Have no idea what I'm qualified to do!!!

[beenalongtimecoming]

Hoping someone can help. I've got a degree (2:1) in Counselling Studies and the diploma (level 4) which 'qualifies' me to counsel and now am out of education and haven't got the foggiest clue what I want to do anymore or what I'm actually qualified to do. While I was training I always intend to become a counsellor but there are VERY few jobs for one around here (I know, should have trained for something else!) and I've been toying with the idea of going self-employed but realistically that could only be p/t to supplement other work, couldn't afford to rely on it.

Am open to further courses/training to get to another career - interested in psychology, working with children/adolescents especially, considered teaching at one point, but am open to any ideas really, although I need to find work soon to at least pay the bills while I carried on training. Although I've got specific knowledge & experience now I'm rubbish at knowing how jobs/careers 'work', before I started training I just got whatever job would pay minimum wage.

Can anyone please help me out and tell me;

1. What I might be qualified to do right now besides straightforward 'counsellor' (or where I start looking to find out)?
   
   
2. What career I might be qualified for, or might qualify for with a tad more training/experience? (ie, what I could head towards)

[ifso]

hi Beenalong

Bumping this thread for you, the first thing I thought of was can you offer your skills in a setting such as a school or look into working with police or prison services? Maybe someone else could offer more info on this?

But as much as you dont seem to know what to do yet, hold onto the feeling that you are very lucky to have the degree under your belt! Good luck

[beenalongtimecoming]

Thankyou ifso, for the advice and the bumping. Could definitely look into schools/police, my stumbling block is having no idea how you go about that, is it decided centrally/higher up or would I approach individual schools/forces?

[beenalongtimecoming]

Hope it's ok to bump.

[botandhothered]

Look in the local council website jobs. That would cover jobs in social work and education.

[artyflarty]

Agree about the social work route. A lot of councils are willing to train you these days.

[botandhothered]

Most secondary schools have a welfare/attendance officer, where you don't necessarily need qualifications, those yours would certainly help in working with pupils and families experiencing difficulties.

In the private sector there are care homes for children who have lots of problems and can't be placed in to foster care until those issues are resolved. This is difficult work and unsociable hours, but these type of organisations are crying out for good staff.

Recently saw that Shelter ,the organisation for homeless people, advertising for a domestic violence support worker, again imagine you could do something like that?

Social services employ family support workers to work with families, under the supervision of a social worker.

Those types of jobs would give you good experience, until you find what it is you really want to specialise in. Good luck!