Careers and Development

Positive Choices for Years 10 - 11

Welcome to Positive Futures Careers and Development Toolkit.

This toolkit is designed to:

In addition to the Positive Choices Toolkit there are four others in this series:

Making an Early Start
(Years 7 to 9)

A Leap into the Future
(Years 12 and 13)

Guidance for Parents and Carers

Guidance for Coaches and Mentors

Each section of the toolkit contains useful tips and strategies, resources, contacts and

information to help raise educational and career aspirations.

You can use the toolkit together with any information, research, support provided by your

school, careers guidance teams and teachers.

For further information about this toolkit or to ask about other support opportunities

please contact info@positivefuturesgroup.org

An introduction video to our toolkit

MAKING POSITIVE CHOICES IS A POSITIVE START

The Positive Choices Toolkit is designed to support young people in Years 10 and 11 as they work towards their GCSEs and start to think about career options beyond Year 11.

There are tips, tools and questions to guide, inform and support young people, including links to useful sites and resources.

You are in Year 10 or 11, you have chosen your subjects already, and studying them in detail.

This toolkit provides helpful tips and ideas to help you develop your confidence in the subjects you are studying. It also empowers you to do well.

Remember there will be opportunities to study different subjects or change your career goals in future. Knowing how to, developing the confidence and ability make the changes and improvements you desire will help you to succeed.

HOW TO MAKE POSITIVE CHOICES

In Year 10 and 11 some of you may have ideas about what you would like to do when you
complete your GCSE exams.

Finding paid work
Continuing into further education, either sixth form college, further education college, training institute – build on some of the subjects you studied at GCSE or new ones which could support your career goals.
Pursuing vocational studies
Moving into an apprenticeship or traineeship
Spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training.

Check out these helpful links. They can inform the next steps you make:

The Youth Employment UK website, from where you can learn more about choices and next
steps for young people:
https://www.youthemployment.org.uk/employment-help-young-people/choices/

Financial Support for Students:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-education-financial-support-for-students

National Careers Service helpline for teenagers:
https://www.gov.uk/careers-helpline-for-teenagers

There may be some of you who do not know what they would like to do after their GCSE
exams.

What you must remember is that though some young people start off with one career goal, this
may change at some point in their life. Some of you may go through several careers or
employment opportunities before settling on what they actually want to do….

So do not worry if you are unsure about the next steps for you. With the right advice, guidance
and support you will be able to make an informed decision.

Your priority at this stage is to work very hard to get the GCSE grades you want. Securing good
grades will open up a world of possibilities.

Before you we go any further……

Learn more about the GCSE Grading Scheme here, courtesy of the BBC

The numerical grading was phased over four years, starting with the core
compulsory subjects – maths and English GCSEs – in 2017. Most of the main
subjects switched over in 2018, including the humanities, sciences and
most modern languages.

All remaining subjects such as Biblical Hebrew, Persian, Portuguese and
Turkish switched to the new grading system in 2020.

Explaining the new grades

The 9-1 grading scheme was brought in alongside a new GCSE curriculum
in England.

The highest grade is 9, while 1 is the lowest, not including a U (ungraded).

Three number grades – 9, 8 and 7 – correspond to the old-style top grades
of A* and A – this is designed to give more differentiation at the top end.

And read the ‘Understanding the different entry requirements’ below .

This will help you understand the journey or pathway to a successful career choice or goal.

Understanding the different entry requirements.

You can also visit for more information: https://careerpilot.org.uk/qualifications

Level 1

GCSEs, NVQs/VQs, awards/certificates/diplomas. Vocational and work-related qualifications may be studied full or part-time inschools and colleges from the age of 14. They are offered at levels 1 to 4 and are usually ‘BTECs’, ‘Cambridge Technical’ or ‘City and Guilds’qualifications. Broad range of subjects on offer eg engineering, artand design,construction, health and social care, business, IT and
leisure. Often course work based however changes mean that somecourses now include exams or practical assessments.

Level 2

GCSEs, NVQs/VQs, awards/certificates/diplomas

Level 3

A levels, T levels, NVQs/VQs, awards/certificates/diplomas

and other qualifications

Level
4 to 6

Higher education – certificates/diplomas, NVQs/VQs, foundation degrees, degrees

Level
7 to 8

Postgraduate and professional – Masters, PhD

Foundation Degree

A foundation degree is a combined academic and vocational qualification in higher education, equivalent to two thirds of an honours bachelor’s degree. It is often pursued when you do not know what you want to do immediately after A levels.

Practical things you can do to inform your career goals and plans after GCSE

Work hard to get the desired GCSE grades

Important Note:

Research into

The subjects you like, enjoy and feel confident about and see how those subjects can help you achieve your career goals.
As part of this look into the different professions you can get into with these subjects.
Check out the following two case studies. They show how important research is to your career goals.
You may be studying subjects at GCSE now which may not be suited for the career choices you have made for the future. See the Case Study below

Case Study 1

Edith wants to study Architecture in University but is not studying any Arts based subjects at GCSE – mainly
sciences. What she does not know is that some VFX and digital art degrees want you to have taken Art and Maths.

