Q: i am currently in year 10 and i was wondering if you could help me. i do not really want to go on to year 12 but i would like to have a career in muscles... like for sports and that sort of thing. i was wondering if i needed to go to year 12 to do that?
A: Hi,
I think that you are thinking of being a massage therapist and working in Sports Massage.
Year 10 should be all that you need to go on to a Certificate course at TAFE or with a private college.
Have a look at http://jobguide.thegoodguides.com.au/jobdetails.cfm?jobid=624 (click the link) in the job guide, and make sure that you click on NSW/ACT at the bottom of the page.

Q: Hello,
I am doing year 10 next year and i was wondering if u could give me a list of careers i could do if i leave at the end of year 10. If i leave in year 12 after i do my HSC what mark would i have to achieve to get into law.
Thank you

A: Hi,

To start with, I think that you need to be looking at the Job Guide.

You will get your own copy from your careers adviser when you are in Year 10, but for now your careers adviser may lend you one, you can buy one from the newsagents, or you can see it on the internet at http://jobguide.dest.gov.au/.

Lists of jobs start on page 9 of the 2006 guide (they are under "Building your career" and then "Jobs Charts" on the website).

If you read through the chapter you will find that the lists are in 7 categories, so you need to read through them to decide which might suit you best.

The columns next to each job show the skill level. If you leave school at the end of year 10 you should be looking at Level 1 and maybe some Level 2 jobs.

Any jobs that you think may be of interest, or jobs where you don't know what they are, look them up in the main body of the guide, (or on the website use the "Search the Job Guide").

To work in law you could start as a Legal Secretary and then go on to be a Law Clerk with only your year 10 certificate.

To go straight to university to study law after Year 12 you would need to get a fairly high UAI, but there are other ways. For example a TAFE course leading to a Diploma leading to a university degree leading to a Law degree!

You are only just starting to plan your career at the moment, and I think that you should be trying to decide what you want to do, before planning how to get there. Have a look at some of the websites on the "Careers Exploration Pages" under "Links" on www.mhscareers.com. In particular spend some time working through the "Myfuture" website, and talk to your careers adviser.

Q: lm looking for a career in drawing, and i dont know what kind of job that suits me. Do you know what careers i can choose from?
A: Hi,
You need to be looking at a booklet called: "Parents Help with Careers". Your careers adviser should be able to give you a copy, or you can see it online at: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/career_development/publications_resources/careers_information_products/parents_help_with_careers.htm.
Near the back of the booklet there are bullseye charts. Have a look at the one "Do you enjoy or are you good at ART?" It will give you ideas on lots of jobs that may suit you. Investigating those jobs in the Job Guide (CLICK HERE) should help you.

Good luck for the future.

Ron Sylvester.

Q: I am working towards becoming an airline pilot. Would taking 3
unit maths rather than just 2 unit Mathematics Advanced improve my
competivity amongst others also trying for the same career as I?

A: Hi,
The short answer is “No”, but I will give you a longer answer.

Bear in mind that, while I give my answer to the best of my knowledge, entry requirements change all the time, and I can make mistakes so please check the information that I give.

The airlines recruit from the pool of commercial pilots working in the aviation industry, so your first aim is to get your commercial pilots licence.

The three main ways to get there are by: 1. Going to a flying school. 2. Doing the B. Aviation at UNSW. 3. Becoming a pilot in the Defence Forces.

Going to a flying school would cost $60,000 +. You would need to satisfy various requirements (see www.casa.gov.au), but you would only need a minimum education standard to start. Before you could work for Qantas you would need HSC English, 2 unit related maths, and physics. I believe that airlines would look least favourably on pilots who qualified this way. Contact Qantas and ask them!

B. Aviation would be a much better option, though still costing $60,000. They would prefer you to have taken at least 2 unit related maths, but 3 unit is not essential. Put it this way, if you were going to do well in 3 unit it would be an excellent choice, but if you were going to do badly you would be better to not do it. You should contact the Department of Aviation at UNSW, and ask them the question. Either telephone 9385 6767 or email aviation@unsw.edu.au.

Becoming a pilot in the defence forces costs you nothing, and if you go through ADFA you get paid while you are at university. However, you must realise that you may be flying in a war zone one day. Again, doing well at 3 unit maths would be an advantage, but doing badly may harm your chances of being accepted. You only need 2 unit maths to get in, but there are many other hurdles to get over once you are into the course. Look at www.defencejobs.gov.au or telephone 131901 for more information.

I hope that this helps.

Good luck for the future.

Ron Sylvester.

Q: Dear career Advisor,
My daughter is in y12 and currently evaluating university courses. Do you know of websites where we can get information on current uptakes from major employers, eg what sort of graduates does Bluescope or Macquarie bank employ? In addition some current information on job prospects for graduates in different faculties. Example, What sort of job can a graduate of envronmental engineering expect?

A: Hi,

The website that you want is Graduate Careers.

For the first part of your question go to
http://www.graduateopportunities.com/. Click on Career Search, and then type Macquarie or Bluescope into the Employer Name.

For the second part of your question go to
http://www.graduatecareers.com.au/. Click on WHAT JOB FOR YOU - Industry Career Profiles - Environment - Environment (PDF)

Best wishes,

Ron Sylvester.

Q: HI! I will b choosing my HSC subjects in 2 weeks. at the
moment im doing very average in maths (last exam 45%) i am in the
intermediate course which i dropped to last yr after pretty much failing the
advanced course. so as you may have guessed im not to keen to pick it up or
choose it if i dont have to. Lots of ppl (my teachers and parents)
believe i should at least do standard.....but i fear my failure in that too
because i hate the subject do much! so....WHAT DO I DO?
Also i attended the nepean careers market today at UWS, it was eye
opening and i thouroughly enjoyed it! but the problem is im so interested
in many different career paths and i dont think even after yr 12 ill
have made my mind up! I went and got info. about everything from
agricultual studies to childcare to hotel management to hairdressing to
travelling/air hostessing. i do feel like im stuck and lost with no guidence! i
wish i could do everything i ever wanted to!
thankyou for taking the time to read my questions....i hope you can
help me! thanks again
A: Hi,

You have a very common dilemma.

I personally feel that maths is a very important subject. So important in fact, that I think everyone doing Years 11 and 12 should be doing it, but there should be an easier course to help people with the basics. The problem is that there isn’t a suitable course available for about half of the students in the senior school! General maths is too difficult.

I think that you will have a fair background in basic maths in what you have done so far, and if you need to do more maths after year 12, perhaps at TAFE or uni, you can do it then. So no, don’t do maths, particularly if you are keeping your options open for uni by getting a UAI. To get a reasonable UAI you need to be doing subjects that you are good at!

You sound as if you are trying to pick one career for the rest of your life while you are only in year 10, and that is wrong. What you should be doing is spending some time with your careers adviser and exploring what would suit you for the next few years. You may go on to work in agriculture, and later do childcare, and then who knows what next! Do subjects that you like and are good at, and spent the next 12 months or more just gathering information about jobs, and working out where you would like to start on your career path.

Good luck for the future.

Ron Sylvester.