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CAO HANDBOOK ENTRY 2014
12
Does this career offer the sort of
challenges and rewards I need?
People work for different reasons. Some work
best when they are well paid; others are more
stimulated by a challenge than by money. Some
like a feeling of importance; others are inspired
by the gratitude of people they have helped.
Some get a kick out of creating something;
others like working with their hands. It may
help you if you write down your answers to the
following questions:
•
What values and ambitions do you have?
•
Think back to when you did some work you
were really pleased with – what encouraged
you to do your best?
•
Do you perform at your best when you
stand to gain a reward or money, or when
you are doing what you enjoy?
•
What are the things that are important to
you as a person?
Will this career suit the sort of lifestyle
I want?
Once you have identified some careers that
interest you, it is always a good idea to talk
to people who are already doing the job. Ask
them how hard they had to study and what sort
of demands their job makes on them; find out
what they like and dislike about it. That way you
will be able to determine whether the career
you are considering will fit into your chosen
lifestyle. Check job advertisements in the
newspapers to find out how many openings
there are for people who are just starting out.
These will also give you an idea what salaries
are paid for the jobs you are considering, but
remember that it will take you several years
before you start earning a top salary.
What am I good at?
Many, many more subjects are offered at
tertiary level than at school – so how can you
work out what you are likely to be good at?
Most subjects will build on knowledge
and skills you have already been developing at
school; for instance if you study Engineering
you will make extensive use of what you
learnt at school in Maths and Science. If your
best subjects at school are languages or those
involving essay writing, you should consider a
programme that will further develop those skills.
If you are best at practical things, consider
studying at an FET College where these skills
will be developed. We list programmes at
Elangeni, Umfolozi and Majuba FET Colleges in
KwaZulu-Natal. For contact details of the other
colleges, check out
'Study Options'
on pages
20 and 21.
Don’t be restricted to the subjects you are
best at in school, but use them to guide you in
identifying your personal strengths.
Do I qualify?
Check the entry requirements carefully, and
only apply for programmes you are likely
to qualify for. For example, if a programme
specifies Maths at level 3 (or Higher Grade E)
you definitely will not be considered if you are
writing Maths Literacy (or have written Maths
on Standard Grade). If your results are better
than the minimum specified, the institution will
be delighted to consider your application.
If you have access to the internet you can
get lists of programmes you might qualify for in
specific career directions.You can even see how
the lists change if your results improve. On the
CAO home page (
www.cao.ac.za
) select
‘Don’t
Deciding on your career
Questions to consider before you make a final decision
Once you have decided on a career which interests you, it’s important to consider if it will be the right career for you to pursue. Ask yourself
the following questions: