One of the best ways to evaluate and reality-test whether the career options that you are evaluating are right for you is to have conversations with professionals knowledgeable about the professional sectors that you are considering. Such conversations can give you practice in describing your rationale for your chosen career options, reflect on the pros and cons and help you develop your plan for developing the right competencies, experiences and contacts that will help you achieve your career ambitions. You will find more ideas on how to capitalise on career conversations in our resource on Informational Interviewing.

Useful career conversations can take place in a number of ways:

  • Book an appointment with a Careers Consultant or attend a group careers workshop where you can discuss your career plans and get guidance from a careers professional. Careers and Enterprise offers appointments and events all year round - have a look at the website for more information and to book. 
  • Informal networking with family or friends. If you know anyone socially who works in your preferred professional sector, take the opportunity to ask them about what works in that sector is really like day-to-day, how they think the work will change in the future and what qualities are needed to succeed.
  • Contacts that you meet through events at professional associations or career networking events. You might get the opportunity to ask questions at speaker events or over networking drinks.  Be prepared with questions such as "What do you look for when you are recruiting a graduate?" and "What are the best and worst things about this line of work?" Their answers may give you invaluable insights into what it is really like to work in that sector.

Remember that to complete this module you will need to complete at least 1 hour of Careers Conversation - who will you talk to?

Last modified: Tuesday, 1 December 2020, 5:39 PM