This is a question that we hear way too often as children. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I did very well at school, which “opened doors”. After I finished Year 12, I was accepted in one of the most prestigious Tertiary Political Studies Institutes in France. My parents were so proud and excited, but I wasn’t. Instead, I decided to decline the offer and move to Australia. What I would do here or how long I would stay were questions I couldn’t answer.

 

I “fell” into teaching but realised several years later that the passion wasn’t there. I had completed an entire Bachelor Degree to become a teacher; I couldn’t possibly throw 4 years of university down the drain! It took me 7 years to accept that it wasn’t for me and walk away. It also took the right opportunity.

 

Now, here I am, in a job I had never considered: recruitment. It is so different from everything I have ever done, which makes it very challenging. But the biggest challenge I’ve been facing is myself. As I’ve established myself in this role I’ve had to: become a learner again; accept failure as part of the process; believe I can, and the list goes on. As difficult as it is, it is everything I was missing when I left teaching. I was no longer challenged or learning. I was bored.

 

All this is to say, it is ok not to know where you’re going with your career. Not everyone has a clear goal. I know I don’t! But I would say one thing, the day you stop learning, you stop growing, and that is probably your cue to move on.

 

Instead of allowing students to struggle with their future and the worry of not knowing what to do after finishing school, as educators, it is our job to pass on a very simple message. Keep trying things which broaden your horizons and help you grow, and you will be just fine!