Rebecca Ambrose

Careers Counsellor | Teacher

Our Year 12s are finishing their formal schooling in a few short weeks. A reminder for all Year 12 who are aiming for an ATAR – to register for an ATAR @ qtac.edu.au/atar

Year 9s have started exploring careers in SEL this term. They are preparing for Work Experience in Week 10 Term 1 2022. Tuesday 26 October, VPG will be speaking with students and handing out vital paperwork. This is in preparation for Work Experience Interviews in Wk 6 Thursday and Friday (11 & 12 November). There will be a parent information session as well.

A place to find an apprenticeship

The Australian Apprenticeships Pathways (AAP) website has a Job Search section that is has a comprehensive list (with links) to general and specific job search websites that may also relate to apprenticeships and traineeships. Visit the AAP website to access the sites.

Do you want to become an apprentice?

Australian Apprenticeships are available to anyone of working age and offer you opportunities to learn new skills and be paid in over 500 different jobs. Australian Apprenticeships:

offer you the opportunity to study and earn an income while undertaking a qualification.
can be done by anyone of working age.
give you the chance to learn new skills while getting paid in more than 500 careers and jobs.
can be done full-time, part-time or while you’re at school.
You can use your qualification to work anywhere in Australia and around the world.

Click here to read more about taking on an apprenticeship including:

Where can I find more information?
What apprenticeship should I do?
I want to be an Australian Apprentice. What’s next?
What about my rights and wages?
What if I’m still at school?
Where can I find more information?

Opportunities in construction and property services

Matching who you are with what you do seems like a good idea, yet most people are in jobs that don't match their personal style and natural talent. MyCareerMatch will help you to:

Discover your strengths and talents and the careers that match in the construction and property services industry
Boost self-awareness of your employability skills
Use personal content from the report to strengthen your resume
Consider career options with links to job information, video and training

Career decision making tools from QUT

Not sure of what courses to include in your QTAC application? QUT have two career tools you can use to help confirm your choices, prepare for life at university and your future career. Try out the Match My Skills and Kickstart Your Career resources.

Careers with STEM magazines

Careers with STEM produces annual magazines that are packed with information about STEM qualifications, study options and career options. You can read the 2021 magazines that have information on the following areas and more:

The A-Z of STEM careers

Are you interested in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) but don't know what jobs are out there? Careers with STEM has put together an alphabetical list of jobs that you may be interested in. Click here for more information starting with A for astrophysicist all the way to Z for Zoologist!

The STARportal

The STARportal is the Australian Government’s centralised national portal for STEM activities around Australia. The searchable database allows you to locate STEM activities in your locality and online. The portal provides new ways to connect with STEM fields and includes links to many other STEM resources.

Tips to help you get a job

The Australian Government's jobactive site has information that will assist you if you are looking for a job after school. Finding that first job can be hard so check out the information on the website (scroll down) for some tips on:

How to kick-start your career after school - You can find a course to study at Course Seeker.
What to do if you're getting interviews but not getting the job - You can also use myskills.gov.au and search by job to find the courses that will prepare you for the role.
Top 10 job interview questions and how to answer them - If you’re aged between 17 and 24 or looking for work, you might be able to study a free or low-fee course through JobTrainer.

VET in schools is an appealing pathway to employment

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research's (NCVER) media release outlines their research on the uptake of VET in schools. They report that students undertake VET at school for a range of reasons but mostly to gain a qualification and find full-time employment after school. The report VET for secondary school students (VfSSS): insights and outcomes, reveals the number of students studying VET as part of their senior secondary school certificate has ranged from about 230,000 to 260,000 over the past 10 years. In 2020, certificate II qualifications were the most popular (131,220 students) followed by certificate III (88,720). However, certificate III qualifications have significantly increased in popularity over the last few years. There are varied and differing perceptions among industry and employers on the benefits and challenges for students undertaking VfSSS studies, with a general acceptance that having school students in workplaces helps engage students in the industry and gain experience and knowledge. Read the full report here.

Videos about jobs

If you don't know anyone working in a job that you are interested in, then watch a video about the job. Visit the myfuture YouTube channel to view over 45 videos on a broad range of jobs.

