You know that big, scary thing you’ve heard about called “a career”? Well, here’s the good news – it’s not as intimidating as it sounds. In fact, your career has already begun.
A career isn’t just about the job (or jobs) you’ll have in the future. It’s the full story of your work and life experiences – everything you’ve learned, done, and contributed over time. It’s shaped by the knowledge and skills you’ve gained through:
- Education
- Training
- Paid work
- Unpaid work
But it doesn’t stop there. Your career also includes the roles you’ve played in your family and community, the activities you’ve taken part in, the volunteer work you’ve done, and the ways you’ve been involved in the world around you.
Every experience – big or small – helps build your career. Whether you’ve led a group project, helped out at a local event, cared for a family member, or learned something new in a course, it all counts. And as you continue to grow, explore, and take on new challenges, your career will keep evolving with you.
What are ‘career’ decisions?
You’ve probably already made career decisions without even knowing it. So imagine what you can do when you really put your mind to it!
These are the sorts of career decision questions you’ll be asking yourself as a teenager:
- What work experience will I do?
- Which subjects will I select for Year 10?
- Could I do a school based apprenticeship?
- Should I try out for the school cricket team?
- Would cadets be a good option for me?
- Do I enter the work force after Year 12?
- Or do I take a gap Year?
- Or maybe I do a two-year TAFE course?
- How do I get a casual job?
- Should I do some volunteer work?
But of course, it doesn’t stop there. These are the sort of career questions you’ll be asking yourself as an adult:
- Can I go for that promotion at work?
- What course should I do to learn new skills?
- Should I take a gap year?
- Which is the best organisation for me to volunteer with?
- Should I apply for a new job?
- Do I switch to another job in a different industry?
- Do I do some online?
- Do I think about finding a second job to help pay off the mortgage?
- Could I coach the local sports team?
Expect to have an exciting and varied career
It’s estimated that young Australians will have 17 different employers*. And that doesn’t even count the personal life decisions you’ll make along the way! This means you’ll be making career related decisions all through life.
Find out about the steps to take when making career decisions in our article here. It’ll give you loads more confidence and, hey, the more practise you get the easier it will get over time.
* McCrindle Research (2014) “Job mobility in Australia” using HILDA and Department of Employment data.