Where do I get information about jobs I'm interested in?

An important part of the career decision-making process is investigating the jobs you are currently interested in. There are many sources of career information available. The following are some ideas to get you started.

Read about jobs: The following websites have information on hundreds of jobs.

• myfuture Occupations – http://myfuture.edu.au/ (students will need to ‘sign up’ when they first visit the myfuture website).
• Job Outlook (use the alphabetical search) – http://joboutlook.gov.au/alpha.aspx.
• Bullseye Posters on the myfuture website – http://myfuture.edu.au/bullseyes.
• Career Quest – http://www.careers.govt.nz/tools/.
• Career Interest Explorer (jobs that require VET qualifications) – http://www.aapathways.com.au/Search/Career-Interest-Explorer.
• Ace Day Jobs – http://www.abc.net.au/acedayjobs/cooljobs/.

Talk to people: People already in jobs are a great source of information.

• Your parents and relatives can tell you about jobs they have had. Also, as they know you better than most other people, they may be able to help you choose an occupation that suits you.
• Develop your own information ‘network’: family friends, neighbours, sports coaches, friends’ parents and people you work with. These people all have knowledge about work and are generally happy to share information with you.
• People who currently do the job can help. Don’t be too shy to approach these people even if you don’t know them – most don’t mind talking about their own work as long as you are polite, show interest in their work, come prepared with questions and don’t take up too much of their time.
• Employers can often give you a full picture of how the job you are interested in fits into their organisation as a whole. Ask them about educational requirements, employment opportunities and conditions of work but remember that these aspects may vary among employers.
• Course providers can tell you about the occupations their courses prepare you for. They can also give you information about the courses.

Go and see: Many events are held throughout the year to help you gather information.

• Visit career markets and expos such as the Sunshine Coast Daily Careers Expo on Tuesday 19^th July – http://www.careersevent.com/sunshinecoast/.
• The Tertiary Study Expo (TSXPO) in Brisbane on 16^th and 17^th July provides opportunities to find out about courses that can help you get into the job you want – http://www.careersevent.com/tsxpo/.
• Attend university and college open days. University open days usually occur in July and August each year while private college open days occur throughout the year. Take a generic list of questions to the open days so you can compare similar information while still asking institution specific questions.
• Work observation or work shadowing – follow a worker around for a day.

Experience: The best way to check out a job is to try it.

• This may be possible through work experience or by holiday or part-time jobs.
• Undertaking a vocational education course while you are at school is another way of experiencing the tasks and skills required in a specific occupation or industry you are interested in.

‘The Job I Love’ website:

• This website focuses on jobs in 12 different service industries including business, fitness, community pharmacy, retail, hairdressing, beauty, community recreation, outdoor recreation and floristry. The information provided for each industry includes the jobs available, the duties for each job and the training required for each job. The website can be accessed at: http://thejobilove.com.au/.

Mrs Natasha Purcell, Careers Counsellor