Choosing a career that suits you

Choosing a career direction or job role can be like the start of an exciting journey, but it can also feel overwhelming. You may want to narrow your choices down by exploring options from different angles. Understanding your strengths, likes, and dislikes are important first steps. This page can help you work towards choosing a career that suits you.

Choose a career that motivates you

Planning and managing a career takes time and effort, so it’s helpful to understand what the main motivation for your career is. What do you want to get out of your career? What particular aspects are important to you? Understanding your motivations will help you choose a career that suits you.

Take some time to look at the activities below to help identify your motivations and reflect on what you want to get out of work.

• Evaluate your work life balance – Activity 1.8 (PDF, 28 KB)
• What do you want from work – Activity 1.14 (PDF, 28 KB)
• Rate your current (or last) job – Activity 1.15 (PDF, 28 KB)

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Choose a career related to your studies and qualification

Narrow down your choices by exploring careers information related to your qualification. Start by thinking about why you chose your qualification and what you've enjoyed most about your modules.

Explore the links below to research job roles information related to your Open University (OU) subject and qualification.

• Careers with your OU subject

  General careers information related to the subject you're studying.

• Study Home

  Your Study Home site provides careers information and advice tailored to your qualification.

• Labour Market Information tool

  Select your subject for a list of the most common roles for people studying that subject.

• Student careers stories

  See the journeys of OU students succeeding in their chosen careers or in further study.

While you’re exploring possible careers, keep in mind your reflections on what motivates you and what your skills and strengths are.

• Are there particular aspects of your subject you have enjoyed more than others?
• Are there particular approaches to learning you've enjoyed, for example project work?

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Choose a career that makes the most of your skills and strengths

You’re more likely to enjoy a job that allows you to make the most of and develop your skills and strengths. Start by looking at your current skill set and see what you’re good at. You could also look at your past achievements and assess the skills you used to make them happen.

This can help you learn what you’re good at and where your strengths lie. It can also help you identify the skills you want to develop for your chosen career..

How to identify your skills and strengths

Work through the activities below to reflect on your strengths and achievements. Think about the skills and knowledge you've gained from your work, OU study, and any other activities you do.

While working through the activities, ask yourself what do you want to improve? And what new skills do you want to learn?

• What are your employability skills – Activity 1.13 (PDF, 28 KB
• Listing your work achievements and skills – Activity 1.12 (PDF, 28 KB)
• Identifying your leisure activities and skills – Activity 1.7 (PDF, 28 KB)
• Recognise your main achievements – Activity 1.3 (PDF, 28 KB)

You can use the Labour Market Information tool to find roles that match three or more skills of your choice.

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Choose a career based on your interests

Understanding your interests means that when you explore job profiles and information you’ll be able to evaluate them for how well they meet your needs.

Take a look at the activities below to help you recognise your interests, likes and dislikes.

• Rate the work you’d like to do – Activity 1.17 (PDF, 28 KB)
• Recognise your style of working– Activity 1.11 (PDF, 28 KB)

Career Planner helps you generate new career ideas by answering questions based on your interests and skills which it matches with a wide range of graduate job profiles.

Open up an even wider range of job options at all entry levels with the nations career matching tools for where you are based.

• Skills Assessment (England)
• About Me tool (Scotland)
• Career Match Quiz (Wales)

Choose a career based on your location

Many people choose OU study because it doesn't require relocation. The need to stay in a particular area may be important to your career choice too.

A postcode search using the Labour Market Information tool can help you identify common job roles in your location and evaluate these using data such as:

• average weekly hours
• employment growth and unemployment rates
• average regional salaries
• qualification requirements.

Have a look at our article on Researching the labour market for more sources of Labour Market Information (LMI).

Search for jobs by postcode in OpportunityHub and your results will be listed by distance. You can also search by keyword (including ‘remote’ and ‘hybrid’), opportunity type (including ‘home-based’), and sector.

You have access to the above tools if you’re a current OU student or completed your study within the last three years. If you're not sure how to sign-in, see Help with signing into OU systems.

You'll find more information about our careers tools and services, including how to manage your data, in About the Careers and Employability Services.

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