Finding a career that's right for you :Cross Stitch – Young people
Some people know what job they want to do from an early age. For others it’s not so simple. Choosing a career is a big decision, but don’t be intimidated. There’s plenty of help available to help you find the career that’s right for you.
A good way to start your planning is to think about what motivates you as a person.
Make a list of activities you’ve enjoyed – both inside and outside school, college or work. What was it about them you liked? There are no right or wrong answers – but, for example, you might find that you enjoyed:
- getting to know more about a particular subject
- solving challenging problems
- working as part of a team
- meeting new people
Once you’ve got a clear idea of your interests, the next step is to start looking for a career that matches up with them. The National Careers Service website has information on a huge range of careers, organised into ‘job areas’.
Advice is vital to give you the best possible chance of getting into the career you want.
Advice through school or college
Teachers and lecturers will have a good idea of what you can do with the subjects you’re studying. But they only see what you’re like at school or college, and this might not be the whole story.
For example, you may be quiet in the classroom but spend your spare time producing podcasts or working on hospital radio. If this is the case, there’s nothing to stop you pursuing a career in radio.
It’s worth getting advice from other sources as well: most schools and colleges offer careers lessons and/or a careers service.
You can also talk to a Careers Adviser.
It can be useful to get advice from the people who know you best, but they won’t always know a lot about the career you’re interested in.
Remember – it’s your career. You know what you’re good at and you know what you want to do. Don’t be put off if your dream career means taking a different direction from friends and family.