School Leavers Archives

Career Options for School Leavers

Life after school can offer many interesting and exciting opportunities, including developing new skills, discovering new passions and learning more about what you want out of life. However, change is often challenging, and COVID-19 has presented many of these!

The workforce and education landscape is also continually changing, but there are lots of options for training, education and work in 2022 that can help you further your career. The Australian Government’s School Leaver’s Information Kit (SLIK) can help you discover what options are available, so you can make your next life-changing move. It also offers support and guidance to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people, or those living with a disability or special education needs. The SLIK has also been translated into additional languages. Here are some of our tips on career options for school leavers. You got this!

Start work

If you’ve decided to jump straight into the world of work, the Your Career website can help you navigate your career options. You can find out which occupations match your preferences, whether you need further training and education to secure a job, what skills employers are looking for, and what your estimated pay might be. The tool asks you things like what are your interests? Do you have any deal breakers? And do you have an industry in mind?

Undertake study

If you are keen to undertake some further study to enhance your knowledge, skills and career options, consider:

Higher education courses. These include studying at university or other higher education provider for an undergraduate Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, Associate Degree, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. The length of time it takes to complete higher education varies. As an example, most Bachelor’s degrees take a minimum of three years to complete.
Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses. These include apprenticeships and traineeships that typically combine paid work with structured training. They focus on real skills, knowledge and attitudes and can be delivered off-the-job, on-the-job, or both. VET courses aren’t just for traditional trades either. They included hundreds of different industries and occupations, from retail, accounting and technology to arts and hospitality. Apprenticeship usually involve structured training for three to four years. Traineeships are usually between nine months and four years, depending on the vocation and Certificate required.
Short-term courses (including online courses like ours) are also a great option if you don’t want to commit to the time and financial commitments of a degree. These can also sometimes be credited towards a full qualification if you decide to continue further study. Plus, if your career goals change, you don’t have to stick with the qualification you started with. You can move between different types of training and courses if your priorities and interests change!

Other career options

Want to try something new and different? There are so many options for you to explore after leaving school. And the best part? You don’t have to pick just one!

Short-term work placements

Early experience in the sector you’re interested in can help you decide whether a particular job is right for you, and it might also help further your career. You can find out more tips on short-term work placements here.

Volunteering opportunities

These can help you build valuable skills and give you the chance to make a real difference to people’s lives. You can get involved with many sectors and organisations, depending on your location, interests and availability. Find out more information on volunteering opportunities in your state or territory here.

Start your own business

Keen to turn one of your passions into a business idea? Even though starting your own business is generally a long-term venture, if you have an entrepreneurial spirit, it shouldn’t stop you from giving it a go! The Australian Government’s Business website has some great tips. You can read more here. Starting your own business might also involve you joining what’s called the “gig economy”. This can involve being employed by an employer as a contractor or freelancer.

Take a gap year

Taking a gap year used to be about meeting lots of new people and exploring new countries. But with COVID-19 still affecting our lives, including our ability to travel, the idea of a gap year has changed. If travel is something you are passionate about, why not think about travelling within Australia instead?

There are lots of opportunities for seasonal work in Australia. Whether it’s pruning vines, picking fruit or veggies or working on a dairy farm, you’ll be helping farmers while topping up your savings along the way! And if you’re at least 17 years of age and have graduated from Year 12, you may also be eligible for reimbursement of up to $6,000 to cover the cost of accommodation, travel and some work-related items. You can find out more here.

Do some research

If you are exploring your future career options, an excellent place to start is to think about the types of industries in Australia and the range of roles that might be available in terms of your interests, skills and abilities. Some of the biggest sectors include:

Hospitality, tourism and events
Agriculture and horticulture
Arts and recreation services
Construction
Education and training
Electricity, gas, water and waste services
Financial and insurance services
Information, media and telecommunications
Manufacturing
Mining
Professional, scientific and technical services
Public administration and safety
Rental, hiring and real estate
Retail trade
Transfer, postal and warehousing
Wholesale trade

Continuing globalisation, new ways of working, and the challenges of COVID-19 have also changed the career landscape, the “future of work”, and your career options. According to LinkedIn’s Jobs on the Rise in 2021 report, some of the current high-demand jobs are for:

Community services workers, including people looking after children, adolescents and the elderly.
Healthcare workers, including people in case management
Customer service workers, including people in retail
Digital professionals, including people in E-commerce, social media and writing
Education roles, including people working in early childhood education.
Finance professionals, including people who work as accountants and bookkeepers.
Recruitment professionals, including people working in HR and recruitment.
ICT professionals, including those working in information security, AI, cloud computing and cyber security.

