Career Development 'Ask the Practitioner': Friday Jul 30 (Posted: 30/07/2021)

• From Yr10 (campus not stated): How do I know medicine is right for me? (sic)
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: There's a book at your campus' Careers Office called "What it takes to be a doctor". Ask your Career Development Practitioner about it if you can't find it. You can read it while at school or buy a copy for yourself. It has examples of people who got into medicine and those who left medicine as well because it wasn't for them.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: There are career quizzes that are at an advanced scientific level that measures your intellect, attitudes and aptitude to cross-reference your particulars and suggest careers accordingly such as Morrisby. You are not the 1st to be stuck for answers and the science of 'Career Development' has some answers in the shape of fun quizzes and questionnaires. Go onto our website siriuscollegecareers.com & do the fun careers quizzes in the student section as these and similar quizzes will begin your process of identifying the particular special bend of your mind that makes you special at some things compared to others. This is a good start to any career journey... come in and talk to us more when you are ready too...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Think about your values. What is really important to you? Is it important to you that you help people overcome illness, provide medical solutions to patients with complicated health issues. Patients are humans, not numbers, do you have the capacity to help people, despite their background, and inspite of how they have looked after themselves. Or are you more interested in the science behind medical breakthroughs? Do you want to find a cure for a disease? Having the right values is not enough though - your grades need to be high enough to get into medicine.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: What does Morrisby have to say about this exact question? There's a starting point - that feedback is tailored to you. And given you're in Yr10, you know about this...

• From Yr7 (campus not stated): How much do teachers get paid. Also is being a teacher worth the while? Will being a teacher help me in anyway? (sic)
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: Teaching is a field that has its own demands and rewards. I recommend you chat with some of your teachers to ask what they enjoy about teaching as well as what they find challenging. As for the pay, you can use the Sirius College Career Development website to see more details https://siriuscollegecareers.com/job-and-career-search. Finally, whether something is worth it depends on what you think is worthy.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Being a Teacher is the third most trusted positions in society. You get decent pay to be a teacher & it goes up every year according to the years you have been a teacher so that is a bonus. But you need to be a suitable person to be a teacher so in recent years they have brought out an aptitude test "CASPER". See https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/role/teacher for more information.
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Teachers often enter the profession because they want to make a difference. Being a teacher is reasonably well paid but the hours are long - a lot more than the face to face teaching you see from a student's perspective. The holidays are good but set, so you can't go on holiday when you like, and a lot of your holidays are spent preparing for the next term. A teaching degree can lead to other careers in education.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: According to joboutlook.gov.au, teachers (on average) between $1800-$2000 a week (before tax), which is above the national average. Whether it's "worth the while" is for you to figure out over your school years (clearly you have to like working with young people for a start, whatever 'young' means to you). The third question is hard to answer; depends on what you want it to help you with.

• From MFC Yr12: How is atar calculated? (sic)
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: VTAC explains it well in their ATAR Guide https://www.vtac.edu.au/atar-scaling-guide-2023.html
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: First, your total Study Score is needed so English plus your best 3 subject scores and if you have a 5th or 6th subject then 10% of those. All added up & put into a line of all the students that graduate that year. How high up you are on that list of all the students for that year is your ATAR RANK... so just to reiterate; The ATAR is not a score, it’s a rank. If a student gets an ATAR of 80, this doesn’t mean they averaged 80%. It means they are 20% from the top of their fellow graduates for that particular year.
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyVivqAdzcQ.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: You really should be aware of this by now; we've been telling you this since senior school/subject selections in Yr10. You might want to tune in next Tuesday night to the MFC VTAC information session on Zoom - VTAC are the group that makes the ATAR, and we'll be discussing this question (again) as a part of the session.

• From EMC Yr11: how to become a doctor (different pathways) (sic)
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: We have answered this question a few times before in the Newsfeed. Please check past Newsfeed emails in order to find the answers.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: The pathways to becoming a Doctor are diverse and many hence this is the best way to explain it as a picture paints 1000 words they say: https://thefootnotes.com.au/wp-content/uploads/How-to-become-a-doctor.jpg
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Come and borrow the book we have in your careers office that gives advice on becoming a doctor - there is a copy at each campus.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Being blunt, "Doctor" is just a qualification; it's not a job. So, "to become a Doctor" as you asked, you need to graduate university with a "Doctorate". I'm assuming you are referring to a Medical Practitioner, so like what Ms. Yucel said, this question has been answered now, many, many times. Look back at previous 'Ask the Practitioner' posts.

• From IDC Yr8: What VCE subjects should I take in years 10, 11 and 12 to have a good shot at Medical school entry? any subjects to avoid? (sic)
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: Having a shot at medical school (direct entry) means achieving a stupendously high ATAR. Pick subjects you will do well in or you will enjoy. If you're interested in medicine, take science subjects (chemistry, biology, psychology). No subjects you need to avoid as you will choose subjects you feel you could do well in.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Bio - Chem and watch your English as this is the biggest factor in your ATAR...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: English, Chemistry and Math Methods. The first two are prerequisites for undergraduate medicine which is very competitive to get into. Having Math Methods gives you the option of following another route to become a medical doctor, by studying Biomedicine and then doing Postgraduate Medicine. Math Methods is a prerequisite for Biomedicine.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: There's no subjects to 'avoid' apart from the ones you won't enjoy - as Ms. Yucel said, the only 'medical school' we have in Victoria which you can enter straight from Yr12 is always asking for a ridiculously high ATAR. There are 'must' subjects (known as prerequisites), and we'll know more about what they are specifically for you in a few years. Mr. Mithat's & Ms. Whitworth's suggestions are a good clue for now, but you're in Yr8...so you have time!!!

• From KBC Yr8: Which course(s) do you recommend taking to ensure better knowledge on medicine so that passing medicine can be easier? (sic)
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: While the obvious recommendation would be science subjects, I would recommend you first learn how to develop good study habits and mental health resilience from now. You could pick all the right subjects, but if you haven't developed the right habits, you may not succeed in getting into medicine.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Same answer as the previous question.
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: To get ino a medical degree you will need to be very good at all your studies but especially English, Chemistry and Maths. It is very competitive to get into any medical degree and universities can and do choose the very best of the students who apply. Medicine is not an easy degree.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Are you talking about courses (ie. at uni) or subjects at school? You don't build medical knowledge at school, but higher-level Maths & Sciences will help with building the basic skills needed. Courses at uni, we'll deal with that in the next few years - what's there now may not be the same when you're in Yr12.

• From KBC Yr10: What are the pros and cons of working in medicine?
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: You get to assist people when they're often at their weakest point. That being said, sometimes it's hard not to get affected by the difficulties in caring roles. Depending on what area of the health field you work in, you will face different challenges.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: It's a respectable field and stability is an advantage, but hours and high level of flexibility maybe a drain on yoour personal life.
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Pros: feeling that you are making a difference, sense of doing something that changes people's lives, salary (at the top level of medicine). Cons: long training, long hours, stressful. Try talking to a medical doctor about their work and finding out what they think the pros and cons are.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: It's a long, long path to get the the starting line; many years of study. That might be a good or bad thing for you - it depends on what you enjoy. The pay is generally very good, but it comes at the potential expense of a personal life - again, your choice if that's a good or bad thing. Might be worth speaking with your local medical practitioner about this.

