Hello Ozbargain Community, I've been a long term lurker of Ozbargain but rarely comment or vote but I would like to get some complete internet strangers advice on where I should take my life. I'm currently in Year 12 completing my VCE studies and am doing the following subjects, English, Further Mathematics, History (Revolutions), Legal Studies and Business Management. I eventually want to go to University however don't wanna do a degree which leads to no jobs or a degree I have no interest in. I plan on working next year at Woolies where I currently work and adding more money to my small savings. My main interests are around politics and law but I'm well aware I won't receive a score sufficient enough to study law and don't know if I could pursue a career in it. Should I look for a university course? Work hard and save up? Travel? What do you think and how did you know what career you wanted to pursue?
Year 12 Student with very little idea of what to do next year
Last edited 06/09/2017 - 22:41
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Woolies is a good place to work when studying, get permanent part time and you are set. People always need food!
Sorry to everyone that is working at Woolies but only if you can't get something (anything) in the field of the career you want long term.
I did 3 degrees - the last one I did whilst working as a s..t-kicker assistant but in the field of my study and that made the degree much more relevant, I did better at uni, understood it more, applied and remembered it more, and now finished I have been promoted 3 times in that same organisation.
If I did the degree whilst working at woolies, that wouldn't have happened.Exact same thing happened to a sibling of mine who did two separate degrees, worked in retail with the first, went nowhere, worked in a low level job in the field after a year into the second degree and now does really well in the same organisation fully qualified. (may as well not have done the first degree as it was unrelated to a particular career).
If you study something (e.g. law) whilst working in something else (e.g. shelf packing), its hard to correlate the two. Work photocopying contracts in law whilst studying law, you pick things up that help both your job and studies.
Both of us had to take small pay cuts from jobs in sales / retail we had prior, but it pays off
in same position some time ago, did laws/commerce at monash, be brave and try things out…
Try a semester at uni. Get advice in what subjects to choose for easy grades. Don't forget to have fun!
What do you see yourself doing;in 10 years? What do you want to achieve in say 10 years?
Use Alan Bond as a role model.
Become a sign writer, sell property, make your millions, go broke, go to jail.
Failing that - use all your money, take a gap year and travel.
You never know how your attitude and life will change, or what opportunuties will come along.
Then come home and think about your future, degrees etc.
You will have a lot more maturity and new ideas, and will find study much easier.
It will cost you financially in the short term, but you gain far more than it costs.
Whatever you end up doing, just know it's not going to be the end of the world if you end up feeling like it wasnt the 'best' decision. There is no wrong decision here. Experience is experience, whether it be trying out a course and deciding you don't like it, or taking a gap year and saving money and getting 'life' experience. You don't need to know what you want to do for the rest of your life when you're 18. And you'll never know if you'll truly like something until you try it. If you end up pursuing a course and career and in the future end up disliking it.. Then quit and start again - find something else, or perhaps a job in the same field but a different position. All careers have transferable skills, even if not directly related I'm sure. At the end of the day, just choose what you think you'll be happiest with.
Always have a fall back plan. Things don't always go to plan, I learnt that the hard way.
Good luck with your decisions, just remember uni isn't always for everyone. Don't wake up 6 years later regretting not doing something else like being an electrician, etc.
What is most important to you? Passionate about law? If yes, why? See it as step to a goal, or love it for itself? If it is the means, focus on the end. If you're unsure about what to do, a university degree or two won't hurt and it will expose you to options and experiences in a relatively safe environment. Decisions are tough. I'll be more than twice your age for sure and still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. Good luck.
Easiest degree is medicine
If OP doesn't have the mark to study law, it's very unlikely that he or she will get enough mark to medicine
He could enroll in bachelor of health science, get decent GPA in first year and transfer
High school score gating is easy to get around.Getting the degree is one thing - actually being to graduate is another
Hi,
I'm currently a Uni student myself and just from my friends that have found themselves in a position like yours, I suggest you choose the University you want to get into. It is much easier to do an internal transfer within the uni (provided your grades are okay) than to switch out later on and do the whole UAC process again. You can choose a broader degree (e.g. arts/science) and just switch within a year per say. A common misconception is that it's a waste of time and money by switching but the courses you end up doing still contribute to you degree as either electives or gen ed etc. Good luck!