5 Steps to Making the Right Career Choice

Whether you’re a school leaver, after a career change or returning to the workforce, everyone negotiates a career choice in their own unique way. Effective career decisions can help you to adapt to change, and take control of your career and opportunities that may arise. However, the process can be daunting as other factors may be involved, including how to manage yourself and/or your family, your lifestyle, your personal interests and your financial future.

There are a range of decision-making strategies and models that can help, however, one industry-recommended model is based on the CASVE Cycle, which was initially devised in 2003 by James P. Sampson and his colleagues from Florida State University. It focuses on action-oriented steps broken down into five stages — Communication, Analysis, Synthesis, Valuing and Execution. It has been recommended as a great career decision-making model, and here we look at the process behind the theory in terms of five steps that can help you make the right career choice.

#1 – Knowing when you need to make a choice

The first step on a career journey is knowing you need to make a career choice, and a good indicator is if there is a gap between your current situation and where you’d like to be.

If you are a school leaver, there are lots of exciting opportunities ahead, but it can also be difficult choosing what to do next. The Australian Government’s School Leavers Information Kit is full of lots of insightful information so you can make your next move. You may choose to jump straight into the world of work and start building your career or gain qualifications or pursue some further study.

If you are already employed, there are a range of cues that can alert you to realising it’s time for a career change. According to Seek they include if you:

Dread going to work
Envy other people’s success
Have stopped “thinking big”
Are never challenged
Have no work-life balance
Don’t feel appreciated or listened to

#2 – Understanding yourself and your options

The second step to making a career choice involves being clear about your abilities, skills and your career interests. This can include:

Spending some time thinking about your personal situation, what you value and what you hope to achieve from your career.
Creating a “mind map”of things you do and don’t enjoy doing, which can help you rule out any unsuitable career directions.
Thinking carefully about your short and long-term goals (and making sure they’re MA.R.T). Focus on the things you’d like to do more of and ask yourself whether you will want to keep doing these things in one, two and five years.
Understanding what you are best at (and not so good at) both personally and professionally.
Considering the way you like to work. Do you prefer to work autonomously or within a team? Where and how would you like to work? For example, is part-time work or a job in the “gig economy” an option?
Knowing what type of industry and company you’d like work for, including what aspects about both will be most important to you.
Understanding your personality type. The popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator can help you identify your strengths and attributes.
Using labour market information which will help you choose a career with good potential for future job earnings and security.

Tools available to assist decision-making

Regardless of whether you are a school leaver, a job-changer or returning to the workforce after a period of time, the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment also has a range of valuable tools that can help you understand and refine some of these decisions. They include:

Your Career website — can help you explore and make decisions about your career options. You can research more than 1000 different types of jobs, take a Career Quiz or Skills Match quiz, learn about the skills needed in different jobs, and understand what jobs are in your area. A full list of their resources is available here.
Job Outlook website — allows you to explore your job options, match your work style and interests to potential jobs, and learn about job prospects, tasks and pay.
Labour Market Insights website — will give you insights from the National Skills Commission to help you better understand your local labour market, future workforce changes, and current and emerging skills needs.
National Careers Institute — works to ensure Australians have access to high quality career information and support regardless of their stage of life or age.
My Future website — Helps secondary students explore career pathways, including providing tools that can help with career decision making.

#3 – Expanding and narrowing your options

This step in making a career choice is about expanding and then narrowing your list of options.

