What’s Next? Design your Mud Map to a Life After School Safety Net
Category: Leaving school
Casual Summer Jobs for Senior School Students
Job Application Help
If you would like a job during the holidays but have never applied for a job, there is help available to get you on the right track and it’s free from the Jobs and Skills Centres, which are located throughout the State.
Go to a Jobs and Skills Centre for job application skills.
Text books for schools
Text book sellers have their peak time during the summer holidays as schools and students get their text books for the next year.
If you are interested in working with friends and making some money over summer, this could be a good option for you.
Every year Campion Education hires up to 1700 casual staff across Australia for our busy back-to-school period. There are stores in Canning Vale and Malaga
Register your interest for a summer job with Campion here
Casual jobs at Campion are typically from late October / November to February. The roles are in either customer support, warehouse & operations, or retail stores.
Once you register, we will let you know in August when applications open, so you can apply ahead of the crowd.
CBH Summer Jobs
Each year usually in about October, Western Australian (WA) grain growers start harvesting their grain such as canola, wheat, barley and oats.
It only pays $33/hour but there is opportunity for overtime and many uni students save enough to pay for their academic year by working for CBH.
There are three main jobs on a CBH receival site:
- Samplers are responsible for ensuring the quality of grain by sampling a truck load of grain and performing an unbiased and accurate assessment of the load.
- A Weighbridge Officer is responsible for controlling the site weighbridges, recording grower deliveries and ensuring the correct and accurate weighing of the trucks.
- RPOs are responsible for ensuring that the grain flows smoothly from the trucks to the storage areas.
You don’t require any experience as CBH provides all of the necessary training!
Swimming Instructor – Education Department
If you’re a friendly, outgoing person who loves the water, help us run the Education Department’s popular swimming programs across the state.
It’s a rewarding, feel-good job with:
- a competitive salary
- great, flexible hours
- friendly, supportive teams
- leadership opportunities
- more than 180 locations in WA.
Apply HERE.
To find what’s available and how to access those opportunities, subscribe to In Focus Careers for West Australians.
Don’t get stuck at school if you hate it. There’s a better path for you.
WRONG WAY: Just stop going to school.
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People from the Department of Education will chase you up to find what’s going on.
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You will cut ties with your friends and your support network of teachers, student services, VET coordinators, career advisors at school.
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You could end up alone and feeling lost.
BETTER WAY: Do this preparation.
Step 1: Talk with family and friends
Don’t shock your family and friends by just dropping out of school. They will get upset and add to your stress.
Talk with them, flag the idea of leaving school early. Ask what they think. Get their ideas and support.
Step 2: Get expert information
Your Mum’s best friend or your maths teacher is not the expert that you need right now. There’s a lot to know about leaving school. Talk to an expert whose full time job it is to know about career pathways.
This mind map provides links to expert information about leaving school in WA. Play with different links to see what’s available. Write down questions to ask your career advisor.
Meet with your school career advisor
Take a list of questions.
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If you don’t know what you want to do, they will explore different opportunities with you.
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They can help you to get a job application ready.
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They can link you with an apprenticeship/traineeship company that employs lots of apprentices.
Jobs and Skills Center free information and advice
Jobs and Skills Centres are co-located at TAFE colleges. There are 19 across WA and they provide free information, advice and support.
Private Career Practitioners
Look up “career practitioners” in your “suburb”. There will be career practitioners who can be employed to guide you through the process from school into a job or further study.
Step 3: How to leave school
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Get your career advisor and family to help you to arrange a full-time job, enrol in a full-time course or a combination of both.
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Get your parents to fill out an Exemption from full time schooling and submit it to your school.
It needs to go to the Minister for Education. They won’t come back with a flat “no” but you may be asked to add some more information to your application.
Once you have permission you can leave:
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Get a copy of your latest report.
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Get references from supportive teachers.
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Check with the front office to see if you have forgotten anything.
Say goodbye to your life as a school student
MORE INFORMATION
Common pathways from school
1. Nursing
2. Computing pathway – leave the pretty stuff for later
There are so many computing jobs. Learn the hard, foundation, boring stuff. It will put you way ahead of others who focus on pretty, creative computing.
- Entry level IT at SM TAFE Murdoch Campus
- Get a computing job through WA Government Jobs
- Talks to a career counsellor at Murdoch Uni about IT courses
- Apply for credits from your TAFE studies at Murdoch uni.
- Do a computer degree.
- Get promotions at work.
