What is Tahatū Career Navigator?

Tahatū Career Navigator is the official New Zealand careers information website that replaced Careers New Zealand. It is a free public service for anyone exploring career ideas, study options, or job-search skills — from school students and career changers to parents and career guidance practitioners. You can use it to browse career profiles, compare qualifications and courses, take an interest quiz, and work through practical guides on study, training, and career decisions.

What you can do on the site

The homepage organises everything around four questions: interests and skills, career ideas, study and training, and planning and preparing. In practice, that means:

• Explore 800+ career ideas — profiles of jobs and career paths.
• Browse 4,000+ qualifications and courses — compare what providers offer.
• Take the Interest quiz (Kairoro Kaingākau) — identify your top interests and get matched career suggestions.
• Use Path Finder (Tiro Whetū) — a guided tool for planning your future direction.
• Watch job videos in the video library to see what roles are actually like.
• Download the Job Hunters' Workbook — practical tips and activities for a job search.
• Read guides on applying for study or training, ways to pay, apprenticeships, distance and online learning, learning support, and finding scholarships.

The site is bilingual, with English and te reo Māori labels throughout (for example, "Ako atu" for "Find out more"), and it includes a section of Kaupapa Māori career ideas.

Who it is for

The Career Practice Hub (Pokapū Tikanga Aramahi) is a distinct area for people who advise others — it collects activities, strategies, insights, and reports that support career guidance practice, rather than being aimed at individual career explorers.

Is it official and is it free?

Yes to official: the site describes itself as formerly Careers New Zealand, which makes it the government-backed careers service for New Zealand. The available site information does not list prices, subscriptions, or login requirements for the core tools, so treat the public content as openly accessible — but check any specific tool or provider course page for its own conditions before relying on it.

How to get started

1. Clarify your starting point. If you don't know what direction to take, begin with the Interest quiz; if you already have a field in mind, go straight to career ideas.
2. Shortlist careers. Open a few career profiles and note the entry requirements and typical pathways.
3. Check the study route. Use the qualifications and courses search to see which providers offer relevant programmes, then read "How to apply for study or training."
4. Plan the money. Read "Ways to pay for study and training" and look into scholarships before committing.
5. Prepare to apply. Use the Job Hunters' Workbook and the interview tips when you reach the job or course application stage.

Expected result: a shortlist of careers, a matching study option with entry requirements, and a clear next action — not a single definitive answer. The site is built for exploration and decision support, so expect to move between sections rather than follow one linear path.

Common sticking points

• Too many options. With 800+ career ideas, browsing without a filter gets overwhelming. Start with the quiz or Path Finder to narrow the field first.
• Confusing the site with a course provider. Tahatū helps you compare and choose; enrolment and fees are handled by the individual providers, so confirm details on their pages.
• Expecting personalised advice. The tools give suggestions and information, not individual career counselling. For one-to-one guidance, the Career Practice Hub is aimed at practitioners who provide that support.