Cosi asked me if I would come to his school to deliver study skills to students. I hadn’t realised this was something teachers were looking for.
I have pulled together my study coach program here.
Students need to work with teachers to create SMART goals which will focus their study priorities.
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When you leave Year 12 there are 3 main paths that you can take:
The Other Way
Taking The Other Way from school takes courage. Your friends will try to get you to follow them. They want you with them. By taking another way you may be challenging them to think twice about the path they are taking.
You parents will worry about you. It’s good to be able to tell them that you have a plan.
Finding what you are interested in is driving your plan. Taking a gap year provides opportunities to meet people, explore who you are, do different things and find what works for you.
A Gap Year is a Year of Discovery
Gap Year in Defence
The Defence Gap Year has a whole lot of advantages.
You get paid. You can save for a car, or travel. You can afford to go out and to buy cool clothes. You may learn about how to manage money. You will learn and about award rates of pay, overtime, sick leave and holiday pay.
You meet lots of new people from different places and find out about their lives. You will probably make friends for life with people you meet at this time.
You get to leave home without having to pay for rent, electricity and food.
You learn new skills. Trying lots of different roles and learning new skills will help you to decide what you like and don’t like, without spending time and money at uni or TAFE.
You find out about life in the army, navy or air force.
You can check out Defence Force Gap Years HERE.
Travel
LetzLive has opened up its Gap Year opportunities as a gap year assistant working in a boarding school in New Zealand.
Check out the programs provided by LetzLive.
Harvest Trail
The horticulture industry has relied on people from overseas to pick their fruit and vegies. It turns out the pay and conditions were shocking and Australians initially refused to take up the jobs. Things are getting better so check out the opportunities to travel Australia and become harvest trail nomads.
You can find Harvest Trail jobs HERE.
You can apply for Relocation Assistance HERE. Be careful, I heard it takes ages to come through.
Hospitality and Tourism
The boom in tourism within Australia is being slowed by the shortage of workers in resorts, coffee shops, motels, road houses and caravan parks.
Look for these jobs on sites like Seek or phone/email the local tourist bureau and ask where to find a job in the area.
If you are 18 you can earn more money serving alcohol than cleaning. You will need your Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate to be able to work serving alcohol.
If you can find a job in a resort or motel chain, take that, it is more likely to pay sick leave, holiday pay and superannuation. Wherever you get a job, make sure your pay and conditions are legit. Ring or email the Fair Work Ombudsman if you need to check.
Work on a Station
Can’t ride a motor bike or muster cattle?
Ellenbrae Station, halfway between Derby and Kununurra, sells thousands of scones to tourists who travel up the Gibb River Road every year.
All of the stations supplement their incomes through tourism.
If you can clean you can probably find a job supporting the station tourism industry. Look for jobs on sites like Seek.
Need Experience?
Once you leave school it is tricky getting work experience as employers aren’t insured to cover unpaid volunteers.
In Western Australia you can apply for volunteer work through Volunteering WA. People put in requests for volunteers to them and they place people and cover them through the Volunteering WA insurance.
The Volunteering WA people said that when you first start with them they are careful of the sort of work they let you do until you have proven yourself.
Free Tips
Check out Youth Central. It’s a Victorian Government site that has some good tips on taking a gap year.
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There are more law graduates in Australia each year than the total number of lawyers in Australia.
It may take you years after you graduate to find a job where you practise law.
DIY Law
Not only are there too many law graduates for the job vacancies that are available, you can get advice on how to write your will online. You can file for divorce online. Artificial intelligence delivers instant information that law degrees take years to deliver.
People don’t go to lawyers if they can save themselves money by doing law themselves.
The cost of a law degree is now over $70,000.
The demand is down. The price is up. There is a glut of law graduates looking for work.
You might think again about doing a law degree.
If someone with a law degree applied for a job I advertised, chances are they would get an interview. The job probably wouldn’t demand law work but I would presume the applicant could problem solve, think of good wording for contracts and warn me of any dodgy stuff that was in paper work. Someone with a law degree would probably be a good employee.
On the other hand, someone with a business or commerce degree may be better for my business, AND their degree would have cost them half as much.
If you bought a car for $70,000 you would check out a few car sales places before you made your decision to buy.
All universities in Western Australia deliver law degrees. Pick two or three universities and make an appointment with career advisors. Check out what law degrees you can specialise in. Compare the different courses and support that the different unis deliver…. there is a big difference between the support provided by unis in WA.
