Pandemic Exam Results Post 18

Mar 11

Hello! CONGRATULATIONS on achieving your exam results! Whilst it's not been the year you expected you have still survived and there are still BIG decisions to be made. I would advise having a read of the GCSE article as some of that information may also be relevant to you at this time and it doesn't hurt to revisit past decisions you have made and reflect on how far you have come. There was probably a time when you were 15 or 16 years old when you were unsure of your next steps so you have made good decisions before.

Firstly, I want to reassure you that ANY decision you make will be a good one because you will learn something about yourself and that is the ultimate key to having a fantastic career and job you enjoy long term. Yes, you may waste a year dithering or making changes if you decide you have made the wrong turn at this point but none of the experience goes to waste as it makes your subsequent decisions much more accurate and then you are more focused and committed to them. In fact I imagine if you ask people around you they will really enjoy telling you their own stories about how and why they are where they are today and you can take countless gems of wisdom from each good and bad decision and use it to pose questions to yourself.

So again, you find yourself with the same options of education, employment and training. With less 18 year olds in 2020 and more applications to Higher Education than previous years, the safest option is to become more educated in the long run in whatever form that takes.

If you are not sure WHAT you want to do your LONG-TERM PLAN is to make time to find out. You can use psychometric tests, friends and family (my, book) to help you get feedback on what you are good at, your skills. You can identify your interest areas and we work from there. To quote Jeff Bezos (Amazon CEO and one of richest men in world), "If you don't love your work you are never going to be passionate enough about it to make it work." To become an expert in anything economists have calculated costs you 10,000 hours of practise so if you don't love it you are not going to practise enough to stay the course. You can make ANY hobby into a job that pays, you just need to find the bit you do better than 80% of the other people. People with genuine, passion who consistently learn about their subject will always become successful ( you just have to decide what success looks like to you). You may need to try out some of your job suggestions by asking for WORK SHADOWING or WORK EXPERIENCE, anything from 1 day to a few weeks is good. If the industry you are interested in is surrounded by confidentiality (like counselling, police, armed forces or psychological careers) then ask for an INTERVIEW on the telephone or in person. Literally make a list of 7 or 8 questions that will give you insight into their jobs. I love the question "What do you wish someone had told you about the job when you were just considering it?". Also ask for what they enjoy AND dislike about the job and where they see the opportunities in the sector in the future.

IF you can't see your LONG-TERM PLAN yet keep an open mind and then stick to subject areas you enjoy (no matter if you think there are jobs there or not. I can find you paid work in ANY subject area). You will need to study to a higher level for some subject areas like art or medical interests. One of the shortcuts to finding out what you do want to do is get a part time job. You will realise a lot about what you don't want to do!

I WANT A JOB BUT I NOT JUST YET

You could go onto a course at college. A VOCATIONAL course is directly related to work. Take anything from journalism to personal training. You can find a job after only 1-2 years. You can work alongside your course part time. You will have some flexibility to change course and add more vocational qualifications as you go as long. Your interests will lead the way to which extra courses you study and this is how people naturally become specialised (which is a great way to earn more money as you have a unique niche). You will go into the workforce with a level of skill and can continue to learn with an employer or self-directed evening courses. If your long-term plan involves becoming qualified to University level you still have your A level or BTEC qualification that (at the right level allows you to progress onto University. YOU CAN ATTEND UNIVERSITY AT ANY AGE. You can always access a student loan for tuition no matter how much you earn and what your age and I cannot see this changing in the near future (maintenance loans are means tested).

I'VE FAILED! I CAN’T GO TO (for example University,College or the job I’ve applied for)

OK so I have been in careers for 20 years now and I have heard this a lot of times. However more often than not a quick call to the University (or employer or college) confirms they are still holding their place and they can accept it and go. If there really is no way they can follow the planned route another option may be a foundation year at University. You still go away to University and if you pass this year 0 you go onto the first year of the course you wanted. Often you can find a foundation year at the same University in the same subject it just in essence adds an extra year to your course. Or, you could retake your sixth form/college year (Year 14) and reapply. Once you get to the course you realise that there is much more variety in terms of age range than you expected and the mix adds a richness and rigour to your learning (there was a 60 year old lady on my course who had never had the chance to go to University as a youngster).

I’VE CHANGED MY MIND; I DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO UNIVERSITY AND NOW I DO.

