How can I work out what career to do for the rest of my life?

I am 23, have a degree in accounting although I dont want to pursue this as a career. For the last 2 years, since i left university i have been doing different temporary jobs involving basic office work but im ready to move on to a "proper job!" I am currently looking through jobs on learndirect.co.uk which is quite helpfull. anyone have any advice on how i can work out what to do? any websites etc? how did u work out what you wanted to do?

You're right that it's time you did something, even if it doesn't turn out to be the career you spend the rest of your life in.

You can get a lot of jobs based on being "a graduate" and you're not restricted by an Accountancy degree in the same way as you might be if you had something like Handbag Design Studies. It's a good subject that will impress an employer.

Your default option, with that degree, is to sign yourself up for three years as an audit trainee and get an ACA. Once you have that, you will always be able to find a good job - which gives you a nice safety-net should you decide after the three years that actually you want to be an actor or whatever. You sign a training contract but it's not like it's the Army or something.

Most people don't know what they want to do. Even the ones who say they do, half the time they're just parrotting something that their parents have drilled into them or something that sounds good to them but they don't have the insight to know whether they'll like it once they get there. So don't feel inferior - but at the same time, don't feel special either. It may well be that there is NOT a calling out there just waiting for you to find out what it is. Don't wait around for inspiration to hit you in case it never does.

If all else fails, go for the money as your default option. You have just embarked on your 45+ year working life and what you do in the first few years can close as many doors as it opens because of the sort of person it makes you look like to a future employer. You can always pack in your high-flying career in accountancy after ten years in order to go mucking out elephants at the Zoo, but you cannot usually do it the other way around.

Me, I fell into this job after messing up my degree. I started as an office junior in tax, and however-many-years later I'm a senior person in tax. While I wouldn't carry on doing it if I won the lottery, as jobs go I like it just fine and the pay is great.

mmmmm... Most people move forward in any case. What I was doing 15 years ago is different to what I do now. I am in the same industry, but now I teach my skills and knowledge rather than use the skills I learned as I used to.

What I am saying is, become an accountant! And move around!
Earn a good salary and then look out for vacancies such as a branch manager or teach the skill that you have back to students... etc

To be quite honest, to find out what you want to do is trial and error. You are not the only one in this situation. People get degrees in one thing and find out that they want to do another. My advice is to talk to different people about what they do (how long of a education, salary, if they really like it, etc). But first, try to narrow down the field. Like, being in Health, Finance, Law, Education, Fashion, or such. Also, do some research in different areas online. There are ample amounts of information out there.

You can earn alot of money in accounting, though i can imagine it being v. boring so i can't blame u there. U have a degree, that will get you into many jobs.u could try fast tracking into the police force, because u have a degree u would be fast tracked into standard or specialised roles.Only u can answer your question, u must have an idea of the sort of thing u want to do.I'm very much the same, 21 and doing all kinds of work from plumbing to building driving and i'm still not sure.

I was in my 40s when I decided what I really wanted to do!! Too late!! The best advice I can give is to work out what you realy enjoy doing, not necessarily academicaly but in life in general then look at what job opportunities there are. Life isn't all about making money it's about being happy.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Most people never find what they wanna do. There's two types of situation in this world:

A) People who love they're job, so $ is not even a concern.

B) People who run the gamut from indifference to dislike on their jobs, but use the $ they earn to enjoy life outside of work.

Most people will NEVER be in category A, so keep trying the B's, and make your decision on whether or not that can keep you happy. I've worked an A job before, but in my current B job, I make a lot of money, so I'm okay not loving what I do because I like the $ that's coming in.

I am also having this problem I am 23 and am studying towards my AAT to get into accounts. However i have recently got a job in accounts and I am hating every moment of it, am now having doubts if this is actually the career that i want to pursue, but I know this earns very good money. However job I just left was just doing administrative work for a bank yet I really enjoyed it but money was really bad. So I know what your going through.

if u still are unsure if accounting isn't for u then try some free career tests at joblinkinfo dot com and if u r they have a section for jobs in the uk as well 2 better assist u good luck