How To Find Your Ideal Career Pathway

The high school environment is very different from the real world, which is something school leavers quickly come to realise, but aren’t necessarily prepared for. This may make it challenging to discover what career path you would like to explore.

Knowing what career you want is not as simple as shown in movies or TV shows. You might not have that “calling” you feel drawn to, and even if you do, that dream can change over time.

So how do you find out what you want to do as a career? You can start by asking yourself the following questions to help you find a career pathway that suits you best.

What motivates me?

Take a step back and think about what you love about your daily life. For example, do you enjoy being outside and interacting with nature? Do you love cooking meals for your family and testing new delicious creations? Do you prefer being creative and artistic?

Understanding the things that motivate you, make you happy, and what you are passionate about is the first step towards finding the ideal career pathway.

What are my current skills?

We all have something we are good at, and it’s a great feeling when we find something we love to do and are also naturally talented at it.

Ask yourself what your talents are and what qualifications you have. Have you gained skills in a previous workplace and did you enjoy the work you completed? Aligning your motivations with your skills is a great way to understand your future and where you belong in the workforce.

What is my ideal level of work/life balance?

No two workers are ever the same. While some may enjoy working as much as possible, others prefer a more relaxed work/life balance.

How much time would you prefer working each day? Do you want to work from home or with others? Are you happy to work weekends and during busy holiday periods? Do you want to work alone, or would you prefer to work with a team?

All of these questions will help give you an indication of which field of work may be of interest to you.

What are my values?

Understanding the values you exhibit as both an individual and as an employee can also help you decide on your ideal career pathway.

Ask yourself:

• Do I want to help others? (e.g. retail)
• Do I want to work somewhere community-centric? (e.g. hospitality)
• Do I want to help make a difference in the world? (e.g. disability support worker)
• Do I enjoy caring for others and mentorship? (e.g. early learning)

Once you have identified your passions, values, skills, and preferences, NORTEC can help you take the first step in your employment journey with the Skills for Education & Employment (SEE) program.

What is the SEE Program?

If you are excited to start working but feel a little uncertain or inexperienced, the SEE Program is an excellent way to get you into shape. This is the primary program designed by the Australian Government to improve your core language, literacy, numeracy, and digital skills.

The SEE Program is available to eligible participants and aims to help you refresh or build these core skills so you can feel more qualified and confident to enter the workforce.

This program comes with the benefits of:

• Accredited trainers to prepare you for a working environment
• Flexible learning options with a variety of locations & timeframes
• The potential for advancement training & job references

To be eligible for a referral to the SEE program job seekers must:

• be of working age (15 years and above)
• be registered as a job seeker with the Department of Human Services and looking for full-time work
• not be a full-time student
• be deemed suitable for the program with a capacity to benefit.

Still need help discovering a career pathway to suit you? Take a look at our handy infographic.