Exploring your career options
Do something different
Explore your career options by
- checking out employers
- considering something different from the normal 9 to 5
- thinking about ways to enhance your experience and employability
- investigating working abroad
- studying to embark on your chosen career.
- considering career progression and development opportunities.
What next?
After you have visited some or all of the pages linked to this section, we suggest you move on to Job Seeking.
What can you do?
- Finding out about jobs - where do you start?
- Which career might suit you? - resources and tools including computer aided activities
- Job analysis activity - try this to evaluate possible jobs and firm up your career ideas
- Equality and diversity issues such as health and additional requirements
Researching the employment market
- Employment market - helps you to focus on the most relevant opportunities for you
- Types of employer - large organisations, small and medium enterprises
- Labour market statistics - chanelling your efforts towards the stronger sectors of the economy
Alternative work styles
Typical career or work patterns may not be practical for you, or you may be attracted to working patterns other than the usual 9 to 5. Investigate other options.
- Part-time work - gives you flexibility, so you can build your skills alongside other commitments
- Temporary work - contract work, recruitment agencies
- Home working - a popular option since the growth of internet access
- Self-employment - what about setting up a business? Freelancing and consultancy
- Contract work - the benefits and snags
- Portfolio working - earn your income from a variety of sources
Volunteering and work experience
- Voluntary work - gain insights into an area of work, enhance your CV
- Work experience - helps to motivate you to pursue your career goals
Interested in working abroad?
- Working abroad - research your career options in other countries
- Your questions answered - Where do I want to work? How do I find out about jobs?
Further study
You could study for career development, or for a change in your career. Think about whether you want to study on a full-time or part-time basis.
- Issues to consider with study - financing your study, professional status
- Studying elsewhere - information on postgraduate study, taught courses and research opportunities
- Vocational qualifications - broad based or specialist, covering almost every industry sector
Study with the OU
- Courses and qualifications - details of OU certificates, diplomas and degrees
- Postgraduate courses - higher degrees including diplomas, masters
- OU research degrees - research opportunities, studying for a PhD
Career progression and development
- Developing your career – your career as a lifelong investment
- Continuing professional development – how to enhance your professional skills
- Making the most of existing opportunities – exploit the possibilities in your current role
- Questions to ask before making a career change – make sure you have considered the key issues
- Coping with redundancy and the recession – a positive approach can reap benefits