Important Future Events

AIE | Open Day

May 25, 2024

Discover the courses designed to get you started in game development, 3D animation, film and visual effects at the AIE Open Day on Sat 25 May 2024. This event will be held at AIE Campuses in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide from 10am to 3pm.

AIE’s Open Day is a great opportunity to meet our teachers, staff and students. The day will cover everything you need to know about the:

careers in games and VFX that we train students for;
studios and industries that we work with;
courses we offer – from beginners to professional mastery, and;
the software, skills and knowledge we teach.

AIE’s Open Day will also include presentations on entry requirements and how to apply. Find out how AIE can get you into a creative career.

Find out more

BiG Day In, Melbourne

May 30, 2024

Join us at The Capitol – RMIT University on Thursday 30 May for BiG Day In Melbourne. Bring your Year 9-12 students to learn where a STEM career can take you. Hear from organisations such as Wisetech Global, Adobe, Australian Signals Directorate & more to come.

Find out more

VU | Careers for Young Women in Sport Forum

June 21, 2024

Keynote speaker Bianca Chatfield, alongside industry panel members including Susan Alberti AC and Kate Price, will help guide girls towards thriving sport careers. Be inspired by masterclasses covering Sport Performance & Rehabilitation, Sport Management & Business, and more.

This free event is designed for girls in Year 10 – 12 who aspire towards a career in sport.

Find out more

The Hotel School | Melbourne Open Campus 2024

June 22, 2024

Join us for a day filled with excitement and exploration at our University Open Campus, where you’ll get to experience life as a student at The Hotel School. Here’s what awaits you:

Experience studying at THS firsthand by participating in a special Masterclass
Meet The Hotel School team and explore our diverse range of courses and application process
Discuss career opportunities with the Work Integrated Learning team
Connect with our current students and fellow attendees
Enjoy light refreshments

Find out more

Discover ACU Melbourne

July 2 to July 10, 2024

Join us for the 2024 Discover ACU. A free event tailored to your study area of interest, these sessions will give you an insight into life as a uni student.

Exercise and Sports Science – July 2
Allied Health – July 2
Biomedical Science – July 2
Law, Business and Criminology – July 4
Nursing – July 10
Midwifery – July 10
Paramedicine – July 10

Find out more

Enter the World of Le Cordon Bleu Careers Residential, Melbourne

From July 3, 2024

to July 5, 2024

We’re opening our doors to high school students in Years 11 & 12, to experience a ‘day in the life’ at one of the world’s leading culinary and hospitality institutions to provide a taste of what a future career in global hospitality will be like.

Meet lecturers and Le Cordon Bleu professionals, hear from industry experts, discover what Le Cordon Bleu hospitality management degree programmes involve and experience hands-on culinary arts with our chefs.

Find out more

RMIT | Tech and Trades Experience Day 2024

From July 4, 2024

to July 4, 2024

Come and discover RMIT – Register your interest for a spot at our free exclusive Hands-On Experience Day in your July school holidays!

You will have the opportunity to choose two interactive workshops from a Trades and Future technology areas in our Vocational Education programs.

Tailored for students in years 10, 11, and 12, along with their parents and guardians, this event promises an immersive day of exploration. Uncover your passions, gain valuable insights, and pave the way for a future filled with endless possibilities.

Find out more

AIT | Open Day

July 13, 2024

AIT’s Open Day is perfect for those wanting to explore the endless opportunities available in the growing creative industries. This fun and interactive day is a great way to get further information on our curriculum, course requirements and study pathways. Our friendly staff & students will also be there to talk to and get advice from.

On the day you can expect to:

Learn about our degrees in film, 2D and 3D animation, game design, and IT.
Hear more about careers and study paths.
Take a tour of our campus.
Lunch included on the day.

Find out more

Charles Sturt | Open Day 2024

July 28 to August 25, 2024

What is Open Day? It’s your opportunity to discover what life at Charles Sturt is all about. Open Day isn’t just for students – parents and carers are welcome too!

Be inspired by our academics, explore our facilities and chat to current students about what studying with us is really like. From information sessions and campus tours to free food, entertainment and giveaways – there’s something for everyone.

