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Career Guidance, Career Development & Career Coaching

Do you need help with your career?

We provide professional one-to-one career support, career advice, career guidance, career coaching, career development & career counselling across Scotland. We work with people of all ages and stages using our experience in career guidance and expert knowledge of Scotland's industries and skills sectors. We have regular appointments at meeting places across Scotland and at our office in Fife. See prices and locations.

Career Guidance for Adults & Professionals in Scotland

At any stage in life, decisions about your future can feel complicated. The pace of change in all employment sectors and an uncertain economic outlook means that we need to develop career and enterprise skills that make the most of new opportunities. Working one-to-one we can help develop a clearer picture of the future and support you to make decisions, successful job applications & move forward with confidence.

Career Development

Sometimes you can feel stuck with the job your doing. For one reason or another you feel like you are going no-where fast. You want to change, you want to move onwards and upwards but there are barriers. It could be that you have been sidetracked with other things; perhaps you feel your education, your skill set or even practices at your workplace are preventing progress. Perhaps it’s something else or a combination of things. Maybe you know what they are, maybe you don’t.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio will help you to look at your situation objectively. What are the options and what decisions can you make about your career to access or develop opportunities? You’ll get the inspiration; motivation and support you need to take stock, take action, make progress and feel great about your future.

Career Change

Most of us know deep down what we really want to do with our life but it can take time to come to the surface. When it does you have a choice to make. Are you going to do something about it or let it drift for another few years and see what happens? The world is full of ‘might haves’ and dreams about the work we’d love to do that remains a dream. It can be difficult to make changes and go for it but there is a brilliant satisfaction and sense of fulfilment to be had from finding the work you were born to do.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio we can help you take stock of your transferable skills and look in detail at finding the path to your ambition. Changing to do work you really will enjoy is often closer than you think. With the right support and some determination you can make it happen.

Career Decision Making

Making decisions about your career seems easy for some and difficult for others. If you can’t make decisions when opportunities come along then the deadline will pass and the chance will be gone. We rely on our thought process and perhaps discussions with family and friends. It’s natural to look for the negatives and feel uneasy about what change would mean for you.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio will help you develop the tools you need to look at your situation objectively and weigh up the positives and negatives. This leaves you free to make the best possible decision based on the facts. Your gut instinct will and should rule the day but with a clearer understanding of yourself and the opportunity your instincts could surprise you.

Career Options Analysis

Some people feel like they have limited options for the future and are stuck. Others feel there are so many possibilities that they just don’t know where to start. The reality is that at any one time you always have three options, 1: Change yourself, 2: Change your situation or 3: Stay the same.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio you will be able to look in detail at all the options. We can inject the energy and enterprise to find the right information about the options, find new opportunities, help you realise your goal and support you to take action to make it happen.

Job Application Support

Making an application for the job you really want requires you to craft your application with care and skill. The people who get interviews are not always the best candidates for the job but they are the best at putting together an interview-getting application. This is a skill that can be learned and usually requires good IT ability, attention to detail and some creativity.

The Career Studio specialises in helping you to develop a really compelling case to be selected for interview. We help to construct CV’s, cover letters and application form statements that hit the spot and make it difficult for the recruiter to turn you down. We have learned how to do this and have a successful record in sharing this and supporting people to get the job.

Targeted job search support

Sometimes you can get lucky and see a position advertised in the paper, on a website or hear about it from a friend. But when nothing much seems to be available it’s easy to lose motivation and apply for jobs that are not ideal. The reality is that there are many opportunities in almost every sector. You can find new places to search for jobs and adopt different approaches to finding the ideal job.

The Career Studio can help you target your search and develop a job search plan that supports you to find opportunities. We have expert knowledge of online recruitment and can support you in finding jobs in a specific sector.

Interview Preparation

Getting to the interview means that on paper you should be good enough to get the job. Now you just need to beat the competition. Most employers use a standardised competency based format so they can measure which candidate is the best overall. This is done to comply with legislation and ensures the process is transparent and “fair”. The interview panel will also have a discussion before making the decision and much will rest on their individual opinions of you and your performance against the criteria.

The Career Studio has an excellent understanding of recruitment practices in different sectors and can advise on the best way to prepare. We can help with research, preparing for questions, preparing for personality tests and even develop and/or support your presentation.

