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 emerging and interesting 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 career options include:
- Animator
- Art director
- Artist
- Curator
- Fashion designer
- Graphic designer
- LEGO Master Model Builder
- Photographer
- Special effects makeup artist
Search for design and creative jobs
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:
Search for beauty and wellbeing jobs
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:
- Accountant
- Actuary
- Business analyst
- Chief executive officer
- Corporate administrator
- Currency trader
- Executive/CEO
- Financial adviser
- HR manager
- Investment banker
- Management consultant
- Project manager
- Recruitment consultant
- Stockbroker
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 choices:
- Computer hardware engineer
- Cybersecurity expert
- Data scientist
- Game programmer
- Software engineer
- Video games tester
- Web developer
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 career 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:
- Biomedical engineer
- Electrical engineer
- Formula 1 engineer
- Furniture tester
- Mechanic
- Mechanical engineer
- Petroleum engineer
- Weapons engineer
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:
- Cardiologist
- Counselor
- Dental hygienist
- Dentist
- Dermatologist
- Dietitian
- Doctor
- Embalmer
- Epidemiologist
- Health and safety officer
- Hypnotherapist
- Massage therapist
- Medical assistant
- Midwife
- Nurse
- Optician
- Optometrist
- Orthodontist
- Pharmacist
- Physical therapist
- Psychologist
- Radiologist
- Social worker
- Substance abuse counselor
- Surgeon
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 career paths 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:
- Camera operator
- Editor
- Food critic
- Interpreter
- Journalist
- Podcaster
- Producer
- Proofreader
- Social media manager
- Sports writer
- Translator
- Travel blogger
- TV presenter
- Writer
- YouTuber
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:
Search for administrative jobs
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:
- Archeologist
- Astronaut
- Astronomer
- Criminologist
- Geologist
- Marine biologist
- Paleontologist
- Philologist
- Professional sleeper
- Researcher
- Seismologist
- Taxonomist
- Zoologist
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:
- Bodyguard
- Bounty hunter
- Firefighter
- Homicide detective
- Lifeguard
- Paramedic
- Police officer
- Private military contractor
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:
- Airline pilot
- Chauffeur
- Flight engineer
- Uber driver
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:
- Air traffic controller
- Emirates cabin service assistant
- Flight attendant
- Passenger service agent
- Private flight attendant
- Travel agent
Search for travel and tourism jobs
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
Final thoughts
As some parting advice, make sure that, when considering your career options, you choose a profession 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.