Careers News
Term 2: Careers News
In the third week of Term 2, a number of South Oakleigh students attended a Health and Allied Services Industry Immersion Day hosted by Monash Tech School at Holmesglen. Students were able to experience ‘real life’ jobs and tasks in a hospital environment and gained an understanding of a number of different jobs that exist within the Health and Allied Services industry. Students had the opportunity to take part in simulated nursing training, meet and hear from Faculty of Health Science professionals, analyse specimens in the pathology laboratory and explore the physiotherapy and occupational therapy centre. It was especially interesting to learn about the different areas that work together within this industry. People often assume working in health care means working with people as a nurse or a doctor but throughout the day we were reminded of the many different jobs and roles that exist within this industry including: the technicians that run the simulations and equipment within the nursing education centre, the people who work in the pathology lab diagnosing diseases and analysing tissue samples and the practitioners who might choose to work in a specific field like with a professional sports team as a physiotherapist or within a school setting as a nurse. It was a busy, informative day for all.
VCE & Careers Expo
Our Year 11 and 12 students attended the VCE and Career Expo early in Term 2 and came away with lots of information, brochures and free pens and stickers. It was a great opportunity for students to meet and learn about the different education and employment providers within the state and country. It is a little bit of an information overload but a good starting point to see what is out there. For those students interested in attending university after high school, below are some things to think about when it comes to picking the right university for you:
Does the university offer the program you are interested in?
The ‘CourseSearch’ function at vtac.edu.au is your best resource for determining which universities offer which courses and qualifications.
What is the university’s focus?
Each university belongs to a network which will tell you about its focus. Certain networks are known for their International networks (Association of Pacific Rim Universities) and would be good to take a look at if you are interested in doing an exchange or working overseas. Others, like the well known Group of Eight Network, have a stronger focus on intensive research and offer a large variety of courses. Deakin and RMIT belong to the Australian Technology Network of Universities and have a focus on enterprise and impact.
Job prospects
Determine how the university incorporates industry into their programs. Looking for a university program that provides corporate links that could lead to internships, recruitment opportunities and graduate programs might be something to consider if you’re thinking of pursuing something in the business field.
Campus community
Each university campus has a different ‘feel’ to it. Some are very tight-knit and small while others are larger and spread across many different campuses. Deciding what you think will best suit your learning and experience is important. If maintaining an active lifestyle is important to your study/life balance looking at universities that offer gym memberships and have good facilities might be something to consider. University open days and websites will give you an idea of what kind of community that university fosters. It’s not a bad idea to visit the university yourself and take a tour or connect with people who have studied there.
Aviva Mulloy
Careers Advisor
