It’s never too late to start thinking about which career path to follow. Whether you’re choosing Standard Grade or Higher subjects or maybe you’re heading off to University after the summer, stopping and thinking about your future can be pretty scary, but a good way to start is to think about what motivates you as a person.  Here are some of our tips to help you prepare:

Make a list of activities you’ve enjoyed - both inside and outside school, college or work. What was it about them you liked? e.g. you might find that you enjoyed:

getting to know more about a particular subject  /  solving challenging problems / working as part of a team  /  meeting new people

Get the skills and qualifications you’ll need
Interviews give employers a chance to meet potential candidates, but they don’t give the full story. Having extra skills on your C.V. is a great way to stand out, especially if they are appropriate to your chosen career - just don’t overdo it! 

Look out for fairs and events
Especially if they focus on a career you’re considering. Go prepared and write a list of questions you want to ask. They may also be able to provide leaflets and booklets on their profession. If in doubt a careers adviser will also be able to give you some tips on how to prepare.

Getting a temporary job
Volunteering or work experience will help you increase your skills and impress employers, not to mention make contacts for when you’re fully qualified! You can also look into gap year activities (see page 26 for more info).

Talk it through with the people who know you best
Once you’ve got all the expert advice, it can be useful to talk to family and friends. In the end, you’ll have the best idea of what’s right for you. 

From there you should have a good idea of what you want to achieve and feel confident enough to reach for the stars! Good Luck!

Career decisions are something we all have to think about. We asked 100 young people which career direction they wanted to aim for:

Primary Teaching 18
Languages 15
Journalism 11
Psychology 9
Sport 7
Business 7
Health and Beauty 7
Social Work 6
Nursing 5
Childcare 5
Cabin Crew 4
Drama 3
Medicine 1
Politics 1
Construction 1 

planning an unusual career?

Let us know and you could be featured in our next issue.

email us at: youngscot@csglasgow.org