When you’re trying to find a career path that’s right for you, you’re probably going to have a million and one questions on your mind! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or stressed at this point, and it can seem as though deciding on your next steps will be an impossible task.
But don't worry - this is totally normal! Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be an impossible task if you take the right steps now.
By learning how to research options, recognise your strengths, and build courage to make your decision, you can find a career path that is right for you and – most importantly – know what to do when you change your mind.
Know yourself
Recognising your values, interests and soft skills is a great place to start. This process will help you identify roles that match who you are as a person, and allow you to play to your strengths.
Here are some questions to help you begin:
- What subjects have you enjoyed studying at school and why? Is it because of the specific topics covered by the subject, or the skills you have gained in that lesson? Could you imagine yourself working in this field?
- If you had to list the following in order of preference, what would be at the top and what would be at the bottom: reading, talking, staying indoors, being outside, creating, evaluating, presenting, meeting people, writing, problem solving.
- Can you imagine yourself in a job where your top three choices form a big part of what you spend your time on every day?
- Try asking a family member or friend what they think your key strengths are. They may be able to identify qualities in you that you can’t necessarily see.
- Take an online career personality test to find out more about your personal qualities and how these match up with potential careers. Are there skills that keep showing in your results? Are there any suggested careers that surprise you? Once you’ve taken a couple of tests, make a list of your ‘Top 5’ results and do some further research to see which are right for you.
Research your options
Ever heard of a teacher or a doctor? Of course you have! But how about a flavourist or a hippotherapist? Maybe not. There are tons of jobs out there that you might never have heard of, or might not fully understand. Now is a perfect time to do your research and discover the different roles out there! If this seems daunting, list 10 jobs you think you might be interested in, and put them in order of preference. Use your top choices as a starting point. Think about the sectors these jobs fall into. You may find that several of your top choices fall into the same sector, and this will allow you to focus your research into one area of the market.
Look at starting salaries, the qualifications needed to enter the sector, how to get started when you leave school, and what support there is available to help you get your foot in the door.
At this stage, it’s important to try to be open to all options. You might have a strong interest in sport and therefore put ‘Professional Sportsperson’ at the top of your list. This clearly falls within the sports sector and when you look at the other jobs available in the sector, you come across a job description for a ‘Sports and Exercise Physiotherapist’. You like the fact that this allows you to work with a range of different people, from athletes to patients. It also provides a good salary and opportunities for progression. This could get you thinking about a whole range of different careers linked to physical wellbeing, and your job options are immediately increased!
Making the cut
Once you’ve done your research, it’s time to start being selective! If you’ve taken the steps outlined on this page, you should have a list of different job roles that you think you could be interested in.
- Review your list and highlight the careers that when push comes to shove you just would not be able to cross off your list – these are your top choices. See if any of your choices have similar entry requirements or require similar skills and attributes.
For example, do all your choices require at least 3 A-levels/4 Highers or perhaps a degree in a STEM subject? Make a note of this, as it can help you with the decisions you make going forward. 2. Another useful way to cut down your list is to think about short-term and long-term goals. Your dream role may be Fashion Editor at an international fashion magazine, but to get there it’s a long and winding road. Take a step back and think about the smaller steps you need to take to help you reach your end goal. Working as a runner or assistant in a publishing house, for example, may not be the glamorous role you're dreaming of but will be a great first step to building your experience and developing your knowledge of the fashion industry. Trust that the hard work you put in at the beginning will pay off in the end.
There's more than one path
While the decisions you make now are important, no one is expecting you to know all the answers, or to stick with the career path that you choose now. Over time, you may find new things that interest you or discover new roles that didn’t exist when you first started work. You will also realise that your colleagues come from all different backgrounds and have followed different paths to get to where they are today. A first role focused on sales may lead you to a career path in banking, journalism, theatre, hospitality, and more.
It’s completely normal to gain experience in a range of different roles or sectors before finding what it is you really love. You may also want to view our 'Alternatives to University' page to find out about the different routes into the world of work.
Hear from our colleagues about their career choices
So, what now?
The activities below have all been designed to help you get fully ready to take your next steps - whatever pathway you choose to take. Each set of activities ranges from a short activity which should take no more than 30 minutes, through to portfolio activities, which are longer, project-based tasks. The more time you spend on each activity, the more you'll get out of it, but you should be able to find something each week to fit into your schedule.
Why not start with the short activity first and then work your way through the remaining activities until you’ve completed them all?
Short activity
Write down a job you are interested in.
- Find out what the starting salary is for that job.
- What qualifications and/or experience do you need to do that job (if any)?
- What support is currently available to help you get your foot in the door (e.g., insight days, internships, traineeships, bursaries, etc)?
This information is your starting point and will help you build your career pathway.
Main activity
Take a free, online career personality test to find out more about your personal qualities and how they match with potential careers.
- Do you agree or disagree with the results?
- Are there any jobs that you haven’t considered before?
- What are your weaknesses, and can you do anything now to overcome them in the future?
The final point may be useful to think about in preparation for when you’re asked at an interview about your greatest weakness.
Portfolio
Draft an email to a professional who is doing a job you’re interested in.
- Include a bit about your background and key questions you want to know the answers to. Aim for around 200-250 words.
Ask a parent or teacher to look over the email and suggest any edits.
- Next, select a list of local, regional and/or national companies where that professional may work and send them the speculative email. Keep going until you get a reply.
This proactive approach will allow you to connect with organisations/individuals who may be able to offer you support going forward.
PSHE lesson
Ask students to work in small groups and think about their future career goals.
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They should then choose one role/career to focus on and create a five-year plan for when they leave further education.
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Encourage students to think about what experience they’ll need to gain to achieve their end goal, what obstacles may arise along the way and how they can overcome them.
The five-year plan should be clear, informative and realistic.