In most cases the links are through to the information provided by the Good Universities Guide Career Ladders. Where information wasn’t available on the Careers Ladders I have added a link to the most useful information I could find.
The Good Universities Guide has uni and VET courses
MyFuture
MyFuture has videos and great information about careers. It may be worth subscribing as all States and Territories contribute to that central store of information. It costs about $15 a year to subscribe.
MyFuture was created by all Australian States and Territories. It is THE most comprehensive career site we have.
In Focus Careers
I wrote a post recently with updated links to all of the key careers sites.
West Australian career teachers are the BEST INFORMED careers teachers in the world.
I haven’t fact checked this but…..
…where else would you find nearly 1000 educators, employment service providers, unis, RTOs, and a bunch of industry people who are so parochial, and so concerned for career education that they freely share information for the common good?
The contributions of West Australians, and a few other minor players like the Commonwealth government, has resulted in the August issue having 50+ pages of stories on:
strategies all local unis are putting in place to support Year 12s
Thanks to everyone who helps us to keep up to date in this bugger of a year.
(I did a Fact Check and found we are not only the best informed career teachers in the world, we are also the best looking, most intelligent, most professional and most generous!!)
If you subscribe to the In Focus Careers Newsletter you know how much work I put into it. I am sometimes surprised when I meet someone at a workshop or conference who mentions something I have written.
I feel like I am working away in my cave and no one is listening.
Rebecca Herbertson, WA President of the CDAA wanted me to go for one of the National Careers Partnership Grants to have my newsletter developed for each State/Territory collating information just for that jurisdiction.
You need to be a little obsessed, a lot passionate and a tad parochial if you want to do what I do, so I don’t think it is a goer nationally.
Rebecca wrote this testimonial in support of her idea … and I am so glad she did.
Testimonial
The In Focus Monthly Careers Newsletter is a curated collection of current scholarships, career programs, important dates, Career Expos and events, career research and resources.
While aimed at the secondary school practitioner in WA, I find it incredibly valuable as a Careers Educator in the VET sector.
Having a trusted source of timely information means that parents, students, job seekers and career development practitioners have an up to date reliable resource telling what is out there, all in the one place. Prior to subscribing to the In Focus Careers Newsletter I would only discover resources or opportunities by accident, or through time consuming research.
Having this resource at a National level could address one of the biggest issues we have in Careers in Australia; recreating the wheel over and over because we don’t know about something that already exists.
There is currently no universally recognised system for distributing careers information or for advertising programs and events, which reaches everyone who would be genuinely interested and find it helpful.
The reinvention of the wheel can be seen in the plethora of websites which contain the same or similar information all funded by Governments, such as Jobs and Skills WA, MyFuture, Job Outlook and Job Jumpstart.
A National Resource, with a similar format of the In Focus Careers Newsletter, which was published monthly, and distributed through all schools, job actives, DES providers, TAFEs and organisations like The Smith Family across the nation, would be amazing.
Of course such a resource would need a team headed by someone like Bev Johnson, curator of the In Focus Career Resources Hub, who has the careers expertise, knowledge and energy required to put together such a well-researched publication. Without Bev’s passion, networking, and career expertise, such a resource would be likely to miss the mark.
Rebecca Herbertson,
WA Divisional President – Career Development Association of Australia
Director of Training and Compliance for the Betterlink Group – a private RTO specialising in Careers and Employment Training to the sector.
Forget resilience. Forget the struggle. Forget pleasing others. Everyone deserves a great life without all that.
Once you know what your great life would look like, you can forget the ongoing internal battle about what is right for you and set off in the right direction.
When you find your purpose you gain a new confidence in your decisions. Your decisions feed your confidence. You come to please yourself rather than trying to please others. That is when you create your best possible life.
Your best possible life emerges in a spiral that nourishes itself.
The Bright New Shiny Thing
When you feel stuck, you want magic to deliver you to your new future.
You want a flash of light. You want to head off towards a bright new shiny thing NOW.
You are Worth Listening To
Sorry.
Finding your best life will come in a whisper. It is worth taking the time to listen.
Start to Play
These aptitude tests are a great start. There are lots of them.
Once you have done two or three of them, common themes will start to emerge. You will start to see what you are naturally good at.
(You may have to download the free Coggle Map app for the links to work.)
I am an expert in guiding people as they find the best way to connect with their purpose.
My Process
Stage 1 User Centric Research
If you have started doing some aptitude tests, you have already started on Stage 1.You have started to gain insights about yourself.
