Plotr Issue 1: SCIENCE, TECH & MATHS

Careers inspiration. February 2015.

WHAT IF I WASN’ T A YOUTUBER? VLOG SUPERSTAR MARCUS BUTLER TAKES ON THE PLOTR GAME

THE BIG STORY

WHAT IF I WASN’T A YOUTUBER?

Marcus Butler, 23, makes a living out of making videos on YouTube. Some of his three million followers might say he’s got the perfect career. Even so, he often gets asked by fans what he’d have done if he hadn’t become a superstar YouTuber.

Marcus wanted to know the answer himself, so we challenged him to take the Plotr Game… and he promised to do his top career match for a day! You can watch his Youtube vlog where he plays the game by going here: www.plotr.co.uk/advice/ articles/marcus-butler-youtuber-superstar-plays-the-plotr-game

PLAYING THE PLOTR GAME If you haven’t played it yet, the Game’s like one of those personality quizzes where you discover which superhero you are or which Harry Potter house you’re in. The difference is that the Game is more than just a quiz, because it could actually help you shape your own life.

Imagine a game which matches your interests, skills and personality to a whole range of career choices which you can then go and explore. That’s what the Plotr Game does.

When Marcus played the Game he really didn’t know what careers would be a good match for him.

But he took his time to answer the questions (they’re all easy, but some of them are quite deep).

He discovered he’d be well-suited to a few different careers, but a circus performance career came out as his top match.

WHAT MARCUS LEARNED Marcus discovered that your hobbies and passions can be relevant to a career. “It’s just so cool because it’s really bringing me back to me doing gymnastics when I was younger. It’s bringing back all my memories.”

Circus performers earn money not just from the circus but also from cabaret scenes and corporate parties, as well as established shows like Cirque du Soleil. There’s a lot of opportunity for global travel, too; the Las Vegas circuit has about seven circus shows.

There’s a structured learning process. You’ll do a foundation course with an option to take a degree and further specialisation degrees. It’s a tough discipline with the ‘iceberg effect’ that occurs in many jobs: Any task is made up of 7/8ths of hidden effort and learning which makes the remaining visible 1/8th of what you do look easy.

MARCUS ON BEING A CIRCUS PERFORMER FOR THE DAY: “I genuinely, genuinely, genuinely had one of the funnest days of my life.”

“Plotr quite correctly understood my personality. I’m a very ambitious person, and when I try something I always want to succeed in that skill, which is what I feel with unicycling. I’d never been on a unicycle before but because I’ve got a little hint of being able to do it, I just want to keep going and going until I succeed.”

Want to find out the careers that would suit your talents?

Go here to play the Plotr game online now: www.plotr.co.uk/career-advice-quiz

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CAREER SPARKS

Mark Zuckerberg didn’t become the billionaire big cheese owner of Facebook by accident.

It’s this career outlook that got him there…

FROM FACEBOOK TO JOBBOOK: MARK ZUCKERBERG’S TIPS FOR CAREER SUCCESS

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“ I started the site when I was 19.

I didn’t know much about business back then.”

Everyone has to start somewhere, and that’s okay.

It’s all about never giving up and taking those first steps to see where they lead.

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“ In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

Mark Z worries about doing business in China.

The rest of us worry about things like applying for a competitive job or whether to speak up and contribute ideas to a project. Apply for the job!

Contribute to the project!

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“ I don’t have an alarm clock.

If someone needs to wake me up, I have my Blackberry” Mark Zuckerberg, nooooooooooo! OK, sometimes even genius billionaires get it wrong. Avoid the snooze button… being on time for things will make you feel much more confident and ready to get stuck in. Still, 4/5 career advice gems ain’t bad!

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“ The question isn’t ‘what do we want to know about people?’

It’s ‘what do people want to tell about themselves?’”

This sound approach to Facebook applies to customer-facing jobs too. Listening to customers means you can really help with their needs.

That in turn means great feedback and a great reputation at work!

“ We look for people who are passionate about something.

It almost doesn’t matter what.

What we really look for when interviewing people is what they’ve shown an initiative to do on their own.” his is a handy tip for CVs and job interviews. Love T baking or photography? Show how your interests make you a well-rounded person with skills and qualities that would be a plus for any company.

Want to work somewhere like Facebook one day? Go here to see our social media career profile: www.plotr.co.uk/careers/social-media-executive/overview

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CAREER SPARKS

TAKE POLE POSITION WITH 5 FORMULA 1 JOB HUNTING TIPS At Formula 1 company Williams they do things fast and brilliantly. Who better to ask for five golden tips to help you race to success?

Williams is in the business of taking on the best of the best and spotting potential quickly. These five golden rules frowm Williams’ Organisational Development Manager Elissa Patrick will help you take pole position when applying for jobs, whatever your chosen career!

