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Parents Careers
Newsletter
North Berwick High School
February 2015
As the S3 students move towards making choices for their future time at school, it is important that
they start to think about what they are going to do even further into the future. As the school’s
Careers Adviser, I can give information and advice about the options open to pupils. Research shows
that parents and guardians are the most important influence on young people’s career aspirations
and choices. This newsletter is to inform you of the services Skills Development Scotland offers
pupils at North Berwick High School and their parents.
Mick Burns, Careers Adviser
Help from Skills Development Scotland
If S3 students would like help in deciding what to
do when they leave school, they should register
on Skills Development Scotland’s website
MyWorldofWork at www.myworldofwork.co.uk.
As a starting point, they can use the My Strengths
tool on the website to help identify areas of
study or employment which might suit them.
The website also gives lots of useful information
on applications, CVs, interviews, college and
university. They can have a web chat with an
adviser and also call Skills Development
Scotland’s Contact Centre for advice on
0800 917 8000
All pupils can come along to Lunchtime Drop In
sessions held most Wednesdays and Thursdays
1.30pm in school careers library. If pupils still
need help from S4 –S6, they can speak to their
guidance teacher about organising a 1:1
interview if required. I can also be contacted by
telephone at the SDS Careers Centre in
Musselburgh on 0131 665 3120 or by email at:
[email protected]
Careers Resources
Pupils should do research into jobs and courses.
The careers section in the school library
contains up-to-date information. This includes
a range of publications to help them make
decisions about university and college, as well
as advice on job seeking, application forms,
interviews, CVs etc.
You can also make use of on-line information
using these websites:
Don’t
 PlanIt - www.planitplus.net
 Careers A-Z www.myworldofwork.co.uk
 Edinburgh College
www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk
 UCAS - www.ucas.com
 My blog at edubuzz.org/careers
Choosing school subjects is not about choosing a
career. However, there can be a link between
school subjects and your career plan. If you
have some ideas about what you would like to
do when you leave school, you should check out
what subjects may be needed.
Here are some hints which may help with
making subject choice decisions:
 Do leave your career ideas open – you may
have some ideas already but these may
change.

Do take subjects that you enjoy.

Do take subjects you are good at.

Do remember to take at least 2 sciences if
you are interested in a scientific or
medical career.

Don’t choose subjects you dislike.

Don’t think some subjects are for girls and
some are for boys.

Don’t be influenced by your friends’ choices
or because it is with your favourite
teacher – you may not have that teacher
another year.

Don’t choose subjects that you find difficult
– they will likely become harder in S3 and S4.
There are lots of possibilities for future options
– university, college, modern apprenticeships,
employment,
training
programmes,
volunteering, taking a Gap Year…….
If you need more help, please just get in touch.
My World of Work
www.myworldofwork.co.uk
Skills Development Scotland’s careers
website My World of Work can help you
identify your Self and Strengths and learn
how to develop your Horizons and Networks.
To make full use of the website you should
first register as user. Below are some of the
options you can select from the Main Menu
page to help develop your Career
Management Skills.
My DNA is an image based
quiz, which can help you find out
more about your Self and your
potential, who you are and what makes you
tick.
My Strengths can identify your
strengths and see how these
relate to the subjects you might
choose to study in school or at college or
university, to jobs you might do in the future
and to leisure activities you might enjoy.
The Careers A – Z
and
Course
Choices sections
can help you explore your career Horizons.
You can look at information on jobs in
different career areas and find out entry
requirements for jobs and courses. The more
you are aware of the range of jobs and their
training routes, the better prepared you’ll be to
make your choice of career. These sections
can also help you when you’re making a
choice of subjects.
Once
you
know
what you’d like to do, how can you get that job
or course? What resources and Networks
can help you? You can use My CV to write a
job winning CV, which tells a potential
employer all about you and why you’re a good
candidate for the job. My Interview can give
you tips on face to face and telephone
interviews, on assessments and even on what
to wear and not to wear to an interview.
There is also lots of information on application
forms for jobs, college and university.
Find the job you’re interested in by looking in
the Job Search section which lists job
vacancies.
Careers Resources
As well as using My World of Work, you can
also look at the following websites to do your
own research into jobs and courses. Use
these resources to check out the subjects
you’ll need for jobs and courses which interest
you.
 Edinburgh College –
www.edinburghcollege.ac.uk for information
on college courses
 Scottish Rural University College–
www.sruc.ac.uk for information on courses in
land based industries
 Planitplus - www.planitplus.net for
careers and course information
 UCAS - www.ucas.com for information on
university courses
Help from
Scotland
Skills
Development
Your Skills Development Scotland Careers
Adviser Mick Burns, is in school all day
Wednesdays and Thursdays to meet with
pupils on a one to one basis.
If you would like to speak to me during third
year, for example about subject choice, ask
your guidance teacher to arrange an
interview.
You can also contact me by email at
[email protected]