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6.1. FIND OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT
in the booklet itself, for example Computer Science on page 126. You will see that you can study towards different degrees or diplomas in this career direction.
You will notice that there are different entry requirements for these options; they take different amounts of time to complete, and can be studied at different tertiary study institutions. Page 31 tells you exactly how to read and understand the ‘Programme Choice List'.
So you realise there are some gaps in your career knowledge, but how do you find out more about careers you don't know about? Here are some ideas...
• Ask your Life Orientation (LO) teacher, parent or another adult to
explain more about the career directions you're unsure of.
• Perhaps you have a family friend, neighbour or relative who does the job you are interested in finding out more about. Speak to them about their job.
• Use the contact info on pages 260 to 271 to check online for more information on your institution of choice and the career direction that seems interesting to you. Have a look at www.pacecareers.com. This great website provides a lot of information about different types of jobs and careers. It also gives you ideas about where to find out further information, such as through professional bodies or associations. Do their extremely helpful quiz to find out more about what careers you might suit.
• You could also look in your school or public library for books on careers.
Now that you've done some research into the career directions, rate which three sound most interesting to you. Look these up in the Programme Choice List to see how to study towards them.
Another way to refine your knowledge of your top three career directions is to speak to people working in these fields. You could phone a company in the industry to find out more. If they are not too busy, people are often very flattered to tell you about what they do. Phone them and say, "... Good morning/afternoon, my name is _____ and I want to study towards a career in ______. I am trying to find out more about what the career involves on a day-to-day basis. I would really appreciate speaking to someone in this career in your company".
Before you make this call, write down the questions you need to ask, e.g., what do you do on a day-to-day basis; are there jobs available in this career; what is the earning potential; how many hours do you work a week? etc. Remember to thank the person for their time!
You could also phone the institution you are thinking of studying through and ask to speak to their career counsellor. Many institutions have one of these and the service is free of charge. Or you could speak to the Admissions Office for details about the content of programmes. See contact details on pages 260 to 271.
After you have followed the steps above, rate your knowledge of careers.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 0
Wow! Your career knowledge has grown! Well done.
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