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Your ATAR Game Plan: Simple Steps to Achieve Your Best
Your big dream might be something as broad as “I want to have an amazing life.” And that’s a great place to start.
No matter how ambitious your vision is, turning it into reality takes a clear, step-by-step plan. If you’re working towards a strong ATAR score, that plan becomes even more important—it’s the bridge between where you are now and where you want to go.
SMART Goals
While big-picture dreams give you direction, SMART goals help you focus. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. They break your vision into practical, manageable steps—so instead of just dreaming big, you’re taking real action to get there.
Example of a SMART goal: I will improve my English result by 10% next term by asking my teacher, each week, for feedback and advice about what to work on next.
You can do SMART goals for each subject.
SWOT Analysis
Once you have your SMART goals, do a SWOT analysis. The SWOT will help you to understand your capacity to improve your score.
Brainstorm your ideas. Have a friend help you for more ideas, or you can just do it alone.
Turn Ideas into Action: A USED Analysis is your plan for ATAR success
Once you’ve completed your SWOT analysis you’re ready to take the next step: turning insight into action.
How to Do a USED Analysis
Set aside 10 focused minutes. Look at each point in your SWOT and ask yourself:
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How can I Use my strengths to support my ATAR goals?
Maybe you’re naturally organised or confident in a particular subject—how can you build on that? -
What do I need to Stop doing that’s holding me back?
Are procrastination or poor time management dragging your results down? -
What opportunities can I Exploit?
Are there extra tutorials, mentoring, study groups, or resources available that you haven’t tapped into yet? -
How can I Deny or reduce the impact of threats?
Is stress, burnout, or a lack of support threatening your progress? What strategies or supports can help?
Example USED Analysis for an ATAR Student
At the end of your USED analysis, your ideas are a list of actions. These actions are your key to success. By undertaking these actions, you will achieve your goal.
Success Planning
Your USED analysis has given you a list of tasks that will lead you to your goal. Work with your list:
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Choose the task that you want to do first.
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Figure out WHEN you are going to do the first task.
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When will it be finished?
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How will you know you have done it successfully?
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Create your plan for four actions that you want to do first.
Congratulations – you have your plan
You are now well on the way to achieving your best possible ATAR score. You have your plan. You know what to do.
Subscribe to In Focus Careers to find where to focus your efforts.
Alternative Paths to uni in WA 2024
All universities have developed lots of pathways to their door. The choices can be confusing.
Alternative Pathways to Uni in WA 2024 collates information on all the different pathways and provides:
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tables of courses offered by each university
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links to more detailed information for each pathway.
What’s good about alternative pathways?
Alternative pathways are frequently free.
As you do the course you find out about uni life and about a range of degrees that are available. You may find out about less expensive ways of doing your degree or about scholarships.
Courses like medicine, which have strict quotas, are not available through alternative pathways, but most courses will be open to you.
Although each course is different there are usually 4 subjects like….
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Academic Writing
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Research Skills and Information Literacy
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Communication Skills
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Essential Maths
You will meet new people, talk about courses, costs and career options with them, explore the campus and libraries and get familiar with the uni IT systems.
How to choose a university
Pick a university that you would like to belong to.
Is it close? Are your friends going there? Does it have a great course? Do you like its ranking by past students?
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Go to that university and meet with a career advisor. Tell them what you would like to study.
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Ask them what is available to help you to meet entry requirements. They will point you to the best course for you, or design one that meets your needs.
Check out Which Uni is Best for You? for a quick overview of West Australian unis.
Final Tips
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Students can calculate their anticipated ATAR HERE
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Students can check the Lowest Offered ATAR Rank in 2023 to see if they have a chance of getting in next year.
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If something goes wrong in Year 12, you could apply for special consideration through the TISC Access Scheme
Get your copy of Alternative Pathways to Uni in WA 2024
Planning a gap year? Don’t “waste” your time. Here are 3 gap year stories to inspire your thinking
Once you step off the education treadmill, you will have time to look around and check out the world.
Here are 3 gap year stories to give you some ideas.
Story 1: Equestrian Centre in the South of France
Background
Ariel finished school with an ATAR of 93. She didn’t know what she wanted to do although she generally liked sciences rather than arts.
When she was in Year 10 Ariel went on a holiday to Spain and France with her mother. She loved travelling and discovering other countries.
While she was at school Ariel made money by babysitting. She had done babysitting for a family of doctors since she was in Year 10. She used the money she made to support her equestrian hobby.
