“What are you going to do next?” For teenagers receiving their GCSE or A-level results, it can be one of the most daunting questions to answer. There’s often an expectation that, by the time they leave school, young people should know what they want to do with their working lives. But careers rarely follow such a straightforward path.
People change jobs, retrain, move into different industries and discover new interests. The world of work is also changing rapidly, with artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping some roles and employers increasingly looking for experience as well as qualifications.
So, if you’re not sure what you want to do next, that doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. You don’t have to choose one career and stick with it for the rest of your life. Instead, think about the next step as an opportunity to explore.
Here are six ways to do that:
1. Don’t choose a career, choose an interest
Rather than trying to identify the job you want to do for the rest of your life, start with subjects and areas that genuinely interest you.
Choosing something that stimulates you can make it easier to stay engaged and develop your skills. It can also open the door to careers you may not have considered.
Your interests may change over time too. That’s not a problem. The aim is to find something that interests you now and see where it takes you.
2. Try before you commit
If you’re considering a particular career, try to find out what the work is actually like. Volunteering, part-time jobs, work experience and job shadowing can all give you a better idea of what happens in a workplace.
You may discover that a job is exactly what you expected. You may also discover that it’s not for you. Both outcomes are useful. Finding that out before committing years to a particular career can save you time and help you make a more informed decision.
Work experience can also give you examples to talk about in future job interviews and help you develop skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving.
3. Choose courses that give you experience
If you decide to continue into further or higher education, look beyond the course title. Courses that include work placements, projects or other opportunities to apply what you have learned can help you understand how your subject relates to the world of work.
You can develop practical skills while also learning how to work independently and with other people. A placement can also help you decide whether you want to work in a particular profession before you have finished your studies.
4. Build experience wherever you can
Work experience and placements can introduce you to people already working in the field you’re interested in. Take the opportunity to ask questions and learn from them. Careers aren’t built entirely through qualifications. Knowing people and understanding how an industry works can also be valuable.
Look out for careers events, employer talks, mentoring schemes and opportunities to meet people working in areas that interest you. Simply getting to know people and finding out what they do can help you understand what opportunities are available.
5. Research the reality of the job
If you have an idea of the area you’d like to work in, look at actual job advertisements. What qualifications do employers ask for? What skills and experience do they want? Are there particular routes into the profession? This can help you work out what you need to do next.
You could also look for opportunities to volunteer, gain work experience or spend time observing someone who already does the job. And remember that your first job doesn’t have to be your dream job. Getting into a workplace or sector that interests you can give you experience, contacts and a better understanding of where you want to go next.
6. Think about where you want to live
Career decisions are also about where you want to be in the world. If you already have an idea of the area where you’d like to stay, look at the jobs available there. Some industries and professions are concentrated in particular towns and cities, while others offer more opportunities to work remotely.
Thinking about location alongside your career interests can help you understand what your options really are. It may also mean being open to opportunities you had not initially considered.
The most important thing to remember is that don’t have to decide everything now. The question “What are you going to do next?” can make it sound as though you’re being asked to choose the rest of your life. You’re not, though. Your next decision is simply that: your next decision.
Whether you choose further study, an apprenticeship, work or another route, look for opportunities to learn more about yourself and the world of work. You can change your mind, gain new skills, or take a different direction. You don’t need to have your whole life mapped out right now. You just need to work out what you want to explore next.
