National Careers Week is an annual event that takes place in the UK in March. The aim of the week is to provide young people with information and inspiration about different career options.
Although many schools put a huge focus on careers for this one week, it is even more effective to continue to drip-feed career advice and information throughout the year, in a variety of formats.
There is a huge opportunity for parents to get involved in their local schools and help students learn more about what they can do with their lives after they graduate. From traditional roles like doctor or lawyer to video game designer or professional athlete, there's something out there for everyone. So whatever a young person’s interests and talents may be, they should not be afraid to pursue their dream job!
As a member of the PTA, you are in a fantastic position to harness the knowledge and experience of the ‘parent body’. We’ve shared some ideas on how you can rally parent volunteers to encourage students to plan ahead and start thinking about their careers. Some may only be suitable for older students, but others could work well at primary level:
1. Have a resume writing workshop
Develop students’ resumé and interview skills by hosting a workshop in school that will teach our youth how to create an impactful document tailored for any industry, while also improving self-confidence.
Reach out to parent volunteers who may have experience in this area, or have perhaps been involved in interviewing and recruiting candidates in their workplace.
2. Offer free career counselling
Students can get help with their future plans and choose what they would like as a career from professional advisors, who are dedicated in helping them find the perfect match for themselves!
Reach out to your local business community and see whether any consultants would be willing to do an introductory talk. This can be a great lead generator for them (i.e bring them new business) so could be a win-win.
3. Hold a careers fair
The key to finding a successful career is being sure not only do you have the right skills for it, but also meeting people who can mentor and guide your future. Reach out to your local business community to see whether they would consider participating in a careers fair sited at your secondary school.
This is an opportunity for students to connect with potential employers in their area of interest, which could lead them down the road towards success!
4. Give presentations on different careers
During national careers week and even throughout the year, why not give presentations on how one can be successful in various industries.
From security guards to dietitians and beyond there are jobs available for everyone! This is the perfect time to have parents come into a class or attend an assembly to talk about their various roles.
5. Offer workshops on how to search for jobs online
Offering after-school workshops on how to search for jobs online and get interviews is a great hands-on event. Provide the tools, resources, tips-and even some templates that can help job searching become more streamlined.
Teach the kids how to use online databases like LinkedIn as well as other websites such focused exclusively on specific career opportunities in special niches such as accounting or finance.
Highlight the fact that employers tend to look at potential employees through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, so maintaining a respectable image online is very important.
Over to you
Whatever a young person’s interests may be, it’s important that we provide them with the information and resources they need to make informed decisions about their future. We’d love your support in making this a fabulous and useful resource so that by next year’s National Careers Week. It will be full of inspirational career stories from people like you.
About PlanSocial
PlanSocial curates resources and educational materials for school parents and their families, focusing on everything from educational support for your children, self-development and career re-entry, to home improvement, family well-being and even where to find the best family holidays.
