Career Guidance Under Constraint: The Full Research Paper Is Now Free to Read

In our previous post, ‘Why the conversation on careers capacity can’t wait’, we touched on a growing feeling across the sector: that the space and time needed for high-quality personal guidance are under immense pressure. It’s a topic that resonates deeply with practitioners who are balancing the needs of students with the logistical realities of a busy school or college environment.

Today, I’m pleased to announce the release of the full working paper that explores these themes in detail. Titled ‘Career Guidance Under Constraint: Practitioner perspectives on time, capacity and delivery conditions’ (Jackson, 2026, v1.0), this research is now self-published and completely free to access on Zenodo.

This practitioner-led research project, takes an exploratory look at what is happening on the ground for careers professionals. It’s a contribution to a vital sector conversation, and I hope it provides a useful snapshot of the challenges and delivery conditions we all face.

Why this research? Why now?

At Manifest Coaching & Facilitation, we are passionate about the impact of 1:1 careers coaching. We know that when a student has the time to explore their options, they gain the clarity and confidence to make successful transitions. However, as an Independent Careers Adviser, I’ve often felt the squeeze of increasing demand and shrinking appointment slots.

To understand if this was a wider trend, I conducted a survey of 296 career development professionals, the majority working in UK secondary schools and colleges. The goal was to look beyond "what" is being delivered and start looking at "how" it’s being delivered.

The Time Squeeze: What the data tells us

One of the most striking parts of the exploratory findings is the variation in appointment lengths. While many of us consider a 45-minute session to be the "gold standard" for depth, the reality for many is quite different.

• 37.5% of practitioners still deliver 40-45 minute appointments as standard.

• However, 26.4% report that 30-minute appointments are their standard.

• A smaller, but significant, 2.4% are delivering 20-minute sessions.

Perhaps more concerning is the frequency of these shorter slots. 17.6% of respondents stated that 30-minute or shorter appointments happen ‘almost always’ (over 90% of the time). When guidance is that brief, it risks becoming more transactional, a quick check of facts rather than a deep coaching conversation.

High Volume, Low Duration: The Correlation

The data also highlights a clear link between how many people we see in a day and how long we spend with them. Over a quarter of the practitioners surveyed are delivering 7 or more appointments daily.

The study found a statistically significant negative correlation between appointment volume and length (Spearman's rho = -0.369, p < .001). To put that simply:

• Among practitioners doing 7-8 appointments per day, over half (56.5%) report sessions of 30 minutes or less.

• For those doing 9-10 appointments per day, that figure jumps to a staggering 85.7%.

When we push for higher numbers, the time available for each individual naturally drops. This raises important questions about the sustainability of current delivery models and the depth of support students are actually receiving.

The Admin "Heavy-Lifting"

We all know that the work doesn't stop when the student leaves the room. The working paper takes a close look at the administrative burden that follows 1:1 sessions.

The time spent on admin is substantial:

• 60.5% of practitioners spend 5+ hours per week on admin.

• 28.4% spend 8+ hours.

• 11.5% are spending 11 or more hours every week on paperwork.

Unsurprisingly, 78.4% of respondents said that writing action plans and summaries takes up the most admin time. This is a critical part of the process, but it’s often hidden from view when schools are planning their careers provision.

What's driving the constraint?

The research didn't just look at numbers; it looked at "the why." Practitioners identified several key drivers that force appointments to be shorter or workloads to be higher:

1. High demand/waiting lists (n=112): Simply having too many students to see in too little time.

2. Timetabling constraints (n=90): Working around the rigid structures of the school day.

3. Triage models (n=64): Using shorter initial chats to filter who needs more time.

4. Leadership expectations (n=60): The pressure to meet "numbers" or Gatsby Benchmarks without a clear understanding of the time required.
   

Additionally, 16% of practitioners referenced wider duties that eat into their guidance time, such as managing work experience, teaching, or coordinating large-scale careers events.

An invitation for the sector

As I mentioned, these are exploratory findings. They are intended to spark a sector conversation about how we protect the quality of career guidance under constraint.

At Manifest Coaching, we want to help schools and colleges navigate these pressures effectively. Whether through our Apprenticeship Bootcamps or our tailored 1:1 coaching, we remain focused on outcomes that empower the student.

But we want to hear from you. Does this resonate with your experience? Are these constraints something you see in your own setting, or do you have a model that works differently?

Get the Full Paper

The full working paper is available now for free. Please feel free to download it, share it with your colleagues, and use the data to support your own conversations with school leaders and policymakers.

Read & Download Here

Full Reference: Jackson, C. (2026). Career Guidance Under Constraint: Practitioner perspectives on time, capacity and delivery conditions (v1.0). Manifest Coaching & Facilitation.

TLDR?

If you're short on time (as many of us are!), I've also created an audio overview using Notebook LM to walk you through the key themes of the paper.

Let’s keep the conversation going. If you'd like to discuss how we can best advocate for our sector and what we should do next, please get in touch or book a consultation.