Kia Kaha

As Māori we are unique, whether we have been brought up traditionally or not. Our view on life is special. It is a holistic one that incorporates our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual beliefs and social values. Knowledge is gained from all of these and woven together into a kete, which all of us carry and add to on our life journey.

That knowledge of our culture and ourselves is becoming more highly valued in workplaces. The challenge for us is to take the knowledge and apply it to our work, as well as continuing to add to it by learning from all our roles in life such as kaitiaki, parent, friend or member of a kapa haka group.

We need to stand tall on the basis of our values, beliefs and knowledge, while reaching for new opportunities in education and work. To make good life decisions we need to affirm our strengths as individuals and as members of our whanau.

He Pātai/Questions:

• Do I know the things I'm good at and enjoy doing?
• Do I know what my goals are and what I want to achieve in life?
• Do I believe in the uniqueness of being Māori and how it applies today?
• Do I have people who believe in me and support and encourage me?

A skill is the ability to do something, whether it's playing a guitar, preparing a hangi or writing a waiata. Skills are what fill our kete. We gather them from every experience throughout our life, right from the moment we are born.

Skills vary widely and we use them in everything we do: surviving day to day, caring for our kāumatua or mokopuna, providing manaakitanga to visitors, being a member of iwi, hapu or whanau groups, and performing on the sports field or in a kapa haka group.

Our skills help us contribute to our whānau and community. We use them to provide an income, support each other and enrich our own lives. It is important that we don't undervalue our skills or take them for granted. Every skill we add to our kete assists us in reaching for our goals.

He Pātai/Questions:

• Am I aware of the skills I have?
• Do I have all the skills I need for the roles I have and want in life, and to achieve my goals?
• Do I know where to go to use, develop and increase my skills?

Māori have a tradition of passing on knowledge and skills, and seeking support and advice from people we trust and respect. We should do the same with our career decisions and plans.

If you have answered "kaao/no" to any of the questions under Mātauranga or Tautohito you might like to think about who you can go to for advice and guidance. Some ideas of who these people might be are:

• Career Services Kaitohutohu or Career Consultants
• Pouwhakataki, whānau, community or workplace members you admire, or who provide you with positive support
• teachers, tutors or Kaiako
• liaison staff at training providers, or employers in the areas that interest you
• staff in community, government and health agencies.

You could ask them questions about:

• their ideas of what you are good at
• the jobs or courses you are interested in
• what steps you need to take to reach your goals
• their career experiences and achievements.