Rebecca Ambrose

Careers Counsellor | Teacher

Hoping you all have a great break, one in which you can relax, revive, have some fun, work on something you love and enjoy the outdoors…. In your down time you might like to have a scan of the information below to see if there is anything of interest.

Well done to our Year 9s for their excellent efforts with work experience interviews. We thank VPG, Emma and her team, for holding the interviews. The feedback was terrific – students represented themselves, their families and SMCC commendably. Congratulations. We do have the issue of COVID vaccinations next year – more information will be coming out with details on this from CES. A reminder that Work Experience 2022 is Week 10 Term 1.

I wish our Year 12s all the best on their next part of their journey and look forward to hearing what they are up to next year.

It has been excellent to see and speak to so many Year 11s and their families to discuss subject choices and pathways. Hopefully students are now feeling more confident and comfortable in their Year 12 selections.

Have a wonderful Christmas break.

Benefits of an apprenticeship pathway

In today’s changing world of work, Australia needs a capable, skilled and adaptive workforce. According to The Good Universities Guide there are five advantages of apprenticeships and traineeships such as:

You earn while you learn
You can choose from a wide variety of interests
Training is flexible
You will receive a nationally recognised qualification
You can start them at school

Frequently asked questions about Apprenticeships and Traineeships

You may have questions about starting an apprenticeship or traineeship. Australian Apprenticeships Pathways has answers to most of your questions. Click here to find out:

At what age can I start an apprenticeship of traineeship?
Should I do a pre-apprenticeship before starting an apprenticeship?
Can I do an apprenticeship or traineeship while I am at school?
What is the difference between an apprenticeship and a traineeship?
Where can I find information about Australian Apprenticeships in my state
How can I find an apprenticeship or traineeship in a specific industry?

Post school options - Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships offer nationally recognised qualifications and pathways to over 500 occupations across Australia, from traditional trades to new and emerging occupations. You can explore the many options available by clicking on the links below:

Learn more about apprenticeships
- Australian Apprenticeships offer a world of possibilities
- Start an apprenticeship at school
- Australian Apprenticeship Pathways
- Real skills for real careers
Australian Apprenticeships offer a world of opportunities.

Career Quiz from Skills Road

“Just follow your passion,” they say. But what if you don't know your passion? The Skillsroad Career Quiz could help you find it and help you figure out how to turn it into an actual career. The quiz can help you find a career pathway that matches your natural skills and passions. Click here to do the quiz.

Commercial Drones Are Revolutionizing Business Operations

Drones are revolutionising the way scientists observe, measure and monitor the natural environment. From mapping the patterns of wildfires, like those in 2020, to measuring the size of jellyfish populations, drones have the potential to improve our understanding of the natural environment - they also collect whale poo! Although we use different names to refer to drones, for example, remotely piloted aircraft systems or unmanned aerial systems/vehicles, there is strong consensus among the scientific community about their potential to improve our understanding of the natural world. Read more about the potential of drones in this article.

Find your work type

The Find My Work Type resources can help you identify your career interests. Your career interests are the activities that you enjoy doing or are interested in. Identifying your career interests is an important part of your career planning and can help you decide on your future career pathway. Once you understand what your career interests are, you can start exploring the industries and occupations you can do that are related to your interests.

On the Australian Apprenticeships Pathways you can undertake:

Career Interest Explorer - Answer work type related questions to test the strength of your interests
Work Type Explorer - Discover occupations relevant to the work types that interest you
Research Industries - Use your work type to explore industries that you can work in, including:
- Analytic and Investigative - Solve problems through observation, analysis and critical thinking
- Conventional and Organising - Use your attention to detail, work with data and follow instructions to achieve goals
- Creative and Artistic - Express yourself through artistic ideas, self-expression and innovation
- Manual and Realistic - Work with your hands to create or fix things, working outdoors, with machines or other tools
- Persuading and Enterprising - Influence people by persuading, leading or promoting products and ideas to them
- Social and Helping - Help people, often through advising, teaching, guiding or treating them

Have you heard about Radio Journalists, Railway Track Plant Operators or Recreation Officers?

