Feeling unsure about what you want to do for a career can feel a little overwhelming. With so many options open to you, where do you start?

A combination of online research and meaningful reflection is a great way to get the clarity you need to start making good career decisions.

Start sketching out a career plan with clear actionable steps, SMART goals, and deadlines to develop your professional future you. Take a deep relaxing breath... you've got this.

Graduate Platforms

Prospects and Target Jobs are the biggest online graduate platforms that you can use to gather intel and start exploring the different kinds of graduate careers and job profiles that are out there. Others include the National Careers Service, Milkround, The Bright Network to name a few. On Prospects and Target Jobs, you'll find a wealth of career related resources; you can investigate job profiles individually by job title if you have an idea of what you are interested in, or by sector if you are not so sure and really want to get a big picture view of what is available.

Professional Bodies

They sound very grand but professional bodies basically represent people working in a particular industry or sector. They will usually have the words institute, association, council, or society in their title and are responsible for the professional standards of that profession and their paid members. You'll find career advice, industry related events and networking opportunities and there will usually be a student discount and membership.

Recruiters

Recruiters especially those specialising in a specific sector or industry will often have useful career information and advice on their websites. They engage directly with employers and know exactly what employers look for in candidates.

Free Online events

There are many free sector and career -related events that take place online and these are a great way to get a sense of what a particular career involves, including what is topical and trending in that industry, what people are talking about and what is impacting them and their customers. Professional bodies and Eventbrite are a useful source of these. You get up to date information plus the chance to ask questions and build your visibility and personal brand!

Suggested Reading

> Explore job profiles

> Get an overview of the graduate market in 2022

> Research careers by category

> SMART Goals and how to set them

By Anna Gordon - Certified Business Coaching Psychologist ABP CBCP