How to get ideas for your career

Know yourself

Explore career ideas using our industry information and jobs database

Another way to get career ideas is to explore our industry information and jobs database. Often you may have an idea about a broad area you want to work in, and the industry pages can help you come up with some job options based on those areas.

So, if you are interested in film and television, and have some skills you think are relevant, you could look at the 'Film, television, radio and media' industry information. This would give you a breakdown of the types of jobs in that industry, and what they involve. You could also look at whether or not there were good job opportunities in that industry.

Looking at industry information can also introduce you to job options that you didn't know existed.

You can click through to job profiles from the industry pages, or note them down and look them up later on our job database.

• Jobs database - look up industries and jobs that interest you
  

Look for opportunities around you

You can also get job ideas just by tuning yourself in to job ideas that may be all around you. For example, you may get ideas from:

• TV programmes, the conversations you have, magazines, or just by paying attention to what people are doing while you're running errands or walking around town. Take a note of any jobs you find interesting, or want to investigate further.
• browsing the situations vacant section of the newspaper or looking on job vacancy websites. Don't just look at the headings, read about what the job involves and what skills are needed - a job may not be what you think it is.
• noticing what jobs don't exist. You might have a clear idea of what you want to do, but haven't seen the job that fits your criteria. Approach relevant people or organisations who might want to employ such a person, and see what opportunities exist. Or, you may simply notice that a business you use doesn't offer a service you think it should - and you can help them. 

• Job vacancy and recruitment website links - browse job ads online to get ideas
  

Get others to help you come up with ideas

Sometimes other people may be able to see you more clearly than you can see yourself. Maybe you don't recognise the skills or talents that you have, or maybe they can more clearly see your strengths. Asking others for help can open up some new career ideas for you.

Try asking:

• family/whānau
• friends
• employers 
• your church or community group leaders
• teachers.

You may also get some ideas by looking at what the people around you do for a job. For example, take a look at the jobs your immediate and extended family do. Do any of these appeal? It is quite common for people in a family to have talents in the same areas, or work in similar jobs or industries.

Create a job list

After working through the know yourself activities, and doing some research, you should now have a list of job ideas that interest you.

The next step is to take another look at your shortlist based on what you've learned about your work values, skills, interests, your commitments and current situation. You may be able to cross some possibilities off the list.

• Find out more about the jobs that interest you - next steps
  

Find out more