Deciding on a Career

Before you decide on a career, it’s a good idea to start with some self-assessment. Do you know what you are good at, what skills you like using and where your areas of interest lie? Knowing your strengths, passions and motivations allows you to choose a career path that not only aligns with your natural abilities and interests but increases the likelihood of job satisfaction and success. 

Here are some self-assessment tools to help you get started:  

Career Planner | What job should I do? | Prospects.ac.uk 

Home | Discover your skills and careers | National Careers Service 

Career Test: What Career is Right for Me Quiz?   

Free Personality Test | 16Personalities 

My Career Enriched

Take an employability skills assessment to identify your personal skills profile, strengths and competency levels and set yourself development goals. 

University of Cumbria: The Discovery Tool

This tool can help you assess your digital experience and skills. You then receive a personal report along with a resource bank of advice and activities to draw upon to develop your skills and your answers and report are completely anonymous and personal to you.

Find out more or get started:  The Discovery Tool

Employers value STEM graduates for their problem solving skills, critical thinking, technical expertise and adaptability to new technologies. These skills are essential for driving innovation and helping companies maintain competitiveness.  

To find out more about job trends in the Science, Technology and Engineering sectors, these sector overviews are useful.

Overview of the science and pharmaceuticals sector | Prospects.ac.uk 

Overview of the UK's IT industry | Prospects.ac.uk 

Overview of the UK's engineering industry | Prospects.ac.uk 

Energy and utilities | Prospects.ac.uk

If you're a STEM student, self-employment can be a powerful way to apply your technical knowledge to real-world challenges. From software development and engineering consultancy to product design, data analysis, and biotech innovation, there are many routes into self-employment where your specialist skills are highly valuable. You might choose to freelance, develop a tech solution, or collaborate on a research-based venture. Whatever your focus, combining STEM expertise with entrepreneurial thinking can lead to impactful and innovative career opportunities. 

Have a look at our Enterprise and Self-employment section here

Not all careers follow a straight path. While some students have a clear career goal from day one, some discover their path through unexpected opportunities or chance encounters. This is where Happenstance Theory comes in. Developed by career theorist John Krumboltz, Happenstance Theory suggests that unplanned events can play a major role in shaping your career. Rather than trying to control every step, it encourages you to: 

• Stay open to new experiences 

• Take action even when the outcome is uncertain 

• Learn from every opportunity—even setbacks 

• Be curious and proactive 

Find out more about Happenstance theory and how this approach may be relevant for you go to: Embracing Happenstance: How Serendipity Shapes Our Careers – Career and Life Design 

Another essential part of career planning is to reflect on what will be important to you in a career and think about what will give you satisfaction and fulfilment. You can then choose a career that is aligned to your principles and aspirations. Here are some articles and resources to help you identify your career values: 

Career Values: How To Identify Yours and Cultivate Success as a Professional | Indeed.com 

What are work values?  

80,000 Hours: Resources to help you find a fulfilling career that makes a positive impact.