Researching your possible options including on careers pages, websites and industry/educational blogs.
Finding descriptions for current jobs that are available in your area of interest and cross matching any personal requirements with your own skillset.
Considering following companies that align with your values and interests on social media and/or LinkedIn.
Engaging with a careers counsellor to fine-tune and/or clarify your options further. They will be able to explain the benefits and drawbacks as you consider your career change, and help you research any options you might not have previously considered.

#4 – Choosing an option

Once you’ve solidified your career choice, whether it be a study subject, job or career, it’s time to fine-tune your options before you execute your intentions. “Implementation intention” is a valuable strategy that can help you follow through with the goals you set yourself. Introduced by psychologist Peter Gollwitzer, it is essentially an “if-then” plan that works on structuring goals around statements like, “If X happens, I will do Y in order to achieve Z”. One of its key proposals is that you will cover more contingencies and be better prepared for whatever comes your way.

Whether you are contemplating your future career for the first time or a change to your current role or industry, success involves risk. But fear of both failure and success can be debilitating. Some of the most common career fears are, fear of:

Failure
Success
What others think
Taking on too much
The unknown

See page 20 of our The Ultimate ‘A to Z’ Career Change Guide for more insightful detail on how to overcome career fear.

#5 – Implementing your career choice

The fifth step is all about putting your career choice into action. This involves creating a flexible plan and actioning steps to put into effect your preferred option/s. Steps to take that can help you apply for a job include:

Researching jobs online. Job vacancies are largely advertised online — in many cases via an internal or external recruiter. You can find out more about job search websites in Australia here. You can also access Workforce Australia, which is the new employment service delivered by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), which will replace jobactive in July 2022. It has stated that it will, “help Australians find and keep a job, change jobs or create their own job”.
Researching organisations that are hiring directly. Before applying for a job, ensure you have conducted research on the company. Navigate to their “about” page for valuable insights. Running the company’s name through a search engine can also give you information about current news and employee or client reviews. Networking with people who are employed with these organisations (LinkedIn is a valuable tool), can also help you gain an overall feel for the company culture, the particular skills they value, and an overview of the staff they employ.
Tailor your CV for submission. This is probably the most crucial document when applying for jobs as it outlines your key strengths and experience. Here are some tips from Seek on writing your resume. Also consider whether you need to include a cover letter — prospective employers will typically inform you if they need one when you apply.
Once you’ve applied, follow-up if you can. If you applied via a recruiter, consider contacting them via an email regarding the status of your application …. But give them ample time to review it first!
Make your career choice, but don’t forget to keep a close eye on future career progression and training opportunities. The Future of Work is ever-evolving so you who knows what’s around the corner!

9 ‘No-Qualification’ Jobs That Are In-Demand Now!

No degree? No drama, according to the latest research by Seek Australia, which shows there are nine in-demand jobs that you can apply for right now without qualifications.

The impact of COVID-19 has seen massive changes in both industries and people’s mindset about what work should look like. Fortunately, change often spells opportunity and career-wise, it’s a great time to rethink your priorities and life goals. Do you want more time with your family? Are you in a career rut? Are you looking to turn a passion into a paying profession? It’s all possible, and you don’t need to spend a fortune on education to make it a reality.

So, let’s take a look at SEEK’s most in-demand jobs that you can apply for right now without qualifications!

Merchandiser

Do you have an eye for design? Would you like to style in-store displays and plan exhibitions? If so, visual merchandising is the ideal career for you.

Seek says – Job ads are up 257% for this role!

Jump the job applicant queue with our Certificate of Visual Merchandising!

Retail Sales Assistant

Are you a people person? If you enjoy working with others and meeting new people, have a natural sales ability and thrive in a customer service environment, you should consider an exciting career in retail.

The Retail industry is one of Australia’s largest employers and provides an excellent opportunity for those entering or re-entering the workforce, as jobs are plentiful. This industry is also one of few that offers flexibility in working hours with part-time, weekend and night work.

Seek says – Job ads are up 266%!

If you’d like to improve your chances of landing a role, why not enrol in a short professional development course like our Certificate of Retail?

Dental Assistant

Dental assistants (or dental nurses) prepare patients for dental examinations and assist dentists with instruments, treatments and X-rays.