Bit left field but if you're into politics, law and computing consider studying cyber secrurity theory and policy development (not coding or other applied technical skills - although obviously if that interests go for it!)
Governments and businesses across the country are hiring people like mad to help them design their ICT management and cyber resilience strategies and policy. And if you were interested in working in government it's a great way to get into the national security space which then opens up hundreds of other jobs and areas of work.
Get a graduate role in one of the big 4's to purchase a high yield investment like a vehicle would be my advice oh young one.
Don't worry too much about your HSC scores if you want to study law:
http://www.lpab.justice.nsw.gov.au/Pages/diploma-law-course/…Just work hard on passing your subjects, proceed at your own pace.
Also find a full-time basic/entry level job in a field that you like.
You WILL progress up from there with time, sticking at it is the key.
There are plenty of politicians who employ people at their electorate offices - maybe try there.Hey presto, in 5 years you will be qualified lawyer with 5 years experience in a field you like.
(Also, the defence force takes on trainee lawyers but not sure how it works).
I chose to travel and have fun. This meant i started working full time later in life, which meant getting a house, car etc happened much later, than the person who chose to start working full time and saving hard
If you're keen on law, I say give it a crack.
If you get a score high enough to enter a business degree, you can do that, or you can go into arts and study pols and/or history.
After 1 year of studying arts or business, and gaining satisfactory grades, you will be able to explore options with your Uni re: moving to a Law/Arts or Law/Business double degree (or even ditch arts/business completely and move into straight law).
Whatever you do, don't let your Year 12 score influence your career path. There are lots of options our there.
Source: law/business graduate.
Become an actuary.
Good hours, Good pay, low stress. Voted top 1/2 profession in the states for last 5 years.
Lots of jobs available on the market.
Do you know what it takes to become an actuary?
Most of the people I know that started it, ended up dropping it, due to the sheer difficulty of the course / Math required. And this is at UNSW.
Yes i do! seeing as i am recently fully qualified actuary.
I wouldn't say its difficult, more just need to be dedicated and persevere. That is true for most careers. I went through UNSW, the study component at the start is more technical and stuff you never use. Waste of a degree at UNI really. However part 2 and 3 whilst having low pass rates, are more commercial and business acumen focused.
Worst comes to worse, you do the degree at uni come out of uni on a decent salary and decide what to do with your life.
Well, looking at the kind of person OP is, I would suspect its not a plausible career path.
As a third year at UNSW.. I need to know how hard are part 2 and especially part 3s.. How long does it take to be done with part 3s :O
Depends on your lifestyle really. If your gonna have fun etc not study dont expect to pass.
Basically lots of smart people who all study hard, and top 20-30% pass each exam.I missed quite a few exams because i did the bare minimum. Once i started studying properly i passed all in a row.
I've seen people do it in 2 year, others in 10. Most would do it in 3-5 years.
Basically you have to be willing to study 2-3 hours every day after work, and about 20 hours each weekend for at least 3 months during sem to pass.
Lmao.. this is the most troll comment ever..
My advice would be, just remember, you're not locking anything in. Making the decision to study a particular thing doesn't mean it's your life's path now and forever. Don't be afraid to try something. I feel like at the end of Year 12 the feeling you get is that you are making the decision of what you'll do for the rest of your life - but you're not. You're making the decision what you'll do the year after year 12. You can make so many more decisions in the future, and be reactive to your circumstances, your new interests that you uncover, what you find makes you happy, makes you money, whatever it might be.
Source: So many friends who started in one thing, changed to another, went back to study, and eventually found what makes them happy.
Move out of home, get a job in a bar or 2, and have lots of sex. Get it out of your system before uni. Uni isn't all it's cracked up to be these days. Try to get a entry level job in the public service. Good employment conditions and experience. I did a range of voluntary stuff but it doesn't mean shit now, but I have been employed for stretches of time in my field (year at a time). Make mistakes and learn from them.
'Move out of home, get a job in a bar or 2, and have lots of sex.' It sounds like they're a male, so it will likely just end in more sexual frustration since, unlike women, you generally can't just pick someone to take to bed and be highly successful at it.
Got to practise to get good at it or alternatively a job can pay for experience
If you're going to take a gap year, do so to travel, not to work at Woolies. In my opinion, start a generic degree in the field you're interested in with some broadening electives and find out what you enjoy then reassess. Most of the units you take should be able to be rolled over unless you're doing a massive shake up so it's not like you're wasting your time and money on whether or not you enjoy the fine points of underwater basket weaving.
