This might be a first: request for advice on career advice

[UK_Eliter]

Dear Ooliters

I am having difficulty getting recommendations for career advisors / counsellors (advisors in the UK). So I thought . . I'd ask you guys! ('Friendliest board this side' etc.)

So: does anyone please have any useful experience that he/she would be happy to pass on? I live in Essex, but not that far from London, and my background is academic. As to jobs I'd like to go into - well, I don't really know! But not, among other things, marketing or sales, and perhaps not the civil service. Possibly some sort of political campaigning. I mention these things just because some career counsellors (or 'careers services') concentrate on getting people into specific job types.

If anyone does have any advice about counsellors (or any questions as a prelude to advice), please contact me by Private Message. Thank you very much.

[JazHaz]

Try here: http://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

[UK_Eliter]

Try here: http://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk

Yep, I am aware of that one, thanks.

[DaddyHoggy]

Put a decent CV up on LinkedIn (and start building up your connections) which is basically a mass recruitment centre pretending it's something bigger/better than that.

I get a couple of job offers a week via it even though I'm very happy with my current position.

[Cmdr James]

The problem with linkedin is that it is a cv farm for recruiters. People who are qualified and experienced are hoovered up, especially in branches like IT. It does not perform so well for people starting out.

[Commander McLane]

For me the problem with linkedin is that I get spammed with emails inviting me to "connect via linkedin", which I have to delete.

[JazHaz]

I recently joined linkedin myself. Only did that because I'm not allowed to be on Facebook any more (my partner thinks I would talk to ex-girlfriends on it), and I want to find out if friends have found new jobs etc.

Here's my profile.

[DaddyHoggy]

I recently joined linkedin myself. Only did that because I'm not allowed to be on Facebook any more (my partner thinks I would talk to ex-girlfriends on it), and I want to find out if friends have found new jobs etc.

No trust issues there I see...

[DaddyHoggy]

For me the problem with linkedin is that I get spammed with emails inviting me to "connect via linkedin", which I have to delete.

Yeah, I have a rule set up for that - to dump all things LinkedIn into a folder - which I look at occasionally.

[JazHaz]

I'm not allowed to be on Facebook any more

No trust issues there I see...

We just decided it was better not to be on it. Only time I miss it is when friends and family go on holiday and then I can't look at their photos.

[Diziet Sma]

I'm not allowed to be on Facebook any more

No trust issues there I see...

We just decided it was better not to be on it. Only time I miss it is when friends and family go on holiday and then I can't look at their photos.

I hope the same rule applies to her also..

[UK_Eliter]

Thanks a lot to everyone for all this (although I did request that people use the private messenger). I'll consider LinkedIn. If anyone has any further thoughts, do please PM me.

[pagroove]

Put a decent CV up on LinkedIn (and start building up your connections) which is basically a mass recruitment centre pretending it's something bigger/better than that.

I get a couple of job offers a week via it even though I'm very happy with my current position.

Although I have LinkedIn I am sadly not in the same postition as you. Still searching for a job here

[DaddyHoggy]

Put a decent CV up on LinkedIn (and start building up your connections) which is basically a mass recruitment centre pretending it's something bigger/better than that.

I get a couple of job offers a week via it even though I'm very happy with my current position.

Although I have LinkedIn I am sadly not in the same postition as you. Still searching for a job here

Sorry to hear that - to be honest the job offers are mostly tosh - and often because I have a UK defence background - some of the jobs I couldn't take - even if I wanted to...

[JazHaz]

Still searching for a job here

Why not approach Frontier for a job as a musician? Send them the links to your Elite inspired music....?