Jobs and careers

When researching a job and career path it is important to consider the following:

• Find out what the job involves and what you will be doing day to day.
  
• Find out how much it pays and how long you need train for.
• Are any subjects crucial for this career i.e. studying physics for engineering?
• Can you get work experience at school in this area to try out this career?
• What about volunteering? Can you become a volunteer to gain an insight into different types and places of work? It might even lead to a job.
• If you already do a weekend job it might be worth finding out if they have a Graduate Training Programme or a Modern Apprenticeship Programme, which will mean that you can earn money while you learn and train.

Remember that there are no jobs and careers which are only suitable for men or only suitable for women. You should think about what skills you have, what interests you and what you might be good at. Look at the careers resource centre in your school library to help find out more.

Some resources to help those career decisions

Start by reading the Real life case studies to see the different challenges our professionals faced when deciding what to do.

Choose your own path is our interactive matrix which can help you to think about some of the options available. Here you will find a range of industry areas and jobs and routes how to get to them. The options are not extensive, but it may give you some ideas to think about.

My World of Work is an interactive resource where you can research courses and jobs and find out how to develop skills for the workplace.

Careers in Scotland is a book which has information on over 26 career areas, going to college or university and all full-time courses for college and university.

Careers 2011 is a book that has details on over 600 jobs. This includes the skills and qualifications you need and what type of training. It also lists the average pay for most jobs.