• From Yr9 (campus not stated): How do I know whether/not I should apply for undergraduate medicine or postgraduate medicine?
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: You can apply for undergraduate medicine first. If you don't get in (which would be normal as it's notoriously difficult to get in), then you can aim to get into postgraduate medicine a few years later.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Postgraduate courses are only for people who already hold a university degree - so you can only apply for postgraduate courses after your graduate from a university course. They are usually in a similar field to what you graduated from so it's like applying for the postgraduate course of 'Masters in Psychology' after you finish the undergraduate 'Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Psychology'...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: It will depend on whether you get into undergraduate medicine. This is very competitive and if you are unsuccessful you could do an alternative pathway by studying Biomedicine or Science first and then doing postgraduate medicine. Studying undergraduate medicine is a set course with no options to choose electives or study additional subjects. If you study Biomedicine or Science first there is a little more flexibility with what you study in your undergraduate degree.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Look at the course content, look at the flexibilities in both, and consider that the ATAR for undergraduate Medicine is stupidly high every year. Maybe you want the broader knowledge from a Bachelor of whatever first before applying for a Doctor of Medicine course; you won't know that until you've explored what that 'whatever' is.

• From KBC Yr9: If I apply for medicine in Monash University and I fail to get into it, will they allow me to re-try it? What will I have to do?
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: You are allowed to reapply or you can try 1 of the other pathways into medicine as shown here: https://thefootnotes.com.au/how-to-become-a-doctor/
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Many excellent students fail to get into undergraduate medicine at Monash. They could try again but most take an alternative route by either applying for a Science-based degree and then doing postgraduate medicine, or they apply to universities interstate. Monash, Deakin and University of Melbourne all offer postgraduate medicine.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Don't put all your eggs in the 1 basket. The fact is, the vast majority of applicants do fail to get in for whatever reason (5,700 of the 6,000 applicants on average), so while it's not impossible to enter, it's awfully difficult. Fact is, there are other ways both into that precise degree (https://www.monash.edu/medicine/som/grad-entry; Ms. Whitworth mentioned one of them above) or other Doc of Med degrees at the other 2 unis in Victoria offering Medicine.

• From IDC Yr10: Do all courses in university have you write a dissertation? Which common courses do, and what advice would you give to those that have to write one?
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: No. You usually write essays. Dissertations are generally for graduate courses like Masters or Doctoral degrees (PhDs), although I completed my Masters without needing to do a dissertation as I wasn't interested in completing one. People who write one choose to do so because they really want to research a particular area further.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: No, not all courses. But this is a hard question to answer as a lot of uni courses and their assessments methods differ so you would have to open up and look at the course structure and assessment methods one by one, to ascertain which do and which do not. Usually it is part of a PhD that you write such a document and I did have one at the end of my Masters course as well...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Dissertations are long research papers and may be part of an Honours year of a degree course, or a higher degree course, like a PhD, but most undergraduate courses only require essays or projects, as well as exams.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Quoting the Australian National University: "In Australia the thesis is an extended written piece which reports on the results of a three to four year programme of research (in other countries the writing component is called a 'dissertation')." So, it's a 'thesis' here in Australia, and you'd need to have multi-year research done for one to be composed, which usually is, at the minimum, done in an Honours component of a degree, but usually either completed at either Masters or Doctorate level (I didn't need to do one in my Masters, however I did need to complete a 6mth research project which came to about 35-36,000 words, so it's a 'mini-thesis' of sorts). The university you'd be completing the thesis with would give you far more expert advice than we can here, but as a starting point, look at https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/10-tips-writing-phd-thesis.

'Ask the Practitioner' question submission:

Next response post / eMail: Friday August 6

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Career Development Daily News Fix: Thursday Jul 29 (Posted: 29/07/2021)

'ASK THE PRACTITIONER' QUESTION SUBMISSION:

Next response post / eMail: TOMORROW Friday July 30

• Yrs 9-12: Open Days --> Virtual Open Days - Because of current circumstances, universities are flipping their Open Day schedules to virtual platforms. Whilst this isn't ideal, it's still better than nothing, and it's still the best way to learn about any institutions you're considering for life after school. We've already provided you with a list of these coming up; today we're providing you with an updated list of seloected virtual Open Days, as well as some advice on how to navigate both 'traditional' Open Days & 'virtual' Open Days & make the most of the events. To download a copy, click here.

• Yrs 9-12: Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO) - Want to know if your dream career is growing, and where? You should want to! NERO can help. The NERO is a new resource, developed by the Federal Government's National Skills Commission. It provides timely information on employment in 355 occupations across 88 different areas of Australia. Until now, this type of data was only readily available every five years; with NERO, the insights can be produced monthly. NERO can be searched either by occupation or by region, and you can download the data in a variety of ways. This is an excellent new resource to see what's happening right now in the labour market, so you can be accurately informed about what jobs are growing. To use NERO, and to watch a 3min video explaining how to search & read the information available to you, click here.

• Yr12: 2021/2022 Medicine Closing Dates - Wanting to study medicine at university in 2022? You need to have booked your UCAT test date by now (and may have already even sat it already). And if you haven’t already, it’s time to start getting your applications in. Applications for medicine degrees in Australia tend to close earlier than other courses. Some of them are coming up soon, so we’ve sourced a list of all the medicine courses and their closing dates, so you can make sure you don’t miss out. To read more, click here.

• Yr12: More Early Entry programs - Since we sent out the recent Early Entry Program flyer, even more programs have kicked off. It's now easier to state which unis don't have an Early Entry Program, as opposed to which unis do. So, below is a list of the Victorian universities that we are aware of, which have an Early Entry program in place for 2021 applicants:
  • ACU (new in 2021): Click here (open now; closes September 24)
  • Federation Uni: Click here (opens August 2; closes December 3)
  • La Trobe: Click here (open now; closes September 17)
  • RMIT (new in 2021): Click here (open now; closes August 30)
  • Swinburne: Click here (opens August 2; closes August 31)
  • VU: Click here (open now; closes October 8)

• Yrs 7-12: Ask the Practitioner questions for tomorrow - Here's tomorrow's 10 A.T.P. questions we're responding to (and there's a bit of a theme for many of them...):
  • How do I know if medicine is right for me?
  • How much do teachers get paid? Also is being a teacher worth the while? Will being a teacher help me in any way?
  • How is ATAR calculated?
  • How to become a doctor (different pathways)?
  • What VCE subjects should I take in years 10, 11 and 12 to have a good shot at Medical school entry? Any subjects to avoid?
  • Which course(s) do you recommend taking to ensure better knowledge on medicine so that passing medicine can be easier?
  • What are the pros and cons of working in medicine?
  • How do I know whether/not I should apply for undergraduate medicine or postgraduate medicine?
  • If I apply for medicine in Monash University and I fail to get into it, will they allow me to re-try it? What will I have to do?
  • Do all courses in university have you write a dissertation? Which common courses do, and what advice would you give to those that have to write one?

MORE OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTED ON THE SIRIUSCOLLEGECAREERS.COM CALENDAR OF EVENTS - CLICK HERE

Career Development Daily News Fix: Tuesday Jul 27 (Posted: 27/07/2021)

'ASK THE PRACTITIONER' QUESTION SUBMISSION:

Special Edition:
VCE changes at Sirius College - EXTERNAL STUDIES

For a little while now, the Career Development Department have been working with the college's Director of Curriculum, Mr. Giray, and all the Teaching & Learning Coordinators, to be able to provide you with more options to build your senior years at Sirius College in a way that suits you. Today, we're excited to announce that these changes are now in effect, and available to our VCE student body. Known as 'External Studies', this new flexibility allows students with new choices to successfully complete their VCE at Sirius College, whilst building the knowledge & skills to both create a strong ATAR (if desired) and get you started on the way to a successful career journey. The difference? Not everything in your VCE has to be done at Sirius College...

Below is information taken from the VCE Handbook on the 4 available components of External Studies; you can all read more about these by reading the VCE Handbook, which you can do by clicking here.

• Element 1: Distance Education - Students who wish to undertake a single VCE subject not offered at Sirius College (through groups such as Virtual Schools Victoria (www.vsv.vic.edu.au) and Victorian School of Languages (www.vsl.vic.edu.au)) can apply to undertake their subject of choice via a VCAA-approved external study provider. Students should conduct research in Year 10 into the subject and provider/s offering, in order to be able to apply for enrolment at the start of Year 11 studies.

