Once you have identified a number of realistic options, approach this stage by listing the pros and cons of each. Think about the following issues:

• Qualifications necessary
• Hours of work
• Opportunity to travel
• Experience needed
• Training provided
• Promotion prospects
• Competition for entry
• Working culture
• Flexible working practices
• Geographical availability
• Salary and other rewards
• Mobility requirements

The above list is just a start; there may be other factors important to you not included. However, it is crucial that you have some way of prioritising the different options that you have so that you can begin the next stage with a sense of confidence and order.

It is likely that you will be considering several related career areas at once. This is fine - we do not fit neatly into one little box labelled 'career'. But if you have a sense of what you would prefer and why, then you will feel more in control of the whole process, and are likely to come across as a more realistic and credible candidate when making applications.

You may need some help doing this, however. It might be useful to talk to your friends and family about your ideas. You could also talk to employers about whether you are approaching things in the right way and whether they have any useful advice or contacts that you could follow up. Talking to a careers adviser can also help you to sort out your ideas and to plan your next steps.

I would now like to:

• Test out my career ideas in practice
  Find out how work experience can help you decide on career direction
• Get advice directly from employers about my career ideas
  Discover how you can contact employers for advice and information
• Find out about employers and the career opportunities they provide
  Discover where to look for information about employers and their opportunities
• Talk directly to employers about what different careers involve
  Find out which employers are visiting Leicester this year to give presentations
• Check out my career ideas with others
  Find out how to access advice and guidance from others including careers advisers
• Use other career planning resources
  Other career planning resources including specific career plans for different student groups, careers timeline, Prospects Planner, and analysis of the Graduate Employment Market.