A genuinely useful and refreshingly honest guide to apprenticeships. 'Understanding Apprenticeships' recognises the multiple options available and takes the reader through the whole journey, aiding informed and effective decision making. A valuable, practical and accessible resource, highly recommended for anyone working in apprenticeship support, careers guidance or employer engagement - as well as parents, young people and employers.

This book explains what a cover letter is and what information it should contain. It details how to tailor a letter and includes tips for utilising AI. The disclosure of sensitive information chapter covers age, criminal convictions, disability, religious beliefs and sexuality.

Alternative cover letters such as speculative, negotiating offers, resignation and promotion are highlighted. The guide discusses the pros and cons of emails versus paper. The Top 10 mistakes to avoid and In a Nutshell are valuable features. The book concludes with further support, reading and resources. The authors are experienced careers advisers.

Future editions would benefit from the inclusion of cover letters for work experience as students often struggle with this task. The resource could be enhanced with the inclusion of an index.

A review copy was sent to me by the publisher.

This is a must read, its full of useful and practical resources and the authors share great insight. It's a book which you can continually reference, I enjoyed the content which was in a format which was easy to follow. I would recommend this book and know that it will be a very useful addition to my career's library.

Having recently completed the Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance I can only say I wish I had this book! Dr Yates takes a different approach and not only focusses on twenty five theories, but takes a practical approach as to how these can be easily applied in day to day practice. The 'final thoughts and next steps' section is particularly inspiring. This latest book in Career Development Theory is a must have for students and experienced professionals alike.

As a busy careers leader and less frequent advisor, it can be difficult to retain all the key theories from your advisor training. This book has given me a great refresher on not just some of the key theories, but also their practical applications with clients.

The book is in short and snappy chapters making it easy to dip in and out of when you are able to claim a few minutes for some personal CPD during a busy term.

The second part of the book looks at themes, combining around 3 theories linked to that theme, e.g. theories linked to managing emotions, with each theory summarised at the end into key takeaways. The author will then explain how she has used these within her own practice. Again, those of us who advise less frequently or perhaps those who might be stuck in a rut with their practice, can learn a lot from this book, considering perhaps forgotten theory and translating it into invigorated and refreshed action.

Careers 2025 is an invaluable resource for students and careers advisors alike. Its unbiased views to various job sectors are particularly helpful in providing clear, factual information. By grouping careers into families, the book becomes highly accessible, especially for students without a specific career in mind, allowing them to find a starting point more easily.

One of the standout features is the inclusion of entry-level requirements for each job, offering clear guidance on what students need to achieve to enter a particular field. Additionally, the related opportunities section for each job encourages students to consider alternative careers they might not have contemplated otherwise.

The indexing of jobs by entry level is a valuable tool for facilitating student discussions. It helps compare different career options based on required qualifications, making the decision-making process more straightforward. Overall, Careers 2025 is a comprehensive guide that effectively supports students in exploring and planning their future careers.

The handbook is truly comprehensive, catering to new and long-established career professionals, as well as those who are considering career development as a future role. For existing career professionals, it provides a handy reminder of the theories and skills behind career guidance, as well as useful updates to knowledge, such as a section on using generative AI. The handbook is well structured, with prompts for self-reflection sitting alongside information and guidance. The case studies bring the information to life, and the resources signposted throughout are helpful. Written with a supportive and knowledgeable tone, I can imagine dipping into the handbook for a long time to come for advice on best practice and reminders of the value of the profession.

A rewarding and interesting guide to STEM careers and how they can be found in most careers. It is well written and at a suitable level for the age group it is written for.

I enjoyed the Career Stories from a wide range of people, the Fascinating Facts covered different areas and was enlightening. The Reflection Sections at the end of each chapter was useful and will help students to decide on their future career.

I found the web links included in the chapters very useful and have used a few already. It is easy to dip into, but also easy to read from front to back. I found the referencing to other chapters really helpful especially if you are dipping into a particular topic. The comparison of Qualifications between the different home nations was very informative.

This book has improved my knowledge of STEM Careers and provided lots of web links that I will be using with my students.