Organisational Development Manager Elissa Patrick

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Before any interview, you should know

A CV is your chance to sell both your hard skills and your “soft skills” (good personality traits like being punctual, confident and a good teamworker). But playing down key achievements and skills is a common mistake we see all the time on candidates’ CVs. And candidates often forget to put down the skills and achievements made outside of work and education too – so try not to forget your extracurricular activities.

Before any interview, you should know • The product or service the company offers • Who its key clients or customers are • The size of the business (e.g. how many employees) • Where it’s based (not just its headquarters but countries or locations) The more you know about a company, the more confident you’ll feel in the interview. It all helps to show you’re genuinely interested in working for that employer.

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Include hard and soft skills on your CV

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Always dress appropriately

Always answer the question Always answer the specific question that’s being asked – just like when you’re taking an exam. If you’re being asked a situational question (e.g. “can you give an example where you had to manage your time carefully?”) you can use the S.T.A.R. approach: • Situation: Describe the situation you were in • Task: Explain what it was you were asked to do • Action: How you did the task • Result: What happened after the task Tailor your answers to the role you’re going for, and explain how your skills are relevant and valuable to the employer. The more relevant experience you can show (even in a roundabout way) the better your chances of winning the role.

Ask what the workplace dress code is before an interview. Ask if it’s formal business dress or smart casual and then dress accordingly – this helps to show how you can ‘fit in’. If in any doubt, always go for the slightly more formal option. And remember that your appearance extends beyond your clothes – wearing too much jewellery is a big no-no (especially on men) and dirty, chipped or too long fingernails can be a turn-off too!

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You don’t need a wacky CV Save eye-catching CVs for creative roles. What makes a winning CV is: • Good spelling • Good grammar • Your skills and achievements

For help with your CV, cover letter and interview techniques go to: www.plotr.co.uk

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GET UP STAND UP

8 TIPS FOR CREATING YOUR KILLER APP Creating your own app is achievable, looks great on a CV and gives you confidence in your skills.

Here are eight top tips from Apps for Good (who can come to your school - tell your teacher!) for creating a stand-out app

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The best apps often solve a problem, and the best way to understand a problem is to have experience of it yourself. When coming up with your app idea, think about things that would make life easier for you, your family or friends. You’ll still need to do your user research, but knowing the problem and having ready access to a user group for testing gives you a head start.

It’s very tempting to create an app that does lots of things. A good example is I’m Okay, an app being built by a group of girls from Stratford after winning the Apps for Good Awards in 2014.

Understand your problem

One of our Apps for Good Awards winning student app teams came up with Shore Cast, which helps surfers find and share local surf spots. As surfers they understood the problems in finding a good spot, like figuring out weather and tide information.

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Research your data The best idea can be foiled by not being able to get hold of the data the app needs to work.

The Shore Cast app relied on accurate sea and weather data. When the company that had this information said the team couldn’t use it, the team found another source but if you can’t get hold of data you need, you’ll need to consider creating it yourself or changing your idea.

Simple is best

Originally, the team wanted to create an app that helped young people going through all kinds of difficult problems like bullying, anorexia, coming out as gay and depression. However after advice from one of our experts, the students changed the focus of the app to assist young LGBTQ people who felt confused or isolated.

It turned out that creating an app that tackled this one problem was a huge amount of work. The team surveyed 50 people and researched the best organisations to offer help services. Even though they haven’t finished the app the team agree that they couldn’t have done such a thorough job if they’d tried to tackle all issues in their original idea.

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Know the competition When you come up with your amazing idea, there’s a strange temptation to shut your eyes to ignore what other people are doing, thinking, ‘don’t look, don’t look, their app might be better than mine!’ Try not to do this! Looking at what’s already out there is an opportunity to create something different,with a better experience for users.

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People don’t like to do too much thinking, so make sure your app is simple and easy to use.

You could have the best app ever created, but if people don’t know about it they won’t use it. Use your own networks - friends and family, local papers, school newsletters - to build a buzz around your app. You can also try approaching any industry or interest groups who would already have a network of users they could tell about your product.

Make it enjoyable to use

Get creative in marketing

Design is also important. Who will be using your app? How old will they be? What other products do they like to use? A cartoon style could be perfect for an app for primary school children but out of place in a banking app for adults.

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Think of the pennies Apps can cost a lot of money to build and keep up to date and getting people to pay for downloads in a crowded market isn’t easy.

Save money by building the first version of the app yourself. There are lots of tools you can use like Balsamiq to sketch out your idea and tools like App Furnace or App Shed to create working prototypes without the need for advanced coding skills. And of course you could even learn coding skills to build a working model yourself.

If you need to raise money to build or maintain the app in the future, where would you get this money from? Paid for downloads, in-app advertising or even sponsorship from a company?

