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Careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist

Careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist - overview

Careers advisers and vocational guidance specialists help people make decisions about their careers through training, education and expert advice. Find out more about becoming a careers adviser, why this can be an incredibly rewarding career and how you can qualify for this type of role.

Learn what the role involves below.

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What does a career adviser or vocational guidance specialist do?

Careers advisers work in a variety of settings such as schools, colleges, universities, job centres and community centres. Your role will be advising and guiding people of all ages and backgrounds about their career options and helping them to achieve their goals. This is a people-focused profession so you must enjoy speaking to people.

Working as a careers adviser can be very rewarding as you’ll be helping people reach their potential and live a more fulfilling life. Your responsibilities could include organising careers events, meeting with a range of employers about opportunities for work and delivering talks to inspire and inform young people about their career options.

What will your days involve?

Daily tasks will vary but could involve:

  • Meeting one on one to advise people on their employment prospects
  • Organising workshops to help with key skills such as CV writing, interviewing and handling rejection
  • Researching job opportunities
  • Designing courses to help people gain necessary skills/knowledge for certain industries
  • Organising careers fairs
  • Building relationships with employers
  • Designing assessments to test skills and abilities
  • Delivering presentations to share information and advice on finding a career
  • Keeping up to date with job market expectations

FAQs

How much can you earn as a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist?

The average salary for a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist in the UK is £30,680.

Does a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist role involve travel in the UK or overseas?

You may have to travel within the UK to meet different employers or attend events but the majority of your work will be based in one location.

Can you work from home as a careers adviser or vocational guidance specialist?

This will depend on your employer but you may be able to work from home or ask for a mixture of the two.

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