Most Popular Jobs in South Africa
It is always interesting to see which jobs are the most sought after. A lot of the time we get stuck, thinking that our job is the best or that everyone would want to have a job like yours (unless you hate your job, in which case you think that of the job you envy most). It's not surprising that parents often push their children towards a certain carer path, either consciously or unconsciously.
A quick google search indicated the most sought after jobs in South Africa and they are actually quite interesting.
According to JobVine the most popular jobs in South Africa are Teachers, Lawyers, Drivers, Administrative Assistance, Carpenters, Plumbers, Engineers, and Accountants.
It seems that most of these are jobs people think will pay enough to make a reasonable living and require minimal training. Of course, if you'd like to follow a career, some training will always be necessary, even if it just means orientation at work, but most higher paying jobs require formal training, such as Teachers, Lawyers, Engineers, and Accountants.
According to South Africa: The Good News the top ten highest paying jobs in South Africa (from lowest to highest) are Chartered Accountant, Air Traffic Controller, Actuary, Management Consultant, Petroleum Engineer, Specialist Doctors, IT Managers, Lawyers, Pilots, and at number one are Software Engineers.
You will definitely need formal training to become one of these people and realise that most of them study and train for many years to get to these levels.
Also keep in mind that you will need good academic marks for most of these. You cannot just apply to study medicine or chartered accounting and expect to be accepted. These are very popular courses, probably because people recognise that there is potentially a lot of money to be made, and therefore only the best of the best are accepted. Make sure you have the right subjects in high school, that your marks are as high as you can get them, and that you do some extra-curricular activities as well (sports and culture).
Do yourself a favour and also read about South Africa's best and worst paying jobs at BusinessTech. They have broken it down into easy to understand categories and also take experience into account.
Career24 did a survey in which they found that the South African youth still dreamed of becoming doctors, nurses, engineering and finances. Popular careers within the public sector included policing, education, or social services while most youngsters indicated that they aren't interested in working in politics or government
Regardless of the career you want to follow after school, make sure that your subject choices are in line with your prospects and that your academic performance is at your highest level. This will ensure that you have the best chance to become who you want to be.
Even if your ideal job is being a plumber, showing that you are dedicated with good marks is a good starting point and you are more likely to land that apprenticeship than the guy who spent his school days smoking in the bathroom.
We are always happy to help you if you are unsure of your subject choices or which career path you should follow.