Port Macquarie: Sunday 28 July
Wagga Wagga: Sunday 4 August
Albury-Wodonga: Sunday 11 August
Bathurst: Sunday 18 August
Orange: Sunday 25 August

Find out more

Free Money

Scholarships

John Bell Scholarship

Opens: April 29, 2024

Closes: October 30, 2024

Interested in a career as a performer and attend school in a regional area? Audition for the John Bell Scholarship. A life-changing opportunity for budding performers, three students will spend one incredible week training with Bell Shakespeare at our HQ in Sydney.

Find out more

Competitions

2025 Embracing Our Differences International Art Exhibition

Opens: March 1, 2024

Closes: July 1, 2024

Artists possess a powerful tool to evoke social change. Without uttering a single word, they can enlighten, educate and affect change around the world. Embracing Our Differences invites you to participate in creating a society where inclusion is embraced and individuality is celebrated.

Become a part of this change by submitting your original art to Embracing Our Differences and its annual international outdoor juried art exhibit.

Find out more

2024 Breakthrough Junior Challenge

Opens: April 1, 2024

Closes: June 25, 2024

You’ve grasped an important scientific theory, concept or principle. Now can you share your insight? An inventive video can get across complex material that would take pages of text to communicate.

To take part in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge, create a short video (2 minutes max) to explain a big idea in one of these fields:

Physics
Mathematics
Life Sciences

Find out more

Grok Cyber Comp

Opens: June 10, 2024

Closes: June 23, 2024

Cyber Comp is an online competition to test your students’ cyber security skills.

Find out more

Study

University

What’s the difference between business and commerce?

If you’re keen to learn more about the world of enterprise at university, you might already be looking into your future degree. And you also might have run into this conundrum – should I study business or commerce? You might even be wondering, are these two degrees even different? We’re here to answer your questions, and the first is, yes, there is a difference (we promise). Read on to find out more about the finer details of the difference between business and commerce.

Business: broad knowledge

A business degree is usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think about studying business at university. This is a common course that you can study at pretty much any university, and for a good reason.

A business degree equips you with the foundation skills you need to work in almost any industry and role. If you’re not quite sure which area you’d like to specialise in, or you just want to be an all-round pro, business is an ideal choice.

As a general rule, you’ll also learn more “people-centred” skills in a business degree; think things like communication, sales, leadership, marketing, and so on. These are core skills you can take into any role, setting you up for future success.

But if you do want to specialise, you can do that too. You can always take a major (or two) and really expand your horizons. For example, you could study the Entrepreneurship and Innovation major at Murdoch University, or Human Resource Management at the University of Bedfordshire.

Business courses also tend to have slightly lower entry requirements. They’re also incredibly popular, so you won’t have to go far to find a university that offers this course.

Commerce: specialised knowledge

A commerce degree is for those who really want to get into the nitty-gritty of a particular business area. These courses tend to be much more thorough and in-depth, while focusing on a particular area.

A commerce degree gives you specialist skills and knowledge in your chosen area. These degrees are more analytical, and commonly involve a bigger emphasis on mathematics. If you have a particular career path in mind, a commerce degree can be a great way to learn the specific skills you need to get there.

Some common majors for commerce degrees include things like Business Analytics from Carleton University, or Economics from the University of Auckland.

Commerce courses can have slightly higher entry requirements, and also sometimes include mathematics as a prerequisite.

The similarities?

Although they have their differences, the business and commerce degrees share a lot of similarities as well.

Both are great at equipping you with the skills and knowledge you need for your future career. One isn’t inherently “better” than the other, and what you learn in each will differ from university to university.

You might also see some universities offer the same major in both degrees – in this case, the content is usually largely the same and both degrees would be considered equally by employers. For example, the Accounting major is offered in both of La Trobe’s business and commerce degrees – the only things that might differ between the two are other core subjects, and which electives you can choose to study.

The final decision

When making a decision about which course to study, the best course of action is to always do your research. Read the course information and handbook for each course carefully, and see if there is anything about a particular degree or university you do (or don’t) like.

Want to know more about your university options? Make sure to take a look at our other blogs and resources here.

Study Tips

Time management hack – the Pomodoro technique

If you’re struggling to be productive, finish assignments, meet deadlines, or keep your revision going smoothly, the Pomodoro Technique could make a difference. A time management hack, it’s all about breaking tasks (and time) down into shorter, more manageable chunks and taking regular breaks.

Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s when he used this technique at university, it’s an effective tool that could help you to get more done. Let’s take a look at how it works.

Do some preparation

This technique isn’t magic, unfortunately – you’ll still need to put in a bit of prep and make sure you follow through.

First, work out what you want to achieve and what time you have available to complete your tasks. You’ll also need a timer – these days, you’ll probably find one on your phone or computer.

If you find you’re loving this technique, there are also plenty of apps that make it a breeze, some of which you can try or use for free.

The Pomodoro Technique – Step-by-step

Ready to start? Here’s how it works.

Set your timer

Set the timer for 25 minutes and commit yourself to working on a single task without interruption. If something else pops in to your head while you’re working, jot it down so you don’t forget, but don’t allow yourself to deviate.

When time’s up

When the buzzer goes off, stop working and take a break. The key to the technique is to not be tempted to keep working – walk away from your desk for at least 5 minutes.

One cycle complete

One session of work and a break counts as a cycle or Pomodoro, and it’s just 30 minutes in total. Keep track of how many cycles you’ve completed by making a note on a piece of paper – this can help you remember how long you need to accomplish similar tasks in the future.

Repeat

Go back to your task and repeat the Pomodoro cycle. After 4 or 5 Pomodoros, treat yourself to a longer break – 20 to 30 minutes is recommended.

Finishing up

Use a few minutes out of your last Pomodoro to go over all the work you’ve done and assess your progress. Stop when your task is complete or when you’ve run out of time for the day – whichever works best for you.

Wondering what the benefits are?

There can be quite a few benefits to using this technique, and the more you use it, the more effective it becomes.

You’ll start learning to anticipate how long tasks will take you to finish, allowing for easier future planning. This all counts as building your planning and time management skills, which employers love to see in any job.

The technique can also teach you how to stay on track and avoid interruptions. If you’re a major procrastinator, this is a really valuable skill for both study and work.

Taking regular breaks can prevent you from feeling burnt out and frazzled at the end of the day. Giving information time to sink in during breaks also increases your understanding and retention of what you’ve been learning.

Why not give it a go?

You might have to try the Pomodoro Technique out for a few days to get used to it and decide whether it works for you, but it’s definitely worth a try if you’ve been struggling to keep up with a hectic study schedule.

And if you want more study tips, we have heaps more on our website here.

Work

Job Spotlight

How to become a Makeup Artist

Makeup artists use their skills and knowledge of beauty products to select and apply makeup and other cosmetics to people. They work with people who need makeup for a wide variety of reasons, including for events such as weddings, actors working in film and on stage, or as specialists in a cosmetics store.

If you are creative, love to help people look and feel their best, and want a job that can give you a great degree of flexibility, becoming a makeup artist could be perfect for you.

What skills do I need as a makeup artist?

Creative & artistic
Great people skills
Dextrous with a steady hand
Good eye for colour
Excellent communicator
Flexible & adaptable
Great time management skills
Good problem-solver

What tasks can I expect to do?

Choose the right products for a client’s needs
Apply makeup & other beauty products
Advise clients on colours & styles
Provide touch-ups to keep makeup looking fresh during long events
Give clients advice on skin care
Help people buy the right cosmetic products
Keep up with the latest trends in fashion & beauty
Teach others how to apply makeup correctly

What industries do makeup artists typically work in?

Retail Trade
Arts & Recreation Services
Information Media & Telecommunications

What Career Cluster do makeup artists belong to?

Because their job involves helping others to look and feel their best, most makeup artists belong to the Guardian Cluster.

What kind of lifestyle can I expect?

There is lots of flexibility in the working week of a makeup artist, with most working part-time or casually. Depending on your exact role, you may need to work evenings, weekends, or holidays (to attend events such as weddings, for example).

Most makeup artists earn an average salary throughout their career.

Many makeup artists have the opportunity to travel and work on location. You can also work out of a salon, retail outlet, or home studio. You might also like to consider freelance work or starting up your own business.

How to become a makeup artist

You generally don’t need any formal qualifications to work as a makeup artist but, there are many vocational and short courses you can take that can help you build your skills and make you more appealing to potential clients. Makeup artists in specific industries (e.g. film and television) may require certain qualifications or certifications. You may also receive on-the-job training to learn specific skills and techniques.

