It’s nearly Christmas!  The halls have been decked, Christmas cards sent and the presents are wrapped and under the tree. It’s time to wind down from a busy year at school, college, university or work, but if you have some time to spare over the holidays, why not use it to reflect, explore some careers ideas, write your CV, get some work experience and plan for your future? 

Explore career ideas

A career journey is a lifelong process and on average people will change careers three or more times in their lifetime.  Industries and jobs are continuously evolving, the same as you will!  The career you are interested in at your current stage of life may change as you grow and evolve as a person.  When planning your career and future goals you might consider:

Be curious about careers!  Look into the job market, trends, qualifications and responsibilities of different careers.  The National Careers service and Prospects websites provide free information to help you make informed decisions about learning, training and work at any stage of your career. Take a look at their guides to different careers:

National Careers Service - Explore Careers

Prospects: Job Profiles

Prospects: Job Sectors

If you are interested in an apprenticeship, you can browse to see which apprenticeship vacancies match your interests on the government’s Find an Apprenticeship website or take a look at Amazing Apprenticeships.

Create an action plan: Devise a plan that outlines your short and long-term goals and the steps you need to take to achieve them.  Your plan should be flexible to allow for change as needed.

Set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound goals. 

Get some personalised advice and guidance

If you’re feeling unsure about your next steps or need advice on a specific pathway, our careers advisers are here to help. They can support you in exploring career options, understanding entry requirements, and recognising your skills and strengths. A chat with an adviser might even open your eyes to opportunities you hadn’t considered before. Taking this time to plan can help you feel confident and ready for whatever comes next. If you’d like to arrange a 1-1 meeting or find out about our guidance packages, just drop us an email at enquiries@futuresmartcareers.co.uk

Building experience through work or volunteering

Work experience can not only help you to find out about a career, it can also provide you with hands on experience and demonstrate your commitment to your chosen field of work.   Many work experience and internship opportunities are virtual and can easily fit in around other commitments. Springpod and The Forage offer virtual work experience.  Check out the opportunities here:

Springpod Virtual Work Experience

The Forage: Virtual Work Experience

Virtual Internships

Part-Time Work will give you some extra money over the holiday period and potentially some valuable work experience for your CV too.  Retailers and the hospitality industry often recruit additional staff over the festive period, and who knows, it may even lead to a permanent position! 

Some student part time jobs are advertised on job sites like Indeed or try E4S: Employment for Students

Volunteering builds skills, enhances your CV, and makes a difference and December is a great time to volunteer, whether in charity shops, shelters, homes for the elderly or helping from home with tasks like social media, graphic design or marketing for non-profit organisations. Check your local authority’s volunteering website for opportunities or look at Do It Volunteer.

Short Online Courses and Training

Why not spend those chilly winter days wrapped up with a mug of hot chocolate and work your way through some free online courses to broaden your skills and knowledge.  Any learning or training will look impressive on your CV or university applications.

Fancy learning Chinese for beginners? Completing an Introduction to Psychology?  Or perhaps you’d like to learn more about Social Media Marketing.  These are just a handful of courses available to you at Coursera Coursera - Free online courses. The Open University also offer a range of different free courses from Money and Business to Nature and Environment.  Access the full catalogue here: Open University - Course Catalogue

Reflect on Your Achievements and Successes

Take some time to think about what you have accomplished this year.  Perhaps you worked hard to achieve the exam results you wanted, gained valuable work experience or perhaps you are particularly proud of a project or assignment.  Ask yourself:

• What am I most proud of?
• Have I made an impact?
• What improvements have I implemented?
• Have I taken on additional responsibilities?

Be proud of what you have achieved and recognise what you excelled at.  You could include some details on your CV or UCAS Personal statement.

Recognise your skills and strengths

It is important to know what you are good at.  If you’re not sure, why not ask friends and family what they think your skills and strengths are.   Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• What am I good at?
• What am I interested in?
• What motivates and excites me?
• What are my soft skills? (how you work and interact with others)
• What compliments have I received?

You may like to try a skills or personality questionnaire – here are a couple you could try

National Careers Service Skills Assessment

16 Personality Types Assessment

If you would prefer to complete a more in-depth psychometric assessment to explore your skills, personality, values and interests contact us at helpline@futuresmartcareers.co.uk to find out about the Morrisby Profile.

Spring Clean your CV

There is no better time to re-visit your CV and give it an overhaul ready for the new year.  The National Careers Service offer a good resource:

National Careers Service - Write your CV

Some top tips:

• Focus on your most recent experience and professional achievements
• Update your ‘keywords’ to match descriptions of jobs you are interested in
• Actions speak louder than words -use more active and descriptive words to grab the attention of employers
• Write a short summary - employers may not have the time to read through long CV’s!
• Add variety and talk about your volunteering, projects, awards and hobbies. This shows you are ambitious in your personal life too!

If you need further help, why not ask your friends or family?  Or make some notes and ask a careers adviser for advice.  Our advisers at FutureSmart Careers are always here to help with CV writing.

Relax and Recharge

Using some of your free time over the Christmas break to plan the next steps in your career journey is a valuable way to invest in future success.  However, it is also vitally important to prioritise your self-care over the holidays and balance your career development with rest to ensure that you feel refreshed and motivated when you return to your studies or work in January!

At FutureSmart Careers we wish you all a happy, healthy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.