Find a careers writer
Below is a list of members currently available for commission. Although they have been asked to provide a synopsis of their most recent work, and areas of specialist knowledge, most members are willing to cover any career field or related education or training subject.
CAROLINE BARKER
Email: carolinebarker1@aol.com
Freelance careers writer/researcher and professionally qualified and experienced careers adviser.
Clients have included: Cascaid, VT Skills, AGCAS, Skillset, Lifetime Publishing, and Trotman. Extensive experience in writing occupational profiles (covering all sectors) for Jobs4u national careers website and sourcing and writing case studies.
Other work: print journalism, website development and web publishing, research reports.
Authorship: Real Life Guides: The Police Service, Childcare (Trotman 09), Care, Welfare and Community Work (Trotman due for publication June 2010). New edition of Careers with an Arts or Humanities Degree (Lifetime Publishing due for publication July 2010). Used to working to specific briefs and tight deadlines.
ALAN BULLOCK
Email: careersguru@hotmail.co.uk
An enthusiastic Careers Adviser with more than 30 years’ guidance and management experience in London, Hampshire and overseas. Author of the “£1 Guide to Creating Your UCAS Personal Statement” - Trotman 2008.
Also a frequent contributor to regional and national conferences on topics such as ‘Practical Approaches to Post-16 Guidance’, ‘Using Destinations Information in Guidance’ and ‘Advising Confused Students’.
Has a special interest in helping students who are on A-level or equivalent courses to identify and achieve their higher education, employment or gap year aspirations.
SUSANNE CHRISTIAN
Email :Susanne.christian@tesco.net
Freelance writer/researcher/editor and fully qualified careers adviser.
Can research and write on most subject areas. I am used to producing material to detailed specifications and working to tight deadlines.
Contributions to: Athena, Odyssey, Occupations, Jobs4u, Working In.
Other work: print journalism, marketing materials, training materials, technical authoring, research reports.
ALISON DIXON
Email: dixon@dixon200.freeserve.co.uk
Qualified careers adviser, writer and editor - all subjects , special interests : HE, A level/post 16 choices and career change for adults. Experienced in writing for printed publications and websites. Currently developing an e-portal for a careers company.
Publications include: Careers and Personal Advisers’ Handbook, Career Change Companion (Surfin2careers),Careers Information Handbook(Trotman), Which A levels? (Lifetime), Year 8, 11 and 12 publications for young people in South and West London, Jobs and Careers Quiz 2 ( Lifetime 2009).
Articles and case studies for Jobs4u national careers website.Career Change Companion can be found on www.careerchangecompanion.co.uk. New edition of Which A levels- the guide to choosing A levels, Diplomas and other post-16 qualifications due for publication in September 2010.
BERYL DIXON
Email: bdixonwin@hotmail.com
Higher education, school leaver and graduate opportunities, job profiles, careers leaflets, recruitment booklets. Regular contributor to The Times and The Independent. Books include: Jobs and Careers after A levels, Decisions at 16 Plus, Getting into Languages, What Can I Do With a Social Sciences Degree?, How to Choose your Postgraduate Course, What Can I Do With an Arts Degree?, editorial for UCAS Subject Course Guides and numerous DCSF publications.
VAL FOSTER
Email: val.foster@btinternet.com
Education, training, careers and business opportunities and development. Writing and editorial consultancy. Case studies, publicity material, recruitment literature, articles, newsletters, reports, conferences, web design/text – and much more.
SUE FRYER
Email: careerswivenhoe@hotmail.com
Careers guidance adviser/consultant, tutor and trainer, editor and writer. Extensive practitioner experience in all guidance environments and with clients of all ages, including: schools, FE, adult and community education, university careers service, private practice and consultancy. Past roles: guidance trainer/conference organiser; corporate consultant. Many years' experience in HE advice/adult guidance. Authorship: adult guidance training programme and materials, leaflets and booklets on HE, information for mature students, mapping of guidance services. Books: Effective Revision and Study in Europe: Learn in English (Careerscope). Various articles and online careers/education/employment materials.
DR PAUL GREER
Email: PaulGreer1@aol.com
Careers adviser and researcher. Willing to write on most career topics, but particularly interested in Higher Education, encouraging awareness among sixth form and college students, traditional professions such as medicine and law, the performing arts and unusual careers of any kind. Regular contributor to several careers publications. Most recent book: Choosing a Career – Which Books, 2004
LIZ HAGGER
Email: liz@haggerbrowntechnology.co.uk
Freelance writer/researcher and fully qualified careers adviser with over 20 years experience primarily in higher education careers guidance, but also in advising clients from school age to retirement. Joint author of “Recession proof your career”, 6,000 word booklet issued May 2009 with The Independent. Produce regular answers to careers questions in The Independent. Considerable experience writing for the web and print, producing occupational profiles and other information for AGCAS. Experience also as careers agony aunt and bulletin board moderator. Particular interests: career change, portfolio careers, setting up a business, disability, criminal convictions, but happy to research and write on most subjects. Used to working to tight deadlines.