  

• Element 2: VCE VET - VCE VET programs are vocational training programs approved by VCAA. VCE VET programs lead to nationally recognised qualifications, thereby offering students the opportunity to gain both the VCE and a nationally recognised Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificate. VCE VET programs are fully recognised within the Units 1 to 4 structure of the VCE and contribute towards satisfactory completion of the VCE. The following VCE VET programs also offer scored assessment, and as such can contribute to the creation of a student’s ATAR (ie. They count like any other subject!):
    - Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance
    - Certificate III in Business
    - Certificate III in Community Services
    - Certificate II / Certificate III in Dance
    - Certificate II in Engineering Studies
    - Certificate II in Equine Studies
    - Certificate II in Furniture Making Pathways
    - Certificate II in Hospitality
    - Certificate II in Hospitality - Kitchen Operations
    - Certificate III in Information, Digital Media and Technology (partial completion)
    - Certificate II in Integrated Technologies
    - Certificate III in Laboratory Skills
    - Certificate III in Music Industry (Performance)
    - Certificate III in Music Industry (Sound Production)
    - Certificate III in Screen & Media
    - Certificate III in Sport and Recreation
  More information on VCE VET options can be accessed via the VCAA GET VET website, which you access by clicking here.

  

• Element 3: School-based Apprenticeship & Traineeship (SBAT) - A school-based apprenticeship or traineeship (sometimes referred to as Australian School-Based Apprenticeship - ASbA) is an apprenticeship or traineeship undertaken by a student enrolled in their VCE. Regular school attendance is combined with at least one timetabled day per week spent on the job or in training during the normal school week. An SBAT combines part-time, practical experience in the workplace with recognised, structured training from a Registered Training Organisation. All apprenticeships and traineeships can provide credit towards your VCE; most provide credit for VCE Units 1 to 4. We recommend students undertake a non-scored VCE (ie. No ATAR) for this option, given the time away from the classroom required. More information on this option can be found on siriuscollegecareers.com by clicking here. Under 'Apprenticeships & Traineeships' ('Post School Options') on siriuscollegecareers.com, you can also find job pathways, and other related resources.

  

• Element 4: Higher Education Studies (H.E.S.) - An H.E.S. enables students to add a first year university subject to their normal Year 12 course, and are available to academically high achieving students on the Campus Principal’s recommendation.
  An H.E.S. is:
  - equivalent in content and assessment in every respect to one or more current first-year university studies and constitutes at least 20 to 25 per cent of a full-time first-year university course
  - of a level for a high-achieving student and commensurate in workload with an additional VCE study
  - of a level that will normally allow the student, on successful completion, to proceed to second-year study in that discipline at the Higher Education institution.
  An H.E.S. may count as a 10% increment (fifth or sixth study) in the ATAR, provided that it is passed (and VCAA conditions were met, regarding restrictions on certain combinations of subjects). The universities below currently offer H.E.S. programs that Sirius College students can consider applying to.

​   

More information on all these options is available by reading the VCE Handbook (click here) and is always available inside your SEQTA account under the 'Curriculum' menu. Any questions about these programs, please speak to your Career Development Practitioner/s.

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Career Development Daily News Fix: Monday Jul 26 (Posted: 26/07/2021)

'ASK THE PRACTITIONER' QUESTION SUBMISSION:

Next response post / eMail: Friday July 23

• Yrs 10-12: What’s the difference between a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Commerce? If you’re keen to study business at university, you might already be looking into your future degree. And you also might have run into this conundrum – should I study a Bachelor of Business or a Bachelor of Commerce? You might even be wondering, are these two degrees even different? Yes, there is a difference (we promise). Read on to find out more about the finer details on Business vs Commerce by clicking here (approx 3min)

• Yr12: CASPer Test | 2021-2022 Admissions - The CASPer test is an online situational judgement test. Like the UCAT, it is an extra step you need to take before being admitted to some university degrees - in Victoria, all undergraduate Teaching/Education, and some undergraduate Nursing courses require CASPer. When taking the test, you are given a series of hypothetical scenarios, and then must answer questions about how you would respond in those scenarios. You are asked what you would do, how you would do it, and why you would do it. The point of CASPer is to assess potential university applicants for not just academic ability, but important people skills such as communication, empathy, self-awareness, and motivation. If you need to undertake CASPer, you should learn more about what's coming, which you can do by clicking here. Note that there are CLEARLY marked deadlines for tests to be undertaken, in order to be counted for December round offers.

• Yrs 7-12: Yrs 7-12: Course and Career Chat podcast - Listen up as Kim Whitte, a passionate career development teacher, chats to current tertiary students and staff to find out everything you need to know about university and TAFE courses, the careers they can lead to and the transition from high school to further study. This is a Victorian podcast, so the information is relevant to you. There are currently episodes on the following career options:
  - Exercise Science & Physiotherapy
  - Communications (Journalism, Public Relations, Advertising and Media)
  - Biomed. Engineering & Medicine
  - Commerce & Teaching
  - Design
  - Psychological Studies
  - Property & Real Estate
  - Biomed. & Public Health
  - Criminology
  - Robotics & Mechatronics
  - Visual Arts
  - Science & Veterinary Medicine
  - TV & Film
  - Software Engineering
  - Arts & Law
  - Physiotherapy & Yoga
  - Geology & Scientific Research
  - Psychology & Behaviour Therapy
  To download/subscribe (there's more coming!), click here for Apple Podcasts or click here for Spotify.

• Yrs 7-12: 'Deliver for Dollars' p/t job opportunity - You can earn money delivering catalogues and pamphlets. Make Extra $$$ in your spare time to supplement your income, or for fitness, by becoming an enthusiastic and reliable independent contractor delivering to household letterboxes in your local neighbourhood. Every year, 'Deliver for Dollars' contract over 25,000 people just like you to deliver catalogues, leaflets, newspapers and other advertising material to letterboxes in almost every metropolitan, regional and country area nationally. Ms. Whitworth at KBC can attest to this opportunity! For more information, click here.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTED ON THE SIRIUSCOLLEGECAREERS.COM CALENDAR OF EVENTS - CLICK HERE

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Career Development 'Ask the Practitioner': Friday Jul 30 (Posted: 23/07/2021)

• From EMC Yr10: What is the pathway to become a surgeon (for heart, bones, anything)? What steps or what would you need to do to become a medical surgeon?
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: The road to becoming a surgeon goes through a similar path to becoming a doctor. The best way to see it is a flow chart & this one on this website is one of the best I have seen so far: https://thefootnotes.com.au/how-to-become-a-doctor/
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: The pathways to medicine are varied and all competitive. Direct entry to Medicine is only offered by Monash University. There are only about 230 places each year so they take the very best students, i.e. those with a very high ATAR (99.00+) plus good marks in the UMAT entrance exam and successful interview. In school you need to be doing very well in all your subjects but especially English, Chemistry and preferably Math Methods. The reason Math Methods is useful is if you decide to follow the Biomedicine route to medicine. This involves studying Biomedicine as an undergraduate degree and then going on to do Postgraduate Medicine - a longer route but popular. Postgraduate medicine is offered at the University of Melbourne, Monash University and Deakin University in Victoria. Of course, you can also apply interstate if you want to. Once you have finished your medical degree (5 years) you then go on to specialise in whatever medical field you wish to do. This can also take many years so you have to really love studying.
  • Response from Mr. Scott:Have a look at https://www.myhealthcareer.com.au/become-a-surgeon/. It's a very, very long path. The national industry body for surgeons of any specialisation is the Royal Australian College of Surgeons; might be worth also reaching out to them? https://www.surgeons.org/contact-us

• From EMC Yr10: Do we do VCAL at our school for the students who don't want to do VCE?
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: No. It is available in other schools, but only for a few more years. VCAL subjects will be relabelled as VCE subjects in coming years.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: VCAL is being integrated into the curriculum in the coming years so students will theoretically be able to do a VCAL subject or more as part of their VCE without having to go down the separate path of VCAL. It is going to be a good thing but details are yet to be revealed so keep researching & come in if you want to chat about it...
  • Response from Mr. Scott: No we don't. Further, VCAL is being phased out in the next few years, and major elements of it will be rolled into a bigger VCE, so there's no point now in any school starting VCAL next year either.

