Students in Year 7 & 8

Top Tips for choosing GCSE options

If you’re in year 7 or 8 you don’t need to have a clear idea on what job you’d like to do one day, but now is a great time to start exploring your interests and the types of careers out there.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses

  • Understanding your strengths is also one of the first steps in discovering your career interests.
  • Which subjects come easily to you and which ones don’t?
  • What subjects and schoolwork related tasks do you enjoy the most?

Research careers by subject area

Visit icould.com to explore real-life career videos by job type or subject

Identify your skills and personal qualities

  • Skills are developed through tasks and activities, for example a group project at school can help you develop your team working skills.
  • You can also develop skills outside of school through things like sports or hobbies.
  • If you have good team working skills your personal qualities probably include things like being a good communicator.

Match your skills and personal qualities to careers

Take the Buzz Quiz to find out how your skills and personal qualities relate to jobs that could be suited to you.

Explore different job profiles here and find out what that job will entail on a day to day basis