NEIL HARRIS
Email: n.harris2@ntlworld.com
Writer/editor specialising in careers in finance, information technology, science and engineering. Also research and writing about education, course selection, financing study, sponsorship, recruitment and training. Specialist in European recruitment.
MIKE HILL
Email : mikehill2007@btinternet.com
Careers consultant with an interest in the longer term job market and future trends especially in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. Mike spent 34 years in careers guidance and management roles, with a specialist interest in Higher Education, graduate employment and labour market intelligence.
National Careers Award 2007 for paper on ’Responding to the Challenges of the Global Market’, which was commented on favourably by the Minister for Science and House of Commons Science and Technology Committee.
Published articles have included topics such as the job implications of climate change and energy issues as well as the rise of China.
Recent consultancy work with VT Careers on the development of the STEM Subject Choice and Careers Project.
ROGER JONES
Email: arle@ukonline.co.uk
Freelance writer. Special interests: careers, music and the arts, living and working abroad, work opportunities for the experienced and mature – who now represent a larger proportion of the workforce and are in need of careers advice. Books include: Getting a Job Abroad, Getting a Job in America, (both How To Books), You Want to Work Where?, Real Life Guides: Electrician; Charity and Voluntary Work Uncovered (all Trotman), Culture Smart! Libya and Culture Smart! Thailand (both Kuperard).
SARAH MARTEN
Email sarah.marten@btinternet.com
Freelance careers writer and adviser with wide range of published work. Recent clients include BBC (Return to Learning website), DfES (Jobs4u articles and Working In titles for Connexions Direct website), London Borough of Hillingdon and Gillette UK.
Specialist Interests: help following redundancy, issues facing children/teenagers and parents, careers in fashion and music, careers for school-leavers. Wide ranging experience of sourcing and writing case studies to DfES constraints, within tight deadlines.
SURF IN2 CAREERS LTD
HILARY NICKELL
Email: hilary@surfin2careers.com
Director of Surf In2 Careers Ltd.
Hilary Nickell Dip CG MICG
Hilary is a Careers consultant, trainer and author with specialist knowledge of the use of the Internet and interactive media within the context of supporting the Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) and Careers Education (CEIAG) communities. This includes Project Managing Career Companion Online, an all-age professionally mediated web review service, and Resource Companion Online, a special content management portal for careers and connexions service organisations, schools and colleges. He also is co-director of the annual ‘ICT in CEIAG Conference and Exhibition’ held each March and is current Chair of the Careers Writers Association.
In a former life Hilary was a Royal Marines Commando and later a Residential Social Worker with Dr Barnardo’s. He trained to be a Careers Adviser at Bristol before spending the next eighteen years as an adviser in Hampshire and later to eight European Schools, before specialising in Careers Information. A chance encounter with the Director of How To Books began a passion in writing, training and publishing web related careers media. This year Surf In2 Careers celebrates its 10th Anniversary.
Publications include: three editions of Surfing Your Career (How To Books),Editor Careers Resources on the World Wide Web, several Poster and Web rolodex series, Co-authored Career Change with Alison Dixon (Surf In2 Careers) and Internet Uncovered (Trotman / Crimson). Hilary also researches for Connexions services, is a contributor to NISCA (Northern Ireland Schools and Colleges Careers Association) website.
Websites: www.careercompanion.co.uk
www.resourcecompanion.co.uk - launching Spring 2010
DIANE PARKER
Email: creativecoach@hotmail.com
Diane is a writer, editor and business coach with specialist knowledge of the creative industries and cultural sector. She has over ten years' editorial experience working across a range of media, from magazines and journals, to book publishing and the web.
Her particular speciality is leadership development, and how informal learning interventions such as coaching and mentoring can support aspiring leaders and entrepreneurs in their professional development. Other specialist areas include applying creativity and innovation in business, supporting creative professionals with their 'portfolio' careers, and the use of new media and social networking for business and career development.
