Career Plan Diary

In order to ensure you are not left disappointed it is very important that you keep in mind the deadlines that you will need to meet, this will help to ensure you end up on the courses you want, with the organisations you want to work with.

Autumn

• Use UCAS Progress course search to find out about local courses.
• Find out the dates and times for school/academy/sixth form/college open days.
• If you haven’t already had a chance to complete work experience, this would be a good time to arrange.
• Apply for school/Academy/Sixth Form and Colleges. These ideally need to be sent off by December, popular colleges may be full by time the Christmas Holidays are here, you don’t want to lose it.
• If you want to do an apprenticeship you need to remember that the popular apprenticeships will be full quickly, for example motor vehicle repair, childcare, administration etc. If possible try to apply for the apprenticeships this term.
• You may have mock exams this term, remember to find time to revise. Talk to your teachers about how you are doing, how well do they think you will do at the end of the year. What do you need to do if you want to improve.

Spring

• If you haven’t done so already, you need to ensure that you have applied for apprenticeships due to start in the summer as early as possible this term.
• You should be attending school/academy/sixth form and college interviews. Make sure you are prepared for these interviews.
• If you have had any conditional offers with schools/academies/sixth form or colleges that you are interested, now is the time to accept them. If you are no longer interested let them know, your place could be offered to someone who really does want to go to them.
• If you are looking for an apprenticeship, keep searching for apprenticeships that you are interested in at www. Apprenticeships.org.uk—go to Vacancies, and then opportunities. New apprenticeships appear all the time, so keep checking back on a regular basis.

Summer

• If you are still in a position where you have not found the right option yet, keep looking. Continue to make applications to schools/academies/sixth form and colleges or Apprenticeships.
• If you are looking to go into employment, start applying for jobs that offer training, or at least look to apply for part time roles that will give you time to continue with a course part time.
• Get prepared for your exams. You need to ensure that you have put enough time aside to revise and prepare for the exams, you don’t want to end up being let down by your results due to the lack of time management.