Research is essential
Starting your career journey requires research, career guidance and planning. It's important to identify your interests, where your strengths lie and what kind of career you're best suited for. Alison offers a range of tools and career advice to help you make informed decisions about which career path is the right one for you.
Psychometric Assessments
If you're looking to start your career, Alison's Free Workplace Personality Assessment is a good starting point. The rigorous and scientific evaluation designed by our experts identifies certain jobs you might be naturally good at, outlines your professional strengths and weaknesses, and highlights which career paths you could follow. The Workplace Personality Assessment also provides you with a personal selection of Alison's high-quality free online courses, which, based on your answers, will help you work on any areas that need improving. Afterwards, you'll have the self-knowledge and confidence to pursue the career path right for you!
Career Guide
Alison's Career Guide is the one-stop resource that allows you to explore hundreds of potential careers. Search our Career Guide by Industry, Career Path or Occupation, to find information about your chosen career. You will also get links to free online courses related to each specific industry. The Alison Career Guide is the perfect place to research different jobs and discover the skills you need to succeed in your chosen career.
Free Online Courses
Alison offers thousands of Certificate and Diploma courses that provide you with the opportunity to get a sense of countless different career paths. Free courses like the Introduction to Games Development or this course in Warehouse Management allow you to experience a field and see what work a particular profession would entail. All of Alison's online courses are 100% free to learn, so there's no end to the background research you can do before choosing the right career for you.
Your Career Development Checklist
Once you've successfully established the career path you want to pursue, the next step is preparing yourself for the job hunt. Thanks to Alison's career checklist, this has never been easier or less intimidating. From your first CV to the last round of interviews, we've got a free course to help you every step of the way.
- Career Planning - This course should be the first stop for anyone starting their career. The course introduces you to the job offer formula and teaches you how to apply it to every aspect of the job-seeking journey. From salary negotiation techniques to successfully communicating your skillset, this course has it all!
- Preparing your CV and Cover Letter - These are essential life skills. This course teaches you how to design a professional header and layout, concisely outline your experience and the various formats you should use, depending on the career you're pursuing.
- Gaining Confidence - Learn how to build your confidence and discover the basics of confident body language. This course teaches you how to communicate and leverage your self-confidence and assertiveness.
- Managing Work-related Stress & Anxiety - Finding work can be even more stressful than working! This course will teach you how to regulate and effectively manage the stress that can come with starting your career.
- Searching for a Job - This course will provide you with the necessary skills to negotiate the job market and locate the jobs you want. From identifying the kind of employer you want to work for to stay connected through the decision-making process, this course includes invaluable information about searching for a job.
- Networking Technology has radically changed the way we network. In this course, you will learn how to develop reliable contacts and study powerful networking strategies to improve your likeability.
- Interviewing - This course focuses on the soft skills necessary for succeeding in job interviews. From verbal to non-verbal communication, you'll learn how to negotiate and influence your way to your dream job in any industry.
Secured your first interview? Ace your interview with our ultimate interview checklist.
Don't Quit While You're Ahead. Keep Studying!
While Alison offers thousands of free courses specifically designed to help kick-start your career, we offer thousands of courses focused on all levels of skills and expertise. Once you've got your career search up and running, by continuing to upskill, you'll increase your employability so that when you find your dream job, you'll be your future employer's first choice.
Employers are always impressed to see on your CV that you’ve taken the time to complete online courses and develop new skills. It shows that you are self-motivated, willing to learn and can manage your time competently.
Completing free online courses gives you the edge over other applicants who might otherwise have the same qualifications as you. This is especially important when starting your career, as you may not have much real-world experience.
Once you’ve landed an interview or even secured your first job by studying courses in that field, you can start to prepare yourself for your first day at work or even begin upskilling for your first promotion!
