Welcome to Lakes College's Careers Service! This free, impartial and confidential service is available to anyone who may be considering applying to the College as well as to existing and past students.
The careers advisor and careers room are based in the Learning Resource Centre (LRC). The careers notice boards are in the corridor just outside the LRC. The facilities available are very similar to what you would find in a high street careers office or at connexions. We can provide:
- Handouts on hundreds of different jobs and careers
- Handouts on applying for Higher Education or employment
- Books on careers, Higher Education, job searches etc.
- Computer programmes to help with career and course choices
- Internet access to careers related sites
- Prospectuses and application forms for University, nurse training etc.
- Information on taking a 'gap year' and studying or working abroad
Careers Extras
A regular careers news bulletin is sent on the internal e-mail to all students and staff. This covers a variety of careers related topics and includes details of vacancies, open days, taster courses, Higher Education and website recommendations. It also serves as a reminder to students about key dates and deadlines.Visiting speakers, trips to open days and careers or Higher Education fairs will be organised whenever possible.
Careers Advisor
There is a part-time, qualified and experienced careers advisor based at the College who is available to see any potential, existing or past students. The information given is totally impartial and not just limited to the opportunities available at Lakes College. You may want to talk to a careers advisor if you:
- Need help choosing a career or suggestions for jobs that you might be suited to
- Are thinking of coming to College but are not sure which course would be best
- Are not happy on your course and want to discuss other options
- Want to talk about Higher Education or training and how to apply
- Want to get help with filling in your UCAS or other application forms
- Want to get help with your CV and general job search skills
To make an appointment with the careers advisor please call us on 01946 83 93 00 and ask to book an appointment. Or you can also contact the careers advisor by post at:
The Careers AdvisorLakes College West Cumbria
Hallwood Road
Lillyhall Business Park
Workington
Cumbria
CA14 4 JN
Or e-mail on: student.services@lcwc.ac.uk
Careers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. I have no idea what I want to do - help!
A. This is a question that people often come with, but is very rarely accurate! Try the following strategies:
Look at it the other way. What would you NOT like to do and why? Very soon you'll have an extensive list and can probably eliminate whole categories of jobs.
See yourself as others see you. Talk to people (close relatives or friends) who know you well and ask them what they could see you doing. Even if they come to no definite conclusion they might highlight strengths (or weaknesses!) that you didn't realise you had.
Make a list of your good and bad points - particularly skills that you have or good and not so good aspects of your personality. These may give you clues to types of work to think about or avoid.
Can your interests or hobbies give you any pointers? Your skills in football may not be good enough to make you the next David Beckham but they might help you realise that you are far more at home as a team member than when you have to work alone. Or that you would find it incredibly difficult to sit behind a desk all day.
Look for inspiration in the careers library. Use computer applications such as adult directions, careerscape, or eclips . If all that doesn't help then talk to the careers advisor!
Q. Given the cost of going to University these days, is it still worth it?
A. Provided that you find a course you want to study and you have the motivation and ability to successfully complete it then yes!
A Degree in particular will give you access to many more job opportunities, nearly 50% of which will not specify which particular subject you need to have studied. Your long term earning potential (though not necessarily your starting salary) will be much better off than with just 'A' Levels or the equivalent and you should be much less likely to be unemployed. Even allowing for the fact that you may have a student loan and other debts to pay off from your time as a student, it should not be too long before you are financially better placed than friends who are not so highly qualified. You should, however be realistic and honest with yourself. Graduate level jobs are more plentiful in certain areas of the country so if you know your are going to be tied to a particular area research carefully the level and frequency of vacancies that come up in the type of work you are looking for.
The experience of going off to University for a few years is looked back on by many as the best time of their life! The inspiration, independence and confidence it gives you, the things you do, the people you meet and the friends that you make are all an important part of the university experience.
Finally, don't forget that if you want to study for a Higher Education qualification but don't want to go away from home, don't forget that we do Foundation Degrees here at Lakes College West Cumbria!
Q. I think I am interested in training to be a nurse - how do I go about it?
A. At the moment there are two levels of nurse training - Diploma and Degree. Both usually take three years but the entry requirements, the courses themselves, the financial arrangements and possibly your long-term career prospects do differ so it would be sensible to talk things through with a careers advisor before deciding which would be best.
For further information see:
Q. I want to be a social worker - is there a course in Cumbria?
A. Good news! Yes there is a course at the University of Cumbria in Carlisle.
Please note it is important to realise that most social work courses require students to have relevant experience as one of their entry criteria, so check the course entry requirements carefully before applying.
Q. I know that a BTEC National and an Advanced Apprenticeship are the same level of course - which is better?
A. This is the sort of question that is impossible to answer without knowing something about the person asking it. Many qualifications are described as 'equivalent to' but they are often very different in character, content and acceptability in the workplace. You will need to speak to a careers advisor.