1
You suddenly have three hours with nothing you HAVE to do.
After some YouTube, TikTok, gaming or Netflix, you get bored. What are you most likely to do next?
Map Your Horizon
Future Explorer
A questionnaire for teenagers, ages 14 to 18
There are no right answers here.
This is not a test of whether you are mature, ambitious, independent, social or responsible enough. Nothing is scored as good or bad, and nothing is sent anywhere.
The point is to notice what attracts you, what you avoid, what makes you curious and what gives you energy — then use that as a clue about what might be worth trying next.
Answer quickly and honestly. Your first instinct is usually the most useful one.
Ask before you show the options.
Whenever possible, do not show the answer options immediately.
First read the question aloud and simply ask:
“What would you do?” or “Which one would you choose?”
Give your teenager time to answer in their own words. Listen before suggesting anything. Then show the options and ask which one is closest to what they meant.
Sometimes their spontaneous answer tells you much more than the letter they eventually choose. Try not to explain what you think their answer means while they are still working through it.
Prefer to do this on paper?
Download the PDF ↓
Download the printable version to work through it together, away from a screen. Same questions, with space to write.
What do you naturally do?
2
Which video or headline would you be most likely to click?
Don’t choose what sounds “smart”. Choose what you would actually open.
3
Your school gives your class one month to create something.
You can choose what. Which sounds least annoying and maybe even interesting?
4
Your school cafeteria has a problem.
Every day, a lot of food gets thrown away. The school asks students for ideas. What would you be most likely to do?
What attracts you?
5
Imagine your perfect birthday.
Money and logistics are not a problem. Which sounds closest?
6
What kind of movie, series or video would you choose tonight?
7
You can choose ONE free trip tomorrow.
Everything is already booked and paid for. Which experience would you choose?
What attracted you most?
having funnature and animalsseeing how things are builttechnology and the futuremusic and pop culturefood and another culturebeautiful placesbeing somewhere famouslearning how things work behind the scenessomething else
Which challenges interest you?
8
Which challenge sounds most exciting?
Imagine you could join one team for a month. You do not need to know how to do the job yet. Which one would you most like to try?
9
Someone gives you €500 and one month to create something.
There is only one rule: you cannot simply spend the money on yourself. What sounds most interesting?
What do you do when real life happens?
10
The washing machine is leaking.
You are home. You notice water coming out from under the washing machine. What do you do first?
For parents
This question is not about whether you know how a washing machine works. We are interested in your first instinct when something unexpected happens.
11
The electricity goes off.
You are home alone. The lights suddenly go out. Your Wi-Fi stops working and your phone has 10% battery. What do you do first?
12
Something important is due tomorrow.
It is 9 PM. You suddenly remember that you have a school assignment due tomorrow and you haven’t started. What are you most likely to do?
What in the world makes you curious?
★
Choose up to five.
You do not need to know much about them already. Choose the ones that make you think: “I would actually like to understand this better.”
0 of 5 chosen
Your result
Six directions, not one answer
Look first at your two highest letters. They are often more interesting together than either one on its own. If several are close, that is completely fine — it may simply mean you have several directions worth exploring.
Builder
0
Explorer
0
Creator
0
Organizer
0
Initiator
0
Connector
0
0 of 12 questions answered. Everything stays in this browser tab — nothing is sent anywhere and nothing is saved.
Letter A
Top resultThe Builder
“Can we make this actually work?”
You are often attracted to things that are practical, physical or concrete. You may enjoy building, testing, fixing, experimenting or seeing a visible result. You may also prefer learning something by trying it yourself rather than only reading about it.
Areas worth exploring
engineeringroboticsenergyconstructionarchitecturemanufacturingtransportproduct designhardwaretechnical tradescoding and automation
Skills worth trying
prototypingcodingelectronicstechnical drawingrepairing things3D designengineering thinkingpractical problem solving
Ask yourself: What could I build, fix or test in real life?
Letter B
Top resultThe Explorer
“But why does that happen?”
You are often attracted to questions and information. You may enjoy investigating something strange, understanding how things work or falling into internet rabbit holes because one question leads to another.