I will take you further into this journey of self discovery.
This is fun. It is all about you. Who you are. What you love. What you do.
Stage 2 Insights Based on the Research
What is guiding your decisions? We analyse the information that you unearth in Stage 1 and clarify your needs and values.
We will refine what drives you and what you want in life.
We have moved from the General Problem to the Specific Problem
What direction will connect you to your purpose?
Stage 3 Ideation
We go broad again. This is where my knowledge of opportunities in Western Australia shines. I know about international economic trends and the future of work. I know about potential pathways.
In Stage 3 I will make lots of suggestions. We will brainstorm lots of ideas for you to consider.
Stage 4 Prototypes
We start to narrow down the options guided by the information we identified about what you love, your needs and values. We will create potential models for you and narrow down the choices to follow until you are clear about which direction to take.
Specific Solutions
When the Specific Solutions have been identified I will provide you with a Personal Development Plan which is your roadmap for going towards your Best Possible Life.
This is where you want to be.
Your Personal Development Plan will give you a clear direction. It will include actions for you to take.
You are now on the road to YOUR BEST POSSIBLE LIFE.
Free Initial Consultation
Bev Johnson
Hi
I am Chief Evangelist for Insanely Great Career Services in Western Australia.
I can help you to save time, money and frustration.
I have an innate ability to see in others what they haven’t seen in themselves and to guide them to a path to their best possible future.
I am truly dismayed when I see amazing, wonderful people living a half life as they leave their potential on the table.
You owe more to the world. Your owe more to yourself.
When you are ready to unearth your potential and set off to create your best possible future contact me at: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au or M: 0434056412
I have transposed Derick David’s The Ultimate Startup Beginner Guide into a careers context. I have never seen careers guidance use the strategies of Uber, Tesla and Airbnb to achieve success. It is worth thinking about.
1. Imagine your future while staying in the moment
Business guru, Tom Peters created the concept Brand You. Now every person has phenomenal power to create their own Brand by going online.
Your current moment is reflected in your Brand. The seeds of your future are embedded in your Brand.
If you are not conscious of a vision for your future, find someone who does have a vision for their future and try working with them as your personal awareness grows.
Do what you like.
You can start to unearth your where you are now and what you like try by following the steps recommended HERE.
2. Find What’s Missing in the World
Look around you. What do you think the world needs?
Is it better educators? Become a teacher.
Is it beautiful gardens? Study horticulture.
Is it better alternative energy? Become an electronics engineer.
3. Play with different ideas
Imagine and write down ideas about your future.
When an idea pops up in your mind, write it down.
Compare your ideas. Check to see which ones you care about.
4. Think the guiding questions
Would this be a valuable way to spend your life? Are you going to be satisfied being a …hairdresser….builder…. accountant? Are you making a difference?
Having the answers to these questions puts you ahead of the game.
5. Create a Prototype
When you have an idea check it out. Do work experience. Volunteer. Check videos of people doing the job. Meet people who do that work.
Don’t jump directly into a career. You can waste time and money going down the wrong path.
6. Show it to 100 people
Talk to everyone about your idea. Explain it in detail. It doesn’t have to be EXACTLY 100 people but the more people you talk to about it the more you will learn about your subject. They may even offer to help you.
Collect Feedback
Be prepared to accept suggestions
Keep talking and discussing and work on keeping an open mind as you do your research.
7. Iterate Fast.
Chunk the ideas into groups:
Those that will help you to have a remarkable future/Those that will not.
Those that make sense/Those that do not.
Those in the bin/Those to follow up
If you get stuck, ask from help, either from a friend or from an expert.
You will probably change your path a million times through your life. Your values will anchor you to your best path.
8. Find Co-founders
When you decide on a career path, find 3-4 people going in the same direction. If you are lucky, you can work as a team to inspire, support and motivate each other.
If you are SUPER lucky you will find a mentor to guide you.
9. Seek Funding
You can work as you study or you can get a scholarship or a grant or government support.
The earlier you explore funding options the better.
Many scholarships don’t go to the brightest student on the block. Some industries, like agriculture, give significant industry support to those who choose to go into it.
Exploring funding opportunities needs to be part of your research.
10. Launch the product (You)
You have been launching your product your whole life. Sometimes Brand You goes into a new phase. Have a great launch.
Get the best possible referees through volunteering or work experience or even by doing assignments that solve a problem for a company. They will help you with your launch.
Go for scholarships and grants as you study. Mention them on your CV.
