Tips for Students

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Finishing secondary school is different for us all - we may be different in age, leave with different qualifications, and have different feelings about the change. Some of us know what we want our next step to be such as getting a job, studying, or taking a ‘gap' year. However, others of us feel overwhelmed with choice, pressured to make the ‘right' choice or bombarded with suggestions from well meaning friends and family on what you should do.

Who Am I?

An important step is to take the time to do some self-discovery, to learn a little more about yourself and the world of work. It is the time to examine your interests and values and, if you haven't already discovered it, see if you can connect with a sense of purpose. Then you want to look for a ‘fit' or ‘match' between those interests and values, and your ‘next step'. You may have many options at this point; therefore narrowing the options can help you feel more confident making that initial career decision.

Information

Collecting information about the career options that interest you is essential; the more information you have, the better your career decisions will be.

Information from the internet and printed material is often easy to come by. Research different jobs and courses, read information about other people who work in areas you are interested in.
People provide another valuable source of information. Talk to people that are working in areas you find interesting, talk to training providers or industry training advisors.
Most importantly try and have some personal experience in your areas of interest. For example, if you are interested in cooking, see if you can spend some holiday time in a variety of different cooking settings - cafes, restaurants, bakeries and caterers.

Don't panic!

Many young people, (and quite a few who are not so young!), do not know what they want to do. There is no ONE perfect career path for you; we all have many options available to us. Make some plans based on good information, but have an open mind and be prepared to make a change if your first choice does not work out. Most of all, keep open to unexpected opportunities along the way!