Areas worth exploring
sciencemedicinepsychologyAIdataeconomicsbiotechnologygeologyclimate scienceresearchcybersecurityhistory and geopolitics
Skills worth trying
researchdata analysisscientific thinkingstatisticsasking better questionsfact checkingAI research toolsmathematics
Ask yourself: What am I curious enough to investigate deeply?
Letter C
Top resultThe Creator
“What if we made it differently?”
You are often attracted to ideas, expression and creating something other people can see, hear or experience. That does not mean you need to become an artist. Creativity also matters in technology, business, product development and communication.
Areas worth exploring
designmediaentertainmentgamingmarketingarchitecturefashioncontent creationproduct designfilmmusiccreative technology
Skills worth trying
storytellingdesignvideophotographywritingpresentationcreative AI toolsvisual communication
Ask yourself: What do I want to create that does not exist yet?
Letter D
Top resultThe Organizer
“How do we make all of this happen?”
You often notice people, timing, responsibilities and how different parts need to work together. You may naturally become the person who makes the plan, coordinates people or makes sure something actually gets finished.
Areas worth exploring
project managementeventsoperationslogisticssupply chainsbusinessproductionhospitalityinternational organizationsurban planningmanagementlarge infrastructure projects
Skills worth trying
planningleadershipcommunicationproject managementnegotiationbudgetingdecision makingcoordinating teams
Ask yourself: What kind of project would I enjoy being responsible for?
Letter E
Top resultThe Initiator
“Could this become something bigger?”
You often notice possibilities. You may think about how an idea could become a project, product, business or opportunity. You may also like independence, competition or seeing a measurable result from your work.
Areas worth exploring
entrepreneurshipstartupsbusinessfinanceinvestingsalestechnologye-commerceproduct developmentbusiness developmentconsulting
Skills worth trying
sellingfinancial literacynegotiationtesting ideasAI toolsbuilding simple productsmarketingunderstanding customers
Ask yourself: What small idea could I test instead of only thinking about it?
Letter F
Top resultThe Connector
“What do people actually need?”
You naturally pay attention to people, relationships and what others need. You may notice things that a purely technical solution misses. You may also enjoy understanding why people behave differently and what makes them feel comfortable, interested or motivated.
Areas worth exploring
healthcareeducationsocial innovationcommunicationsdiplomacycustomer researchcommunity buildingHRhospitalitypublic serviceuser experiencepeople-focused technology
Skills worth trying
interviewingcommunicationteachinglisteningnegotiationfacilitationunderstanding userspublic speaking
Ask yourself: Which group of people would I actually enjoy helping or understanding better?
In your own words
Now forget the letters.
These questions have no options at all. They are often the most useful part.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
freedommoneycreativityinteresting peopletravelstabilityrecognitionsolving important problemsworking with technologyhelping peoplebuilding thingsyour own businessflexible scheduleliving in another countrybecoming very good at somethingworking outdoorshaving lots of different projectssomething else
Choose one small experiment for the next month.
You do not need to make a huge decision. Something like:
interview someone with an interesting jobtake a short online coursebuild somethingtry codingcreate a small projectvolunteervisit a universitygo to an eventstart learning about investingmake a videotry an AI tooljoin a competitionlearn a practical skillexplore one industry you know almost nothing aboutspend an afternoon researching one problem you care aboutask someone if you can see what their work actually looks like
What comes next?
The world you will work in is already changing.
AI is changing how people write, code, design, research, communicate and make decisions. Some jobs will become smaller. Some will become much more powerful with new technology. Entirely new roles and industries will appear.
So the questions that matter are not only which profession to choose. They are also: what should I learn, which skills should I build, which industries should I watch, and how do I find out whether I actually like something before committing years to it?
In the Map Your Horizon: Future of Work webinar, we explore:
- how AI is changing professions
- which jobs are already transforming
- industries and problems that may create new opportunities
- skills that may become more valuable
- what university can and cannot give you
- how to explore professions before committing to them
- how teenagers can start building real experience now
- how to use AI as a tool without outsourcing your thinking
- how parents can help without choosing for their child
Map Your Horizon