Finishing school can create more questions than answers about your future, for example:
“I want to get a job, but how do I find jobs that suit me?"
"I want to go to uni but I don’t know what to do...”
“What course should I be doing to get a particular job?”
“How do I know what university or vocational education and training (VET) provider to go to?”
Tips for working out your next steps after school
- Reflect.
Take some time to reflect on what you want out of a job and what activities you enjoy doing. This could help you understand what type of job might suit you.
- Set goals.
Work out your short, medium and long term goals to help you plan your post-school journey.
- It's ok to ask for help.
Talk to your career adviser, parents, teachers or even someone from an industry that you are interested in. They can help you navigate the many different pathways which could lead to your chosen career.
- Research.
Do some research on different jobs and occupations. Look up jobs that interest you through the A to Z search on the Jobs and Skills Australia website.
- Find a pathway.
Consider alternative pathways to jobs you want. This could include doing an apprenticeship or traineeship, undertaking contract work or gig economy jobs, starting your own business or volunteering. Remember that not all jobs require further study or training as an entry requirement. Although some entry-level positions require you to have licences or tickets before you can start work.
By investing a little effort researching the type of job or industry you might like to go into, and the pathway options you have, you can go from:
“I don’t know what to do or where to start when I finish school” to:
“I would like to be a graphic artist and this university or VET course will be the best pathway for me to achieve this”.
