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Essentials Careers Career options Understanding your options

Your career options

There are a great many possibilities open to graduates, probably more than you realise at first. Sometimes, the hardest task will be deciding how to choose from the many options available to you.

Smart research into your career options is important. Don’t rely on preconceptions. The key is to create a well-rounded picture of the environment in which you’ll be working, and think carefully about whether you can see yourself succeeding on that career path.

It’s quite natural to have a preconceived idea of what a certain area might be like. But don’t make a decision on this basis without further research. It would be unwise to limit yourself and rule out options unnecessarily, and you might be surprised at what some areas have to offer.

There are jobs which are directly related to degree disciplines, jobs where particular subjects may be useful and also a whole range of jobs open to graduates of any discipline.  Before opting for a particular job role you should have knowledge not just of the work, but the environment in which you’ll be working and the training you will need.

Below are three different ways to consider your options, and you can also use your favourite text generative AI tool to give you ideas too. For example, you could ask it what careers people with your degree & interests follow – for example ‘I’m studying BSc Biology and interested in team sports, what careers can I go into’, or ‘I’m studying BA English Literature and want to help save the planet from climate change, what I my career options.’ Or you could focus on your strengths, e.g. ‘I’m really organised, have excellent attention to detail, and take pride in doing a great job, what careers would be right for me?’  

Whether you use AI or following the prompts below, you’ll probably need to chat the results through with someone – you can book an appointment with a careers consultant, and chat it through with people who know you well.

    Explore alternative options

    • Further Study
    • Self Employment
    • Taking Time Out After Your Degree

    Explore Industry options

    • Accounting and Financial services Industry Guide
    • Administration and Office Work Industry Guide
    • Advertising, Marketing and PR Industry Guide
    • Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Industry Guide
    • Archaeology Industry Guide
    • Architecture Industry Guide
    • Armed Forces and Emergency Services Industry Guide
    • Banking, Investment and Insurance Industry Guide
    • Business, Management and Consultancy Industry Guide
    • Charity and Development Work Industry Guide
    • Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Industry Guide
    • Creative Arts Industry Guide
    • Creative Enterprise Guide
    • Education and Research Industry Guide
    • Energy and Utilities Industry Guide
    • Engineering and Manufacturing Industry Guide
    • Environment Industry Guide
    • Food Technology and Marketing Industry Guide
    • Healthcare Industry Guide
    • Hospitality and Events Management Industry Guide
    • Human Resources and Recruitment Industry Guide
    • Languages Industry Guide
    • Information Technology Industry Guide
    • Legal Services and Intellectual Property Industry Guide
    • Leisure, Sport and Entertainment Industry Guide
    • Libraries, Museums and Archives
    • Media and Publishing Industry Guide
    • Property Industry Guide
    • Retail and Sales Industry Guide
    • Science - Meteorology Industry Guide
    • Science - Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Industry Guide
    • Social and Community Industry Guide
    • Travel, Tourism and Logistics Industry Guide

    Explore Subject options

    • Agriculture and Agricultural Business Management Subject Guide
    • Biological Science, Zoology and Ecology Subject Guide
    • Classics and Ancient History Subject Guide
    • Computer Science Subject Guide
    • Construction Management Subject Guide
    • Consumer Behaviour and Marketing Subject Guide
    • Economics Subject Guide
    • English Language Subject Guide
    • English Literature Subject Guide
    • Film, Theatre and TV Subject Guide
    • Fine Art Subject Guide
    • Graphic Communications and Typography
    • History Subject Guide
    • Languages and Culture
    • Law Subject Guide
    • Mathematics and Statistics Subject Guide
    • Meteorology Subject Guide
    • Philosophy Subject Guide
    • Politics & International Relations Subject Guide
    • Psychology Subject Guide

Learn how to GROW your experience to boost your options

know yourself

The foundations of successful career planning are built on self-awareness.

This involves looking at your skills and competencies and understanding your values, interests and personality to find a best fit career for you.

  • Discover and research job roles matched to your skills and preferences with Prospect Planner
  • Understand your personality type with icould buzz quiz
  • Develop the skills and competencies employers are looking for - which ones do you have?
  • Take a personality test, from the Institute of Psychometric Coaching
  • The Big Five Personality Traits Model measures five key dimensions of people's personalities, find out more and take a test
  • Explore what you do well and what you enjoy with the World of Work Strength's Quiz

Continue your research

Continue your occupational research on our blog. 

Search by your subject or industry of interest.

Access Careers Blog

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