Australian Government: Disability Employment Services

The Australian Government’s Disability Employment Services (DES) can help you find and keep a job if you have a disability. DES providers can help you gain the job-ready and job-seeking skills you may need. If necessary, they can also provide support once you are in a job. Visit the DES website for more information about this service.

Educational Access Scheme for QTAC applicants

Students with a disability are strongly encouraged to apply for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) when applying for tertiary courses through QTAC. You may be eligible to receive Adjustment Factors that will improve your chance of receiving a course offer. It is not too late to apply for EAS if you have already put in your QTAC application. Visit the Educational Access Scheme on the QTAC website to download the relevant cover sheet (or sheets). Complete the cover sheet and upload your supporting documents to your QTAC application (by going to ‘Outstanding Documents’). The final date to submit your EAS application for the offer-round on 13 January 2022 is 10 December 2021. Visit Key dates and fees page for offer round dates. QTAC recommends that current Year 12 students submit their application by the end of October, so additional information can be accessed from your school if necessary.

Studying at QUT with a disability, injury or health condition

Prospective students with a disability, injury or health condition are encouraged to make a pre-enrolment appointment with a QUT Disability Adviser to discuss their situation and potential adjustments which could assist their university learning. Visit disability support website for more information.

11 Reasons to Job Search During the Holidays

You may be thinking about taking a break from job searching during the holidays. Contrary to what you might think, hiring doesn’t stop during the holiday season. Employers hire when they need new employees. A slower holiday season for some businesses means more time for hiring. It can also mean less competition for available jobs because of the number of job seekers who do take a break from their job hunt. Click here to read the 11 reasons why Alison Doyle thinks you should be looking at that time of the year.

Do you have a summer job?

There are many benefits of getting a summer job including work experience and history, skill development, interview experience, improving your teamwork skills, money in the bank. This is a great time to start looking for a casual job over the Christmas holidays. If you are looking for somewhere to work, you could start with:

Doing a google search on Christmas holiday jobs
Asking your parents and friends if they know of anything being offered
Go down to your local shopping centre and look for signs in shop windows (take you resume with you and dress well)
Ask your friends with jobs to tell you if any come up where they work

Good luck and happy hunting. Remember, you don't have to continue after the holidays end and you might just enjoy the gig.

How to Prepare for the Job Interview

So, you’ve applied for a job and have now been called in for the job interview, well done! At the job interview, the employer will decide if you are person they will go ahead and hire, so it's important to be prepared and present well. How do you pull it off without nervousness or fear? How do you show yourself in the most positive light? Being well prepared for the interview is the key. If you have practiced your job interview skills you will feel confident, you will act confidently and chances are you will end up being successful. Click here to read some of Headspace's tips including:

How to prepare for your job interview
Sample interview questions
Things to learn from not getting the job

How to write a resume

Youth Central has put together a resume template to help high school students to put together their first resume. A one-page resume is more than acceptable when you're just starting out in the world of work. You may end up with two pages but if your resume ends up being three pages long, you're probably providing too much information. Click here to find out about:

Spend your gap year as a volunteer

Volunteering is a great way to:

Explore a range of jobs (gain work experience)
Help you make new friends and contacts (expand your network)
Improve your social, relationship and communication skills
Increase your confidence and boost your self-esteem
Keep you healthy, physically and mentally
Add to your resume
Help you learn new skills
Connect to your community
Develop effective team skills
Gain a sense of well-being and fulfilment

Read the myfuture article ‘Volunteering’ to understand the full range of benefits you receive through volunteering. For volunteering ideas, you can explore the following websites:

Indigenous Commonwealth Education and Accommodation Scholarships through Griffith University

The Indigenous Commonwealth Education and Accommodation Scholarships are for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students who have experienced financial hardship, and/or education disadvantage that has impacted their ability to achieve their full potential. The Indigenous Commonwealth Education Scholarship is valued at $12,000, paid over a maximum of eight payments. The Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship is valued at $22,000 and is paid over a maximum of eight payments. Applications are due by 31 January 2022. Click here to find out more information about how to apply.

