Supporting Your Young Person with Careers

The guidance below is designed to support constructive conversations, encourage independence and promote positive wellbeing.

Conversation starters about careers

Open, regular conversations help young people clarify their interests and aspirations.

Try asking:

• What subjects or activities do you enjoy most and why?
• What do you want your day-to-day work to feel like in the future?
• What skills do you think you are good at, inside or outside education?
• What have you seen or heard about work or study options that interests you?

Avoid focusing too early on outcomes. Early conversations are about exploration rather than decisions.

Resources to support you:

1. Conversation Starter Activity for Parents and Carers – click here to download (PDF)
2. Talking Futures: Short Video – A Parents’ Guide to Careers Conversations
3. Conversation Starter – National Careers Service

Encouraging independence while offering guidance

Young people benefit most when they feel ownership of their choices, with adults acting as informed supporters.

Strike a balance by:

• Encouraging them to research options themselves, then discussing what they find
• Offering perspective rather than directions
• Normalising uncertainty and change
• Respecting that their priorities may differ from your own experiences

 Your role is to:

• Help them weigh options
• Ask reflective questions
• Support decision-making skills they will use beyond education

Resources to support you:

1. Help a young person make career choices (National Careers Service)
   https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/helping-young-people-make-education-and-career-choices
2. Parents advice and resources (Skills for Careers)
   https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/parent-advice-and-resources
3. Short Video: Talking Futures: supporting decision making at home Parents Advice for Career Conversations – Talking Futures

Exploring Careers

You will be able to access a range of tools here that you can use with your young person to support their careers choices.

• Career quizzes and skills assessments
• Job profiles and day-in-the-life videos
• Links to employer insights

Include:

• BBC Bitesize Careers
• Prospects – Prospects | Job & Course Search | Career & University Advice
• National Careers Service – Home | Discover your skills and careers | National Careers Service
• UCAS – Take The Careers Quiz. What Job Could You Do?
• Unifrog

Supporting applications: CVs, personal statements and interviews

Practical support can make a significant difference, particularly for first applications.

You can help by:

• Encouraging early preparation rather than last‑minute applications
• Reviewing CVs and personal statements for clarity and accuracy, not rewriting them
• Helping them evidence skills gained from study, part‑time work or volunteering
• Practising interview questions to build confidence

Focus on process, not perfection. Each application is a learning experience.

Resources to support you:

1. CV builder and application support (National Careers Service) Help a young person make career choices | National Careers Service
2. Rapid Reads and Application Guides for Parents/Guardians How to Write a Covering Letter | Rapid Read Guide | Amazing Apprenticeships and How to Write a CV for Apprenticeships | Amazing Apprenticeships

Managing expectations and wellbeing

Careers decisions can feel high‑pressure for young people, particularly in a competitive or uncertain labour market.

Support wellbeing by:

• Keeping expectations realistic and flexible
• Reinforcing that there are multiple routes to success
• Watching for signs of stress or overwhelm
• Encouraging balance between applications, study and rest

Career pathways are rarely linear and changing direction is normal.

Resources to support you:

1. Parents’ guide to supporting wellbeing and decision making (Skills for Careers) Supporting young people info hub – for adults | Mind
2. The Parents’ Guide to Careers (National Careers Week – PDF download)
3. Video: Parent and carer webinars on careers and pathways (Amazing Apprenticeships) Parent – Amazing Apprenticeships