Ongoing education and development throughout your career is also vital to ensure you stay on top of the latest beauty trends and techniques.

If you’re in high school and you’d like to find out if a career as a makeup artist is right for you, here’s a few things you could do right now:

Try and find work experience in beauty, retail, or performing arts. This will give you some exposure to the industry and you can see if you enjoy the work.
Take short courses or workshops to start building on your skills and knowledge.
Practice doing makeup for friends and family, and ask for feedback so you know if there are any areas you need to improve.

Find out more here:

Similar careers to makeup artist

Costume Designer
Cosmetic Nurse
Fashion Stylist
Hairdresser
Beauty Therapist
Nail Technician
Visual Merchandiser
Performing Arts Technician

Find out more about alternative careers.

Jobs & Careers

13 unusual jobs you might not know exist

Some of the careers in this blog might lean more towards a weird more than just unusual. But you never know what’s going to strike a chord and be the spark that ignites a career you’ll love. Here’s a quick read of 13 more unusual jobs you might not know exist.

Professional Cuddler

Yes, this is a real thing. You could be helping people who are struggling with loneliness, depression, trauma, medical problems, or who are simply in need of an extra cuddle…from a stranger.

Successful professional cuddlers might build an established clientele and develop repeat business, or you might just be open to one-off cuddles. You could carry out one or multiple cuddling sessions per day. Even better, the hours are flexible, and you can work from home.

Golf Ball Diver

Basically professional recyclers, golf ball divers retrieve golf balls from bodies of water in or around golf courses. The golf balls are then then cleaned up, repackaged, and resold. You could be part of an organisation where you just turn up, dive, and earn a bit of money. Or you could negotiate contracts to work independently for golf courses.

It’s not glamorous work, often involving heavy lifting and diving into murky waters filled with all kinds of hazards. The rewards? Well, you could earn upwards of $100 per hour; Glen Berger claims to have made over $15 million throughout his career.

Online Dating Ghostwriter

How about working as a modern-day cupid? You could earn cash by writing profiles for people to post on their online dating site profiles. Not everyone is great at writing, so you could help them to increase their chances of finding their perfect match.

Hippotherapist

The literal meaning of hippotherapy is “treatment with the help of a horse”. You’d be using the therapeutic benefits of horses and their movement to help human patients to overcome speech, physical, or mental health disorders.

Experience with and love of horses isn’t enough, unfortunately. You’ll need to qualify and become licensed as a physical therapist, occupational therapist, or a speech or language therapist before you can specialise in this field.

Professional Bridesmaid

Not a wedding planner or celebrant, but still a major part of a couple’s big day. A Professional Bridesmaid is more like a friend for hire – think organiser, confidant, and non-complaining member of the wedding party. If you get along well with people and want to help a bride’s wedding day run smoothly, then this could seriously be a job to consider.

Read more about the job here and here.

Water Slide Tester

Water Slide Testers check to see if the water slides in resorts, theme parks, and hotels are both fun and safe. Imagine how fantastic it would be turning up to work every single day…actually, you don’t have to imagine – you can see what a day in the life of a Water Slide Tester involves in this video.

Odour Judges

Odour Judges are hired by manufacturers of all kinds of products to test out their aroma before they hit the market. Essentially, you’d be sniff testing products to check if they smell good (or not). It’s not just limited to perfumes either – think things like cleaning products, cosmetics, pre-packaged food, and toys.

You might even help a brand establish their own signature scent, which is exactly what twin sisters Dawn and Samantha Goldworm do with their firm 12.29.

Face Feeler

Face feelers are also known as “sensory scientists”, which definitely sounds much more professional. In this job, you’d be using your hands to feel product testers’ skin both before and after they’ve used lotions, creams, and other products, then report back on the differences. You’ll just need to be comfortable getting (very) close to other people.

Line Stander

Are you incredibly patient, or just enjoy people watching? If you don’t mind being out in the elements, you could make a bit of extra cash as a line stander. This job is basically just like it sounds – you’ll be holding a spot in line for someone else who can’t (or doesn’t want to) do it themselves. You might be waiting for the release of movie, concert, or sporting tickets, the newest iPhone or games console, or even in line at the dreaded Black Friday sales.