Seek says there’s something to smile about—job ads for Dental Assistants are up 255%!

Increase your job prospects with a professional development course like our Certificate of Dental Reception and Office Administration!

Retail Store Manager

If you work in retail and want to launch your career in a leadership or managerial role, we’ve got good news for you!

Seek says job ads up 211% for retail store managers.

Bump your application to the top of the pile with our Certificate of Retail Management!

Salesperson

Whether you sell products or services, salespeople with ambition can earn enviable salaries. You can work in various environments, from retail to real estate, automotive or telecommunications, depending on your interests.

The good news – training is often on the job, and Seek says job ads are up 200%!

Give yourself the edge with our Overcoming Objections to Nail the Sale.

Delivery Driver

If you love to drive and prefer to work solo, a job as a delivery driver could be the perfect job for you.

Are you going somewhere? You are if you want to work as a delivery driver because Seek says job ads up 175%.

You’ll need a driver’s licence and a positive attitude – but why not lift your skillset with our Road Transport Driver Program?

Warehouse Storeperson

You’re fit as a fiddle and want to stay that way with an active job. It sounds like you’d make an ideal warehouse storeperson.

Seeks says job ads up 160%!

A forklift licence is highly valued, but you can double your chances of success with an online professional development course like our Certificate of Warehouse Operations and Recordkeeping.

Personal Carer

Would you like to feel empowered to work in a home or community care setting to provide the utmost care to those most vulnerable in society? If caring for others is your superpower, you’d make an outstanding personal carer.

Care for a change of career? You’re in luck because job ads are up 156%!

If you want to boost your success as an applicant, you might care to take a professional development course like our Certificate of Home and Community Care.

Employment Consultant

If helping people gain meaningful employment and achieve career goals appeals to you, you’d make a great Employment Consultant.

Considering so many people are rethinking their careers right now, it’s little wonder jobs are up 120%.

You don’t need formal qualifications as an Employment Consultant, but strong communication and interpersonal skills in a customer-service role are important. Why not up your odds of getting this job with our Certificate of Employment Services?

So, if you’re interested in one of these in-demand jobs, now’s the perfect time to pursue an opportunity. Consider one of the related courses on offer and make sure your resume is top-of-mind when employers look to fill a role. You’ll also be investing in yourself – what better way to positively move towards the new normal?

7 Ways to Land That Entry-Level Job

You’ll need a competitive edge to start your career according to a new report by Anglicare. Across Australia, there are now an average of 4.8 jobseekers for every entry-level job advertised (ABC News report). So how can graduates and new jobseekers give themselves the best chance of success?

Australian Online Courses spoke to Darleen Barton, bestselling author and performance coach at DIPAC & Associates, for advice on how entry-level jobseekers can increase their chances of being hired.

Build a C.V

“Demonstrate your skills, your character and your personal value system,” says Barton. As an entry-level job-seeker you should include any humanitarian interests, including voluntary positions that you have held.

It’s also important to ensure your C.V clearly demonstrates your accomplishments and the results achieved, adds Barton. “Employers are looking for ‘action-oriented’ people who can learn fast and deliver results.”

Of course, she adds, make sure your C.V is free of spelling and grammatical errors.

Deliver Your C.V and Dress to Impress

If you can deliver your CV in person take the opportunity, says Barton. “First impressions count. You will be judged in the first thirty seconds of your arrival. You might as well make it positive. Make sure you’re neat, tidy and professional.”

Research the Job Market

Keep in mind that recruitment companies work with thousands of candidates, says Barton. As a new job-seeker you need to conduct your own research. Try to find out as much as possible about the organisations you are looking to work.

Create a Social Media Presence

Barton says a social media presence is important for jobseekers, but it should reflect a professional image. “Your online footprint should be clean, issue free and professional. Establish accounts on key sites such as LinkedIn and sanitise or even remove personal accounts with sites such as Facebook that can be viewed by prospective employers.”

“Go one step further and create a mini website for yourself. There are many web-building services such as WIX, which enable you to build great websites fast and for free. Get your profile up and out in the market and ensure your site is looks professional.”

