What You Need to Know
- Having a career idea can really help you to choose your next step and give you something to aim towards
- Work experience and volunteering are great ways of finding out about different jobs.
- There are lots of useful resources and websites that tell you about different careers and how you can get into them.
Things to Think About
- There is sometimes more than one pathway into a career. Remember to choose the pathway that is realistic, available in your area, suits your learning style and will keep you motivated.
- If you’re really not sure about what career to aim for, don’t worry, you can choose qualifications that will allow you to progress in curriculum subjects without having to specialise, such as GCSEs and A levels.
- Make sure the careers information you are looking at is up to date, as some entry routes and qualifications can change each year.
- Some entry routes into careers can be quite complicated, if you’re unsure you can talk to an adviser.
- You may need to think about how far you are prepared to travel to get the course or career that is right for you.
To Do
If you’re really not sure about what career you want to do and don’t know where to start looking, these websites have quick quizzes you can take to get some career ideas and they show you videos and articles related to those careers. Also try
- Buzz Test – short test that analyses your personality to see which job might suit you.
- University of Kent – quick test that analyses your skills and gives examples of jobs that you may like. More suitable for older students
- What’s working for you? – fun work personality test
- UKSP Careers quiz – quick quiz that tells you which careers in hospitality/leisure/travel/tourism would suit you
Once you have some ideas and want to find out how to get there, look at Job profiles on the National Careers Service website – they have really useful links to other websites too. You could even look at the Job profiles on the Prospects website. You will also find a lot of useful information on Careers Gateway
Exploring videos and examples of real people doing real jobs can also help you o gain an insight into careers your may be interested in. Try the following sites:
- Careersbox – free online library of careers related film, news and information
- Careers4u – videos on loads on different jobs and students talking about apprenticeships, uni, jobs etc
- icould – videos of people in different occupations describing what they do
When you find a job profile that you think looks interesting, use the entry route information to make an action plan – remember to look at what courses are available in your area.
Try and gain some work experience or volunteering in the industry you’re interested in.
Local Info
- Visit the local info page to find out what support and resources are available in your school or area to help you choose a career.
Career Options by Subject
You’ll know what subjects you love and which ones you don’t enjoy so much. Knowing what interests you and what you have a passion for can really help you to make a decision about your future career. Why not visit these websites that link careers with the subjects you can study in school, further education, higher education and apprenticeships.
| Art & Design | |
| http://www.yourcreativefuture.org | Careers information from the Arts Council |
| Biology | |
| https://www.societyofbiology.org/ | The Institute of Biology – detailed information on careers using biology |
| Chemistry | |
| http://www.rpharms.com/home/home.asp | The Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain – the regulatory and professional body for pharmacists |
| http://www.rsc.org | The Royal Society of Chemistry |
| http://www.whynotchemeng.com | Careers information about Chemical Engineering |
| Computing / Information Technology | |
| http://www.e-skills.com | e-skills UK acts as the voice of employers on IT to create the skills environment that businesses need to be productive and competitive. Lots of information about careers in IT. |
| http://www.bcs.org/bcs | The British Computer Society (BCS) is the industry body for IT professionals |
| http://www.bigambition.co.uk | Want to work in IT? |
| Economics / Business | |
| http://www.londonstockexchange.com/ | Search for ‘careers’ on the London Stock Exchange site. |
| English | |
| http://www.nctj.com | The National Council for the Training of Journalists Online |
| http://www.bookcareers.com | Advice for those wishing to pursue a career in publishing |
| http://www.journalism.co.uk | Information about all types of journalism |
| http://www.whystudyenglish.ac.uk | Find out why! |
| Geography | |
| http://www.rgs.org/HomePage.htm | The Royal Geographical Society |
| History | |
| http://www.history.org.uk | The Historical Association |
| http://www.museumsassociation.org/ | The Museums association – information on Careers in Museums and galleries |
| Languages | |
| http://www.languageswork.org.uk | Lots of information about the true value of learning languages |
| http://www.omniglot.com/ | Knowledge of one or more foreign languages can be useful in a wide range of careers – find out more |
| Maths | |
| http://www.rss.org.uk/careers | The Careers pages of the Royal Statistical Society – ideas for careers using Maths |
| http://plus.maths.org | An Internet magazine to introduce readers to the practical applications of Maths |
| http://www.mathscareers.org.uk | The Council for Mathematical Science (CMS) – a unique resource for young people of all ages interested in finding out about careers and opportunities that an education in Maths can present |
| http://www.maths-jobs.co.uk | Take a look at the careers you can consider using Maths |
| Music and Creative Arts | |
| www.ccskills.org.uk | The Sector Skills Council for Creative and Cultural Skills |
| www.skillset.org | The Sector Skills Council for Creative Media |
| www.ism.org | Incorporated Society of Musicians |
| www.musiciansunion.org.uk | The Musician’s Union |
| https://www.musicalchairs.info/ | Advertisements for jobs in orchestras, opera companies, conservatoires and schools worldwide. Vacancies in performance, teaching and administration. |
| www.thefms.org | Federation of Music Services |
| http://www.dramauk.co.uk/ | Drama UK |
| Physics | |
| http://www.iop.org | Institute of Physics |
| Psychology | |
| http://www.bps.org.uk/ | The British Psychological Society |
| Science | |
| http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ | The Meteorological Office |
| http://www.bwea.com | British Wind Energy Association |
| http://www.scitech.ac.uk/ | The Science & Technology Facilities Council |
| http://www.mathscareers.org.uk/ | STEM Careers Website |
| http://www.bp.com | BP web site |
| http://www.shell.com | Shell jobs and careers pages |
| http://www.ibms.org | The Institute of Biomedical Science |
| http://www.futuremorph.org/ | Ideas about future careers in maths or science |
| Stem Specific Websites (Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths) | |
| http://www.mathscareers.org.uk/ | STEM Careers Website |
