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From the age of 5, it is drummed into us that we have to choose a career. By the time we are 13, we have an idea of what we are good at and what we would like to do (having learned that being a prince or princess is not an option!), but by 14, we have to make a vague decision when we choose our subjects for GCSEs. Then at 16, we have to narrow this down further upon choosing A levels. When we have finished, there is the biggest decision: Job or Further Education.

For those who choose a job, it is easier to make a career change in later life, but when we choose to undertake a degree, our options can in fact become limited. You may have found yourself in what you thought to be a dream career, but in fact it has actually turned out to be pretty dull. Fancying a career change?

Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

Do I really want a different career, or a different job? (Same industry, different role, company etc.)Do I want to use my current skills, or acquire new ones?Am I prepared to start from the bottom again?Will I regret changing/not changing?The answers to your questions above will be indicative of your next move. Still fancying a change? Read on…

Choose A Direction

Pick a career that you like the sound of. Research it, and see if you think it is viable as a career for you. Will it fulfil your needs and interests? What qualifications do you need? Can you be bothered to go through all the coursework and stress? Be realistic, but don’t lose your ambition. By even considering a career change, you are in the right frame of mind. After all, a career change will not come to you. You have to work hard for it. If you have any doubts about the strain on your time or whether you can fit retraining into your lifestyle, you have to make the time and space for it before you go any further. For those of us with an already busy lifestyle, you have to prepare yourself mentally for a bit of a struggle. Late nights studying, exams and classes can be hard to get back into but with the right mentality and a strong level of motivation, you will succeed.

Can you afford it?

Is there financial support available while you work towards these qualifications? Will you have to take a salary cut when you start your new job? How long will the salary cut last? When running a home and supporting a family, you have to be realistic about money. If need be, study over a longer period to allow you to spread the cost over that period.

Start Small

If you aren’t totally sure of your new career move, why not try a taster course or enquire about voluntary work? A taster course will give you an idea of what you will be studying as well as the intensity of the qualification. Voluntary work, on the other hand, will give you a true feel of what the job would involve. Shadowing someone who is what you want to be can be very insightful and may even give you some experience or contacts to help you along with your career change.

Conversion Courses

Some qualifications can be converted easily using a conversion course. One of the most popular conversions is the teacher-training qualification. Instead of just knowing your degree content, you can instead teach it, whether it’s to school-age children, adults, or as a private tutor. Other courses can help you to use your degree in different ways, for example, you can add a management course and choose the management track rather than performing the technical side of your role.

Freelancing

If you aren’t quite ready to jump into a career change with both feet, whether limited by finance or other issues, why not do a bit of freelance work? You can keep up the day job, and do your freelancing at weekends, on days off, or during the evening. Getting established as a reputable freelancer can take a little time, but once you get started, you might just find a steady stream of work, depending on what you do. Writing is a great place to start, as most of us can write about something. If you enjoy web design, there could be work out there for you too! There are often jobs posted on sites such RentACoder or PeoplePerHour requiring people from all different skillsets, even including the weird and wonderful. Have a look online to see what you can find and start proposing.

Starting over?

If you truly want to change everything and start over, go for it! The world is your oyster, and you control your future by the decisions you make. There are hundreds and thousands of options and opportunities out there, so take some time to work out what you want to do, who you want to be, and how you will get there. Once you are sure, take the leap and change your career.

As you can see, there are many pros and cons to changing your career, but if you are unhappy doing what you do, you need to consider whether you will ever get past that. Someone once said: “If you do the job you love, you’ll never have to do a day’s work in your life”. By changing your career, you could be taking the steps towards living the dream.

Sometimes you can be oblivious to what is happening around you or sometimes it is blatantly obvious. It is very important to keep your eyes and ears open in your place of work and look for any signals that you should be picking up on.

There are various ways of spotting this that do not just include reflecting on your own workload but of what is happening to the company. Keep an eye out for some or all of the below warning signs.

