A Third Form Careers Fair – what it is and why this experience can be useful not only for families whose children study in British schools

Many British schools hold careers fairs and events connected with future choices. Usually, these events are associated with older students, especially those in Sixth Form. This is the time when young people choose universities, subjects and future careers.

But there is something else worth noticing here: in some schools, this work starts much earlier, already in Year 9, when children are around 13-14 years old.

This is very telling. In the UK, conversations about a student’s future are not postponed until the moment when they have to choose subjects or a career. Students are gradually helped to understand which areas interest them, what skills they already have, which skills they should develop, how different school subjects may connect with different careers, and what questions they should start asking themselves in advance.

This experience can be useful not only for families whose children study in British schools. Even if your child is studying in a different education system, the approach itself, the questions and the format of these events can be used at home when talking about the future.

A Careers Fair for Year 9 usually includes several important parts.

First, students are told why it is useful to start thinking about careers now. This does not mean that a child of 13 or 14 has to decide what they will do for the rest of their life. The aim is different: to broaden their horizons, show them different professional fields and help the student connect their interests and strengths with future opportunities.

The programme includes meetings with different professionals. These may be people working in medicine, law, science, engineering, architecture, IT, journalism, finance, design and other areas. Schools often invite not only external experts, but also parents of students, if they work in interesting fields and are willing to share their experience.

There is also usually a careers specialist who explains how to approach the choice of direction. They help students understand what to pay attention to, how to analyse their interests and why it is important to see the link between school subjects and future careers.

The programme may also include practical sessions. For example, students may learn how to write their first CV, which skills they can include, and how to describe their involvement in school life, volunteering, projects or sport. For Year 9, this is useful because many students realise for the first time that a CV is not only about work experience, but also about how to describe the experience they already have.

Students are often given worksheets or special materials with questions. This helps them not just listen to the talks, but think in advance about what they would like to find out.

The questions may include:

• Which careers seem interesting to me and why?
• Which school subjects do I enjoy the most?
• Which subjects am I best at?
• What skills are my strengths?
• Do I prefer working with people, ideas, numbers, technology, texts, visual materials or practical tasks?
• Which careers are connected with the subjects I am studying now?
• What qualities do people need in this profession?
• What path does a person take to enter this field?
• Which subjects are important for this profession?
• Does this field require a university degree, a professional qualification, an internship or practical experience?
• What is the most interesting part of this profession?
• What might be the most challenging part of this profession?
• What questions would I like to ask a specialist at the fair?

After the event, students are encouraged to return to these questions and write down what they have learnt. This helps them keep the information and see a clearer picture: which directions genuinely interest them, and which may not be as appealing as they first seemed.

It is also useful for parents to pay attention to events like this. Even if your child is not yet studying in a British school, these questions can be discussed at home, without pressure, as a normal conversation about the future.

You could ask:

• Which subjects do you enjoy the most?
• What do you enjoy doing even without being reminded?
• In which situations do you feel that you are doing well?
• Do you prefer working independently or in a team?
• Are you more interested in helping people, creating something, analysing information, solving technical problems or coming up with ideas?
• Which careers do you already know about?
• Are there any careers you would like to learn more about?

These conversations are especially important in Year 9, because at this age students begin to make more serious academic decisions. In the British system, subject choices, interests, skills, extracurricular activities and future careers are seen as connected parts of the same bigger picture.

That is why a Third Form Careers Fair is not just another school event. It is an early and useful way to help students think more broadly about themselves, their strengths and their opportunities, and about how today’s school experience can begin to shape their future path.

Answer these questions together with your child!