Business Start-up Support

You have a good idea and the desire to start your own business. Actually doing it is another matter. Furthermore the chances of success seem slim given only one in three makes it past the first year. However, there has never been a better time to start-up with so much support and resources available. If it’s what you really want to do then maybe you should have some confidential discussions with The Career Studio to structure your thoughts, your ideas and the implications for your future.

Working one-to-one we take the role of facilitator so you can sound out your ideas, discuss potential and learn about further sources of support. The Career Studio has expertise in self-employment and can inject enterprise and motivation in helping to structure your thoughts, further develop the opportunity and take action towards the next step. You might feel there are barriers for you in moving forward. We can address these and help you break them down so you can make the big decision with confidence.

Returning to Work

Returning to work after illness, travelling, caring for family or raising children can be a daunting prospect but also an exciting time when you are faced with fresh challenges and new opportunities. It is important to realise you are just as employable as anyone else and must not sell yourself short because you have not been in paid employment for a period of time. You may have a specific career objective in mind or perhaps you’re just looking for something to get you started. Identifying the right employment or training is the important first step back.

The Career Studio is sensitive to individual circumstances, however complicated. We recognise the difficulties and challenges people face in retuning to work. We work to develop an understanding of your unique situation and advise on how best to move forward, find work and what strategies you can use when applying for jobs.

Up skilling & Retraining

Investing time and money in your career by developing new skills can help you to access opportunities that were previously inaccessible. But this investment often comes at a price where in the short-term you have to make a sacrifice for a return in the long-term. However, there has never been a better time to take on new learning and the potential for your future is only limited by the investment you are prepared to make. New industries, companies and opportunities are appearing all the time and those that are best prepared will find success in the future.

The Career Studio understands the training and education sector and can advise on training routes and vocational or academic qualifications. We can help you analyse the options and select the right path by looking at the economy, specific sectors and the value of any training you undertake. We can also assist you to find funding and other sources of support.

Work / Life Balance

Everyone lives their life in a different way either by choice or by circumstance. What is important to one person will not be for another. Sometimes we don’t really know how we want to live but we have to make a living and pay for the things we need. For some people the work they do is the top priority and takes over all else. Finding the right balance can be difficult to sustain because your priorities may change throughout life.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio we discuss what things are really important to you now, in the past and in the future. We help to draw a plan of the ideal future and what steps you can take towards achieving your goals.

Relocation Assistance

Moving to a new place, whether planned or not, will bring new challenges of finding work and developing your career. Prepare as best you can before you go by researching, getting your CV organised, updating qualifications and discussing your plans with someone in the know. If you are already here and now need support to find work then meeting with a careers adviser will be a great help to get things moving.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio can clarify your objectives and help you set up the right approach to making a success of the relocation. We can support your research and offer the assistance you need to prepare.

Confidence Coaching

In working every day with people of all ages and at all stages in their careers it is easy to recognise the one most important factor that determines a person’s ability to make progress. Your confidence plays a crucial role in enabling you to move forward. When we are confident in ourselves, in our talents and abilities it becomes easier to take on new challenges, make important decisions and take ourselves forward in work and life. The only problem with confidence is that it’s usually at its lowest when we need it most.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio will put you in touch with your confidence and give you reasons to feel confident about yourself and your career prospects. You are a person with a unique set of talents and have the potential to develop a successful career. By reflecting and learning from experiences you have of life and work, both the good and bad, breeds greater self understanding, awareness, and confidence with who you are and where you are going.

Redundancy

Whether voluntary or compulsory, redundancy is increasing commonplace as the economies and labour markets of the world develops. Businesses frequently restructure to take advantage of these developments and international economies of scale. Unfortunately, this is often at the cost of local jobs. But that’s not the end of the story. With every end there is a new beginning and for those made redundant a chance to find new challenges.

The Career Studio has specialist experience in redundancy assistance and can provide expert help in fully transferring skills to a different sector. You might decide it’s a good time to revisit previous ambitions or look at new opportunities presented by the departure of your previous employer. Either way there are lots of options and The Career Studio can help you focus on the future and move forward.

Retirement Planning

Many people continue working in retirement either by choice or necessity. However, it can be difficult find the opportunities and frustrating when you feel you are being discriminated against because of your age. There are a growing range of options for older people and your experience can add so much value to many different areas of work.

Working with The Career Studio will help to identify the work you can and want to do and assist you with your approaches and applications. We can access a range of internet based resources on your behalf and communicate opportunities in your local community.