Radio Journalists collect and analyse facts about newsworthy events by interview, investigation and observation and write stories for radio news or current affairs programs. You usually need a bachelor degree in journalism, followed by a one-year cadetship involving on the job training, to work as a Radio Journalist.

Railway Track Plant Operators operate plants to lay, align, repair and maintain railway tracks. You can work as a Railway Track Plant Operator without formal qualifications, however, a Certificate II or III in rail infrastructure or rail track surfacing may be useful.

Recreation Officers plan, organise and coordinate recreation facilities and programs through organisations such as local governments, schools, church bodies and youth organisations. You usually need a formal qualification in sport and recreation, leisure and health, or another related field to work as a Recreation Officer. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and university are both common study pathways.

Job pathways charts

The Australian Apprenticeships Resources for Students website has published Job Pathways Charts that show you potential career pathways that can begin with an Australian Apprenticeship. There are 48 industry areas covered and all VET pathways can lead to university study. Click here to read more about these pathways.

Myfuture webinar - Preparing today's learners for uncertainty

Myfuture is hosting a series of webinars with the next one on 9 November, Preparing today's learners for uncertainty: a webinar for parents. 'Uncertainty tolerance' (UT), or how we process and respond to unknown or complex situations, is increasingly recognised as an essential workplace skill. In this webinar, Monash University Associate Professor Michelle Lazarus will focus on how parents can identify and support their school’s initiatives in developing their child's uncertainty tolerance to prepare them for their futures in further education and work. During this session we will:

define uncertainty tolerance
identify why uncertainty tolerance is a critical workplace skill
discuss the impacts of uncertainty tolerance development on students’ success
outline practical methods for supporting your learner’s uncertainty tolerance development.

Register now (This link works best in Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.)

No real plan for next year yet?

It is a hectic time of the year for Year 12, but it is best to finish up school with a plan for 2022. To get some ideas as to where to start your research, you can complete the activities in My career profile on the Myfuture website to help identify their interests, skills and more, then explore their results, including suggested occupations, employment prospects and training pathways. Log in to My career profile. Registering is free and means that you can log back in and keep working on your profile at a later date.

Vocational Education and Training (VET)

Are you wanting to gain practical work-related skills or a qualification towards a specific occupation? Explore a range of VET programs as they offer flexible, targeted training options and can also lead to university. Click the links below to find out more possibilities and options:

What are values and are they important in career decision making?

Our values shape the career choices we make, but what exactly are values and how can you identify the values that are important to you and that will positively impact your career? Psychologist, Sabina Read, has written an article outlining what values are, how they can influence your career choices and a list of some common values to help you start to think about what’s important to you. Ask yourself, which of the following values are important to you and are there any you want to add:

Adventure: To be adventurous; to actively seek, create, or explore novel or stimulating experiences
Assertiveness: To respectfully stand up for my rights and request what I want
Authenticity: To be authentic, genuine, real; to be true to myself
Caring: To be caring towards myself, others, the environment
Challenge: To keep challenging myself to grow, learn, improve
Cooperation: To be cooperative and collaborative with others
Creativity: To be creative or innovative
Curiosity: To be curious, open-minded and interested; to explore and discover
Fairness: To be fair to myself and others
Humour: To see and appreciate the humorous side of life
Independence: To be self-supportive, and choose my own way of doing things
Open-mindedness: To see things through/from other’s points of view, and weigh evidence fairly
Power: To strongly influence or wield authority over others, e.g. taking charge, leading, organising
Respect: To be respectful towards myself or others; to be polite and show positive regard
Self-development: To keep growing, advancing or improving in knowledge, skills, character, or life experience
Supportiveness: To be supportive, helpful, encouraging and available to myself or others
Trust: To be trustworthy; to be loyal, faithful, sincere and reliable

Why research the less traditional career pathway options

Rebecca Biestman is the chief marketing officer at Reputation and offers five strategies to take the road less traveled and succeed. Click here (scroll down) to read about her five strategies which are:

1. Don't obsess over big brands or logos

2. Tackle difficult conversations head on

3. Find and learn from all types of leaders

4. Get your hands dirty

5. Don't let anxieties own you

Are you looking for full time work in 2022?

