Career Success UK

If your son or daughter is considering an apprenticeship, here’s the first question I think you should ask…

=> Does an apprenticeship actually exist for the career they’re interested in?

It sounds obvious, but many families skip this step and spend time searching for opportunities that may not even exist.

A great place to start is the Skills England website, where you can explore apprenticeship standards across hundreds of occupations and see whether an apprenticeship pathway exists for a particular career.
https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeships

But here’s the important bit…

Just because an apprenticeship standard exists doesn’t mean employers are actively recruiting for it.

Some career paths have thousands of apprenticeship vacancies every year. Others may only have a handful across the whole country.

That’s why a successful apprenticeship search is about more than scrolling job boards. It’s about having a strategy.

When I work with young people, we often explore questions like:
✔️ Does an apprenticeship exist for this career?
✔️ Which employers are likely to offer it?
✔️ When do they typically recruit?
✔️ Are there similar roles or alternative routes worth considering?

Unlike UCAS, apprenticeships don’t follow one central application process or deadline, which can make them feel confusing and overwhelming for families navigating them for the first time.

The good news? With the right research and preparation, they can be an incredible route into a fulfilling career.

If you’re supporting a young person who’s considering the apprenticeship route and don’t know where to start, I’d encourage you to begin with that one simple question:
“Does an apprenticeship actually exist for the career they want to pursue?”

🌐 www.careersuccess.org.uk

☀️ Summer Job Ideas for Teenagers & Young Adults

One of the best things I ever did as a teenager was get a summer job.

My first paid job was serving food and drinks at Goodwood Racecourse during the school holidays. It wasn’t glamorous, but it taught me so much about responsibility, customer service, teamwork, hard work and dealing with all sorts of people.

Looking back, those lessons were just as valuable as anything I learned in a classroom.

As a career coach, one of the biggest mistakes I see young people make is waiting for the “perfect” opportunity before gaining experience.

The reality is that employers don’t expect teenagers to have lots of experience. They simply want evidence that they can turn up on time, work hard, communicate well and be reliable.

That’s why any experience is better than no experience.

With the long summer holidays approaching, I’ve put together a list of 50 ways young people can gain experience, earn some money and build their confidence.

A few tips I’d share with any young person looking for work this summer:
✅ Don’t delay. Opportunities can appear and disappear quickly.
✅ Be responsive. Return calls and messages promptly.
✅ Be flexible. Employers value people who muck in and help where needed.
✅ Don’t be too fussy. Every role teaches something useful.
✅ Tell your network. Many opportunities are filled through word of mouth before they’re ever advertised.

It’s also worth thinking strategically. Some roles, such as refereeing and lifeguarding, are often in short supply. Investing in the right qualification can make it much easier to find paid work.

Their first job may not be their dream job, but it could be the first step towards it.

♻️ Parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone with teenagers in their lives: feel free to save and share this list.

Yesterday I was talking to someone about my coaching business and they asked me a really good question:

“Do you feel you know enough about all the different career paths to help people with career direction?”

And the honest answer is… no.

I can’t possibly know the ins and outs of every industry or career path — especially ones that are completely different from my own journey and experience.

That’s exactly why I invested in becoming a Morrisby accredited coach.

Morrisby profiling helps young people explore career paths based on their aptitudes, personality, interests and educational background — not just random suggestions or “what sounds good”.

There are over 600 careers loaded into the system, alongside detailed information about career pathways, qualifications, future opportunities and even “day in the life” videos to help bring different jobs to life.

For a lot of teenagers, choosing A-levels, university courses, apprenticeships or career directions can feel overwhelming. And for parents, it can be hard knowing how best to guide them.

The Morrisby profile gives a much clearer starting point and opens up career ideas they may never have considered before.

I then debrief the profile with them so we can properly explore:
✔ Careers that play to their strengths
✔ Different pathways into those careers
✔ Future opportunities and progression
✔ What might suit them as an individual

It’s not about telling someone what job they “should” do.

It’s about helping them make more informed and confident decisions about their future.

If you’d like to explore how Morrisby could help your teenage child with career direction and future decisions, feel free to get in touch.

This week I’ve been helping an 18-year-old prepare for interviews for some paid work experience over the summer holidays. One of the opportunities they’re applying for is ad hoc event work.

Part of our prep has focused on those short (and surprisingly tricky!) screening interviews where you have to make a strong first impression very quickly.

One thing many young people don’t expect in these interviews is Situational Judgement Questions.

“What would you do if…?” questions.

These questions are designed to see how you handle real workplace situations and pressure.

And honestly? Employers are usually looking for very simple but important things:

✅ Common sense
✅ Problem-solving
✅ Adaptability
✅ Staying calm under pressure
✅ Good communication

My advice is always the same: Pause. Think it through.