Get to grips with social media. Get to know relevant online forums, create a Facebook or Twitter account and collect followers by posting or reposting interesting stories and information related to the subject of your app. Apps for Good Awards winning team I’m Okay reached out to LGBTQ groups using Twitter, and even managed to get Stephen Fry to tweet about their app, twice!

Build up interest before the app even launches.

Collect email addresses using a web form so you can keep people up to date with your progress and let them know when the app launches.

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Do it!

You might not make a million with your first app idea, but you will learn a lot by doing it, and have a lot of fun. You may find you love coding or have a knack for PR. Entering competitions is a great way to give yourself an incentive and get word out about your idea. And if your first app doesn’t succeed, try again. Angry Birds was the 51st app that Rovio made, so keep trying even if you’re not a success at first.

Help from Plotr To explore careers directly related to app building, visit the Plotr Software, Games and Internet Careers World. To learn how science and technology could boost your career, visit the Your Life Careers World.

Want to learn to build an app? Tell your school about Apps for Good. The goal of Apps For Good is to change the way technology is taught in schools, empowering students of all backgrounds to create solutions to the problems they care about using technology.

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CAREER SPARKS

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REASONS I’M GLAD I CHOSE SCIENCE AND MATHS Sticking with science and maths at school can help with your career – even if it’s not a science career.

Here’s how.

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The top ten highest paying jobs for graduates all involve maths and science skills.

Ride roller coasters with confidence, knowing that centrifugal force will keep you in your seat through those upside-down loops.

Use the principle that polar opposites attract while chasing after your latest crush.

Studying science teaches you how to question, investigate, report and communicate. These are all skills that you can use in any line of work.

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I get to experiment! I get to burn stuff, melt stuff and blow things up!

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I can try it out whatever my level.

University Technical colleges will take me on from age 16+.

My science and maths are respected in all kinds of jobs - I won’t be stuck doing ‘science’ for life if I don’t want to.

I still get to explore my creative side.

Technology companies like Google really want staff that are creative as well as technical - it’s the perfect mix.

I get to use my science skills in real life… like learn how to keep my phone scratch-free!

All the top engineers are going to be retired in fifteen years’ time so they need to be replaced and there’s opportunities for fast-tracking!

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Maths is the language of the universe.

When aliens come to earth they will understand me.

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“Mathemagician” is now a thing.

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It’s easier for a science graduate to get into a career in writing/journalism, than it is for an e.g. English graduate to get into a career in science…

It’s a lot easier to understand a mortgage and lots of other financial things you come across in life if you have a science or maths degree.

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You get to wear rad safety goggles…

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On average, students who take A level maths earn up to 10% more than similarly skilled workers who don’t have that qualification.

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I’m not alone in doing science. Everyone is doing it now, not just me. That includes girls as well as boys.

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Getting money for further study can be difficult, but as a UK science student I’ll get more funding and scholarship opportunities than if I study art.

If I study science I’ll get lots of extra support, from uni and college mentors through to networking and social clubs.

I could set up a YouTube vlog and potentially make serious money on the side, like Veritasium (2 million followers)

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They’ll help if I want to travel. Game designers often work on projects all over the world, from Europe to Canada and the USA. Coding uses the same language wherever you go.

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Doing science doesn’t mean giving up my personality. Google and Snap Fashion both look for candidates with their own personal interests and outlooks as well as skills.

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Studying maths and getting my head round it gives me confidence. It’s seen as being just for the elite but it’s really not.

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Brand-new science jobs are the social media jobs of the future. Mechatronics, nanotechnology, autonomous tech, creative tech… I’m going to be ready for amazing jobs when we’re all watching celebs at the engineering Oscars on TV.

For more science and maths careers inspiration, check out the Your Life world on Plotr: www.plotr.co.uk/careers/worlds/your-life

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GET UP STAND UP

SECRETS OF SUCCESS FROM THE UK’S YOUNG IT ENTREPRENEURS You’re never too young to have a great business idea, as these hints and tips from the UK’s youngest and most successful IT entrepreneurs reveal.

NINA DEVANI Age: 14 Product: Prompt Me Nina Will the next Mark Zuckerberg be female? Luton schoolgirl Nina Devani, 14, got the idea for the Prompt Me Nina app when her dad’s Facebook account was hacked. It was created to meet the challenge of people being so sick of having to remember loads of different passwords online that they end up using just one, which isn’t very safe. Prompt Me Nina helps you come up with personalised prompts for all your different passwords. Simple, but genius. She sold it on the Android store but is working on an iPhone version, along with Mac and Windows versions she plans to sell to corporate and business users. How did Devani get the investment money? She met internet entrepreneur Suleman Sucranie through a school project and pitched it to him.

