How To Choose A Career Path If You Don’t Even Know What You Want For Dinner

career path

It’s unrealistic to think that everyone should have formed an entire life plan before they can legally vote. I’ve been able to legally vote for over a decade and I still haven’t the slightest clue what I plan to prep for dinner in a few hours, let alone what I’ll be doing in 20 years.

So, yes, if there was one word of advice from this humble floater, it’d be to not stress if you haven’t got it all figured out just yet (or ever). The good news is that there are countless options out there to help you narrow down what you might want to do, so why not make the most of it?

The below is merely a stepping stone situation, but hopefully it’s at least a teeny, tiny bit helpful.

Talk to anyone and everyone

Just because someone gives you advice, doesn’t necessarily mean you have to take their advice.

I’ve found that talking to as many people as possible can actually be useful – regardless of their expertise – because they’ll give you a slightly different perspective. Worst-case scenario, if you cop some advice you think is hooey, you’ll know to avoid going down that route.

Ideally, you’ll want to speak to people who have had experience in specific fields or areas of study you’re interested in, as they’ll be able to give the most accurate insight. Again, though, everyone’s experience is different, so don’t let one specific story deter you or influence your decision-making.

It’s all about collecting as much info as possible and then sorting through it.

Attend different expos or open days

Speaking of chatting to anyone and everyone, why not do it in a setting where academics are recruited specifically to talk to people about their options. You’re not badgering anyone with endless questions – in fact, they’re there to answer your endless questions.

Open days and career expos also offer endless info related to studying and careers, and that info comes straight from the mouths of people who have experienced it.

Plus, you’ll probably walk away with pamphlets, and who doesn’t love perusing a pamphlet?

Try out a few options

There’s nothing to say that when you do land on a potential career, you’re stuck with it until you’re old and living in Fiji (the dream).

Vocational education and training (VET) programs are designed to give you practical skills that can be applied to a range of different fields, so going down that route might actually help you land on a career path while you learn.

NSW Gov’s VET programs offer courses in agriculture, nursing, finance and accounting, management, design and childcare, to name a few, and if that doesn’t cover a broad enough range of what the Australian workforce has to offer, I dunno what to tell you.

You can check out more info and suss what’s right for you right here.

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