Don’t rush to fill the silence with the first thing that comes into your head.

Instead, think about the behaviours the employer wants to see and try to demonstrate those clearly in your answer.

For example:
=> “What would you do if someone had a medical emergency in a long queue?”

A strong answer would focus on staying calm, escalating the situation quickly to a first aider or supervisor, reassuring people nearby and helping with practical things where appropriate — without trying to handle something beyond your level of training.

Or:
=> “What if you were booked for ticket scanning but were suddenly asked to help run food and drinks because of staff shortages?”

A good answer shows flexibility, teamwork and willingness to help where needed. Event work changes quickly and employers want people who can adapt positively.

The biggest mistake people make?

Giving rushed, vague or unstructured answers because they panic.

Remember: hiring managers are not looking for perfection.

They’re looking for young people who can stay calm, think clearly and approach problems with a positive, solution-focused mindset.

🔓 Interviews Unlocked – Free Guide for Young People

If you have a son or daughter preparing for interviews, keep reading!

I speak to a lot of parents who say the same thing:

Their child is bright and capable,
getting interviews for competitive roles…
but not turning them into offers.

In today’s job market, even getting an interview is a big achievement.

But that also means those opportunities really matter.

And it’s not because they’re not good enough - and not necessarily because they’ve done anything “wrong”.

Sometimes the competition is just very strong.
Sometimes it comes down to small margins.

But often, the difference is this:

They don’t quite know how to talk about their strengths or show their potential under pressure.

Many young people:
• Aren’t sure what interviewers are actually looking for
• Struggle to structure their answers
• Find it hard to talk confidently about their experience (especially if it’s limited)
• Feel nervous and second-guess themselves

So I’ve created a free guide to help with exactly this.

“Interviews Unlocked” covers:
✅ The question almost every interview starts with — and how to answer it well
✅ A simple structure to help answers feel clear and confident
✅ Common mistakes that cause strong candidates to miss out
✅ How to turn school, sport or part-time work into strong examples
✅ What to ask at the end of an interview

It’s practical, straightforward, and designed to help young people feel more prepared and confident going into interviews.

🎁 You can access the free guide here:
https://www.careersuccess.org.uk/interviews-unlocked

If you think this would help your son or daughter, feel free to pass it on — sometimes it’s easier hearing this kind of advice from someone outside the family.

♻️ And if you know another parent or young job seeker going through this, feel free to share this link with them.

Free Interview Guide For Young Job Seekers "Interviews Unlocked" Free interview guide for students and graduates. Learn how to answer common interview questions, build confidence and prepare effectively — even with limited experience. For school leavers, apprenticeship seekers and graduates.

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This question catches so many young people out in interviews…

“Tell me about yourself.”

Sounds simple… but it really isn’t.

Most people:
• Talk through their whole CV
• Ramble with no clear structure
• Freeze and panic
• Or ask “what do you want to know?”

And here’s the problem…

Within the first few minutes, the interviewer is already thinking:
– Can they communicate clearly?
– Do they understand the role?
– Do they sound confident… or unsure?

This one question sets the tone for the whole interview.

The frustrating part?
It’s one of the most predictable questions there is… yet hardly anyone gets it right.

That’s exactly why I created my Interviews Unlocked guide.

It gives a simple structure to this interview question and many others - so young people know exactly what to say (instead of guessing).

👉 You can download it free here:
https://www.careersuccess.org.uk/interviews-unlocked

And if you’re a parent with a son or daughter preparing for interviews… this will really help them feel more confident.

Tag someone who needs this 👇

www.careersuccess.org.uk

Graduate scheme roles are getting harder to land… but so many young people are still applying to the same big companies.

I see this all the time.

Young people applying for loads of roles, getting rejected, and starting to question themselves and the value of their degree.

But it’s not about them.
Often it’s about how they’re approaching the job search.

In a tough market, you can’t control the competition.
But you can change your approach.

One of the biggest shifts I suggest is this: Stop focusing only on the big, well-known grad schemes.

If you’ve heard of a company… chances are thousands of other people have too.
Which means more applications, more competition, and lower chances.

Instead, start looking where most people aren’t looking:
SMEs (small and medium-sized businesses).

They make up over 50% of UK employment, but so many young people overlook them.

And honestly, they can be a brilliant place to start your career:

• You get involved in more and learn faster and build confidence
• You’re closer to senior people in the business
• You’re trusted with real responsibility earlier

I’m not saying don’t apply to big companies.

Just don’t make that your only plan.

If you’re a parent reading this and your son or daughter is feeling stuck with applications - this might be something to explore.

Share this with someone who needs a fresh approach to their job hunt.