The Careers Adviser

'What other jobs can I do except teach RE? And, how do I become an accountant?'

Whatever next?

Q. I am a 27-year-old religious education teacher. I am in my sixth year of teaching and have been in charge of citizenship education for three years. I now earn about £31,000 a year and would like to change my career, but am not sure what I am qualified to do other than teach. Can you give me any advice on how to do this without a huge pay cut.

A. You need to work out where your interests really lie, as you have a number of very useful transferable skills. What do you enjoy about your current job? And what is it that you no longer enjoy? Do you want to continue with a religious dimension in what you do next? You appear to have been moving away from that. The obvious routes are those linked with education - jobs in the local authority, DfES or the inspectorate. Beyond that there are a whole host of careers where the experiences and skills gained in teaching could prove useful, but nothing where you can make a direct leap in without thought and re-training, so you need to work out if that is an option. A pay cut may be inevitable but it might not have to be huge, or for a long period. Find out about as many areas as possible - the more research you do, the more you are likely to find something interesting, be it in education with other groups than children, a therapy or counselling role, or education officer in a museum or art gallery. Training or charity work might be an option, and you could choose a charity with a religious affiliation. It might be worthwhile thinking about this as the career move into the area you want to end up in, rather than just as the next move.

Banking on it

Q. I'm an A-level student in South Wales studying BTEC national business, French and ICT. I very much want to work as an accountant in the future. I'm thinking of finding work experience in local banks, but I have no idea how to approach them and I don't know what sort of employment can be found within banks.

A. Have a look first at the websites of the major banks - they all run careers sections outlining the sort of jobs available. You would approach them by contacting them with a letter, being careful to explain what you can do for them (an extra pair of hands to help with a task, for example) as well as why you think working for them would help you. Always write to a named person, such as the manager, if possible. But if you are aiming for a broader career in accounting, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants ( www.accaglobal.com) recommends that you keep your options open and investigate more widely in the broader financial services like insurance, in accounting practices, or accounting or finance roles in any business, so you can get an idea of how the sector works. They say financial services are growing in the Welsh economy and there are household names with businesses near you - Lloyds TSB Insurance in Newport, for example, or Admiral Insurance Services in Cardiff. Many local accounting practices will also employ school leavers and will fund their studies as they work. See www.icaew.co.uk and www.aat.co.uk and speak to those advising you on careers at school about the different routes to qualification.

Careers advisers: Andy Jackson; had of C2, The Careers Group, University of London; Liz Rhodes, director, National Council for Work Experience.

Send your queries to Caroline Haydon at 'The Independent', Education Desk, Independent House, 191 Marsh Wall, London E14 9RS; or fax 020-7005 2143; or e-mail to chaydon@blueyonder.co.uk