Careers Advice 

The words 'careers advice' may conjure up images of being back at school, but if you find yourself facing redundancy or have had an extended period out of work, then some careers advice may be your next step.
Professional careers advisors are trained to identify and assess your skills.
Depending on your circumstances you may be able to choose between free careers advice or a service that is paid for. Like many services, if you choose to pay you will receive a package tailored to your needs, rather than a more generic service offered by free careers advice agencies.

Free Careers advice  

These services are mainly government led.

They offer skills assessments, telephone consultations, cv advice, help with application forms, assisting with education and training and much more.
All the advisers are trained to a high standard but because the service is free you may; have to wait for an appointment, have limited time with an advisor, or face other limitations in service.
However, despite the limitations, it is certainly worth investigating, particularly if you haven't decided when to return to work or if you are thinking about changing direction. Click here to take you to the Government's job and careers advice site.

 

Careers Consultants  

These companies are generally aimed at middle management positions and up. The packages offered by most of these companies range from initial one-to-one consultations to having your own counsellor who will advise you on marketing yourself, skill improvement, interview coaching and other services. Overall, the best career consultants will be forming a campaign to ensure that you get you ideal job.
Of course, all these services will come at a price; while many firms will offer a free initial consultation, ongoing costs may run into hundreds if not thousands of pounds.

Whether free or paid for, good careers advice will be a valuable tool to ensure you set your sights on the right career.