I would recommend the ADF Gap Year Program. I have some friends who went and highly recommended it. Heard it was a great experience for growing, making friends, interstate travel as well as good pocket money of 45k before tax. I was close to doing it but decided to go straight into uni due to my degree length (6 years)
This is the link: https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/students-and-education/gap-ye…
It looks like the 2018 intake has closed. 2019 still definitely a good idea though.
Heres a suggestion.. Take a gap year. (This was actually something i thought of recently i wish i did but my parents would of never allowed, plus no one would of ever proposed it to myself)
I feel the only negative might be your friends go to uni without you but theres nothing saying you can't travel with them when they go or hang out with them. Plus you make heaps of friends at uni. Sad to say but a majority of high school friends go.
When i mean gap year.. i mean move out of your parents place (if you live with them) and be independant.
[Alot of people take gap years and bum at home.. thats just being wasteful and lazy]Look for a job online or something which you interests you (i.e not woolies.. something out of your comfort zone) I remember when i was younger reading a job advertisement for Coffee machine repairman (no experience required) and that sounded heaps fun , that pay wasnt too bad either. Take a leap or some help from your parents and then move out.
Yes this is actually really tough but, i can almost guarantee one of two things will happen, you will either Grow tremendously or fail. Either way, you will learn from the journey and the best thing is you are still young and capable of taking these chances.
I will state what i feel is the biggest benefit.
This gives you a true meaning of what it is living in the real world and you gain countless life skills. I moved out maybe 6 years ago..
you learn to manage finance,
learn about work,
learn about struggle,
learn about living outside of comfort,
learn about cooking (this one is actually pretty handy - i found out how much i loved cooking from this)
MOST importantly you learn about YOURSELF.Its funny how much you grow being thrown in the deep end.
If you decide you want to go to work, uni, apprenticeship or TAFE, at least you have direction! You can always move back home after the gap year. Take a holiday with your own hard earned cash.
I'd probably suggest that anyways. You are still young so enjoy your life. The best bit is you will at least know what you want to go towards and have fun at the same time.
Difference is, you will have made an amazing decision you will be happy with. When i was 17 i had no idea what i wanted to do and you just do what you THINK is the best option or what your friends are doing.. not what is the best option which suits you.Complete a Myers Briggs personality test online, then look at the career recommendations for your personality. Their personality types are pretty spot on and will give you a bunch of suggestions for what might suit you.
google myers briggs and there is a bunch of free tests that will come up - be as honest as you can with your answers
Please don't do this, the MBTI, while used widely in career testing, has absolutely terrible psychometric properties. For example, on average 50% of individuals score very differently when taking the test a second time after 6 weeks (which is highly inconsistent with theories of personality which state that personality traits are enduring over time).
For additional details, see: https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1p2cki/how_scie…
I second soaringphoenix, please don't do this. The test was made by a mother-daughter author team who had no psychology background. They developed the tests at their own house before doing any extensive scientific research.
Don't waste your time doing the first year of a degree you won't want to finish.
Also don't travel down a path where you end up never going to university and you end up with limited options.Perhaps a gap year, but be careful that it is just that.
A close friend of mine obtained a position as a Paralegal as her score wasn't high enough to go through to uni for a law degree,
The job provided a great springboard which allowed her to enter obtain entry to complete her law degree and rather than have HECS debt her firm was so pleased with her as a paralegal they funded the Law degree.. it ended up being win win for her, and she is still with them.
On gap years: There's something like 4 to 5 months between your final Year 12 Exam (November) and your First Uni class (March). Once you're in Uni, there's 24 weeks of coursework in a 52 week year. That might be a long enough break for you, without taking a gap year.
On studying law: There's a huge oversupply of law graduates versus lawyer jobs available. If you do study it, go in knowing that, and that you might end up in a job that isn't working as a lawyer (I know law grads in the public service, teaching, real estate, etc).
On ATARs: ATAR cutoff scores for Uni courses are a measure of popularity, not of required smarts, or of job prospects. Bear that in mind when making choices. Picking a degree with a lower ATAR doesn't mean you've 'wasted' your score.