The pandemic has impacted the job market, but there are still opportunities out there. If you are planning to look for work you can learn how to produce quality applications, prepare for interviews and more by visiting View job search resources, tips and templates.

How to read an online job advertisement

An accurate reading and understanding of an online job advertisement is essential for preparing your job application. An online jobs site may have a short advertisement to attract your attention, with a link to a longer advertisement. The longer advertisement may still not provide all the information you need, particularly for public sector jobs. Following are ten critical details to note when reading an online job advertisement including:

Name of organisation
Sub-unit and location
Job type and status
Salary
Duties and accountabilities
Selection criteria
How to apply
Eligibility
Position/inquiries contact
Submitting an application and closing date

Employers' use of the VET system increases

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) have recently put out a media release highlighting the increased use by Employers' of VET in their businesses. Data from the 2021 Survey of Employers’ Use and Views of the VET System, which collected information from 5615 employers between February and June 2021, found that 56.6% of Australian employers engaged with accredited training through the vocational education and training (VET) system in 2021. Why is this information of value to young job hunters? A job interview is a two way street and during it, you can highlight your willingness to undertake job specific VET qualifications in order to engage more productively in the business - a selling point as to why they should employ you! Click here to read the full media release.

Helpful articles when looking for work?

Three articles on the Year13 site may be of interest if you are looking for full-time, part-time or casual work. Reading the following articles will be of assistance:

Also visit the Year13 website for information on apprenticeships, gap year programs, job vacancies, studying, money advice, internships and the fun of life after school.

Interested in working in the community care and disability sector?

This sector is one of the largest in Australia and is growing. It provides a range of services aimed at improving the quality of life for people with support needs, including those who:

Are elderly, frail or infirmed
Have physical or intellectual disabilities
Have mental health issues

The sector employs people from a broad range of occupations, from project managers to community care assistants. Do the Career Quiz on the Care Careers website to find jobs within a sector that suits your personality and work goals.

Is a career in Retail for you?

The Department of Employment, Small Business and Training has joined with Connected Jobs and Training and developed three short videos highlighting the diversity, benefits and opportunities available in the Retail industry. Retail is very diverse and across many industry areas. The videos explore the range of work, what employers are looking for and how to best develop resumes and interview skills for success. The three videos are:

Why retail? - Thinking about retail but not sure if it's for you? Discover the range of work and where it can lead
What retail wants - This session will give you first-hand information of what retail employers are really looking for in an employee
Get started in retail now! - Okay, not let's get that job!

Love your AFL and want a job in the sport?

Working in the AFL doesn't just mean being a player or a coach. There are hundreds of roles behind the scenes that impact the game days. These include Advertising Account Executive, Administrative Assistant, Dietitian, Medical Practitioner, Chef, IT Manager/Computer Engineer, Marketing Officer, Statistician, Physiotherapist, Podiatrist, Events Manager/Coordinator and Journalist. Read the article Behind the scenes at the AFL on the Good Universities Guide website to learn more about these jobs and how they relate to the AFL and other professional codes.

Who can help you find a job? - Great question!

