Career Choice and Growth

A practical resource for aligning work, wellbeing, and life direction

Important note
This resource and the accompanying worksheet are educational tools, not replacements for professional career or mental health support. Career decisions do not need to be rushed, and seeking guidance is a valid and supportive step.

 

Introduction: Why This Matters

Work takes up a significant portion of life. It influences not only income and routine, but also identity, confidence, stress levels, relationships, and overall wellbeing.

Many people feel pressure to have their career “figured out” early, or to stick with a path once chosen. Others worry that wanting change means they are ungrateful, indecisive, or failing.

In reality, career choice and growth are ongoing processes, not one-time decisions.

This resource is designed to help you:

• Understand career choice through a wellbeing lens
• Normalise uncertainty and change
• Explore growth without pressure to make drastic moves
• Consider alignment between work, values, strengths, and life stage

The focus is not on finding the “perfect job,” but on creating a work life that supports wellbeing and growth over time.

Rethinking Career Choice

Career choice is often presented as a single decision:

“What do you want to be?”

In practice, careers evolve through:

• Experience
• Learning
• Changing values
• Life circumstances
• New opportunities

Rather than a fixed identity, a career is better understood as a direction that can be adjusted.

Changing interests or wanting more meaning does not mean earlier choices were wrong — it means you are growing.

Career Growth Is Not Just Promotion

Growth is commonly defined as advancement, status, or income. While these matter for some people, they are not the only — or always the healthiest — measures of success.

Career growth can also include:

• Greater satisfaction or engagement
• Better work-life balance
• Increased confidence or skill
• More autonomy or flexibility
• Alignment with values

Growth is personal. What matters is whether your work supports the life you want — not how it looks from the outside.

Values and Meaning in Work

Values play a key role in career fulfilment.

When work aligns with values, people often experience:

• Greater motivation
• Less burnout
• Stronger sense of purpose

Values may include:

• Contribution
• Stability
• Creativity
• Learning
• Service
• Freedom
• Connection

Work does not need to meet every value — but significant misalignment often leads to dissatisfaction over time.

Strengths and Energy

Sustainable careers are built around strengths and energy, not just obligation.

Strength-aligned work often:

• Feels more natural
• Requires less constant effort
• Builds confidence
• Supports engagement

Energy matters too. Some work drains, while other tasks feel absorbing or meaningful. Paying attention to energy is a form of self-knowledge — not laziness.

Life Stages and Career Shifts

Career needs change across life stages.

What fits during one season may not fit later due to:

• Family responsibilities
• Health or energy changes
• Shifts in priorities
• Desire for balance or meaning

Needing change is not failure — it is adaptation.

A healthy career evolves alongside the person living it.

Fear, Uncertainty, and Career Decisions

Career decisions often trigger fear:

• Fear of making the wrong choice
• Fear of regret
• Fear of financial instability
• Fear of disappointing others

These fears are normal. They reflect the importance of work — not an inability to decide.

Clarity rarely comes before movement. Often, clarity emerges through small steps, exploration, and learning, not certainty.

Career Growth Without Burnout

Healthy career growth respects wellbeing.

This includes:

• Sustainable pacing
• Realistic expectations
• Rest and recovery
• Boundaries between work and life

Growth that comes at the cost of mental or physical health is rarely sustainable.

A career that supports wellbeing allows you to show up consistently — not constantly.

Support and Guidance

Career decisions do not need to be made alone.

Support may include:

• Mentors or supervisors
• Career coaching
• Trusted peers
• Professional guidance

Seeking input is not weakness — it is wise decision-making.

How This Supports Overall Wellbeing

Career alignment supports:

• Mental health and stress levels
• Sense of purpose and identity
• Confidence and motivation
• Energy and engagement
• Long-term life satisfaction

Work that fits your values and capacity supports wellbeing far beyond the workplace.

How to Use the Worksheets

The accompanying worksheet is designed to:

• Support reflection without pressure
• Clarify values, strengths, and direction
• Encourage gentle exploration rather than forced decisions
• Focus on alignment, not perfection

You may complete it at your own pace.

A Final Note

You do not need to have everything figured out to move forward.

Career growth is not about getting it right once —
it is about adjusting with awareness, intention, and self-respect.

You are allowed to change.
You are allowed to grow.
And your career can grow with you.

 

How to Access Further Support in New Zealand:

• Contact your local GP

• Dial 111 for immediate support

 • Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor

• Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP)

• Youth line – free text 234, call 0800 376 633, webchat at youthline.co.nz, DM on Instagram @youthlinenz, message on Whats App 09 886 56 96.

• Samaritans – 0800 726 666

• Suicide Crisis Helpline – 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)

• Depression Helpline – 0800 111 757 or free text 4202 To talk to a trained counsellor about how you are feeling or to ask any questions

• Anxiety NZ – 0800 269 4389 (0800 ANXIETY)