They say that if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. While the accuracy of this expression is certainly debatable, everybody wants to have the best possible career they can.
For some, a good career pays well and gives them the financial freedom to enjoy life outside of work. For others, salary isn't as important and they'd rather do something that they find really fulfilling.
Ideally, we'd all love a job that pays really well while letting us do something we enjoy and are passionate about.
Since everybody has different priorities in terms of their career, it's almost impossible to say which careers are the best, but in this article, we'll look at some good ones and what things you should consider to get the most out of your career choices.
Things to Think about Before Choosing a Career
You can't really dive into most careers as there are often skills and qualifications required. It's a good idea to think carefully about what you want from your career and what you should study before setting your sights on a particular one.
For us, these are some of the most important things to consider when making career choices.
Interests
You'll want to have at least a passing interest in your career. You're likely going to spend a significant portion of your waking life doing this so at least try to make it something you're interested in.
You know yourself better than anyone else and even careers adjacent to the things you're passionate about make them far more tolerable and maybe even enjoyable, especially if you're going to have to study one of the toughest degrees just to land a job.
People doing what they love find it much easier to get out of bed in the morning and job satisfaction is higher for those whose job aligns with their passions and interests.
Skills
For most career choices, you'll have to develop specific skills for the job, but it's wise to think about what you're good at.
It's always nice to have a job that allows you to improve your skills through doing something you enjoy, but you shouldn't just do a certain job because you're good at it when you don't really enjoy it.
Long-term Goals
When making career choices, you need to think about what you really want out of your career. Certain career choices may be good in the short term, but you need to think about your own long-term prospects or you'll be back to choosing another career very soon.
These long-term goals can be personal, too. Your career needs to be compatible with your life so if you dream of travelling the world, for example, you won't want to make a career choice that's specific to New Zealand.
Industry Trends
To make smart career choices, you need to think about where certain careers are going. Much in the same way you need to think about your own long-term goals, you also need to consider the best career choices for the future, too.
Certain industries in their infancy are going to be huge in a decade and others look like they're on their way out.
Certain career choices might be good right now, but if the writing's on the wall, it's probably not smart to study and train to work in a dying industry.
The Best Paying Jobs in New Zealand
There are so many different jobs in each sector that it's difficult to say exactly which area would provide the best-paying roles, but there tend to be certain patterns and trends in some industries that make it worthwhile choosing the best degrees in that particular area.
Here are some of the areas of study that can lead to some of the best-paying jobs in New Zealand.
Accounting and Finance
Money makes the world go round and in New Zealand, accounting and finance jobs tend to be well-paid. Accountants earn an average salary of over $90,000 a year, which is much higher than the national average of $70,000.
Of course, you can work in accounting and finance without being an accountant with roles in banking and finance for financial analysts, consultants, economists, auditors, etc.
Generally, careers in accounting and finance require at least an undergraduate degree and accountants will also need professional experience plus qualifications set by accounting bodies like CA ANZ or CPA Australia.
Agriculture and Agribusiness
Agriculture and agribusiness are huge sectors in New Zealand. These kinds of careers mightn't be as big in other countries around the world, but here they certainly are.
There are plenty of academic qualifications and programs in agriculture and agribusiness and Lincoln University in Canterbury is specifically an agricultural university!
Construction and Engineering
The construction and engineering sectors in New Zealand are growing because of housing development and infrastructure projects in the country.
Engineering is a fairly broad career choice and most engineering students will likely specialise before graduating in areas such as:
- aerospace engineering
- biomedical engineering
- chemical and process engineering
- civil engineering
- electrical and electronic engineering
- environmental engineering
- geotechnical engineering
- materials engineering
- mechanical engineering
- mechatronics engineering
- software engineering
- structural engineering
Depending on the qualification, some students might have to confine themselves to a particular area of engineering whereas others can leave their options open until later in their academic career.
Digital Marketing and Communications
Digital marketing and communications is a career choice that's valuable all over the world and with more and more of the world connected via the internet, this is also a career choice with many remote working opportunities.
Most industries require digital marketing and communications specialists and this is only likely to increase over time.
For this kind of career, degrees in marketing, business, and communications are all useful, though there are now options for degrees specifically in digital marketing, too.
There are also plenty of other qualifications such as certificates and diplomas in aspects of digital marketing and communications.
Education and Teaching
Teaching is a popular career choice in New Zealand and one that students in almost any subject can do.
After all, to become a teacher, you usually need to complete an undergraduate degree in your subject and then a separate teaching qualification such as a Graduate Diploma of Teaching, a Master of Teaching, a Bachelor of Education, or a Bachelor of Teaching conjoint degree.
Healthcare
The healthcare industry is almost always looking for qualified individuals and with so many different roles to be filled, there's almost something for everyone.
You might traditionally think of doctors and nurses when you think of roles, but there are also technical and administrative roles in healthcare that might be worth exploring.
IT and Software Development
Computers and technology are such a huge part of our everyday lives. In New Zealand, the technology sector is growing and there's a need for professionals for roles in software engineering, cybersecurity, data analysis, IT project management, etc.
Qualifications such as degrees in IT, computer science, and related fields are valuable for these kinds of careers with many roles requiring a particular specialisation.
Science and Research
There are too many different career options in science to go into each of them here. However, there are plenty of established career paths for them with most scientific careers starting with an undergraduate degree in a particular science.
Some of the main career choices for science graduates include academia, research, or teaching, with many roles combining the three to differing degrees.
Some of the most popular sciences in New Zealand include:
- Agricultural science
- Biology
- Biotechnology
- Chemistry
- Computer science
- Engineering
- Environmental science
- Geology and earth sciences
- Health Sciences
- Marine Science
- Maths and statistics
- Physics
Tourism and Hospitality
Tourism and hospitality is a great career choice in New Zealand as it's a popular destination for tourists. However, this career choice is also one that comes with opportunities to travel and work in other parts of the world, especially in other popular tourist destinations.
Domestically, tourism is an important part of the economy in New Zealand so there are often career opportunities in these areas.
Trade Professions
Last but certainly not least, learning the right trade can be an excellent career choice and often one that doesn't require several years of university study.
Certain trades are always in demand and can pay very well. Some of the most popular trade professions in New Zealand include electricians, plumbers, carpenters and joiners, builders, welders, mechanics, roofers, painters and decorators, scaffolders, etc.
Get Help Achieving Your Career Goals
Whether it's choosing what you want to do or studying a particular subject, a private tutor can help you to achieve your career goals.
On the Superprof site, for example, there are tutors for almost everything you can think of in New Zealand and around the world.
You could become a better student by improving your study skills or working towards finding the right work-life balance with life coaching.
Just search for what you need help with and where you live and you'll be able to see different tutor's profiles, how much they charge, and what their other students have to say about them.
Can't find any local tutors?
Don't worry! Broaden your search to find online tutors and you'll surely find the right tutor for you and what you want to learn!
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