# There’s an uneasy feeling around the company

Have you noticed the company doing badly? Heard any rumours? Is the company open with their staff when things are going well or badly or is it hushed up and just like Chinese whispers. From my experience I would definitely say the latter so it makes it even more important to keep a close eye on what goes on around you.

# Redundancies in your department

If a business is not doing well or you have witnessed a number of redundancies or been part of a consultation process for redundancy then although you are not bound to be made redundant, there is a high chance and through this process employers will normally offer you the opportunity to go to interviews should you get any. It is worth bearing this in mind in case you get caught out.

# Being taken down the disciplinary route

If you have been called to a disciplinary hearing for something that you have done wrong then unless you can complete hold your hands up and say that yes you have done wrong it is worth bearing in mind that this route can sometimes have the effect you do not want it to and its always worth keeping your options open.

# Unhappy with how your job is progressing

Occasionally when you have been in a role for a fair amount of time you can get bored and a bit stale, going to work for the sake of needing a job rather than going to a job that you love and are enthusiastic about. This can be very obvious to your employers and you could be picked up on this, you attitude, how you come across and maybe even called to a review of your role.  Sometimes it is better to start looking for a new challenge before it gets to this stage for both the company and your own self esteem.

# Unable to do what you are meant to in your job

Sometimes because of the set up of a team or department you feel you are simply unable to do what you want to in the role you thought you were doing. From your point of view this is a sign to think about moving on if you feel it cannot be resolved internally as otherwise you will become resentful and that kind of attitude is never productive to a business or your career.

# Company re locating and not to an area you want to move to

If a company is looking to relocate its premises it will be open to employees to move with the company or leave their employment through choice. If they are moving to an area away from where you are settled this is not always possible leaving you in a difficult quandary as to what to do. If you are unable to move with the company then you are faced with little options and its time to move on.

# On a final written warning

Beware; if you have got a final written warning on your file then this usually stays on your personnel record for 12 months meaning that you are very close to leaving that employer unless the warning was totally justified and that you are happy that you are going to turn the situation around.

# Company not following procedures

If you suspect that a company is not following standard procedures such as giving out a contract of employment, following holiday regulations etc then this is a clear sign that something is not quite right and that they do not value their employees. Working in this manner is not right and finding a new career choice is the best advice.

# End of Contract

If you were taken on board for a contractual period of time and this is coming to an end, don’t rely on that contract being extended as there may be numerous reasons why it would not be extended and instead discuss this with your Line Manager and weigh up the options but all the while making sure that you also look for a new role to move to in case you need to or indeed want a new contract.

# Not got enough work to do

Most businesses operate on just enough staff and sometimes too little staff making people’s roles very busy indeed. This means that if there comes a time when you don’t have much work to do then you need to be asking why in case this is the way forward and in your area or as a whole there is not enough work. Keeping your eyes and ears open at all times in a work environment is very important for a long and successful career.

Job Fairs are a good way of meeting companies and getting your name and CV out there for potential roles. Some of the big companies take part in job fairs as a way of meeting and being able to talk to candidates prior to any interview situation and if you are looking to meet companies then it’s important to choose which Job Fairs you should attend to suit your skill set.

Please note that the most easily recognised names are located in Cities such as London, Manchester and Edinburgh.

#1 The Jobs Fair

The Jobs Fair tends to be the biggest Fair that holds events in most major towns and cities. They do not specifically target companies so it is a very general job fair where you will get the opportunity to meet all kinds of different employers from postal services to finance.

#2 Skills London

Skills London is known as the biggest event and in 2013 their event had over 180 recruiters ready to meet potential employees.  As well as employers being present at this event there are also training providers there to help get people into jobs by updating skills, learning and training etc.

#3 The BFRS Event – Armed Forces

The BFRS Event is an event which is aimed at people who have been in the Armed Forces, their families and communities in which they live. It specialises in trying to get the ex Armed Forces personnel into civilian roles, to enable them to look at training opportunities or how to work for themselves through self employment.