Be Persistent and Reliable

Being persistent is paramount to your success, says Barton. “If you want to get your foot in the door don’t send an email requesting an appointment. Pick up the phone and ask for an appointment to see the human resource manager, relevant manager, or person hiring. Follow up phone calls are important to ensure your enthusiasm is noticed.”

You should also demonstrate that you are reliable. “Employers are sick of no-shows and unreliable people.” They want to be impressed, which leads to the next important step – the interview.

”6. Nail Your Interview

“Arrive to your interview early and bring hard copies of your C.V and references. If necessary, bring materials to support your interview. Dress well, be considerate, answer questions clearly, use positive body language, avoid ums and ahs and overuse of the word like. Ask relevant questions and focus on the role – not how much money you will get,” advises Barton.

Learn the STAR Principal

The STAR principal is a behavioural interview technique based on discovering a candidate’s past behaviour in a specific employment-related situation.

It stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result. You should prepare a few examples of situations that arose, the task you carried out, the action you took, and the results achieved.

As an entry level job-seeker, you can use situations from your internships, short courses, school projects, activities, team sports, community involvement, hobbies and any work experience.

Grow in Confidence

“Remember with every no, your confidence must grow,” says Barton. You should learn to pick yourself up and try again despite setbacks.

She says it’s also important to monitor self-talk, as confidence comes from within. “You have just completed your study and you are heading out to get your first job – so take it easy on yourself!”

A technique she recommends is to look yourself in the mirror every day and use the mantra ‘I can do this.’ “We all started somewhere!”

School-Leaver with No Career Direction? Why It’s Okay.

It can be daunting for school-leavers approaching the end of their high-school years, especially those without a clear plan or career path. But having no direction as a teenager can work in your favour. Here’s why.

Matt Purcell, Life Coach and Inspirational Speaker, says it’s okay to take your time. “Many young people respond to the expectations of others and rush their decision. It’s important to be true to yourself. Always remember you have the right to question anybody and everything,” says Purcell.

Purcell encourages young people to use his GPV Framework to get specific and seek feedback about the practicalities of career options. “Grab numbers and contacts from your careers adviser. Be brave and call someone in the field you’re interested in to ask them questions about the job using this framework,” he says.

“Young people need self-awareness and to question what they have been taught. They need help to discover (their future) outside the conditioning and expectations of their parents and formal educators.”

The GPV Framework

The GPV Framework encourages self-reflection and may require seeking experiences and feedback from peers and networks.

G for “Gifts”

P for “Passions”

V for “Values”

Gifts prompts you to consider your strengths. It’s best to start with what you’re good at.

What is your personality?

Do you like working in a team or solo?

What are you not so good at?

What are the things you’re great at, but don’t enjoy?

Do you like the outdoors?

What are your hobbies?

Passions is essentially asking, what do you care about?

Are there issues or communities in the world that resonate with you more than others?

What ticks you off about the world and makes you feel like you want to do something about it?

What needs aren’t being met in your city?

Do you, your family, or friends have interests that aren’t being met?

Values are all about your lifestyle and personality.

What is non-negotiable about the way you work?

If you value family time, working a 120-hour week is going to compromise that.

What are your personal boundaries?

Who and what matters more than work?

Find Your True Calling

The GPV framework has the potential to help young people find the right career. “Using your gifts towards something you are invested in, and in an environment that suits your values, will lead to your calling.”

“It’s not just about one thing. Many people make it about the money but 87 per cent of the world don’t find their job fulfilling, yet it pays them money. Sometimes we need a framework like this to help guide us in our self-discovery,” he says.

Study a Short Course to Try a Career

Before investing in an expensive tertiary degree or embarking on a traineeship, why not study a short course in an industry that interests you? There are hundreds of short courses available at Australian Online Courses that offer an excellent platform to further study or entry-level roles.

Eliminate Career Fear: 10 Reasons to Seek Counselling.

