4k in fees to train to be a Careers advisor

studentphil

The fee payable will be £3,605 for the
Postgraduate Diploma in Guidance. How on earth are you meant to afford courses if you dont have endless pots of cash? There is no funding or support available.

All that for a job that will only pay 17k after completeing it!!

si1503

Is that really essential to go into careers advice? I've met with careers advisors before and would not say they seemed that highly qualified.

Pretty cushty job though. I'd love to go into advisory work one day, IFA infact. Long road ahead of me!

studentphil

si1503 wrote:

Is that really essential to go into careers advice? I've met with careers advisors before and would not say they seemed that highly qualified.

Pretty cushty job though. I'd love to go into advisory work one day, IFA infact. Long road ahead of me!

It seems that it is required,yes!

I have looked at it against teaching for a long time and I would probably be happier in this than teaching. But at least a PGCE is funded!

Ted_Bloke

Given you want to go towards management rather than teaching, is careers guidance the thing for you I wonder? Even for anyone fresh from uni? Granted that a lot of it is being informed and moving around and maintaining contacts to keep informed, I would rather have been advised by someone experienced who had done a few jobs and knocked around, and had some responsibilities so he knows what it looks like from employer's point of view. I thought you had some specific personal interests you wanted to further. Look around. As far as finance is concerned I don't know that in PG there is much alternative to loans for course + living, so unlike UG, PG is for people who have a fair idea of what they want to do, tho surprises still come. It would be shortsighted to make money, e.g. the difference between £3K and 5K reason for choice.

studentphil

Ted_Bloke wrote:

Given you want to go towards management rather than teaching, is careers guidance the thing for you I wonder? Even for anyone fresh from uni? Granted that a lot of it is being informed and moving around and maintaining contacts to keep informed, I would rather have been advised by someone experienced who had done a few jobs and knocked around, and had some responsibilities so he knows what it looks like from employer's point of view. I thought you had some specific personal interests you wanted to further. Look around. As far as finance is concerned I don't know that in PG there is much alternative to loans for course + living, so unlike UG, PG is for people who have a fair idea of what they want to do, tho surprises still come. It would be shortsighted to make money, e.g. the difference between £3K and 5K reason for choice.

I do not really know, I fumble about looking for something where I will find happiness. That to me is a job that makes a difference to people's lives, but I can not afford £4000 on a course just to get that. I would prefer to study Part time or via distance learning then I could have some income at the same time.

Ted_Bloke

studentphil wrote:

I do not really know, I fumble about looking for something where I will find happiness. That to me is a job that makes a difference to people's lives, but I can not afford on a course just to get that. I would prefer to study Part time or via distance learning then I could have some income at the same time.

Happiness is worth more than £4000! Which if you live for another 40 years is only £100 a year! Cheap!
Real prob is you haven't got 4K. (Really 7 or 8 or you-tell-me £K because you have to live + you can't live any more exactly as undergrad.)
--> prob. loan, can you get it? where? where cheapest? (Whole forum on borrowing here). What is your debt already?
--> No grants for ppl. like you?
--> If debt, why are you frightened of it? Be rational. Do you want to be saying in 20, 30 years time, I never wanted this career I only did it because it was the only thing I could get a grant for? Yes there have been people like that, plenty. But 50, 70, 80 years ago. You don't have to do it now.

Sure have to weigh up things like is this course likely to lead me to a job? - not even the most prestigious MBA is quite guarantees that.

You can come back on that , in general and when you have a specific idea. Do your thing.

niceguyed

si1503 wrote:

Is that really essential to go into careers advice? I've met with careers advisors before and would not say they seemed that highly qualified.

Pretty cushty job though. I'd love to go into advisory work one day, IFA infact. Long road ahead of me!

What's that proverb. "Walk a mile in someone's shoes before you judge whether or not they hurt"

Rewarding yes - Cushty no


I work for the Connexions service as a Personal Advisor. All my colleagues have degrees with various professional quals attached. Although many adverts stipulate you need a qualification in careers guidance this is not always necessary if you have relevant professional experience i.e. teaching, youth work, social care. In any case you still have to do the NVQ 4 LDSS.

Although I also think Connexions rate personal qualities as highly as qualifications and experience. By the way studentphil - if you do end up going for the training and start at Connexions (as most QCG students seem to) its not just careers guidance. You'll be expected to work on clients barriers to progression which can include a plethora of social issues. Anyway best of luck and if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Regards

niceguyed

studentphil

I have 6k of unspent student loans, so I could afford it really, but I have to be sure I spend it where I get the best career value from it. If that makes sense?

Maybe 4k on management quals would benefit my career more generally than something really specific.

freebie_junkie

is there a route you can take under the PGCE Post-compursary Generic route?

i know that the following can be studeied under it:
community education
students with additional support needs
youth challenge

im just applying for my PGCE (Adult literacy specialist) im petrified coz i have to go for an interview. its very well funded though. teh fees are £2000 for which you can get a loan, there is a loan of £3215, a grant of £1500 and a £6000 bursary and at the end of it i get to really help people (im gonna specialise in students with barriers to education coz ive suffered from quite a few of them personally!) and do what im doing volunatrily now and get paid for it. who was it who said that if you love your job you will never work a day in your life?

studentphil

niceguyed wrote:

What's that proverb. "Walk a mile in someone's shoes before you judge whether or not they hurt"

Rewarding yes - Cushty no


I work for the Connexions service as a Personal Advisor. All my colleagues have degrees with various professional quals attached. Although many adverts stipulate you need a qualification in careers guidance this is not always necessary if you have relevant professional experience i.e. teaching, youth work, social care. In any case you still have to do the NVQ 4 LDSS.

Although I also think Connexions rate personal qualities as highly as qualifications and experience. By the way studentphil - if you do end up going for the training and start at Connexions (as most QCG students seem to) its not just careers guidance. You'll be expected to work on clients barriers to progression which can include a plethora of social issues. Anyway best of luck and if you have any questions feel free to PM me.

Regards

niceguyed

Thanks, I know it is far more than careers advice and that is why it interests me.

studentphil

freebie_junkie wrote:

is there a route you can take under the PGCE Post-compursary Generic route?

i know that the following can be studeied under it:
community education
students with additional support needs
youth challenge

im just applying for my PGCE (Adult literacy specialist) im petrified coz i have to go for an interview. its very well funded though. teh fees are £2000 for which you can get a loan, there is a loan of £3215, a grant of £1500 and a £6000 bursary and at the end of it i get to really help people (im gonna specialise in students with barriers to education coz ive suffered from quite a few of them personally!) and do what im doing volunatrily now and get paid for it. who was it who said that if you love your job you will never work a day in your life?

I have toyed with the idea of doing a PGCE PCET, but the trouble is with a Philosophy degree you are not very employable in that sector, so I would have to do something like a management qualification first to give me that vocational teaching area. Whilst I do have a rather good knowledge of disability, it is probably not going to get me on the course.