Choosing The Right Career For You

Whatever stage you’re at in your life, choosing a career can seem like an impossible task – so how do you narrow down the options? Naturally, some people will know very clearly what they want to do and this makes it much easier to set out a path and follow it.

Once you do know what you want to do, searching for a career has never been easier. As well as uploading your profile and browsing thousands of roles, online jobs sites such as Jobstoday today even allow you to attend virtual careers fairs from the comfort of your own home.

Find out what you’re good at

Why not try an online personality test? Easily available on sites such as www.careertest.net, these tests ask you a series of questions about your personality and interests and then suggest some careers you may be suited to. Although this list shouldn’t be seen as a definitive list of what to do or what not to do, it should be a bit of fun and will get you thinking about the type of person you really are and the type of careers which suit you.

Try it out

If you’re thinking of something new, or looking to get your foot into the door of a particular industry, a good way to try it out in practice is through work experience and internships. As well as the obvious benefits of having something positive to add to your CV, it also gives you a chance to make a good impression with a company and put yourself front of mind for the time when a suitable job does come up. On top of this, sending in your CV and asking for non-paid work shows your commitment to learning and getting into the industry.

Skill up

You may find that you need some extra skills to get the type of job you want. There’s absolutely no harm in adding to your skills while you’re looking for a job – the vast majority of employers are impressed with those who show a keenness to improve their skills. If you’re aged between 16 and 25, The Princes Trust can point you towards a range of short courses to help you.

Upload your profile and start the search

Remember that as well as searching for roles online, you can also upload your CV, which enables thousands of potential employers to look for you as well. Online jobs sites make searching for your perfect job easier than ever. For example, www.jobstoday.co.uk holds tens of thousands of roles at any one time, and you can refine your search in any way you like, from location to salary and everything in between.

Be realistic (ish!)

Don’t put limits on yourself, but you’ll need to think a bit realistically. For example, it’s unlikely you’ll become a space scientist, if you only want to work part-time and within walking distance of home. And it’s unlikely a career as a premiership footballer awaits if you’ve never made the local team. Other than the really wacky, the world’s your oyster – so get searching!