Explore three possibilities

Turn a general interest into options you understand. Investigate three careers, compare what the work involves, and choose a question to test through a small experience.

Time: about 45–60 minutes for a first pass • Cost: free • Use: anywhere • Keep: three career profiles and a comparison.

Bring your personal profile from Step 1 if you have it. Write your answers in a notebook or document. You can begin without completing Step 1; start with a task or subject you are curious about.

1. Choose a varied shortlist

About 5–10 minutes. Choose one familiar career, one related alternative, and one option you have not seriously considered. Select roles you can research rather than broad labels such as “business” or “science.”

Use your interests to widen the list. Ask: Which kinds of work involve tasks I enjoy? What other roles contribute to the same field? Could I use a similar strength in a different setting?

Include university professions, technical roles, trades, creative work, service roles, or business possibilities where they interest you. If you are exploring self-employment, investigate the work involved and how customers are served as well as the business idea.

Illustrative example: a student curious about food could investigate chef, food science technician, and food business owner. This is a starting shortlist to research, not a recommendation or a statement that the roles have the same entry requirements.

Write: Option A… Option B… Option C… For each, add one sentence explaining why you chose it.

2. Find sources that answer useful questions

About 5 minutes. Begin with a public career profile, then cross-check important details using a second relevant source. Save the link, provider, country or region, and date checked.

My Next Move describes occupational tasks and skills in a US context. Use it for career ideas and questions about the work; its pay, training, and outlook information requires local verification.

England’s National Careers Service provides career profiles with daily tasks, qualifications, pay, and progression. Its entry routes and figures reflect that system.

For your intended location, look for official employment or education services, relevant professional bodies, qualification or licensing authorities, and training providers. Current employer vacancies can help you see requested skills, but a few advertisements do not establish the whole job market.

If job titles differ between countries or languages, search by the tasks as well. Record what each source actually supports. Mark missing or conflicting information as “needs checking.”

3. Make one profile for each career

About 25–30 minutes for an initial overview of all three. Copy these prompts three times and answer briefly. You can return later to fill gaps.

Career or role, and location I am researching: …

Daily work: What are three tasks someone typically does? …

Skills: What skills are used? Which connect with my examples from Step 1, and which would I need to learn? …

Working conditions: What can I find out about the setting, schedule, teamwork, physical demands, or ways the role varies? …

Entry routes: What education, training, experience, or licensing is mentioned? Which requirements are verified for my intended location? …

Pay and opportunities, if reliable information is available: What country, currency, pay period, experience level, and date does it describe? …

My response: Which actual tasks appeal to me? What concerns me? How could this role connect with my priorities and contribution to others? …

Sources: Which links or conversations support my notes? Include provider, country, and date checked. …

Unknowns: What are two questions I still need answered? …

Possible experience: What conversation, beginner activity, or supervised visit could help me understand this work better? …

4. Check what applies where you intend to work

About 5 minutes. A useful overseas profile can still describe a different education system or labour market. Separate what you learned about the work from what you have confirmed about your location.

Identify the country or region where you would like to study or work. Check required qualifications and recognition, any licensing, available training routes, and what local employers request.

If you record earnings, keep the currency, time period, experience level, and source together. Do not compare an annual salary with a monthly figure or assume an overseas figure applies locally.

Write two lists: “Confirmed for my intended location” and “Still to verify.” If you cannot find reliable information yet, note the specific organization or person you could ask.

5. Compare the three options

About 5–10 minutes. Put Options A, B, and C side by side in your notes. For each, answer the same questions so differences become easier to see.

Interest: Which daily tasks do I want to try, and why?

Strengths and learning: What evidence of a relevant strength do I have? What skill would I need to develop?

Priorities and circumstances: What appears to fit my values and practical needs? Which tradeoffs need more thought?

Evidence: What have I confirmed? Which important assumptions or gaps remain?

Next test: What small experience would help me learn something useful about this option?

Finish: “For my next exploration activity, I will investigate… because… Before committing to a study or training route, I still need to check…” Choose an option to explore further; you can keep the others open.

Turn research into experience

You are ready for the next stage when you have a brief profile for each option, source notes, and at least one unanswered question worth testing. A well-recorded gap is more useful than an unsupported answer.

Choose one option and one question. For example: “I want to know whether I enjoy explaining a process to someone,” or “I want to understand how much of the day involves practical tasks.” Carry that question into Step 3.

About this guide

This is an original St. James Institute research exercise. My Next Move and the National Careers Service operate the external resources independently. Use their information with the country context in mind.

Resource links checked October 2, 2026. You can use this guide independently or discuss your findings with a teacher, mentor, adviser, or someone you trust.