Careers adviser/personal adviser : Job description

A careers adviser/personal adviser provides information, advice and guidance to help people make realistic choices about education, training and work.

In England the usual entry point is as a personal adviser (PA) within Connexions , funded by local authority children's trusts. However, there may be some opportunities to work as a careers adviser within a further education/college establishment. PAs work specifically with young people aged 13-19, or 24 for those with learning difficulties or disabilities. In addition to careers advice, PAs offer personal development support. This may include helping young people through challenging issues related to housing, relationships, health, money, drug and substance misuse, for example, acting as an advocate and/or facilitating access to more specialist support agencies and professionals.

Typical work activities

The work of personal advisers (PAs) varies according to how their employing Connexions Service is structured. Most have a mixed caseload of education and community work. This will include young people who are still at school or college and those Not in Education, Employment or Education (NEET), which is a key priority group for Connexions. Some services may have advisers who work solely with this NEET caseload; while other services may also have Intensive PAs, who work with a smaller caseload of young people who need more frequent, intensive support.

Tasks typically involve:

• interviewing clients one to one or in small groups;
• identifying their needs using a referral and assessment tool;
• providing information, advice and guidance about a range of issues, such as careers, education, employment and training, housing, money, health, drugs and bullying; either directly or in partnership with specialist agencies;
• assisting young people to draw up action plans for employment, education and training and supporting them to achieve these goals;
• researching careers, options and support organisations to meet young people’s needs;
• running small group sessions or larger presentations on all aspects of careers work and topics related to personal development;
• liaising and negotiating with other organisations on behalf of young people;
• working with families and carers to access and facilitate the young person’s wider support network;
• using IT for administrative tasks, such as recording interactions with and tracking clients;
• using computer-aided guidance packages, skills assessment tools, psychometric tests and personal inventories;
• planning and organising careers fairs and conventions;
• keeping up to date with labour market information, legislation, and professional and academic developments by visiting employers, training providers and training events run by educational and professional bodies;
  managing a caseload of clients.