Having an accidental career path can be good for some however, it’s always great to have a plan and identify your goals early on to make sure you pursue a career that is right for you. You don’t want to work for years in the wrong industry to just realise it five years into your career and have to make a change. Save the wasted effort and get planning before you even start your career to ensure you are on the right path for you. Here we look into what you need to consider to help you find the right industry for you.

What are your hobbies?

If you don’t have a clear-cut idea of what industry you want to work in, maybe look at what you do in your free time and why you enjoy doing certain hobbies of yours. Whether it is painting or basketball, it doesn’t mean you have to become a painter or basketball player; maybe it’s what excites you about your hobbies, do you like working in large groups towards a goal? Or do you enjoy spending some time to yourself and doing something creative. You can also identify if you want to work in an industry that’s more data based or more creative depending on what you enjoy doing for most of the time in your life.

Learn more about your personality type and traits

Really dig deep into what makes you happy and what doesn’t. It can be great in some aspects to pursue a career that you think you can change for because the benefits are good; however, after a certain amount of time you may just not be happy if your job role just doesn’t suit your personality.

This could be if you’re more of an extroverted person who is very conversational maybe working in a more client facing role would be best. However, if you are more introverted and are good with working in smaller groups then a role that offers this option would be better. You can even take some online tests, such as this Personality test based on Myers & Briggs findings on the 16 types of personalities, on Truity. Understanding this can help determine which area of work you want to get into. w There are many career paths for all types of personalities.

How to find the right industry for you? Get some work experience

If you know what type of role you want to do but are not sure in which industry then taking up work experience is a great way to get a feel of which area of work might be right for you. Before committing to a year long programme or job, use your free to time during university or in a gap year to get some experience at different sized firms or companies to see where you would like to work. Are you more comfortable working for a small company where you can learn various types of skills in different areas? Or do you want to specialise in a particular set of skills in a larger company? There are many differences and similarities in each area of work and so by doing your research and getting some experience, you will have more or a sense of where you would fit in.

What are you good at academically?

Whilst it’s good looking at what your personality traits are, it’s also a good idea to look into where your strengths lie academically to help you determine which industry is right for you. Some subjects come easily to some than to others. If you are great with numbers and analysing large amounts of data then being an accountant in a tech company may be right for you. If you enjoyed a particular subject area during university or at school then maybe look into ways you can pursue a career with those interests. This could help determine where you want to specialise in in your career.

What are your values?

An important aspect to consider is what you are passionate about, what are your values? By working in an industry or for a company that aligns with your passions, you will be more invested in the work that you do and have a purpose for doing it. If you are someone who cares about a certain cause, you could look into developing your skills and growing your career in the charity and not-for-profit sector. You wouldn’t want to be bored in your job and not be excited about your career because that will not help you be as successful as you can be.

What’s your ideal job role?

Look at the big picture, maybe you don’t know exactly what you next career step is but if you have a long-term goal or a particular role you want to work towards, that can make planning your next steps easier in your career. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Once you have figured that out you can then do the relevant research to determine what you next steps are in order to achieve your goal.