Advice for school leavers facing ‘tough trade-off’ in career choices

The ideal career for young Aussies is one that allows them to buy a home, travel, survive the impact of technology and follow their passions. Experts reveal whether this is “realistic”.

Choosing a career is increasingly difficult for Australia’s youth, who worry their preferred occupation may not pay enough to afford a home and a decent lifestyle, or survive the impacts of automation.

With the income now needed to buy a house in Australia’s capital cities eclipsing the amount most people earn, experts say salaries carry far greater weight than skills and interests when it comes to the career decisions of young people.

Research from school leaver service Year13 shows almost a third of young Aussies are choosing a career that is higher paying, but not what they’re most passionate about.

The ability to work remotely also factors into job choices, with more than one in five young people unable to afford to live where they want to pursue a career.

Young people are also anxious about whether their chosen career that will exist in years to come and not be replaced by automation.

Year 12 student Olivia Baker hopes to pursue a veterinary career in a regional area.

The tough trade-off

Today’s youth are being forced to make a “tough trade-off” and choose jobs with incomes that will allow them to “survive” rather than a career they are passionate about, Year13 co-founder Will Stubley says.

“Young people now really need to sit down and work out if the life they want and the career they want match up, because even the notion of having the same careers as mum or dad and living the same lifestyle they have often isn’t realistic today,” Stubley says.

“It makes choosing a career harder for young people because the basis of a happy and successful career is generally one which the person is deeply intrinsically motivated by.

“When young people start choosing careers based more on pay than passion just so they can afford to live comfortably, the foundations for their career long term won’t be as strong.

“Young people really need to find the best balance they can between pay and passion, as both help in life and in their careers.”

Stubley encourages young people to identify their skills and interests and look for ways to incorporate these into jobs or sectors experiencing strong growth.

“Those interested in something like graphic design may also complete qualifications in UX or UI design to better access the tech industry,” he says.

“Or if you’re keen to get into a secure and well-paying industry, like mining, but don’t want to be working in the mines, you can look at office-based roles like marketing, accounting and law, which help these huge companies function.

“There are always lateral ways you can use your skills and talents to earn more or to enter a well-paying field you’ve really got your heart set on outside of the main route in.”

Regional work offers affordable lifestyle

Year 12 student Olivia Baker hopes to pursue a veterinary career after she finishes school at Scotch College Adelaide, and find work in rural Australia.

She says while the career path will indulge her love of animals, choosing to work in a regional area will also offer a more affordable lifestyle.

“(Costs of living) do play on my mind,” Baker says.

“There’s definitely a lack of vets in remote Australia and … rural living is probably a lot more affordable than living in the city.

“It’s really important for me that I do something I love … but it’s also really important to create a life for myself where I’m comfortable and (earning enough money) to provide for myself.”

Young people are anxious to choose careers that will allow them to buy a home, travel and survive the impact of technology, says Scotch College Adelaide principal Trent Driver.

Pairing passion with pragmatism

The economic climate is forcing young people to “pair passion with pragmatism” when choosing careers, Scotch College principal Trent Driver says.

He says despite their optimism, young people are anxious to choose careers that will allow them to buy a home and to travel, as well as survive the impact of technology.

HECS debts are also a worry for many young people, Driver says, in some cases causing them to choose professions with lower training fees.

“Those factors are all playing out in (career discussions with students) in schools and they’re influencing a lot of decisions around future career paths,” Driver says.

“Particularly, when it comes to AI and the acceleration of technology. Students are wondering whether the jobs of today are going to be there tomorrow.”

Driver believes having strong transferable skills will set young people up well for the future, especially in jobs that are yet to be created.

Microcredentials can also fill knowledge gaps where required, he says.

Prince Alfred College career counsellor Monica Magann says with many young people showing entrepreneurial desires, a career that offers flexible work hours is also needed to squeeze in a side hustle.

She says work-life balance is top of mind for many.

Magann encourages young people to seek career advice and undertake work experience as a means of finding a profession that is both enjoyable and will meet their lifestyle needs.

“You definitely have got to (find a job that will) make enough money to pay the bills, but you still need to be true to yourself and do something that you are going to love,” she says.

Pay versus passion

• 31 per cent of young people choose careers that pay well but are not what they are most passionate about

• 22 per cent cannot afford to live where they want to pursue a career due to the high cost of living and housing

• 19 per cent say cost of living and housing pressures have prevented them from changing jobs in the past year

• 10 per cent have been stopped from starting a business in the past year due to the financial climate.

Source: Year13