What is a career?

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You know that big scary thing you’ve heard about called ‘a career’ (it’s not so big and scary). In fact, your career has already started. A career is not just about the job (or jobs) you’ll do. It’s the sum of all the work and life experiences you have built up throughout life. This includes knowledge and skills gained from any:

  • Education
  • Training
  • Paid, or
  • Unpaid work

It also includes family and life roles, activities, volunteer work, and community involvement. As you gain more experience in the worlds of work and life, you’re building your career.

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.