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Careers adviser/personal adviser : Salary and conditions

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Case studies

  • There is no single or nationally recognised salary scale for careers advisers. Salaries vary by location and entry level.
  • Typical starting salaries for trainee personal advisers (PAs) range from £16,000 to £21,000 (salary data collected Dec 2009).
  • Typical salaries for part qualified/qualified PAs range from £20,000 to £27,000 (salary data collected Dec 2009).
  • At senior level, salaries may go up to £35,000 for Senior Team Leaders (salary data collected Dec 2009) and higher in Connexions or local authority partnerships that have a full management structure.
  • Salaries are often higher in London and big cities. Further education colleges may offer higher salaries. Pogression through the salary range is often linked to meeting agreed criteria leading to full qualification.
  • PAs usually work 37 hours a week Monday - Friday but they need to work flexibly and the job increasingly involves evening and weekend work. Careers partnerships have to be responsive to hours that suit young people and the work often involves participation in events in the local community.
  • The work may be based in a variety of locations including Connexions/careers centres, community centres, schools and colleges. Careers advisers in Northern Ireland are often placed in job centres and benefits offices. Careers advisers employed directly by colleges have workspace there and spend comparatively little time away from their institutions.
  • There are opportunities for part-time, temporary or fixed-term work, job-sharing and flexitime, but this varies from employer to employer. Career breaks would be decided by each individual service but are not unheard of.
  • Opportunities in this profession exist nationwide. Following the publication of Every Child Matters: Next Steps , funding that previously went to 47 Connexions Partnerships, now goes to 150 local authorities with responsibility for delivery.
  • This is a responsible and demanding role, which can be stressful and even distressing at times. Supervision is generally provided to support PAs.
  • PAs may need to travel during the day to their different places of work and also to meet parents, carers, employers and professionals from other organisations. Occasionally they may need to travel to other parts of the country for meetings and conferences, which may involve overnight stays. Overseas travel or work is unlikely.
 
AGCAS
Written by Mark Stow, University of Lincoln
Date: 
December 2009
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