Work out what you want to do
Clare Whitmell, Guardian contributor and qualified business communication trainer: "Taking some time to think about your options is a great idea – whether you do that as you're working, or whether you do a gap year. You can also look into working holidays abroad which will also give you some extra experience and could fire your enthusiasm. It's really important to think about why you enjoy/don't enjoy certain types of work and to keep an open mind. There's nothing worse than forcing yourself into one particular role because you (or others) think you should be doing it. At the early stages of your working life, it's quite normal and acceptable to experiment."
Sarah Archer, qualified career coach and co-founder of CareerTree: "I would suggest taking some time to identify the kind of role you actually want to undertake – ideally one that you want to be doing for organisations you want to work for. Then you need to craft a CV that is targeted and relevant for that role. You could also get some voluntary experience first in that specific area to make your CV stronger for paid roles."
What don't you like about your job?
Hannah Morton-Hedges, careers adviser and founder of Momentum Careers Advice: "Be honest about what you don't want from a job but do be realistic. If your 'dream job' doesn't appear to be out there, then what is the next best alternative? Sometimes it can be about finding a working environment that makes you happy, rather than the job itself. Not everyone has a dream job but everyone has the possibility to be happy and fulfilled at work."
Clare Whitmell: "List the things that you didn't like about previous roles. Can you see any patterns emerging? For example, is it particular types of office environments or too much of one task? Talk to people doing a variety of jobs. Find out what their roles entail and what they do on a day-to-day basis. What are the highs and lows of the job and the career prospects. Bear in mind that what someone hates, you might like. You can find a fair amount of information online, but face-to-face talking can give you lots more insights."
Identify your skills
Sarah Archer: "What are you naturally good at? Asking friends and family can help. For example, are you someone everyone tells their problems to? Do you make others feel at ease in group situations? Are you extremely organised? Do you like researching and planning itineraries for holidays/trips?"
Hannah Morton-Hedges: "Think about the skills you offer and the values you hold about work – the things you need from a job to keep you happy and motivated. Start writing lists. Speak to people you know about the jobs they do – the reality of doing them can be extremely different from how they appear on paper and you may find you have been overlooking ideas that could work well for you."
Network
Tracy Johnson, careers adviser at the University of Bristol Careers Services and owner of Brainbox Coaching: "Start networking; pick up the phone to the organisations you are interested in and ask if you could chat to someone about typical roles and what they require. You may not need to take a course if you can demonstrate the right skills and have done some background reading."
Update your CV for a career change
Clare Whitmell: "Employers generally prefer chronological formats – they can see at a glance how you've progressed through your career. Typically this would be: contact details, short profile, optional skills section, work history, education. If you're changing career, however, you might want to re-arrange the format to highlight other details which are more relevant to your new career direction. You could try this layout: contact details, brief profile, career highlights, work history (chronological). This puts the best stuff right up there at the top of your CV, but you also follow it with a solid work history section."
Jim Reilly, director of recruitment and youth marketing at BigChoice Group: "There has always been healthy debate about what constitutes a 'killer CV'. It is worth noting that some industries lend themselves to opportunities where candidates can think outside the box and the CV itself becomes a demonstration of their creativity and skillset.
"For me, the CV is more relevant and important than ever: as always, content (executive summary, core competencies, education, qualifications and experience) is king but context is queen. CVs should be tailored to suit the position which is being applied for. Keep these two golden principles at the forefront of your mind when compiling your CV and you won't go far wrong."
What about qualifications?
Anne Shackleton, careers adviser at Newcastle University: "While many graduate employers will stipulate a minimum number of UCAS points, it is always advisable to contact their graduate recruitment team directly and explain your situation. Some have schemes which enable graduates to apply with lower UCAS points depending on their personal situation before they went to university.
"There are also many graduate-level jobs outside of such programmes, such as working for an SME. Do some research into local businesses and, depending on your working hours, perhaps you could arrange to shadow in an office for an afternoon. This will increase your networks, develop your business knowledge and help you decide if this type of role and environment is right for you."
Sarah Archer: "Check out what skills and qualifications you actually need, rather than what you believe you need – a good place to start would be the Social Research Association, which gives details of jobs, qualifications and training. Also check out whether you can get funding for some training – the National Centre for Research methods give bursaries for training."
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