Careers
Term 3 Year 10 Careers Panel
Last year during Lockdown 1 we were still getting our heads around Zoom and were nervous about how a ’panel’ event would translate for audience members without the face-to-face and in-person live interaction which makes a panel event spontaneous and warm. By Lockdown 5, we were a bit more adept at changing plans quickly and moving to an online medium, and just as well, as it turned out.
Our 2021 guest speakers, all of whom are Aitken Alumni spoke with passion about their jobs/courses/pathways beyond school and in doing so encouraged current Year 10 students to show initiative and build resilience. In various ways each of the speakers made clear their affection for the College and appreciated the academic/professional/personal goals they had been able to realise thanks to the care and advice received whilst a student at Aitken.
Our first speaker was Riccardo (Ric) Marchioli (VCE 2008) Bachelor Sport Coaching (Victoria University). Ric is currently Assistant Coach with the Newcastle Jets Soccer Club and he and his wife have just relocated from the north-west of Melbourne to NSW to undertake this role. His insights were extremely interesting for those seeking to follow their passion for sport. His academic pathway beyond Aitken started with a Diploma in Sport Management at TAFE. It was a timely reminder for those in the audience, that it’s not where you start that’s important. Diplomas can create launch pads for further study, and this was the case for Ric which saw him begin his degree as a mature-aged student. His role now is incredibly diverse as he has responsibilities for players’ health/wellbeing in addition to the duties typically associated with coaching. He sees it largely as a ‘people managing’ role.
Charlotte Butcher (VCE 2015) has completed her Bach Communications (Swinburne University) and has taken every opportunity to complete industry placements and internships as part of her studies. Pre COVID, she really enjoyed her industry-based learning/work experience with QANTAS. Charlotte’s excellent communication skills and love of people made her a perfect ‘fit’ for this course. Her role is with the Wyndham City Council (Communications & Media Officer) sees her promote Wyndham City’s services through a broad range of communication mediums, including print, broadcast and online forums.
When Tim Crole (VCAL Cert II Animal Studies 2013) decided to do VCAL, he had a very different agenda to most. Totally passionate about animals, Tim knew he did not want to go to University or need an ATAR. Unable to join us live during our panel presentation, we watched a video available on the Zoos Victoria (Melbourne Zoo) website which shows Tim at his best, sharing his knowledge of the Aldabra Giant Tortoise. The presentation was fascinating and illustrated Tim’s thorough professionalism, dedication, and extensive knowledge of this specialist subject matter. Gaining employment with Zoos Victoria is highly competitive and Tim’s ability to secure this position and take on such a high-profile role is a credit to him.
In the current climate, we have all been made acutely aware of the amazing work being done by health professionals, none more so than frontline nurses. Sara Galofaro (VCE 2015) completed her Bach Nursing (Australian Catholic University) and currently works at the Epworth Hospital. To say we are unbelievably proud of her is an understatement. Sara was amazingly frank with the audience and confessed to being ‘not the best student, and sometimes a tiny bit naughty’ whilst at Aitken. The audience warmed to her immediately! During Year 12 Sara really began to research her course options and settled on the ACU Nursing course as her focus. She was able to use her volunteering and community service as the basis for access to the Community Achiever Program and she’s never looked back! Her position at the Epworth Hospital is incredibly fulfilling and she is now teaching other nurses on the job having become interested in becoming a Nurse Educator.
Laura McCoullough (VCE 2015) completed Year 12 with a self-awareness that she was very much a Maths/Science kind of person. Although she knew she loved Biology and Maths, it was difficult to imagine what job that might lead to. Laura’s decision to undertake a Bachelor of Science (University of Melbourne) gave her the scope to explore a range of science disciplines and specialise in an area of particular interest. And yes, that special interest and hence her ‘major’ was Biology. She has completed her undergraduate degree and is now undertaking PhD (University of Melbourne) studies in Biology. Her thesis is exploring cures for diabetes. Before too long we hope that we will be inviting Dr Laura McCoullough back to the College.
Keely Davies (VCE 2015) originally considered a career in Speech Pathology as she knew she wanted a job which was going to help people. As a result, Keely researched this and a range of other ‘health science’ occupations. In discovering Occupational Therapy, Keely soon realised this was perfect for her as the role can be best described as a combination of physiotherapy and social work. She successfully completed the Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree at (La Trobe University) and is now loving her job with Northern Health. Keely was eager to take time away from the role and let audience members know what a wonderfully satisfying and important job Occupational Therapists undertake.
