. Ensure you keep privacy settings updated and think twice about what gets posted there – or on any other social network.
Self-Employment Being self-employed might include producing and/or selling products or services, developing and marketing new ideas, or working in a freelance capacity to offer your skills to employers. Many people find the idea of being self-employed appealing for a number of reasons – this includes being able to manage your time flexibly, increased job satisfaction, and having the independence and freedom to try out new ideas. Being self-employed may also present challenges – these include managing legal responsibilities such as tax and insurance, limited free time (especially at the start of developing your business) and a lack of sick pay and other associated benefits that you may get when you work for an employer. It is important to be aware of all of the implications of self-employment so that you can make the decision that works best for you and can plan effectively. Some people decide to balance the risk of self-employment with a part time salaried role initially to meet other financial commitments such as living costs. This may not be possible for all self-employment options (such as when hiring premises is necessary and adds to associated costs for example). Support within UEL UEL’s enterprise team can help to support your business plans. You can book an appointment with a business adviser to get feedback on your ideas, as well as advice on writing a business plan and help with sourcing funding. In addition, the university can offer current and previous students space in a hot desk facility at the Docklands campus at a vastly reduced rate. To find out more, contact the UEL Enterprise team at
[email protected] or see http://www.uel.ac.uk/eet/students/enterprise/ for more information.
Other support/information https://www.gov.uk/starting-up-a-business - the government website to support businesses to develop. This covers the different stages to consider when planning your business, as well as links to additional sources of information. http://www.prospects.ac.uk/self_employment.htm - this section on the Graduate Prospects website contains useful information about writing a business plan, which breaks the different areas you will need to consider into useful sections. http://www.princes-trust.org.uk/need_help/enterprise_programme.aspx - the Prince’s Trust offers support to people who are aged 18-30 and working less than 16 hours a week to develop their business ideas.
Speculative Applications Speculative applications refer to proactive direct approaches to employers, when a job has not been advertised. You might make speculative applications to gain work experience, a job shadowing opportunity, or for paid opportunities. A speculative application will usually consist of a CV and letter/email, but could be preceded or followed up with a telephone call. Speculative applications – some advice: Do your research. Spend more time on fewer applications/approaches and tailor your approaches to individual organisations, and a named contact, rather than churning out generic applications to many organisations Be prepared to apply to many employers, and expect only a few responses. Letters are usually opened, whereas emails may get buried or ignored. If you do choose to make contact by email make the subject line relevant. Consider how you can add value to the organisation you are approaching and make this obvious by mentioning your skills, knowledge and experience. Find out the name of the person you need to write to if possible. You can find names on LinkedIn (follow the company or organisation there), from your personal network, or in industry publications. Some employers (for example, local authorities) may not be able to offer permanent paid work as a result of speculative approaches due to equal opportunity recruitment practices. However, making a direct approach can raise your profile and help you to find out about vacancies or work experience opportunities. Make your contact focused and clear, but don’t close any doors by making demands or by being very specific about the type of role you are seeking.
If you would like advice or guidance in relation to making speculative applications to employers you can contact the Careers and Student Employability (CaSE) team http://www.uel.ac.uk/case to book an appointment with a Careers Consultant or get advice by email. This service is available for up to two years after you graduate.
Further Study Further study after completing a degree may include a range of options including: Post graduate study such as a Master’s degree, Postgraduate certificate, or a Postgraduate diploma. Professional qualifications to acquire chartered status within a profession. Short training courses to develop specific skills. There are a number of reasons that students decide to continue in education and learning after they have finished their degree. These may include: To obtain a specific qualification that is required for your chosen sector (for example nursing, social work or teaching). To expand your knowledge of a particular topic and engage in further research at a more advanced level. To add to your skills set in a particular area that will be useful for your career aims. For enjoyment or advancement of ability in a specific area. Your decision may include a range of the above factors. It is important to research your options carefully to ensure that you are making a well informed decision. For example, you may need to think about how you will fund your studies – options for funding may include loans, bursaries and grants depending on the qualification and the provider. Sometimes there may be several options to gain a qualification or skills. Examples of options may include a work based programme, online or distance learning providers, or by further study at a college or university. If you would find it useful to discuss your options in relation to the next steps after your course and/or career planning you can contact the Careers and Student Employability team to book an appointment with a Careers Consultant. Sources of information http://www.prospects.ac.uk/postgraduate_study.htm - the Graduate Prospects website – this section offers some advice and guidance as well as links to sources of funding and further information. https://www.gov.uk/funding-for-postgraduate-study the government website has some useful information and links to help with funding post graduate studies. https://www.gov.uk/career-development-loans/overview - information about career development loans. http://www.uel.ac.uk/study/postgrad/ information and advice on the UEL website in relation to choosing, applying for and funding your postgraduate course.
Professional Organisations and Societies Professional organisations and societies are usually non-profit organisations who seek to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that profession, and the public interest. Many professional bodies are involved in the development and monitoring of professional educational programs, and the updating of skills. The websites of professional bodies can be useful sources of information and you can often access a lot of this information without membership. Some examples of professional organisations that might be of interest to Cass students are listed below.
The British Association of Social Workers https://www.basw.co.uk/. BASW is the largest professional association for social work in the UK, with offices in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. They promote the best possible social work services for all people who may need them, while also securing the well-being of social workers. The Association for the Professional Development of Early Years Teachers http://tactyc.org.uk/ . TACTYC promotes and advocates the highest quality professional development for all early years educators in order to enhance the educational well-being of the youngest children. Nasen http://www.nasen.org.uk/ promotes the education, training, advancement and development of all those with special and additional support needs. Pacey (Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years) http://www.pacey.org.uk/ . PACEY is the Professional Association for Childcare and Early Years. They set standards for the profession as well as promoting best practice and support childcare professionals to deliver high standards of care and learning. NAPE (National Association for Primary Education) http://nape.org.uk/ . NAPE strive to raise the profile of primary education and to achieve a higher priority in the nation’s consideration of education and the allocation of human and other educational resources. The Foundation Professional Membership Service (FPMS) https://www.ifl.ac.uk The Foundation Professional Membership Service (FPMS) is an independent, member-led professional body for individual teachers, trainers, tutors, assessors and other professionals working in the education and training sector. The National Youth Agency http://www.nya.org.uk/ The National Youth Agency is the leading national youth work charity in England. Their work involves supporting youth workers in doing what they do, more effectively.
How the Careers & Student Employability (CaSE) team can support you The Careers and Student Employability (CaSE) team are here to support you to achieve your goals. Take a look at our rich array of career resources to help activate your career journey http://www.uel.ac.uk/case . Some of the support we can offer includes: Internship and work experience opportunities to help you develop your skills, networks and experience. Volunteering opportunities - search our volunteering database, which includes one off opportunities and regular activities to fit around your other commitments. Mentoring programmes, including professional mentors within a range of sectors and a peer mentoring programme that will enable you to mentor students in local schools and colleges. Careers Guidance and Coaching appointments You can also book an appointment with one of our Careers Consultants to discuss a range of topics including interview skills, CV and application form writing and career planning amongst a range of other topics related to careers and employability. To book an appointment please go to http://www.uel.ac.uk/eet/bookanappointment/ Support within Cass The Cass School of Education and Communities has a dedicated Careers Consultant, Catrina Holmes. Catrina offers twice weekly drop in sessions, E-guidance and appointments at a time to suit you. For more information, see http://www.uel.ac.uk/eet/careersdropinservice/#CASS or email
[email protected] .