• From EMC Yr10: How do I write a resume for a part-time job?
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: You can look at other resumes online as examples. You can also show your resume to other adults and get feedback on how to improve it. Your campus has two Career Development Practitioners for you to get help from, so go and see them during recess or lunch about this. This website has some good tips too: https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/jobs-and-careers/applying-for-a-job
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: You are lucky because you have a careers toolbox full of resume wizards & e-potfolio tools in your student are of our www.siriuscollegecareers.com website. In fact, I think there are more than 1 resume choice in there, so check it out...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: As well as our website here are a few other tips: https://sellen.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Resume-and-Cover-letter-tips.pdf
  • Response from Mr. Scott: We've got all the resources you need for this inside the Student Secure Area of www.siriuscollegecareers.com. Literally a case of 'fill in the blanks'. Plus, plenty of information available on the 'Job hunting / Work Experience resources' page in that area as well, to explain everything you need to know.

• From EMC Yr10: How do I prepare for an interview if I am ever offered one?
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: Chat with your Career Development Practitioner about this. You can do a practice interview with them to help prepare. You can also watch a few Youtube videos on this topic to see what kinds of questions get asked and how you can answer. At the end of the day, the interview is a time for the interviewer to learn who you are. You're a complete stranger to them! You need to be able to give examples of your skills.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Before Your First Job Interview Research the company. Take some time to research the company, so you are familiar with how they operate. ... Learn about the job. ... Practice interviewing. ... Get references. ... Dress appropriately. ... Write a resume. ... Get directions and a ride to there EARLY & DON'T BE ON TIME because - to be EARLY is to be on time - to be ON TIME IS TO BE LATE & TO BE LATE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Try some of these tips: https://sellen.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Interview-skills-and-techniques.pdf
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Same answer as my previous question. Job preparation resources are on the same page.

• From MFC Yr10: Is it worth studying a degree in the field of aviation anymore?
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: The aviation and travel industry are definitely being challenged at this moment. That being said, airlines and aiports still exist. People working there may leave their jobs or retire, so they will need new workers. Deliveries are still happening by plane, so we still need airport managers, operations coordinators, logistics staff and more. Most people who study aviation combine it with business management so they have skills they could take to other industries as well.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Good question - Future of jobs is an important part of career development - Login to your student account at siriuscollegecareers.com & click on 'post school options' tab and JOB OUTLOOK option where you can find more information about this...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Aviation in Australia is not just limited to airlines for moving people around. A lot of freight is delivered by air and we have a lot of need for smaller aircraft in remote areas for medical, farming and tourism needs. If it is a a passion of yours to learn to fly you can do this privately at small airports such as Lilydale and Moorabbin and there are a couple of Universities that offer Aviation, e.g. RMIT and Swinburne. If you are interested in planes and want to train in servicing and operational roles these could be alternative career options to actually flying. Another option would be to take a GAP year with the Air Force - they offer one-year programs for school-leavers without requiring them to commit to a career in the Air Force.
  • Response from Mr. Scott:There is 'natural attrition' of pilots (age, job change etc.) like in any field, but clearly the job openings for being a pilot have taken a hit thanks to the pandemic. Saying that, Ms. Yucel & Ms. Whitworth have raised good points about associated career options at airports & working in aviation freight & logistics.

• From Yr9 (campus not stated): Is there any quick way to find out what job you are suited to? ​​​​​​​
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: Not particularly. It's like trying to figure out what flavour ice-cream you'd like if you've never had ice-cream before. The best way people learn is through experience. Getting a part-time job or volunteering is a good way to figure out what you like to do. That being said, all Year 9 students undertake Morrisby Online in Term 4, and once you complete it, you're given a list of jobs which might suit you.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: You are not the 1st person to be stuck for answers and the science of 'Career Development' has some answers in the shape of fun Quizzes and questionnaires. Go onto our website siriuscollegecareers.com & do the fun careers quizzes in the student section as these and similar quizzes will begin your process of identifying the particular special blend of your mind that makes you special at some things compared to others. This is a good start to any career journey...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Great question to have in Year 9! We will be offering you the opportunity to take part in the Morrisby Profile in Term 4 which assesses your strengths in a series of quizzes. The results give you a list of 12 possible careers matched to your strengths for you to explore. Of course your strengths may change over time and so there is the chance to retake the assessment any time you like in the future to help you make big decisions like choosing subjects for VCE or university courses.

• From IDC Yr7: How can the kids recognise their strengths and weaknesses in their interest for career choice? ​​​​​​​
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: There are three ways to understand strengths and weaknesses: reflection, discussion and experience. The more experience a student gains, the most they will see what they are capable of doing and what they need to work on to improve. Experience doesn't need to be paid work. A student can join a local soccer club, help a parent create a shopping list, take care of siblings, chat with neighbours, plan a family holiday, join a student film competition, or volunteer at the local cultural centre or religious centre on special days. After doing this, students can sit with a parents or alone and list all the things they did and which ones they enjoyed, did better in, want to improve or prefer not to do again.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: You are not the 1st person to be stuck for answers and the science of 'Career Development' has some answers in the shape of fun Quizzes and questionnaires. Go onto our website siriuscollegecareers.com & do the fun careers quizzes in the student section as these and similar quizzes will begin your process of identifying the particular special blend of your mind that makes you special at some things compared to others. This is a good start to any career journey...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: I would encourage Year 7 students to be curious about what they like and enjoy, be it sport, a hobby, an interest of any sort. Why do they enjoy this interest, what skills does the interest require, do they like doing this alone or with others? Do they enjoy being outside or inside? Knowing what you like is the first step to knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Try looking for opportunities to address potential weaknesses, such as communication. This is a key life skill and can be strengthened by volunteering for example. I would also encourage students of this age to try things out to find out what they are good at. They can then build on this with exploration of different careers that match their strengths. In Year 9 students get the opportunity to do the Morrisby Profile which is an extensive career tool that assesses their strengths in readiness for choosing their future pathways.

• From Yr12 (campus not stated): What are different pathways I can take to become a clinical psychologist? Which one is the preferred/fastest pathway?
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: A minimum six-year sequence of education and training in psychology is required to practice as a Psychologist in Australia. To gain endorsement to work as a Clinical Psychologist, six years of study plus two years of supervised practice is required. https://www.seek.com.au/career-advice/role/clinical-psychologist
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Whatever is the "preferred/fastest" way is up to you; that's a choice everyone has to make for themselves. In terms of the pathways, go to https://www.psychology.org.au/Training-and-careers/Careers-and-studying-psychology/studying-psychology/Study-pathways for information on this.

