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Deciding on a Career

You may already have a clear idea of where you see yourself in the future, or you are still exploring your options. Some people map out their career paths early on, while others take a more flexible approach and adapt to opportunities as they arise.  Either approach can work well. What matters most is being informed about your options and seeking support when you need it.  To help you discover your options, here are some tools and resources to guide your career planning and decision making. 

To chat through your ideas or for help getting started, you can also book a 1:1 careers guidance appointment. Click here for more information. 

  • Self-Assessment Tools - Recognising Your Strengths, Skills & Interests

    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

     

     

  • Why Employers Value Business, Management and Leadership Graduates

    Employers value business, management and leadership graduates for their broad knowledge of business, as well key skills such as commercial awareness, problem solving, critical thinking, leadership, digital and analytical skills. These skills are essential for driving innovation and helping organisations to maintain competitiveness.  

    Find out how to develop your skills further in the articles below. Completing the online skill development Pathways on Targetjobs.co.uk will help you to understand what each skill requires. Go to Targetjobs Skill Pathways   

    Searching the job profiles on Prospects to find out what specific skills employers look for in a specific profession or sector will also be helpful. You may want to highlight these in your CV or in interviews when applying for jobs. 

    Job profiles | Prospects.ac.uk 

    Skills for getting a job: graduate careers advice | targetjobs 

    What skills do employers want? | Prospects.ac.uk 

    7 life skills you'll learn at university | Prospects.ac.uk 

     

     

  • Self-Employment

    If you're studying business, management, or leadership, you’re already building the knowledge base and mindset needed to thrive as a self-employed professional. Whether you want to start your own company, work as a consultant, develop a product, or lead a social enterprise, your understanding of strategy, marketing, finance, and people management gives you a strong platform. Many graduates in these areas also pursue freelance project work or develop niche services for specific industries. Self-employment allows you to take the lead, apply your business insight in real time, and build something that reflects your vision and values. 

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

     

     

     

  • The Psychology of Career Choices: What the Experts Say?

    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 

     

  • What Will Be Important To You In A Career?

    What will be important to you in a career, A person surrounded by arrows

    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.

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