The Plan
Ariel decided that she would take a gap year. Work for 6 months to save money to travel to France where she would work as a nanny.
What Happened
She signed on to a couple of French sites, like Seek, searching for jobs as a nanny. She got her babysitting employers to write her a reference. While she was searching she found an advertisement for a job working at an equestrian centre in the South of France.
She applied for the job and got it.
She travelled to France and worked for 6 months, earning very little, but learning French, working with horses and seeing lots of the country.
After 6 months she came back and is currently studying paramedicine.
Story 2: Volunteering Abroad
Background
Chloe studied Certificate II in Hospitality while at school and worked part-time in cafes.
She comes from a migrant background and is interested in other cultures and the struggles that people go through in other countries.
The Plan
Chloe wanted to volunteer abroad. She contacted a couple of the organisations that organise young volunteers abroad and found out what sort of experience she needed and what sort of work she could do.
Chloe worked several jobs in coffee shops and cafes in the months after she left school and attended meetings to find out more about volunteering requirements and opportunities.
What Happened
Chloe applied for several opportunities in Africa and Cambodia. After a few months, she was offered a 6-month position working in an orphanage in Tanzania.
She paid for her own airfare but her accommodation and meals were paid for.
Meeting the orphans and working with them was fantastic. The workers at the orphanage were friendly and helpful. 
Chloe had a single room in a share house with other volunteers. Her work was mainly caring for children aged 4 – 7 years and cleaning and cooking. She had to walk 3 kilometres to work and back each day and it was hot. The mosquitoes were plentiful.
During her 6 months, Chloe made friends with other volunteers from the USA. She learned how tough and corrupt life can be for some children. She also got to visit Serengeti National Park on the way home.
Chloe is now buying a share in a cafe that she is managing.
Story 3: Fashion Design in New York
Background
Georgia finished school with an ATAR of 73. She is very stylish and spent much of her childhood living in a resort that her parents managed.
Georgia has a keen interest in fashion and considered specialising in Fashion Design at Curtin University where some of her friends had enrolled in different courses.
The Plan
Georgia saw a career advisor and then began working on a plan to work for a family friend in a resort for 6 months, before going to New York to do a 6-week fashion and design course.
The cost of doing the course and of living in New York was prohibitive so Georgia got in touch with the College and they were able to arrange for her to share accommodation with some other students.
What Happened
Georgia got in touch with the students she was to share with and found out who they were and where they lived. She arranged to rent a room in their accommodation.
She borrowed money from her mother as a safety net, then flew to New York a week before the course started.
The course was fantastic. New York was fantastic.
She met people she could never have met in Australia and learned about the New York fashion industry. She also learned practical design skills and about marketing in the fashion industry.
She had a brilliant time.
Chloe returned to Australia and began working in a holiday resort again to pay back the money she borrowed from her mother.
She has completed a Diploma in Hospitality and has credits to do a Hospitality Degree.
Teachers who want to help West Australian students to discover career opportunities need In Focus Careers News
My quest is to democratize career opportunities in Western Australia by broadcasting opportunities and advice to all who will listen. You can tap into my work.
To subscribe email me: bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
Is the uni bus right for you?
Are your friends going to uni? Do you have FOMO?
Did the drivers of the uni bus visit you at school and sell you a ride?
Are your parents frightened that if you don’t get off the bus you will get lost?
Just because the university bus is ready to pick you up from school, doesn’t mean that you have to get on.
Maybe you need to wait for the next bus. Maybe you want to get on the backpacker bus. Or the travel bus. Or the Harvest Trail bus. Or the job bus.
If you are not sure what to do at uni, DON’T GET ON THE BUS.
Defer University for a Year
If you are not sure what course you want to do, you can still apply for a place at uni and, once you get offered a place, defer taking it up for a year.
After working for a year you will have a clearer idea about which units to enrol in.
Check out Year 12 What Next? Gap Year Ideas for 2022.
The Uni Bus Fare is Expensive
Buying a uni course is not like buying a car. You can’t sell your used course to the next buyer who comes along.
If you get off the bus before you get to the destination YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY.
If you fail, you still have to pay.
If you change courses, you still have to pay for the part you used of the one you left behind.
TAFE
There are hundreds of courses available through TAFE. If you are unsure what course you might like to do or how to enrol find a Jobs and Skills Centre near you for career guidance.
Many TAFE courses are now on a free list.
You can do a trade course or a course that reflects 21st Century jobs in cyber security, dental technology, and agriculture.
Lots of TAFE courses earn credits at uni.