Indigenous Commonwealth Scholarships

The Commonwealth Scholarships Program is funded by the Australian Federal Government. It aims to assist Indigenous Australian students experiencing financial hardship and particularly those from remote and regional areas. There are two different types of Commonwealth Scholarships:

Indigenous Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship (ICECS)
- This scholarship is available to students experiencing financial hardship to assist with the costs of studying
Indigenous Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (ICAS)
- This scholarship is available to students who have relocated from a rural or remote area to study and are experiencing financial hardship. It assists with the costs of relocating and housing

Preference will be given to students who are from a rural and/or regional area of Australia. Click here noting that applications close on 26 November 2021.

Indigenous Scholarships Portal

Looking for a scholarship opportunity but not sure where to find any information? Visit the Indigenous Scholarship Portal and by answering 9 short questions the portal will collate scholarships that you may be eligible to apply for. The questions include basic personal information – gender, date of birth and postcode; when you graduated Year 12, places you wish to study at, what level of study you are applying for (ie. Vocational Education and Training, Bachelor Degree or Foundation/Preparatory Classes), specific study areas and study load (ie. Full-time or part-time) and study mode (ie. On campus or online/distance).

QUT Indigenous accommodation assistance

Are you moving to Brisbane for study? If you are thinking of study at QUT you can talk to QUT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success unit, the Oodgeroo Unit, about accommodation assistance by emailing information.oodgeroo@qut.edu.au or call 1800 645 513 for more information and assistance.

Work Trials - Insights from employers

Employers use work trials to decide whether someone has the skills to do the job and whether they will fit in with the team. Click here for some insights from employers on what they look for during a work trial, including tips on preparing for one:

What should I expect during a work trial?
What do employers look for during work trials?
How can I use this information?
Tips for preparing for a work trial
More resources to help you

5 Careers You Didn’t Know You Could Explore in Space

You probably know about some of the big careers within space travel and space exploration, astronaut being the main one, but getting a spacecraft into space, keeping it up there and bringing it home is a huge task and one that requires a multitude of talents, expertise and skills. Below are five careers you might not traditionally associate with space and click here to read more about them and where to find out more information about the space industry:

Space Lawyer
Intelligent Games Developers
Flight Surgeon
Machine Learning & AI Engineer
Space Education Outreach Officer

Australia needs more engineers. And more of them need to be women

The Conversation published an article discussing the shortage of engineers in Australia. It states that engineering skills underpin the functioning of our societies and economies. As we face the global challenges presented by a changing climate, food and water scarcity, loss of biodiversity and globalisation, these skills will only become more important. In Australia, we have a high demand for qualified engineers but we train relatively few compared with similar industrialised nations. Click here to read the full article which discusses in more detail:

Extending the talent pool
A search for new ideas
What can be done
Engineering identity

The facts about early childhood education and care

The human brain develops more rapidly in the first few years of life than at any other time. Children’s experiences in the years before school are critically important for everything that follows. For this reason, early childhood education and care (ECEC) matters enormously for children and families. More than 45% of Australian children aged 0-5 years attend ECEC services, including preschool/kindergarten and long-day care services. To provide these services, the Australian ECEC sector employs more than 190,000 educators. Some key facts:

Job prospects: The job prospects for qualified early childhood educators are excellent. There is currently a shortage of early childhood educators across Australia, with moderate-to-strong demand forecast (depending on qualifications) for the next five years. The Australian Government estimates that Australia will need an additional 23,900 early childhood educators (including degree-qualified teachers) by 2025.
Attributes and skills include being curious, knowledgeable, empathetic, energetic, inclusive, inventive.
Roles for early childhood educators: Educators, lead educators, Managers
Pay and conditions: The Australian Government’s Job Outlook website provides estimates of median weekly wages for degree-qualified early childhood teachers ($1,488), early learning and care centre managers ($1,272) and other educators ($953).

Click here to:

What is a step-down nurse?

