Looking for answers about your future career?

We're a UK-wide youth charity on a mission to help you find your feet and get the best possible start in life.
Our Career Personality Quiz is a quick, fun way to find out which types of careers are most likely to suit you and to get tailored updates about our latest work experience and inspirational talks.
Take the quiz

How can we help you?

We believe every young person should have the opportunity to succeed and reach their potential, including you. If you attend a UK state secondary school or college, click on the tiles below to explore our latest work experience opportunities or browse our library of inspirational talks.

Work Experience

Get world-class work experience with top companies to meet employers and explore career options.
Opportunities

Inspirational Talks

Listen to great talks from high-achieving professionals to discover the key to career success.
Library

Helping students like you!

Meet Josh and Joyce, two of the million-plus young people from across the UK who have felt their confidence skyrocket thanks to using our extraordinary programmes during their time at school and college!

Get closer to the speakers you love

Catch up with some familiar faces who are ready to share the secret of their success! From music artists to comedy mavericks, CEOs to start up techs, whoever you tune in for, you won’t want to miss what they have to say!

Library

Meet some of our employers

We offer free work experience opportunities with hundreds of leading employers from big-name businesses you'll already know to others you've yet to discover. With new employers coming on board all the time, here are a few of our top employers!

Explore Opportunities

Your top 5
career questions
answered

How will work experience benefit my future?

Work experience can provide you with useful insights and practical learning opportunities that will give you a deeper understanding of the world of work and where your career aspirations lie. It will also;

  • Help you make more informed decisions around subject choices.
  • Broaden your horizons and enables you to build your confidence and gain the essential skills that employers will value.
  • Boost your CV or personal statement, providing tangible evidence of your interest in a particular career, discipline, employer, or industry.
  • Increase your chances of securing a place at a chosen college or university, getting onto a training course or apprenticeship, or even landing your first job.
  • Doing multiple work experience placements while in education has also been proven to increase your annual salary once in full-time work.

How do I decide which industry matches my skills and interests?

There is no one size fits all approach to careers and the truth is, whatever your strengths or interests, there are probably hundreds of jobs that you might find are a good fit for you. This is why we recommend keeping an open mind and being prepared to consider a range of different options. Our taster sessions and work placements give you the ideal way to take a closer look and compare multiple employment options in the same industry or look at one discipline across a few industries.
To help you identify your strengths and interests, why not take our career personality quiz?

When can I do work experience?

In theory, you can do work experience at any point between the ages of 14 -19. However, if the work placement is scheduled to take place during term time, you would first need to make sure that your school or college would support your request and that you meet all the specified criteria, including the age requirement.
To find out more about specific requirements for our different work experience opportunities check out our work experience page.

What is careers education?

Careers education is the general term used to describe any advice, guidance, training, information, or learning opportunities you receive while still at school or college to help get career ready and make informed decisions about your pathway into the world of work.

What are my options after school?

There is no single pathway that is best, and it is important to review your options at each stage in your career journey. Some careers require a university degree while others are more flexible.
Employers generally offer a range of pathways into ‘early careers’ for young people including entry-level roles (where you can join straight after leaving school), apprenticeships (where you can earn as you learn and there are various levels available) and graduate roles (where you require a university degree to apply).
Learning more about different industries, employers and career options while still at school can help you to make more informed choices about what you go on to do next.

The latest from the blog

NHS Chief Executive goes back to school to celebrate the NHS’s 75th anniversary  

NHS Chief Executive goes back to school to celebrate the NHS’s 75th anniversary   NHS England has partnered with youth social mobility charity Speakers for Schools to celebrate the NHS’s 75th birthday in 2023. The partnership will see over 150 senior leaders and executives from across the NHS speak to young people at state secondary schools […]

Read More

Our Work Experience for All campaign makes a splash!

Our Work Experience for All campaign makes a splash!  Following the spectacular launch event at London’s South Bank on 27th April, our Work Experience for All campaign is now LIVE! To mark the launch, 150 guests from a wide range of industries were treated to a scintillating evening’s entertainment at WPP’s state-of-the-art offices overlooking the […]

Read More

Educating parents and carers: the role of parents and carers in career conversations  

Educating parents and carers: the role of parents and carers in career conversations   Elnaz Kashefpakdel and Fiona Long   Parents and carers are vital partners in their child’s education; their support and involvement are crucial. In fact, their involvement actively contributes to improved outcomes for young people. This is the case generally in education attainment and […]

Read More