How did you choose your career?

I finished college a couple of years ago and was dead set I would go down the Architecture route however I didn't want to spend 5k to discover I couldn't take the work load etc so I did a uni prep course where I sampled a few papers and thought maybe psyc or nursing then got UTD so now it's a toss up between nursing or midwifery!

I think it's the career services website, they have a survey you can do and based on your answers it tells you what careers might be suitable. Other wise do something you enjoy.

Do you want a career for the money or something you enjoy?

(ETA: I studied the right subjects at school to do architecture and really enjoyed it, except I tend to procrastinate which equaled many late nights although I got fab marks! I often joke that the sleepless nights prepared me for motherhood!)

Edited by Lil_Nic9

Those surveys always come up with medical type stuff, psych and teaching. Theres no way I wanna be a nurse or mw.

For me I wanna enjoy it. I don't want to get into a career just for the money and spend the majority of my day hating what i'm doing

What skills and experience do you currently have?

I've used my skills to work in different industries which has helped work out what I like and what I don't like.

There is a lot more to medical, psych and teaching than nursing or mw though.

Either talk to a careers advisor at one of the Uni's or polytechs. Or if healthcare is of interest then someone who works in the industry.

Other thing I looked at were the job vacancies and what type of jobs were out there that interested me and what was involved to work in them.

At uni I went for the papers that I loved at school. I am close to getting an accounting and a science degree so could go down either career path.

The other option you could consider is just doing the one year graduate diploma in education after doing a degree in something you love.

Melissa thanks, yeah I had discussed that about nursing, unfortunately Massey which is the only place in Wellington which offered Midwifery recently cut the degree permanently which left nursing unless I look back into the psyc degree. Architecture would be a nightmare to do now with a family!

Atm we're not in a position to relocate to another part of the country, and midwifery would also be pretty demanding too... But we'll see in a couple of years time!

Always been into science, originally wanted to be a vet. Did Bursary Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Statistics and English. Got to the intermediate semester of vet and found out that Massey Uni just wasn't for me, didn't bother applying for vet and switched uni's, did a BSc in Animal Science instead. First job in an office (vaguely related to science) I hated but second job working as a lab technician in a genetics laboratory - LOVED it. Would go back in a heartbeat except that we have moved locations. Have always known since I was little though - that I would do something science-y. I was the kid that got microscopes and chemistry sets for Christmas and birthday presents. Lol. Have thought about going back to see if I could try vet but not sure I have the commitment it takes.

Edited by Delli

I know this makes me sound like a real nerd but I always enjoyed working with numbers at school, and english was my best subject. I wanted a job where I would be able to work with numbers, write reports etc (use my writing skills) and earn a reasonable amount of money. I have quite an analytical personality so I did the first year of a business degree through Massey which was basically a broad range of business papers, and then picked the one I liked the most. Hence now after 7 years of study and work experience,and a lot of hard work I am a chartered accountant.

ETA to fix spelling.

Edited by Shelt

i started a nursing degree and changed part way (after working in a hospital) to a sport and exercise degree. i worked as a personalt trainer for a few years and ended up hating it. i went back to uni when i got pg and am now doing bio-medical science and absolutely love it. i dont care bout the good money at the end. i find that once i find the answer to something or learn as much as i can about it i get bored which i why i finally worked out id be a great research scientist :)

Originally I got into the Travel Industry because I loved travel. The perks were great but money bad and I loved Science at school but couldn't think of a job I wanted to do in the physical sciences so I did a social science degree. I got hooked on the psychology so did a bachelor then masters degree. Originally I appled for workplace psychologist jobs but there weren't many around so I got work in HR and haven't looked back. Interesting work and good money.

Half the careers around today didn't exist when I finished school in 1990. I've gained most of my skills on the job and have an apptitude for systems and processes, I like to be organised and organise others. I want to utilitse the skills I've developed over the years in IT, marketing, office admin and property when I go back to work.

I've decided to shelve my studies for the moment with a newborn on the way, I won't be able to commit enough time or $$ to make them worthwhile.

I've also discovered over the years, that self-employment isn't for me. I prefer to do my job, go home at the end of the day and collect my wages/salary each ft night etc.