Website of the UK government

Next Step

Sometimes it's hard to know what steps to take to move on in work and life. This is where Next Step can help. You can get free careers advice if you're aged 19 and over, or 18 for Jobcentre Plus customers.

Lifelong Learning Accounts

Next Step offers a free online service to help you develop your skills. You can tailor your Lifelong Learning Account to match your own needs and store documents like your CV in a secure online place.

By opening your account you can:

• update and store personal information such as your CV, a skills health check, courses and job profiles
• access your qualification results from your Personal Learning Record
• track how much money you and the government have spent on your recent learning
• receive regular careers information updates from the service based on your needs
• access more personalised information on Next Step

• Open a Lifelong Learning Account Opens new window

Get help from a Next Step careers adviser

Help from a Next Step careers adviser is available by phone, email or at a face-to-face meeting near you. Next Step advisers are professionally qualified and provide individual advice.

You can talk in confidence to an adviser who can help you:

• look at local job opportunities
• find learning and training that's right for you
• improve your CV and interview skills
• find out about funding for learning
• look at job profiles
• complete a Skills Health Check to find out what your strengths and areas for development are

• Next Step - careers and skills advice Opens new window

Who else could help?

Jobcentre Plus

If you’re not working at the moment, Jobcentre Plus can help you find the right kind of job: full-time or part-time, temporary or permanent.

• Looking for work (employment section)

• Contact Jobcentre Plus Opens new window

If you’re under 20

If you’re aged 13 to 19, you can get free and confidential advice about learning, careers and more from a careers adviser.

• Contact Connexions Direct

If you’re a graduate

• Get in touch with your university careers service Opens new window

• Graduate careers and postgraduate study: more on options for graduates

Learning and careers advice in Scotland or Wales

• Careers Scotland Opens new window

• Careers Wales Opens new window

More useful links

• Learning for work

• Help with learning costs: an introduction

• Planning a career (employment section)

Useful contacts

• Adult learning contacts