Finding out about jobs

Where to start

• Talk to family, friends, colleagues and employers about their experiences and job roles, and build a network of people who could help you in your career plans.

• The Prospects website resources include information on career areas and specific jobs from the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS). You can also explore different job roles and 'A day in the life of' testimonials, giving you more insight into occupations.

• If you live in Ireland, look at the careers information produced by the Association of Higher Education Careers Services on the Gradireland website.

• Careers advisers at OU regional or national centres give one-to-one advice. Make an appointment to have an in-depth discussion about your career options.

• The section on the employment market covers issues you’ll find useful during your research, including the option of working abroad.

• The connexionsdirect website covers a range of jobs including those at technician and professional level. My World of Work, a website developed by Skills Development Scotland, also contains information on different occupations and industries. PlanIT Plus is another useful careers resource in Scotland.

• TARGETjobs provides a wide range of graduate-level careers information, plus vacancy and placement details in the UK and overseas. The Careers Sectors section gives advice and information on the major graduate career sectors.

There are several different job seeking strategies you can use.

What do people earn?

Look at recruitment advertisements in the newspapers and on the web to get an idea of salaries.

Salaries for similar jobs may vary in different parts of the country and from employer to employer.

The Prospects website has information on likely earnings for different jobs.