87% of Indonesian Youths Study the Wrong Major: What Does This Mean?

3 Min Read

November 03, 2022

As a high school student, you might think that now is not the time to think about your future career.

But according to the survey conducted by Indonesia Career Center Network, 87% of youths in Indonesia admitted that they're studying the wrong major at university.

And according to the International Labor Education, 56% of workers in Indonesia have their education history and their occupation unaligned.

The key takeaway from these stats is that you can't exclude career exploration from your university preparation.

Truly, as a high school student, you have a long time before work. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't start looking into it now. Especially, if you are currently preparing for university.

High school is the ideal time for you to start exploring!

You can start by doing things as small as mind-mapping your hobbies and narrowing down the subjects that genuinely interest you.

Or, if you're craving to do more, we rounded up the steps of career exploration for high school students.

3 Steps of Exploring Careers for High School Students

List Down Your Interest

Do you enjoy drawing super cool and detailed sketches in the corner of your notebook during class? You might have an interest in art. Or were you deeply invested in that entrepreneur workshop your friend dragged you into? Note that down.

Aside from jotting down the things you think you like, ask yourself these questions:

What am I good at?
Do I have things that I really enjoy?
Thinking of a work setting, what might be a good fit for me?

After the contemplation, you can explore your answers by researching potential careers that fit your skills and talent! Moreover, you can also take online quizzes to get a more grounded assessment of your skills and interest.

Thought about getting a real-life experience? Let's go to the next step!

Ask Around

Companies aren't usually targeting high school students for their internship vacancies. But, you can get an offer if you make yourself visible to them!

Start by telling your teachers, friends, and families that you want to get an internship. This way, you can find the connections in your circle who can help you to get there.

In the same way, you can also reach out to companies yourself and ask if they take high school students for their internship program. Or even send out your CV and resume, stating that you want to work with them.

Walk the Talk

Did you get a call back from the companies? Awesome!

Now, it's the time to put your best self forward and impress them! Dress professionally, smile, be polite, and be prepared to eloquently tell them why you're a strong candidate!

One More Thing About Exploration: Muse About What You Can Give Back

It takes loving what you do to keep evolving and be the goat (greatest of all time) in your specialty.

And to find that passion, it helps to think about what kind of impact you would give to your surroundings. A sense of purpose you wish to fill as you progress in the field of career you want to pursue.

Want to start exploring the career world and see where your interest leads you in the professional setting?

We invited the HRD analyst of Toyota Astra Financial Services, and the value creation manager of Alpha JWC Ventures, one of the leading investment consulting companies in Jakarta, to career-coach high school students at ALL-in ANNIFE5T!

Gain insights about the career opportunities in various industries and train yourself to be ready for the career world!

Once you have solid ideas about your career interests, it will be so much easier to list down the potential majors you want to take at university.

Besides the Career Coaching, ALL-in ANNIFE5T also houses workshops that cover the key factors of your university application.

From a LIVE: Student Profile Review with our mentors to an Essay Coaching & Review, you can explore and kickstart your university application!

You can visit ALL-in ANNIFE5T's website here: https://www.annifest.all-inedu.com

We will see you soon!