February 6, 2025, by Jackie Thompson

My experience with the Careers team and choosing a PGCE

By Lucy Berry, History and Ancient History

For the first couple years of my degree, I felt as though my career was some far away problem and that I always had more pressing matters to deal with, like balancing my part-time job and passing my assignments, while ensuring I socialised and joined in with the university scene and culture. Once I started the final year of my course, however, I felt totally unprepared to make the big decisions about my future. I didn’t know where to start with postgraduate applications: how to decide which one was right for me, how I applied, or how to give myself the best chance of being accepted.

Always a team to help

I did, however, know that if I had a problem the university always had a team who could help to resolve it. I found the university’s Careers team online and saw that there was a range of appointment types available through MyCareer. I booked myself an initial appointment to discuss a few ideas I had about what I wanted to do.

I knew that I loved academia and had always enjoyed being in a classroom. My careers adviser, Rachel, helped me to narrow down my choices and provided lots of websites and information to allow me to come to a decision in my own time.

Routes into teaching

After deciding that I wanted to train to be a secondary school history teacher, I had a follow-up appointment with the Careers team to discuss the options available to me. I had no idea that there were several ways you could become a teacher, and my adviser explained the merits of the different pathways. I chose to apply for a PGCE course, as I knew that I would benefit from building relationships with the tutors who delivered classes each week and got to know us as people, which in turn would help them place us in the most suitable schools.

Help with the application

Once I knew I wanted to complete a PGCE at the University, I began writing my personal statement and preparing for the interview. Postgraduate applications can be very daunting, so it was really reassuring to have help from the Careers team. My adviser helped me to revise my personal statement and make my application the best it could be. By Christmas, I had been accepted onto my dream course at the university I love.

My advice to you

My advice to anyone applying for teaching is to be honest and personal when writing your statement. The Careers team encouraged me to talk about my own experiences and how they shaped the person I am today, always linking back to my aspirations and how the course would help me achieve them.

I began the semester with no real idea of what I wanted to do when I left uni, becoming increasingly anxious about it. Deciding to book a careers appointment turned that around. The team provides a safe space in which you can be honest about your hopes and concerns, ensuring you have the best chance possible. I would recommend that every student, even those who believe they know what they want to do, reaches out and speaks to an adviser. It might just be the best thing you do.

If you’re interested in teaching and/or want help with your application, check out our webpage written by our advisers. Follow this up with an appointment with an adviser.

We also have a dedicated webpage for all our students graduating in 2025 whether you are an undergraduate or master’s student – take a look.

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