Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Introduction -- Who this book is for -- How to use this book -- Features of this book -- For those in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland -- A word about change -- Part One: Career planning -- 1 Being your own life coach -- Life coaching… what does it mean? -- Becoming your own life coach -- Keeping an eye on the bigger picture -- A word about change -- Facing problems -- Summary -- 2 Decisions -- Decisions - the issues -- Choosing your next steps -- Where to go for help -- Summary -- 3 Career planning -- Planning your career and next steps -- Tracking progress -- Summary -- Part Two: Education -- 4 Looking at education -- Reforms affecting 14- to 19-year-olds -- Thinking about further education -- Summary -- 5 Choices in further education (FE) -- What to study in FE -- Where to study in FE -- Summary -- 6 Choices in higher education (HE) -- What to study in HE -- The main qualification groups -- Choosing a university -- Starting your course -- Summary -- Part Three: Work -- 7 Types of work -- Getting work at 16 -- Getting work at 18 -- Types of work -- Summary -- 8 Work experience, job shadowing and work-based training -- Work experience -- Internships -- Apprenticeships -- Summary -- 9 Finding and applying for jobs -- What do you want to do? -- Where to look for vacancies -- Applying for jobs -- Writing a CV -- Making speculative applications -- Summary -- 10 Interviews -- What are interviews? -- Preparing for the big day -- The day of the interview -- Psychometric testing -- Safety -- Possible outcomes -- Pay -- Location -- Starting work -- Summary -- Part Four: Travel -- 11 Studying and working abroad -- Travel - is it right for you? -- Studying abroad -- Working abroad -- Summary -- 12 Taking a gap year and volunteering -- A gap year -- Volunteering -- Coming home -- Summary.

Part Five: Other options -- 13 Self-employment and beyond -- Self-employment -- Alternatives -- Work-life balance -- Summary -- 14 Voluntary work -- The voluntary sector -- Summary -- 15 Being unemployed -- Unemployment statistics -- Jobcentre Plus -- Benefits -- Welfare to Work -- Summary -- Part Six: Practical issues -- 16 Moving away from home -- Living away from home -- Summary -- 17 Money -- Money management -- FE and money -- HE and money -- Your first job and money -- Summary -- 18 Advice: working with parents and advisers -- Careers advice -- Special needs and equal opportunities -- Summary -- 19 Dealing with problems -- Feeling down or depressed -- Stress -- Summary -- Part Seven: Spotlight on key professions -- 20 Accountancy -- Accountant -- Accounting technician -- 21 Actuarial work -- Actuary -- 22 Law -- Advocate/barrister -- Barrister's clerk/advocate's clerk -- Court staff: Court administrative officer -- Court legal adviser -- Court usher -- Court reporter -- Legal executive -- Paralegal -- Solicitor -- 23 Nursing professions -- Healthcare assistant -- Health visitor -- Midwife -- Nurse -- 24 Social care and social work -- Care assistant -- Care home managers -- Social work assistant -- Social worker -- Speech and language therapy -- Appendix -- Glossary -- Further reading -- The internet -- Books -- Index -- Index of Advertisers.