Since competition for university places is becoming fiercer than ever, it is really important to stand out from the crowd to secure your preferred university place. Of course, you need to do as well as you can in your A-Levels, but there are other ways of getting offers from the best universities.

The construction industry employs 2.17 m people in the UK. Construction professionals shape our world and make a vital contribution to the British economy accounting for 8% of Gross Domestic Product.  Construction has become a global industry providing opportunities to work and travel overseas. 

The Job Roles

Going to a careers event might seem daunting, challenging, or even boring – but this is your opportunity to find out more about your future, so don’t waste it!

The worst thing you can do is go to a careers event unprepared. You need to have thought through why you are there, what you want to find out, who you want to talk to and what sort of questions you’re going to ask.

More and more schools are booking their students in to career fairs. Why? Well it gives you the opportunity to meet experts from a wide variety of careers, universities, colleges and apprenticeship organisations all under one roof, so make the most of it and prepare yourself well in advance. Below we give you some ideas on getting the most out of careers fairs.

Ask your school to get a list of exhibitors or see if they have one on the organisers web site.

A powerful personal statement can turn a merely good application into an outstanding one. Conversely a bad one can turn an outstanding application into something decidedly average! A top class personal statement can make the difference between an offer and a rejection. Neel Gorasia shows how to make sure your statement exudes research, passion, commitment.

Nursing is a fast changing profession, with fantastic opportunities to develop careers in a variety of areas.  Nurses work with people of all ages:  in roles which prevent ill health, as well as those which focus on managing illness.   Nurses don't just work in hospitals - their role spans the community, working in patients’ homes, or in GP surgeries, plus areas such as prisons, schools, workplaces and specialist clinics.

Anyone who wants to go to university can afford to do so. That may seem like an incredible claim, given that university tuition fees in England are set to reach £9,000. But amidst a ferocious political debate about whether or not the Government was right to pile so much of the cost of higher education onto individuals, a large number of myths and misconceptions have arisen that need to be busted as students and their families are making choices about going to university.

The Open University is different. You study at home with lots of support from your tutor and other university staff. Your course materials are delivered to your door - or accessed online in some cases...

Remember, your degree or A-level choice does not determine your life or your future career. Of course, certain careers require specific qualifications and these tend to be sciences based e.g. Medicine. However, unless you’re sure this is the field for you, consider subjects you’ll enjoy as this increases your chance of a good qualification, and a happy time at university/college.

Getting a summer job is a fantastic way of beating the boredom bug and injecting adventure into your holidays. The transitory nature of the experience is the perfect opportunity for you to explore different avenues and decide upon the type of employment which interests you the most. Usually students will go back to the same employer; however there’s nothing wrong with moving into unfamiliar territory once the season comes back around.