The Joy of Working on Personal Statements

This is such a fantastic time of the year to be working as a career advisor because I get to work with teenagers who are looking for help and guidance in writing their university application personal statements.

In doing this work I have the privilege of joining these young people as they think about
- what they like studying,
- where their specific skills lie,
- what career they'd like to pursue and
- what they'd like to study at university.

I am lucky enough to hold in memory my own apprehension and concern balanced alongside excitement and hope when I was writing my own UCAS personal statement. Many people forget these feelings as they age, but twenty years on they're as fresh for me as they were then. This is a benefit to have, since I can help the young people accept these feelings and hold them as they progress, reassuring them that everyone feels that way and it's very very normal.

I suppose I could apply for another course myself, but working with these young people comes just as close; I learn about new subjects and careers, hear from this generation about the hopes and dreams and journey with them as they progress.

My hope is that after working with me these young people might have even a slight aspect of joy from the process, I do.

Shortlisted for an Award - what an honour

We are thrilled to announce that Spinning Careers has been shortlisted for a Mum and Working Award 2011 in the category of Self Employed Parent of the Year.

The awards are being held at the Business Mums Summit in October, which I will be attending. The summit is an event not to miss if you are exploring starting your own business, to hear the fabulous speakers and network with other UK Mums in Business.

I have to admit to being shocked at being shortlisted for this award, but as it sinks in I am celebrating.

Celebrating in the awareness of Spinning Careers.
Celebrating in the raised profile of the services I offer.
And celebrating in the fact that through this shortlisting I will be able to help more people achieve their career goals in an avoidable and personal way.

Thank you Mum and Working Awards, I am truly honoured.

Client Recommendations

We are thrilled to have received two client recommendations this month. It is the best news ever to see clients achieve the job they were aiming for.

If you need to update your CV I highly recommend Spinning Careers run by Emma. She was professional, prompt and efficient, whilst being friendly and empathic. For the services she offers I think her prices are extremely reasonable

Ruth, Banking
The full review of our services can be found on her blog GeekMummy

I just want to say a huge thank you for helping me write my cover letter and cv when I was looking for a job. You changed my cv from sounding that of a student to having the vocabulary & mannerism of a young professional. And I truly believe that from your restructuring & re-wording of my cv, this helped me to succeed and to land me my dream job as a Wedding Co-Ordinator! Once again a huge thank you for your help!

Hannah, Wedding Co-ordinator


If you would like to recommend our services we would love to hear from you. We are listed at The Best of Wokingham if you would like to add comments there The Best Of Wokingham

Time to think about personal statements

I know what you're thinking,
there's no rush,
it's not even the end of the academic year yet
there's plenty of time to think about applications to University

And yes, you're right
But.....it'll be September before you know it and then the race to submit applications will be upon you.

My advice:
start thinking about courses
start researching your options
start knowing your strengths and weaknesses
start jotting down ideas for your personal statement

It's never too early to start.

100% success rate

Spinning Careers is thrilled to be able to confirm their 100% success rate at getting clients into their position of choice. It is a joy to see these people spin off into the career they deserve.

If you would like to do likewise then contact us for a chat, we are friendly and happy to share our our optimism for your future.

how do I apply for university?

It may be more than six months before UCAS forms start being submitted for the September 2012 University intake, but it is never too soon to start thinking about how the application works.

The first three steps which you can start on now are:
1 - decide which course you would like to study
You will be studying your chosen course for between 3 and 5 years, make sure it's something you are interested in and have a natural affiliation with.

2 - short list which universities you would like to attend
campus or city?
relaxed or formal?
near to home or further away?

Start to think about how you feel about those options and perhaps visit a few universities to get a feel for what they are like.

3 - register with UCAS
You need to register with UCAS if you want to apply to university, they handle all the applications.

Develop networks

There is no doubt that we prefer to work with people we like; as colleagues, suppliers, consultants, partners, clients. But if you don't meet people, make contacts and sustain relationships then your network will be less able to promote you.

I know this sounds like an old boy network. That's how I felt about it when I was a young professional, and as a female I obviously rebelled against it. But in reality it's just having work related friends. I have over 250 people I send Christmas cards to, people who i appreciate as friends and/or colleagues. And these people often bring work and job leads my way.

So here's a top tip; make sure you use the networks you have to your advantage, by keeping up with them.

Task:
Email one person in your network every day
Today email them this blog post, then comment and let us know what response you got.