How to choose a career: a 12-question worksheet that actually narrows it down
To choose a career with a worksheet, answer twelve questions in four blocks (me, my setting, my options, my next steps), check each option against official occupational data, run one cheap test per option, then score three options on criteria you wrote down yourself. It suits students, adults changing careers and the parents or carers beside them. It is not a psychological test: it narrows the decision; it does not make it for you.
Why long lists of careers do not help
The Occupational Outlook Handbook of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics "includes detailed information on about 600 occupations in more than 300 OOH profiles", which "covers about 4 out of 5 jobs in the economy" (OOH frequently asked questions, last modified 27 August 2026). O*NET OnLine, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, holds "over 900 occupation profiles" (site updated 6 October 2026). A list is where you check facts, not where you start.
The 12 questions
One or two lines per question, in pencil, with evidence: something you did, something someone said, a figure you looked up.
| Block | Question | What to write |
|---|---|---|
| Me | 1. What do I enjoy doing, even without thinking about it? | Activities you keep returning to: fixing, drawing, explaining, organising, selling, caring. |
| Me | 2. What are my three strengths, with an example of each? | Results someone else noticed: a project, a grade, a job. |
| Me | 3. What matters most to me? | Stability, autonomy, helping, building, variety, and what you would refuse. |
| My setting | 4. Indoors or outdoors, city or countryside, working with the public? | Also alone or in a team, fixed hours or shifts. |
| My setting | 5. How far am I willing to travel, or would I move? | The commute you accept, during training and after. |
| My setting | 6. What constraints do I have to work around? | A minimum income, family duties, a health condition. An option that breaks one is out. |
| My options | 7. Which three options do I want to explore? | Jobs, courses or paths, named precisely. |
| My options | 8. What does the official job profile say? | Starting and median pay, training route, outlook, each with its date. |
| My options | 9. Who is hiring near me? | Current openings and employers in your area. |
| My next steps | 10. How much does it cost, and who can help pay? | Years of study, fees, grants and loans, what is left to pay each year. |
| My next steps | 11. Which official dates apply to me? | Application and financial aid deadlines for your situation. |
| My next steps | 12. Who am I going to meet, and when? | One person doing the job, one adviser from a free public service, each with a date. |
The free checklist linked below prints these twelve questions on one page and the free public services in the US and England on a second.
Checking facts with official data
Public sources answer question 8 with dated figures, free of charge, and help with question 9.
United States: the Occupational Outlook Handbook and O*NET
Every OOH profile opens with a Quick Facts box: median pay, typical entry-level education, on-the-job training, number of jobs and job outlook. For electricians it gives a 2025 median pay of $63,190 per year, a high school diploma or equivalent at entry, an apprenticeship as on-the-job training and projected growth of 9% over 2025–35 (bls.gov, last modified 27 August 2026). O*NET OnLine describes the knowledge, skills, abilities, activities and tasks of each occupation. Its Interest Profiler, free in a 30-question web version on My Next Move, scores six interest types (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional) and links the results to over 900 occupations (onetcenter.org, site updated 6 October 2026).
England: the National Careers Service
Each job profile on nationalcareers.service.gov.uk gives the qualifications needed, the salary, the progression opportunities and the daily tasks, then a "Current opportunities" section with apprenticeships and courses near you. The electrician profile shows an average salary from £26,000 for a starter to £45,000 for an experienced worker, and typical hours of 37 to 45 a week. The site also offers a skills assessment based on your interests. Its help page sends under-18s in education to their school or college careers adviser, and gives adults aged 18 or older living in England a DWP Jobs and Careers Service adviser on 0800 072 0288, free from landlines and most mobiles (all consulted 19 October 2026).
Date every figure you copy, because pay and outlook data are revised, and write the starting figure next to the median. A national growth rate says nothing about one person's chances of being hired, which is why question 9 asks about your own area.
Testing before committing
A test costs little compared with a year on the wrong course. Give each shortlisted option one, with a date, aimed at the question you are least sure about.
- A conversation with someone who does the job: a normal day, what they would tell a beginner, what they dislike.
- A day of shadowing or an open day, which tests the setting (questions 4 and 5).
- A short course or a free online module, which tests whether you can stand the training.
- A part-time, volunteer or holiday job near the field, which adds an example to question 2.
- The O*NET Interest Profiler or the National Careers Service skills assessment: treat a surprising result as information, not a verdict.
Turning answers into three options
Take five criteria from your answers, give each a weight, score each option from 1 to 5, multiply and add. An option that breaks a constraint from question 6 is removed before scoring. Written criteria make the choice easy to explain to a parent, a partner or an adviser.
| Criterion (weight), score × weight | A: trade apprenticeship | B: three-year degree | C: one-year vocational course |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matches what I enjoy (3) | 12 | 9 | 12 |
| Starting pay checked (2) | 6 | 4 | 6 |
| Left to pay per year (2) | 10 | 4 | 6 |
| Jobs near where I live (2) | 8 | 6 | 4 (to check) |
| Setting (1) | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Total | 40 | 25 | 31 |
In this fictitious example the apprenticeship leads, but the "to check" on option C calls for one more test. Keep the other options alive until the calendar closes them: for 2027 entry in the UK, the UCAS equal consideration date for most undergraduate courses is 13 January 2027 at 18:00 UK time, and Clearing opens on 2 July 2027 (ucas.com, consulted 19 October 2026). The full sequence is in UCAS application timeline: a checklist from research to results; the US federal aid calendar is in FAFSA timeline checklist: what to do, in order, for financial aid. Counselors running the method with a whole year group can read Career planning tools for school counselors: what a kit should contain.
FAQ
Is there a free career test?
Yes, from public bodies: the O*NET Interest Profiler, free on My Next Move in a 30-question version (onetcenter.org, site updated 6 October 2026), and the skills assessment on the National Careers Service website in England. Both describe interests; neither decides.
How do I choose a career if I have no idea what I like?
Start from what you did, not from what you feel: questions 1 and 2 ask for activities you keep returning to and strengths someone noticed. If the page stays empty, run the tests above, cheapest first, then answer again.
Should salary decide?
Salary is one criterion among several, and it only counts once checked: the official starting figure, with its date, against what is left to pay for the training. The method rules out a salary copied from a conversation or a job advert.