There are even websites available for booking these services if you want to sign up and get started ASAP.

Bed Tester

A temporary job usually, but one that’s surprisingly not competitive, is a professional bed tester. Bedding manufacturers, bed designers, and luxury hotels are just some of the clients who might require your services. You could be paid to test out comfort levels, sleep quality, room conditions, and other factors.

If this sounds like your dream career (pun intended), you can find out more about what a job as a professional sleeper involves here.

Pet Food Taster

Pet food is a multi-million-dollar industry, so it should come as no surprise then that it’s taken very seriously. It’s not just pets that are picky about what they eat – their owners can be very particular about the ingredients, health benefits, and smell of the food they’re feeding to their beloved pets.

You’ll have to assess products on packaging, smell, nutritional value, and – yes – the texture and taste as well. All in a day’s work, right? Take a look at what the job involves in this video.

Worm Picker

Worm pickers work in the great outdoors “hunting” and collecting earth worms. You could sell the worms directly to fishermen to use as bait, be contracted by commercial fishing companies, or work for educational institutions that use worms for teaching and research purposes.

No qualifications are required, but if you’re paid per thousand worms collected, then you’ll definitely need lots of commitment (and a firm grip) if you’d like to make a living from this job.

Gross Stunt Tester

Love shows like I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here or Survivor? If you’ve ever watched the challenges taking place and thought “I could do that” – you might have a future as a gross stunt tester.

It would be your responsibility to ensure tasks are safe and contain the maximum “grossness” factor. On the plus side, you could earn up to $800 a day…and you have to wonder if there’s really much competition for jobs.

Want to keep reading?

If you’d like to read about some other unusual jobs, check out our blog 11 careers you may never have heard of.

Searching for career inspiration but want something a bit less outlandish? Don’t worry – there’s lots more to explore on our website here.

Grow

Money

What you need to know about Co-op Scholarships

Successfully applying for a co-op scholarship could do much more for you than simply covering your study costs. They come with heaps of other great perks too. So how can you access one of these amazing opportunities? Let’s find out.

Premium scholarships with extra value

Scholarships are generally sums of money awarded to applicants who meet the eligibility requirements specific to that scholarship. There are thousands available from universities, private institutions, charities, and businesses all over the world. They could really make a difference to your tertiary education experience by removing some of the financial pressure, or help you start your working life with less debt than you’d otherwise have.

How great is that? Believe it or not, a co-op scholarship is even better.

Co-op scholarships go the extra mile. Not only do they provide some financial benefits (or in some cases a lot), they could also provide you with amazing extras such as:

Access to mentors
Leadership and development programs
Work experience opportunities (both paid and unpaid)
Guaranteed accommodation
Access to workshops and special events
Networking opportunities

Who can apply for a co-op scholarship?

Each scholarship is unique to the institution or provider, so you’ll have to check you meet the eligibility requirements before you spend time applying.

Co-op scholarships are generally open to high achievers. If you think that doesn’t sound like you, it’s still worth checking – merit isn’t just given for amazing academic results, although it is often a pre-requisite.

Some scholarships will accept applications from people who’ve been recommended by their school for their outstanding contributions. Others want to reward individuals who’ve worked hard and made a difference with community involvement, or perhaps have shown great potential with their leadership abilities.

Competitive but worth the rewards

These esteemed scholarships are highly sought after, so the applications can be highly competitive – but they are definitely worth your time applying.

Many of these programs have a 100% success rate for employment upon graduation. You might receive an income while you’re still studying at uni, as some internships are salaried. If you don’t leave university with a job already lined up, the fact that you received a co-op scholarship will look fantastic on your resume, could appeal to potential employers, and may have provided you with relevant work experience and useful industry contacts.

In other words, you’ll definitely be ahead of the pack.

There are benefits to just applying for a co-op scholarship

Putting yourself forward for co-op scholarships will give you invaluable experience in completing intricate applications and doing well at interviews.

Your confidence could receive a little boost knowing that you’re considered eligible, that your application was considered, and that you put yourself outside your comfort zone and survived intact.

