“What are you going to do next?” For teenagers receiving their GCSE or A-level results, it can be one of the most daunting questions to answer. There’s often an expectation that, by the time they leave school, young people should know what they want to do with their working lives. But careers rarely follow such a straightforward path.

People change jobs, retrain, move into different industries and discover new interests. The world of work is also changing rapidly, with artificial intelligence (AI) reshaping some roles and employers increasingly looking for experience as well as qualifications.

So, if you’re not sure what you want to do next, that doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. You don’t have to choose one career and stick with it for the rest of your life. Instead, think about the next step as an opportunity to explore.

Here are six ways to do that:

1. Don’t choose a career, choose an interest

Rather than trying to identify the job you want to do for the rest of your life, start with subjects and areas that genuinely interest you.

Choosing something that stimulates you can make it easier to stay engaged and develop your skills. It can also open the door to careers you may not have considered.

Your interests may change over........

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