Career decisions, a request for help, and some fantastic super-curricular resources.
😊 Welcome
Normally I write for students.
Yes, I know perfectly well that most of my subscribers are teachers, advisers, and industry professionals. But writing directly for students enables us all to learn what is important for the students we advise, and of course means that the Better Uni Choices website provides a super-useful resource for students and parents who really need it.
This week’s main article, however, is aimed squarely at teachers, advisers and other supporters, with a quick analysis of two really interesting reports on career decision making.
Also…
Once again, I’ll be asking for your support in getting my guidance on Personal Statements and Admissions Tests out to your students.
And we’ll finish with some great super-curricular resources from Cambridge and Imperial.
✍️ Just when do young people decide on their careers - and more importantly, how?
This week, two new reports on career decisions were launched.
Firstly, the 2025 Gen Z Careers from Springpod and Amberjack, and secondly the 2025 FE Student Choices Survey from Pathways.
Reading them together I was struck by three things:
Careers decisions are being taken far, far earlier than you might think.
The stress that young people are feeling over their career decisions is real, and the pressure they feel to get it right is real too.
University is still seen by young people as the preferred pathway to their dream career, but that stranglehold may be slipping.
🙏 A request for help
I’ve been pretty pleased with the response to my 2026 Personal Statement guide and my new UniAdmissionsTests website. The Personal Statement guide hit 1,000 downloads in a matter of days and the UniAdmissionsTests website has had just shy of 5,000 views so far.
But that’s still only a tiny fraction of the 700,000 or so students who will be applying this year (not to mention their parents and advisers), so I’d love it if you could support me in getting the word out about these two resources for applicants.
Teachers and Advisers: I’ve made a couple of posters that you can download. It would be amazing if you could print them out and put them up in your careers or sixth form areas.
University reps: Why not let students know about these free and accessible resources in your presentations to schools?
💡 Did you know?
And continuing the theme of fantastic resources, I want to finish by highlighting a couple of really useful super-curricular resources that you can highlight to any students who are serious about exploring their subjects beyond the curriculum.
MyHE+ from the University of Cambridge
This has a range of written, audio and video resources in a wide range of academic subjects, plus questions to reflect on. They are a great jumping off point for any students looking to explore new subjects, or extend their knowledge beyond their school work.
STEM book list from Imperial College
OK, so its name is hardly inspiring, but for students who are serious about science, this is an incredible list of accessible books which most definitely are inspiring, all recommended by early stage academics.
That’s all for this week!
Jonathan
