Making your option choices is an opportunity to tailor your subjects to what you enjoy, what you’re good at and what’ll help you get into a career that’s right for you.
If you’re feeling unsure about what subjects to pick, don’t worry, that’s where Skills Development Scotland can help.
Skills Development Scotland’s career advisers are in every state school in Scotland and you can speak to them for more personalised advice about your subject choices. There is also My World of Work – a website packed with tools and resources to help you make the best decisions for your future career.
The most important thing to remember is that you don’t need to make these decisions on your own and there are always people there to help – whether that’s a careers adviser, a teacher or a parent/carer. It really does help to talk your options through with someone.
Check out these tips from some well-known Scottish faces – and expert advice from Skills Development Scotland careers advisers.
Five questions to ask yourself
Ask yourself these five questions when you’re making your option choices to help you narrow down what to pick.
1. How do you like to learn?
Different subjects get taught in different ways. You’ll have your own unique learning style, so think about what suits you. If you love doing practical work, you might want to think about Graphic Communication or Physical Education. If you like to talk and listen, a language subject might suit you. And if you’re going into S5 or S6, a Foundation Apprenticeship might be the perfect fit by offering the balance of work experience and learning. Speak to your teachers if you want to know more about how different subjects are taught throughout school so you know what to expect.
2. Where will your choices take you?
If you already know what career you want, that’s great! You can use the new and improved Option Choices tool to work out what subjects will help you get there.
If you’re not sure yet, it can help give you some inspiration. You can enter up to eight subjects and it’ll show you some careers they can lead to. It’s a fantastic way to work out if what you want to study could take you somewhere interesting.
3. What do you enjoy?
If you’re a bit lost where to start, keep it simple and focus on the things you know you like. Even if you’re not sure what you want to do after school yet, you’ll at least be able to learn in areas you know you’re interested in while you figure it out.
Make a list of things you enjoy doing or learning about and compare that with the subjects on offer.
4. What are you good at?
Taking subjects that you do well in is also a good idea. This’ll help if you want to keep studying that subject at school. It’ll also give you more options when you leave school and look at courses or jobs.
You could try using the My Strengths tool on My World of Work to understand more about what you’re good at. And if you have a career in mind, the Explore jobs tool shows you the subjects you’ll need to get there.
5. What do others think?
You have people around you who would be happy to chat things over with you. It might be a parent or carer, your friends or an older sibling who has been through option choices. Your teachers and careers adviser have lots of knowledge about this stuff too – so make the most of it and ask them all the burning questions you have!
Remember though, it’s still your decision to make. Think about the advice and guidance others have offered and make the choice that’s right for you.
Looking for further inspiration?
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