HOT TIP

Get deeply involved with any business-led school projects. Listen, ask questions, get talking. It’s not just a novelty school activity. It’s business. It’s research and networking.

HOT TIP

We’ve said it before, but good ideas + IT = MONEY.

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NICK D’ALOISIO Age: 17 Product: Summly Nick D’Aloisio got capital venture funding when he was 17 and still at school. He used it to create a news-condensing mobile app called Summly, tapping into people’s need for lots of online info to be immediately available in bite-sized form. It became huge. He’s now friends with Stephen Fry and has been known to muck around with Ashton Kutcher.

It all happened because, when he was lucky enough to be given an Apple MacBook by his parents, he went to the Apple Store and asked the staff how he could learn to code his own apps. He eventually learned via free online tutorials (just like you could) and made a whole bunch of apps, each proving more popular than the last each time he put them on the App Store.

HOT TIP HOT TIP

Even if you get lucky with something, it’s down to you to take the next step and make sure your luck continues.

If you’re a tech-head, really explore that. People love technology and will pay big dollar for it.

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ED HARDY & KIT LOGAN Ages: both 17 Product: Edge Skiing These best friends turned their passion for skiing into a business with the Edge Skiing free mobile app, the “ultimate mountain companion”.

Their first venture failed but then they got venture capital from a bunch of tech investors including Frank Meehan (who often backs young start-ups. He backed Spotify as well as being on board for Siri).

HOT TIP

It’s okay to fail the first time. You can try again with a fresh idea.

HOT TIP

Get investors! Google for “technology investors” and take it from there.

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JAMAL EDWARDS Age: 25 Product: SB.TV Jamal Edwards is building his own media empire. When he was 15, he filmed his friends rapping on the street. He uploaded the videos to his YouTube account in 2007 and got enough hits to turn it into a business, getting money from YouTube revenue for ads embedded in the videos.

He’s worked with names like Nicki Minaj, Drake and Jessie J. His own business, SB:TV, is the UK’s leading online youth broadcaster. He’s an ambassador for the Prince’s Trust and in 2013 he signed a deal with Sony RCA to have his own record label.

Photo: Featureflash - Shutterstock.com

HOT TIP HOT TIP

Online platforms like YouTube and successful websites with lots of visitors can get you ad revenue.

That good idea could be a hobby or activity you already do. It could be sitting right in front of your face.

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YOUTH VOICE

A BIG BANG WELCOME TO THE HOTTEST YOUNG SCIENCE VLOGGERS OF 2014 Now for something light like a supernova, cool like zero degrees Kelvin… meet 3 new young science bloggers who’ll help us understand life, the universe and everything (plus they’re fun).

Physics Girl Real name: Dianna Cowern Subscribers: 19,119 Tagline: Physics for every atom and eve.

Special move: Nerd jokes. “I’m getting into the Halloween spirit with my pumpkin pi”. “I put my root beer in a square cup. Now it’s just beer.”

Why we love them: Does really great experiments with her mates and normalises science so you can see how it’s a part of your actual life.

Must-watch: What to do with a physics degree Need to know: @thephysicsgirl is really friendly on Twitter – she’ll answer all kinds of fun and tricky questions and is pretty chilled. And doesn’t make anyone feel like they’re dumb.

I GOOGLED

“ Why is it so hard to think when it’s hot” AND I GOT,

“ I Think I’m Hot But My Boyfriend Doesn’t Seem to Think So”

FOLLOW PHYSICS GIRL ON WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/ PHYSICSWOMAN

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Geek Girl Diaries Real name: Carrie Anne Philbin Subscribers: 6,706 Tagline: Girls can be geeks too!

Special move: Travelling all over the world, wherever, to hold coding workshops and spread the word.

What’s to love: It’s a YouTube web series for teenagers who want to be makers and creators of technology. It’s very supportive with a nice community spirit.

Must-watch: Interviews with women in IT (software developers) Need to know: @MissPhilbin founded the GGD community on her own and has written a great book about how to use a clever little DIY computer called the Raspberry Pi.

“ Everyone I follow on Twitter that doesn’t follow me back is a celebrity”

FOLLOW GEEK GIRL DIARIES ON WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/ GEEKGURLDIARIES

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Veritasium Real name: Derek Muller Subscribers: nearly 2 million Tagline: Veritasium – an element of truth Special move: Pretty much defines the phrase ‘science vlog superstar’. Veritasium vlogs are as addictive as Pringles.

What’s to love: Veritasium constantly checks out fascinating things, from the world’s roundest object to a room designed to be completely silent. Plus they’re bold: One of their most popular vlogs is called “climate change is boring” (you have to check it out!)

Must-watch: Why women are stripey Need to know: @veritasium has done a lot of TV and media work, with TED talks and a regular TV slot in his native Australia as the ‘Why Guy’ on the Breakfast programme.

