Get careers help during National Careers Week 2024A white woman and Black careers adviser are sitting and talking on a sofa.

National Careers Week runs from Monday 4 March to Saturday 9 March. It aims to help you become more aware of your career and make you excited about your future.

How we can help you with your career choices 

We can support you to make career decisions throughout your life. From deciding your education route, planning a career change or getting the job that is right for you.

Wherever you're at in your journey, we can help you to:

  • identify your skills, interests and career goals
  • explore and compare different options 
  • work out the best career option for you
  • plan your next step and take action

Whether you are just starting out or it's time for a change, follow our steps below to start thinking about your career choices.

Assess where you are now

When thinking about career goals, it can be useful to start by assessing where you are now. Think about what skills you have now, what you're good at and what you're interested in.

If you're not sure, you might want to take an assessment to discover your skills.

This assessment takes 5 to 10 minutes and will suggest some careers that you might enjoy.

Look at the careers and think about:

  • the types of careers that have been suggested for you
  • which careers you like and why
  • which careers do not interest you and why

Take an assessment to discover your skills and careers

Decide what careers would suit you

Once you have an idea of your skills and interests, you might want to decide what careers would suit you.

You might know which sector you want to work in, but are not sure of the different careers you could do in that sector. Use the job categories to see all the different careers you could do. 

For each career, you can find out:

  • how to get into it and if you need any qualifications
  • what skills you'll use in the job
  • what day to day tasks you'll do
  • what career progression there is

This might help you to create a list of careers that interest you.

Go to explore careers

A women sitting at a desk with the website National Careers Service website on her screen.

Plan your next steps

Once you have an idea of what careers interest you, you can create a plan. To plan your next steps, you can read online careers advice or speak to a free careers adviser.

Online careers advice articles

You can start thinking about your next steps by reading some online careers advice. 

We have different information and advice for making career choices, getting a job or progressing your career.

Speak to a careers adviser

You can also speak to a careers adviser for free. They can help create a plan that works for you. For example, they might help you to:

  • think about what options you have
  • research into training, study or volunteering opportunities
  • set short, medium and long term goals to help you move toward your career goal
  • plan a job search

You can speak to our careers advisers in person, online or over the phone.

Contact a careers adviser

Follow us during National Careers Week

Follow us on X (formerly known as Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to find out how we can support your career journey and get inspiration from real life stories.

Support if you have a disability

If you have a disability or special educational needs, you can get:

Find a course

The next step in your career might involve training. 

You can search for online and classroom courses near you to help you get a job or develop your skills.