Home > Which Career? > Seeking Career Development Advice

Seeking Career Development Advice

By: Emma Jones - Updated: 18 Mar 2013 | comments

Whether you are unsure where you want your career to go or just don’t know how to get there, it is always a good idea to seek some career development advice. This can come from a wide variety of sources, and consulting a number of people and places can help your reach your own informed decision. Do your research, keep an open mind, and take your time to decide what is best for you.

1. The Internet

The internet has so much information readily available that it is the perfect place to start looking for career advice. There are thousands of websites dedicated to offering advice – from general careers sites to ones dedicated to a particular career field. There are also numerous forums you can get involved with where people in the same situation of you can give support and ideas. You will also find more detailed careers services that you may have to pay for, which will profile your skills and interests to help you decide what you should be doing.

2. Career Advisors

Career advisors are professionals who are available to offer you guidance and career advice. You will find them in all sorts of places, including colleges and job centres where their services are free. There are also private coaches who can give you a personalised service and will have more time to dedicate to you. Career advisors have a lot of experience in helping people make career decisions and will be able to advise you on career fields, job options, study and career development.

3. Friends and Family

Your friends and family are the people that know you best and understand your skills and weaknesses. So they are an obvious choice for offering advice on what roles you would be suited for. While they may not have experience in the field, they can provide ongoing support and help you when you are finding the search difficult. As your career develops, you can always rely on your family to give you an honest opinion about what moves you should make and Which Direction You Should Go.

4. Company Advice

As an employee you should receive regular appraisals where your manager can assess your performance and you can raise any issues. These meetings can be a good place to discuss Your Career Development Plan and talk about how you can move forward. Obviously, they are not going to be able to advise you about leaving the company or looking for a better job elsewhere, but they will be able to discuss opportunities within the company, working for promotions or moving sideways into a different department.

Which Career is Right For You?

Not sure what job is right for you? Read our article Deciding What Career You Want for tips on how you can match your interests, skills and work experience to a career.