Finding a job or identifying a career can feel like a big step, but you don’t have to tackle it on your own.
Start by getting clear on your skills, interests and what you enjoy doing, then explore the opportunities around you—there are more paths out there than you might think. Talk to your parents, carers, teachers, careers-lead, work coach and your friends. Talk to us!
>Google identifying your skills
>icanbea... Careers Wizard
>16 Personalities test
Build a simple, well-presented CV that shows off what you can do, and consider tailoring it for specific roles so employers can quickly see why you’re a good fit. Writing a good, tailored cover letter for each application can make a world of difference and can mitigate the need to have a tailored CV for every role.
>Google building a CV
>icanbea... CV Builder
>National Careers Service CVs & Cover Letters
Don’t be afraid to ask for support either; working with someone who can help you build confidence, practice interviews and spot opportunities can make a real difference. Most importantly, remember that this is your journey—take it step by step, stay open to learning, and keep moving forward, even if things don’t happen straight away.
Get a job > Get some better jobs > Get your dream job
CV Tips
Your CV is often how you make a first impression on an employer. It needs to put across the right message, have the right presentation, and have no mistakes.
Employers receive lots of CVs and have to decide quickly who they’re going to interview.
Here are some ways to make your CV stand out for all the right reasons:
- Prioritise highlighting your achievements over simply listing duties
- Tailor your CV where appropriate and feasible . This involves tweaking it for specific employers and roles. This might not be practical for all your applications, so pick where and when to do this - having a tailored cover letter will help a lot!
- Avoid typing errors, poor spelling and grammatical mistakes
- Make it clear to read and look good if you can - but clarity trumps fancy formatting!
- Make sure it contains the right amount of content - don't provide too little or too much information. Two pages should really be the limit.
CV Templates
- The pdf format is more difficult for someone else to alter, either accidentally or on purpose
- With a pdf, you can also be certain that how you see your CV is how the employer will see it - .docx, .odt (and other file types) can sometimes display differently for employers depending on what software they are using - messing up your meticulously formatted CV!
Cover Letter / Note
Your CV and cover letter are your chance to sell yourself to employers. If your CV is the 'data' about what you've done and where you've done it, then the cover letter is the 'context' about why those experiences make you a good fit for a role.
To create a good first impression, make sure your covering letter...
- is well written but authentic
- doesn’t contain any spelling mistakes or bad grammar
- supports what's in your CV
- shows your enthusiasm
- identifies your unique selling points
- promotes your transferable skills
A good covering letter / note will show that you’ve done your research, you know what the job involves and what the employer’s looking for.
- A cover letter isn't always an actual letter or separate document. Online applications often allow a text box or content section to author this sort of thing, in support of your application
- Look out for a section on the application to either include cover letter content (as above) or attach one as a separate document
- If there's no cover letter section in a particular application, consider having one as page one of your CV
Interview Advice
Types of interview
Face-to-face – this is a standard interview with often one or two interviewers, in person.
Telephone – could be the first stage of the interview process if there are lots of applications. The employer is looking to get a good impression of who you are.
Online - this could be the first stage of the interview or the main stage stage. You should prepare in the same way as for a face-to-face interview, but make sure the technology and connection you are going to use is working beforehand!
Group discussion - in a group with other candidates, you’ll have to show you can get along with people, put your ideas forward and be respectful of others.
Panel - where one person usually leads the interview and other panel members take it in turns to ask you different questions.
Before the interview
To help you prepare, you can:
- think about which areas of your CV or application form the interviewer might ask you to talk more about, and how you can relate them to the role
- prepare some answers about why you want the job, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and your relevant work and life experience. The National Careers Service has a good starter guide to answering common interview questions that is definitely worth a look
- think of some questions to ask about the role and the company at the end of the interview
- try to relax the night before the interview - doing lots of last minute work could make you more anxious and reduce your sleep time. Giving yourself plenty of time to prepare will help you avoid having to do this!
- Try a mock interview. Nothing beats practice! See if someone you know will help you practice some interview questions - or consider using AI.
Make yourself presentable on the day
When it comes to what to wear:
- plan what you’re going to wear before the day of the interview
- find out what the company’s dress code is and wear clothes that suit the company that’s interviewing you
- don’t wear clothes that you’re physically uncomfortable in, or shoes that you’ll struggle to walk in
- try to avoid wearing things that are creased, damaged or that haven't been washed in a while. Interviewers will notice smoky or musty smelling clothes
- make sure you look like you dressed deliberately - whatever your style and clothing options / choices. (Try not to look like you came to the interview at the last minute!)
Look after yourself!
- Having shower or bath before attending an interview will help you feel more confident and presentable. Employers may notice dirt or even smells from your usual environment that you are used to
- Take a look at your hair and general appearance before you leave - you want to make an authentic decent impression
Getting to the venue
- Check in advance how to get to the interview venue, and how long it’ll take
- Use an online maps or 'street view' service to familiarise yourself with where to go
- On the interview day make sure you leave plenty of time to get there and aim to arrive a little early. You might need to factor in potential delays based on your method of transport
Get settled and ready to begin
Just before the interview starts:
- make sure your phone is on silent
- feel free to ask for water if you haven’t already been offered some
- try not to let your nerves show too much – use breathing techniques and remember that being somewhat nervous is normal for everyone
During the interview...
- take your time when thinking of your answer - it’s fine to say you need a moment to think
- look alert and attentive, speak clearly and confidently, and don’t swear or use slang
- give full answers, don’t just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’
- give examples of when you've used the skills they’re asking for
- make sure you fully understand the questions you’re asked - ask for more information if you need to
- don't lie – the interviewer may see through you and, even if you get the job, your employer can dismiss you if they find out you’ve been dishonest
For further hints and tips on interviews, please see our CV and Job Hunting support pages on icanbea...
On the use of AI...
AI is here and it is not going away. Love it or loathe it, organisations and individuals are using it good and bad ways.
- Objectively consider its uses and don't discount it out of hand. People are naturally wary of new technologies and healthy skepticism of anything is a beneficial trait - but you want to be on an even-playing field as much as possible. Many employers are adopting AI in some areas for efficiency and knowing about it may benefit you, regardless of your personal view of it.
- Using AI when looking for jobs can be a really helpful starting point when writing CVs and job applications, especially if you’re not sure how to structure things or want help sounding more confident and professional.
- It can quickly turn your ideas into clear, polished content and save you time.
- That said, it’s easy to rely on it too much—applications can end up feeling generic or not quite “you,” which employers and some systems can spot. Remember that in an interview or follow-up call, you may be asked about specific answers that you gave in your application. Will you be able to talk through these witout access to AI? Many organisations are starting to publish how they feel about AI for job applications - so search their career pages for guidance when looking at specific employers.
- The best approach is to use AI as a guide - an assistant. Then personalise everything so it genuinely reflects your skills, experiences and personality.
More help and resources
We are always prepared to help young people individually and directly in respect of finding local employment.
If you are a 12-25 year old living in Norfolk or Suffolk (or if you know one..) ..who would like someone to look over and help with a CV and ideas for local careers and jobs then please get in touch. We can arrange some time with one of the Trust team to talk through options and explore local opportunities.
We we currently offer this advice as an ad-hoc, informal service or as mentoring for individuals.
The Mason Trust also runs the icanbea... careers platform that shows local jobs and the employers that offer them. It has lots of information about local industries and tools like our CV and Careers Wizard. It may help you identify local opportunities and even prepare for interviews with further support information. It is free to access for all.