Ask current students questions about the courses on Whirlpool.
Compare employment statistics for graduates.
Law degrees are great, but they are expensive and chances are you will never work as a lawyer.
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Every life comes with a story … and a possibility for a great adventure.
Make this the year your future self will thank you for as you create your amazing life.
If you are lucky, you will have family and friends and teachers who all WANT you to succeed. They can help you to achieve your amazing life.
A great school experience can set you up for your great future. Get all of the help they can give to boost your academic and life experiences.
If academic success is what you need to to make your crazy dreams come true, you can get extra academic support to boost your ATAR, OLNA and NAPLAN results.
Check out these different programs to see if any of them can help you to take the next step to your amazing life.
Master Mind Australia intensive revision of the syllabus and assessment preparation, including the effective modelling of answers to ATAR-style exam questions.
Academic Task Force specialist teachers work with students showing them how to apply what they have learnt at school, how to prepare for their exams and how to maximize their exam performance.
ATARget ATAR Revision, ATAR Exam Preparation and Study Skills programs focus on strengthening students’ understanding of subjects, boosting classroom confidence and improving examination performance.
WACE+ ATAR Revision, ATAR Exam Preparation and Study Skills programs focus on strengthening students’ understanding of subjects, boosting classroom confidence and improving examination performance.
TEE Consultants deliver intensive courses for year 12 students seeking university.
Courses are run at UWA and Murdoch.
Academic Associates conducts courses in most WACE subjects.
Accredited Tutor delivers small group classes in most WACE classes, exam preparation and study skills.
INDIVIDUAL TUTORS
Many semi-retired teachers continue to tutor in their specialty subject.
These teachers have a lifetime of knowledge of their subject, what examiners are looking for and tips for success.
Ask at your school front office to see if they know anyone you can contact.
ECU ATAR revision programs are run during the September holidays at the Joondalup and Bunbury campuses.
These are a free service to Year 12 students.
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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.)
Email: Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
Deciding WHAT you want to study is the hard bit.
Then you need to decide WHERE you want to study. Check out the universities closest to you at their open days.
Ask the students what they think.
Look at the displays.
Listen to some talks.
Talk to your career advisors.
At the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) site you will be able to see what last year’s students thought of the university you are checking out and course you are considering.
There is a function where you can choose the same course at different unis and compare what last year’s students thought.
You can get and overview of WA unis and what they are like at Which Uni is Best for You.
Curtin hasn’t set a date for its Open Day 2021 yet.
Check out Curtin courses HERE.
28 March Check HERE for Details
Check out UWA courses HERE.
Check the Open Every Day strategy.
Check out Murdoch courses HERE.
Check out Notre Dame courses HERE.
CQU will probably have a Virtual Open Day again
Check CQU courses HERE.
I loved this month’s newsletter! There were so many useful links that I’m going to use, like the Logistics Training Council publications and the Future skills Framework infographic on our demographic. So much handy information – I even signed up for the Public Sector Commissions job search so that I can pass opportunities for traineeships onto students. (Northern regional Catholic Education School)
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Infocus Careers is an independent organisation which is solely supported by insanely great subscribers who share information with me, support each other and help me to pay my bills.
I can talk about careers under water so if you would like to chat about how I can help you to improve your career or the services you deliver, give me a ring on 0434056412 or email me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
BEST IN AUSTRALIA
88.4% of Notre Dame undergraduate students were satisfied with the overall quality of their learning experience according to the Quality Indicators of Learning and Teaching (QILT).
91.1% Were positive about their skills development.
76.6% found full time employment
Notre Dame is a Catholic University but you don’t need to be Catholic or Christian or even religious to go there, and the fees are comparable with other universities.
The point of difference is that Notre Dame does have a spiritual, values driven, caring approach to teaching and learning which underpins their interactions and decision making. That’s why they are topping the QILT ratings.
It is quite a small university with 10,000 students and the vast majority of them are domestic students.
The university is in beautiful renovated old buildings around Fremantle.
Pastoral care and support developed for international students has been made available to help regional and remote students to settle in. The only shortcoming is the lack of Notre Dame student accommodation but the student support services people will help students to find accommodation to meet their needs.
Curtin is by far our biggest university with over 50,000 students. It seems like a city with business centres, shops, gyms, accommodation and bands and food trucks, art galleries and theatres.
