Whether you are looking for your first job or want to change career, you should understand what type of person you are and what you want from your work and life. Spend time getting to know yourself and research different opportunities to help make the best decision for you. The Careers Service at www.nidirect.gov.uk offers the following advice:
Get to know yourself
Before looking at specific careers, it’s a good idea to spend some time thinking about what motivates you as a person: what are your interests, skills, values and preferences? Once you’ve considered these, you can start building up a picture of your ideal job and then start exploring which careers match it most closely.
Review your interests
Looking at the broad areas of work that interest you is an important first step when planning your career or thinking of making changes to it. Take these interests into account when considering jobs or study. If you are able to find an environment that suits your interests, you are likely to be happier in what you do.
Review your values
Your personal values can play a part in your career decisions. Knowing what is important to you in a job can help you narrow down your career options.
Review your skills
Working out what skills you have, then matching them to different jobs, can open up career options you may never have thought of. Employers continually stress the increasing importance of communication, numeracy, ICT, improving self-learning and performance, working with others and problem solving skills. Think of what level of skill you have in each area and examples of these skills from your qualifications, training, employment, volunteering, or clubs and organisations that you belong to.
Consider what’s important to you in a job
Before exploring your options it might be worth taking time to consider just exactly what it is you want from a job. Among the things to consider are location, salary and the job market. To help you in this, it might be useful to make a list of the essential and desirable features of your ideal job.