Go for awards. Even ones that don’t relate to your Brand.
If you get the opportunity to study overseas, take it. There are scholarships that will help you to study overseas.
Find out about cadetships in your industry.
All this will help you to create a great launch into your next phase.
11. Be Patient
Love the process. Love what you are doing as you create your ideal future.
Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.
12. Check if your “customers” come back
You are your #1 customer. Spoil yourself. Spend time to reflect how happy you are with your product.
Are things turning out as expected? Are you still following what you value?
You will probably adjust your course often. Your Ideal Future may change as you learn more and discover new opportunities.
Keep growing. Your next move will bring you even closer to what you value.
Conclusion
From Bev…
Doing this transposition from business startup to career development has been fun. I have written a million business plans in my life and followed various business development systems but I have never thought of applying any of those systems to careers.
Now that I have done it I don’t know why I didn’t see how we can learn from Uber, Airbnb and Tesla as we design careers.
What we usually lack is a mental framework like this that helps us to stay on track. Most career failures come from the inside. This framework will help you to build your amazing life.
I wish to acknowledge the source of the original document again:
On the 5 June Medium published a great article called The Ultimate Startup Beginner Guide by Derick David (@zealous) which he draws from 5 years researching Tesla, Uber, Airbnb and distilling a 12 step process that can be replicated.
Contact me to engage the insanely great online career counselling services of In Focus Careers:
We would like to subscribe to your insanely great newsletter designed for young West Australians.
Their kids are in year 12. They haven’t decided what to do next year.
Parents don’t want their kids to leave school and fall into a hole. The kids don’t want to talk about it.
Parents can suggest these steps as a path forward
STEP 1: Explore
Check out some aptitude tests to see what tends to come up. Find a range of different tests HERE.
Get a piece of paper or a notebook.
Pick 4 different tests to do.
After each one write down three most important things the test indicated. For example….
I want to work outdoors
I am creative
I am a natural leader
When you have done a few tests you should start to see some common themes. These will help you as you explore your career options.
Some of the tests, like Job Outlook suggest career matches to match your aptitudes.
Step 2: The Shoulders of Giants
Sometimes it’s hard to see what’s around you
I once counselled a student whose mum and dad, brother and uncle were mechanics yet she hadn’t thought of being a mechanic. She ended up doing a Defence Force Gap Year where she started a mechanic apprenticeship.
It is easiest to build from what you know, yet we are often not aware of what we know.
If you are an Eskimo you might think building igloos is for you. If everyone in your family plays an instrument, being a musician could be for you.
What careers you know from your life experience? Check out your family, your family friends, school friends’ parents, sport coaches.
What work do they do?
It is easier when you build from what you know.
Step 3: What is Important?
Whether it’s diamonds, world peace or having fun, your values will remain fairly stable and they will ground you throughout your life.
This game helps you to clarify your values.
1. In a list, write the names of 8 people you like.
They can be family or friends, famous people or fictional people like superman.
Don’t go on until you have your list.
2. Now next to each name write three or four things you like about that person.
3.Group similar values with different colour highlighters. You might group together smart,wise, clever, leader. (CLEVER)
Try to group all of the values into three or four groups. Give each group one name.
Now you have key values that are important to you.
These values guide who you are, how you act and what you do.
They anchor your decisions.
When you are in doubt, make decisions that are consistent with your values.
Summary
Well, that’s not a bad start. From the work you have done you now know:
1. What natural abilities you have.
2. What natural careers environment you live in.
3. What values drive your decisions.
Awareness of your natural abilities, your natural careers environment and your values can drive your decisions.
ONLINE CAREER GUIDANCE
Bev Johnson
If you are a worried parent who would like career advice for your student contact me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au or phone 0434056412.
In Focus Careers Newsletter
If you are associated with a high school in Western Australia it probably subscribes to my In Focus Careers Newsletter. Career information you receive about new courses, career events and scholarships are delivered to the school each month through the newsletter.
Contact me for a complimentary copy of the newsletter:
Companies are preparing their 2021 apprenticeship vacancy ads. The competition will be fierce. These tips will help you to be competitive.
Do you shake hands now?
I now wonder what to do when I meet someone. Do I nod, shake hands, smile and make eye contact?
Leave it up to the interviewer.
It will be hard to get to the interview stage. If you DO get there, don’t blow it by refusing to shake hands (carry hand sanitizer and use it straight after the interview) OR by having a pathetic handshake!
