Are you feeling lost and unsure about what you want to do as a career? Don’t worry! There are plenty of other people your age who feel the same way. Finding a job you enjoy can be daunting, especially when you’re not sure what you want to be paid for.

At Real Ideas, we have been working with young people across the South West for many years, supporting people to find their passion and turn it into a fulfilling career. Over the years we have used many resources to help people on this journey, but one of the most useful tools has been the Ikigai.

Ikigai (pronounced ee-key-guy) is a Japanese concept that combines the terms iki, meaning “life,” and gai, meaning “worth.” When put together, these terms mean ‘that which gives your life worth.’ This tool isn’t just about finding you a ‘job’ to pay the bills, it’s about helping you to realise your passions, understand how these fit into the world, and start to consider how you could be paid for them, so that your career is something you can be excited about.

There are many versions of this concept online. However, we know how overwhelming finding your career path can be, which is why we’ve put together the quick and simple Real Ideas Ikigai, specifically to help young people get started on the next step in your career journey.

This quiz will help you to narrow down what you enjoy, how you could be paid for it, and how we could support you on the way. Once completed, you can download and use it to support your job search, and if the quiz doesn’t give you the answers you’d hoped for, you can contact one of our helpful team to offer further support.

Remember, finding your passion and purpose can take time, and it’s okay to try different things and make mistakes along the way. We encourage you to come back to this tool frequently so that you can make sure you’re aligned with what your future could be. Keep an open mind and be willing to take risks, and you’ll be on your way to finding your ikigai.

Want to find out more about how the Ikigai can help? Click here to get started!