It's important to reflect on what your strengths, qualities and abilities are before you start making any decisions, as understanding our strengths (and weaknesses!) is one of the key factors in helping us to make sound and informed career choices. This is an ongoing process and not something which you can do overnight, but thinking about this carefully helps make it more likely that you research options suitable for you, and of you making the right decision.
Try analysing your existing skills and your work preferences by using any or all of the strategies in the links below.
Thinking about yourself
Introduction
Useful resources for self analysis
Career KickStart A unique interactive questionnaire designed to help you to pinpoint your personal priorities, this takes approximately three minutes to complete and produces a short report with useful tips and careers advice on planning your next steps.
The Art of Building Windmills Developed by the leading careers guidance practitioner Dr Peter Hawkins, this is an excellent resource for analysing your skills and experience.
Profiling for Success: Type Dynamics Indicator (scroll down to the bottom of page for link) A personality questionnaire which looks at your preferences and style according to four different dimensions of personality.
I don't know what I want to do! Booklet containing a series of self-awareness raising activities, prompts and exercises, both paper based and online, to get you started.