This valuable handbook empowers school leavers to take ownership of their early career choices. The author presents 4 parts comprising 14 chapters, offering a systematic guide to considering whether it is worth going to University.

By adopting a positive mindset and embracing hope and optimism, the student, parent/carer, and teacher will appreciate the complexities and perplexities of career information, pathways, options, and choices, at this important stage of the early career journey.

Comparing the well-known and established University pathway and the lesser-known, Apprenticeship levels (intermediate, advanced, higher, and degree) the author introduces five factors - career options, learning preferences, financial costs, future financial rewards, and social life that enable a deeper and richer understanding. The final practical exercise is an excellent summary and opportunity to apply the five factors and ultimately arrive at an optimum decision that suits a school leaver's individual circumstances.

At a time when school leavers are faced with so many options and suffering from information overload, a trusted and knowledgeable guide written in a friendly, accessible manner becomes indispensable.

I wish a book like this was available when I was looking for a job. This book gives a good insight into what is looked for during an interview. I found it to be a detailed, easy read, that covered so many areas. It was very well laid out and talks you through the interview process, how to prep for the interview, during the interview as well as covering some great areas like task-based questions, thought-based questions and people-based questions. This book will be a great addition to our Careers Library for students as they embark on the next stage of their journey.

This is a great easy to read and use publication. What I particularly liked was the ability to dip in and out depending on the STEM career that you are seeking. You can navigate students towards specific chapters to read rather than having to trawl through endless websites. There are over 100 STEM related jobs covered in the book, career stories from contributors in those roles which really helps students to visualise themselves in that industry or job. The hero in STEM highlights such as Sir James Dyson and Dame Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock are a personal favourite. The individual chapters cover the different sectors, skills, personal qualities and qualifications required for a career in STEM and a chapter dedicated to parents and carers as well as teachers. A great book with something for everyone.

Careers 2025 is an easy-to-access guide listing what qualifications are needed and expected starting salaries for a range of jobs.
The job profile highlights working conditions, future prospects, related opportunities and further information. The profile describes what the jobs involve, the type of person suited to the work and the advantages and disadvantages of the job.

The book has been divided into 20 job families covering areas such as computers, engineering and science.

In future editions, it would be good to see recommended colleges and universities for specific jobs. This resource could be enhanced with the inclusion of job statistics.

Parents, students and staff will find this an invaluable resource to aid career planning.

This books gives a well laid out, comprehensive overview of each A-level subject including subjects that go well together. Each subject section also touches on studying it at HE level plus relevant jobs at A-level and degree level. An easy to read chart is also included which allows students to see at a glance what A-levels may be required for particular degrees they are considering.

With so many different post 16 options nowadays, the chapter explaining all the alternatives to A-levels is extremely useful, making what can be a very confusing range of choices far more understandable to students and parents.

This book is, in my opinion, an essential addition to any school careers library.

Even on a first flick of this book, I knew it would be invaluable for students, parents, Teachers and Careers Advisors. I chose to review this book because I knew little about the area of getting into law. After reading I found that I was informed and confident enough to be able to advise students and parents and signpost them to particular areas of interest.

The book is cleverly organised with handy hints and tips on different areas of law along with extra information that makes Getting into Law the go-to book.

This is so much more than impressive answers to interview questions. It provides an insight into the whole interview process; preparing you for every step. I like the fact that it outlines what to expect at an interview and gives you some guidance on how to approach the questions you may be asked. Breaking is down into task-based, thought-based and people-based questions is especially helpful, as it allows you to identify these types of questions whilst giving you advice on how to answer them and actual examples. The fact that it provides examples for entry level, middle management and senior management questions means this book is useful not just for School leavers and graduate but also experienced candidates.

It’s easy to dip in and out of. The “in a nutshell” sections provide good summarise. It's easy to read and follow. I particularly like the activities, which can be used to prepare for interviews. The CAR model of response (Circumstance, Action and Result) is a new way of approaching interviews, but I believe the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result) forces you to add more detail and reflection.

All in all , this is a useful guide for anyone preparing for an interview.