As the veteran of the panel Audrey Nania (VCE 2004) mused that the students in the audience were toddlers when she was completing Year 12. In those 15+ years since then, Audrey has achieved amazing success in the world of business/retail and specifically made reference to the challenges of coming from a family of first-generation migrants and the expectations that creates. After finishing school, Audrey completed her undergraduate studies at RMIT with a Bachelor of Business (Marketing). This led her to a role with the NAB and she worked in banking for almost four years before making the switch to retail where her business marketing skills were highly prized. At the same time as taking a role at Decjuba she began an MBA (Masters in Business Administration) also with RMIT. Audrey is now the Chief Operating Officer for Decjuba and her story provides a perfect example of the ‘transferability’ of business qualifications across all industries.
Was there a worse time to do Year 12 than in 2020? For India Lively (VCE 2020) it provided an opportunity to develop tremendous initiative and independence. Her dream to undertake studies with the prestigious National Institute Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney was always going to be challenging and the idea of living independently/moving away from home to pursue tertiary studies is not for the faint hearted. Throughout the process India stayed positive, motivated and super well organised, meeting all the requirements and clearing all the selection hurdles (and there were many!) She is very, very happy in her Stage Production degree at NIDA and returns to Melbourne when restrictions allow to visit family and friends.
All Year 10 students have now submitted their subject/program preferences for 2022 via Webchoices and it’s to be hoped that students really found the Careers Panel interesting and inspiring. With approximately 150 students in Year 10, it’s obviously impossible to have speakers to cover the entire range of career interests of the cohort. However, common themes and messages were evident throughout the presentation and form the basis of sound advice which will stand the test of time as students move through Brookhill:
- Think about your interests/talents, and, try to identify something that you really enjoy doing.
- Give yourself every chance to succeed by taking advantage of the huge range of opportunities and extracurricular activities offered by the College and in the broader community.
- Do your research; attend Open Days (virtually) when possible and check tertiary websites for course and career information.
In years to come, it’s to be hoped that members in our Zoom audience will be guest speakers on future Year 10 Careers panels, with Aitken Alumni, paying it forward!
Many thanks to all concerned for contributing to, what was another unique and wonderful event intended to assist Year 10 students in planning for the journey ahead.
Ms Rae Gibbs
Careers Counsellor & Alumni Coordinator
Year 10 - 12 Students
Even though we are in lockdown, many of the tertiary institutions are offering virtual opportunities for prospective students to explore their campuses, courses and to ask questions of academic staff and current students. Although there is no substitute for actually getting onto a campus and feeling the vibe through your skin, it is still very helpful to undertake some virtual exploration and research. Keep your eyes open for virtual opportunities which may include Open Days, Experience Days and information webinars. You can sign up to be on the emailing distribution lists for tertiary institutions which are of interest to you and that will ensure you do not miss any of these opportunities.
Year 12 Students
Careers Pathways Post Aitken interviews for Year 12 students are well underway. They are being held via Zoom while we are in lockdown and off campus. If we return to campus, interviews will revert to taking place face-to-face in B21. Do not forget you need your USI to be able to register for a VTAC account. If you cannot remember your USI, Google: “Find my USI”, to retrieve it. If Year 12 students have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Careers staff.
Career News 14
Career News Issue 14 is now available and includes information about:
- The Carlton College of Sport
- A new Future Students website for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne
- A Career as a Cardiac Technologist
- Global and International Studies courses in Victoria
- The Whitehouse Institute of Design
- A Career as a Financial Planner
- Careers in the Equine Industry
- Pathways to Medicine at Monash
- Professional Business Cadetships at UBS
- Law Undergraduate degrees in Victoria
- Paralegal degrees in Victoria
- A snapshot of Victoria University
- The Monash ‘Get Ready to Apply’ Expo
- The Monash Fine Art & Design ‘Experience Day’
- Swinburne Virtual Open Nights
and more.
Careers Newsletter on My Aitken
Career News is written and published fortnightly and is available via My Aitken / Resources / School Life / Aitken News / Careers Newsletter / Careers Newsletters – 2021 Editions:
Contact Details
Please contact us via email: careers@aitkencollege.edu.au
Mrs Clare Borg & Ms Rae Gibbs
Careers Counsellors