Choosing to not take art can cause problems later at Sixth form or College (if there is an interest in these areas).

Also, if you do not pick an art related subject at this time then, if at A Levels you wish to study this to a higher level
(without a GCSE as a foundation) you may need to study at college at a lower level first.

Doing the timely research, ideally when you are in year 8 and 9, can help with your career goals.

Case Study 2

Arkan is in Year 10. He aspires to do animation or 3D Modelling.

The subjects he chose for GCSE were informed by research he did in Year 9, namely Art, IT and Design and Tech.
These are subjects he enjoys, excels in and feels will help him achieve his career goal.

As part of the research

He looked at career opportunities in the 3D world, organisations which employed 3D Modellers and the role of the 3D Modeller.
With help from his parents he spoke to studios who employ3D Modellers. They were very happy to speak to him. They were impressed with his enthusiasm and confidence. He found the studios online and by looking at job adverts for 3 Modellers. The background research he did prepared him for his conversations with the studios. He prepared some questions and went through a mock interview process with his mum. He also had a brief summary of his experiences infront him when he spoke to the studios so he could answer any questions they asked him.

After the conversations he sent the studios an email to thank them, and added some background information about himself, the subjects he was studying and his aspirations for the future.

As a result of doing this, he has been awarded a work placement with one of the studios.

Arkan was happy to take advice and guidance from one of his Uncles, an artist in a big studio
Looking at the job adverts also helped him to understand what a 3D Modeller does, the grades he needs to achieveplus higher education providers who offer degrees or practical qualifications in 3D Modelling.

3D modelling blends advanced technology with creative thinking and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced and detail-oriented environment. From television commercials and video games to blockbuster Hollywood films.

https://www.theartcareerproject.com/become/3d-modeler/

Advanced skills with 3D modelling tools and software and familiarity with sculpting concepts which you can get through a Degree including Foundation Degree in graphic design, art or a related subject or Apprenticeship (studios offer) – animation, graphics design, computer games development, visual effects.

Let’s do an exercise with Case Study 2

Looking Case study 2, identify some of the things Arkan did which could help with your own research?

For example

Helpful Links

Check out this link:
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/a-level-choices/how-are-my-as-and-a-level-studies-structured

Subjects you may do: https://indd.adobe.com/view/81489f60-b7dd-4b5c-8bad-639310c3824e

UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) tariff points to see how many tariff points you need in order to enter the University of your choice.

UCAS has its own calculator here – you can use the drop-down boxes to input your qualifications and grades, and your total will automatically be calculated. There is also a full, in-depth guide to different qualifications here , and
from Btecs to the International Baccalaureate.

However, UCAS also advises that not all qualifications attain points, so you shouldn’t worry if yours doesn’t feature in that guide – very few international qualifications are included, for example

Where can you do your research?

School, college or training provider’s brochure – can contain useful information about different career routes after further education.

Attend careers fairs

Attend University open days (on and offline)

Online – see our resources section for links to useful sites which give young people a lot of information about subject and career options.

School brochure – can contain useful information about the subjects your school offers or the career routes taken by past students.
Ofsted reports – you can do this together with your parents/carers. These reports highlight your school’s performance in the subjects you like
Online – see our resources section for links to useful sites which give young people a lot of information about subject and career options.

https://careerpilot.org.uk/qualifications
Subject Choices tool | My World of Work

For example, if you want to be a Vet you might need a degree (BSc) in Veterinary Medicine. You can start by looking at UCAS pages – https://www.ucas.com/ for this degree, to see what A-Levels, Highers or equivalent are needed for a place on the course. This gives you a good indication of the subjects you can choose early on to help you.

Doing your research means you can also decide if practical based subjects suit you better than exams or theory-based subjects.

Talk to other young people in years 10 and 11 who are doing the subjects you like.

Some of the questions you can ask your peers

Why did you choose the subjects you are currently studying in detail?
Did you have any help when choosing your subjects? Who or what helped you?
What are your plans after GCSEs?
How did you arrive at those plans?
How have those plans been informed by the subjects you are taking now?

Can you think of other questions you would like to ask your peers? Write them down here….

Speak to your teachers, they will have very helpful advice to guide the decisions you make about your future careers.

Some of the questions you can ask your teachers

About the careers or educational paths past students took after studying the subjects you are doing at GCSE.
Grades required to go into the professions you are interested in
Where to do further research about the subjects?
Who is around in the school or outside to help you?
Careers fairs/activities in the school

Can you think of other questions or ideas to present to your teachers? Write them down here….

