How to choose a career
Each person’s career journey is different, with varied pathways, challenges and outcomes. You will be influenced by different experiences and people as you progress through your career, and you may not have the same ideas about your career when you leave school, commence study or training, or enter your first job.
Remember it’s normal to make several changes during your career. These days it’s less common to stick to an occupation for life — after all, where’s the fun in that?
Where do I begin?
Ask yourself these questions to learn more about your interests and ambitions.
- What am I passionate about? Art? Science? More specifically?
- What skills do I have? What skills do I want to improve?
- Do I enjoy team work? Or would I rather work more autonomously?
- Where do I want to live? Rurally? Or in the city? Overseas?
- What are my personality traits? Am I introverted? Extroverted?
What's next? Do your research
Occupations
Collect position descriptions, advertisements and read through the job descriptions on our career pages to get an idea of what potential roles typically entail. Think about the following:
- What would a person employed in this occupation do? Does this match your interests?
- What skills, knowledge or attributes are required?
- Are there particular personal qualities that you need to have?
Employers
What business employ people in this industry?
Organise a work placement to try out an occupation and gain great insight into typical tasks, responsibilities and the work environment. This might be a short work experience stint over the holidays, a volunteering position, or a casual or part-time job.
Education and training
Chat to your teachers, career adviser, and your family and friends to get insight into careers of interest, as well as pathways and progression opportunities.
- What type of training or study will you need to undertake to enter this occupation?
- How long does the course, training or licence take to complete?
- What is the cost of education and how will you pay for it?
Industry
Think about where the occupation fits within the context of your career journey. Ask:
- Is the industry in an area of growth?
- What opportunities are provided for development, progression or professional accreditation?
- Contact industry bodies or associations for further information about occupations of interest.