#4 RCN Bulletin Job Fair – Nursing

The RCN Bulletin Job Fair which operates in most major towns, dates can be found through their website. They target people in a Nursing environment looking for a new move, further training, a different aspect to a Nursing career etc.

#5 The Graduate Recruitment Fair

The Graduate Recruitment Fair as its name suggests specifically deals with Graduates and those soon to leave university. Employers at this Fair are looking for a long term plan with graduate training programmes of a mixture of industries.

#6 PwC Graduate Recruitment Fair

The PwC Recruitment Fairs are usually held in major Cities and Towns close to their working establishment. It allows you the opportunity to get an insight into the PwC Group of companies and to see what kind of career you can have with them, in what locations and what skills you require.

#7 City’s Law Fair

The City’s Law Fair specifically targets Law Graduates and Professionals looking for a Law career from a runner to a Barrister. Primarily they deal with London Vacancies but will also operate with other law firms across the country.

#8 Daily Echo Jobs Fair (Southampton)

The Daily Echo Jobs Fair is a huge job fair based in Southampton and sponsored by the Daily Echo Newspaper group. They have employers from across Southampton, Hampshire and surrounding areas and in most business areas depending on the vacancies that companies have to offer or the graduate programs they are looking to run for that period.

#9 National Graduate Recruitment

The National Graduate Recruitment Fair usually operates from the NEC in Birmingham and also from London targeting Graduates. They are the only Job Fair that refunds candidates expenses to get to the Fair such a travel expenses. They also provide advice on CV’s applications and general skills needed for a particular career choice.

#10 The Careers Group (London University)

The Careers Group events is a mixture of Academic institutions as well as employers, training providers and other organisations that can provide help and advice as well as a potential job to people looking for a career choice.

It is what most people want to do, make sure that they are employable and interesting to employers so what can you do to increase this? Whether you are employed or not you should always try to add new skills, qualifications and experience to become more employable.

Below tips will give you an idea on some of the areas you could look at.

#1 Up to Date Required Skills

Employers want people with the most up to date skills and experience they can find. For example if you are in IT, make sure you keep up to date with the latest technology and demonstrate how you keep up to date and why, what interests you and what keeps you motivated to keep up to date? These things will interest an employer as they will see you are as passionate about something that they need you to be for their organisation.

#2 Up to Date CV

Never forget to update your CV. Look at it regularly when job hunting and never stop tweaking it and making changes so that you have the latest jobs that you have been doing or a recent training course, online course etc.

#3 Good Attitude

Having a positive attitude will go a long way to making you more employable. Employers do not want a bad attitude from the start, they are looking for people to add value to their company and you need to come across well and want to do well for them.

#4 Clear Employment or Education History

Make sure that your CV is laid out well with a clear employment and or education history with the main focus being on whatever is most important to that company. Read the job description carefully and if it is essential that you are degree educated make sure that that description is very close to the top of your CV so they find what they are looking for quickly. The idea is to make a CV and all the information an employer wants to be easy to avoid them not looking further.

#5 Wants to Be Successful

If you have an air of ambition and want to be successful this will show you in a good light rather than someone who is just happy to accept his/her lot and take what comes. Success is what every company wants to be so it is only right that they want like minded staff.

#6 Previous Industry Experience

If you have previous industry experience then this will make you more employable as you have some direct knowledge that the company will be interested in. Make sure you demonstrate this relevance clearly.

#7 Good References

If you have good references then this will make you more employable as it gives an employer proof that you have been good for someone else.

#8 Relevant qualifications

If a company is specifically looking for certain qualifications then you need to exploit the qualifications that you have with what they are looking for and make sure that they are highlighted in your application or CV.

#9 Be decisive

If you are a decisive person and can make decisions on your own accord then this will usually appeal to employers so they do not feel that they have to hold your hand every step of the way.

#10 Be Commercially Aware

If you can demonstrate your commercial awareness then this will be a positive for an employer who will see that you keep yourself aware of new developments already and that you will be an asset to their company doing the same.