“ I’ve heard about the hot paperclip trick but when is the right time to drain this fingertip?”

FOLLOW VERITASIUM ON WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/ USER/1VERITASIUM

See the Your Life world for more inspiration and support if you want to learn more about adding science to your employability skills.

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YOUTH VOICE

LIVING WITH DYSLEXIA? REACH FOR THE STARS Did you know that one in 10 people are dyslexic?

You can get school and careers help so don’t let it hold you back.

Having dyslexia means you find it difficult to read, write or recognise words and it can be tricky to spot at first. If you have the same thing but with numbers, you might have dyspraxia. It can be frustrating, but there’s help at hand.

DYSLEXIA Careers Help British Dyslexia Association Good starting point with resource links and info. www.bdadyslexia.org.uk

EmployAbility Resource for dyslexic students, graduates and young people looking for jobs. www.employ-ability.org.uk

Careers Analyst Young people with dyslexia or dyspraxia can apply for the learning difficulties careers programme or call 020 7935 4542

to a local dyslexic school for years 7 and 8. “They helped me improve my reading and writing and to touch type so I can use computers quickly in class.

Plus they taught me to be more confident! And to try and not hide my dyslexia, but ask people for help instead.”

Lewis got special tuition at uni too, so he could write essays and lab reports. When he got an engineering internship at National Grid, he found everyone very accepting of his dyslexia. “I might take longer to write reports and I may need someone to proof read my work sometimes. When necessary I just explain I might need some extra support beforehand and everyone is very understanding.”

Dyslexia is frustrating but there are people and organisations out there that can help you build your skills.

Lewis Judd’s dyslexia advice: “Don’t be afraid to ask for help! I was worried coming into a work environment that people would be less likely to help but it’s the opposite!”

“Keep challenging yourself! I hate to read out aloud to people but I always try and do it because you can only get better the more you practice!”

Lewis Judd, 21, is a graduate engineer at National Grid. He faced his dyslexia head-on in primary school and never let it hold him back. Lewis always knew he was dyslexic but getting diagnosed knocked his confidence at first. “I used to try to hide the fact that I was dyslexic,” says Lewis. Now he feels confident enough to ask for help if he needs it.

Lewis did an ‘educational psychology assessment’ at primary school after his parents asked for one. These tests are done by Dyslexia Action and they meant Lewis could claim extra time in exams and use a laptop for GCSEs and A-levels.

Although he got private classes in primary school because of his dyslexia, Lewis couldn’t get much extra help at secondary school so he transferred

Find out more about support and opportunities offered by the National Grid to young people www.plotr.co.uk/employers/national-grid/details

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YOUTH VOICE

INTERVIEW WITH A...

MATHS UNIVERSITY STUDENT

One of YEUK’s proactive Youth Ambassadors interviewed Holly, a maths uni student, to see how she felt about her uni life now and where she thought her maths degree might take her…

“Almost any business area will be keen to accept someone with a maths degree”

How is a maths uni course weighted for workload compared to other courses? What do you think about this?

The work is more consistent than other courses, with regular deadlines for short pieces of work and frequent exams. This means a lot of work is required - but it’s necessary because you need constant practice and to keep up to date on the course.

Why did you choose maths? Did you go with your head or your heart?

A bit of both, actually. Maths was my favourite subject at school and the one I was best at; the career prospects were an added bonus.

Did you need to overcome any challenges in studying maths?

I had to ensure I was reading around the subject and really understanding the fundamental aspects of the course. Both these things are vital to doing well at maths.

What kind of careers would you like to apply your maths skills in?

I’m interested in data analysis (because of its ease) and computing (because of the career prospects). More specifically within these fields, I’d like to analyse medical statistics from clinical trials, or big data for internet-based companies.

What would you say the job market is like for people with maths?

It’s pretty varied. Almost any business area will be keen to accept someone with a maths degree because all employers apply maths in some way, even if it’s just in terms of their finances.

Having a maths degree also shows off your capacity to think logically. The market has for the most part improved because big data is a growth sector and people better understand the abilities of those with a maths degree; this being said, a lot of financial analysis that would’ve previously been done by people is now computerised.

A big thank you to both Holly and our YEUK ambassador for getting the score on how a maths degree could fit with a future career!

Want to see how science and maths might fit in with Your Life?

Visit the Your Life science and maths world on Plotr: www.plotr.co.uk/careers/worlds/your-life

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YOUTH VOICE

WOMEN ROCK SCIENCE Youth founder of Women Rock Science (and part-time DJ) Hadiza Mohammed talks gender, race, inclusivity and science careers.

Hadiza Mohammed is the founder of Women Rock Science. This powerful youth network was started by a single person with a dream and is growing into a really special, fun, safe community that’s making a real difference.

How can science education get more inclusive?

