Congratulations! You have explored a range of options before coming to a clear career idea. Ideally, you have tested out your idea through some work experience and/or spoken to people working in your chosen field. 

You may have started to take some practical steps towards your goal, or perhaps you are just beginning that journey. Regardless, we are here to help.

How we can help 

We can talk through your idea with you to ensure you are well informed, and we can help you plan your next steps. We can even support you in developing your idea further, for example, by considering suitable workplace cultures, values and environments. 

We can help you refine your job search and application skills, as well as connect with potential employers. If you hope to work for yourself, check out the fantastic offer from our Enterprise Team. 

We can also help you consider a plan B, in case things don’t work out quite as intended, or simply to retain some flexibility. We recognise that career journeys aren’t always straightforward. 

Actions to take 

Make a (flexible) plan 

• First and foremost, ensure you understand any requirements of your career goal. You can find information about this on the Prospects job profiles, as well as talking to employability advisers, professionals, and employers. 
• Identify the next steps that will help you achieve your goal. Learn how to keep this manageable and talk things through with an Employability Adviser. Remember, taking specific steps doesn’t rule out changing or adapting your goal. 

Connect with employers and find vacancies 

• Reach out and speak to people working in relevant roles and organisations. You can do this by attending our Career Events; applying for our Career Mentoring Scheme; gaining work experience, and reaching out to people directly, perhaps through LinkedIn.
• Develop effective job search techniques and don’t rely on large generic job search sites. A good starting point is Handshake. All careers have specialist job sites, such as those suggested on the Prospects job profiles. Networking platforms such as LinkedIn can also be useful. Speculative applications may also be significant in your preferred industry. You can find more advice about job search on our website, and you can always talk it through with an adviser. 

Make your applications shine 

• Firstly, ensure you are doing yourself justice in the early stages of the recruitment process. Find out how to prepare for and practise psychometric tests, master the art of writing applications, CVs and covering letters in our Application Tips pages
• Get to grips with the latter stages of recruitment. Learn how to prepare for an assessment centre and interviews in all shapes and sizes. You can even book a practice interview; you don’t have to have an interview confirmed to do this - you can just give us the details of an example job you are applying for!