Personal and careers guidance

This page has been designed to give a starting point for those looking into careers in personal and careers guidance.

You might also be interested in our information on education advice and development

What is personal and careers guidance?

Personal and careers guidance involves interviewing and assisting clients to draw up action plans for employment, education and training. This work can be varied, with opportunities existing to work with people from varying backgrounds and age groups. These roles require empathy, stamina and mental agility. There is no single or nationally recognised salary scale for careers advisers. Salaries vary by location, entry level and employer. This is a responsible and demanding role, which can be stressful and even distressing at times.

Prospects

Prospects is a graduate careers website with job profiles, including adult guidance worker, careers adviser, careers consultant, higher education careers adviser.
www.prospects.ac.uk/links/soceducargui

Target jobs

Target jobs is a graduate careers website with information on the following sector profiles:
Teaching and education

How do I get into it?

Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS)

Their website contains details of the range of qualifications for entry into higher education careers advice. You may also be interested in Phoenix; the journal of AGCAS, and contains information on current issues, trends and events within higher education careers work.
www.agcas.org.uk

Phoenix

The journal of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, and contains information on current issues, trends and events within higher education careers work.
www.agcas.org.uk

The Institute of Careers Guidance

A career in careers guidance

Finding a job or employer in this sector

AGCAS

www.agcas.org.uk/vacancies

Jobs in academic institutions

jobs.ac.uk

Local government jobs

www.lgjobs.com

Portico Jobsearch

Portico is released every fortnight and is the job search & recruitment magazine for the education, guidance, training and youth work sectors. 
www.icg-uk.org/portico.html

Newspapers

The Guardian

jobs.guardian.co.uk

The Times Educational Supplement

TES jobs

The Times Higher Educational Supplement

www.thes.co.uk

Further Information and useful links

Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services

www.agcas.org.uk

Institute of Careers Guidance

www.icg-uk.org

Association of Career Professionals International

www.acpinternational.org

National Association for Educational Guidance for Adults

www.naega.org.uk

National Association for Managers of Student Services in colleges (UK)

www.namss.ac.uk

Key points

  • Personal and careers guidance involves interviewing and assisting clients.
  • There are opportunities to work with people from varying backgrounds and age groups.
  • Salaries vary by location, entry level and employer.

Resources