I think undergraduate students could have a ball at Curtin, but the sheer size of of the place can be daunting. You need to actively work at getting engaged with the Curtin community, both social and academic, to make the most of your Curtin experience.
Curtin knows this and has invested in providing plenty of help for new students and for students with special needs, but it is up to you to seek it out.
Because of the size of the university there are many opportunities available for students to extend their experience, in Australia and internationally.
Curtin is part of a knowledge precinct in Bentley with CSIRO, Tech Park and the Pawsey supercomputer in the area. Staff and students actively seek to engage with industry to get knowledge and experience and do industry based research. It is number 2 in the world for Metals and Mining Engineering programs. This industry focus underpins the feel at Curtin.
Curtin seems exciting, dynamic and very cosmopolitan with lots of international students and with campuses in Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai as well as the one at Bentley and in Kalgoorlie.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching ranks ECU as the top public university in Australia for undergraduates’ student experience. You can feel the quality of the experience when you contact ECU for information. They get back to you. They try to help.
ECU started as a college for teacher training and gradually expanded its courses with WAAPA being one of the first ventures into new areas. Now WAAPA has a reputation as one of the BEST performing arts learning academies in the world.
ECU’s more recent expansion has been into engineering with significant investment into new facilities, international learning opportunities and strong demand for graduates.
ECU is pretty big but students are on the Mt Lawley and Joondalup campuses so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
The buildings are great examples of design with some of the coolest architecture in Western Australia.
ECU is manageable and there is a strong student centric management focus which means students get help to succeed. There are many alternate pathways into ECU including the UniPrep program and experienced based entry.
People who didn’t think they could get into uni and succeed can are supported to thrive at ECU.
Murdoch has recognised that the world is changing and that there is a disconnect between education and where jobs are emerging. It has introduced “adaptive expertise” as a learning spine being introduced across the university.
They are focusing on adapting traditional courses with the application of technologies. So History + STEM could result in machine learning that unearths previously unknown information about cultures. Journalism + STEM, as seen in the use of drones, is revealing what is happening in emergency or war environments.
Murdoch has a strong focus on getting girls into engineering. They have engaged with schools and support in industry to lift the number of girls entering this field which delivers 25% of the world’s CEOs.
Murdoch has the biggest percentage of international students in WA.
They are teaching students to think globally, to seek ways to apply technology to their work and to work collaboratively.
This is our oldest university. Many industry, political and community leaders in Western Australia went to UWA which gives strong links between UWA and leaders across the State.
The UWA campus is beautiful with Winthrop Hall being the most recognised symbol of “a university” in WA. The gardens, theatres and art gallery and its role as the initiator of the Festival of Perth make UWA a hub of culture.
UWA has positioned itself as the university for high academic performers and many high achieving school leavers identify UWA as their first preference.
This is a new comer to Western Australia and it is working hard to attract students from their traditional university pathways with courses in sonography and echocardiography which are new to WA.
The main campus is located near the bottom of William Street near Elizabeth Quay and they have set up study hubs in Busselton, Broome, Geraldton and Karratha. These are often on TAFE campuses.
Many of the students are mature aged, external students who make use of online learning, occasional face to face contact and phone calls to fit their learning around their work and other demands.
Although there are 20,000 students at CQU, they are spread across Australia and numbers in WA are still quite small.
Director of In Focus Careers Careers Resources Hub for West Australians.
Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au M:0434056412
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Infocus Careers is an independent organisation which is solely supported by insanely great subscribers who share information with me, support each other and help me to pay my bills.
I can talk about careers under water so if you would like to chat about how I can help you to improve your career or the services you deliver, give me a ring on 0434056412 or email me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
If you have just left Year 12 and don’t know what to do next year, there is free, expert advice available to help you to come out of your cocoon and turn into a butterfly.
If you THINK you might go to uni but don’t know what to do, check out the Alternative Pathways to Uni.
Most of these courses are free and while you are doing them you learn how to do research, write assignments and you find out about different courses.
Check out Which University is Best for You
The range of careers through TAFE is too great to mention. A VET course can get you into the high demand cyber security industry or into a specialist health career without getting a degree. There are also apprenticeships and traineeships that you expect to get from TAFE. See:
Entry to pre-apprenticeships at 15
How to blitz your apprenticeship interview
This is how you get an apprenticeship in WA
Go to a Jobs and Skills Centre which is probably on the same campus as your local TAFE. They have diagnostic tools that will help them to point you in the right direction.
