Career Coaching for Teenagers

• Career coaching involves considerably more than the time spent in the appointment. Before the session, I review the information provided and prepare appropriate questions, activities and resources.

• Following the session, I identify relevant information and provide clear, manageable next steps. Depending on your teenager’s needs, this may include carefully selected information about careers, university courses, apprenticeships, qualifications or alternative pathways.

• This preparation enables me to provide genuinely personalised career coaching rather than generic careers information.

• Unsure what career would suit them? 
• Struggling to choose subjects, courses or qualifications? 
• Considering university but unsure what or where to study? 
• Feeling under pressure to make the “right” decision? 
• Interested in several completely different career ideas? 
• Wondering whether university is really the best route? 
• Disappointed or confused following exam results? 
• Lacking the confidence to take their next step?

 They do not need to have everything worked out. Career coaching gives them the time, structure and support to begin making sense of their options. 

For teenagers who are saying:

“I don’t know what I want to do.”
 

This could cover:

• Identifying strengths and transferable skills. 
• Exploring interests, motivations and preferred ways of working. 
• Considering suitable career sectors. 
• Challenging assumptions about particular careers. 
• Researching what jobs genuinely involve. 
• Understanding the qualifications and experience required. 
• Turning vague ideas into a manageable shortlist. 

Please note: The goal is not to tell a young person what job they should do. It is to help them develop the self-awareness and research skills to make their own informed decision.

University can be an excellent option, but choosing a course simply because it sounds interesting—or choosing a university because friends are going there—can lead to expensive and disappointing mistakes.
 

I can help teenagers to:

• Decide whether university is right for them. 
• Explore which subjects and courses fit their interests. 
• Compare similar degree courses. 
• Understand course content rather than relying on course titles. 
• Consider location, campus environment, teaching style and student experience. 
• Compare entry requirements and realistic options. 
• Prepare useful questions for open days. 
• Think about how a degree might connect with future careers. 
• Create a balanced shortlist of choices. 

My approach is not anti-university. It is about making sure university is a positive, informed choice rather than an automatic expectation.