I dont know what I want to do How can the Careers Service help me University of Manchester Careers Blog

I dont know what I want to do How can the Careers Service help me University of Manchester Careers Blog Not many of us are born knowing what we want to be when we grow up.   I certainly didnt, even after  I graduated! I did a Geography degree which  I loved, lots of society stuff which took up most of my time, I  didnt really pay much attention to what came next! Yes the end of University and entering  the real world. I had a good idea that the world of finance and big corporates was not for me, even looking at the applications made me feel a bit queezy. I couldnt really see  what  I could do with my degree and  I couldnt afford a postgraduate course on a whim  (No  I did not want to teach kids are scary!) It all worked out ok, but it took a long time to start earning proper money and get on track to doing a job I wanted to do. Today I see students every day facing the same dilemmas, some of  you even pluck up the courage to visit the Careers Service and ask for help, its brilliant, why didnt  my student self do that? What help can you expect? Well no-one is going to tell you what you should be. The magic sorting hat for careers is still in Beta testing! Talk to the careers  staff on the desk or over the phone, they can quickly work out what stage you are at and what help might be most appropriate for you. No one will think badly of you if you confess that you are clueless, in fact a little honesty is useful to pinpoint which of our team will best fit your needs. You may be offered tools to help you get your own thinking kickstarted Prospects Planner Register, answer a few questions about what you want from a job, and your responses are compared with what professionals in over 400 types of work say they get in their jobs. Its free, reputable and aimed at graduates has to be worth a try. Profiling for Success psychometric tests  You have access to a range of psychometric  tests, including a personality and career inventory questionnaires, to help you uncover what makes you tick  (you can also try  ability tests which are useful for figuring out whether you are suited to highly numerate roles, or very competitive graduate schemes which often use similar tests.) It can be useful to think of your own list of wants and do not wants in life.   For some its all about the money for others its about feeling a sense of doing something for other people. Some people want to be alone others thrive in a big group. Everyone is different and mapping out what makes you happy can be very important in finding a job to fit. Some places to start your research may be suggested Which career pages To explore different jobs or sectors, find out about how to get experience and where the vacancies are advertised. Want to know about internships Start here, there are opportunities for 1st second year students.   An internship or any work experience can help you find out what you like and dislike. Pretty useful really! Its likely you will meet a careers consultant. They can only work with what you tell them so be honest. What do you want out of the meeting? To explore your inner you or to dive into exploring career options or something in between? Using the tools above can be a useful start and they may uncover some jobs or aspects of your personality you had not considered thats a useful place to start. Its not a one size fits all Some students may talk to us just once and feel confident enough go it alone, for others its a longer journey. After all not all career decisions are simple. Dont worry its not for ever! The job you decide to do fresh out of university does not have to be the job you do for life. Im  certainly glad  I tried a few things out but also very glad Im not still in retail! (shudders).   This is why we also offer support for 2 years after you graduate! All Careers advice I don't know what to do Undergraduate Undergraduate-highlighted career planning careers Getting started Options