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Careers Advice?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Does anyone know a careers advice service for people over the age of 19?? Or does anyone know if the "Careers Service" offered at uni, helps you to re-evaluate your career, the qualifications you need for a potential career, any relevant experience, etc?
I am in a bit of an awkward situation at the moment and really need some advice??
I am in a bit of an awkward situation at the moment and really need some advice??
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But your uni careers service should be a good start.
She basically said that if I want a career in psychology I would have to give up full time work to go back into full time education and training for 3-5 years minimum.
I have to work full time. I have no choice now my Dads screwed me over and left me to financially look after myself.
I'm just gutted...I never went with false hope and I certainly didn't have the expectation it would be easy...I'm just annoyed that she spent 30 mins interrogating me over why I wanted to move from HR to Psychology, why I did Business in the first place, etc, etc.
I also found out that counsellors are advised to only work part time due to it being emotionally demanding.
I guess I will have to re-think my options. I guess my new plan of action is:
Finish my degree
Complete an Advice & Guidance qualification
Work in A&G or HR and train in counselling
Work part time in both or if I have a family I could work in counselling around family commitments.
Now I just have the minor issue of finding a new job before I lose my sanity in my current one but based on today I should stay in HR otherwise I can't do the A&G qualification....
Ideally I wanted to work in Psychology but it's the counselling element I like so would settle for working as a counsellor...
Also, have you heard of the BACP?
They are a professional body representing counselling and psychotherapy in the UK. They have a lot of useful info on their website about what to expect if you train to become a counsellor and how to find accredited courses etc.
They have some information about starting a career in counselling that gives a good overview on what's involved.
I recently did an Introduction to Counselling course which was a 10 week course, one night a week at my local college. It's a great way to get a sense for the field and decide if you want to study further, you also learn loads of practical skills that will be useful in HR too. Speaking to tutors on the course, those that go on to do a degree or diploma often study part-time and work part-time.
Thank you for the links to BACP
I'm just confused though...I need to leave my current job but I can't leave HR but there are hardly any HR vacancies in my local area at the moment
Sometimes (as you know) you just get dealt rubbish people who don't take everything into account. Don't take her words as gospel.
Also, I came across this quote today: Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase. So have faith in yourself
I don't think it's impossible either...I think she has the wrong attitude for a careers advisor!
Any helpful hints and tips your housemate has would be hugely beneficial! Is she studying with the OU?
My housemates login is no longer working, so here's what she said:
-It is not impossible to study part time as you work full time. How possible it is depends entirely on motivation, finances, the course you choose. Basically the fewer financial resources you have behind you, the more hours you need to work you full time job. More job hours = fewer holidays to catch up studying. Choose a course that allows you to fit in work eg my course is 1 full day a week rather than spread out over a couple of days/evenings. This fits my job better. Remember your motivation to study must equal fewer breaks from work and your annual leave being used up for attending uni!
- if you have a degree already, you might be able to complete a PG Dip conversion course. Check different university entry requirements. This lasts 2-3 years part time. If you haven't yet finished, again look at entry requirements or try getting a course transfer. Avoid the new entrant uni fees AT ALL COSTS. Get a good degree classification.
- Many counsellors work part time (in private practice) because they have other responsibilities. Some counsellors make up hours by consulting to businesses, mediation services... All counsellors are required to have supervision as the job can be emotionally demanding no matter what hours you work.
- Get experience. If you can afford an entry level job that's relevant to psych then go for that. Consider a research assistant job (if you can get hold of these fairy dust roles). Volunteer in mental health services. I volunteer at a local crisis service and their CPD programme for us is second to none.
-look at the forums section on clinpsych.org
My course is completely online so I don't have to attend uni at all, that makes it easier for finding full time work as I can fit in studying whenever I'm not working...Although I refuse to work more than 39 hours a week!
I have found that Winchester Uni do a PG Conversion course for Psychology so may be worth considering but I would need to find out if I need to study at the uni; if so, I would have to consider moving there.
I think I am more likely to work in counselling than I am psychology now...or at least to begin with anyway...Once I have finished my degree and I am settled in full-time work, I considered doing some volunteer work; for instance, with someone like Cruse as it will give me a better insight into what its like...If I like it, then I considered doing all the part-time training courses to become a fully qualified counsellor and then seeing where I go from there in terms of working in the field...I think the courses would benefit working in HR anyway so worth considering....
Thanks for the forum info to...I will have a look on there
Thank you both for all the info
The only thing that I would say about working with Cruse etc, is that while I would completely recommend that type of volunteering, be prepared that it could bring some emotions to surface for you. I'm not sure about Fiend, but certainly for me helping you out on here has brought up emotions/past feelings etc which, whilst carthartic and positive, have been something I've had to deal with as well. Of course, it's a lot easier for me to deal with keeping them out of the situation via the internet, an option that you might not have in a counselling situation, so I'd have a plan in place as to how you would deal with that were it to come up.
That said, I think you'll be great at it, so go for it and good luck!
I wouldn't want to do it in the near future, purely based on having no time with work and studying and I think holding out for those 18 months will allow me to fully work through my own feelings, etc before going down that route...I know it will probably still stir up feelings for me but I think I could prepare myself for that and I think for me, knowing I was helping someone else and doing something positive from the situation would help me...