What is Tahatū Career Navigator?

Tahatū Career Navigator is the Tertiary Education Commission’s (TEC’s) new career planning website for all New Zealanders. It is the next generation of the careers.govt.nz website, refreshing the best of its content, tools and functions.

Tahatū Career Navigator offers an interactive experience to help people figure out what kind of work they might like to do, and the steps they can follow to get there.

Tahatū Career Navigator

Tahatū Career Navigator connects information such as NCEA subjects, qualifications and career ideas in one place to help people make informed decisions.

Tahatū Career Navigator is an important initiative under the National Careers System Strategy and Action Plan.

Read the National Careers System Strategy

Read the Action Plan

What does Tahatū mean?

The name Tahatū means ‘horizon’, especially in relation to the sea, and reflects our focus on a lifelong learning journey, heading towards the future.

The Tahatū Career Navigator logo depicts Ngā hau e whā, the four winds. The changing winds were the tohu (signs) our ancestors read to guide them. Tahatū Career Navigator will help users read the signs around them as they navigate their career journey.

How do you pronounce Tahatū?

We’ve created a short video with a simple guide to give people confidence when saying Tahatū.

Video transcript: How to pronounce Tahatū

Who is Tahatū Career Navigator for?

Tahatū Career Navigator is for:

• anyone who wants help finding out what career they might like to do in the future, and the steps they can take to get there
• people returning to the workforce after an absence
• people wanting a career change
• whānau, friends, school career advisers, and community or agency career practitioners.

What happens to careers.govt.nz?

While careers.govt.nz has served millions of New Zealanders over the last 20 years, technology has evolved. Tahatū Career Navigator offers an updated platform to support new, interactive careers planning technology.

Careers.govt.nz will be retired in early December 2025, with targeted redirects to Tahatū Career Navigator in place from that time until the end of February 2026.

What happens to the resources on careers.govt.nz?

Most of the careers.govt.nz resources will continue to be available through a new career practice hub currently being developed for practitioners. The hub will be accessible via the Tahatū Career Navigator website and available ahead of careers.govt.nz being retired.

As part of this transition, we’ve completed a comprehensive review and, where needed, refreshed the resources to ensure they remain relevant, practical, and fit for the future of career practice. Resources will continue to be added to the hub over time.

Who do I contact if I have other questions?

If you have any questions about Tahatū Career Navigator, please email us at customerservice@tec.govt.nz.

For more information about Tahatū Career Navigator, see Tahatū Career Navigator.