Evaluate your current situation - what opportunities are available
When you are about to finish industry training you may want to start thinking about your future. It's important to have some ideas about where you want to go and what you want to do. Keep reading to get advice on this.
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Guide to travelling and working overseas
Networking - creating opportunities
Today's business world is becoming more and more competitive and skilled labour is in demand. Networking can help broaden your job options and find out more about opportunities in the industry. It's so easy, yet really effective. All you have to do is grab every opportunity. For example, if your work organises some social events to thank customers or clients for their business, go along and make some new contacts or strengthen current ones.
Remember, be polite and professional around all business partners and customers you are interacting with - you never know when you will meet them again or if they will be able to help you in the future.
Networking - read more about networking
Meet with your employer
If you're unsure about your future with your current employer and you want to find out about your opportunities, it's a good idea to schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss your options. You should have a general idea of what you want to find out before you have the discussion.
- Before meeting your employer, think about the questions you want to ask
If you're unsure about your future with your current employer and you want to find out about your opportunities, it's a good idea to schedule a meeting with your manager to discuss your options. You should have a general idea of what you want to find out before you have the discussion.
Questions you may want to ask are:
- Where do you see my future in this organisation?
- What do I need to do to increase my salary?
- What are the opportunities to progress and develop?
- You've watched me work, and now have a good idea about my skills. Do you have any ideas about my skills. Do you have any ideas about where I could head with my career?
Professional registration and joining professional groups
Some professions have compulsory or voluntary registration or licensing. Find out if registration or licensing is something you need to consider once you've finished your training.
Registration assures the public that you are practising your trade to a high standard. It also means you are accountable to an industry association or professional body.
By joining an industry association you get to network with people in your field, and find out about upcoming conferences, new research in your field, issues within your profession, and ongoing training and job opportunities.
Ask at work, check with your industry training organisation (ITO), or search on the Internet for the industry association responsible for your registration. You can also check our job information for advice on registration.
How to get registered:
- It's best to contact your industry association or professional organisation directly for the details of how to register.
- Usually you need to pay a registration fee, and work for a certain period of time in your profession.
- You may need to be required to show prof of ongoing professional development.
Specialising
Some people who do industry or trade training specialise in an area of the job they particularly enjoy, or think has potential for high demand in the future. If you haven't specialised but think you might like to now you've finshed your training, talk to your employer about the options available to you. Alternatively, you could get in contact with your ITO.
- Could specialising now help your work opportunities in the future?
Some examples of specialisation are:
- boat building apprentices could specialise in wooden construction
- painting and decorating apprentices could specialise in industrial coating.
It doesn't matter if you want to specialise now or in the future, but it is important to keep yourself up to date with what the market needs. Your flexibility or ability to specialise could determine your career opportunities.
Case study - Emma
Emma has been learning all about horticulture during her apprenticeship over the last three years. She always had an interest in plants and just loves to get her hands dirty and see the results of her hard work - a beautiful garden. The thing that she enjoys most is landscaping and she'd really like to specialise in that.
Emma's current employer doesn't get many requests for landscaping so she is looking into changing jobs so she can do what she feels passionate about. She may also contact her ITO, the New Zealand Horticulture Training Organisation (HITO), to find out what other options she has.
Industry training organisation contact list
Entrepreneurship
Do you have a good idea for a new business and want to be your own boss? If you have the knowledge and drive to be successful, start thinking about what else you may need to start your own company.
There are a lot of advantages to being your own boss but before you make that step be sure what to expect and plan for what you want to achieve. It’s very important to do the groundwork. This can be hard work but there are organisations that can help get you started.
Case study - Mika
Mika feels that he has learned a lot during his apprenticeship in plumbing and gasfitting. His dad is a plumber and that's how he first thought about doing it himself. Mika's friend is contracting out his services and makes quite a bit of money. Mika would like to do the same and be his own boss.
It seems that plumbers and gasfitters are in short supply so he can really see this working. His dad wants to support him in any way he can. He is really happy in his job but might join Mika later. He told him about all the advice and support that he can get from the Government.
Mika's plan is to look into this idea further while staying with his current employer, so he has an income until he figures out exactly what he has to do and how to go about it.
Be your own boss - help to decide if that's right for you
biz website - information and tools for managing your own business
- Could you combine working with travelling?
Travelling and working overseas
Many countries allow those with a New Zealand passport to work for a certain period of time. Depending on your age, your qualifications, your ancestry and your language skills, you will find there are many opportunities for New Zealanders who want to work overseas.
Chrissy Spence - Arborist and Champion
The entire world opened up for arborist Chrissy Spence after she entered the local tree climbing competition.
"One competition just led into another and then, I won the New Zealand comp in 2003 and then they said, ‘Oh, you can go to the worlds now,’ [the International Tree Climbing Championship] and I was just like, ‘What?’
"It was really cool. All these people I’d seen in magazines, I was shaking hands with them and getting photos with them."
Chrissy came second at her first worlds, and won at her second. Besides winning many medals, she's met a community of supportive people and got jobs in Germany and Australia. She's still surprised at how her career has turned out.
"I went from being a little Gisborne girl who thought she’d never leave home, to knowing people in most countries."
Read more about Chrissy's struggles with reading and writing and how she overcame them
