What type of job is right for you?

During your life, you will probably change quite a bit as a person, as will your personal circumstances and your biggest priorities. Thinking about your personal situation and what you want from your job right now can help you understand what type of work might be right for you.

Task: Read these 10 questions to help you figure out what is right for you at this stage of your life.

1. Why do you want to work?

Are there any reasons why you want to work beyond paying the bills? If you have other motivations or priorities, take these into account when deciding what you want to do. Do you want to develop new skills? Do you want to meet new people? Do you want work experience to be able add to your résumé or CV? 

2. Are there other people you need to consider?

If you have family members or other people you need to look after, would you need your workplace to be family-friendly and flexible? Do you need flexible hours, part-time work, or the ability to work from home? Do you need to avoid shift, night, or weekend work?

3. What salary would you like to have?

When you’re doing your initial job research, consider how important the salary is to you. Think about two numbers: what is the salary you need and what would you like to earn? Consider how much you would need to cover your living expenses and whether you would like extra to save for something like a big purchase or retirement.

4. Where would you prefer work to be located?

Many employers require their employees to work at a designated location. Make sure that you are searching for employment in locations that work for you and that you have a plan for how you will get there. Consider if the location is accessible via public transport or if you will need to drive there.

5. What hours do you want to work?

Do you want to work full-time, or do you need or prefer part-time work? Also, there are lots of industries and organisations that operate 7 days a week and 24 hours a day, so would you be willing to work weekends or nights? There are also some roles that might require you to travel or work overtime. Would you be okay with this, or would you prefer to work only at set times?

6. What environment do you want to work in?

Do you have a preference about working indoors or outdoors? What about the noise level of where you work? Would you like a quiet office or a place with lots of people around? Would you be okay working in an environment with potentially dangerous materials or conditions?

7. Do you want to start your own business?

Do you have a business idea that you are interested in using to setup your own business? You could be self-employed or even employ others to work for you. Would you be ready to start your own business now, or would you need support to help you do this?

8. Do you want to work with people?

Would you prefer to work as part of a team with others, or do you work better by yourself? Also think about whether you would like to work in a customer- or client-facing role. Do you want to help and work with patients and clients?

9. What kind of tasks do you want to do?

Consider what tasks you are able to do and would enjoy doing. Do you prefer tasks that are more hands-on and practical, where you are building and fixing things? Or do you like digital or creative tasks or enjoy analysing information? Would you rather have a variety of different tasks in a role to keep you engaged or would you prefer to follow set procedures?

10. Do you want or need a change?

Your personal circumstances might mean that you need or want to look for a different kind of job to what you’ve done before. On the other hand, you may not be in a position to take on any challenge of changing roles at the moment or prefer to do work that you’re familiar with.