How do I choose a career that is right for me?
When it comes to choosing a career path, it is important to remember that it is OK to change your mind and explore a variety of career options.
When considering possible career paths, you might want to think about:
• Your interests or hobbies
• Your favourite subjects
• The training and education required for careers that interest you
• Current growth occupations or industry 'skills shortages'
• New or emerging occupations and industries
• Your moral and social values
If you are still stuck and are really unsure of what to do next, there is a website called Job Outlook which can help you decide what you may want to do. You can research different jobs and see what you will need to study, average pay or what kind of skills you will need to flourish in that industry. You can even take a short quiz which might even suggest a career path you would've never thought of!
Where can I go for career advice?
Have A Chat With Your Careers Teacher
Have a chat with your careers teacher about your future. Every school has a careers teacher. They can still give you advice, even if you've left school. Remember, these teachers are there to help you and are a great place to start if you are not sure which career pathway you want to take.
Visit Centrelink
If you have already left school, aged between 15-20 years old and you are a jobseeker on Newstart or you receive Youth Allowance then you can obtain Career advice through Centrelink. Not sure how to connect with Centrelink or would like to apply for Youth Allowance? To access information on how to get plugged into the service, please click the button below.
Browse Careers Websites
There is a wealth of information on the internet which you can access via websites that can help you figure out what kind of career you would like to pursue. Job Outlook & Job Search are two websites that have already been mentioned but there are heaps more for you to look at! Below are links to some careers websites we at the mmvllen think are useful in finding out what your next steps are.
Visit Your Local Youth Centre
Your local youth centre will generally have youth workers who can help you navigate your way around finding a career and what steps you will need to take. The best way to see how they could potentially help you would be to pop in for a visit, give them a call, send through an email or DM them via their social media accounts.
Ask People Who Work In The Career You Are Interested In
When you have a few ideas about careers that interest you, it can be useful to talk to people who work in those areas. You could also consider doing some work experience in those occupations and industries to find out whether you are interested and suited to a career in that area.
Going to TAFE or Uni?
TAFEs and universities will have a career advice service that can provide information about the courses and subjects needed for particular careers. However, sometimes these services are only available to students who are enrolled or considering enrolling at that TAFE or university. There are some services located at certain TAFEs which you can access without having to enroll or attend that institution. These are known as Skills and Jobs Centres and they are more than happy to assist or answer any questions you may have.