Speak to family and friends. There may be people amongst them who have studied those subjects in school or whose
careers have been informed by the subjects they studied in school.

What type of questions will you ask? Check out the bank of questions above, you may be able to use some of them when
speaking to family and friends.

Some of the questions you can ask family and friends

What motivated you to go into this particular profession or career?
How did the subjects you did in school help you with your
Did you do something completely different to the subjects you studied in school or continued with them into higher, further education, apprenticeships etc
The different examination boards and the subjects they cover, so you can research into the subject specification?

What research did you do when making your subject or career choices?
What help did you have when making your subject or career choices?
What advice can you give me?
What is the most challenging aspect of what you do and why?
What is the most rewarding and why?

Can you think of other questions you would like to ask your peers? Write them down here….

Benefits of starting early

But what do you do if?

Some of you may find yourself in the following situations.
You are not sure what to do after your GCSEs?
Feel pressured by peers, parents/carers, teachers to take a career path which does not interest you?
You are struggling to motivate yourself about your studies?
You feel overwhelmed about next steps and the future

Not everyone is as well organised and confident as Arkan.

At an early age, we are not expecting all young people in Years 10 and 11 to know exactly what they want to do when they are older! You may find yourself in a position where you have to change careers several times before settling on the one thing which excites and motivates

you, or rewards your financially.

The key thing you need to do is to

Speak to someone – parents/carers, teachers, career mentors, careers advise team in your school, your peers.
Don’t allow yourself to be pressured by anyone. You are the person who will be working in a specific field/professional area in the long run. You therefore have to make the decision for yourself, a decision based on what you like, feel confident and capable in and which will allow you to develop, grow and achieve your ambitions for the now and the future.

Let us not forget about Work Experience

Depending on your school you may need to do a Work Placement in Year 9, or in Year 10.

A work placement is a period of supervised work, where you have the opportunity to experience working in a role within an organisation.

Remember that employers do not just want you to have the relevant qualifications, they also want to know that you have some work experience.

How do you find a work placement opportunity?

Others will give you some guidance and advice, connect you to organisations so you can contact them for work experience opportunities.
Some schools organise careers fairs and invite organisations to come to your school to tell you about work experience opportunities.
Other do interview days, where you have to dress up professionally, prepare a CV and attend a mock interview – practice for when you are looking for a work placement opportunity or seeking work in future.
The interview practice offered by your school or by family can also be very handy when you are looking for University places in future.
Some Universities expect you to attend an interview as part of the selection process, and any practice you get beforehand is useful.

Routes to finding a work placement opportunity

Start Early – careers advisor, teacher, parents, carers – your networks
Local businesses – walk in, talk to them (what will you say/where will you start from)
Research – careers you want to pursue (find out more) – approach relevant organisations
Attend Careers fairs or ask your school about setting one up if that is not done already
Go through https://www.yell.com/ to find out any suitable opportunities in your local area
Make the search for a work placement opportunity your homework piece or a project
Learn how to prepare a CV, application process, formal interview – practice or seek advice/help

Some useful tips when building your CV

Use a simple business font such as Arial, Calibri, or Verdana
Ensure you have used the same font and letter size throughout
Use bold or italics to emphasise text, such as job roles, rather than underlining
Use bullet points, numbering and dashes to format content
Ensure new paragraphs, bullet points and headings are all in line with each other and of a consistent style
Aim for two pages in length; less is okay, more and you risk losing the reader’s interest
Split your CV into sections and ensure those sections are obvious (e.g. Profile, Work Experience, Education)
When listing experiences within these sections keep to a reverse chronological order, with your most recent experience/education at the top
If a hard copy is needed use high quality A4 paper

CV Sections

The following are key sections to include in your CV. Make sure you build relevant content under each section.

Personal details/header: These are standard and required by all employers, but note that you should not include your date of birth, marital status or gender. The essentials to include are your name, address, email address and contact number

Personal profile: This is an optional section of a graduate CV template which can be used to show the employer you are focused and determined to pursue a career in their field. It should appear at the beginning of your CV, be no longer than 2-4 sentences and give an overview of your current situation e.g. “I am looking for work experience in …”

Your education: Write in reverse chronological order, so start with your university degree. This should be a snapshot of you as an academic e.g. your qualifications
Work experience: Include voluntary work and summer placements, extra-curricular activities…

Interests and activities: Write about you as a person, outside of work, hobbies, sports teams, societies/clubs, travel interests
References: Two references usually one academic and the other you’re your school, work experience or priest…

Interests and activities: Write about you as a person, outside of work, hobbies, sports teams, societies/clubs, travel interests

References: Two references usually one academic and the other you’re your school, work experience or priest…

Case Study 3

If you are applying for a clerical role, the organisation may expect you to have some basic IT skills, the ability to work in a team, to be well organised, and a good communicator. They may also expect you to e a self-starter.
Questions they may ask