Always considered this possibility for myself. In case you enjoy computers and always wanted to get into programming, try working part-time and then teaching yourself how to code when you're not working. You can find resources for free to very cheap (Udemy is actually a very good source). Make a few projects in whatever interests you to prop up your portfolio and then start applying for jobs. Go for start ups that let you dip into a bit of everything in the business. At the very least try to go for roles that put you in charge of projects that involve building things. This will be a much shorter path to a fruitful career as a software dev.
I was in the same position as you when I finished high school - doing a broad mix of subjects, keen on studying something that would lead to employment, but not soul-crushing and something I'd likely regret. Marks were good, but not enough to go straight into law or medicine or one of the 'top' degrees that every Year 12 kid thinks they have to aspire to in order to 'succeed' in life. Pro tip - if you don't want to be a doctor, don't do medicine. You'll be happier in every single respect if you pursue something you're at least halfway curious about.
In the end I took a semester off and tried 1.5 years of studying (Arts, then Education, neither of which I liked), before heading to TAFE and studying engineering drafting.
The work experience I had from that particular career path was priceless, and something I'd strongly recommend you try to obtain whether or not you study immediately. University can be interesting and challenging, but you gain next to no 'real world' experience such as project management skills, effective teamwork, dealing with (occasionally difficult) clients and stakeholders, use of professional software (grad engineers I worked with told me that Excel macros were pretty much the only part of university study they used day-to-day), etc. After working full time for three years I personally became more confident in my abilities and mature than most of my friends (all of whom were still studying and whose work history consisted of casual supermarket or hospitality jobs).
Eventually I decided that, despite enjoying the work, the career prospects were limited in a post-GFC environment. I went back to study journalism, then when realising that was also a dead-end career (for me at least), switched to a postgraduate law degree and ended up in public policy research. Even that came about by chance - I couldn't find a grad job in law despite good marks (there's a massive oversupply of grads, so keep that in mind if you enter the legal field), but a mate of mine offered me part time work in a think tank, which then got me work in the public sector doing basically the same job, but with more benefits and a higher salary.
Moral of the story—and one I think most people learn as they get older—is that Year 12 is the end of schooling, but the very beginning of the next phase of your life. You've got a good decade or more to settle into something you like, and even then there's the likelihood that (like me) you'll stumble into something random that you'd never even heard of before, let alone considered it to be a serious career/life path.
I'm not sure what your peers, teachers and family are like, but if you can don't let their personal anxieties and myopic views force you into something just because it's the 'right' path to take after finishing high school. Just smash out that final year of study as best you can, and if you can't work out what you want to do immediately, just kick back for a bit and enjoy the fact that you've passed one of life's more annoying hurdles and you're now about to enter a far more diverse and enjoyable period of time!
Good on you for taking the time to share your story; I'm sure many will appreciate reading it as I did (:
Thanks, glad you found it an interesting read!
People like you make ozbargain place to be. Thanks for sharing. I like when you said "Year 12 is the end of schooling, but the very beginning of the next phase of your life"
My son is very young at this time but I try to keep tab on what choices high school kids have in front of them.
screw school, take a year off and go backpack around Asia or something. Get some life experience, have some fun, then decide on a career.
I think the pressure of you having to know what you want to do, need to do and/or can do is not a question you can answer through the internet, through university consultations or travelling for that matter.
You may get into something, study it and maybe even work in that industry, only to realise you want to do something completely different. Does that mean you "failed" in the initial start ups of your 20's? No way.
Few people study their interest and love the jobs they get. Doesn't make them all "successful". They just found their timing, just like you will in your own time.
The best advice someone gave me was 90% of succeeding in your job is loving what you do. To find what you love isn't so straight forward, although it sounds so straight forward. Everyone says that, I know. It pissed me off because I'm like "I can't even find someone to love, how can I find something to do that i love- like wtf is love anyways".
I don't think anyone truly knows the answer… except you! You've got time mate, take your time, be keen and research all sorts of pathways. Who knows, maybe you might open a pancake shop and love it.
All the best with your studies, and here's hoping for a bright future!
Take one or two gap years & travel!!!
