A lot of thought goes into your future career. From subject choice at the end of grade 9 to choosing your tertiary course. But it shouldn’t end there. Confused? Don’t worry, we have some top tips to help students prepare for their careers.
In order to find the job that is most suited to your skills and interests, you need to have a CV and cover letter that stands out. This means you have to go out there and grab every opportunity. To get you started, here are tips to help students prepare for their careers.
- Volunteer
- Take care of your mental health
- Practice your people skills
- Fix your CV
- Get an internship
- Study a short course
- Learn interview skills
- Find a mentor
Volunteer
There are many career benefits of being a volunteer. It allows you to learn many valuable soft skills such as teamwork, communication, leadership and time management. Not only will it look great on your CV, it’s also an amazing way to make a difference in your community.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
Learning to take care of your mental health as a student will equip you with skills to manage stress, which is important when entering the workforce. Getting a headstart on this tip will ensure that you have a happier work life because you’ll recognise symptoms of burnout sooner.
Practice Your People Skills
No man is an island. Having a good grasp of people skills will help you succeed in the workplace. This teaches you to get along with your colleagues as well as be more empathetic and understanding.
Fix Your CV
Don’t wait until you graduate to start fixing your CV. Start ASAP! This document is the first impression potential employers have of you. So make sure you try your best to make it perfect. A good-looking CV can increase your chances of landing a job.
Get an Internship
Even if you aren’t sure about the career you want to pursue, an internship can be beneficial. And if you do a good job, you might be able to turn the internship into a full time job! You can set alerts on career websites such as Indeed so you get notifications when an opportunity arises.
Study a Short Course
Recruiters are always looking for candidates with up-to-date skills. So studying a short course can help give your job application the boost it needs. University might not have taught you everything, so it’s a great way to fill the gaps in your knowledge.
Learn Interview Skills
Don’t be caught off guard when you finally land that interview you’ve been waiting for. Practice potential questions and answers so you are always prepared, no matter if it’s a virtual or panel interview. You don’t have to get ready if you stay ready.
Find a Mentor
Finding a career mentor is the perfect way to get advice about your industry from someone with more experience. They can share tips, introduce you to their network and motivate you to reach your goals.
Skills Academy is the word support in every way.
Get Career Ready With our Courses
Our courses will give you the competitive edge you need to stand out from the crowd. To get started, all you have to do is get in touch with our course experts. Go ahead and:
- Call us on: 070 4381 926– It’s free!
- Fill out our contact form and we’ll call you back
Frequently Asked Questions
- Self‑Discovery – Understand your strengths, interests, and values before choosing a path.
- Explore Careers – Research jobs and study options using job shadowing, online searches, or talking to mentors.
- Set Goals – Compare your options, pick subjects or side projects, and plan your next steps.
- Take Action – Build your CV, volunteer, do short courses, and review your progress often.
These steps help you make better choices. Skipping them can lead to wasted time and the wrong career path.
- Subject choices shape your future – Picking the right subjects now opens more doors after Matric.
- Time to build skills – Early planning lets you gain experience through clubs, courses, or volunteering.
- Stay motivated – Knowing your goals helps you focus and feel less stressed at school.
- Gain an edge – Starting early gives you a stronger CV and more confidence than your peers.
- Waiting too long to build a CV – Start early to track achievements and boost employability.
- Ignoring volunteering – Volunteering builds soft skills and stands out on your CV.
- Skipping mental health and people skills – These are key to success at work.
- Not practising interviews – Prepping early makes you more confident in real interviews.
- Avoiding mentorship – A mentor can guide you and open doors—don’t go it alone.
- Using a one-size-fits-all CV – Tailor each application to the job you’re applying for.
- Delaying networking – Start now. Build contacts at school, events, or online.
- Taking the first job offer – Make sure the role fits your long-term career goals.
