A new year: some advice on a new career

Support is available to help you make the right decisions.

Joanne McKinney, careers manager for Coleraine, Limavady and Ballymoney in the Department for Employment and Learning’s Careers Service, offers the following advice;

“It might be that you find you’re just not enjoying your job as much as you used to, leading you to ask if you’re on the right path.

Maybe you’ve just been made redundant, or been unemployed for a while, or can’t find employment opportunities in your chosen work area.

“It could even be you’ve progressed as far as you can in your current position, and now feel it’s time for a change.

“In all these cases, the Careers Service is here to help.

“Take your time, consider your options and think carefully before making any major decisions.

The most important thing is to seek appropriate advice and talking to a careers adviser should be your first step.

The Careers Service offers a professional, all age careers information, advice and guidance service.”

Joanne adds: “Don’t limit yourself to specific types of jobs. Spend some time researching the types of careers that you think you would like.

The Careers Service website, www.nidirect.gov.uk/careers, has a range of online software tools including a Careers A-Z database with over 1800 career titles, career matching tools, a CV builder tool, and numerous general information articles.

“Think about the abilities, aptitudes and qualities you have.

“There are many skills such as communication, leadership and problem solving that are transferable and applicable in many different job roles.

“To gain experience you could consider taking a part-time job, working weekends/nights, or volunteering.

“The Careers Service can provide you with help and guidance on job hunting and interview skills if required.

Find your local careers office by logging onto www.nidirect.gov.uk/careers. This site also carries extensive information on education, skills and training.

You can also contact the Careers Service by phone on 0300 200 7820 or by email on [email protected].

The Department for Employment and Learning is currently running the Skills to Succeed campaign encouraging the public and employers to find out more about the range of programmes and assistance that are available.

You can find out more on: http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/skills or by calling 0300 200 7876.

Follow the “Skills to Succeed” campaign on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/SkillstoSucceedni or on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dept-for-employment-and-learning-ni

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