Have you had a lot of job applications rejected or got so far and not taken any further? It is very frustrating and can leave you asking why so it is important to address this and look at why your applications are possibly being rejected.

Spending days to find a job to apply and hours to fill the forms shouldn’t wasted by simple mistakes that can easily be avoided.

Here are possible reasons why your job application rejected!

# Applying for the wrong jobs

Sometimes people want a change of career and find a job that they want to apply for but it does nit suit their skills. Getting into a different job market can be very difficult especially if you do not explain the skills that you have which cross over. Employers will look past any irrelevant jobs and that is why it is important to make sure that this is covered early on so that an employer knows that although this is not something you have directly one before that you are keen to develop and have x,y and z skills which are very relevant to the role being advertised.

# Applying for the Wrong Level

Do you feel that you have the right amount of experience for the role you are applying for or if you were honest do you have too little or too much experience? Both of these areas will put employers off. Too little experience and they will feel you are not ready for this role and too much and they will feel that you will get bored easily.

# CV Not Coming Across Right

Has it been a while since you re did your CV? It might be time to revisit it and set it out differently starting with the information an employer wants first. If you have been in employment for a few years it is now to let your employment history dominate your skills rather than your education.

# Missing Application Deadlines

An easy mistake to make, you have a date in your mind and you do not double check till too late. If you miss a deadline, an application will usually be rejected straight away.

# Not Reading the Application Questions Properly

Reading questions carefully and answering them specifically is the only way to get through to an employer. If you are struggling to answer the question due to your experience being slightly wrong then it may not be worth applying for the job.

# Going off on Tangents Not Sticking to What is Being Asked

Stick to the question that has been asked. Do not waffle when answering questions. Employers want a short description about what you can do and how this is related to the role that they are recruiting for.

# Failing to Answer All the Questions

If you don’t manage to answer all the questions or sections then this could be another reason why your applications are being rejected. Most employers expect every box to be completed with something.

# Failing to Do Any Online Tests

If you have to do any online tests, aptitude, personality etc and you fail to do these or fail to do well in these, then this will be another reason why your applications are rejected. Employers put these measures in place to be able to check they are employing the right candidates.

It will always depend on the company and the role itself but most companies want the same basic skills from their employees, the level of these will just alter depending on the specific details. Below is an idea of some of the top skills employers look for in their staff.

1- Decision making skills

Having good decision making skills can be very important. Being indecisive and not being able to make a decision for yourself makes life very awkward as making decisions is a simple part of every day.

2- Problem solving skills

Being able to look at a problem and work out how you are going to solve it can be important in many roles but it takes a certain type of person to be able to take a problem and have the patience and logical mind needed to solve it.

3- Computer skills

It is essential to be good with computers as this is what we use day in day out so employers will always be looking for people with good IT knowledge especially related to the packages that you will be expected to use each day at work.

4- Team working

Being able to work as part of a Team is very important in most people’s daily work. Rarely do people work solely on their own and even if you work in a small office you are liable to be required to work with others over the telephone which is still classed as working with others.

5- Assertiveness

Being assertive is always a benefit, if you can look at something and assertively organise it and go through from beginning to end then you will be valuable to your employer as it shows that you can handle responsibility and take on tasks that maybe others   on your level cannot.

6- Numeracy

Even in this day and age it is good to have good numeracy skills. Most jobs need some form of numeracy and being able to work things out and have a clear understanding is important for most businesses. It’s also essential for your own piece of mind even if it means that you can work out your payslip.

7- Language skills

Having good language skills will depend on the employer but if your employer is an international company or one that deals with international companies then being able to speak different languages will be very beneficial to your role and to the company.

8- Management skills

Having good management skills will again depend on the role and level that you are at. It is an advantage if you are going for a management position if you have had some previous knowledge of management and you are able to manage people and a situation.

9- Time management

Essential and very valuable to employers. No company wants to take on staff that cannot manage their own time and take far too long to do simple tasks. It is important to manage your time in whatever way works for you but simply it is about being organised and thinking through your role.

