Before jumping into hands-on experience, start by building understanding. This helps you test interest at a low-risk level and decide whether a pathway is worth exploring further.
Focus on learning more about roles you are considering through:
- Watching videos, talks, or webinars about the role
- Reading articles, blogs, or job descriptions in detail
- Completing short online courses or introductory modules
- Following professionals in the field, observing their work and potentially connecting with them for an information conversation (note: you are not asking for a job, but wanting to find out what the job is like in reality)
Learning tests
- Informed by your research and reflections so far, choose 1 career area to focus on from your ‘3 versions of you’ exercise.
- Complete at least 2 learning activities (e.g. webinar, article, course, podcast).
- As you go, reflect:
- What parts feel interesting or engaging?
- What feels less appealing than expected?
- Does this still feel like a direction you want to explore further?
- Update your thinking: Are you more or less interested in this pathway now?
- If you have a strong interest in other potential roles, repeat this exercise with them as well.