First thing’s first: it’s ok if you don’t know what you want to do. We know there’s loads of pressure out there to answer this dreaded question, but the truth is, careers aren’t linear anymore. Gone are the days when people choose one job and stick with it until they retire. 👋🏻

Discovering your professional calling is one thing, getting a job in it is another - we get that. But it’s important to remember your self worth and think about other factors that affect job satisfaction - not just the job itself.

Remember that landing that first job is the hardest! Once your network and experience builds, it will all get easier. In the meantime, we’ll do what we can to help. 💛

🪞 Self-Reflection

It's super important to really understand why you're doing what you're doing and what you want to get out of a job. Ask yourself some questions, like:

⭐️ What am I really good at, interested in, and passionate about? Lean into your personality and behaviours, not just your academic background.

⭐️ What kind of work would I actually enjoy and feel rewarded by? Think about the sort of team you’d like to work with, in addition to the actual work.

⭐️ If you already have a job, what aspects of my current job do I not like? Is it the job itself, or is it the employer?

⭐️ What are my values when it comes to finding an employer? Consider what you’d like them to care about, and in what environment you’d feel most motivated.

⭐️ What would make me happy in a job? Is it a high salary? Is it great people? Is it challenging work? Or something else entirely?

This whole process of thinking about yourself is key. It'll help you figure out what you really want in your career and what steps you should take to get there. But remember that you WILL make “mistakes” along the way, and that’s fine, because that’s how we learn what we do and don’t want out of a career. We don’t think it’s fair to call them mistakes at all!

A career is not always just about the job itself, there’s many other things that contribute to enjoying what you do: the company culture, the people, the work-life balance, salary, the location etc. - so thinking about what would make you happy will help to narrow your search as much as figuring out different industries and job functions.

🧐 Research and Exploration

Once you have a better idea of where you want to go, it's time to start researching and exploring. Here are some steps you can take:

⭐️ Explore different industries: Get to know the latest trends, follow people on social media and sign up to sites that people in that industry use or that provide specific support. Check out our Resources and Training section to help with this.

⭐️ Connect with professionals: Make sure you have a LinkedIn account if you don’t already, and start following people who are further along in their career. Where did they start? What do they talk about? What can you learn from them? Reach out to them if you feel confident enough (we always say go for it!).

⭐️ Consider online courses and certifications: Look into the qualifications and skills you might need for your new career - there’s plenty of free training out there that can be done in your spare time. Even if it’s not directly relevant, it adds to your CV and will probably be more enjoyable than jobs boards!

⭐️ Devise a strategy to find the companies that align with what you want: For example, if you think you want to find a start-up, then research the places where start-ups recruit people. Or carry out independent research to find these companies. Check out our section on Hidden Opportunities to help with this.

🥅 Set Goals

Now that you have a clearer picture of your interests, careers and types of companies that might appeal to you, it's time to set some goals for your job search. We’re not talking about where you want to be in 5, 10, or 20 years’ time. Not everyone can think that far ahead! But if you have some well-defined goals for your job search now, it can help you to stay motivated and focused.

While it might sound crazy, we recommend those early goals aren’t actually focused on getting a job! For example:

⭐️ Start with what you’re doing this week: it could be updating your CV, creating a LinkedIn account, or creating a shortlist of suitable courses or programmes. It could even be doing things to help you get in the right mindset like exercise or creating a better workspace.