Careers advise

[rainydogday]

DD nearly 15 has been talking about careers, A levels and uni. When I was at school we had work experience placements around this age. Probably due to covid this hasn't happened unless it's a thing if the past! She is possibly interested in Law, but not sure she really knows
Why or what the end job really is! Is there any good documentary type information on careers out there? Or anything for parents to start the right conversations! She still seems far too young but they have been talking about A level choices. I don't want to sway her to things I think she should do but also want to help her. Any help appreciated.

The UCAS website is a pretty good place to start:

www.ucas.com/careers-advice

Useful summaries here of various career options related to Law:

www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/law-sector/law-careers

Work experience is less important at gcse level nowadays as all students have to continue their education until 18 (or fo intl an apprenticeship etc). Historically you left at 16.
It is unusual for law firms to take students in 6th form too.

Her school should be guiding them what combinations of A level are required for different degrees.

I would also consider getting her to start thinking about volunteer work, d of e or such things as these always look attractive to potential universities.

And you say you're a careers consultant...

Yep I wondered that too @titchy!

@CareersconsultUK D of E is really not needed for a UCAS form and too many teens IMHO are pushed into doing it when they don't enjoy it. Much more useful OP is reading round the subject and talking about that on a UCAS form - so for law, I imagine (no direct experience here) a student might talk about a particular case that engaged them, for example. DS2 does biology and spoke about his interest in medical research; DD does Eng lit and talked about her passion for specific aspects of the canon and how she first got into reading. Their extra curricular was a line at the end. It's really only relevant if it relates directly to the course (so, obv, membership of a drama group would be useful for a uni course in drama).

OP
I agree with pp that your daughter would be best served by reading up on subjects.
Perhaps take a step back from careers and instead, look at topics. If law interests her, she should read up/ research aspects of law which interest her.
Future learn and Coursera have some great small courses. She can also go to live court proceedings.
Some students see what is on TV ( often American) and believe that is what law is.

I agree with pp who said volunteering is useful too. It may not take up much space on her UCAS form, but sometimes those experiences give you the life experience to help make their choices.

If she wants to do DofE because she’ll enjoy DofE, she should. If she doesn’t have an interest in it, she shouldn’t. There are a myriad of ways she can build soft skills and DofE isn’t even a very good one.

If she’s interested in law at the moment she can read around the subject, podcasts, online lectures etc. See if her school does programmes like Pathways to Law, or local uni taster programmes. If she’s not sure on law, or finds she’s not actually into it, the best thing she can do is just take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way over the next year. If she’s nearly 15, she’ll be Y10, so although she needs to have the idea of making post 16 options choices in her head she doesn’t actually need to start making any serious decisions or anything yet!

You're the one who mentioned what would look good for universities!

Yep @CareersconsultUK it's a good idea for her to look at what interests her, and if that's D of E, helping at a library, playing piano, playing football...all good.

I was just a bit surprised that someone whose name suggested they were involved in careers and uni advice was saying that unis are interested in D of E, because they are not, and as I say, IME the myth that is in some way essential for a successful uni application still persists (evidently) to the detriment of those forced to do it (in Yr 10/11 ime) against their will or interest.