Lots of TAFE courses are free or low cost in 2021.
Check out the wonderful MyFuture site. There are terrific quizzes there that will help to set you off in the right direction.
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Infocus Careers is an independent organisation which is solely supported by insanely great subscribers who share information, support each other and help me to pay my bills.
I can talk about careers under water so if you would like to chat about how I can help you to improve your career or the services you deliver, give me a ring on 0434056412 or email me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
Please send me a complimentary copy of your insanely great newsletter.
The big story for tradies for 2021 is that everyone is looking for apprentices. There is a construction bubble happening.
If you want to go into a building trade the job prospects are great, the pay is a whole lot better than aged or child care and you have opportunities to go into design, running your own business or project management.
If you would like working in building trades start looking at the big companies first. They are the ones with systems in place that reduce sexism and they try to make workplaces fair.
The National Association of Women in Construction provides support to women employees and to employers who take on a woman.
Check out the companies on their site, that are working with them and create a shortlist of which companies would be best to work for.
Help to find a job in construction for women.
Students who hate school might want to try their luck at getting an apprenticeship while the employer subsidies are available and the building industry is booming.
You are allowed to leave school early if you go into a job or into training. An apprenticeship is a job WITH training.
Bev Johnson
Infocus Careers is an independent organisation which is solely supported by insanely great subscribers who share information with me, support each other and help me to pay my bills.
I can talk about careers under water so if you would like to chat about how I can help you to improve your career or the services you deliver, give me a ring on 0434056412 or email me at Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
The School Leavers#WorkandWander program could be a way forward for school leavers. It provides paid work and a bit of an adventure.
This is a State government program which is trying to attract workers to help harvest crops. Workers are needed for fruit, vegetables and agriculture crops.
I just got this email through from Brook Lodge Backpackers who asked me to spread the word about picking jobs in Donnybrook:
Brook Lodge backpackers
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We are looking for workers to pick fruit from November onwards.
If you are looking for extra cash in the holidays, please get in touch with us.
- If you relocate more than 100kms from your home (Donnybrook is 198kms from Perth City), the Government will pay you up to $40 per day towards your accommodation costs.
- They may also pay you a one-off travel allowance of $150 to come and work in Donnybrook.
(Allowances are for Australian Residents and Citizens only)
If you don’t have a car, we can provide transport to and from the farms
Our accommodation per person per week:
Twin/double = $170 4-bed dorm = $155 6-bed-dorm = $150
Tel: (08) 9731 1520 or 0448 600 703
This is not the only place to find work. You can also try:
The WA Government ‘Work and Wander out Yonder’ marketing campaign encourages young Western Australians to have a backpacking adventure in WA. As a first step it would be great is students could create worker profile at: https://www.jobsinregionalwa.com.au
On that page the student go to the Looking for a Job Registration page that includes an “Elevator Pitch – Tell us about who you are”. In that section Students should consider they type of work they are interested in and include terms like ‘looking for summer work in agriculture’ ‘interested in working on a farm’ as well as any past work experience ‘I have driven my uncle’s tractor’ as some examples. Students can also search for jobs on Gumtree and Seek as a useful place to see jobs already on offer and even apply directly.
The Harvest Trails Facebook page has been advertising lots of openings
This is a Federal government service that finds workers for fruit/vege growers and vineyards in South West and around Perth’s outer North Eastern area. They are keen to connect with school leavers and have jobs available in coming weeks in Waroona, Margaret River, Lancelin, Gingin, Manjimup, Donnybrook, Bullsbrook as a starting point. I suggest anyone looking for work follow them on Facebook – Rural Enterprises Harvest Trail Services or email them.
The WA Government has announced a $3 million in the ‘Primary Industries Workers Regional Travel and Accommodation Support Scheme’.
A daily accommodation rebate of up $40 p/night is paid for each night away from the worker’s usual place of residence, where the worker relocates more than 100km from their home to undertake agriculture, fisheries or food processing work in regional WA. Paid on a rebate system, the rate of a maximum of $40 night ($280 week) is available for up to 12 weeks (capped at $3,360 per person) where they have provided evidence of paying for accommodation from the 21 September 2020.
$$$Plus
They can claim a relocation allowance if they have relocated more than 100kms from their usual place of residence. $150 is paid for employment taken up in in Peel, South West, Great Southern, Wheatbelt, Mid-West, Goldfields. $350 in n Gascoyne & Pilbara $350; and $500 for employment in Kimberley. The relocation payment claim be claimed even if they are not claiming the accommodation rebate (if they are getting free accommodation from a friend or relative as an example).
