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Eleven things every school leaver should know

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A perfect storm is gathering in Australia’s high schools – a tempest of exams, university preferences, TAFE applications, and nerve-frazzling plans for life after study.

Adding to the already tough decision, in August The Good Universities Guide revealed up to two thirds of graduates of some degrees were failing to find full-time work.

Graduates of languages, build environments, health services and environmental studies fared the worst – with results differing between universities.

Jo Messer, a career advisor at Career Matters and the Australian Catholic University, sympathises with the stress of this time of year.

“At this stage, a lot of students feel caught up in having to decide the future,” Ms Messer says.

“At 17 or 18, how can you be expected to know what you want to do for the rest of your life?”

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To help you or your child navigate this difficult period, The New Daily has gathered the top tips from four career advisors.

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Read up on your course outcomes. Photo: ShutterStock

1. Will your course get you a job?

Ms Messer says students need to read up on the course outline, check out the qualifications and industry connections of lecturers and teachers and, most importantly, the work placements involved.

“That is so important nowadays. It’s not enough to have a degree. You need to have gotten experience along the way,” she says.

2. Crunch the numbers

Look at projected labour market forecasts, Ms Messer says, to see how competitive is your chosen career.

This data can be found on the Job Outlook website.

Keep in mind that entire fields may be lost and created in future, she says.

3. Study if you can

Box Hill Institute career advisor Eileen Nichols sees many mature-aged students.

The most common regret she hears is not studying earlier.

“Some people are very tempted by earning money, and you can understand that, but it is easier to study when you’re younger,” Ms Nichols says.

4. Parents, get involved

“I think the parents are sometimes better able to grasp the significance of the facts than the child, even a young person who is in their late teens, who may not have an understanding of the context,” Ms Nichols says.

Don’t push your children towards a career. Just be supportive.

5. Sit at least one career assessment

Ms Nichols recommends that students undertake a career questionnaire, and have it reviewed by someone who can interpret the data.

6. Explore by talking

Career Vitality principal consultant Donna Thistlethwaite says students should talk to as many employed adults as they can before they reach a decision.

“Explore by talking to people. Ask them what a typical day involves, the challenges they face, the enjoyable parts of their job, their pathway into the role, and also what employers look for in people in that occupation,” she says.

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Grads can now expect up to 40 different jobs. Photo: Shutterstock

7. Be ready to chop and change

The current generation of school leavers can expect between 25 and 40 different jobs in 5 to 7 different industries or occupations over the course of their working career, according to Ms Thistlethwaite.

“It’s useful to have a plan, but the job for life is generally a thing of the past.”

To prepare for this very fluid job market, school leavers need to cultivate curiosity, persistence, flexibility and optimism, say Ms Thistlethwaite, which are the core tenants of the Planned Happenstance theory.

8. Journal your achievements

Keep a diary, or incident log, of your biggest achievements, Ms Thistlethwaite says, as this will help you craft your first resume and at your first big job interview.

“The problem is that when people go to apply for a job won’t have all of that fresh in their minds. If they’ve got a little diary that they can reflect on and draw those things out from, they will be very well placed,” she says.

9. Do, not be

Ms Thistlethwaite heard this advice at a recent careers conference: “Think about what you want to do, not what you want to be.”

Don’t get hung up so much on the outcome. Instead, find out what you really like, are good at and enjoy, then brainstorm jobs to match.

10. Look beyond your high school

Gina Bell, owner of Extraordinary You, worked in the corporate sector for 12 years before becoming a careers advisor.

Ms Bell says school advisors sometimes lack the “real work frontline experience” to know what employers are looking for. She recommends getting a second opinion from an accredited professional.

11. Check out the online resources

The My Future and My Skills websites are excellent resources for school leavers.

The Queensland Government has also released the Career Hunter app free for iPhone and iPad with valuable information on job descriptions, training and qualification requirements and job vacancies.

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