u/Bubbly_Ad_3820

Hey everyone,
I’m 23 and honestly feeling pretty lost career-wise at the moment.
I’ve been working labour/manual jobs for a while now, and I’m getting really burnt out from it. The work feels repetitive, physically draining, and like there’s not much long-term progression or future in it for me.
Lately I’ve been looking into teaching as a possible career path because I like the idea of having a more stable career, decent income progression, job security, and potentially flexibility/lifestyle benefits. I’m also interested in possibly working overseas one day.
That said, I’m still very open-minded and not locked into teaching, so I’d love to hear other suggestions too.
A bit about what I’m looking for:
Stable career with decent long-term earning potential
Something with actual progression and qualifications
Ideally not insanely competitive to get into
Potential to work overseas would be a bonus
Better work/life balance than labour jobs
I’m in Australia and considering going back to uni or doing a diploma/pathway course if needed.
For people who were in similar situations:
What career did you move into from labour jobs?
Was uni worth it later on?
Are there any underrated pathways/degrees/certifications in Aus worth considering?
Would appreciate any honest advice from people who’ve been through this.

Thank you so much for all your advise ! (In advance )

Is teaching worth pursuing as a career in Australia? Looking for honest advice

Hey everyone,

I’m considering going into teaching in Australia and wanted some honest advice from people already in the field or studying it.

I’m mainly interested in things like:

* Is teaching worth it long term as a career?
* How is the pay progression from graduate teacher to experienced teacher? Does it feel worth the workload?
* How good is the flexibility/work-life balance really? (School holidays sound appealing, but I know teachers often work outside school hours too.)
* Is job security strong, and are teachers generally in demand depending on subject/primary vs secondary?

I’m also curious about:

* What’s the day-to-day reality actually like compared to what people imagine?
* How stressful is classroom management/behaviour?
* How much admin, lesson planning, marking, and meetings are involved outside paid hours?
* Does the job get easier after the first few years?

A few other questions:

* Is primary or secondary teaching generally considered “better” in terms of workload, stress, and opportunities?
* How competitive is it to get permanent/full-time roles in Australia?
* Are there certain states, schools, or subjects that are much easier to get jobs in?
Another thing I’m curious a lot about is the potential for over seas jobs for example teaching in China

For anyone who’s been teaching for a while:
If you could go back, would you still choose teaching?

Would really appreciate honest pros/cons and anything you wish you knew before starting.
Thanks!