You know, in all the years I spent in school I never studied about a single non-white person, not one, and only two of the many scientists we learnt about were women.

How did Women Rock science start out?

I’m a civil engineer specialising in environmental sustainability and gender in the built environment.

I haven’t always been the brightest; I struggled throughout my studies just like everybody else and even failed some modules. What got me to where I am now is that I kept going, I persevered and always followed my dreams even if wasn’t the easiest option.

I was tired of seeing women scientists overlooked and wanted to create a fun, safe space to celebrate female achievements in science. It started with just me and a laptop but has grown into an amazing community.

The lack of representation is an even bigger issue when you consider ethnic minority science and technology heroes. At Women Rock Science, representation is not dependent on skin colour or geographical location.

Your Young Sparks section on Women Rock Science is full of inspiration... Have any young people’s recent achievements made you smile?

There are there three teenagers from Ireland whose work is just remarkable; they are using microbiology to try to end world hunger. Ciara Judge, Emer Hickey and Sophie Healy-Thow have developed a bacterial treatment for seeds that has increased crop yields by as much as 70%. Emer got the idea from some gardening she was doing with her mum and got started on her experiment with her two friends.

They won Google Science Fair 2014!

If schools want to get more inclusive they need to actually include a wide range of faces and voices in their curriculums. How can you expect to uplift or motivate a young person when you are showing them through their studies and textbooks that you don’t actually value people like them?

It is also important to foster a respectful atmosphere in the classroom where everybody’s experiences and contributions are valued.

Do you have any advice for young people worried about the cost of getting a science degree?

There is a massive science skills shortage in the UK, particularly in engineering, so it can be easier to find funding here than in other areas. There are companies and organisations who will fund your university studies and also give you a guaranteed job afterwards.

Have a look around, talk to people, visit company websites, intern, and use any way to get your leg in the door. There are also a whole host of bursary and scholarship opportunities out there, so look around.

Beyond that, I would say that university is not the only avenue. Apprenticeships are another great way to get yourself on the career ladder and learn new skills at the same time.

Want to boost your career confidence with maths, IT and science?

Plotr has 100s of articles to help you on your path: www.plotr.co.uk

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YOUTH VOICE

LET’S MEET A…

STORM FIGHTING UK POWER NETWORKS TRAINEE!

OK, she doesn’t actually fight storms but 17-year-old trainee overhead linesperson, Carla, protects our power lines from storm damage. Plus she’s got a great head for heights!

“ I work with live electricity nearly every day!”

Your typical working day?

What was the training like?

I work with live electricity nearly every day! I’m often repairing spans of conductor and putting new services onto buildings. Sometimes I climb poles with climbing irons – for when storms hit and you can’t get a MEWP (mobile elevated working platform) to the job because you’re in the middle of nowhere.

I completed a year of intensive training which is all planned out when you join the apprenticeship.

The scheme has all kinds of theory and practical courses to help train you up. I learnt a LOT in my courses. More than I’ve ever learnt before! I didn’t know what to expect, so a lot of things came as a (good) surprise… like overcoming personal fears and becoming a stronger person. The best part is getting to know the other apprentices, supporting each other when things feel hard and becoming a team.

Best bits?

Working as a team and having a laugh with my colleagues. I’ll learn the easiest way to complete jobs by asking other team members, plus I get to contribute new ideas! I enjoy being given customer jobs and making their day complete. For example, we might move a service so the customer’s house looks more how they want it. I love seeing customers smile, happy with the job and happy to give us great feedback.

Any advice or tips?

Go for it! Forget all those worries which might stop you applying, you can do it!

There are constantly moments which remind you why you love your job. When you’re playing practical jokes on each other it breaks the ice with new team members. Everyone loves a person who can have a laugh and take a joke - it makes the work day even more enjoyable.

Was storm fighting, sorry, overhead linesperson work, always your dream job?

I was always into Design Technology, health, social care and IT at school but I chose to go with something completely different. I loved how IT was kind of practical but also theory based, so you could express your ideas on paper for projects and teachers would make you feel like you’d done a good job. Just like I get at work now! I’ve always been practical, I’ve just never known how to put my skills into good use.

The apprenticeship seemed like a great job for me.

Go here to see our UK Power Networks employer page for loads more info: www.plotr.co.uk/employers/uk-power-networks/details

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YOUTH VOICE

MEET A YEUK AMBASSADOR

ALEXA-JANE MOORE

YEUK’s Youth Ambassadors are young people who are standing up to tackle youth employment issues in the UK. They’re an unstoppable volunteer force - and you can join them. Meet Alexa-Jane, who won Ambassador of the Year 2014.

