September 9, 2014, by Beth Dawson

Utilising our resources to help pinpoint your career

Regardless of the degree you’ve chosen it’s important to know that there are many openings into a variety of professions and that you’re not limited to just one path. Sometimes it can be difficult to know precisely what you want to do but don’t worry – that can give you time and space to approach your future with careful consideration. In this week’s blog we have put together a number of resources from our website that can help you wade through all of the information out there and realign your focus.

Find out the realities from the experts

There’s no better way to find out about your career of interest than ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’. TheJobCrowd offers a library of case studies and reviews from graduates across a whole range of sectors in a position to talk about their experiences. Knowing what day-to-day challenges to expect and learning from others is an excellent way to mentally prepare for the future. Reading through the different material may bring reassurance or encourage you to broaden your job search and consider alternatives before you’ve even started. And as these reviews are anonymous it’s your opportunity to read an honest and impartial account without the bias.

Use emotional intelligence tests to understand how you tick

Another advantage you can give yourself is through taking questionnaires or psychometric tests to discover personal qualities that were right under your nose! Emotional intelligence is an asset in the workplace and understanding your key motivators, your work personality and career interests can make all the difference. We recommend using TARGETjobs careers reports: career planning. You will be matched against 370 careers after a series of profiling that will either confirm what you already know or raise awareness about specific roles you may not have realised existed. If nothing else it’s quite an enjoyable test and not at all intimidating!

Research employers to see if they’re right for you

After assessing your own personality and strengths it’s wise to gain more insights into your employers. You might want to develop commercial awareness or find out about the type of questions you’ll be asked in an interview. There are also company reviews you can read and even office photos that can give a fly on the wall perspective to help you cut through the mysteries of the workplace.

Glassdoor has all of these in abundance and provides a career community that gives you a greater knowledge base so that you’re fully equipped ahead of time. This is far from an exhaustive list but will hopefully open a gateway of resources that will help you to progress further with your plans. Focusing on your degree is important but utilising these tools may help you to narrow down your job search. Although experience is often the greatest teacher it doesn’t hurt to plan ahead and avoid setbacks or missed opportunities.

Interested in more resources you can use? You can find more ways to generate career ideas or research your employers on our website. Don’t forget to come and visit us in person to get an appointment booked with one of our career advisers. 

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