Where to start
A good starting point is to decide what will matter to you in a job, and also what’s not so important.
Consider your values and needs, and think about your strengths; these could be skills you have or work experience. Everyone has some area of expertise which can be applied to the world of work. For example, if you are a househusband or wife, you’ll have experience caring for others and managing a household.
By thinking about personal experience in this way, you can identify ‘transferable skills’, such as organisational and financial ones, and personal qualities, such as patience.
The next thing to do is ask yourself these questions:
- What kind of work environment suits me best?
- Do I want to work flexible hours?
- How far am I prepared, or able, to travel to work?
- Would I be prepared to move?
- Will I have to train or re-train before I can get a job?
- How much do I want to earn?
Also think about whether patterns of work other than full-time employment would suit you. For example, you could consider job-sharing, part-time or work, or setting up your own business.
When you have thought through some of these ideas, it would be a good idea to discuss them with a careers adviser or use a career service such as one reccomended at our Resources section.