Over your lifetime, you will spend about 80 000 hours working, so it’s important to study for a fulfilling career that suits your abilities, interests, and personality. It’s a big decision to make and we’re here to help you.
1 Who am I?
To choose the right career you must know who you are. High school and the years just after are a time of personal exploration. Find a quiet place and ask yourself: Who am I? How do I like to spend my time? What gives meaning to my life? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Discover them by trying out new tasks or activities or volunteering at organisations whose work interests you. One way to get to know yourself better is by doing a personality test. It is a quiz that identifies your personality type, interests, strengths, and weaknesses to determine a career that would suit you best.
2 What are my capabilities?
It’s important to choose a career that matches your abilities. For example, if you’re good at public speaking, a career as a news anchor or motivational speaker might be a great choice for you. Your school marks can give you some indication of your academic capabilities, but the best option is to do an aptitude test.
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Where can I do personality and aptitude tests?
- Some schools have resident career counsellors – book an appointment.
- If your parents or guardians have the means, book an appointment with a qualified career counsellor in your area.
- There are many online personality quizzes and aptitude tests, some better than others, but they should give you an indication of who you are and of your capabilities. 16Personalities helps provide insights into your personality type and suggests careers that match your traits.
There are various tertiary institutions nationwide. They include public universities, public TVET colleges, and private higher education institutions that offer full-time, part-time or distance learning. You can also choose between a certificate, diploma or a degree. So, depending on your academic results and financial situation, you are spoiled for choice.
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Post Matric will help you with career guidance and study advice. You can also read through inspiring stories of different South Africans and the careers they chose.
National Career Advice Portal is an online self-help tool to help you make career and study decisions.
What are my constraints?
Everyone has different life circumstances. These will impact your career choice and the options available to you.
The main ones are finances, time, and existing responsibilities. Consider the total costs of your studies – some degrees take longer to complete and cost more. Can your parents afford it, or do you need a study loan? Do you need to provide for any dependants or have any other family obligations? These will impact where you can study and what schedule would work for you. You might need to study near home, through distance learning, or part-time.
Also consider whether your chosen career path will pay you enough to cover your living expenses, debts, dependants, and other expenses. Lastly, if you are a person with a disability, the campuses of some universities and institutions of higher learning are more accessible than others – so do your research beforehand.
Don’t feel overwhelmed by the multitude of choices before you. You have time on your side.
Further reading
Career help occupations
Go study career quiz
80 000 Hours
National Youth Development Agency
Sources
Career help: Career Choice
ETDP SETA: 2023 ETDP SETA Learner Career Guide
Study.com: Guide to Career Planning for High-School Students
Varsity College: Not Sure What to Study At Varsity? Helpful Tips For Choosing The Right Course
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