• From EMC Yr9: What subjects would I have to take to enter into the criminology field, in areas like forensics? ​​​​​​​
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: Most criminology courses only require English. However, it depends on the kind of forensic work you wish to do. Some doctors work in forensics. I highly recommend science subjects like chemistry, biology, health, legal studies, psychology and physical education. That being said, it may be a competitive field and forensic work in real life does not look like the forensic work you see in films and movies.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: you can do research via https://delta.vtac.edu.au/CourseSearch/prerequisiteplanner.htm and put in the year and your whole VCE subjects or a single subject & it will list all the courses that has that subject as a prerequisite but - the year you're going to uni is 2025 & those courses are not on there yet - 2025 should be THERE later NEXT year... Also see https://www.gooduniversitiesguide.com.au/careers-guide/criminologist

• From Yr9 (campus not stated): what are the best ways to decide between multiple career paths that one is interested in? (sic)
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: Talk with people who know you about this. They could provide some advice. You can also speak with a Career Development Practitioner. That's why we're here! It also helps to talk with people in the careers you're interested in. Getting more information can help you make better decisions. In Term 4, all Year 9 students will undertake Morrisby Online, which helps with some career thinking as well.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: There is a compare careers tool in your student section via 'siriuscollegecareers.com'
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Click here (pg1) & click here (pg2) for a easy-to-understand flyer, responding to this exact question. On top of this, Work Experience (when we're allowed to again). Attend career expos. Talk to people who are working in the career options you're considering. Lean in towards career options related to the school subjects you're interested in. Undertake career quizes available on our website - as well as take Morrisby Online seriously when we provide it to you later this year. And most importantly, don't leave it until Yr12!

'Ask the Practitioner' question submission:

Next response post / eMail: Friday July 30

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Career Development Daily News Fix: Thursday Jul 22 (Posted: 22/07/2021)

'ASK THE PRACTITIONER' QUESTION SUBMISSION:

Next response post / eMail: Friday July 23

• Yr12: Uni Early Entry Programs - You want a conditional early offer made to you before even reaching the exams? Of course you do - quite frankly, why wouldn't you!? Even if it's to use simply for 'insurance', to know that the pressure on exams is lowered for you is a smart move. To help with this, we're providing a document with a brief overview of a number university early entry programs. Not all unis run them, but if you're considering ACU, Bond, La Trobe, RMIT, Swinburne or UTas, this flyer will be of use. To download your copy, click here.

• Yr10: 'How to select senior school subjects' - Some more advice on how to select your senior school subjects as effectively as possible, this time from the national 'MyFuture' website. "Selecting subjects for your senior school years is an exciting, but sometimes daunting, task. However, you can make this decision easier by completing these three steps: Collect information to help you evaluate choices, work with teacher recommendations and achievement requirements, and consider prerequisites." To read more (about 4-5min read), click here.

• Yr12: Scholarship opportunities - 2 scholarship opportunities have been sent to us, to share with you:
  • Hume Multiversity Tertiary Scholarship Program - The Hume Multiversity Tertiary Scholarship Program was established as a part of Council’s COVID-19 recovery package in response to the impacts that COVID-19 has had on employment. The scholarship program aims to reduce barriers for Hume residents to undertake study in industries which have high prospects for future employment. This program will provide one-year scholarships to 70 eligible Hume residents to commence a new a tertiary qualification (Certificate III and above) with one of Hume Council’s participating Multiversity partners (La Trobe, VU, Melb Polytechnic or Kangan). For more information, click here.
  • AIQS (Aust. Institute of Quantity Surveyors) offers a number of scholarships each year for Year 12 students who qualify for entry into a Quantity Surveying, Construction Economics, Construction Management (Economics) or other appropriate course. Of the scholarships offered, at least one Equity Scholarship will be awarded to a student experiencing educational disadvantages. AIQS offer a limited number of scholarships for year 12 students who qualify for entry into an AIQS accredited course in Australia. For more information, click here.

• Yrs 7-12: Ask the Practitioner questions for tomorrow: Here's the 10 questions we're responding to in tomorrow's A.T.P. eMail/post; questions coming stutents across all of Yrs 7-12:
  • What is the pathway to become a surgeon (for heart, bones, anything)? What steps or what would you need to do to become a medical surgeon?
  • Do we do VCAL at our school for the students who don't want to do VCE?
  • How do I write a resume for a part-time job?
  • How do I prepare for an interview if I am ever offered one?
  • Is it worth studying a degree in the field of aviation anymore?
  • Is there any quick way to find out what job you are suited to?
  • How can the kids recognise their strengths and weaknesses in their interest for career choice?
  • What are different pathways I can take to become a clinical psychologist? Which one is the preferred/fastest pathway?
  • What subjects would I have to take to enter into the criminology field, in areas like forensics?
  • What are the best ways to decide between multiple career paths that one is interested in?

• Yrs 10-12: Information Technology Degrees in Victoria in 2021 - Computer Science courses on Monday; Information Technology today. Several Victorian universities offer a broad range of IT bachelor degrees and below is a list of many of these courses. For a comprehensive list of courses (including the many double-degree options) on offer at both TAFEs and universities, visit VTAC.

  INSTITUTION	VCE PREREQUISITES 2021	MAJOR STUDIES IN 2021
  CQU	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in any English. 2021 ATAR: n/a	Application Development, Business Analysis, Network Security.
  DEAKIN	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL. 2021 ATAR: 60.30 (M) 60.15 (G)	Animation (games), Application development, Cloud computing, Computer and network security, Computer networks, Computer programming, Creative technologies, Cyber security, Databases, Distributed systems and applications, Game programming, Games development, Information technology, Networking, Object-oriented design, Object-oriented programming, Operating systems, Programming, Project management, Security and management, Software development, Systems and networks, Virtual and augmented reality, Web applications programming, Web design.
  FEDERATION	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 20 in any English. 2021 ATAR: 56.50 (Be), n/a (Gi), n/a (Ba)	Big Data & Analytics, Business Information Systems, Cloud & Enterprise Computing, Games Development, Mobile App Development, Networking and Security, Software Development.
  LA TROBE	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL. 2021 ATAR: 55.25 (M) n/a (Be)	Big data, Computer applications, Computer networks, Database systems, Information Technology, Information systems, Information systems management, Multimedia authoring, Object-oriented development, Project management, Software development, Software engineering, Systems and software engineering, Systems design and development, Web applications programming, Website development.
  MONASH	Units 1 and 2: satisfactory completion in two units (any study combination) of Maths: General Mathematics, Maths: Mathematical Methods or Maths: Specialist Mathematics or Units 3 and 4: any Mathematics; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 27 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL. 2021 ATAR: 80.30 (Cl)	Business information systems, Computer networks and security, Computer programming, Computer science (minor), Computing, Cybersecurity (minor), Data science (minor), Games design (minor), Games development, IT for business (minor), Information management, Information technology, Interactive media, Mobile apps development (minor), Software development, Software engineering (minor), Web development (minor).
  RMIT	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 20 in any Mathematics. 2021 ATAR: 65.05 (C)	Agile software development & Dev Ops, Business IT, Data networks, Database administration, Databases, Graphics, Information technology, Internet technology, Mobile programming, Networks and data communications, Object-oriented modelling, Object-oriented programming, Problem solving, Professional practice, Programming, Programming (.Net, Java, PHP, Python), Project Management, Security, System administration.
  SWINBURNE	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English other than EAL or at least 30 in English (EAL). 2021 ATAR: 56.10 (H)	Business systems, Network technology, Software technology, Systems analysis, Systems management.
  VICTORIA	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 20 in any Mathematics. 2021 ATAR: n/a (FP)	Network and system computing, Web and mobile application development.

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Career Development Daily News Fix: Monday Jul 19 (Posted: 19/07/2021)

'ASK THE PRACTITIONER' QUESTION SUBMISSION:

Next response post / eMail: Friday July 23

• 15yrs and above: Tax and Young People - It’s not the most fun subject to talk about, but it’s an important one – tax. If you’ve got yourself a part-time or casual job, or you're wanting one in the near future, chances are you’ll need to know about tax. But what even is tax? And do you need to pay tax, and if so how? To answer these questions, as well as learning how to lodge a tax return (which, if you earn tax, you need to!) click here for a very easy to understand overview on tax for school students. There's more information as well - always - on the siriuscollegecareers.com website; see image below for where to look.