NEED TO KNOW Name: Alexa-Jane Moore Age: 23 Occupation: YEUK Ambassador and Education Mentor Location: Worcestershire Need to know: Alexa-Jane won Ambassador of the Year 2014 at the YEUK awards

MY ACADEMIC JOURNEY 1st BA (Hons) in Accounting Studying towards a PG Cert in Coaching and Mentoring and NVQ L4 in IAG Member of the CDI

WHY I BECAME A YEUK AMBASSADOR I became an Ambassador as I want to be a careers advisor, so I need to build on my experiences in this area. YEUK enables young people to gain experiences relevant to their career, while helping other young people. I like that the idea is mutualistic.

IN MY TIME AS A YEUK AMBASSADOR, I’M MOST PROUD OF… I am most proud of the YEUK Regional Event I organised. With funding I gained from O2 Think Big, I organised an event to help young people improve their employability. It had ten organisations and fifty young people. It included a panel element, team building exercise and presentations from employers… and an MP was also in attendance.

I had really positive feedback from the young people and employers.

MY TOP CAREERS RESOURCES TIP IS… Read useful magazines, from organisations such as Plotr and Bright Futures. They tell you about local networking events and give you helpful hints and tips from people who have experienced things firsthand.

MY TAKE ON A KEY EMPLOYMENT ISSUE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IS… The key employment issue is that, from an employer’s point of view, young people either have (A) qualifications but not enough experience or (B) the experience but not the qualifications.

It’s a catch 22 situation.

As competition is so fierce, employers want young people to have everything and it’s just not realistic.

PLOTR SAYS The YEUK Ambassadors are young volunteers working together all around the country to secure a better careers future for UK youth.

They network together, support each other and do it for the sheer love of it. They’re young people just like you, with fantastic links to MPs and local businesses.

YOU CAN JOIN THEM.

A SOLUTION I’D LIKE TO SEE IS… I would like to see more promotion of apprenticeships. When I was at school, I was directed towards college/university as I was a ‘clever’ student. I wish I had done an apprenticeship. They seem to be viewed in the wrong light and this needs to change.

THE EMPLOYMENT LANDSCAPE IN WORCESTERSHIRE IS… In my region, unemployment rates are improving.

Latest data reveals how there are 325 18-24 yearolds in the city on unemployment benefits, a fall of 215 on September last year (Worcester News, 2014).

This is partly due to Robin Walker MP’s focus on promoting apprenticeships.

HOT TIP Use Twitter and LinkedIn for hidden jobs.

Get involved – go here to find out more: www.yeuk.org.uk

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YOUTH VOICE

LIVING WAGE BECOMES PRIORITY AT UK YOUTH PARLIAMENT

YEUK Youth Ambassador Jack Welch hit the green benches at the House of Commons to chat youth priorities with Vikram Patel, 17-year old MYP for Birmingham.

every year and small businesses that turnover healthy profits as well [can do it], but legislation is the way forward.”

Looking into what the impact on young people might be if a minimum wage isn’t in place, Vikram had concerns about how the problem starts in the family.

“They’re having to make drastic choices, with Vikram Patel, Member of Youth Parliament for Birmingham, speaking in Parliament the government cutting benefits and subsidiaries to help these families, Taking their places on the distinctive green benches they’re really getting hurt and they’re having to for the 6th year in the House of Commons, the make hard choices. I don’t need to say how poverty UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) returned to debate affects a child’s performance at school.” the most popular issues voted by 876,000 young people aged 11-18 in the Make Your Mark ballots.

For a young person to having a living wage was This year’s debates saw the 285 Members of Youth personally important to Vikram. “In my job at the Parliament (MYP) take on a range of topics, including moment, if I didn’t have a living wage, because I’m not only those directly impacting upon young under 18, I would be paid a paltry £3.60 an hour. I people, such as exam resits and the continuing live with my parents, but I do exactly the same job as Votes at 16 campaign, but also issues affecting all age all my colleagues. We’re more likely to work when groups including the living wage and mental health. your parents are earning below a certain threshold and so every penny counts. But for people to just The matter of the living wage (£9.15 an hour live off the minimum wage, it’s not enough, it’s never in London and £7.85 elsewhere) is gathering been enough and they’re just living a hand-tomomentum for young people across the UK. It’s mouth existence.”

16-24 year olds with the highest number (nearly 40%) on Zero Hour Contracts, with 1.3 million Now that the living wage has been voted as the ‘underemployed’ or ‘overqualified’. It’s hard to see an UKYP national campaign for the next year, Vikram improvement in the living standard of under 25 year explains why fellow MYPs voted for the issue to be olds coming anytime soon. taken forward. “280,000 people [voting in the Make Your Mark ballot] thought it was their top issue and Following his passionate argument in the chamber, obviously MYPs are listening to their constituents.

