Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Over the last few weeks we have been having information nights for the senior years and I have been speaking about resources that are available for use as research tools. Here is a summary for those who missed the evenings or for those who would now like to begin this research process. They are all suitable for Years 10-12 students.

UAC: www.uac.edu.au/ 

This is the site I use the most. This is where all of the university courses are listed. You can do easy searches for courses of interest based on names, universities, subject areas and ATARs. 

Job Jump: https://jobjump.com.au/
Password is Emanuel

This is a great browsing, searching site to find out more about certain industries. You can look up videos, find out about industries, look at job prospects, salaries and lots more. I find this site fantastic. 

Emanuel School Careers
http://emanuelschoolcareers.com/

This is a great one-stop-shop site for parents. You can use this especially if you need clarity on the school/university system. Find out about all Australian universities, bonus points, how the ATAR is worked out and more. 

Last week Year 12 students, discussed social media, online presence and how important it is in the careers space. Compared to previous generations, this is an added agenda and consideration for our students.

Anyone who leaves their social media profiles open, and their content accessible by the public, is opening themselves up to criticism by a potential employer. What is now important is your own brand and how you market yourself. Our current students are entering a work force that is more based on small-project and contract-based work, so flexibility and marketability are going to be key.

There are a few hard and fast rules, as cited by Jim Bright of ACU Careers Department:

1. Decide what is it you have to offer
2. What do you want?
3. Know your audience
4. Put yourself and your content out there
5. Be consistent and focused
6. Understand different platforms
7. Develop a style and stick to it
8. Keep going
9. Review how it is going.

I encourage all students to be very mindful of what they put up on social media. Be mindful of commenting on others’ social media presence. I have heard too many stories of interviews going very well but some basic background checks let them down due to social media commentaries. It is a great idea to start keeping your profiles private but also watching what you say and how you say it. To read more go to www.theguardian.com/careers/social-media-boost-professional-profile?CMP=&et_cid=45084&et_rid=7688737&Linkid=How+social+media+can+boost+your+professional+profile