Still not sure which ride is best for you?
If you are tired of trying to decide what to do and feeling overwhelmed by your choices it may be time to think about hiring a Certified Career Advisor to guide you towards your ideal next chapter.
Contact me for a confidential discussion at M:0434056412 or Bev.J@infocus-careers.com.au
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
Sending an apprentice to Bunnings for a can of striped paint is now against the law in WA
Workplace Initiation Rituals
Sending a new apprentice to Bunnings for a can of striped paint. 
Forcing new employees to clean work toilets with a toothbrush.
Telling the new employee to drink goldfish water.
Just a bit of fun
Bosses laughed at these workplace initiation rituals which were designed to humiliate new workers. They were seen as “Just a bit of fun”.
Laughing at the new workers’ humiliation shows poor leadership and flags a shitty work environment.
These “fun” pranks are called “psychosocial hazards” and they can impact on the physical and mental health of workers.
Psychosocial hazards include:
- bullying
- excessive work demands, and
- poor leadership practices
It just got harder to ignore, overlook or explain away psychological hazards as “just a bit of fun”.
New Code to create great workplaces
There is a new Code of Practice called Psychosocial Hazards in the Workplace Code of Practice published by the WA Occupational Safety and Health Commission to support changes to the WA Occupational Safety and Health Act. 
Implications for School Students
Work Experience
Doing work experience or work placements is usually pretty safe. Any organisation that is willing to volunteer to support your school has their heart in the right place.
School based traineeships and apprenticeships
Students doing school based traineeships and apprenticeships may be more at risk as they are in the workplace longer and may be in workplaces where there aren’t many people.
Part time work
Part time workers are most at risk. Young part time workers have low status in the workplace and are vulnerable to being treated badly.
Get to know the Code of Practice so that you know what your rights are. Part time workers are usually not members of a union so they can’t relay on support if they are treated badly. The Code of Practice is designed to support you and other vulnerable workers and you don’t need to be a union member to get this protection.
You can check out the list of things that the Code is trying to stop in Section 2.
Long term career impacts
There will be workplace procedures set up so that employees have someone to talk to about bad work practices. Workplace inductions will need to make sure that new workers are aware of how to make a complaint.
There will need to be plans to eliminate toxic work practices.
Hopefully support for young FIFO workers will improve, women will face less harassment in mining sites and isolated workplaces will need to be safe for all workers.
Check Psychosocial Hazards Overview HERE. 
Thanks Danielle
Danielle Kabilio told me about these changes when we were having a coffee last week. She is a Psychosocial Coach at Careers West and is helping workplaces to put in new systems and managing grievances that must be addressed under this Code of Conduct. 
She sent in information and links for me to pass on.
Subscribe to In Focus Careers News to discover career opportunities in Western Australia
Leaving Year 12? These Gap Year ideas may interest you
“Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down.” ―
It takes courage to take the leap from school and out of a supportive education and training world. These gap year ideas may help you to build your wings.
Volunteer Overseas
Projects Abroad
With projects based on the edge of the world’s best safari and close to Mount Kilimanjaro, it’s no wonder that Tanzania is one of our most popular destinations.
We’ve been based in Tanzania for over 12 years, giving us time to cultivate meaningful placements. Why not explore this magical country and leave a positive impact of your own?
In Tanzania, you’ll help support Maasai communities. Consider the following options:
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Work with legal professionals to advocate for the rights of women and children
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Help set up a small business to improve the economic prospects of locals
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Provide human rights education and mentoring to women
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Intern in Medicine, Nursing, and allied health
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Support children through Teaching and Childcare projects
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Leave a lasting impact by building new classrooms
These projects are available to people of all ages, so get involved! For more insight, read Laura’s story of her experience volunteering in Tanzania.
Check out opportunities HERE.
Work Overseas
LetzLive has opened up its working holiday opportunities in the UK, Thailand, USA and New Zealand.
Check out the programs provided by LetzLive.
Travel Australia
Harvest Trail
The horticulture industry relies on people to pick their fruit and veggies. In the past the pay and conditions have been shocking, but the pandemic caused the industry to change work practices. The Harvest Trail is a more regulated employment trail for nomads.
You can find Harvest Trail jobs HERE.
You can apply for Relocation Assistance HERE.
AgCAREERSTART
If you’re 18-25 and looking to start a career in a meaningful and exciting industry, an AgCAREERSTART gap year will help you gain skills and knowledge to grow the farms of the future.
