My parents keep telling me I should do the job they think I’ll be good at. How do I know if what’s best?’
How do I make the right job choice?
When it comes to jobs, the chances are you’re going to have quite a few of them in your lifetime. That’s fine. Each one will help you build on your skills and develop experience that can be put to work as your career evolves.
Here’s another thing. You might have to try out a few jobs to find a good fit, but at the same time, don’t forget that a solid grounding in science and maths is likely to play an important role. As a person, you’re changing all the time. The world is an evolving place, and so are jobs. The job you end up doing might not even exist yet!
So the good news is that there isn’t one ‘right’ study, job or career choice that you need to make right now that you’ll be stuck with forever, just lots of good options. And to keep your options open today you need a great mix of subjects that can lead you anywhere you may want to go.
Your choices will be influenced by what you study at school now and in the future, what interests you and what’s important to you, as well as input from your friends, parents and teachers.
As you can imagine, there’s lots to think about, so let’s help narrow it down a bit.
What jobs are out there?Look at any industry and you’ll see there’s a mixture of generalist and specialist jobs. Some are technical, some are creative, and some are about getting your hands dirty.
So start to investigate what’s out there and keep asking…
What’s likely to be involved in particular jobs?
- What skills do I presently have?
- What skills would I need to obtain?
- Would I need to get some special qualification?
- If I did this job, where could it take me as I get older?
- Does this job offer the lifestyle that I want to lead?
As you gather the information and look at the possibilities, consider more than one industry. Often you’ll find that the same job exists in different industries, but the tasks you do could be very different. You need to keep digging to uncover the likely responsibilities you’d have, and the rewards you can expect. The more you know, the easier it will be to choose subjects you’ll enjoy and get the most from.
Search some examples of future job opportunities and read their description using the search tool below from myfuture.
Work experience is one of the best things that you can do to get informed about career pathways. Most high schools have a work experience component built into the curriculum. Even if yours doesn’t, try to get some hands on experience anyway.
Investigate options, talk to employers and just get yourself out there! Maybe your family knows someone who is involved in a career path that interests you. Talk to them. See if you can visit the work place, or even better do a couple of days giving a hand and being there on the job. Just make sure your parents and school teachers know what you are thinking so that all of the relevant work insurances cover you.
One tip – don’t leave your planning to the last minute. Some work places only have a certain amount of work experience opportunities and if you aren’t on the ball, another student might snap up that work experience because you took too long to contact the employer.
Start dreaming and plan big! You might find an extremely exciting work experience that will give you great memories for the rest of your life… as well as open up a career pathway that exceeds your expectations. Don’t waste time – go for it now!