Exploring your career options

Research is an essential part of the career choice process.

The more you know about a particular option, the easier it is to evaluate its suitability, based on the information you have gathered about yourself and your requirements. Things to consider include:

The job – What does it involve? What skills are required? What are the typical working hours? What are the opportunities for progression? What might be the challenges/difficulties? To what extent will the role enable you to use and further develop the skills and strengths that you enjoy using? How well does the role align with your career values and priorities?

The job market – What are the current issues affecting your chosen industry? Who are the main players? How do these employers typically recruit? Are there regional variations in the job market? What are the trends in the sector? Which organisations are expanding? What might be the impact of the political agenda on the sector (threats and opportunities)?