“[School-leavers] also need good information about courses, costs, entry pathways and labour market realities,” says Dr Kellie McGlynn, senior lecturer in education at Deakin University. “I prefer to say follow your interests, get informed – and be prepared to adjust.”
Know yourself
McGlynn says that a good choice starts with knowing yourself: what you enjoy learning, the environments you thrive in and the kind of contribution you want to make. Registered career development practitioner and director of Career Confident, Helen Green, agrees.
“I suggest students ask themselves: What am I genuinely curious about? How do I learn best – academically or more hands‑on? What subjects or activities do I do reasonably well, or am I prepared to work at? What kind of day‑to‑day life appeals to me – people focused, practical, analytical, creative, indoors or outdoors?”
School-leavers can then use this information to guide them.
“Then it is about getting specific information on different pathways, talking to people doing the work and trying things out where possible,” McGlynn says. “Rather than aiming for a perfect choice, think about a good next step that keeps options open.”
Green says using available resources is also helpful.
“There are terrific online resources available to students, including My Future, Careers with STEM, Harvest Careers, My Health Career, Apprenticeships Australia, and The Australian Science and Mathematics career guide.”
Other options include talking to career practitioners at school or externally, or TAFE or university hotlines, which can be accessed to discuss options.
For some school-leavers, there are myriad choices for further study. That does not necessarily make the decision easier.Credit: iStock
Given the importance placed on ATAR results and the decisions and processes school-leavers often experience when choosing their future careers, it’s no surprise that this life transition can significantly affect young people.
“We know that the end of school is a time that is often filled with a lot of emotions,” says Emi O’Brien, PeerChat team leader at ReachOut.
“That can be positive feelings like excitement and anticipation of the future; however, young people can also feel stressed and worried about what’s ahead for them. There are often a lot of unknowns, too.”
Checking in
Along with impacting a young person’s mental health, it can also affect other areas of their lives.
“Stress and pressure to meet expectations can impact a young person’s physical health as well,” says Carolyn Watts, Headspace’s head of work and study.
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“Their sleep or appetite might be impacted. Relationships with family or friends can come under pressure, and the young person might withdraw from social or family activities.”
If this happens, or even if a young person is taking change in their stride, ensuring they know what supports are available to them now that they have left school is essential, including organisations such as ReachOut and Headspace, mental health services, and family and friends.
Given that today’s school-leavers are likely to have multiple careers, often in interdisciplinary roles, Green says keeping these early decisions in perspective is important.
“We know many first year students change courses, and there are multiple pathways into most professions,” she says. “Keeping that in mind can reduce the sense that one result or decision will define their whole future. It opens up a healthier conversation around ‘what feels like a good next step?’ rather than ‘what am I going to be for ever?’”
Perspective can also be critical if you don’t receive the ATAR you hoped for, says Kim Paino, chief strategy officer at the University Admissions Centre.
“There are many options available, even if they might not be the one you had originally planned,” she says.
“Lots of unis have pathway programs where you start with a diploma and then transfer to a bachelor’s in the second year. That can be a really great option to ease the transition to uni study. And maybe uni will be a better option for you after you’ve done a TAFE course and used that as your pathway.”
For Lee, regardless of her ATAR, she has prepared multiple plans to reach her career goal.
“One thing I learned through The Gordon is that there are multiple ways into any industry — you don’t need one perfect score or one perfect entry point. You can build your qualifications step by step and still reach the same destination.”
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