No problem, Universities are businesses and businesses need money. Yes it is going to take a bit of researching the courses at short notice and you will still have to write a personal statement in record time but once the Universities have talked to you on the phone they usually tell you on the spot if they are accepting your late application so it takes the pain out of writing it as it had become a formality. The important thing in this situation is that the student rings the universities, not the parents. Phone on the day you get your results and don't be on holiday!

I’VE CHANGED MY MIND ABOUT MY UNIVERSITY COURSE AND WANT TO TAKE A DIFFERENT ONE!

If you have accepted an offer you have entered a legal contract. The only way out is to ask (beg) the University to let you out on www.ucas.com. However, first ring the admissions team for your preferred course to make sure they accept you "in theory". You could be left with no course at all!

I AM CONSIDERING A GAP YEAR

Some students feel they want to take a year to have a break from the whirlwind of education. Gap years are most often looked on favourably by Universities as they make students more independent in their learning and thinking which are two essential skills for University. Exceptions may be medical, some scientific and maths courses as levels of knowledge can decline.

I WANT A DEGREE APPRENTICESHIP

Degree apprenticeships are very varied and outlined on the www.ucas.com website. They are very competitive as the rates of pay are fantastic and students and parents feel they take the feeling of DEBT out of the University process as the employer pays for the degree course. However, there are some negative points. Firstly, the student will need to stick with the same employer for the duration of the degree course or pay back the money and also potentially lose the course. Also, the student needs to be very certain of the job area. The other consideration is how expensive university really ISN'T. Yes, that's right I said UNIVERSITY ISN'T EXPENSIVE. Give me a minute. The way the fees work is that the TUITION is send straight to the University. Then it is only paid back once the young person hits £21,000 annually (Sept 2020). Then the pay back is only 9% of all earnings over the £21,000. So, earning £31,000 students pay less than the price of a pizza back per month and it also has no effect on affordability for mortgages or loans in the future. After 30 years the balance is written off and the payments suspended whenever the person dips below £21,000 in their lifetime. (see www.moneysavingexpert/studentmoneysaving/myths). After the student has also researched if there are any BURSARIES (money that doesn't have to be paid back and not just for academic or low earners) or if they can get a job the pure University route may just be worth it.

I would always advise putting in an application to University alongside an application for apprenticeships as you can continue to learn by starting University if no apprenticeship appears and also you can continue to apply for apprenticeships whilst at college and leave if you get one. It also looks really good to employer that you don't give up and also that you are not waiting around for others but getting on with your education.

I WANT TO START OR CONTINUE MY OWN BUSINESS

Fantastic news! You already have an amazing set of employable skills. You may be a successful depop seller, YouTube or Instagram sensation or Cloud Evangelist (it's a real job)! However, there is a lot to learn in any business and the most valuable assets are your brain, your attitude and attracting other brilliant people to work with and for you. By studying longer, you will automatically be around more people (who could become your customers, a partner or employees). If you go up to university level students will come from all over the world and the effect on your business can be huge. How far you go is up to you. I often help people decide WHEN their side business is big enough to sustain them and how they move from their regular job into their own business full time.

So, to conclude. There are a lot of options but by layering them you can make a watertight plan to become qualified and successful. The key to all of it is to know what you want for now SHORT TERM whilst working towards your LONG TERM. Future. You may need time to reflect on and imagine what the best, happiest version of you would do to take your mind above the current difficulties of Covid 19. I use the Calm app or art to do this but use any method that helps you connect to times where you are in your 'flow state' (the times you are enjoying yourself and lose track of time). Remember that it doesn't always matter WHAT you study (unless it is DIRECTLY related to a job). There is a reason there is a Degree in Knitting! Blue chip companies employ most of their management trainees on the QUALIFICATION LEVEL rather than the SUBJECT so it's worth checking before committing to your studies.

Some useful websites that might help are below. But the Destination Dream Job Journal (available in my shop) and my careers sessions both work through the questions within this article to help you discover your unique talents and make a practical plan. If you need a careers chat to find out which options are actually relevant to you then book in for my 15-minute free chat and see if I can help.

Good luck!

Kerry

Useful websites

Psychometric tests

www.birkman.com

typelogic.com

16personalities.com

www.icould.com/buzz-quiz/

www.goodlifeproject.com/sparketype/

Careers Information

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/

www.careersengland.org.uk/