There are lots of decisions to make as you go through the senior school and as you think about what you want to do when you leave school.

Talk to our Careers Advisor

For help and support in your decision making, you can make an appointment with the Careers Advisor at school. Email our Careers Advisor, Mrs Paton at anne.paton@stmw.school.nz to make an appointment. Parents are welcome to attend.

Find out about the options and pathways

There are many websites and resources that can also help you with decision making. You might like to explore the Careers NZ website. It’s full of information and tools to help you consider future career options. Click here for the Careers NZ Homepage

The links below may be useful starting points on the Careers NZ website:

1. Choosing NCEA subjects

Click here for help and tips on choosing NCEA subjects that lead to vocational pathways and future careers.

2. Choosing career paths

Click here for a good starting point for ideas about careers: Ideas for Careers.

3. For some introductory information about study and training opportunities

Click here for a starting point about opportunities for Study and training.

Resources for Parents

We recommend that parents and caregivers access this very useful support resource designed and maintained by the Careers And Transition Education Association of NZ.

Look at other pages on our St Mary’s College website

Considering a Gap Year?

At the end of Year 13 some students consider taking a year off from study. Here are some of the ‘pros and cons’ of a gap year:

Pros:

you can take time to think about your next steps
you can earn some money to help cover fees
you can gain work experience
some programmes give opportunities for service and a chance to give back
you may be able to travel and explore the world

Cons:

you start your tertiary study a year behind your classmates
on return, you may find it hard to settle to study and to pick up certain subjects
you may not save as much money as you intend

If you’re signing up for a gap year programme overseas, check out all the costs and charges involved.

Have a look at these websites to get an idea of different options available:

VSA www.vsa.org.nz

Camp America www.campamerica.co.nz

International Working Holidays www.iwh.co.nz

Nannies Abroad www.nanniesabroad.co.nz

Student Exchange Australia New Zealand www.studentexchange.org.nz