~ Opinion ~

The end of the school year is quickly approaching. Local career development specialist, Jenny Bean has written an open letter to young people as they think about their future careers, these school holidays.

Your Future is a Adventure, Not a Straight Line

When you’re young, it can feel like the world is waiting for you to have all the answers. People ask, “What do you want to be?” or “Where are you headed?” as though there’s only one right response. But here’s the truth: life doesn’t move in a straight line. It twists, turns, surprises you, and sometimes knocks you down. And that’s not failure - that’s life.

Your career isn’t a destination. It’s an adventure. And along the way, there are lessons and discoveries that matter far more than ticking off a checklist of job titles.

Discover Who You Are

School is not just about learning facts and passing exams. It’s a time to understand yourself. Who are you? Where do you come from? What values do you hold close? Your story - your family, culture, and experiences - can be the compass that guides you.

Sometimes we don’t see our own strengths clearly. That’s why feedback matters. Ask others what they notice about you. Maybe you’re braver, kinder, or more creative than you realise. When you know your strengths and own your mistakes, you build the foundation of true confidence.

Step Forward with Courage

Resilience is about picking yourself up after setbacks. Perseverance is about throwing yourself forward into the unknown. Both are essential.

There will be times you won’t know what comes next. That’s okay. Take the next step, however small. Action sparks clarity. One step leads to another, and before long, you’ll look back and realise how far you’ve come.

Protect Your Wellbeing

Your mind is your most powerful tool, but it needs care. Prioritise sleep, eat well, move your body, and get outside into nature. Build a bank of happy memories you can draw on when things feel tough.

Stress will always be part of life, but it doesn’t have to control you. Learn ways to calm yourself - breathing slowly, pausing before reacting, or taking a walk. Protecting your wellbeing isn’t weakness; it’s strength.

Build Your Support Crew

Nobody succeeds alone. We all need people who cheer us on, guide us when we’re lost, and remind us of our worth when we forget it.

Look around - your mentors, teachers, whānau, friends, and even community connections can be part of your support crew. They don’t just help you in hard times; they also open doors to opportunities you may never have found on your own.

Redefine Failure

Too often, failure feels like the end of the road: the failed exam, the job you didn’t get, the course you dropped. But failure isn’t the opposite of success - it’s the foundation of it.

Think of every setback as part of your training. It builds resilience, courage, and self-compassion. Some of the most successful people you admire have stories filled with failure. What sets them apart is not that they never failed, but that they never stopped moving forward.

And remember, sometimes “failure” is not about you at all. Life throws obstacles - unfair systems, financial struggles, missed chances. These do not define your worth. What matters is how you respond, how you adapt, and how you continue to believe in yourself.

Embrace the Adventure Ahead

The world is changing quickly, and with that change comes opportunity. Focus not just on what jobs exist today, but on the challenges that excite you. Do you want to solve problems, create beauty, build connections, or protect the planet? Your career is less about job titles and more about making a difference in ways that matter to you.

And don’t shy away from the tools of the future. Artificial intelligence, digital platforms, and new technologies are not here to replace you - they’re here to help you. Be curious. Experiment. Learn how to use these tools to open doors you never thought possible.

The truth is this: your career journey will be full of surprises. You won’t always get it right, and you don’t need to. What you do need is courage, resilience, and the willingness to learn from every step. Surround yourself with good people, protect your wellbeing, and remember that failure is not the end.

The path ahead is not fixed. It’s yours to shape - step by step, choice by choice. And with every turn, you’ll discover more of who you are, and more of what you’re capable of.

Your future isn’t waiting for you to “have it all figured out.” It’s waiting for you to begin.

Jenny Bean is a professional member of the Career Development Association of NZ (CDANZ). If you are looking for career development support (personal or organisational), contact her at CareerBeanz.