How to choose a career that is right for you.
We spend so much of our lives at work, it’s important to choose a job or career that you enjoy. But when you’re leaving school or college, choosing what to do next can feel overwhelming.
So how do you choose which role could be the right one for you? Here are some exercises you could do to clarify things:
- Make a list of your interests.
- How do you spend your free time? What hobbies and pastimes do you enjoy?
- What subjects did you enjoy most in school or college?
- What sort of work environment would suit you?
- Do you enjoy meeting new people and being social, or do you prefer to be in small groups of people you know?
- Do you like to travel or stay in one place?
- Would you like to be outdoors or in an office?
Ask yourself other questions such as what skills do you have? What are you good at? What are your greatest strengths?
Include any achievements such as DofE or awards. If you’re struggling with this, get a friend to help you.
Many skills can be applied to different careers such as problem solving, good communication, leadership and organisation.
What activities do you find difficult? This can help you decide what activities you wouldn’t want to be doing as part of your job.
What sort of business would you want to work in?
A large organisation with a clear career structure, or a smaller company just starting out? Is it important that the company makes a profit or that they have an impact on the environment or society?
Would people all work in the same place or would they sometimes work from home?
Would you like to work independently or as part of a team?
What sort of business would you not want to work in?
Making a list of the kinds of business that you wouldn’t want to be involved with could be easier and give you more ideas about what you would like from a company.
Explore Career Options
Once you have a better idea of what you enjoy and the type of environment you would like to work in, you can start looking at different careers that fit. You may come up with several different ideas.
For each idea you have, look at job adverts to see what the day to day aspects of the role entail. Look at prospects, salary and career progression.
Find out about the latest news in that industry, follow people on social media.
Education and Training
Many roles require specific training or education. Find out about entry level qualifications to your chosen field. You may need to go to college or university to get the right qualifications, or you may be able to apply for an apprenticeship where you can study whilst you gain work experience and on the job training.
Making a decision
By now you may have a few different options. Make a list of pros and cons for each one.
Make sure to include things that are important for you such as job satisfaction, salary, the growth potential of the role and a long term career path.
Taking action
Create a plan to get from where you are now to your chosen career.
- What are your short term goals?
This could include updating your CV, connecting with people on LinkedIn or enrolling on a course.
Make sure your CV and LinkedIn profile match with what you want to be doing.
- What are your long term goals?
What do you want to be doing in 5 or 10 years’ time? How will you get there?
Create an actionable plan to transition into your chosen career.
This could include regular training or professional development.
At different times in your life, what you want from your career may change and this is completely normal. At any stage in your career, you can repeat the process above to gain some clarity about where you want to be.
