Tell me about it
Career advisers help individuals to make decisions about their future options regarding learning and work. They provide impartial information, advice and guidance primarily to young people, although they may also work with adults.

They might work in a careers centre, in schools and colleges, a university or an adult guidance centre, and clients might need guidance on, for example, their long-term career goals or help with decisions related to their education and training. Advisers mostly work with people individually, using their counselling skills and their knowledge of education, training and employment to help clients decide on next steps.

They may use psychometric and other interest and ability tests to support the guidance process. After the interview or group work session, they provide a written report summarising the outcomes of the guidance interview and the implications in terms of career plans. In an educational establishment, the work may involve preparing education programmes related to careers and personal development, taking classes and leading group discussions. They would also be expected to have close, regular contact with employers and other opportunity providers.

In England at present, mainstream careers services have been replaced by the Connexions Service, which provides advice, guidance and information for 13 to 19 year-olds through partnerships with organisations such as youth work, education, health, social welfare and criminal justice agencies. Within this service, a generic role of personal adviser has come into being and has largely replaced the role of the career adviser. At the time of writing, the Connexions Service seems likely to disappear by 2008, and a new breed of career advisers will begin to operate in whatever new structure is put in place.

Entry level
There are two main routes to qualification: you could obtain the one-year full-time or two-year part-time Qualification in Careers Guidance (QCG), available at approved centres throughout England, Scotland and Wales; alternatively, you could follow the work-based route leading to the National/Scottish Vocational Qualification (N/SVQ) level 4 in advice, guidance and advocacy. A third route is under development, involving a Foundation Degree in Youth Support and Applied Guidance. Training preferences vary from one employer to another, so you should research information carefully. Within the Connexions Service, you would have to add either the Diploma for Connexions Personal Advisers or the Understanding Connexions training programme. Advisers working in higher education have their own qualification organised by the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services.

There are no set academic entry qualifications for the QCG, although students who are not graduates may receive additional help. There is no upper age limit for starting in this work, and maturity is an advantage. Many people enter this type of work after gaining experience in other fields, such as industry, commerce, teaching or social work.

Making the grade
After gaining experience, career advisers often specialise. They may, for example, work with young people with special educational needs or unemployed people. They may choose to work with graduates in higher education career services or provide a service to adults who are considering a change of career.

Some careers advisers move into commerce, providing a career management service for employees of large companies. There are opportunities for progression to a managerial role for careers advisers who are interested in this area of work.
Experienced careers advisers may become self-employed, working as consultants, researchers or writers.

Personal qualities
As a career adviser, you would need to be able to establish an immediate rapport with a wide range of clients, and would need excellent communication skills. You should possess professional guidance skills, an understanding of educational systems and knowledge of local, national and international labour markets.
You would need to be able to plan and organise your own time and to be able to work as part of a team. Computer systems are widely used for record keeping, maintaining occupational databases and administering tests, so you would need good IT skills. If your clients are facing difficulties in obtaining employment, you may need advocacy skills as well as the ability to network with relevant agencies.

Looking ahead
In England, the main provision of career guidance activities for young people is currently through Connexions partnerships. This is likely to change dramatically by 2008 and will probably focus more on local authority provision.

Elsewhere in the UK, the main national organisations are Careers Scotland, Careers Wales and the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning. Other employers include schools, colleges of further education, sixth form colleges, higher education institutions, adult guidance services, voluntary organisations and private careers consultancies.

Experienced careers advisers, and Connexions personal advisers with a career guidance qualification, are in demand, particularly in London and south-east England, as well as in other large cities. There may be competition for trainee posts.

Alternative suggestions
Other possibilities might include human resources officer/manager, probation officer, psychologist, social worker, teacher or youth worker.

Take-home pay
Trainee career advisers usually start on around £18,000 a year, rising to around £24,000. Career advisers with a management role or specialism may earn from around £27,000 to £45,000 or more. Posts in and around London usually carry an additional cost of living allowance.

Effects
Career advisers usually work 37 hours a week, Monday to Friday, although you may occasionally need to work evenings, to attend parents' evenings or other events. There are opportunities for part-time work, job sharing or working during term time only.

The work often involves a lot of local travel, so a driving licence may be needed.

Sources of information
Institute of Career Guidance: www.icg-uk.org
Careers Scotland: www.careers-scotland.org.uk
Careers Wales: www.careerswales.com
Careers Service Northern Ireland: www.careersserviceni.com
Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services: www.agcas.org.uk

CRCI: V