When you think of career counselling do fresh-faced school leavers come to mind? If so it’s a mistake. While this is certainly an important stage to seek guidance, it’s not the only time you should seek advice with career direction, according to Principal Consultant, Simon Bennett, of Glide Outplacement and Career Coaching.

Bennet says there are many reasons people seek career counselling throughout their lifetime but the following scenarios make it a must.

You’ve just finished studying.

Maybe you’ve realised you’ve studied the wrong degree, or perhaps you’re overwhelmed by opportunities and feel unable to make progress with any of them? A career coach can help you to consider all your options and make a sustainable, long- term choice.

You’ve started working in a field, but realise you’ve made the wrong choice.

So, you made a bad career choice. Rather than hitting the eject button straight away, it can be helpful to talk to an independent expert to discover whether if it’s worthwhile sticking with the job until you’ve learnt enough for it to be useful on your resume.

You no longer feel motivated and inspired by your work, and wonder where the passion’s gone.

If the enjoyment has gone from your working day, a career coach can work with you to develop a plan to move on and find a new role to reignite your passion. They can also advise you on how to get professional satisfaction from doing something that is frankly a bit dull.

You’re looking for a fresh start and want to change careers entirely.

Few of us pick the right job on our first try. But if you are thinking about changing careers, you probably want to find the right career this time. If you aren’t sure where to start, career coaching will show you how to research, evaluate and apply for potential jobs before you make any life-changing decisions.

You missed out on a promotion.

Being overlooked for a more senior position doesn’t always mean you should quit. When there seems to be a lack of career advancement opportunities in your current role, a career expert can coach you on ways to ask your line manager or HR department about how you can take on more responsibilities and advance professionally.

You didn’t get the pay rise you felt you deserved.

The idea of negotiating a higher salary makes many people feel uncomfortable: they don’t want to seem rude or greedy asking for more money, especially if an initial request has been rejected. Working with a career coach will equip you with the skills to ask for and negotiate a pay rise that matches your expectations.

You need advice for dealing with a difficult manager, an unproductive team or an unpleasant work environment.

The workplace can sometimes be miserable and unpleasant. When quitting isn’t an option, professional career management advice can show you how to turn a bad situation into a good learning experience and make your job more tolerable.

You want to learn skills to help you in a new management role.

The professional and/or technical skills that have fuelled your success to date are likely to be different to those you need as a manager. With career coaching, you’ll discover what skills and knowledge you need to be a successful manager who achieves high performance from team members.

You’re nearing retirement and don’t want to stop working, but your current role isn’t suitable for your retirement plans.

Many retirees want to remain in the workforce, although not always in the same role. With post-retirement career planning, you can decide whether you want to look for a role related to your previous career, investigate new career paths or start your own business.

You want to return to the workplace after a few years break to raise your family and you want a role that provides you with a good work/life balance.

Career coaching can provide you with expert help in developing and implementing a return-to-work strategy, especially if you want to do something different to what you did before you left the workforce. It can help you think about your existing skills, including those you’ve developed since becoming a parent, and how to transfer them to other employment options.

Australian Online Courses “Ask a Career Coach”

Career counselling helps you plan and effectively deal with career challenges. At all ages and all stages of your professional life there is opportunity to explore suitable career options. So, if you’re unhappy in your current role or are confused by career choices, you might benefit from our “Ask a Career Coach” service.

The “Ask a Career Coach” is a free service offered by Australian Online Courses where you can ask any questions related to work and careers. All questions are reviewed and answered by a career coach. Selected questions and answers will be published on the Australian Online Courses site (we respect your privacy, real names and email address will not be published).

Why Study Australian Online Courses?

If you’re ready to discover a new career direction explore the hundreds of professional development courses on offer with Australian Online Courses.

Your career matters to us at Australian Online Courses. That’s why flexible study timeframes, affordable prices and unmatched customer support from our administration team and tutors are at the heart of what we do.

Our comprehensive array of courses, developed in consultation with industry experts, will give you the skills and knowledge to pursue new roles and achieve your career goals.

A state-of-the-art eLearning platform means you can study anywhere, anytime. So, sign up with Australian Online Courses today and get the skills and confidence to discover a career that inspires you.