Over 10-12 months you will live in an exciting regional location, earn a nationally recognised qualification and build life-long industry connections.
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Get hands-on experience
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Increase your confidence
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Work outdoors and discover rural and regional Australia
Find out more HERE
CBH Employs 1000 people on the wheat bins
This is from the CBH site:
Working as a CBH harvest casual is a great opportunity to explore, live, work and immerse yourself in regional Western Australia (WA) for a short period of time while earning decent wages.
CBH manages sites all across regional WA where our growers deliver their grain once it has been harvested, and each year we recruit a pool of harvest employees to help us keep these sites moving, getting growers and transporters in and out safely, quickly and back to harvesting.
Check out the opportunities HERE.
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 or serving in a cafe. 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? Maybe you can make scones or serve coffee.
Ellenbrae Station, halfway between Derby and Kununurra, sells thousands of scones to tourists who travel up the Gibb River Road every year.
Most 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.
Defence
Gap Year in Defence (skip this section if you don’t want to try defence opportunities)
The Australian Department of Defence provides a structured, paid path to discover lots of stuff.
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.
Army Reserves – if you would like to serve part time
If you want to do something really different on a part time basis, while helping the community and giving something back to our country, you can apply to join the Navy, Army or Air Force Reserve. There are a range of Reserve jobs in every category, so please check the entry requirements on each job page. Find out more HERE.
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
Youth Central
Check out Youth Central. It’s a Victorian Government site that has clear, unbiased tips on taking a gap year.
How to Prepare for a Gap Year – Tips from Omio
Omio has sent me a link to their Gap Year Guides which delivers great resources to prepare for a Gap Year.
The guide contains detailed information on:
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The benefits of taking a gap year
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How to organize a gap year step by step (e.g., accommodation, transportation, entry requirements & travel restrictions)
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Itinerary suggestions and tips for travelling in Europe on a budget
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Volunteering in Europe (10 suggestions)
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How to successfully find and apply for an internship in Europe
You can find all the articles here: https://www.omio.com/travel/gap-year
Good luck with your plans for 2023.
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Year 12: Becoming clear on what to do next year.
If you are in Year 12, you need to decide where you want to belong when you leave school.
Most of us don’t remember our dreams. Your dreams, or even your vague ideas will come in a whisper, not in a shout. Here are some tips on how to listen to your heart.
Tip 1:
Take the best stuff from your life now into your new life when you leave school.
Career ideas don’t come fully formed. This simple trick will help you to see some possibilities.
Make a list of the things you do in a day. This list provides you with the raw material that you need to decide where you want to belong.
- Get up
- Have breakfast
- Bus to school.
- Maths
- English
- etc
Expand your list by adding what you do on a weekend or on holidays or things you liked when you were younger.
- Play basketball
- Go to the beach
- Customer service at Brumby’s
When you have finished your list, highlight the things you like doing most. Check out those things and use them to guide your decisions about where you want to belong next.
Ideas are most at risk when they are vague and new.
Ideas need pampering or they will fade away.
Talk to your career advisor to get ideas about how you can do more of what you like doing most.
You can also check out how to do more of what you like through a free appointment with a careers counsellor at a Jobs and Skills Centre.
For more information go to Get on track to uni in WA 2023 or .Year 10 Magic Happens: Careers Handbook
Tip 2:
It is tricky to be clear about what is important to you
For Donald Trump money and power are important.
For the Wiggles it is entertaining little kids.
You can figure out what is important to you through this game:
- Write a list of 8 people who you like. They don’t even have to be real people. Your dog could be on the list.
- Once you have finished your list write three things that you like about each person.
If you included your dog you might have:
MIssy – Friendly, fun, understanding.
You will have 24 different things that you like.
Group together similar things. The things that appear most are those things that are most important to you.
Let those things guide your decisions about where you want to go next.
If making money and having power is important to you, you won’t want to go to care for orphans in Cambodia.
If entertaining little kids is important to you, you might check out early childhood education. That is where the original Wiggles started.
For more information go to Get on track to uni in WA 2023 or .Year 10 Magic Happens: Careers Handbook
In Summary
From little things big things grow.
Start by listening to what you like now. From those ideas you can grow your future.
Check to see if those thing sounds true to your values.
Stand on the shoulders of giants. Ask older people for information. Ask what they did. We all want you to succeed.
Get on track to uni in WA 2023 Year 10 Magic Happens Careers Handbook
To discover career opportunities in Western Australia, subscribe to In Focus Careers News
