Early Careers Adviser – July 2024

Welcome to Early Careers Adviser - a member update for young people and their influencers from EarlyCareers.Scot, Scotland’s Early Careers Marketplace. 

Get Ahead in Your Career: Focus on Skills and Personalised Learning

If you’re between 16 and 29 and thinking about your future career, here’s something you should know: companies are increasingly looking beyond traditional qualifications and focusing more on the transferable skills you bring to the table. They’re seeking candidates who can adapt to new challenges across various industries—whether it’s tech, finance, or the creative arts to name a few.

Being able to quickly learn and master new tools is becoming incredibly valuable. This means that investing time in upskilling—whether through online courses, certifications, or hands-on projects—can give you a real advantage over the competition.

Many companies now offer personalised learning opportunities alongside their early career pathways. This means that not only will you gain a recognised qualification, but you’ll also have access to a wealth of learning and development tools beyond your normal day-to-day role. Whether it’s through gamified courses, concise lessons, or even virtual reality experiences, these resources are designed to help you build the skills you need, exactly when you need them.

To get started, check out our Early Career Essentials for some excellent upskilling opportunities. Stay curious, keep learning, and you’ll be ready to take on whatever comes your way in your career journey!

Fife College awarded £2m Modern Apprenticeship contract

Skills Development Scotland recently announced Modern Apprenticeship numbers for the 2024/25 academic year with 438 places awarded to Fife College, the third highest number of all colleges in Scotland.

Heriot-Watt and J.P. Morgan Pave New Paths for Graduate Apprenticeships

Heriot-Watt University is pleased to announce a new collaboration with partner J.P. Morgan with the recruitment of Graduate Apprentices (GAs) onto the Business Management for Financial Services programme.

This initiative reflects both organisations' commitment to providing practical, career-oriented education that develops new talent within the financial services sector.

Why luxury Scottish hotel firm is looking to youth to develop talent of the future

Crerar Hotel Group has, as a result of the brand-new Early Careers Programme, given 18 candidates aged 16 to 24 the chance to complete a two-year course. 

This is part of an initiative aimed at boosting the number of young people working in the sector.

Exams helpline will help relate results to successful career options

Young people – along with their parents and carers – will be able to get support with their results through Skills Development Scotland’s (SDS) dedicated Results Helpline that will be offering impartial career information, advice 
and guidance.  

How to write a CV

Your CV is an essential part of getting a job. It’s the first thing an employer or a recruiter will see of you, so you want to make a good impression.

FREE CV Maker with Adobe Express

Adobe Express offers a free, easy-to-use CV maker with customisable templates for various industries. Users can personalise their resumes by adding information, adjusting layouts, and incorporating custom branding elements like colors, fonts, and images.

The intuitive drag-and-drop interface is accessible to all, even without design experience. Completed CVs can be downloaded in high-quality formats for printing or sharing, making it simple to create a professional resume for free.

FREE Courses from The Open University

The Open University offer free courses to provide accessible education to a diverse audience. These courses are typically available online and cover a wide range of subjects, from humanities and social sciences to technology and business. 

They are designed to accommodate different learning paces and are often self-directed, allowing learners to study at their convenience.

Get ahead and upskill today.

How to Ace Your Interview

Landed an early career interview? Well done!  You must be competitive on paper so now it’s about being competitive in person.

There are so many tips and guides with sound advice, but what really works? Our top 5 tips for interview preparation will help you ace your interview and get selected.