What to Do When You Have No Idea What Career Is Right for You
How to know what career is right for you? Reflect on your interests, assess your skills, and explore career paths with expert advice to find your perfect fit.
If you’re unsure about your career path, it’s time to do some homework. Start by reflecting on your interests, assessing your skills, and researching education and job opportunities.
Every person has unique personality traits and strengths, along with distinct ambitions and lifestyle goals. While some people have a defined career pathway from an early age, others develop clarity over time as they access better information and explore new ideas.
Begin with honest, deep self-reflection. Identify what excites you, where your skills shine, and what lifestyle you want to achieve.
Then, seek external guidance. Industry professionals and career consultants can provide expert support, offering insights into pathways that match your personality and aspirations.
The following process should help you answer this important question: "What career is for me?"
Identify Your Interests
Most people want to follow a career path that aligns with their interests and values. While it's not always possible to do exactly what you want, you can find a professional role that matches your personality.
From the outset, you should think about what excites you and how you like to spend your time.
Start by reflecting on your work style and preferences:
Do you prefer creative projects or problem-solving tasks?
Do you enjoy working by yourself or spending time with others?
Next, consider your interests and passions:
What activities make you lose track of time?
What topics or industries do you naturally gravitate towards?
How do you spend your leisure time?
Reflecting on these questions can help you spot patterns, narrow your options, and focus on careers that align with your interests.
Review Your Strengths
Along with your interests, think about your learned skills and innate strengths. Some tasks may feel easier because of your education or natural ability. Recognising these strengths can help guide your career choices.
For example, are you great at talking to people, solving problems, or staying organised? If you have strong people skills, a role in HR or teaching could be a good fit. If you’re analytical and enjoy working with numbers, careers like accounting or data analysis might suit you better.
Start by asking yourself these questions:
What tasks come easily to me that others often struggle with?
What skills or abilities have others praised or recognised in me?
What achievements am I most proud of?
Consider all aspects of your strengths—intellectual, emotional, and physical. Think about both hard skills (like technical expertise) and soft skills (such as communication, teamwork, or problem-solving).
If you find particular strengths lacking but still of interest, remember it’s never too late to learn and grow through education or training.
Discover Your Options
Once you understand yourself and how you work, start exploring your options.
Take a Career Quiz
If you're unsure where to start, a career quiz can help point you in the right direction. These tests assess your interests, strengths, and work preferences to suggest suitable career paths.
Free career aptitude tests like the Explore Careers Quiz and the Training.com.au Career Quiz can provide useful insights.
While no quiz can give a perfect answer, tools like these can give you a great starting point when asking, "What career should I have?"
Researching Industries and Job Roles
Learning about different industries and jobs can help you find a career that suits you.
Look at job descriptions, required skills, and future opportunities. Check salary expectations, job demand, and industry trends—Jobs and Skills Australia is a great resource to help you find this information.
Try Volunteering or Internships
Gaining hands-on experience is one of the best ways to figure out what career is best for you.
Internships, apprenticeships, and volunteer positions let you test different roles, allowing you to match skills and see what daily work looks like.
Short-term volunteering and work experience programs can provide you with unique insights before you make a long-term commitment.
Consult with Experts
There are lots of career opportunities in Australia, but sometimes you need a helping hand. A third-party viewpoint can provide new levels of clarity, removing confusion through personal guidance.
Reach Out to Professionals
Talking to people in the field is a great way to learn about a career.
Connect through LinkedIn, networking events, or mutual connections. Ask people about their daily work, challenges, and career path to see if it's what you want.
Most people are happy to share their experiences, so don’t be afraid to ask.
Connect with a Career Consultant
Choosing the right career can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to figure it out alone. A career consultant can help you understand your strengths, explore options, and find a path that suits your goals.
At Swinburne Open Education, we offer practical, personalised guidance to help you make informed decisions about your future.
With a wide range of nationally recognised VET courses, you can gain real-world skills in:
Business, Finance & Accounting
Education
Animal Science
Community Services
Visual & Graphic Design
Our flexible online courses make it easy to learn at your own pace while building skills for your future.
Need help choosing the right course? Our friendly consultants are here to chat - contact us today.
Career FAQs
If you don’t know what career to choose, start with these steps:
Reflect on your interests and strengths.
Research courses and career paths that align with them.
Seek professional support for personalised guidance.
Additionally, you can take a career quiz to gain more ideas and inspiration.
To choose the right career, think about what you enjoy doing and where your strengths lie. Look for careers that match your interests, skills, and values. If you need extra guidance, talking to a career professional can help.
Some of the career tests to help you choose a job include:
Training.com.au Career Quiz
MAPP Test
Holland Code Quiz
Personality tests like the Keirsey Temperament Sorter and Myers-Briggs career test can also help.
To find a career that fits your personality, identify your key traits and what energises you—whether you're creative, analytical, or people-focused. Research careers that align with those traits, and consider personality tests or professional advice for clearer guidance.
Yes, you can change careers at any time. In fact, the average person goes through 3-7 careers before retiring. Research your options, take relevant courses to build skills, and seek advice from mentors or career professionals to create a clear action plan.