Source: Me = dentist who regrets being overly driven to become a dentist & having missed the opportunity to take a big chunk of time to explore the world before taking on 12+ years of uni + important initial consolidation through practising full-time..
my 2c.
learn a trade, get a degree & invest in crypto and learn to program a crypto language for coding smart contracts. In 4 years you will book for first 1million
my 2c.
learn a trade, get a degree & invest in crypto and learn to program a crypto language for coding smart contracts. In 4 years you will book for first 1million
I worked as a casual for 7 years as IT support at a uni before they made me permanent. Heck, I didn't get that job easy. Had to apply officially for that permanent position and competed with others for the job and I finally got it. If they made me permanent sooner, I would have applied for home loan and got a house cheaper than now.
One point to note: While law school may be difficult to get into, a combined degree with law wouldn't be as demanding and would eventually bring you to the same place. In University of Tasmania for example, a law degree requires ATAR 90 and above. For law and arts, you only need 65.
Uni today is pointless. Pick up a trade instead. So long as you look after your back, the constant physical work means you'll always feel better than someone who is forced to sit unnaturally in a chair all day, you'll be paid better per hour, it will be much easier to find work and your job will be generally far less susceptible to automation in coming decades.
I know people who have spent the best part of a decade, including 12,000+ hours of studying (not arts), at top universities only to wind up jobless, ~100k in debt and depressed (to the point of being suicidal). If they had pursued a trade for that period they would be $300,000+ in front and probably have more hair due to lower stress levels.
If you have to go the uni route, consider engineering and IT (perhaps a double-degree). For the budding entrepreneur, those backgrounds may prove immensely helpful.
You have received some great advice here and so I'm not sure you need mine but hey, we can all contribute right?
The biggest lesson I have learned since finishing university is that real education is investing in yourself. It doesn't matter if you take a gap year or not. Get a job or not. Have a life mapped out or not. The biggest thing you can do is take a real look at yourself and begin working on your edges.
I could talk for hours on end on this topic but instead I am going to list the basic three things you can do to catapult you forward.
1- Have a referendum. Gather your closest friends, your most candid and trusted friends, and then ask them to tell you everything that is wrong with you. From the smallest annoyances to the biggest gripes. You will then write all of this down and not speak up unless to ask clarifying questions or express gratitude. At the end of the day, you will have over 30 pieces of feedback, ranging from grim to worse. Pick 3 and work on them for the next 12 months.
Note, this is not the time to tell you how great you are. Most Australians for some reason find this task difficult. Create a safe space, be grateful, not defensive. Oh, and Pizza's on you.
2- Devise your own curriculum. Hey, you know that thing you're bad at? Whether that's procrastinating, poor sleep habits, bad listener, or not brushing your teeth regularly (you knave). Well, it turns out there are other people who once upon a time were just as bad as you and they got better. Then, for some reason, they thought to write about it. So go out and buy a book that will help you improve aspects of yourself you now recognise need some work. Oh, and do read the book, yeah?
3- Learn something new. Everyone will tell you to find yourself. What they mean isn't look in a mirror and say "there", they mean, find your interests and although I'm sure you haven't led a boring life thus far, you can always find more things that are interesting. My addvice, every month, pick a new thing you haven't done before, commit 20 hours to this and see how it goes. At the end of those 20, perhaps you would have learned some useful new skill or at least party trick.
Like I said, there is so much more I would like to say but if you follow those three pieces, you will stumble upon them eventually.
Also, do your best to incorporate what others here have so kindly put forth, just remember that you don't have to do it all at once. Like many have noted, life will be kind enough to give you at least a decade to figure things out. Too bad a decade goes so quick…
Sincerely.
Well said mate. Very enlighting
Thank you.
Join the Army, see the world, fight ISIS.
Go all in for law. If you don't get in there's a lot of other courses you could do in a similar vein and you can transfer in later. Just go hard and keep your eye on the prize. You don't have to become a lawyer if you do a law degree, you make that choice a bit later and if you decide against it, a law degree is looked upon favourably in many industries. Don't be afraid to aim high, even if you feel like that's not 'you'. Just have a go and don't put any limits on yourself. When it gets hard and tedious, remind yourself that you've got a goal here and it's a very worthy one. Plenty of people have done it before and you can too. Just go hard for it and see where you land, you might surprise yourself!
