Career exploration through work experience, expos and online research

Support your young person to find their future by helping them get work experience, attend career expos, and look for career information online.

Work experience is a great way for your young person to learn what’s involved in a job and it may lead to them choosing a career path.

Help them find work experience opportunities by:

• checking if they can work shadow you for a day
• contacting their school to get them into the Gateway programme
• asking friends or family members if they know of work experience opportunities
• searching Volunteering New Zealand’s website.

• Work experience options
• Volunteering New Zealand’s website

Career expos bring together universities, training providers, ITOs, polytechnics, Defence Forces and sometimes employers. Your young person will usually visit career expos with their school.

Suggest your young person gets prepared for an expo visit by making a list of questions to ask training providers and employers using our expo planner.

At the expo they should speak to people working in the industry they are interested in and take notes.

Note that career expos may be postponed or be virtual (online) due to COVID-19.

• New Zealand Careers Expos website
• Download the career expo planner (PDF – 1.5MB)

Exploring career resources online can help you talk about school leaving options. Our 'plan your career' section has information and planning activities.

• Use our career planning tools
• Discover over 400 job profiles
• Plan your career

• Get practical advice for your young person on where to next after school
• Check out our Where to from school? ebook
• Sign up to our e-newsletter for tips to support young people with their study and careers