Your career isn’t just the one job where you stay
in it for most of your life and then retire.
Check out the definition of Career Development by the
Australian Centre of Career Education.
Australians will make 17 changes in employers across 5 different careers according to the Foundation of Young Australians. Foundation of Young Australians
The possibilities are endless and entirely up to you!
Here are some possibilities:
Possibility 1: You could stay in one industry for most of your working life or take on various roles within that industry.
Possibility 2: You could choose to change industry entirely.
Possibility 3: You may do further study for a career change – it’s never too late.
There are plenty of people in their 30s or older who are undertaking a VET or university qualification at this very moment.
Possibility 4: Whose to say. It’s your call!
Reminder: A career is a lifelong journey and plays out over many many years.
You are already on your career path, which started when you were a child, imagining what you would be when you grew up.
Right now have a go: Gain experience in an industry you enjoy.
Check out the links below which have tips and tricks on how to develop your career.
68% of workers across the nation have post-school qualifications.
Health Care and Social Assistance is the top employing industry (13% of jobs in Victoria).
75% of employers require applicants to have workplace experience.
The top skills sought by employers are communication skills, team work, problem solving ability, organisational skills, creativity and initiative.
84.2% of Certificate IV graduates were working full time 6 months after school.
MYTH #1: There's a perfect job for me.
Can anything be perfect?
Let’s be honest – there’s no such thing as perfect – that’s just the expectation we put on ourselves and other people, situations or things.
There are good aspects and not so good aspects to every job; often it’s a matter of weighing up what your
own values are so you can decide if the good outweighs the not so good.
Even if you find a job that you think is perfect, the nature of the work could change over time. You could change, too.
Further reading:
“Why no job can ever be perfect”.
“The Dream Job Is a Myth. Focus Instead on Living Your Best Life.”
MYTH #2: I'll know all about the different kinds of work/pay when I leave school.
You have probably heard a bunch of different words thrown around in relation to kinds of work and pay types – full time, salary, casual, award rates, contract, fixed term vs permanent/ongoing, etc.
What do they all mean?
Check out these sites by the Australian Government Fair Work Ombudsman:
Types of employees
Employee entitlements
As a young person who may be starting out in a job it is important that you know what pay you are legally entitled to.
Awards are the legal documents that outline pay for more than 100 industries/occupations.
Reminder: It is your RIGHT to be paid according to law and any issues with pay should be addressed first with your employer and then with Fair Work if a resolution cannot be achieved.
MYTH #3: It will be harder to find a job in the future because of automation.
Fact: Automation has not led to a widespread absence of jobs. Despite the rapid pace of technological change over the past quarter of a century, the proportion of Australia’s population in employment today has increased.
Consider the nature of the work in many of our top growing industries. Health care and social assistance, hospitality/tourism, education…they all have a very human quality to them, don’t they? We will always desire connection to others, which is the foundation for all these industries, and truly, the basis of all industry as it addresses the core of human need.
Fact: It is not likely that entire occupations will be automated.
Specific tasks within each occupation may be susceptible to automation, and the task (and skill) requirements of jobs may therefore change.
Reminder: Not all jobs will be automated, because it may be costly or difficult to do so.
Workers can adapt by upgrading their skills.
New opportunities will arise from the use of technology.
Further reading:
Australian Government’s Department of Jobs and Small Business
MYTH #4: I'll earn more money if I go to uni.
Fact: University will not guarantee you a higher salary than someone who completed a Cert III or IV, apprenticeship or traineeship. On the Australian Government’s website JobOutlook, the second-highest paid job listed is Construction Manager, which is a job achieved often through completing a Cert III or IV.
Reminder: Consider all your options and interests instead of just going with a uni degree that you think is going to make you the most money.
Further reading:
ABC Triple J Hack Is Uni Worth It?
How much money can you really earn without a degree?
MYTH #5: I’m behind everyone else my age because I’m not sure what my dream job is.
Fact: If you aren’t sure what your “dream job” is, you’re definitely not alone and if anything, you’re part of the majority.
Reminder: Everyone’s career journey is unique and changes over time as the person changes.
You aren’t behind at all; rather, you’re exactly where you should be.
This the right moment for you to:
Explore different worlds of work.
Figure out what your real values and interests are at this life stage.
Gain work experience that will develop your transferable skills.
Further Reading:
Stop Stressing About Falling Behind in Your 20s – And Remember This