Volume 26 Issue 23 11 Aug 2017 19 Av 5777

Careers

Claire Pech – Careers Advisor

Tertiary choices

Last weekend there was a supplement in the Sydney Morning Herald for Tertiary choices which contained great information for students. Everywhere I go at the moment, I am bumping into friends, neighbours, colleagues who seem to have students in Year 12. A few of them have been asking me about top tips, how to order preferences and how to keep a cool head throughout the process. So I thought I would come up with my top 10 tips, probably in order of the time line.   

  1. RESEARCH:  Do your research, check out the courses via uac.edu.au. Google the word ‘Handbook’ plus your degree and university to see how the degree is made up. Go to Open Days. Engage with the process. Talk to people. Very few people have career epiphanies – you do need to do some work to figure it all out.
  2. INTEREST: Choose courses that you have a genuine interest in.
  3. DATES: The ATAR comes out BEFORE you have to finalise your preference list in December. So, if you get an ATAR of 80 but your dream course requires a 95 you can remove that preference off the list. Ensure you know all the dates for UAC on www.uac.edu.au/undergraduate/key-dates.shtml – you do need to be organised. Print these out and put them on your fridge.
  4. NUMBER 1 COURSE: List your dream course at the top – the one you want to do the most – they are called preferences for a reason.
  5. MID RANGE OPTIONS: Have your next best course in order of where you want to do it next e.g. B. Business at the University of Sydney, then UTS, then Macquarie University, if that is the order of where you would go next.
  6. BACK UP: Have a back up of a lower option. This is usually not taken up but you need that in case ATARs change.
  7. UNSURE: If you feel you don’t know where your interests lie, choose something general e.g. B.Arts for a more Humanities interests, B.Science for Science interests.
  8. DEFER: Ensure you apply this year and then defer if you are taking a GAP year, rather than thinking you will just apply next year after your GAP year.
  9. CHANGE YOUR MIND: Many students change their mind, especially when on GAP year when they may have clearer ideas and their tastes change. You can always go back through UAC the following year and change.
  10. HATE YOUR CHOICE: Many students change their mind once they start university. It is very possible to change courses or move universities. Just like you change your music tastes, figuring out the best university course can take you a bit longer. One year extra in the greater scheme of things to find a more suitable course will fade into nothing in the long run.

Career tips for school leavers

www.migas.com.au/news/expert-career-tips-for-school-leavers/

Choosing a career path

Some people are worrying about getting into their dream course, but others don’t even know what their dream is! This article has some tips for working out what you should do when you leave school.

http://this.deakin.edu.au/careers/how-to-work-out-who-you-want-to-be-when-you-grow-up

Careers in sport

This website is for anyone interested in a career in sport and fitness. There is information about recommended qualifications and pathways, along with a list of available positions and courses.

www.sportspeople.com.au