Careers Newsletter
Dunbar GrammarFourth Year 2012-2013
This may be your last year at school so it’s important to begin to consider what you want to do next and to plan for the future. If you intend to stay on for S5 you will have to make decisions about which subjects to study next year. Your choice of subjects may be influenced by what you would like to do after you leave school. Whether you intend to leave this year or after S5 or S6, I can give you information and advice about the options open to you.
Jennifer Jones, Careers Adviser
Having a careers interview
If you would like help in deciding what to do when you leave school, you should register on Skills Development Scotland’s website, My World of Work: As a starting point, use the My Strenghts tool on the website to identify areas of study or employment which might suit you. The website can also give you lots of useful information on applications, CVs, interviews, college and university. You can also call Skills Development Scotland’s Contact Centre for advice on 0845 8 502 502.
If you have used the My Strengths tool and accessed My World of Work and other resources to research information and are still undecided what to do, please speak to your Guidance Teacher, who can refer you for a face to face interview in school.
Careers Drop-In
The Careers Drop-In sessions are held in the CareersLibrary from 1.40 – 2:00pmon Wednesdays (check for any changes with Miss Johnston). If you have a quick question or would like help to find information in the Careers Library then come along. No appointment is needed.
Careers Resources
Do your own research into jobs and courses. The careers section in the school library contains up-to-date information. This includes a range of publications to help you make decisions about university and college, as well as advice on job seeking, application forms, interviews, CVs etc.
You can also make use of on-line information using these websites:
- UCAS -
- Planitplus –
See overleaf for more information on useful websites and publications.
Going to College
Contact local colleges as soon as possible for information about courses and apply from January for courses starting in August/September 2013
Higher Education
If you are thinking about taking a degree or a Higher National Certificate or Diploma when you leave school, take some time to check out the qualifications needed. Look atcollege and university prospectuses and/or websites for details. Find out the subjects and grades you will need at Higher for courses which interest you and keep this in mind when choosing subjects for fifth and sixth year. Some courses require work experience in addition to that carried out in S4.
Finding a job or a training place
If you are planning to go straight into a job when you leave school, start looking for work from February/March onwards. Look for job vacancies at and also Look in the local press and in ‘The Scotsman’ on a Friday and the ‘Evening News’ on a Thursday.
Company websites often have information on job opportunities within their organisations.
Many jobs are never advertised, so it is worth ensuring that family, friends and neighbours are aware of your career interests so they can inform you of any suitable opportunities they may come across.
Volunteering can help you gain valuable experience to help secure your next step whether it is university, college or employment. is just one source of local volunteering opportunities