You’ve gotta hate wimpy handshake but a bone crusher is weird. Have a firm handshake and look at the person as you shake hands.
Give the employer the right gut feeling
Check this video. It gives tips on how to give your potential employers a good gut feeling.
If you have a good written application the employer will start off with the feeling that you are going to be good.
School leavers can get tips on how to write a good resume and cover letter HERE at Youth Central.
Apart from having a decent handshake say “Hi. Good to meet you” and smile.
Dress like the employer
Neat casual will probably suit most apprenticeships. Don’t wear a suit. Your employer won’t be wearing a suit.
More Tips
Finding an apprenticeship
An apprenticeship is a job. You can find apprenticeships through family and friends, on sites like Seek.com.au or through a career advisor, a Jobs and Skills Centre or via a pre-apprenticeship.
Getting a job as a trades assistant can help you to get a foot in the door.
Making a good impression
Employers like applicants who have done volunteer or part time work as it showed their enthusiasm and meant they would have some work ready skills.
Work experience in the field looks good on a resume.
Good school results, particularly in metals, maths and engineering are indicators that you might be a good apprentice in a building trade. Taking a folio of photos of projects you have worked on is a good idea.
Get your driver’s license
A driver’s license is important for most apprenticeships. Start working towards your driver’s license as soon as you turn 16.
At the end of the interview say you really want this apprenticeship.
(Know what to say if they ask why!)
Women in Trades
Only 1-3% of tradespeople are women. Opportunities to earn the big money during mining and building booms are largely given to men while women are directed into low paid caring jobs in the aged, child and disability sectors.
Women and girls interested in trades may find the Programmed National Energy Technician Training Scheme worth applying through. In 2019 they had 38% females in their trades program.
If you go to a school in Western Australia it probably subscribes to the In Focus Careers Newsletter. You can check, and get a complimentary copy here.
Testimonial
I have found your material invaluable. The information you have put together is thorough – a one-stop-shop in a sea of information that is out there. I have utilised this information on a regular basis with others throughout the school.
(South Metropolitan Government High School.)
My Commitment to West Australian Careers Education
For In Focus Careers to be the conduit to Insanely Great Careers Information for West Australian careers teachers and students I undertake to:
Write 10 insanely great issues of In Focus Careers newsletter each year that focus on the needs of West Australian students and careers teachers.
Search for local, national and international information that could impact on the careers of West Australian students.
Connect you with insanely great careers teachers across the In Focus Careers network.
Listen to and support West Australian careers teachers
On their Making Sense of Career Research webinar they debunked three myths.
Robots are NOT Taking Your Jobs
Bad news travels fast and there is reason to be fearful. There are not many chimney sweeps around… even chimneys are disappearing!!
But jobs are NOT disappearing. Since the introduction of IT across industries, the amount of work has actually increased.
Machines haven’t REDUCED housework
Our behaviour will change because of the machines. Before we had washing machines doing washing was hard, and time consuming. Not it is easy, but still time consuming because we wash our clothes more often.
Houses are cleaner, food is more interesting, we stay awake longer.
Machines have changed the way we live, and there are lots of jobs in our new way of living.
Artificial Intelligence Won’t Replace ALL Workers
If a some sauce is spilt on the floor at McDonalds, it takes a person a second to wipe it up. That task would take very sophisticated AI and it would be slower and more expensive than a human.
The same with self driving vehicles. It takes a lot of AI to account for every possible accident. It is more likely that technology will make us better drivers by helping us to park without crashing, showing us which route to take, or warning us when we are about to run out of fuel.
Where will the jobs be?
The Naked Scientist podcast Life in the Year 2100 talks about all the jobs required to create sustainable futures and build smart cities with intelligent buildings. They claim gardeners will be more important as green space makes people physically and mentally healthier.
The Future is Human is an optimistic report with lots of practical recommendations for future success. You can see a Press Club presentation on the report by Deloitte economics Chris Richardson, HERE.
It is likely that you will stay in a job for a shorter time at the start of your career, as you work at McDonalds or travel overseas, then stay longer as you go through your career.
On the Making Sense of Research CDAA webinar Jason Brown gave this explanation of how absurd it would be to try to totally change careers and start learning from scratch again.
You can relax. In 2000 we stayed in jobs for about 3 years, now we stay in jobs for about 4 years.
Millenials are NOT more focused on meaningful work than baby boomers
I was pleased to hear this. I have always sought meaningful work and I’m a baby boomer. Claims that young people are more focused on finding meaningful work than me, seemed to be dismissing my life’s work.
