Editorial: Career choices must be realistic

Nick Ball, career development consultant at Careers New Zealand.

Deciding what you want to do when you finish school is a big decision.

When I was at intermediate I decided I wanted to be a journalist but I still remember feeling overwhelmed when it came to crunch time and I had to start applying for university years later.

There is no point studying something you are not going to enjoy. That will only set you up for three painful years of study and then more than 40 years of work in a job you don't enjoy.

At the same time, thought needs to be given to what sort of job you want to get into when you finish your studies.

I loved history but knew I didn't want to be a teacher so steered away from a Bachelor of Arts.

Nick Ball, career development consultant at Careers New Zealand, this week told the Bay of Plenty Times many people studied marine studies and sport and recreation but there were not a lot of jobs in those areas and students ended up stuck working in jobs for which they were over-qualified.

It's a fine balancing act. If I had been too worried about the number of journalism jobs on offer, I probably wouldn't have taken the course I did.

I knew it was a tough industry to get into but I was willing to work hard to be the best at what I did and to start at the bottom and work my way up.

I was never the most naturally talented writer but I was willing to put in the hard yards, and look how it's worked out.

I am a big believer in the more practical courses some universities and polytechs offer. They teach the skills you need to start work in the industry, rather than leaving students with academic knowledge only.

Many of my friends got their Bachelor of Arts or Commerce but struggled to get a job when they finished.

There are a lot of transferable skills you learn doing those sorts of degrees that employers look for but it really leaves you back where you were when you finished school, wondering what job you could do.

Study what you are passionate about but be realistic about the number of jobs in that field. If you are willing to put in the hard yards and do what it takes to make it a career, you will be fine.