10- Influencing skills

If you have an influencing personality then this will be valuable to any sales type role where you will need to be able to persuade, influence and even sell things to companies.

When completing a job application it is very important to ensure that you get the application just right and not make any unnecessary mistakes that could ultimately reduce or lose your chances of getting that role.

#1 Poor Grammar in your application

This is very important, it shows how closely you have checked your application form and also will show how you come across. Try and get someone to double check it for you to make sure that it is written correctly and comes across exactly how you would like it to.

#2 Not reading the job properly

Make sure that you have read the questions properly for answering, maybe even do a copy of the application so that you do it right and do the final version as you want it to be. Make sure that the job you are applying for is one that you can do and you can demonstrate this well in your application form.

#3 Not answering the questions properly

Some people go off on tangents answering questions that were not asked in the first place, this will not go down well with someone reading an application form. Read and re read the application form to ensure you know exactly what the question is asking from you.

#4 Failing to do any associated tests

If as part of your application you are required to attached documents or do certain tests and attach then it is important that these are done in conjunction with the form as it all forms part of the application process.

#5 Not having good referee details

Ensure that before putting down your referee details that you have checked that this is ok to give out the contact details and that you can be certain in your own mind that you are going to get a good reference when they are approached.

#6 Missing out dates of your employment

If your application form doesn’t add up in terms of when you started and finished jobs or college or courses etc then it will leave the recruiter thinking why. Make sure you double check all your dates in an application form to ensure that they add up.

#7 Not explaining any periods of being out of work

If you have been unemployed for any period of time or purely taken a gap year, make sure that you explain this in great detail what you were doing during this time and for how long and what else you did during this period where possible. It allows the recruiter to think to know that if you have been looking for work that you have been trying all options.

#8 Giving false details you cannot back up

Never lie on an application form, it will always come back to haunt you. Make sure that you state employment details and any information that you are giving in true and clear form so that the recruiter doesn’t question it. For example if you make out that you were Director of a company and now applying for a Sales Manager role, they will be asking themselves lots of questions which could open a can of worms.

#9 Giving the wrong telephone and contact details

Don’t write down the wrong contact details by mistake and sit wondering why you never heard from a company. Make sure especially when typing an application form that you have double checked your contact numbers and email address so that it is clear.

#10 Not emphasising the skills that the job requires

Missing out this opportunity to emphasise through an application form why an employer should choose to interview you will not get you very far. Make sure you maximise this and at any opportunity re visit the questions and ensure that you relate your answers specifically to them.

Being unemployed is a tricky time for most and sometimes you just need pointing in the right direction. The below is a few pointers on things that you could do to prepare yourself for returning to work.

#1 Search job adverts

Fairly obvious to some but not everyone knows the best places to look for jobs. Try searching newspapers and online adverts as well as local job boards. Employers these days usually do a mixture of online advertising and advertising in the local newspapers.

#2 Update your CV

Update your CV so that you have got your latest job and any new skills or purely given it a bit of a makeover or change around. Seek advice on how best to present your CV.

#3 Get help writing a covering letter

Before applying for any roles you need a good covering letter which you can adapt to each role and make sure it is tailored specifically for an individual role. Ensure that you sell yourself early on in the covering letter as this is what will get a potential future employers attention to read on.

#4 Visit recruitment agencies

Go round your local recruitment agencies that specialise in work that you could do. Make sure you get to see a recruitment consultant and take your CV with you. Depending on the roles you are looking for, you may be required to do some tests. Use this visit as a practice interview ensuring that you sell yourself to them.

#5 Speak to the job centre

If you don’t already, make an appointment to see your local job centre and seek free advice from them in terms of what jobs they have on offer, if they can help you with any skills updates, courses, your CV and covering letter etc.

#6 Drop your CV and covering letter off at potential places of work

Get your covering letter and CV ready and drop it off at local places that you could work at, be it your local shop, restaurant, take away, bar, office etc. Make sure that you look presentable when dropping your CV off and ask for it to be given to a Manager who deal with recruitment.

