Being 16 and faced with a career choice is no easy task. At 16, most teenagers are trying to navigate high school and the terror of hormones. Whoever decided to give a future occupation choice to a 16-year-old clearly didn’t remember what it was like to be a teenager. No two teenagers are the same. This means that no two teenagers have the same academic needs and desires.

In high school, Life Orientation encompassed the guidelines for making career choices. While some schools do career fairs really well, others lack the resources. This has urged us to think deeply about the gap in career choice making and where teenagers are struggling to find a resolution, our findings have led to the under noticed, and very valuable student advisors, and Life Orientation teachers.

So here are some of the useful things that you can learn from student advisors when making career choices:

1. Objectivity

They help remove you from your current state of mind and allow you to have a peep into what the future may hold. They do this by showing you the possibilities of your strengths. This could be a general leadership skill – like being a prefect at school or even playing on the strengths in your favourite subjects.

2. Personality tests

These tend to confuse some and anger others based on the absurdity of a computer determining your personality off a few questions – this is a valid feeling. However, their benefits are far-reaching. You may not like or agree with what they say, but they give some insight and help youngsters who may be confused about why they act out the way they do and, possibly where they could channel their energy.

3. Strengths and weaknesses

A lot of the time, these questions and findings are based on school subjects. However, they are also handy when it comes to passions and interests. You know what they say, you don’t work when you do what you love. Determining strengths and weaknesses is the start of finding something you love and never working again!

4. Availabilities

This is probably the most valuable tool that student advisors can give you. They can show you what universities offer – a course or degree you are interested in; further, they can put you in touch with groups offering bursaries and calculate your points to make sure you are applying to an institution that will suit your academic needs.

Tertiary education may not be your thing straight after school, and that is okay too! Life Orientation teachers and student advisors can help you explore great options of things to do in your gap year. Gap year experience is an amazing thing to put on your CV in the working world and might assist you in finding your passion in life!

Don’t get overwhelmed! There are always people to help you when the decision of what to study arises.