The Ultimate List of Careers to Explore Your Options

Need some career inspiration? You've come to the right place.

Reviewed by Melina Theodorou

Different Career Options to Explore

Whether you’re just starting out in your professional journey or you’re considering a career change, identifying your interests and choosing a career that matches those interests can be overwhelming — particularly if you don’t know where to look.

To help you explore your options, we’ve put together this ultimate list of career paths for inspiration. You can click through to each profession’s dedicated career profile to learn more about typical duties and responsibilities, salary potential, job outlook, entry requirements, and more, so you can make a more informed career choice.

This is an ongoing work-in-progress. We will continue to add more careers to the list, so be sure to check back often!

Animal care

Do you love animals so much that you want to be around them as often as possible? If so, there are plenty of jobs that allow you to do just that, including:

Art and design

If you’re creatively and artistically inclined, a career in art and design might be right up your alley. Some options include: 

Beauty and wellbeing

If you’re interested in helping people look and feel good, then you might want to look at possible careers within the beauty and wellbeing industry. Careers to consider include:

Business and finance

Are you business-minded or do you have a knack for numbers? There are a variety of business and finance careers you might want to check out, including:

Community and voluntary

Want to make a difference in people’s lives? These highly rewarding careers will help you do just that:

Computing and technology

If you’re tech savvy and you’re interested in working with computers, you might want to check out these career options:

Construction and trades

Do you enjoy working with your hands and doing DIY projects around the house? Then you might want to grab your tool belt and jump into a construction job. Careers to consider include: 

Education and training

A career in the education sector might be a good fit for you if you’re interested in inspiring and motivating people to achieve their potential, as well as shaping the minds of the future. Here are some options:

Engineering and manufacturing

Do you enjoy solving problems and working with your hands? A career in engineering and manufacturing is right up your alley! Options include:

Entertainment

Are you good at singing, playing music, dancing or acting? And are you interested in entertaining audiences for a living? Then you should look into a career in the performing arts, such as:

Government, law and politics

If you have a keen interest in governmental, legal or political affairs, you might want to check out these career paths:

Health and social care

If you’re looking for a career that provides daily fulfillment and satisfaction in helping others, you’ll feel right at home in the healthcare industry. Careers to consider include:

Hospitality and catering

Working in the hospitality and catering industry is perfect for you if you enjoy working with people and you’re able to work well under pressure. Here are some careers to consider:

Land and environment

Looking for a green career that makes a difference? Here are some options to consider:

Marketing and advertising

If you’re interested in what makes people tick and you have excellent persuasion skills, you should probably consider a career in marketing and advertising, like these ones:

Media and communications

Are you passionate about telling stories and creating media? Check out these potential media and communications career paths:

Office and administrative support

Want a career that will put your organizational skills to good use? Then you might want to consider a job within office and administrative support, such as:

Retail and sales

If you’re a people person and a good negotiator, you might want to take a look at these careers within retail and sales:

Science and research

Do you have an inquisitive mind, an interest in scientific developments and good numerical skills? These careers in science might be right up your alley:

Security and emergency services

Do you have a cool, calm and collected attitude in times of crisis? Then you’ll make a great fit for one of these career paths:

Sports and leisure

Whether you want to participate in sports or develop and manage athletes or facilities, a career in sport and recreation might be the perfect for you. Here are some ideas:

Transport and logistics

If you’re a forward thinker and have excellent attention to detail skills, then consider one of these potential careers within transport and logistics:

Travel and tourism

Do you have a positive appreciation of history, culture and tradition, and want to share it with others? Then you might want to consider a career in travel and tourism, like these:

How to choose a career

When choosing a career, you should consider various factors, including:

  • your interests
  • your skills, talents and aptitudes
  • your personality
  • your values
  • educational and training requirements
  • market demand
  • salary prospects

It’s also important to do your research and learn as much as you can about potential career paths. If possible, gaining work experience in the field you’re interested in can also be extremely valuable in determining whether it’s the right career for you.

You can also take an online career assessment, like our very own assessment over at CareerHunter. Built by a team of psychometricians, psychologists and career experts, our proprietary and scientifically validated test will analyze your answers and provide you with detailed and unbiased insights into your interests, personality, motivations and aptitudes, and how these align with potential career paths.

  • Accurate matching to hundreds of popular and emerging careers
  • Relevant job and course recommendations
  • A personalized PDF report highlighting your top results and matches
Reveal career matches

Final thoughts

As some parting advice, make sure that, when considering your options, you choose a career that you will enjoy and that will make you happy. Though family and friends can be an invaluable source of support and inspiration, don’t let anyone influence your decision. Remember: the career you choose should be right for you.

Whether you’re struggling with choosing a career or you’d like some insider tips, we’re here to help — just leave us a comment below.

Originally published on 17 January 2017.