Answering queries from Growing Ambitions volunteer career speakers

WORKPLACE FAQS

Couldn’t I approach educational establishments directly?
Do you offer guidance on the PR value of supporting Growing Ambitions?
How many talks can I give in any 12-month period?
I am not working at present, can I still volunteer?
I am retired, can I still volunteer?
What costs are involved in using the service?
Will anyone else be present when I speak?
Do I have to be CRB/ISA Police Checked?
How many young people will I be speaking to?
Will 2 or 3 Speakers ever turn up together?
What will the seating arrangements be like?
Should I use visual aids in my talk?
How long should my talk be?
What should I include in my Career talk?
What can I expect to happen after the talk?
Why are forgotten passwords reset and not resent?
I am a very busy person, can speaking dates fit around me?
If I’ve already done some talks this year, can I withdraw my offer?

Couldn’t I approach educational establishments directly?
Yes, of course you could, but with Growing Ambitions™ you simply complete a brief profile and sit back and wait for them to come to you, and then agree a mutually convenient date and time. Back

Do you offer guidance on the PR value of supporting Growing Ambitions™?
Yes. You and/or your Human Resources manager can access the PR Guide on this on this site. Back

How many talks can I give in any 12-month period?
You can speak just once or as often as you receive invitations. Back

I am not working at present, can I still volunteer?
Absolutely. Back

I am retired, can I still volunteer?
Absolutely. Back

What costs are involved in using the service?
The service is free to use. The only expense you will incur is your travel expenses. If this is a concern for you, this may be something your employer is willing to cover. You will need to approach them on this. Back

Will anyone else be present when I speak?
Yes. A teacher has to be present in the room - this is in their Terms & Conditions. You should insist this is adhered to, for your own protection. For you to be left alone with the young people, you would need to have been CRB (police)-checked. The School may wish to do this anyway, and we ask that you provide any information they need if this is the route they decide to take. Back

Do I have to be CRB/ISA Police Checked?
At present Growing Ambitions™ does not stipulate that you have to be CRB-checked. An educational establishment may wish to do this, and if so they will bear the cost of doing so.

The rules will be changing from July 2010. For any volunteer who wishes to be legally able to accept more than one speaking engagement a month from any one school, you will need to be registered with the ISA www.isa-gov.org.uk . ISA Registration will be done online and for volunteers it will be free. When they receive their ISA registration number, volunteers will tick the ISA Registration box in their Speaker account. Educational establishments for whom ISA registration is important should request to see the Speaker's ISA number. Growing Ambitions' safeguards ensure Speakers do not unwittingly fall foul of the law. Back

How many young people will I be speaking to?
You may be speaking to a whole year group, or just a few students or any-sized group in between. Some Careers Education teachers feel that it is good to expose young people to lots of choice and new ideas. It is up to teachers to decide how best to use each Speaker. Back

Will 2 or 3 Speakers turn up together?
Possibly, but your contact in the School will have contacted you beforehand to let you know. They may prefer having a number of Speakers at one time. This is something they will have told you before you go in. If you have registered as 'flexible' to speak in the evenings, at a Careers Evening, for example, there are likely to be other Speakers present. Back

What will the seating arrangements be like?
You may wish to suggest all sitting in a circle rather than standing at the front as this makes for a more relaxed experience for all. Back

Should I use visual aids in my talk?
You only have 20 minutes and we discourage ‘death by PowerPoint’! We rather suggest that the talk be kept personal and face-to-face. If you do wish to take along photos of your workplace to illustrate what you say, or brochures or other materials or freebies to leave behind, then please feel free to do so. Back

How long should my talk be?
We suggest 20 minutes with a further 10 minutes for questions. Back

What should I include in my Career talk?
Once you have registered and committed to speak you have access to our Speaker’s Guide which helps you compile and snappy, informative and useful talk. Include: why you became interested in the career path; how you got started – qualifications; your career path to-date; the good and bad; earning potential. Back

What can I expect to happen after the talk?
You may find that the educational establishment is keen to maintain a relationship with you and your organisation. Of course, there is no obligation on your part. Back

An educational establishment may ask you, when you are there, to return to give another talk at a later date. We would appreciate it if they do so by booking you again through the Growing Ambitions website - as every small Speaker Fee helps finance further publicity and extended services. Visit Links for more ideas on how to get involved in supporting education. Back

Why are forgotten passwords reset and not resent?
If you forget your password you can reset it - it's easy. Back

I am a very busy person, can speaking dates fit around me?
Yes. Simply tick the ‘Flexible daytime’ or ‘Flexible Evenings’ option. A careers adviser will then contact you, via us, to agree date and time with you. Back

If I’ve already done some talks this year, can I withdraw my offer?
Yes, log into your Speaker Account and untick the relevant box(es) and you will be 'invisible'. Tick them again when you have more time available. Back