The rapidly evolving future of work can be a daunting subject for young people. As identified in the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) New Work Order report series, the way we work is increasingly changing due to three global forces; automation, globalisation and flexibility.
These forces will see more jobs being altered due to technology, more work performed remotely and more people managing several jobs at once. While these changes bring many challenges, they also bring opportunities. So how can we help demystify the future of work and help young people think about their careers as a winding pathway rather than one job for a lifetime?
Here’s five resources that will help you have better conversations with young people about career pathways.
#1 TedX Talk: How to find work you love
Scott Dinsmore quit a job that made him miserable, and spent the next four years wondering how to find work that was joyful and meaningful. He shares what he learnt about finding out what matters to you and how to get started doing it. But don’t stop there — this video is part of a playlist all about finding the right job. This is a great inspirational piece that can help you have a conversation about what you found meaningful in your job, and open the door for a young person to think about what matters at work for them.
#2 Quiz: Can We Guess Your Ideal Job Cluster Based On Your Life Choices?
Back in 2016, FYA analysed 2.7 million job ads and found some interesting trends around the skills employers want to see from applicants. The key takeaway? Rather than looking at one ‘dream job’ we should instead think about a ‘dream cluster’ – matching skills and interests to a group of jobs rather than one single role. This quiz will help young people decipher which cluster might be a good fit and broaden out the options beyond one specific job.
#3 Podcast: Working
Ever wondered what other people do all day? Maybe you’ve asked: how does a museum exhibition designer work? How does an urban farmer work? How does a CIA analyst work? Working provides a behind the scenes peek into the lives of people with jobs across a variety of industries and probably introduce careers young people may not have know existed. This can help broaden their ideas of what opportunities are open to them and then you’ll be ready to start a conversation about what they need to build the skills and capabilities for such a role.
#4 Book: How To Find Fulfilling Work
How To Find Fulfilling Work is a practical guide to examining your career path and deciding whether it will make you truly happy. Exploring the competing claims we face for money, status, and meaning in our lives, the book draws on wisdom from a variety of disciplines and thinkers to help you navigate a labyrinth of choices, overcome fear of change, and find a career in which you can thrive.
#5 Skill building: myskills.gov.au
Once they’ve got a career cluster in mind and an idea of the skills they need to build to get there – it is time to start thinking about how and where you can find those skills.
We’ve prepared some tips on how to identify courses that help you build transferrable enterprise skills like communication, teamwork and time management – skills employers are increasingly demanding of workers.
If you want to do little more research on the types of courses and the outcomes they offer, My Skills is a great place to start – for both early career starters and current workers.
FYA has partnered with the Federal Department of Education and Training to highlight the opportunities in Vocational Education for young Australians navigating the world of work. The So I Heard series explores just some of the many options out there.
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