• Yrs 10-12: New Bachelor of Animation and Visual Effects at VU - Students interested in 2D & 3D animation, screen culture, film and media production, might like to consider VU’s new Bachelor of Animation and Visual Effects which will prepare you with the skills required to succeed as a critically-informed media professional. According to Job Outlook, careers in Illustration and Animation is expected to grow strongly across the next 5 years, with 72% of people working in the field employed full-time.  VU’s unique course structure allows for collaboration with Screen and Media bachelor students, providing real-work environments on various productions, including client projects. These collaborations are reflective of industry practice and along with placements, prepare graduates for work, giving them greater opportunity for employment within the media industry, both in Australia and internationally. Read more about the course structure and admission criteria for this course by clicking here.

• Yr10: Important subjects for university study - To help with your selection process for senior school in 2022/2023, we are providing a quick 2-page overview of the most important VCE subjects you need to consider for a wide range of post-school university course options, as well as the universities that are currently offering courses in a range of specific areas. This document is a snapshot, and you are strongly urged to double-check this information against your own research, which should include looking at the full prerequisite list, found on the VTAC Yr10 Guide page. To access this 2pg overview document, click here. Remember, our VCE & Senior School Information webinar for parents & students is tonight at 7pm; the Zoom link has been sent via eMail & SEQTA.

• Yrs 10-12: Computer Science Degrees in Victoria in 2021 - Several Victorian universities offer Computer Science degrees and below is a list of many of these courses. For a comprehensive list of all courses (including the many double-degree options) on offer at both TAFEs and universities, visit VTAC.

  INSTITUTION	VCE PREREQUISITES	MAJOR STUDIES IN 2021
  DEAKIN M – Melbourne Campus	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL. 2021 ATAR: 63.65 (M)	Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Computer science, Computer software, Computing systems, Computing systems integration, Cyber-physical computing, Data and information management, Data mining and machine learning, Data science, Embedded computing, Programming, Project management, Robotics, Sensors and data, Software design and development, System prototyping.
  LA TROBE M – Melbourne Campus	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 20 in one of Maths: Mathematical Methods or Maths: Specialist Mathematics. 2021 ATAR: 61.85 (M)	Algorithms and data structures, Artificial intelligence, Big data, Computer Science, Computer architecture, Computer programming, Database programming, Databases, Industrial collaboration and experience, Network security, Networks, Operating systems, Software engineering, Wireless technologies.
  MONASH Cl – Clayton Campus	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 27 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in one of Maths: Mathematical Methods or Maths: Specialist Mathematics. 2021 ATAR: 84.20 (Cl)	Algorithms and data structures, Computational science, Computer graphics, Computer programming, Computer science, Computing, Data science, Databases, Distributed systems and applications, Information and communication technology, Information technology, Programming, Software development, Systems development.
  RMIT C – City Campus	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in one of Maths: Mathematical Methods or Maths: Specialist Mathematics. 2021 ATAR: 80.05 (C)	Algorithms and data structures, Artificial intelligence, Big Data, Cloud computing, Computer and network security, Databases, Enterprise systems, Internet, Networks and data communications, Operating systems, Problem solving, Programming, Programming (.NET), Programming (C++), Programming (Java), Security, Software engineering, User-centred design.
  SWINBURNE H – Hawthorn Campus ** Professional degree	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL; Units 1 to 4: satisfactory completion in two units (any study combination) of any Mathematics. 2021 ATAR: 60.75 (H) 2021 ATAR: 71.10 (H) **	Cybersecurity, Data science, Games development, Internet of Things, Network design, Software design, Software development.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTED ON THE SIRIUSCOLLEGECAREERS.COM CALENDAR OF EVENTS - CLICK HERE

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Career Development 'Ask the Practitioner': Friday Jul 16 (Posted: 16/07/2021)

Because of the amount of questions that have been submitted, we will be answering 10 questions per week until further notice.

• From Yr12 (campus not stated): Does the science approved list for uni course prereqs include psychology? (sic)
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: Usually. If it says "any science", this includes psychology. If it specifies which sciences (eg, biology or chemistry or physics), then you have to do the specified classes.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: You can do research via https://delta.vtac.edu.au/CourseSearch/prerequisiteplanner.htm and put in a single subject & it will list all the courses that has Psychology as a prerequisite...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Psychology is a science but never assume - always do your research and check with the university offering the course.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: "Science approved list?" Not sure what you mean by this. If you're looking to confirm if any Science degrees require Psychology as a prereq, given you're in Yr12 go to https://www.vtac.edu.au/files/pdf/publications/prerequisites-2022.pdf

• From Yr10 (campus not stated): How can we start networking from highschool? and what if you dont have a job? (sic)
  • Response from Ms. Yucel: Networking is another way of saying "getting to know people", and you don't need a job for that. Networking always starts at home. Start by learning from your parents, siblings, relatives, then branching our to your classmates, neighbours, teachers and family friends. Volunteering or attending community events is a good way to branch out beyond your closest networks. Get to know people. The more time you spend with them, the more you learn about what they studied, the jobs they've had, where they currently work, how they developed their skills, what opportunities they made good use etc.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Check out seek.com & also ring up local organisations like sporting teams etc & join in - there is a reason why almost all American presidents play Golf - lot of world changing decisions were taken on the golf course apparently ;-)
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Check out this article from National Careers Week: https://careersweek.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/2310_FS_Network_Yr_Way.V2.pdf

• From EMC Yr8: how do i write a resume? (sic)​​​​​​​
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Go to siriuscollegecareers.com & login to your free student account & use the best resume wizard there...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: As well as our own website, try this one: https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/jobs-and-careers/applying-for-a-job/sample-resumes-and-cover-letters and some further tips here: https://sellen.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Resume-and-Cover-letter-tips.pdf
  • Response from Mr. Scott: There's plenty of resources to answer this question inside your Student Secure Area on siriuscollegecareers.com. If you've never accessed it before, your username is your school eMail address (YourSEQTAnumber@sc.vic.edu.au) and your password is password1234. Look down the bottom of the list on the left for 'Job hunting/Work Experience resources' & go from there.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• From EMC Yr8: how do i find a part time job? (sic) ​​​​​​​
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: One of the easiest ways to find work is to ask around. Get your parents and friends on board to ask around for you as well. There may be limited jobs available to those under 15. However, you might start asking around this year and find work next year, so don't give up.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Lots of jobs are found via people we know so let people know you are looking and a lot of them are online like seek.com. For your rights & laws you need to check out: https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/jobs-and-careers/your-rights-at-work/employment-rights-for-under-15s.
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Looking for your first part-time job can seem daunting but you can start by offering your time for free by volunteering. Think about what you can offer people: maybe you can walk someone's dog, or help a younger person with their homework, babysitting. Tell the people you know you are looking for work opportunities - lots of first jobs are through people you know. Paid jobs at Year 8 are limited - delivering junk mail is one such job. If you are not ready to do a job, try gaining a skill that will lead to a job, e.g. cooking and food preparation,or keyboard skills - both of these can lead to part time work.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Three ways to find part-time work: 'Networking' (asking who you know if they know of any opportunities), 'Cold Calling' (dropping your resume off to as many potential employers as possible), and 'Research' (looking in the front window of stories at your local shopping entre, using employment websites of large companies, checking our job ad pages like Seek & Indeed). Cold Calling is not as useful as the other 2 ways. Most companies will start looking when you're 15.

