When running career planning workshops at the Edinburgh campus, we sometimes ask students to think about their ‘fantasy’ job. What type of job would they love to have if there were absolutely no barriers of any kind to hold them back?

As you can imagine this tends to elicit a wide range of replies from a leading international researcher, to travel writer, to beach café owner, to United Nations negotiator.  One career option mentioned from time to time which seems particularly topical at present is an astronaut!

I suspect that space travel will not appeal to that many of you – even if you followed Tim Peake, Britain’s first official astronaut, on his journey to the international Space Station. However, when I came across a Recruitment Grapevine article “What candidates need to land a job in space” I felt that I had to share it with you.

Aspiring space travelers will need a Bachelor’s degree (engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics), and at least three years-worth of related, progressively responsible, professional experience obtained after degree completion or at least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time in a jet aircraft. They also need to be highly intelligent – the average Apollo astronaut has an IQ of 136 – and not too tall!

Inspired? You can find more at: Recruitment Grapevine

My real reason for sharing this however is that if you are rethinking your future career direction, a little time spent reflecting on your own ‘fantasy’ job could offer more than just a bit of fun. It can also be a good way to tap into what’s really important to you – what interests you, what you feel passionate about and what you value.  Thinking about yourself and your own priorities is a good first step when career planning … and perhaps your fantasy will be more realistic than you first think!

For further career planning inspiration have a look at the Careers Service website: Figuring out your career

Enjoy your fantasy!