10 top tips to find that perfect role
by Kingsley Jephson - Access Courses Online, Career Support
Finding a career is hard, finding the perfect one for you is even harder. You’ve spent so many years studying and working hard to give you the skills to succeed but you still don’t know which one is the perfect one for you. Have no fear! Here at Access Courses Online we’ve cracked the code on careers and have 10 top tips on how to find the one for you.
1: Who are you?
This may sound like a bit of a silly question but it’s probably the most important one.
Who are you?
Are you creative? Are you logical? Do you prefer working with your hands instead of a mouse and keyboard? Do numbers make you feel numb or is it painting that makes you panic?
Whatever it is that makes you, you should be the focus of your new career. Write down 3 words that best describe you to start your journey towards that perfect role.
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2: Evaluate Yourself… and get others to do it too!
Now that you know who you are, think about how you currently work and whether you are really working to your full potential.
Think about your strengths and weaknesses. Are you kind but disorganised? Smart but sloppy? It’s important to identify both positives and negatives to find what is best for you.
Speak to your friends, family and colleagues too as their input could really help you get the most from this little 1-2-1. They can also give advice on your interests and where you see you working as well. You might find them suggesting a career you’d never even thought about before!
Again, jot down your findings here and then think about how they can guide you in your career hunt.
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3: Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This!
The third tip might sound a little cheesy but I promise it has merit in the end. Where do your wants and dreams take you?
Dreaming that you’re going to sell out Wembley Stadium is a big one and, while it might not be the most realistic, it does have a basis of truth. When you take out the glitter and sparkles that distract you from the realistic, you have the basis of a career idea already waiting at your fingertips.
Dream of being a pop star? This shows you have a fair for the artistic and creative, it also shows a part of you that likes to be loud and proud with all eyes on you! Anything ranging from entertainment to public speaking could be perfect for you.
Dreaming of swooping in to save the day with The Avengers or Superman? Web shooters or a cape might be a bit out of your reach but a career in helping others, such as healthcare or hospitality, could be the reward you crave.
Whatever it is. It could be key to unlocking a path of yours that you hadn’t even considered yet. Don’t be afraid to dig a little deeper with those dreams and see what it is that made you happy with them in the first place.
4: Where have you come from?
You might not realise, but your past may actually hold the key to where you’ll end up in the future. Have a think about all the places you’ve worked, or have had experience at, before.
What did you like about working there?
What did you dislike?
Did you like the people you worked with? If you didn’t, what didn’t you like about them?
What was your biggest accomplishment there?
Did you have any responsibilities there? If you did, or didn’t, how did you feel about this?
Use this history, YOUR history, and look at the kind of person it has made you for the clues on where it should take you next. You’ll never know what you might uncover.
5: Where should you be working?
Following on from where you’ve worked, now have a think about what kind of environment you’ve worked in and how it made you feel.
Did being behind a desk make you feel at home? Was working on your feet keeping you going? Was a manic environment more your kind of speed?
Whatever it was, the environment either made it or broke it. Now think about what it meant to you. If you haven’t experienced work environments yet, have a think about what kind of environment would appeal most to you and start from there.
6: Ask the right questions to the right people!
So you’ve done the leg work and thought about what, and where, your career might be. Now it’s time to hear it from the people who walked that path before you.
Times have changed since the older generations had this struggle and the world is OPEN! Use the tools you have at your fingertips such as LinkedIn, Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram or directly on their websites to interact with people currently working in careers that interest you. Most companies will have a HR Officer on hand to assist and advise where possible and, if you’re lucky enough to live local to your chosen career, consider paying them a visit to find out more!
Make sure you prep what you want to ask before you make contact though. We like to focus on questions like these to really get to know the role.
What is an average day like?
What challenges do they experience in their day to day working?
What excites them about your chosen career?
Do they have any aspirations that you didn’t realise you share?
Where do they see themselves in the future? Do you share this goal?
7: Learn! Learn! Learn!
‘In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge lights our way’ - Yoda
What he lacked in height, Master Yoda more than made up for in wisdom and this is definitely something that can be translated from the galaxy far, far away to your career path. Learning and improving your skills is crucial to finding your career path so take the opportunity to develop yourself wherever possible.
Online classes, video tutorials, study books, workshops and seminars! The world is your oyster when it comes to honing your abilities and turning your passion into a qualification. You might find a new skill which lights your way to a new career, or simply becomes a hobby to relieve the stress of daily life! Either way it will challenge your brain and each course will look amazing on your CV for when that perfect career does appear.
Access Courses Online has loads of specially designed courses available which have been created for the sole purpose of giving you the tools to develop your skills for your future career. You can find more information on all of our amazing courses available here and take your first steps towards your new career now!
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8: Make a plan of action and a list of aspirations!
So, by now you’ll have hopefully been able to think of which career might be the best one for you. You might not have a clear enough picture for a complete plan of action yet but start small and you’ll be surprised how easy it may be to connect the dots together. Don’t forget to cover all bases and throw in all of your ideas, dreams, aspirations and training to really hone in on your new career. You have all the pieces, it’s time to put them together.
Also, don’t forget to look to the future. Your wants and aspirations might be different now to in 5, 10 or 15 years time. Does your career cater for this change? If not, make sure you factor this in as your two paths will have to unite eventually.
9: Take a deep breath, then take the jump!
Okay, so here it is. You’ve done the leg work, now reap the rewards. Take a deep breath and make that final jump. You might seem nervous and unsure about something that is such a big change but that is perfectly normal. Don’t let these nerves interfere with your plans or de-rail all your hard work so far. You’ve worked for this, get out there and enjoy it!
10: Just do what makes you happy!
Combining the previous 9 tips should hopefully make the last one clear. Just do what makes you happy!
At the end of the day, if the career you have found does tick off all of the tips above, then it’s something that hopefully makes you happy and works with your chosen path and list of aspirations.
It might be a fame and fortune job, it might not. It might be a high-flying thrill ride, or it might be a quiet role which fills your heart with joy. At the end of the day, it is YOUR career and as long as it makes you happy then it is the perfect one for you. Go and enjoy it! You found it!
If you would like to speak to Kingsley, or any one of our team subjects specialists, then do write in and arrange a call back. We are helping so many students find the right course and degrees for them to kickstart their dream careers. For some it is literally the love of a subject and the opportunity to take it to the next level and achieve a degree is all that is needed. For others, we help map out their career plan and match an access course to that pathway; whether it is into politics, teaching, midwifery, social work, medical science, ecology, music composing, business management, law, computer science and coding... we have something to support you on your journey. We look forward to hearing from you :)