Looking to the future – how to decide on a career
In our modern society, the world is constantly moving. This means young people have to learn to adapt and often make life-changing decisions very quickly. For many, they know the career they want early on and are able to pursue that passionately, but for those who do not have this vision, what do we need to do to decide? It should not be something which is feared, but rather, showing which should be celebrated. This can be very overwhelming, with so many different options available to us, how are we able to make the right choice? They’re many viable outlets to help you make a decision with your future and today I am looking to highlight help you may not know is available to you, or just someones to start looking to the future.
University Careers Service The University Careers Service is a fantastic place to go to at any point in your quest for a career. I have had multiple meetings with different members of the careers service, all of which have helped me immensely. The advice they have personally given me varies from more general advice on what type of career would suit my skill set, to more specific advice such as how a non-law student would transition to a law degree. The service I feel is best used as a constant contact for advice throughout your time at university to help you with your career, always aiding in how to make the next step towards achieving your dreams or to help find that dream.
Personal Interests A more obvious point to get a starting point from is your own personal interests. This may seem obvious, but people often don’t follow their own interests in favour of doing a job which is more prestigious or salary focused. The wonder of modern life is the immense amount of flexibility and choice we have in our lives, so pursuing something you have a genuine passion for is now more attainable than ever. Really thinking about what area of work suits you best is not only a great way to start a search for a career, but also a good way to ensure you will enjoy whatever job you decide to go for.
Degree Your degree can often help you with identifying jobs which your skills would be suited for. This is a great way of showing what you would be good at, for example, history has developed my ability to write strong coherent arguments and research thoroughly, so jobs in market research, law and financial analytics are all areas which are directly linked to my degree. Using the skills you’ve gained throughout the academic studies, but especially at university, can really help to narrow the focus on what types of careers you as an individual are more likely to be successful in. Although choosing a job simply because you would be good at it is not advised, having a career where you can thrive is always an important aspect of deciding what path to take.
Internet The internet has a large variety of ways to help people find the right career for them, especially students. Job sites like prospects have huge amounts of information on different careers, daily emails about the latest opportunities and even a test to see what career suits your personality best. This can be great, as it was extremely useful to me personally, as I had no idea what careers were out there or what type of career I’d like to do. Websites like ratemyplacement and JobLab are more student-oriented websites, which are especially useful for first and second years looking for insights and internships to gain experience in different fields of work, whilst also gaining a taste of what the application process is like for graduate jobs.
There are many different ways that people end up on their career path, and there is no right or wrong way to get to that decision. From every individual I have spoken to, the overarching advice seems to be the best way to know what you want to do is get experience, as it shows you what aspects of work life you enjoy and don’t, what you are suited for and what you struggle with, and this is the most reliable and successful way to find the career that suits you.
