Careers Consultancy

Decisions about what to do after university are much better thought through in good time. In general, it is far better for young people to find a job which develops their strengths rather than exposes their weaknesses. To find the right path isn’t always easy because when you are young, you aren’t fully aware of what you are good at or in what sort of environment you might thrive. Both Elizabeth Rickards and Claire Davies have considerable experience at advising young people about careers.

We start by sending you a long questionnaire which will give us a starting point for our discussion. It helps us to know much more than your academic background: what you are like in classrooms and in teams, or in subjects which you didn’t enjoy. We need to find out about your talents and interests, your approach to study or sport, art, acting or music because this will give us a good idea about whether you can be determined and if you have initiative.

We want to know what you read and if you like to write. We want to know if you are happier with numbers and tasks which require infinite precision. We are keen to know whether you are competitive or ambitious, whether you prefer routine to the unpredictable, how you’ve responded in the past to stressful situations. And what have you done that gave you the greatest pride? What do you think is your finest achievement so far? Once we know this it will give us an insight into what you find rewarding and what sort of career might give you most satisfaction.

As a rule we don’t use psychometric testing to find out these aspects of each person we advise: we ask questions; we listen; we use our understanding of people and knowledge of the world of work so that we can find the right fit for each young person we advise. We know that not everyone with A Level English or a Media Studies degree will succeed in journalism. We also know that sometimes the young people who were trouble at school have the independence and drive to make their own way in the world. Winston Churchill never went to University. Richard Branson dropped out of school at sixteen.

After the one to one consultation, you will receive a report which gives information about each of the careers we have discussed and what you need to know about how to take things further, whether that is work experience, job applications, undergraduate or post graduate degree courses.

If you would like to arrange a meeting in London please click here to email, or telephone +44 (0) 208 222 8519.

Meetings are by appointment only and usually take place in London in the Fellows Room at the Royal Society of Arts, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ.
The nearest underground stations are Charing Cross and Embankment. Meetings can be arranged at clients’ homes but travelling expenses will be added to the consultancy fee.