Most adults don’t tell you this, but many of them didn’t have a clear plan when they were a student. The And Stuck? workbooks can help you figure out your options.
As a parent of young adults now in their early 20s — and as someone who has worked in careers and employability for over 20 years — I’ve seen how much pressure young people feel to “get it right” early on. That pressure can make thinking about the future feel stressful instead of exciting.
This book series is here to change that.
It’s not about choosing one perfect path. It’s about helping you:
Understand what you enjoy and what you’re good at
See why experiences like volunteering or part-time work really matter
Build confidence by trying things, not just thinking about them
Make decisions step by step, without feeling rushed
You don’t need all the answers yet. You just need space to think — and permission to explore.
Questions about “what comes next” can quickly turn into stress for young people and the whole family. The And Stuck? workbooks can help you talk about ideas.
I know this personally. My own children, now in their early 20s, struggled with the uncertainty of next steps. Despite good intentions, that uncertainty created pressure, worry, and difficult conversations at home.
Alongside this, my work in careers coaching, managing a graduate programme, and delivering careers workshops to students has shown me how common this experience is — and how often young people feel overwhelmed rather than supported.
This book series is designed to help parents as well as students:
Open up calmer, more constructive conversations
Support independence without stepping back too far
Reduce pressure while still encouraging responsibility
Help young people see value in things like volunteering and part-time work
It’s not about having all the answers. It’s about creating space for better questions.
These engaging workbooks can fit neatly into your careers provision, are well suited for both individual and group work. They provide relatable examples and exercises.
For over 20 years, I’ve worked in careers coaching and employability — including facilitating sessions with students across schools, colleges, and universities. Prior to that, I managed a large graduate programme.
One consistent pattern stands out: many students reach key transition points without the confidence or framework to think clearly about what comes next.
This book series supports educators by:
Encouraging reflective, student-led thinking
Reinforcing the importance of real-world experiences
Helping students connect learning with life beyond school
Grounded in both professional practice and lived experience as a parent, the books are designed to be practical, accessible, and discussion-friendly — without prescribing a single “right” pathway.
As a Career Coach, I’ve increasingly found that my clients are talking to me about students who are family members, and who are struggling with what to do next or how to get into the kind of work they are interested in.
I’m Sarah, and I have 2 sons who are now in their early 20’s and they too experienced tricky decisions when they decided they didn’t want to stick with traditional routes for sixth form.
Alongside my work with senior career professionals, I decided that I want to help students with working out what is next and so have developed a series of workbooks (16 and Stuck?, 18 and Stuck? and Out of Uni and Stuck? which each focus on those key milestones within education. Ellie (Elbow) Davey was the illustrator for the books. Ellie is a young artist currently studying for a BA in Comic & Concept Art. Each book starts with a comic strip which follows a character through some of the issues that students face. There are then a series of exercises to help work out options for what might come next.
I also offer 1:1 coaching sessions and guest lectures at education establishments. If you’d like to know more about me and my qualifications, please head on over to my other website.
At around the age of 16, students everywhere face a big question: What’s next?
Whatever exams you’re taking, the pressure can feel incredibly overwhelming.
‘16 and Stuck?’ is here to help you slow things down, explore your options, and figure out your next step — at your own pace. Through Zed’s relatable story, practical exercises, and real-world insights from over 20 years of career coaching, you’ll discover that you really do have choices, and that whatever you choose, it will be okay.
Take a breath. Open the workbook. Let’s figure this out together.
At around the age of 18, students everywhere face a big question: What’s next?
Whatever exams you’re taking, courses or apprenticeships you’re finishing, the pressure of deciding what to do next can feel incredibly overwhelming.
‘18 and Stuck?’ is here to help you slow things down, explore your options, and figure out next steps — at your own pace. Through Luci’s relatable story, practical exercises, and real-world insights from over 20 years of career coaching, you’ll discover that you really do have choices, and that whatever you choose, it will be okay.
Take a breath. Open the workbook. Let’s figure this out together.
The end of university beckons and students everywhere face a big question: What’s next?
The pressure can feel incredibly overwhelming.
‘Out of Uni and Stuck?’ is here to help you slow things down, explore your options, and figure out next steps — at your own pace. Through Fynn’s relatable story, practical exercises, and real-world insights from over 20 years of career coaching, you’ll discover that you really do have choices, and that whatever you choose, it will be okay.
Take a breath. Open the workbook. Let’s figure this out together.
