First jobs · 5 min read
Where can I get free careers advice in the UK?
Free, impartial careers advice in the UK: the National Careers Service from age 13, school careers leads, college and university services and the devolved nations.
The short answer
In England, the National Careers Service gives free, impartial advice to anyone aged 13 and over by phone on 0800 100 900, by webchat and face to face, with a free skills assessment online. Scotland has Skills Development Scotland, Wales has Careers Wales and Northern Ireland has the Careers Service NI. Every school must give pupils careers guidance, and colleges and universities run services you can use for years after you leave.
Key takeaways
- National Careers Service (England): 0800 100 900, webchat and an online skills assessment, free, from age 13.
- Scotland: Skills Development Scotland. Wales: Careers Wales. Northern Ireland: Careers Service NI. All free.
- Schools in England must provide careers guidance; ask for the careers lead by name and book a one-to-one.
- University careers services usually stay open to graduates for two or three years after you finish.
On this pageThe free services, by nation and stage
The free services, by nation and stage
| Who you are | Where to go | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Anyone 13+, England | National Careers Service: 0800 100 900, webchat, local advisers | Advice, skills assessment, job profiles, CV help |
| Anyone, Scotland | Skills Development Scotland, My World of Work | Advisers in schools and centres, online tools |
| Anyone, Wales | Careers Wales | Advisers, webchat, course and apprenticeship search |
| Anyone, Northern Ireland | Careers Service NI | Advisers in schools and Jobs and Benefits offices |
| School pupil | Your school's careers lead | One-to-one guidance, employer encounters, work experience |
| College or university student, or recent graduate | Your institution's careers service | Appointments, mock interviews, employer events, for years after leaving |
| Claiming benefits | Jobcentre Plus work coach | Job search support, training referrals |
What to bring to a first conversation
Advisers can do more with specifics. Bring your grades or predicted grades, three things you've done in the last year that absorbed you, one thing you're sure you don't want, and the practical limits: where you can travel, whether you need to earn now, what your family thinks. Twenty minutes with those on the table beats an hour of 'I don't know what I want'.
Questions worth asking an adviser
- What are three routes into this kind of work, and what do they cost in time and money?
- Which local employers take people at my stage, and when do they recruit?
- What does the job profile say about the typical day and the starting pay?
- If I wanted to test this for an afternoon, how would I do it?
What advice can't do, and what fills the gap
A careers adviser can show you the map. They can't tell you what a Tuesday in the job feels like, because only contact with the work does that. The best use of a session is to leave with two directions and one small, cheap way to try each: a conversation with someone doing it, an hour on a sample of the task, half a day nearby. Then come back and say what you noticed.
Illustrative example: one call, two directions
A 17 year old rings the National Careers Service because sixth form isn't working and his parents want him to stay. The adviser walks him through T levels, a Level 3 apprenticeship in his area and the Access route later if he changes his mind. He leaves with two options and an application deadline. The decision is still his, but it's now between real things.
Questions people ask
- Is the National Careers Service free?
- Yes. It's funded by the Department for Education and open to anyone aged 13 or over living in England. You can call 0800 100 900, use webchat on the website, or book a face-to-face appointment with an adviser locally. There's no charge for any of it and you don't need to be out of work to use it.
- What can a careers adviser actually do for me?
- Help you turn a vague worry into a shortlist, show you job profiles with real entry routes and pay, check a CV or application, explain apprenticeships, T levels, Access courses and student finance, and point you to local employers and courses. What they won't do is tell you what you should be. That part is yours, and small tests do it better than a conversation.
- Can my parents talk to a careers adviser for me?
- They can ask general questions, but the adviser will want to speak to you. Advice works better when it's about what you've noticed rather than what someone else hopes for you. A good compromise is a joint call where you do most of the talking and a parent asks the money questions.
- Where do I get careers advice after I've left university?
- Your university careers service usually stays open to graduates for two or three years, sometimes for life. The National Careers Service covers adults too. Jobcentre Plus work coaches help with job search if you're claiming benefits. Professional bodies for the field you're aiming at often run free early-careers events as well.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- About the National Careers Service · National Careers Service
- Skills assessment · National Careers Service
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.