Claims open on 21st October, and they can register online to be advised as soon as claim forms and guidelines are available.
To find tips on how to prepare for this work go to Year 12 – Do these things now.
To build your career portfolio during your experience check out It’s Who You Know that Counts.
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Email Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au or fill out this form:
It doesn’t matter how smart you are, if you come across as rude, lazy… or just not interested, you will not get the job.
I have employed people because they are “nice” over applicants with higher qualifications who clearly thought they were too good for the job I was offering.
Speak to any employer and they will tell you that they want workers who they can get along with. They also want them to turn up, on time, today AND tomorrow and be enthusiastic.
Digital literacy, critical thinking and problem solving are way down on the list behind these attributes of a great employee.
In her Building Back Better interview on the ABC program, The Money Lisa Fowkes says employers want employees who know how to work. They don’t want kids who have a Certificate II in employability skills.
There is no substitute for the authentic experience of going to work, learning to work with other people, learning to work towards a concrete outcome.
Ivan Neville, from the Department of Labour Market Statistics and Analysis also made this point in his How Young People Can Prepare for the Future of Work
If you are 18 you are probably out of luck at McDonalds as they like to employ younger workers and train them up so that they are ready to take on management responsibilities at 18.
Big retail outlets like Bunnings and jbhifi are booming during COVID so you may have more luck there.
Look on the usual job sites like Seek and Indeed, and also look on Facebook pages like Perth Jobs. These Facebook pages are free to advertise on so many employers are going there with their job ads.
Many outlets, like your local IGA, will ask you to fill out a standard form.
Make sure:
Many employers will Google you before they offer you a job so clean up your digital profile.
Your Resume is Your Pitch, You Don’t Tell Your Life Story to Win a Job
If you have never written a job application or covering letter go to Youth Central for advice.
Students usually have the opportunity to do work experience in Year 10, and later if they choose the right courses.
Try to impress
If you get a good employer and if luck is on your side, your work experience could lead to a part time job. You should at least be able to get a reference or have them say they are willing to give you a phone reference if you are going for a job.
The State Government has developed a Work Placement Register of government departments willing to take on students from government schools.
Tip
The trick with work experience is that school insurance doesn’t cover you if the experience is not part of a school program. If you get an opportunity to do work experience outside of a school program, go to see your careers advisor or year coordinator to see if they can organise insurance for you.
PLEASE see your career advisor or year coordinator and ask if they can help you to get a mentor.
Mentors are priceless. They often work with you for about 3 months. If you are nice (see Interpersonal and People Skills above) they may continue to help you after the formal mentoring has ended.
Mentors can help you to develop employability skills.
There are mentoring programs like those run by the Beacon Foundation and the Australian Business and Community Network. Sometimes a school alumni will run a program for the school. Organisations like Rotary and local business networks may be willing to run them.
If you can’t find a mentor and you live in WA, email me. I will find one for you. Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
Coach a junior sport team, lead a youth group, help to organise Chinese New Year celebrations. All of these experiences add credibility to your resume. They also help you to build your network. The benefit here is that people in your clubs and community groups have probably known you for years and they know your family. They will be happy to give you a reference and may even have a job opportunity for you.
Check It’s Who you Know that Counts to discover how to make the most of your networks.
The great thing about volunteering is that you can try lots of different jobs. Three months of volunteering should be enough to make a good impression and learn if you are interested in that industry.
You can find volunteering suggestions HERE or email me for a copy so that you get the live links Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au . You can find volunteer opportunities on the Seek site, just look for the Volunteering tap at the top. A Google search for volunteer opportunities in your suburb or area will also give you suggestions.
Running your own business will give you heaps of work skills.
It doesn’t have to be a million dollar business. I know young people who run a babysitting club. A friend’s daughter set up an office cleaning business while at uni. My garden needs weeding and I can’t find anyone to do it.
Don’t muck around with this. Remember that your goal is to learn, not just to make some small change.
Go to the Small Business Development Corporation site. It gives heaps of free advice on how to start your business. You can go in and get advice in a face to face meeting.
Once you have left school you can enrol in the NEIS Scheme program that will assist you to set up your business.
Bev.j@infocus-Careers.com.au