RED BRIDGE SOLUTIONS LTD
MIKE MANSON
Email : mike.manson@redbridgesolutions.co.uk Co-director of Red Bridge Solutions Ltd. Mike Manson BSc (Hons), Dip CG, Dip LS, Dip City & Guilds, MICG Mike has over 20 years experience in research and information and has written widely on careers information and the labour market. He is a co-director of Red Bridge Solutions. Recent clients have included various Connexions companies including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Essex, Southend and Thurrock, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, West of England and Wiltshire, as well as other organisations such as AimHigher, LSCs and Primary Care Trusts. In his early years he worked as a careers adviser. Until March 2006 he was Communication Manager for Connexions West of England. Prior to this he was Information Manager for Learning Partnership West and was responsible for overseeing the development of the company’s careers information in both the West of England and Gloucestershire. He has been an external examiner for the University of the West of England and is a visiting lecturer on the postgraduate QCG course. He has also been the chair of the SW Careers Information Managers Group (SW CIOLA). He was on the editorial advisory committee for LMI Matters published by the Department for Education and Science (DfES) and the LSC in 2005. He is also a director of Past and Present Press, a founder member of the Bristol Books and Publishers Group, an editor of the Bristol Review of Books and chair of the judges of the first Bristol Short Story Prize. Samples of work can be found on www.redbridgesolutions.co.uk
STEVE TANNER
Email : steve.tanner@redbridgesolutions.co.uk Co-director of Red Bridge Solutions Ltd. Steve Tanner MSc Information, BSocSci Hons, Dip CG, Dip City & Guilds, MICG Experienced and professional qualified careers writer/researcher, and young person/adult careers adviser, of over 20 years. Clients have included various Connexions companies including Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Essex, Southend and Thurrock, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, West of England and Wiltshire, as well as other organisations such as Aim Higher, LSCs and Primary Care Trusts. Used to working to specific briefs and tight deadlines. Special interest in writing careers material and labour market publications (covering all sectors) for school age readership. Other work includes: Careers and Connexions consultancy, Editorial and plain English services, Information, research and ICT, Labour market analysis, Project and contract management, Publication and print production, Survey design and analysis (electronic and/or manual). Samples of work can be found on www.redbridgesolutions.co.uk
WENDY REED
Email: reedwendy@btinternet.com
Freelance careers writer/editor and professionally qualified Careers Adviser with experience in schools, further education, university and adult careers services.
Clients: AGCAS, Lifetime Publishing, Career Companion Online.
Extensive experience of writing occupational profiles (all sectors), an Industry Insight (Environmental Careers) and a Special Interest Series (About Postgraduate Study and Study Abroad) for the Graduate Prospects website. This includes sourcing, interviewing and writing case studies.
Editing and writing Jobs 4u occupational profiles and case studies for the DCSF Connexions website.
Used to finding contacts and working to deadlines.
Special interest and expertise: case studies, art and design careers, medical careers and Higher Education entry.
HELEN SCOTT
Email: helen.scott@btinternet.com
Freelance writer with 20 years’ experience. Active around the UK on a contract or project basis, usually working from home. Particularly keen on sourcing and writing case studies about individuals - the more unusual the job, the better! Recent work has involved writing Jobs4u occupational profiles and case studies for the DCSF Connexions website.
GILLIAN SHARP
Email: gm.sharp@virgin.net
Well established author of careers books, articles and web based publications who has also esearched and compiled lenghty reports around graduate employability. Specialist areas: Higher Education, law, art, creative and media careers, sport and teaching. Regular contributor to The Independent’s careers column.
DENISE TAYLOR
Email: Denise@amazingpeople.co.uk
Denise is a Chartered Psychologist, Registered Guidance Practitioner and winner of 2 National Career Awards.
Denise is the author of 3 books - 'How To Get A Job In A Recession'; 'Winning Interview Answers For First Time Job Hunters' and 'Now You've Been Shortlisted'. She has also written 9 eBooks and is regularly featured in the press and online sites. A full list is available at www.amazingpeople.co.uk/in_the_news.htm
Expert areas: Graduates, Executives, Redundancy, Career Discovery (how to find a job you love) and all aspects of Job Search including taking the mystique out of psychometric testing and assessment centres. Short articles can be turned around quickly - Denise is highly disciplined and gets a job done.
COLIN TAYLOR
Mobile: 07837 367924
Email: coltext@tiscali.co.uk
Web: www.coltext.com
Careers adviser and freelance writer. Recently had his first book on opportunities in Information and Communications Technology published by Trotman. Has produced articles on a wide range of occupations for jobs4u and Prospects websites, as well as articles for Nursing Times, Nursing Standard, Eurograduate and Hobson's plc. Would like to gain more experience in writing and editing material for employment-related websites. Main areas of expertise are job search techniques, healthcare, social care, retail, teaching, Europe and information technology. More recently law and business.
DAVID WILLIAMS
Email: dwill.dwill@virgin.net
Writes on graduate and executive careers for The Guardian and The Times.