Last night I took my son to his first college open evening and it was eye opening….

It made me remember how scary it is to decide what you will choose as a career, and how much pressure you feel. It was truly overwhelming for most of the kids, as not many of them knew what they wanted to do for a job.

Let alone which A-Level subjects or Diplomas they should do?

I wanted to be a Graphic Artist or a Personal Shopper, and to be honest Im not sure any of my GCSE’s or A-Levels that I chose truly reflected the career choices I made.
What I did enjoy was learning about all the new subjects available, there is so much more choice now than when I was at school, cool subjects like criminology, businesspsychology. It almost made me want to go back to school and learn!

Choosing A-Level subjects allows you to specialise in areas that interest you, most universities will require a minimum of three A Levels but selecting the right A Level subjects is important as it can determine your future academic and career paths, not to mention that you will spend two years studying these subjects in a fair amount of depth!

It’s worth spending some time on the decision, considering different options, and doing some of your research. There are also other options that schools and colleges offer, such as vocational courses which may be a better match for you.

It’s really helpful to speak to as many people as possible, particularly people who have taken the A Level subjects you’re considering or studied the degree you want to at university.

The most important thing to remember when choosing your A Level subjects is to choose subjects you genuinely enjoy.

What lessons do you look forward to at school?
What’s your favourite GCSE subject?
What subject are you curious to learn more about?

Choosing an A Level subject that you really like studying will make the learning experience more engaging and rewarding, as well as making you more likely to excel. Your A Level subjects should feel like a natural continuation of what you love now.

However, bear in mind that studying an A Level subject will feel like a step up from GCSE. You should be prepared for your subject to challenge you in new ways and ideally feel excited for this! If you liked learning the foundations of a language at GCSE, you might not enjoy the intricacies of grammar that you study as part of the A Level syllabus. So don’t just pick what feels easy, pick A Level subjects that you really like.

Here are my final tips for making your choices:

Take your time.
Spend time carefully weighing your interests, strengths, and future goals when selecting your subjects. This decision can significantly impact your university prospects and career path, so take the time to consider all the options thoroughly. But also dont let the decision stress you, there are always options for great candidates. As a Recruiter I know just how many companies will hire non qualified candidates on attitude, drive, work ethic and personality alone.

Find what you enjoy.
While keeping an eye to your long-term aspirations, make sure you choose A Level subjects you really enjoy and are excited by. If you really enjoy your subjects, you’re much more likely to excel in them and to enjoy the challenges of A Level.

Create a manageable workload.
When choosing how many A Level subjects to study, remain realistic about your abilities and capacity to manage the workload. Ideally, aim for a balanced, challenging yet manageable combination that allows you to show off your abilities and develop your interests.

Get lots of advice.
Seek guidance from teachers, careers advisors and students who’ve taken the course. Do your own research on the courses and entry requirements of the universities you’re interested in to make sure your A Level subjects align with what you want to go on to do after.

If you would like some advice or help as to how to make your choices, interviewing, or gaining work experience please let us know.
Syntech Recruitment Ltd are wrapping up the week with some amazing new opportunities that could be the next step in your career journey!
So be sure to get in touch or view our jobpage🌟