There are now many Careers Services and Resources available to our College community.
It is vital that all of us learn how to access these if we are going to work as a team to encourage each student to develop several possible Career plans to guide them into the future.
There are five main areas to consider when beginning to use our services:
1. Our Careers web site called Careers Central that contains our weekly Careers news bulletin of events and opportunities. It is accessed through the main College web site – choose the heading Current Students and then select Careers. This area also has a message service and resources that help when planning Career search.
2. Our Canvas Careers Box of Careers Resources. This links with many important Career sites and contains the new Careers Exploration Modules that we are developing. Senior students are encouraged to work through these and so acquire key skills needed in searching and applying for suitable Career training and work pathways. These modules will assist with pathway choice; resume writing and the soft skills prized by employers.
3. My Career Match Careers survey is run for all students in Years 10 -12. It emails back to each student important information about personality strengths and then links these to potential occupations. It provides a surprisingly accurate starting point for a student searching for the Career path that will be suitable according to personality and inclination. There is also an on-line workbook connected to this that assists students to reflect on the Career Match results. It is highly recommended. The College also runs the more comprehensive Morrisby Careers Guidance Test by request for an extra fee – this can provide much more detailed information about ability and inclination.
4. A wide selection of on-line resources, webinars and events such as the virtual reality Careers Expo, is also made available to students by email and on Canvas and Careers Central. These inspire and guide personal search.
5. Finally there is the powerful web site called Job Jump. – It is accessed through Canvas or can be googled directly. A College password is required to register. This is an extremely comprehensive and flexible Careers one-stop shop web site which is designed for students, teachers and parents/carers to join, and relates to all matters to do with Careers. It links to important application systems such as UAC, universities and TAFE and is very up to date and constantly being improved. The latest addition is a simple symbolic code of miniature flames next to each Career described that reflect the current employment prospects estimated in the wake of Covid – 19 challenges.
The first Careers Exploration Module in Canvas that asks you sign up for Job Jump, contains a Careers movie that quotes an inspirational point made by a pilot who is thrilled with his job of working for the Flying Doctor Service. He recalls the saying that if you find a job that you really like, then you will never have to work again! Life will be enjoyable all the way through despite its frustrations.
Well, we want to see our students achieve fulfilment in their chosen pathways of work and the best way of laying the foundation for this is to access Careers search tools and services that spark ideas and guide to the relevant training and application scenarios.
My job is to assist this process and give advice and practical help along the way. Booking a Careers interview with me is a good idea, especially if a student is unsure or confused. Please contact me at the Careers Area in the IRC for a careers interview. Also, I am available at many parent teacher evenings where you can book a brief session with me.
Do you believe that work can be enjoyable and rewarding? The time to assist our students to find that out is now! It is amazing what opportunities are out there but organised exploration is essential to find what is suitable.
You are welcome to access all these Careers services in the exciting quest of finding fantastic Career pathways for our students into the future.
Mr Jim Ward
Careers Advisor