I interviewed Vikram Patel, 17-year old MYP for They’d done their research and they could see the Birmingham and debate lead for the living wage to effect around their local areas. People are being hit be the national campaign of the UKYP. I asked him hard, but now we want to tackle this.” whether it was the responsibility of government or employers to ensure a living wage is paid to all A word from Plotr: A big thanks to Jack and Vikram employees. Using the example of his employment for this one! Whatever path you take in life, it’s good to at Birmingham City Council, which pays all its know there are other young people out there like UK employees a living wage, despite hefty cuts, he said Young Parliament or the YEUK Youth Ambassadors, “I’m sure that big businesses that make millions getting their voices heard and protecting your interests.

You can join them.

Get involved - visit the YEUK Youth Ambassador page to find out more: www.yeuk.org.uk/young-people

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CAREER SPARKS

ASK A CAREERS ADVISOR ANYTHING Get your careers advice questions answered every month by a friendly careers advisor.

See this month’s crop of answers below!

MEET SUSAN BURKE, THIS MONTH’S ADVISOR! Susan says: “I love helping people. I am a qualified careers advisor, featured in The Telegraph and The Guardian. Think of me as a best friend but with a bit of tough love thrown in, helping you get to where you want to be by giving you frank, honest and uncomplicated advice.”

Website: www.susanburkecareers.co.uk Got a careers question for Plotr?

Just email your question to info@plotr.co.uk in complete confidence (please put CAREERS ADVICE in the subject header).

No question is too big or small.

By asking a question you’ll be helping other readers find an answer as well as yourself!

APPRENTICESHIPS I’ve heard that apprenticeship interviews are just like job interviews. Is there a difference or are they the same?

An apprenticeship is where you study and work at the same time. That means there are two parts to an apprenticeship, and it’s normally easier to find a training provider to do the study aspect of your apprenticeship than it is to find a company who’ll employ you as an apprentice. That being said though, the training provider will often have links with companies and this is really useful for an apprentice to remember.

To answer your question, you’re right – treat apprenticeship and job interviews exactly the same.

Always, always impress the training provider.

Be punctual. Show good attendance because you want your training provider to recommend you if an opportunity becomes available. Be proactive and make sure you let the training provider know how keen you are to find a company.

CAREERS I’ve been working full-time in a shop for a year now and want to get office work but don’t know where to start. What transferrable skills do I have?

You say you’ve been in this job for over a year, so you may have very useful skills and qualities like customer service, interpersonal skills, stock taking, liaising with management, time management, a

punctual hard-working nature and people skills.

You’ve demonstrated you’re trustworthy as you would have been working with money.Now consider how those skills could be transferable to an office job.

People skills, time management, liaising with management, punctuality and even being trustworthy (as you could be dealing with confidential information) in an office-type environment are all transferrable and something you may want to highlight in a CV or job application form.

GRADUATE Can someone tell me if graduate schemes are an actual job or is it more that you get paid while you learn and there might be a job at the end of it? Or does it change for each company?

A graduate scheme is a structured programme that combines working and training, and it’s targeted to recent graduates.

Graduate schemes are mainly offered by large employers and can last for 3 months to 3 years. Successful completion of a scheme normally leads to a permanent position and often a professional qualification.

One last thing - they are normally well-paid, but on the flip side they can be very competitive as well.

WORK EXPERIENCE I’m 16 and I’ve never worked before. What’s good to put in a cover letter or CV if I want to get my first work experience?

Firstly, well done for actively seeking to get your first work placement. You may want to include why you want to do work experience and what you think you’ll gain from it in your cover letter. People want work experience for a number of reasons. It may be to enhance their CV or test out particular career ideas… or it may be a requirement for some university courses (like medicine, a veterinary degree and dentistry, for example).

In addition, you may also want to highlight why they should give you a week or two-week placement rather than hand it to someone else. You may want to point out certain skills you have, for example ‘hard-working’, ‘punctual’ or ‘reliable’.

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Remember that even though an organisation may not be paying you, they still need to invest time and effort to giving you an insight into that role, so don’t take it lightly. You never know, it could even lead to paid employment in the future as well.

EDUCATION Is it better to start at the bottom and work your way up or wait to do further education first?

It’s not necessarily better to start early and work from the ground up, although I am sure there will always be exceptions! Sometimes it’s very useful to get additional skills under your belt. Further Education is very broad nowadays and it’s changing all the time. (Did you know you must stay in some form of education or training until your 18th birthday if you were born on or after 1 September 1997?)

You have a wider range of courses available and different ways to learn as well, so if you prefer hands-on practical activities, course work, love exams (well, some people do!) you have a range of choices.

Or if you prefer a job route you may want to consider an apprenticeship or traineeship.

Got a question for us? It’s really easy – email us: info@plotr.co.uk in complete confidence with your question. No question is too big or small. What’s more, you will be really helping out other readers who are dying to know the same thing!

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