Exploring job ideas
Print version
‘You ask me what it is I do. Well actually, you know,
I’m partly a liaison man and partly P.R.O.
Essentially I integrate the current export drive
And basically I’m viable from ten o’clock till five. ’
Extract from The Executive by Sir John Betjeman
Good ideas generally don’t just happen – a good idea starts with a thought, which is then developed and tested and developed some more, until it can withstand scrutiny as a ‘good idea’. So it is with job ideas; they require investigation to determine if they are worth pursuing.
I’m partly a liaison man and partly P.R.O.
Essentially I integrate the current export drive
And basically I’m viable from ten o’clock till five. ’
Extract from The Executive by Sir John Betjeman
Good ideas generally don’t just happen – a good idea starts with a thought, which is then developed and tested and developed some more, until it can withstand scrutiny as a ‘good idea’. So it is with job ideas; they require investigation to determine if they are worth pursuing.
What might make it interesting?
- Trying to visualise yourself in a particular job, anticipating what might be good and what not so good.
- Wondering where it might lead you in 5 or 10 years time.
- Finding other related roles that perhaps you did not know existed.
- Trying to understand how to make wise decisions and continue to make them wisely.
Building a clearer picture of what working in a specific job would be like is an important part of choosing a career direction. It helps you to establish a set of requirements or criteria against which you can evaluate your ideas. Your picture could be based on information you gather, the experiences of others working in that area or maybe your own practical experience through an internship or shadowing somebody in that role.
Points to consider
- Do you have an appreciation of why people are attracted to this type of work?
- Do you have enough information about the role to know what would be required of you?
- Do you understand where this category of job fits into the Sector, the developmental potential and progression opportunities it offers?
- Could you see yourself fitting in and achieving your personal goals in this role and this environment?
- If you feel you face barriers to reaching your potential for any reason - e.g. social background, disability, age, gender and sexual orientation - then please take a look at our Reach website Reach is an online community designed for University of London students facing such barriers.
Things to do
- Refer to the Occupational Profiles from AGCAS (Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services) to find descriptions of roles, entry requirements and routes in, salaries and prospects. {There is supplementary information in the Careers Service’s reference library.}
- Read the helpsheet ‘Generating Ideas’, available in the Online publications section of The Careers Group website or in hardcopy at the Careers and Employabilty Centre.
- Run through the exploring and researching options module of Sort*it
- Attend Careers Fairs, Forums, Employer Presentations, Networking events to gather realistic information about the sectors and job roles that interest you. See King’s events list.
- Try to get work experience through an internship or in a related area. See the helpsheet ‘Internships, Vacation Work and Work Experience’, available in the Online publications section of The Careers Group website or in hardcopy at the King's Careers and Employability centre.
- Discuss your ideas with an adviser during a ‘Quick Query’ and, if applicable, in a fuller Career Discussion.
- Ensure you are up to speed with our ideas on Further Study, Working overseas, Making decisions and Developing an action plan, as well as the other information available in the Students section.