• From Yr8 (campus not stated): how does the elective "duke of edinburgh" help you especially in the future? (sic)
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: DofE Award also looks good on your CV and can be useful when applying for educational courses and jobs. Some Employers may not care if someone has done the DofE: BUT they care if someone has a skill that is transferrable to the job in hand, and if that skill was something a person learned achieving the DofE - Transferable skills are exactly what they sound like: the skills that you use in every job, no matter the title or the field. Some transferable skills are “hard,” like coding or data analysis, and some are “soft,” skills like communication and relationship building. check out; https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/transferable-skills/
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: The DofE is a great opportunity to stretch yourself outside of academic studies. It can take you out of your comfort zone by learning something new, planning an expedition, etc. The skills you gain by doing this program help you communicate and give you something to talk about at an interview. Completing the DofE looks great on your resume too!
  • Response from Mr. Scott: It's not about 'academics' or 'numbers' where the DofE can help you. It's about life skills. As a non-formal education framework, the DofE award can play a vital role in providing opportunities for you in developing essential life skills, increasing your employability and fostering your creativity and innovation. To read more, go to https://dukeofed.com.au/about-the-award/award-benefits/employability/award-holders/

• From EMC Yr9: What careers can I possibly look into if I enjoy Biology and Criminology? ​​​​​​​
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: Criminology jobs could potentially lead to jobs in youth work, policing, cybersecurity and prisons and corrective services. As for Biology, I recommend you check out this webpage for more suggestions: https://www.siriuscollegecareers.com/career-targets/3
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: If you have a biology qualification (at University level) this would be useful for a career in the Police Force - especially if you are interested in Criminology. While Forensics work can be quite monotonous (television shows over-glamorise this work) there are other jobs in this area linked to policing.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Biology, Ms. Yucel has stated a great starting point. Criminology, click here to access a document we've created answering this exact question: where do Criminology graduates go with their qualification?

• From EMC Yr10: Would it be best suited to choose VCE subjects for next year that may help with studies after graduation or does it not matter? ​​​​​​​
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: It helps to pick subjects that align with what you're considering doing in the future. For example, if you're thinking about a career in health, then taking biologyand chemistry makes sense. If you're unsure about future careers, as many Year 10 students are, go with subjects that you're capable of doing well in and subjects that you enjoy. Bear in mind that some subjects are prerequisites, meaning you should undertake them in high school. For example, most engineering courses require that you do Maths Methods. Many science courses may require one or two science subjects in high school. Talking with a Career Development Practitioner could help you work out your options.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: you can do research via https://delta.vtac.edu.au/CourseSearch/prerequisiteplanner.htm and put in the year and your whole VCE subjects or a single subject & it will list all the courses that has that subject as a prerequisite. Make sure you pick 2024.
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Choose subjects that you enjoy and that you are good at. If there is a particular pre-requisite needed for a university course you are interested in then you should consider this too. More importantly, do not choose subjects purely on the fact that they are scaled higher, or that you are coerced into studying. You will always do well in those subjects you enjoy.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: You'll need to pick subjects that open up courses in 2024 - look under 'Senior School' on our website for the Yr10 VTAC resources, as that list is now available for you. These subjects should naturally be ones you enjoy/do well in anyway, because you'd be wanting to enjoy/do well in your post-school studies if that's what you choose to do.

• From EMC Yr10: Are we required to choose VCE subjects that are related to what you might want to do after year 12 or does it not have any effect in after-graduate studies? ​​​​​​​
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: Some subjects are prerequisites, meaning you should undertake them in high school, if you want to study further in university. For example, most university engineering courses require that you do Maths Methods. Many science courses may require one or two science subjects in high school. Talking with a Career Development Practitioner could help you work out your options.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: Same answer as previous question.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: You need to know what prerequisites are needed for specific degrees in 2024 (given you're in Yr10). Fortunately, you get that heads-up via https://www.vtac.edu.au/files/pdf/publications/prerequisites_for_2024.pdf If you don't do the subjects you need to do as a prereq., you're not getting in irrespective what your ATAR is.

• From KBC Yr9: What age can we start working and what are the choices for jobs? ​​​​​​​
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: You can start working as young as 11 (or even younger if your family runs their own business). Most young people aim for hospitality and retails roles, meaning jobs in shops like bakeries, toy stores, grocery stores and clothing stores. However, they may be other jobs out there that you can apply for. Tell everyone you know that you're looking for work. Someone may be able to assist you or let you know if an opportunity comes up.
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: You can start work as young as 11 years old. My own two children (one of whom is 12) deliver junk mail. You can work for your family if they have a business (they may or may not pay you but it's still work). Most part time jobs for young people are in the hospitality industry (fast food, cafes, food prep, etc.). Other jobs include working in supermarkets and other retail outlets. Let everyone you know you are looking for a part-time job - many first jobs are found through your networks.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: Go to https://www.youthcentral.vic.gov.au/jobs-and-careers/your-rights-at-work/employment-rights-for-under-15s for more information on this. Technically 11yrs old, but essentially more options become available at 15yrs.

• From KBC Yr7: Hi, Hope your having a good holidays! From what grade do my school grades start to matter so I can get a good job or get in to a good uni? Thank you:) ​​​​​​​(sic)
  • ​​​​​​​Response from Ms. Yucel: Imagine they didn't matter. What would be your purpose for coming to school? You come to school to learn. If you focus on being able to learn and understand what you're learning, you'll achieve good outcomes. Those who find a purpose for learning tend to do well. Also, learning is incremental. If you slack off in Years 7-10 and think you can just start focusing in Year 11, you would have lost out on a lot of foundational knowledge. Not only that, but you BUILD good habits every day. Focus on building those good habits from now as they will help you achieve better grades. It's easier to build good habits if you start now.
  • Response from Mr. Mithat: If you think of your career as a house you are trying to build - every day is 1 brick and it all counts because, imagine a house built of wonky & crooked bricks - get every brick right as the earlier bricks carry the later ones. So, try and do your best every day. I figured out that it was not that hard because our education system makes it easy - bell rings & you go to class and for those 45 minutes - do that subject - pay attention and just learn that day about that subject and then do the next and then do recess & lunch & home time. But if you get it mixed up and behave like it's recess & play in class - then you create an imbalance & we try and correct that imbalance by taking away your lunchtime by way of detention etc. hoping that you will learn and correct yourself - & you can see those in class that don't get this and play around so imagine what their future is going to be like. So, the ideal is that you just get every brick right and your future career will not be wonky and hopefully stand up strong to the storms of life...
  • Response from Ms. Whitworth: Your grades and your mindset matter all the way through school. Everyone has strengths and these will become apparent as you progress through school but you should always strive to do your best. It's no good saying, "I'll start trying harder in Year 9 or Year 10". If you haven't been working in Years 7 and 8, then Year 9 will be really hard, as will Year 10 and beyond. The harder you work the better your grades, and the better your grades, the more choices you have.
  • Response from Mr. Scott: They matter all the way through. They should be telling you where your strengths & interests lie, where you can put in extra effort to raise your grades, and from a career building perspective, what possible areas you could consider a career in: you're obviously going to naturally consider careers based on where you're doing well!

'Ask the Practitioner' question submission:

Next response post / eMail: Friday July 23

More opportunities are listed on the siriuscollegecareers.com Calendar of Events - click here

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Career Development Daily News Fix: Wednesday July 14 (Posted: 14/07/2021)

'ASK THE PRACTITIONER' QUESTION SUBMISSION:

Next response post / eMail: Friday July 16

• Yr10: VTAC Yr10 Guide & Prerequisites for 2024 - The list of VCE subject prerequisites for 2024 courses (ie. Current Yr10 students) is now available on the VTAC Yr10 Guide webpage. This list MUST be used in association with all other course research when deciding upon the VCE subjects you wish to undertake in 2022/2023. Without picking the right subjects, you're simply not getting into the course you want to get into, regardless what your ATAR is. This list can be found on the Yr10 Guide page, which is CRITICAL TO READ BEFORE selecting your subjects - VTAC are telling you what you need to think about, and they should know: you're going to apply to them in 2023! To access both the Yr10 Guide & the 2024 Prereq. list, click here.