#7 Get some interview advice and experience

As said previously use any opportunity you can to practice your interview skills, even if you do it in front of a friend or the mirror. Search online for any advice you can find and make notes on the best advice you find and try to put it into practice. It’s essential before going to any interview that you are prepared and feel comfortable with what you are talking about.

#8 Update your interview and work wardrobe

Another part of before going to an interview is sorting out what you can wear when you get an interview. Update your wardrobe. If you don’t have a suit and cannot afford one, try buying a shirt/blouse and a skirt/trousers and combining with a tie for male people and a cardigan or scarf for female candidates.

#9 Practice

Practice, practice, practice. There is no point going to see anyone be it a recruitment consultant to talk about opportunities or dropping your CV into a company speculatively or attending an interview. You need to know your CV and your skills inside out so that you can answer any questions that they wish to know about you.

#10 Do some voluntary work

If you can you could give your skills a boost by doing some voluntary skills then this would be very beneficial. This could be from helping out serving teas and coffees to cleaning to admin support, it will depend on the venue but worth updating your CV with new skills.

Finding work when you have just finished your Degree at University can be a daunting task and after the years of studying can leave you wondering where to start.  It is an important time of a graduates life applying for what could essentially be their career position and therefore it needs to be well thought out and below are some tips that could be helpful when beginning the job search.

#1 Work Experience

It’s important to see what work experience you have done throughout your studies and if you have had any part time jobs or done a year out for example. Any experience that you have had that shows that you have done some work as well as studying is always good for an employer to see what you are capable of.

#2 Your CV

Having a good CV is essential as this is the document that will be the initial decider for a company to see if they want to interview you so ensuring that you have the right amount of detail and tailor this to the specific role that you are applying for is key to getting your foot through the door.

#3 References

As you are fresh out of university do you have good references that people can refer to, from your University Lecturer or any part time jobs that you have done whilst you have been at University. Anything that can state what work that you have and it will show to employers what other people think of you to give them an idea of your skills and what you could do for them.

#4 Expectations v Realistic

Make sure that you expectations are realistic. When leaving university its easy to come out with a set knowledge about what you should be earning in the job world. In actual fact most jobs are not at that level and at lot about getting a first role is about making sure that you do something related to your degree, something that you want to do and also to make sure that you gain as much professional experience as possible in your chosen career and the way to do this is through work.

#5 Skills and experiences

Have you had a look at your skills and experiences and do they match what you are hoping to apply for? To be taken seriously and to match against what an employer is looking for then it is important to have the right skills and experiences so that they can compare your skills to the position they are trying to fill.

#6 Register with recruitment agencies

Go and visit the recruitment agencies, see what they have to offer? Find one that specialises in Graduate recruitment in the sector of your choice and help them to find you a role. You can help them through research and any job knowledge you have through your friends, word of mouth, scouring the papers or internet etc.

#7 Get your CV online

Register your CV on line through various websites so that employers looking for candidates can search directly and find someone with your skills.

#8 Recommendations

Follow up any recommendations that you have from people as some of your friends may be applying for a job but they may not be well matched to that particular role where as you may have better skills or some direct experience which gives you an advantage.

#9 Speak to your tutor

By speaking to your tutor, he or she will be able to advise you on the correct path. Universities usually have careers departments that are specifically there to help graduates when finishing their degree and giving them advice on finding a job, help with CV, where to apply etc. As a free service it is well worth while.

#10 Where are your friends applying?

You will all (if on the same course) be looking for similar jobs in probably similar areas so can you share that information, help each other? I know its competition but its healthy competition with you all in the same boat and it shortens your research time if you can all group together in a search.

Can you relocate?

Are you restricted where you can move to at this time or are you flexible about where you can live? If you are flexible then you have more opportunity to go where the big companies are who take graduates on graduate schemes, this could be an idea worth thinking about.