Looking beyond the obvious career choices
If you're methodical you might consider becoming an accountant; a good writer – a journalist; a persuasive speaker – a lawyer. If that is the right pathway for you, go for it!
However there are many similar careers that branch out from the conventional ones we so often choose.
Alternative careers to a Journalist
Journalists write and edit a range of news and magazine stories geared towards a specific target audience. A journalist has burning curiosity about the world around them, and of course, a way with the written word.
Public Relations Officer
Public relations officers plan, develop and implement communications strategies aligned to the needs of their organisation and its stakeholders. This includes writing media releases, arranging interviews with journalists, responding to enquiries and advising other members of the organisation about effective communication strategies.
Copywriter
Copywriters produce content to sell products or services, or influence their audience towards a particular point of view. Like journalists, they may write blogs, information articles, reviews, features or advertisements. The difference is that a copywriter’s goal is to use their writing to promote the organisation for which they work.
Arts Administrator
Arts administrators manage artistic and cultural venues like art galleries and dance studios. As with journalists, administrators write too, but their writing is usually more business related. They may, for example, prepare funding applications for submission to the relevant government department, or research sponsorship opportunities.
Alternative careers to an accountant
Accountants analyse, report and give advice on the financial dealings of organisations and individuals, including compliance law. They require the analytical ability to solve complex problems and complete tasks such as budgeting, preparing financial statements and reports, and undertaking audits and investigations.
Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers record and draw-up financial summaries so that their organisation can monitor its financial position. They may check customers’ credit ratings, or put together overviews of accounting activities. Although a bookkeeper needs to be good with numbers and have good organisational skills, unlike an accountant, they are not qualified to give financial advice.
Financial Dealer and Broker
Financial dealers and brokers complete financial market deals for their customers and offer financial advice. Unlike accountants, financial dealers and brokers specialise more in how their customers can build wealth and invest their money for best returns. They may, for example, buy and sell shares on behalf of their customers.
Management Consultant
Management consultants advise organisations on how to make changes to their business to help overcome issues, move through periods of change and increase profitability. Whilst they definitely need to consider the costs associated with their recommendations, as well as be able to identify, analyse and solve problems, they need to have a much wider understanding of how a business operates than an accountant.
Alternative careers to a primary school teacher
Primary school teachers plan and teach a range of different lessons to children to help them develop their literacy, numeracy, emotional and social skills. Teachers need to really enjoy working with children and show patience for different abilities and skill levels. They must also be able to explain things to children in a simple and easy-to-understand way.
Art Therapist
Art therapists use creative activities to help a wide range of clients look within and confront emotional problems. Art therapists work with smaller groups of clients of different ages and backgrounds who may have been diagnosed with various psychological disorders. This means that an art therapist needs to know how to work with people with these disorders in a patient way, including showing empathy and communicating in an effective manner.
Speech Pathologist
Speech pathologists diagnose and treat people of all age groups with communication difficulties, such as problems with fluency, speech, language and literacy. A speech pathologist must be able to communicate diplomatically throughout the entire process of diagnosing a disorder, then plan and implement a treatment plan. Patients will often be sensitive or feel vulnerable and the pathologist’s approach is very important for inspiring trust and cooperation. Unlike a primary teacher, speech pathologists will usually work with people one-on-one.
Education Aide
Education aides play a supporting role to classroom primary teachers by providing support to students with special needs, including those with emotional, physical and intellectual problems. Usually, the education aide works with the student one-on-one and therefore needs to have the patience and skill level to help students with a wide range of conditions. Aides also need strong resilience to handle the challenges associated with helping students who won’t necessarily progress quickly.
Alternative careers to a fashion designer
Fashion designers plan and create clothing and accessories for a niche or wide market based on current trends and season. From conception to research to production, a fashion designer must have creative flair, a good eye for detail and the ability to work under pressure.
Jeweller
Like a fashion designer, a jeweller also designs and creates, except their product is jewellery as opposed to clothing. A jeweller needs to work with accuracy, care and patience as products are usually small and therefore require an eye for detail.
Interior Decorator
Interior decorators liaise with their customers to style homes, offices, shops, hotels and other spaces. They work with an internal space used for a specific purpose and need to effectively talk to their customers to find out what look and feel they are after. An interior designer has to have a creative flair and great sense for colour and current trends.
Clothing Patternmaker
A patternmaker works with clothing designers to take their created looks and make patterns that the available equipment can produce. This is a key supporting role that still requires creative flair, but requires more aptitude for manual work.
Alternative careers to a doctor
A doctor, or medical practitioner, diagnoses general physical illnesses and injuries and recommends treatment plans to help their patients return to good health. A medical practitioner must have a high level of medical knowledge and skill to treat patients with confidence and clearly communicate the diagnosis and recommended remedies.
Paramedic
A paramedic travels to emergency scenes to give patients the care needed before they arrive at hospital. Unlike medical practitioners, paramedics travel to the see their patients in teams. Given they are constantly dealing with high-stress scenarios, paramedics must be able to remain cool and calm, but also think clearly to resolve time-sensitive problems.
Physiotherapist
Physiotherapists evaluate and treat patients suffering from physical movement issues that have stemmed from injury. They are constantly on their feet mobilising their patients using techniques to strengthen muscles and joints, so it is important that a physiotherapist can deal with the physical demands of their role.
Forensic scientist
Forensic scientists use a range of processes to evaluate evidence that helps to resolve legal investigations. They may, for instance, analyse the drugs in human tissue and body fluids, go out to crime scenes to collect samples such as blood or hair, or advise other experts such as police or lawyers on their conclusions. To excel, forensic scientists need to be highly thorough, have sharp observation skills and able to think clearly.
