Written by Jaydah Alkamil

A throng of high school students and a burst of excited chatter greet me as I enter the vast exhibition halls of Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds, host to this year’s New Zealand Careers Expo and Go with Tourism Expo.

The building is swarming with activity, with hundreds of students milling around stalls of businesses and education providers, to discover their dream career. Or, at the very least, having a fun day out by taking advantage of the engaging activities on site, such as singing and dancing, making coffee and participating in a bed making competition.

Within the dedicated space for the tourism industry, dubbed the Go with Tourism Expo, I meet Tash Lawrence at the AJ Hackett Bungy stall. The Sales Manager for the famous Kiwi-owned company was unapologetically confident in her messaging that tourism will recover, and that New Zealand’s youth should consider the industry for their future career. “In a couple of years tourism will be back and better than ever,’’ she tells me enthusiastically. “The opportunities will be exciting! It will be a whole new world…”

Tash’s positivity is contagious and I can’t help but agree with her. I find myself thinking about the wonderful opportunities we have here in Aotearoa, and I know that the industry will return. Not only is New Zealand a “bucket list” destination for millions about the world, it is known as a safe, COVID-free haven which will be great for tourism, once our borders are open.

Overall, the careers expo offers a diverse range for students and jobseekers. There is something for everyone. It feels like a marketplace, but instead of artesian breads, cheese or bespoke clothing it houses an array of careers for you to taste and try, with employers such as DairyNZ and Toyota, tertiary providers that cover the country from Auckland to Otago, and training institutes like WhiteCliffe and Crown Institutes of Studies.

It’s only day one of the three-day event, but Rachel from the Ministry of Justice stall tells me that all their pamphlets have already been taken. “We’ll have to bring more tomorrow,” she says. It’s not hard to see why they received so much interest when sitting on their stall counter is a bullet proof vest that students can handle as they chat with Rachel and her colleague. I can’t help but test it out myself. It weighs a ton.

This marketplace, selling future opportunities, has so much to offer students – from a plethora of reading material, to enticing freebies, and endless positive energy from those who work or teach in their fields of choice. This event has proven to be a worthwhile exercise, with many students now understanding the path they must take towards their dream job.

Shopping for a career has been exhilarating and fun. I leave laden with pamphlets and a feeling of excited anticipation for my future!