It is common to broadly group people of different ages into “generations” and to speak of distinctions between such groups in terms of “generational differences.” The problem with this practice, is that there exists no credible scientific evidence that (a) generations exist, (b) that people can be reliably classified into generational groups, and (c) that there are demonstrable differences between such groups.
We have already noted an emerging generationalized rhetoric that has characterized how people of different ages have been affected by and reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. …..We urge researchers to eschew the notion of generations and generational differences and consider alternative lifespan development theoretical frameworks that better capture age-graded processes.
Thanks to career professionals
It is great to have professionals from the CDAA debunking myths that make us feel bad.
Subscribe to In Focus Careers
If your organisation works with young West Australians you can keep up to speed with what is happening on the careers front by subscribing to my insanely great newsletter.
Join more than 120 schools and organisations that tap into a network of careers experts around the State so that they can deliver the BEST careers information to their students and clients.
If you apply for a job with a mining company, or think you may want to work overseas, you will find yourself writing job applications that go through application tracking systems designed to weed out poor applications before a human sets eyes on it.
You need to know how to get your job application past the application tracking systems.
Nothing Beats a Good Job Application
Don’t turn yourself inside out trying to beat the algorithm. Your application can end up sounding phoney.
Just write a good application. Seek.com provides great advice on writing a good resume, or if you are still at school go to Youth Central for tips.
Key Words
The application tracking system will scan your application for keywords that are in the job advertisement.
If they are looking for a professional tap dancer you need to use the words “professional” and “tap dancer” in your application.
If you do tap dancing but have never worked professionally put in a Career Goal at the start of your document that says that your dream is to work as a full time, “professional tap dancer“.
Then you can talk about your tap dancing qualifications and experience that lead to this dream under traditional headings like:
Qualifications
Just list your qualifications, where you got them and when. A table of qualifications may take on a life of its own in cyberspace and end up a jumble when it is downloaded.
You can put in headings like:
Academic Qualifications
Dance Qualifications
Experience
Stick to what is important. If the professional tap dancer is required to work in a team you can talk about your experience working in a team at the local coffee shop where you were required to work under pressure and support other team members. Mention “team” in your answer.
If you can’t make your coffee shop experience add to your story, leave it out.
Referees
It will be best if you have a referee who is a professional tap dancer.
The Prime Minister may be your first best friend but he is not going to have any credibility with employers looking for a professional tap dancer.
Don’t Get Fancy
Pictures of your latest tap dancing performance won’t be picked up by the application tracking system. Leave them out.
Just save your application in Word or as a PDF, attach it and send. Don’t get fancy with Google Docs or Dropbox etc unless they say that is what they want.
Use Grammarly to check your spelling and grammar before you send off your application.
I don’t like pictures of applicants. It is an equity issue AND the application tracking system may not be able to read the picture.
It’s an Online Social World
If your application gets to a human, they will check you out on social media to save time BEFORE you get called in to an interview.
Start building an online profile that makes you look like the sort of person who would succeed as a professional tap dancer.
Set up your LinkedIn profile and start building your reputation as a committed tap dancer.
Join local and world online tap dancing groups. Build your reputation.
The Future of Job Applications
Don’t panic if you can’t get your head around algorithms and key words. Just write your best application. Remember:
In Western Australia most employers own small businesses so they won’t be using application tracking systems, and even some IGA stores just have a form that you have to fill in.
There are some seriously cool job application apps coming through which will make it easy for employers to find out about you… but probably harder for you to make your application shine. There may be a future in writing seriously cool job applications for these apps.
If you are in Western Australia and want to know about career opportunities subscribe to the In Focus Careers Newsletter.
I work constantly to maintain my knowledge of career opportunities and my careers newsletter is a conduit for information and advice to schools and organisations across Western Australia.
Please send me a complimentary copy of your insanely great and VERY reasonably priced In Focus Careers Newsletter.
The Pinnacle Foundation provides scholarships & mentorships to young LGBTIQ+ students to give them the chance to achieve their full potential, and Light The Spark within.
There is a network of careers advisors and people who will support you to find a meaningful path forward. Email me to find a free service close to you.
Subscribe to the In Focus Careers Newsletter
There is a network of hundreds of career experts across WA who share information and advice so that you can keep up to speed with what is happening.
Please subscribe me to the insanely great and VERY reasonably priced In Focus Careers Newsletter.
Thanks Rebecca, 
The earlier you explore funding options the better.
