What’s Your Next Move?
When I was in Year 12 I went to a lot of University Open Days, and one in particular is still etched in my mind. That morning, I had woken up excited - I was going to see the university I was planning to study at the following year. I’d done my research and had chosen Occupational Therapy as my likely first preference. I was ready to check it out and lock it in so that I could get back to focusing on Year 12 and getting the results I’d been working for.
Unfortunately, when the certainty that I’d been craving finally came that day, it was the complete opposite of what I had been hoping for. I got to the Open Day, looked around and loved the campus. Then I went to a talk about Occupational Therapy, found out exactly what it was - and fell apart. I suddenly knew that it was definitely not what I wanted to study. And if I wasn’t going to study that course, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do with my life.
When I look back now, I don’t even remember how Occupational Therapy came onto the radar for me, and how I convinced myself it was what I wanted to do when I didn’t actually know what it was. The reality is that my mindset was all over the place. I was looking at choosing my course options as another project I needed to complete, a checkbox on my to-do list that needed to be ticked off, instead of taking the time to make a well thought out, informed decision about what I should look at studying.
The right mindset for career planning
In order to have the right mindset to make good decisions around pathways and career planning, the first thing that needs to shift is the way you think about what you’re doing. A lot of well-meaning adults start even small children on a difficult path by asking them what they want to be when they grow up. Given that most people will have many different jobs and careers in their working life, it’s unrealistic to try to come up with the one career option that you are going to “end up” doing. This way of thinking can also be unhelpful and cause more stress than it’s meant to. Instead, I want you to focus on what you want to do next.
When I use the word “next”, I don’t even necessarily mean what do you want to do next year. For someone who is in Year 12 and has no idea what they want, even looking 12 months ahead is pretty difficult. The “next” that I’m referring to is the very next thing you want to do to help you on your way to a meaningful career.
This 30 day journal will help you explore you interests, strengths and values to give you a strong foundation for making aligned career choices. I can’t wait for you to dive in!
What could your next step look like?
Depending on where you’re at in your decision making, there are a variety of steps you could take. Do you want to:
Sit down and brainstorm your skills and interests to help get the ball rolling with some ideas?
Choose a friend, family member or teacher who knows you well and have a conversation with them and get an insight into what they think you’re good at?
Look at different career options based on subjects that you enjoy?
Investigate course options so that you get an idea of what’s out there?
See if you can speak to someone working in an area you’re interested in so that you can find out more about what they do?
While you’re on school holidays and you have some time to yourself, start to think about where you’re at in terms of career planning and then take the pressure off by just working on your next move. By working on one small thing at a time, by the time you need to make a decision about next year, you are much more likely to make a choice that is right for you.
