English teachers and education-employment linkages for young people

Ask a classroom of senior students what the word 'career' means and it's likely they will say something like, 'A career is something you really want to do.' With some encouragement to explore this, they might talk about careers in developmental terms - as an expression of who they are and who they want to be. Some will know exactly what career pathway they want to pursue. Others will want to explore particular avenues connected with their interests but won't have a clear of idea of where this exploration might lead. Many will be unsure about how to proceed and some will be anxious about this lack of certainty.