Got to work in a startup for a year. Become a member of the Sydney Startups facebook page (or your local city). Spend some time looking into the ones that are growing fast and hiring. You'll need to pitch to them as they are entrepreneurs and respect self-starters. Tell them that you can do x skill and will deliver y project in 4 weeks as an unpaid internship but if you crush it then you expect to be reviewed for a permanent position. I work in a startup and we often create positions to keep good interns. Startups are HARD work but very rewarding and it's best to learn the skills when you are young. They apply into almost any role. ANZ is about to retrench most of their staff and rehiring only if they can work in agile (a startup method of working) so skill up now and it will serve you better than the skills you'll get from woolies for the same or better pay.
Hi Pancake Lover!
I understand what you're going through. I graduated year 12 and went straight to uni, not knowing what I wanted to do. So what I did was, I looked at which courses matched up with my ATAR and went for the course. I didn't enjoy my time there at all, I lost my direction in life and eventually failed 6 units in my 2 years of uni because the course was not my passion (racking up $25k of debt). Along side that, the only thing that kept me sane was my part time job as a dental nurse and I ended up dropping out of uni and worked as one for a couple of years. After moving from one place to another, I discovered that I found something that I was passionate about, Oral Health, so I saved up and went for the course. It was the best move I had ever made (although, I'm currently in my first year, aged 23). What inspired me more was that there were matured aged students in their 50s doing the course as well, it really kept me motivated.
Just remember that people generally have heaps of career changes in their life, don't be surprised if you don't see yourself sticking to one career for the rest of your life, it's unlikely to happen. You're young, and still have time. Go out and experience the unknown. You could be travelling, working, studying etc, this is up to you.
My suggestion would be to give yourself a designated timeline and when you want to achieve your goals by so you know when to stop and focus on what you want. I see you've mentioned that you're interested in law and politics, perhaps you can take a gap year and work/volunteer at the workplace (e.g. Department of Justice) alongside working part time, so you know what the atmosphere is like and what you're in for. Also, you can talk to the people in the industry and ask about their experience in their studies and job finding. It is always helpful to gain an insight from other people's experiences.
And as others have suggested, there are always pathways to get into the course you want, it will take a bit longer, but will be worth it!
Please let me know how you go! Sorry for rambling!
I am in my second last year of my civil engineering degree. My main advice is to please please please try. Whatever you end up studying, please just give it a go. Don't be lazy, study every week and pass those tests/exams. If your subjects have no hurdles, smash your assignments so the comfortable thought that you will pass 100% is at the back of your mind when it comes to exam time.
I wasted 2 years only passing a few subjects at a time because i did not try, and coming out of high school you think you are all that. Trust me, your confidence will be on a decline once this becomes your real world. Now i have woken up after completing my advanced diploma and almost finishing my bachelor degree. Please, just give it your best.
Join a local bikie club.
Save up some money and go travel overseas for a year. Australians seems to like to start with London. Once you have seem the World and gain some life experience then you'll be in a good position to make a decision about your future.
I graduated recently and I'm now doing the work I love so perhaps I can offer some insight.
I got into Engineering straight after year 12 and wasn't sure if I even wanted to do it as a career path. Time went on and I had no other 'passions'. The ones I did have were not realistic (mechatronics, game design etc) and even the ones that were realistic (mechanical/electrical) I knew I'd be working in construction anyway. So I simply did Civil. After I graduated (and even before then while working as an undergrad), I started to feel like I made a big mistake doing my degree. I started job hopping quite frequently (think 4 jobs in a year, and these were jobs in tier 1-2 companies with lots of room to move), each time deciding better and better where I want to take my career. I have now found the direction I want to be headed and it's a very niche path (BIM, 3D Modelling, LIDAR, Volumetric Analysis etc) and have found a company which can bring out my potential in that.
If your not sure what you want to do, then either take a gap year and figure it out (by figure it out, I mean network with people. Go to events and companies, ask for someones time and let them talk to you in person about what they do, ask as many questions as possible in a field you might have an interest in), or do a degree which is open ended (like engineering). I have friends who have finished up dentistry and they are completely depressed because they can't do anything with it other than dentistry (which they figured out too late isn't what they wanted). You might be thinking, come on, they had four-six years to figure it out. Trust me when I say that's not the case. University makes jobs seem more glamorous than what they really are and it's not until you've actually been working in that position/environment, realising that you'll be doing it for the next 40-50 years that you can make an informed choice like this.
All the best.
