Step 3 Decide some next steps Finding the right path and making realistic decisions involves weighing up your options and circumstances, while at the same time, aiming to match your interests and motivations to your unique profile of skills, values and aptitudes. To help you make important decisions about your future path, aim to be flexible but gain as much information as possible to assist you: ■
Find out from employers. It is good to attend webinars, employer events or presentations and talk to those doing jobs you are interested in. Many events have been moved online to virtual platforms and CareerConnect will advertise a range of these, however LinkedIn is a very powerful tool for connecting with organisations, making contact with those in companies that interest you and knowing when an employer is recruiting.
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Gain experience (if possible). If you are an early career graduate, seeking a new or first role, a career changer or having to find something different, aim to build in time for work shadowing, volunteering, a placement or work experience.
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Complete an online careers questionnaire to generate ideas, e.g. Career Planner on www.prospects.ac.uk
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Take time to research. There are so many good careers websites, full of insight into jobs and occupational areas. You can use these to discover key trends and appreciate what is going on locally, in the national and global jobs market and understand which roles are expanding or declining.
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Discuss your plans with someone you really respect, perhaps someone a few years ahead of you in their career path or a friend in a job who you admire. You can also book to talk with a Faculty Employability Adviser at the University of Winchester.
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Consider the elements of roles you have enjoyed or disliked. Think about what you want out of the next couple of years. Where do you want to live? What sort of work life balance do you hope to achieve? Then consider what industries or roles might help you achieve this.
What happens in a careers appointment? Faculty Employability Advisers are professionally qualified and trained to enable you to take ownership of your career planning. During the discussion, they will listen to your ideas and help you through the process of choosing and applying for careers, work and courses. They will encourage you to identify your influences and any barriers, but they cannot do all the research or make decisions for you. In supporting you to make plans to move forward, they may refer you to other agencies that help with specific non-career queries or advice. The appointment is 40 minutes and an opportunity to look at yourself objectively. At the start the Adviser will agree with you the structure and agenda for the session and any limitations to confidentiality being maintained.
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