CHAPTER 7

Choosing a Career

  • Every career begins with research and reflection. It’s helpful to think about which jobs suit your skills, interests, and ambitions. It is also worth spending time researching and learning about the different types of careers available in the UK.

  • If you are not sure what type of job you would like to do in the future, thinking about your skills and interests can help you match these to different types of jobs that are available.

    This is also a useful process if you know which field you would like to work in, but you are not sure exactly which jobs are available.

  • Even if you have worked before and you want to requalify in the UK, or if you already know what you want to do, it can still be useful to do some research. This can help you find out exactly what job you would like to do and what qualifications or experience you need to get it.

    Some jobs that are very common in other countries (e.g. tailoring or farm work) can be difficult to find in the UK. However, if you have done these jobs before, you will have transferable skills that you can use to find a job in another area.

  • Career research and exploring is a useful exercise for people at the beginning of their career in the UK. Remember that it may take time to get your perfect job, and that you will need to work hard for months – if not years – to get there. On average, it has taken around 12 months for STEP participants to find their first job in the UK, although in some cases it has taken just three months.

    People are rarely able to find their perfect job straight away. For most, it takes a lot of hard work to get there.

    While it is important to keep your aspirations in mind, you may need to take one or more “entry level” jobs first, depending on your chosen career. This is so you can build your skillset, UK work experience, professional networks, and English language skills. If you work hard, and your employer gives you opportunities to progress, you will get promoted. This is the same for everyone living in the UK.

How do I start exploring careers?

There are many ways to start exploring different career routes.

  • Search online for websites that ask you questions and then recommend jobs for you based on your answers. You can also search for articles about different jobs to find out about the good and bad parts. If you can, speak to people who work in the field you are interested in. Don’t worry if you don’t already know someone in the field; there is more information on building your network. If you would like to experience what a job is like, you can volunteer in a similar role. This can help you work out whether it is something you will really enjoy doing.

  • Once you have researched the different types of careers that you might be interested in, and have spoken to people working in those fields, start thinking about two or three different options that you might want to pursue. At this stage, it is important to consider the practical things about the career. What is the salary? Where would you work? How long might it take you to become qualified? Does it cost money to become qualified and, if so, how much? Is it possible that the career might not exist in the future? It can also be useful to write down all the good things (pros) and all the bad things (cons) about each option.

  • After you have evaluated the different careers you’re interested in, discuss what you have found with friends, family, your work coach, and your Employment Adviser. By asking for other people’s thoughts and opinions, you may find that there are some new questions to think about. They may also have personal connections or be able to provide you with advice that will help you make a final decision.

  • Once you have researched, evaluated, and discussed your options, you need to decide which career path you would like to follow. It can be nerve-racking to make a decision – but remember, you can change your mind at any point along the journey. The next step is to work with your Employment Adviser to work out what you need to do to move into the career you have chosen.

Additional resources

Glossary

research
to look for new information

article
a piece of writing

aspirations
things you want to achieve

connections
people who you or other people know

decide
to make a choice

entry level
jobs that don’t require much experience

evaluate
to think about the good and bad bits about something

field
a group of companies that do similar things

guidance
telling or showing someone how to do something

practical
connected with real life experience, not theory

professional network
a group of people with similar work-based interests

More information

Take the “16 personalities test”

Read about “National careers service skills assessment”

Find out more