 

 

Career Guidance for Young People and Students in Scotland

Sometimes young people need extra support to move forward and make good decisions about their future. We specialise in working with 16-25 year olds to identify talents, generate motivation and think about the world of work with enterprise and optimism. We can help to develop a plan and put it into action. Empowering young people to make positive progress and take control.

University entry

There has never been a better time to go to University with so many courses from which to choose and great places to live for a few years while you are studying. Applying to University or College should be covered at School but in some cases you might want more detailed help with choosing a course and making your application. Many people apply to University after they have left school and some find it difficult to decide where to go and what to do. Sometimes exam results, a change of mind or other circumstances dictate a last minute application is required.

The Career Studio has specialist experience in assisting young people and their parents with the University decision making and application process. There are always many factors to consider and questions to answer with perhaps the most important being; where does your degree take you? Working with you to solve the puzzle we help to develop the right solution for every individual and assist in the production of a first class application to secure a place.

University exit

People leave University at different times for many reasons. Professional support at this stage is very important and is often available through the University’s Career Service although their main function is to place graduates into employment. If you dropped out from your course then working out what you have learned about yourself and spending some time fully exploring your options will ensure you can take it in your stride and make the next move. If you have completed your degree but not sure where it leaves you then having a detailed discussion with The Career Studio will help you find the way forward.

The Career Studio can assist university leavers to identify the options and devise a plan for making a positive next move. Whether into employment or further study you’ll get the support you need to make progress.

Training & Apprenticeships

It is a myth that there are limited training opportunities. For many young people this is a great option. If you have the endeavour, enterprise, good people skills and a reasonable set of grades from school you’ll find there are lots of possibilities with some of the country’s leading employers in some of the most exciting and dynamic industries. You need to decide what it is you would really like to do and make your career your top priority. Many young people struggle to secure an apprenticeship without these core foundations in place and don’t really know where to look.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio helps to secure these foundations, identifies talents and provides the support you need to find opportunities and make a great application.

Career planning

Young people today need a new set of skills that until recently were never taught in School, College or University. Career planning skills give you the ability to become adaptive in working life, learning how to change jobs, recognise and develop transferable skills and motivation to continue learning through life. This will stand you in good stead for the increasingly dynamic and fast paced world of work.

The Career Studio educates people about career planning skills and recognises the importance of assessing and developing these in the people we work with.

Overcoming barriers

Many young people face barriers that prevent them from making progress. Sometimes they may not be obvious or rational but none the less prohibitive to developing the right attitudes to the future. Common barriers in young people are lack of self belief, poor self disciple and low self esteem; these can be overcome by coaching. More complex barriers such as poor perception of parental influence and a negative interpretation of the world are harder to address.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio will help to identify barriers to progression and lead to specific personal development goals. Through working together with support from family, barriers can be overcome and planning for the future can begin.

Confidence building

In working every day with people of all ages and at all stages in their careers it is easy to recognise the one most important factor that determines a person’s ability to make progress. Your confidence plays a crucial role in enabling you to move forward. When we are confident in ourselves, in our talents and abilities it becomes easier to take on new challenges, make important decisions and take ourselves forward in work and life. The only problem with confidence is that it’s usually at its lowest when we need it most.

Working one-to-one with The Career Studio will put you in touch with your confidence and give you reasons to feel confident about yourself and your career prospects. You are a person with a unique set of talents and have the potential to develop a successful career. By reflecting and learning from experiences you have of life, both the good and bad, breeds’ greater self understanding, awareness, and confidence with who you are and where you are going.

Employability skills

One of the complaints from industry about the statutory education system is the lack of preparation young people display in core employability skills. Young people who want to enter work straight after leaving school or college need to be “work ready” and have a range of essential skills like listening, communicating, following instructions, reliability, consideration of others, handling disputes and disagreements, positive body language etc. Without these young people find it very difficult to get into a job or training.

The Career Studio works with individuals to develop first class people and employment skills. We can practice these and coach young people to develop confidence in handling new situations and understand what is required.

Performance coaching

There is growing evidence that having a clear career ambition, whether fulfilled later in life or not, can radically improve the educational performance of students. Many young people with potential and ability go on to under-perform in school work and examinations. It can be frustrating to see students wasting the opportunity to achieve the best that they can. Performance coaching is an excellent way to develop the educational performance of a young person and help them reach their potential.

The Career Studio helps students identify a clear goal and set a target. When in place we assist in developing easy to use strategies for managing school work and preparing for exams. These give students a sense of ownership of their education and the tools to achieve their potential.