What Next?Now that all the hard work is over and you’ve completed your qualification, what next?

Happy to stay?If you’re happily employed in a setting, in a job you love, you may wish to stay there and carry on enjoying your work. Whatever your role, it is important to keep up your professional development, e.g. taking local training, or on-line training through http://pre-school.educare.co.uk/Login.aspx (free offer to Alliance members), or reading further around the subject. Sooner or later you may also want to move on to a higher qualification, or to specialise in a particular area of work.

Volunteering?If you’ve been working as a volunteer at a setting during your study, it’s time to consider your options. If you want to continue to volunteer, you could ask the setting if they are happy for you to stay there. Alternatively, you can look for other volunteering opportunities in your area on the Do-it website www.do-it.org.uk , Twitter @doituk

Looking for work or further training?If you’re 19 or over and looking for a job, you could benefit from the free professional advice available through the National Careers Service.

The National Careers Service website https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk, has many tools to help you look for work and develop your career, including an action planning tool, a CV builder, a Skills Health Check, a place to record your learning and achievements and advice on funding for further training and education. Twitter @nationalcareers

You can also contact a National Careers Service careers advisor through the website, or by telephone on 0800 100 900.

Become an apprentice?If you’re aged between 16 and 23 and don’t hold a degree, you could consider an apprenticeship. The National Apprenticeship Service website http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/ has all the information you need to help you to explore this option, including a vacancy search tool. Twitter @apprenticeships