I work in the Defence Industry. More specifically I own a Software company and I also work for another company selling consultants into niche roles within the Industry. There are people making great careers out of jobs that School leavers or school career counselors dont know exist. Ever heard of an ILS expert?
I dont know where you live in Australia but if it is in Adelaide, within the next 2-5 years there are going to be thousands of jobs making Submarines for the next 15 years or so. Soon there will be announcements about a program to make Frigates. Shortly after that there will be announcements on making armoured vehicles in either Melbourne or Brisbane. All of these programs will be recruiting young graduates to work on engineering, software, commercial and program management. I am telling my son to get into Cyber Security when he leaves high school. I already have my older uni student son working part time on Defence software projects.
If you think driving/flying or shooting the stuff sounds like more fun that making it tryout to be an officer in the Army, Navy or Air Force then switch across to industry later in your career (that's what I did). There's great careers paying great $$ for folks with the right skills and experience. Earlier this year I was haggling with a guy that wanted a very handy rate (well into 6 figures) to be a project scheduler on Defence Projects. The guy was not tertiary qualified at all just very proficient with 'Open Plan Professional' the scheduling tool used by Defence. As long as you are an Australian Citizen with no criminal record and can get a security clearance there are great jobs to be had in the Defence Industry. We hear the politicians talking about creating jobs in the defence industry, take them up on their efforts, there are some awesome jobs to be had.
What you do will be based on the criteria you yourself set not us at Ozb.
Make a list of what you think you want in 5 yrs both financially and career-wisethen having some clue where you want to be, look at how and what you need to do to fulfill each role.
If you are into adventure, get on well with people and can take direction, the Army reserves are a great stepping stone to expose yourself to different roles, task oriented jobs and comradeship, whilst getting paid.
You will get more for the weekends and odd training week than woolies and learn to leadership and other stuff.
Good way to get your truck license or do intense first aid/CPR courses etc free. With a bkg in the reserves, any military, police or SES employment may come easier than without
Whatever your choice I applaud your willingness to continue to work, study and grow rather than take the dole surf and play console games all day
Would you recommend this for females too? It sounds like a good way to pick up a lot of useful skills, but how is the army for women?
Why not? After all its the Reserve NOT full military, so if you don't like it you can leave. I'm sure any woman who can take a joke give back as good as they get socially would be fine, Facebook and social media obsessed princesses maybe not so. LOL
Go here, have a look at what THEY say, if it appeals to you book an interview, however for curiosity sake, lets us know if it was for you or not :)
Best of luck in all your endeavors
I thought you were giving first hand experience, and may be able to comment on how you found things for the females you worked with.
I ask as my daughters are approaching that part of life where they're trying to determine what they'll do after high school.
If you are not sure yet just wait and work a bit, might change your mind. It is hard to go through uni if you don't like what u study. so take ur time to make sure that what u chose is the right choice!
I recommend Bachelor of Engineering - Software Engineering
If you are interested in studying law, then go ahead with it. Because, in your age, students can easily learn and study in what they are interested. Otherwise, they don't gain good grades.This is the right time to plan, decide and implement on it. Wish you good luck for your future :)
If you have thoughts like this you should definitely take some time for yourself. I'd recommend travelling, broadening your mind and learning more about yourself (what you are and what you are not). It could be a great experience for you which could help set a real plan for your life. I have a friend who's currently working for https://caedubirdie.com/assignment-writing-service and who did the same thing after school. I could give you his email, if you like.
This is true, and some sort of legal studies may not get you into being a lawyer, but there are careers in areas such as Urban Planning that do involve understanding of law (and can be very political, even a touch of history), or Contracts Administration in construction, etc if you also add on construction knowledge. E.g. Cert IV in Building & Construction (Contract Administration) if OP doesn't get into law.
Could later build on it with more legal training and go into law with a property or planning specialty, or take a path into Construction Project Management and move up the chain that way, or into public service with planning or infrastructure management roles.
My advice is:
Pick a career that is well defined with plenty of employment opportunities, don't just do general uni courses with no idea where you are going with it (e.g. arts - history, business generally). I did general courses originally, then had to go back and do post-grad tailored to the field I ended up working in.
Don't just sit in your random job at Woolies, you are wasting years to get experience in your chosen career or a course (or best by far, do both at once, a job that could lead somewhere- it makes the degree make sense if you are already working in a business of that field).