A Chief Economist’s career advice for teens leaving school in this climate

I recently had the opportunity to ask Jarrod Kerr, Kiwibank Chief Economist for his advice to a teenager choosing what to do after they leave school, in these current, challenging times.

Jarrod doesn’t have teenagers yet, in fact his son is only 8 years old, but at amp’d we liked what he had to say…

"Pursuing the fields of engineering or science is likely to provide great employment opportunities in the next 10-20 years.

With the wave of automation and digital transformation that will just keep coming, you’re going to future proof yourself if you can code and get involved with AI.  

Being in the middle of a pandemic shows us how important the health sector is and will continue to be.

And specifically in NZ, we’ve got a huge need for investment in infrastructure over the next 15-20 years to get us to where we should have been 20 years ago.”  Should the Government take Jarrod’s advice and invest in significant projects like fixing leaky hospitals, upgrading roads and building more affordable houses, this will provide plenty of opportunities in construction.

Jarrod’s actual advice to his 8 year old son, “you need to be able to use a computer or you’ll be replaced by one”

Thanks Jarrod! We’d also add that while these may represent strong employment opportunities, you’re most likely to be happiest when your job enables you to do what you’re interested in, maximises your strengths and aligns with the things that are important to you, like your values.

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