Planning for
your career
It’s a big decision to be planning what you want to do for the rest of your life – actually, research suggests you’ll have many different careers in your lifetime! Whether you’re looking to work while studying or planning your career after your study, you’ll find plenty of opportunities in our regions.
A career is not just a job; it’s also the skills and experiences you learn over a lifetime. You can plan your career by considering four things:
- What are your skills, interests, values, and talents?
- What options are there available to me?
- What will I study?
- Where will I study?
Helpful links
- Take the CareerQuest quiz to find career ideas based on your interests.
- Take the Subject Matter quiz to find ideas based on subjects you’re good at.
- Use the Careers worksheet to discover what you value in a career.
Finding a job
You can register for free at Student Job Search, which often has a range of jobs available in the area you might want to work.
Employment websites like SEEK and TradeMe Jobs are great places to find work – you can use their search function to find a role just right for you.
Other students have success with taking their CV into places they would like to work.
Interviews
Like everything in life, preparation is key. Here are some top tips to help you succeed at a job interview:
- Make sure you dress the part – wear clean and respectful clothes.
- Research the organisation
- Prepare to answer likely questions they might ask you – and think of some to ask them
- Know what to expect at the interview (is it face-to-face or via video conferencing?)
You can read more top tips here.
Your work rights
When working in Aotearoa New Zealand, everyone has the same basic legal rights to ensure you’re safe at work and your employer treats you well.
There are strict rules to ensure your safety and wellbeing in the workplace. For example, your employer must:
- Give you a written employment agreement
- Not charge you any fees for giving you employment
- Pay you at least the minimum wage
- Give you paid annual holidays
- Give you paid rest breaks and unpaid meal breaks.
Working while you study
There are many tools available to help you take the first steps in the working world, from creating CVs to the interview process.
Helpful links
There’s a lot of support available online to help you plan how to work while you study:
- Working in New Zealand
- Careers NZ – Aotearoa New Zealand’s national careers website
- Toi Ohomai – Career information and advice
- The University of Waikato – Work integrated learning
- Wintec – Student career services
Useful resources
Everyone needs a helping hand, so we’ve put together some helpful guides to help you on your journey.
Tertiary to work planner
Deciding what kind of work you want to do and where you want to do it is the essence of career planning. This planner is to help you get into a career — the steps you need to take and helpful tips.
CV guide
CV template
Covering letter
Interview guide
Let’s get to work
Aotearoa New Zealand is a great place to work. Generally, it’s a fair and safe place for people. All employees have the same rights.
If you are experiencing any work-related issues, there is free help and advice available from NauMai NZ.