In some cases, if your application isn’t successful but the panel were impressed by your application, they could suggest alternative scholarships and programs to apply for.

Even if you don’t exactly meet the eligibility requirements but you’re close, or if you’ve excelled in some areas and your application really stands out, providers might just bend the rules for an outstanding candidate…it could be you.

So what’s the catch?

If you’re granted one of these highly prized co-op scholarships, you’ll be expected to take your studies seriously. You’ll have to make sure you stay on track and achieve your predicted results (or better).

Once you’ve enrolled at university and started your course, you’ll probably have to maintain a minimum grade average in order to keep the scholarship. You might even have to comply with other requirements, such as:

Helping out at orientation week
Committing to helping out on campus
Active involvement within your chosen department
Attending all additional programs and events that come with the scholarship

Can I defer my co-op scholarship?

Some scholarships allow you to defer, but it’s unlikely co-op scholarships will because they are so competitive and sought after – you’ll need to check with the individual provider to confirm this though.

If you are successful in receiving a scholarship and then need to defer your enrolment, you might have to complete another application and go through the entire process the following year (if the institution allows for that).

Where can I find out more about co-op scholarships?

Each year at Study Work Grow, we do the research for you and put it all in one easy to read place. Keep an eye out for our updated Co-op Scholarships Guide, coming soon.

In the meantime, we have heaps of other blogs on university and money. You might also like to browse our free money database and see if there are any opportunities for you.

Health & Wellbeing

7 great ways to recover from exams

Exam time can be super stressful, so it’s only normal to be relieved when they’re over. While part of you is probably feeling euphoric, you might also be feeling drained or even a bit down. We’ve put together some ideas that could help get you recover from exams and get back on track.

Celebrate

Go ahead, you most definitely deserve it! You could:

Organise a get-together with all your friends
Pamper yourself with a really special treat, massage, or day on the couch
Have a night out with family or friends – you could go to the movies or eat at your favourite restaurant
Have a day at the shops and indulge in some retail therapy (but set a budget first)
Book yourself tickets to go to a music festival or concert
Take a day trip and spend the day doing what you love, whether that’s picnicking at the beach, hiking a local trail, or hitting the water park

Look after yourself

Repay your sleep deficit with some long lie ins and early nights – no doubt you’ve had plenty of late nights revising and stressing.

When you’re occupied with study, it’s often easy to overlook your diet as well. So you could take some time now to do some home cooking or indulge yourself with nourishing foods from your favourite café.

Spend some time outside, relax, and breathe in some fresh air instead of the recycled stuff you might have been taking in at the exam halls and library.

Cleanse

Channel your inner Marie Kondo and have a huge clear out. Bin, sell, or recycle any books and study notes that you have no intention of using ever again. De-clutter your room and remove all the reminders of exams gone by. Then box up your study area and put it all away out of sight.

Plan a change

Taking a break away from home can be a great way to recover from exams. So why not plan a holiday, or even a gap year?

If you haven’t got the time or the money available to do anything big, you could always arrange a camping trip and spend some time out in nature sleeping under the stars – what could be more relaxing than that?

Think ahead

This might not be right for everyone, but if you’re really keen to put exams way behind you, you can start planning and organising for the next chapter of your life.

If you’re about to finish school and are thinking of further study, then make sure you’re as sorted as you can be. Research courses, look for scholarships, or even find a place to live.

If you’re going to start work or an apprenticeship, you’ll need to make sure you have everything ready to start receiving your pay, like a bank account. It might also pay to do some reading on tax and superannuation.

Have a look around for short courses, holiday programs, and workshops happening near you, or just look up fun events in your area where you could meet new people and open yourself up to new experiences and opportunities.

Build your experience

Find a job you’d like to apply for and just go for it, or see what volunteering opportunities there are near you.

You might like to start researching potential future careers – you might stumble across something that inspires you, find pathways that you didn’t know about, or reaffirm a choice you’ve already made.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to add all your new skills and experience to your resume.

Go with the flow

Just want to turn your brain off and do nothing? Make the most of your time off by simply sitting back and enjoying a bit of breathing room. We all need some downtime every now and then, so don’t feel guilty about just taking each day as it comes.

Find out more

If you want some other ways to recover from exams, we have heaps of other wellbeing tips on our website here.

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