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My Career Space will be unavailable between now and noon on Wednesday 23 May while we carry out some maintenance. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Plan your career

Fill out our online survey for a chance to win an $80 gift voucher

Careers New Zealand would like your feedback on our services, and how we could improve. Fill out our 15-minute survey and you'll go in the draw to win one of three $80 Whitcoulls vouchers. Thank you for your time.

Survey - be in to win!

Contact us

Call us on 0800 222 733

Not sure what I want to do

Not sure what you want to do with your life, or been working for a while but feel like you need a change? Use our tools and information to help you learn more about yourself, your skills and values, and what you want from a job.

Where to start
Not sure about what you want to do? Your first step is to understand who you are and what you want - both from your work and your life. Here are some key questions you can ask yourself to help decide on your next steps.
Figure out what skills you have
Being able to identify all the skills you have can open you up to more career options. It can also help you work out if you have any skill or knowledge gaps that can be addressed with further training.
Skills employers are looking for
Not sure if you've got the skills employers are looking for? You may be surprised. Many of the skills employers look for in a candidate are transferable skills, or skills that can be used in a variety of jobs. Find out what skills are most valued, and what skills would be useful to learn.
Skills gained outside the workforce
You can pick up skills from many places - not just from jobs you may have had. This page helps you think about the skills you've gained outside the workforce.
Left school without qualifications?
Even if you left school without any qualifications, you still have a variety of work and training options to explore. Learn more about the different types of training available to you, and how to give yourself more options by thinking carefully about any job offers.
What are your work values?
Values are the principles or beliefs that are important to you, and they affect all aspects of your life - including your work. Knowing which work values are most important to you will help you make decisions about what jobs or career paths might suit you best.
How does work fit in with your life?
How well do you balance your job with your life outside work? Do you find time to spend with family and friends, and time for your hobbies, or does work always come first? Find out how you can get a better split between your job and the other aspects of your life.
Stages of career development
What’s important in our career development at the different stages of our lives? It may be surprising, but right from birth you develop skills and qualities that contribute to your career. Find out about the different stages of development that you and your family/whānau may experience.