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Some of you may or may not know what job/career you are going to go into. For those who do
– that’s great. For those who are not clear – do not panic – there are steps
you can take. A good starting point is to take some time to think about what it is you
actually want from a job.
Spend a couple of minutes making a list of things that you want from a job, these could
be things that are important to you, that motivate you, things you like or interest
you. For example; interacting with people, using your degree discipline, being creative,
geographical location etc
Here are some examples that may or may not be on your list.
It may be that you want a job that is a Challenge, offers skills and further training, personal
development, career progression and promotion prospects, flexibility, you want to work in
your degree or research area, financial rewards and money
Once you have written your list then spend a minute or two putting these in priority
order. What things are more important than others? Are you willing to compromise on some
things?
The next stage is to list what you can offer an employer. These might be things like skills,
knowledge and attributes. Again here are some examples.
Skills might be – communication, team work, problem solving,
time management, technical skills
Knowledge might be the research area, the sector, the market
Attributes might be determination, motivation, enthusiasm
The point of these short exercises is that by being self-aware about what you want and
the skills you can offer BEFORE applying for jobs, this allows you to match yourself effectively
against a job. It also helps you decide whether the job is for you or not as well as identifying
any skills gaps you need to address for next time.
If you found the above two exercises difficult then you may want to consider other resources
to help you which are listed below.