Following on from a post my friend Anna Hegarty posted a few weeks ago about an event she was running at a local Secondary School where she had requested people to provide questions to pose to those who had chosen to not to go to University and instead enter the world of work.
I thought I would post the questions I suggested here for those of you who didn't choose the University route to answer, retrospectively, to help those young people considering a similar move:
1. What advice would you give someone considering not going to University?
2. If you could do it again, is there anything you’d do differently?
3. What advice would you go back and give your 17/18 year old self?
4. What skills do you think employers find most valuable for those starting their first job?
5. Are there any common misconceptions about working without a degree that you’d like to clarify?
6. How has entering the workplace straight from school impacted your career in the long term?
7. In what way did starting work earlier give you an advantage?
Of course, entering the world of work is one option but Apprenticeships are another route that allow an individual to continue learning but, on the job, so to speak. And, with the Apprenticeship Careers Fair coming up next week at the Kia Oval on Tuesday 5th November, it seemed timely to share.
To get the most out of these fairs, I would suggest preparing the following:
1. Do some research beforehand to find out who is exhibiting and identify which employers you wish to meet
2. Set a goal or two for you to aim to achieve with every employer you meet
3. Prepare a list of questions to ask them to help you understand their recruitment process and how best to prepare for each stage and the timelines
3. Prepare a short elevator pitch and practice delivering it
4. Have ready copies of your stand out CV so you can leave with them
Good luck!