Indeed explains what a step-down nurse is. When patients are in the process of transitioning out of intensive care, a step-down nurse helps take care of them. Also called progressive care nurses, step-down nurses provide specialized attention and care to individuals who don't quite qualify for the ICU (intensive care unit) or the general medicine (also known as med-surg) floors of a hospital. Click on the link above for more information on:

What is step-down nursing?
Duties of a step-down nurse
Benefits of being a step-down nurse
Challenges of being a step-down nurse
Skills for step-down nursing
Education requirements for step-down nurses
Average salary for a step-down nurse, registered nurse and registered nurse-ICU

2020 Employment Projections - for the five years to November 2025

Each year, the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business produces employment projections by industry, occupation, skill level and region for the following five-year period. These employment projections are designed to provide a guide to the future direction of the labour market, however, like all such exercises, they are subject to an inherent degree of uncertainty. Click here to find out:

Managing stress

Healthdirect has put together a list of body, mind and behavioural stress symptoms. Knowing what to look for and getting on top of your stress can make you life manageable, successful and happy. Some of the signs of stress that they identify are:

Body The symptoms of stress and changes with your body that you may notice include:

headaches
other aches and pains
sleep disturbance
fatigue
upset stomach, diarrhoea
muscle tension

Mind The symptoms of stress affecting your mind, thoughts and feelings include:

anxiety, worry
anger, irritability
depression or sadness
feeling overwhelmed and out of control
feeling restless
feeling moody, tearful
difficulty concentrating
low self-esteem, lack of confidence

Behaviour The symptoms of stress that impact your behaviour include:

If you are experiencing any of these signs of stress or just not feeling yourself you need to speak with someone - parents, family doctor, psychologist. Don't try to manage excess stress by yourself.

OH NO! Exam stress

For those who are starting to feel their exam stress is becoming a legitimate obstacle, ReachOut.com has set out a handy list of resources from their website that can help smooth the period over:

Stress swaps – Simple ways to swap the worst forms of procrastination for more productive forms of procrastination

Apps – Five apps to help remove the stress factors through digital diaries, motivation, meditation and more.

Brain food – Eating healthy can lead to healthy results. Read about the best brain food for the exam period.

For more stress-reducing tips, visit the ReachOut website. If you are not coping it is best to talk with your parents, Guidance Officer/School Counsellor or family doctor.

Some study skills to consider

ANU have put together some new ideas to help with your academic work. There are a range of resources, tips and ideas to help you make the transition into university study. There is something here for everyone no matter your College or your level of study. Find out about:

Becoming a scholar
Time management
Researching
Reading strategies
Note-taking
Participating in classes
English language
Group work Sills workshops

Successful study skills

Class tests, yearly exams and essays are all frequent aspects of life as a high school student and they rely on preparation, more commonly known as “studying”. Although students know (and are told frequently) they should go to their room and study, the act of studying and building the right study skills can be quite elusive. Read this article that will provide some practical tips and strategies for high school students to study and be greater prepared for the class tests, yearly exams and essays they face on a regular basis.

The end of year exam period is almost here! De-stress with Mental Stillness

This is the time of the year when our stress levels soar. Unfortunately, stress not only affects mental and physical health but can also impact on exam performance. To help us manage our stress, Generation Next and Sydney University's Department of Psychiatry have developed a free, evidence based, easy-to-use app. The Mental Stillness App provides simple guided-meditation sequences on video that can be used on demand. It can be downloaded for iPhones/iPads and Android devices.

Working better under stress

Stress affects everyone. All the people you meet in life will have a certain task, situation or thought that causes them to experience stress. The way they experience and deal with that stress will be unique to them, and may be completely different to how you would experience and cope with the same situation. In these moments of stress, particularly in the context of study, we need to be able to continue to perform and meet deadlines, no matter the intensity of our stress levels or how we react to being under pressure. Click here to read an article from USQ' social hub that provides information on the following tips:

Change your space
Recognise your stress triggers
Test which skills function best when you’re stressed
Find the thing that helps you relax or regroup
Map out your assessment or study timelines to align with other life events

Clubs & Activities

St Monica's College

Alumni Christmas Lunch 2021

Beautiful Blooms by Lisa

MFS Sugar