Exploring your options

Career planning is a process which is designed to help you make the right career decision for you. This is important to remember as you'll probably never be given more advice on anything and from as many people as you will on your future career. However, you're the expert on yourself and nobody will be able to plan your career as successfully as you can.

It's not that difficult, it's not painful and it doesn't cost anything, so why not give it a go?

To make the right decision, you need a few vital ingredients:

Knowing yourself or self-awareness – Knowing what you're good at and what you enjoy is probably the most important thing in this process. Think about skills you have acquired through your studies, work experience and outside interests such as sports or being part of clubs and societies. Personal Development Planning can help you evaluate what you have built up so far and also to identify gaps you might need to plug.
Knowing what's available or occupational awareness – It's almost impossible to know about all the jobs available. If you enjoy(ed) your degree, then you could start by looking at jobs related to your subject in our Virtual Library. You could also discuss your options with a Careers Adviser who can help you narrow things down and suggest how to research your options further.
Making the match – Once you have explored your skills and know what jobs are out there, it's time to compare. Not everyone is lucky enough to find the perfect job. For most of us it's a case of best fit but this also means that there is probably more than one job we'd be happy doing. At this stage, practical considerations can play an important part and might help you to decide: Do I have the right qualifications and grades? Is this career available where I want or need to live?

Prospects Planner is an online programme which can help you complete at least some of this process although the difficult part – actually choosing a job – is still your decision.

Next steps

Of course, knowing what you would like to do isn't the whole story but it definitely helps: Once you know which career or careers suit you best, you can research what you will need to get in and work towards it.

Qualifications – This could range from achieving a particular degree classification to choosing the right postgraduate course. Having the right qualifications isn't all you will need but they can be a decisive factor.
Work experience – Relevant experience is a great way of impressing an employer and showing them that you are serious about your career choice. It can also help you to make sure you have definitely made the right career choice. Have a look at our Jobs & work experience section for tips on how to find relevant experience.
Developing your skills – You can do this in lots of ways. Think about the skills your chosen career calls for and choose activities which will help you develop them further. Of course, work experience will help here, too, but employers will also be interested in extra-curricular activities, charity or part-time work. Have a look at our Employability section for more tips.

Further Information

Our virtual library contains searchable resources available online and at the Careers Service. Use the links below to find the resources related to career planning.

Resources on career planning