 

• Yrs 10-12: Updates from Federation University - Federation University has campuses at Berwick, Gippsland, Horsham and Ballarat and offers vocational and higher education courses. The following are two updates for prospective students:
  - Performing Arts:
      - Students applying for the Bachelor of Performing Arts are inviting to participate in an online audition Q & A workshop. You will receive information on preparing for the audition. You can register by clicking here.
  - New courses starting in 2022
      - Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours)
      - Bachelor of Sustainable Food Systems
      - Bachelor of Cognitive Enterprise
      - Bachelor of Nursing/Bachelor of Midwifery
      - Bachelor of Criminal Justice Management
  You can explore all of these courses by clicking here.

• Yrs 9-12: 22 Careers in Pharmacy helping Change the World - Any place there are medicines, there are pharmacists. This means that the pool of opportunities for pharmacy graduates is large and diverse. Monash University recently published a very useful booklet outlining twenty-two pharmacy careers:

  Community Pharmacy	Hospital Pharmacy	Consultant Pharmacy
  Primary care pharmacist	Researcher / Academic	Pharmaceutical Industry / Clinical Trials
  Locum Pharmacist	Aged Care	Government and nongovernmental organisations
  Complex Care Coordinator	Drug Safety Officer	Entrepreneur
  Regulatory Affairs Associate	Management and Mentorship	Politics
  Military Pharmacist	Mental Health Pharmacist	Women’s and Newborns’ Pharmacist
  Drug Information Specialist	Emergency and Acute Medicine Pharmacist	Antimicrobial Stewardship
  	Pain Educator, Program Director or Consultant

  
  To access the booklet and find out more details about these roles, click here.

• Yrs 10-12: Graphic, Interior & Visual Design Degrees on offer in Victoria in 2021 - Many of the courses below require more than just an ATAR to be considered for admission, and students interested will need to confirm all selection criteria before placing these courses into their preference list. For a full list of all graphic/interior/visual design degrees available in Victoria, check out VTAC.

  UNIVERSITY	VCE PREREQUISITE SUBJECTS IN 2021	SELECTION & ATAR FOR 2021
  ACU M – Melbourne	Creative Arts (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL.)	58.80 (M) Selection: ATAR
  	Visual Arts and Design (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL).  Studies in one of Art, Studio Arts or Visual Communication Design is recommended.	59.85 (M) Selection: ATAR
  DEAKIN GW – Geelong Waterfront M – Melbourne	Visual Arts (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL)	Range of Criteria (GW) and (M) Selection: Folio & Statement, and ATAR
  	Visual Communication (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL)	Range of Criteria (GW) and (M) Selection: Online Folio, and ATAR
  FEDERATION B - Ballarat	Visual Arts (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 20 in any English)	Range of Criteria (B) Selection: Supplementary Form, Folio & Folio Presentation Interview
  LA TROBE B – Bendigo	Creative Arts (Visual Arts) (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL)	60.90 (B) Selection: ATAR
  MONASH C – Caulfield	Design (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 27 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL)	72.25 (C) Selection: ATAR
  	Fine Arts (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 27 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL)	Range of Criteria (C) Selection: ATAR, Supplementary form, Folio & Folio Presentation
  RMIT C – City C/B – City/Brunswick	Communication Design (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL)	Range of Criteria (C) Selection: Communication Design Selection Task, and ATAR
  	Fine Arts (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL)	Range of Criteria (C) Selection: Fine Arts Selection Task, Folio Presentation, and ATAR
  	Graphic Design Associate Degree (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL.)	Range of Criteria (C) Selection: Graphic Design Selection Task, Folio Presentation, and ATAR
  	Industrial Design (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL)	Minimum ATAR of 54.00 (C/B) Selection: ATAR and Industrial Design Selection Task
  	Interior Decoration & Design Associate Degree (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in English (EAL) or at least 20 in English other than EAL.	Range of Criteria (C) Selection: Interior Decoration and Design Selection Task and ATAR
  	Interior Design (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL)	Range of Criteria (C) Selection: Interior Design Selection Task, Folio Presentation, and ATAR
  SWINBURNE H – Hawthorn	Communication Design (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 20 in one of Art, Product Design And Technology, Media, Creative And Digital Media (VCE VET) I, Studio Arts or Visual Communication Design)	86.00 (H) Selection: ATAR
  	Design (prerequisites same as for Communication Design)	60.45 (H) Selection: ATAR
  	Industrial Design (prerequisites same as for Communication Design)	70.10 (H) Selection: ATAR
  UNI MELBOURNE  P – Parkville VCA - Southbank	Design (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL.) * For major in Digital technologies or Graphic design	85.05 (P) Selection: ATAR
  	Fine Arts (Visual Art) at the VCA (Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL.)	Range of Criteria (VCA) Selection: Fine Arts Supplementary Form, Folio & Folio presentation, Interview, and ATAR

MORE OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTED ON THE SIRIUSCOLLEGECAREERS.COM CALENDAR OF EVENTS - CLICK HERE

Career Development Daily News Fix: Tuesday July 13 (Posted: 13/07/2021)

'ASK THE PRACTITIONER' QUESTION SUBMISSION:

• Yrs 9-12: Open Day season is nearly here! And this year, universities are returning to 'normal'...well, some of them anyway. There's a mixture of both face-to-face and virtual Open Days coming in late July/August, so you'll still be able to access the uni/s you're interested in, even if you can't make it physically onto campus. Open Days are the single BEST way to see what any/all potential universities you're considering have available for your future. We can't recommend strongly enough that you go to as many as you can, especially if you're in Years 10 & 12! To help with this, click below for a number of resources to help with planning your Open Day schedule:
  • Open Day guide - Every Open Day in Australia, with links to their webpages for more information: Click here to download.
  • Open Day page on siriuscollegecareers.com: Click here.
  • 'The A-Z of Open Day': Click here.

• Yrs 11 & 12: ACU VCE Revision Webinars - Gain the support you need to succeed during your final exams in English, Maths Methods, Business Management, H&HD, and Legal Studies, with this range of free revision webinars occurring in late August from ACU. Check out the webinars and register now by clicking here.

• Yrs 9-12: How to become a Public Relations Officer - Build relationships with the public. Public Relations Officers use their communication skills to build relationships between businesses and organisations and the public. They implement marketing strategies that help people understand what businesses and organisations do and sell, and help maintain a business or organisation’s good reputation. If you’re a skilled communicator, confident with public speaking, and want a job that can take you almost anywhere in the world, becoming a Public Relations Officer could be perfect for you. To learn more about this career option, click here.

• Yrs 7-12: Win a PAX VIP Experience for 2 - PAX AUS is returning to Melbourne. Billy Blue College of Design at Torrens University Australia has partnered with META High School Esports to create the ultimate PAX VIP Experience for you and a friend. You can win 2x PAX three-day passes, two nights’ twin accommodation with breakfast in Melbourne CBD, and a 1:1 online session with a Professional League of Legends player or Professional Streamer from the Legacy Esports stable. For more information and to enter, click here.

• Yrs 7-12: Ask the Practitioner update - WOW. The message sent by Mr. Scott on SEQTA at the end of the holidays seemed to strike a chord with many of you! What was 30ish questions yet to be answered, is now close to 100!!! We're going to try & figure out how to answer all of them as soon as we can, but we have to ask for your patience so we can get to all of them. Keep an eye on the Daily News Fix / News Feed every day, as we may end up answering a few each day, or maybe have a longer list of questions on Friday; we're still deciding what works best.

MORE OPPORTUNITIES ARE LISTED ON THE SIRIUSCOLLEGECAREERS.COM CALENDAR OF EVENTS - CLICK HERE