Knowing about yourself is one of the key factors in effective career choice and planning.

We are all individuals and have different balances of skills, interests and motivations that will influence our career choice. You need to start by identifying the most important of these for you and considering the impact they will have on your career choice.

Some may be crucial; for example you might decide that your skills in listening effectively to others is of greatest importance and will influence your career choice accordingly. Alternatively, other factors may be less so. For example, you might decide that your strong interest in English Literature is a passion that you pursue outside your career.

What am I looking for in a career?

Answering this question will be easier if you can identify the following:

• Your interests - how you would like to behave; how you would like to interact with others; and the problems you would like to work on.
• Your motivations - the things you consider worthwhile in a job and that will contribute to your job satisfaction.
• Your skills - the things you are good at and how you would like to make use of these in a job.

A good starting point might be to brainstorm the main factors under the headings given above and then to put them into order of importance to you. Remember when listing your interests, motivations and skills, to consider all your experience including academic study, previous employment, student activities, voluntary work and interests. All of these might have some part to play in influencing your career direction.

Try to focus on the positive aspects to begin with; that is, what you are good at, what you enjoy and what satisfies you. It is very tempting to start with negatives, for example 'I don't want to work in an office', but this can easily lead to a set of factors you wish to avoid rather than any positive ideas. Beginning with the positive allows you to consider a larger range of possible careers; you can narrow down these options later.

Remember also that your outlook may change over time depending on your particular circumstances and what else may be happening in other parts of your life. Career decisions that you make now will not last forever and will need revisiting from time to time.

Follow the links to:

• Make careers choices based on realistic options
• Consider an academic career
• Consider other career options including those relating directly to your subject or otherwise
• Generate careers ideas using Prospects Planner
• Use other career planning resources
• Discover how work experience can help you identify and develop skills
• Understand the importance of extra-curricular activities in skills development
• Access advice and guidance from Careers