Looking for a job can be frustrating, especially when you don’t have much experience in the workforce. But you don’t have to do it alone. Whether you’re looking for paid work, an apprenticeship or traineeship or work experience, there is a range of support available to you. Click here to read more about the following options:

Jobactive providers
Transition to Work
Australian Apprenticeships Support Network providers
Career counsellor or Guidance Officers
Family and friends
Recruiting agencies
Career coaches

Why 'soft skills' are important

A lot about the future is uncertain now and we can only look at what's happening now and predict future changes in the workforce. We know that the demand for soft skills is predicted to grow. For example, studies in Australia show that 63% of businesses reported that young people coming into work lack basic soft skills. So, if you want to stand out in the job market, developing your soft skills is essential. Click here to read about the soft skills that will help you flourish in life and any job including:

Empathy
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Integrity
Adaptability
Mindfulness

ABS Labour market information

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Labour Force Survey data includes a range of employment characteristics for each of the 19 broad industries, including employment trends, median weekly earnings, projected employment growth and top employing occupations. You can access the information here.

Professional, scientific and technical services industry

The professional, scientific and technical services industry specialises in performing professional, scientific and technical activities for others in a variety of industries and in some cases, for households. The major service provided by this industry is specialist professional expertise. Activities of this sector are significant in their own right, but through breakthrough research and ongoing process and product innovation they also contribute to development and innovation in other industry sectors. This in turn adds value to other businesses and individuals outside this sector.

Career paths in this industry vary markedly depending on the specific area of professional activity. A common factor is a very high level of education and training in comparison with other industries. Click here to find out more about:

Employment opportunities and outlook
Prospects
Top Occupations
Industry associations
Videos
Similar industries

Don’t calm down! Exam stress may not be fun, but it can help you get better marks

The Conversation reports that two-thirds of young people experience levels of exam stress that mental health organisation, ReachOut, describes as “worrying”. Research shows high levels of exam stress can interfere with attention and reduce working memory leading to lower performance. But how we see stress can actually make a difference to the way it affects us. Research shows if we believe stress is a helpful response that will increase our performance in a challenging event, it can be a tool that works to our advantage. Click here to read more about:

From good stress to bad stress
How do we make stress good?
Four ways to make stress work for you

Ever had a memory block in the middle of an exam?

The following information is adapted from What causes mind blanks during exams?, an article published by The Conversation.

When you are preparing for an exam in a setting that is predictable and relatively low-stakes (e.g. at your desk at home), you can engage in cold cognition (i.e. logical and rational thinking processes). However, when you enter a somewhat unpredictable and high-stakes exam situation, you enter the realm of hot cognition (i.e. non-logical and emotionally driven thinking processes). Hot cognition is usually triggered in response to a perceived threat or highly stressful situation. It can lead to irrational thoughts such as “If I fail this exam, I won’t get into uni. I’ll be a failure for life”. This thinking triggers a physiological stress response in the brain that can lead to working memory being wiped clean and recall mechanisms being disrupted. The authors of the article suggest the following strategies to prevent mind blanks.

De-stress before an exam – Strategies such as relaxation and cognitive-behavioural techniques (e.g. confronting irrational thoughts such as ‘If I fail I will be a failure for life’) have been shown to reduce the stress of exams. See your school Guidance Officer/Counsellor for help with learning these techniques.
Preparation - When preparing for an exam, try not to be in a highly relaxed, soothing environment. Push yourself in ways that will simulate a test situation. For example, after a study session, set yourself some exam questions based on the information you have just revised. Set a time limit for completing the questions. The more you prepare under exam-type conditions, the less likely you are to perceive the ‘real’ exam as a threat.

The following related articles from The Conversation are also worth reading:

Exam prep suggestions from Melbourne Uni

Melbourne Uni has put together some tips and strategies to help you manage your study and exam preparation. You can explore their resources and download templates from the Academic Skills Unit. You can find information about:

How to deal with loss of motivation in Year 12 or Year 11 or….

With the school year drawing to a close, it can be easy to lose motivation and wonder if your hours of study will pay off in the end. If this sounds like you, The Good Universities Guide has five tips to help you regain motivation:

Think of the bigger picture
Put together (or reconsider) your revision schedule
Take regular breaks
Try to make study 'fun'
Don't forget to reward yourself

Click here to read about these points in more detail.

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Debra Sharkey

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