Exploring Career Options
It is important to explore career options. This will help decide on your first career step after finishing school.
To make informed decisions about post-school options, you need to:
Start early and explore a large number career options
Narrow down your career options to the top three to five
Be flexible and open to emerging occupations
There are several ways that you can explore career options. Examples include:
Searching Websites With Career Information
There are many websites career information websites. Some examples of useful websites listed in this section.
The myfuture Website
myfuture is Australia's national career information service. It is for young people and people who support them. Discover occupations, courses, careers linked to school subjects, industries and more. Personalise your research on myfuture by completing your career profile.
Job Outlook
Use Job Outlook to search for occupations. Search for occupations. Find out job tasks, future job prospects, approximate pay, skills needed. Explore the top employing occupations in Australia and your region. Discover jobs that use skills you have gained in other work roles. Discover careers that match your career interests.
Australian Apprenticeship Pathways
Discover all you need to know about apprenticeships and traineeships in Australia on the Australian Apprenticeship Pathways website. Find out about:
- Apprenticeships and traineeships in various industries
- School-based apprenticeships
- Pre-apprenticeships
- Apprenticeship and traineeship training descriptions
- Apprenticeship and traineeship pathways
Test your literacy and numeracy for your preferred industry.
Get tips on how to get an apprenticeship or traineeship. Watch video clips of apprentices and trainees. Find apprenticeships and traineeships that match your work type and career interests.
100 jobs of the Future
Use the 100 jobs of the future website to:
- Browse and read descriptions for 100 jobs of the future
- Complete the Future Job Explorer quiz. This will identify your career interests and related possible jobs of the future.
SkillsRoad
From the SkillsRoad website you can
- Read information and watch videos about career options and industries.
- Find out about education and training options such as:
- Apprenticeships and traineeships
- Vocational education and training
- University
- Online courses to give you the edge in preparing for and succeeding in the workplace.
Get tips on job hunting, writing a résumé and job interviews.
Take a career quiz to get career ideas. Find jobs you can apply for on the SkillsRoad jobs board.
Industry Websites and Resources
Agriculture and Agribusiness. Discover career pathways for school leavers through to university graduates.
Australian Defence Forces Discover defence jobs, training and lifestyle. Find out about the recruitment and selection process. Learn about GAP year jobs, Defence University Scholarships, the Reserves and more.
Building and Construction. Explore career options in building and construction in Australia.
Choose Your Own Health Career. Find out careers in the health industry sector that you can do with vocational education and training (VET) qualifications.
Enquiring Minds. Explore occupations in areas such as:
- Animals and insects
- Archaeology
- Books
- Building
- Computers
- Fashion
- Human rights
- Photography
- Police
- Space
Growing Careers. Discover careers and courses in forest, wood products and paper industries in Australia.
ICT Careers. Find out about ICT (Information, Communication and Technology) jobs. Watch videos of people working in different ICT jobs.
Manufacturing Skills Association has links to career information sheets and career videos on a range of occupations in the Manufacturing Industry.
Go to the More to Mining website.Download the More to Mining Careers Guide. Read the career stories of Australians working in exciting mining careers. Explore career options for school leavers, apprentices and trainees, tradespeople and university graduates. Find out where you can study courses, and more.
My health career Explore health professions, including:
- Dentistry
- Dietetics
- Exercise Physiology & Sport
- Medicine
- Nursing
- Occupational Therapy
- Optometry
- Pharmacy
- Physiotherapy
- Podiatry
- Psychology
Rail careers Explore the rail industry. Find out the range of career options in rail and tram transport in Australia.
Rural Skills Australia Find out about career options in Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Care and Land Management. Explore training through VET in schools and at TAFE or Registered Training Organisations. Download the Career Guide.
The Seafood Jobs Explore seafood industry career options on land and on water. Discover major seafood businesses in Tasmania. Search for seafood jobs in Tasmania
Occupation Websites
Bricklayer Find out how to become a brick and block layer. It starts with an apprenticeship to get skilled and qualified. Find out the career options once you have completed your trade. Find current apprenticeships on the Become a Brick Layer jobs board.
Engineer Discover the occupation of engineer. Learn about the different engineering specialisations.
My Big Tomorrow Watch videos clips and information about 93 different career options. See how literacy and numeracy subjects at school relate to each occupation.
Surveyor Discover courses and career options in surveying.
Professional Associations for Occupations
Professional associations oversee the practice of an occupation. Many professional associations have career information on their websites.
Search professional association websites for career information.
Careers Related to School Subjects
Maths. .Search careers and watch video clips about career options related to Mathematics.
myfuture bullseyes; Explore career options related to your favourite school subject and learning areas.
STEM Read e-magazines on career options, education and training and pathways related to:
- Coding
- Economics
- Engineering
- Health
- Maths
- Science
The Girls in STEM Explore careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). You can take a career quiz. Discover STEM career pathways related to career interests. Browse hundreds of potential STEM careers with a VET or higher education pathway.
Websites of Organisations
Many organisations have career information on their websites. Check out the websites of organisations that you would enjoy working for to learn more.
Career Videos About Occupations
Australia’s Science Channel - Women in STEM
Watch video clips of a range of exciting STEM career possibilities.
My Gain Channel Watch videos of interviews with Australian apprentices and trainees. Find out the qualification they are training for, how they got their job, their job tasks and future plans.
Skillsone Watch video about many trade and skilled occupations.
Interviewing People Who Work
Interviewing people who work in an occupation of interest to you is one way to:
- Learn about an occupation or industry.
- Get a personal perspective on what it is like to work in a particular occupation or industry.
There are several ways that you can interview people who work:
- Attend career events and information sessions at school or in the community. Talk to presenters about jobs, industries and education and training options.
- Attend university and TAFE open days. Talk to people who teach courses leading to occupations that interest you.
- Interview workers while you are on work experience.
- Talk to adults you know about their occupations. and industries associated with their jobs.
- Organise an information interview with an employer or worker. An information interview is where you arrange to meet an employer or worker. You may meet them in person or using a digital platform such as Zoom. You ask questions you have prepared to get insight about an occupation or industry.
For tips on how to do an information interview, read 4 steps to a successful information interview
Job Advertisements
Job advertisements identify the duties and tasks involved in occupations. They also identify the knowledge, skills and personal qualities employers are looking for. Reading job advertisements is one way to explore occupations. Some useful websites to search for job advertisements are:
There are many more job vacancy websites. Use a search engine to find more.
Studying Related School Subjects
Many professionals work with confidential information. Due to this they cannot offer work experience to students. Studying school subjects related to an occupation can give you insights. For example, studying psychology at school may give some insight into the occupation.
Work Experience
You can research an occupation by getting work experience. There are several ways you can get work experience. These include:
- Community service and volunteering
- Part-time/casual employment
- School work experience.
Visit your school Career Practitioner to find out how to organise work experience.
