Welcome to the Careers Writers Association. We are a professional network of highly experienced careers writers and editors. Our members create articles, books, videos, podcasts and other resources on a wide range of careers-related topics for many different audiences and clients. Many of our members are also qualified career guidance professionals, offering career guidance services in schools, colleges, universities and with private clients.
Our blog is filled with useful careers content on a wide variety of topics. Visit the Looking for a careers writer? page for more details on members, including our areas of expertise. Feel free to contact us with any questions or comments, and if you’re interested in joining the CWA we would love to hear from you!
Latest blog posts from the Careers Writers Association
Apprenticeship chances: Planned happenstance
‘Planned happenstance’ is an idea put forward by Professor John Krumboltz of Stanford University. In a nutshell, it is the recommendation that we ought to seek out opportunities and make our own luck, by being open to opportunities and actively doing what we can to be in the right place at the right time. I…
Risk and decision making
It is widely understood that our brains change as they develop; the teenage brain is very different to the adult brain, notably with decisions and emotions being led via the amygdala rather than the prefrontal cortex, which finishes developing at about the age of 25. This is often presented as a deficit for “good decision…
How to write an effective UCAS personal statement
“There’s no such thing as a model statement, each one should be different.” This is how one university admissions tutor responded to the question of how to make a UCAS personal statement stand out from the crowd. Whilst it might be useful to use a template to help create the statement, the final draft should…
British Science Week (8 – 17 March 2024)
Happy 30th birthday, British Science Week! This celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths first started in 1994. Organised each year by the British Science Association, this year’s theme is time. When I was a science teacher we had great fun (and quite a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ stress) organising a variety of events…
Will AI replace “human” career guidance professionals?
As a fully qualified and trained career guidance professional, who was also brought up on a heady mix of Isaac Asimov, Star Trek, ancient Greek myths and later dipped my toe into philosophy whilst at university, I’m able to offer a unique perspective on this question. We live in an age where we have seen…
Health careers
Careers in the NHS Although doctors and nurses are the best known groups of employees in healthcare, there are many other roles. In fact, there are over 350 different careers within the NHS. This blog will give you a flavour of some of them, as well as a quick snapshot of the ongoing trends in…
21 Top jobs for the future
Today’s labour market is experiencing rapid change. The ways in which we work, how we apply for vacancies, and the jobs in demand are shifting and developing in response to global influences such as advancements in technology and ageing populations. We might think that over the next couple of decades the jobs we’ll be doing…
The value of volunteering
There are all sorts of reasons to explore the possibility of volunteering with someone you are advising. Whether a young person is at a loose end or needing experience, volunteering can be beneficial in many ways and there is a wide range of options for them to consider. Working without being paid may be a…
Options at 16 – a guide for families
Year 11 is a key transition point for young people and there is plenty you can do to support your child through this time. Even though they might not admit it, family support and influence on future choice is really significant, so you’ll be glad to know there is lots of information to help you…
Apprenticeships: 8 top resources for information and insights
As National Apprenticeship Week (#NAW2024) comes to an end we’ve all hopefully learnt a little bit more about the value of apprenticeships and the opportunities they can open up. And although we welcome the chance to really focus on apprenticeships, NAW2024 is just one week in the year, and we need to find information on…
Featured: content by careers writers
This week here at the Careers Writers Association we’re celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2024. If you want to know about higher and degree apprenticeships there are few better people to ask than CWA member Alan Bullock! Alan’s hugely popular blog tracks higher and degree apprenticeship vacancies each week, providing valuable real-world data to help understand…
10 Top tips to find meaningful work experience
Many schools provide students with an opportunity to do either one or two weeks’ work experience during Year 10 or 11. This is a really exciting opportunity for your child and obviously needs planning if they are to get the most from this experience. 1. The first thing your child needs to consider is what…
What is a “career” anyway?
This was not the “new year” blog post I intended to write; it is however the one that seems fitting as we reflect on what has been and what will be, which we often do at the turning of the tides, when our small blue dot has taken another circuit around the sun. As we…
All about apprenticeships
What are apprenticeships? Apprenticeships are jobs with training that allow people to earn while they learn. On an apprenticeship, you will be working towards gaining a nationally recognised qualification. Apprenticeships include elements of on-the-job and off-the-job training, meeting specific employer-led standards. Apprenticeships are available across a whole range of sectors, from administration to engineering through…
Campaigning in careers: the anniversary of #SoMuchMoreThanTalkingAboutJobs
This is a guest post from Bella Doswell, friend of the CWA. The 1st February 2024 marks the first anniversary of the global #SoMuchMoreThanTalkingAboutJobs campaign. Designed by Katherine Jennick RDCP and I in 2023, #SoMuchMoreThanTalkingAboutJobs was launched with the aim of uniting Career Development Practitioners (CDPs) to tell the world about who we are and…