Frequently asked questions
Yes, please feel very welcome to give me a call. You can ask any questions you may have and I can get a little background on where you or a family member is up to career wise.
We are in a revolution - whether we like it or not! Currently, we are moving out of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), a period characterized by the seamless integration of the physical, digital, and biological worlds, fueled by innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and the internet of things (IoT).
The next phase, the the Fifth Industrial Revolution (5IR), is nearly upon us. It will be driven by the continued evolution of AI, particularly technologies like GPT models. These models represent more than mere tools; they are cognitive partners set to redefine societal structures, economies, and the very essence of human existence. The 5IR promises a future where AI is not just an auxiliary function but a core component of our cognitive processes, enhancing our decision making, creativity and interaction with the world around us.
It is interesting and more than a little sobering (!) to look at the real cost to families when a family member does not commence or continue their higher education or training pathway in preparation for entry into a vocation. Currently around one in four tertiary students discontinue their programs. This is usually due to the individual not having any real idea of which career would suit them best and which educational or training pathway is appropriate to their needs.
Here is a brief summary of the cost of disengagement from post school education or training.
Cost of Disengagement – To Parents/Caregivers $12,000 pa calculated conservatively at a cost of $230 per week to parents to support their son or daughter.
Cost of Disengagement – To Son/Daughter $50,000 pa ($960 per week) calculated ‘opportunity cost’ i.e. the minimum amount of money they would have earned in an entry level, low skill job that does not require qualifications or training.
If you believe any of the following, Revolution Career Counselling is not for you or yours!
1. I can work out my career and my life direction myself. It’s working wonderfully thus far.
2. I should just be grateful I have a job.
3. My children receive great career counselling at school/uni/TAFE. (Check in with your son/daughter on this one!)
4. Young people today are too soft and think that life owes them a living. You don’t have to like your job, just do it and live for the weekends.
5. If I keep my head down, I’ll keep my job and be OK.
6. My current job pays well, so I just need to suck up the fact that I hate going to work most days. Also, my partner/friends/family all really enjoy my regular debriefs about how I am undervalued, unhappy, bored, frustrated etc.
7. Career counselling is expensive (2 days income using the average Australian wage).
8. I really do not believe in the idea of a vocation rather than a job.
9. I am too scared to change, life is hard and I’ll be dead soon anyway.
Booking a career counselling session is easy! Just visit the Bookings tab on my website or give me a call on 0413 266 852.
Please note that Revolution Careers does not provide refunds on services that have been booked. However if you wish to reschedule an appointment, please just let me know as soon as possible and we can schedule another time. Thank you, John
Writer Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” For many of us, a large portion of our days is spent at work; in fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. So it’s safe to say your job makes a huge impact on your quality of life. Deciding that you are entitled to work in an area that you find meaningful, authentic and enjoyable will always be the most important decision you will ever make. Do not let fear, self limiting thoughts and behaviours undermine your confidence and fundamental right to pursue a vocation that fulfills you. Career change counselling leads to you gaining personal control of your life at every level.
Tailored career counselling provides personalized guidance by helping you identify your unique strengths, values, interests and potentials and aligning these elements to a fulfilling career path. This specialized support involves self-exploration, using assessment tools, and receiving detailed information on career options and market realities. This approach is highly effective in reducing indecision and building confidence. A professional career counsellor should offer individualised strategies, actionable advice and a personalised roadmap to help you make informed choices and achieve your career and life goals. This applies to young people wishing to find a career, people wanting to change their current career and people wishing to advance in their chosen career.
What defines tailored career counselling?
Personalized Support
· A professional level career counsellor provides guidance tailored to your individual needs and situation, rather than generic advice.
Goal-Oriented
· The process is designed to help you create a personally meaningful career by finding work that aligns with your values, interests and potentials.
Strategic Guidance
· You receive actionable advice and step-by-step plans to navigate your career journey and overcome challenges.
How does it work?
Self-Exploration
You work one on one with a career counsellor to identify your core strengths, values, interests and goals.
Assessment Tools
Revolution Career Counselling uses the Strong Career Interest Inventory. The Strong is the world's leading professional level instrument with very high (.05) reliability and validity properties.
Information & Resources
You receive detailed information about a range of highly correlated career options and the evolving labour market to ensure you make informed decisions.
Skill Development
You learn decision-making skills, develop resilience and learn how to create clear pathways to achieve your career and life goals.
Benefits of Tailored Counselling
Increased Career Fulfillment
Discover and engage in a career that satisfies and excites you, leading to an optimum career choice and the best possible work-life balance.
Reduced Indecision
Overcome uncertainty and confusion about career choices, leading to greater confidence and heightened self-control of your career and life choices.
Improved Well-being
Feel more confident and less anxious about your career path, which will in turn positively impact every aspect of your life.
Actionable Plans
Develop a personalized roadmap with clear, step-by-step plans to achieve your career and personal goals.
You can pay online via the Bookings page, or via card over the phone any time before our first session. Zip Pay is also available on the Bookings page. See the steps for paying via Zip Pay on the FAQ page 'Do you offer Zip Pay?'
Yes, just choose the Afterpay option at Checkout.
Yes, you can pay for any of Revolution Careers services using Zip's Single-Use Card feature via the Zip App or Web Wallet.
Here are the steps to take:
1. Choose Credit/Debit Cards on the Revolution Careers 'Payment' page.
2. Open your Zip Pay app and choose Cards on the menu at the bottom of the page.
3. Scroll down and choose 'Shopping Online?'
4. Zip will then generate a Single Use Card.
5. Enter the card details for a secure online checkout.
No, there is no need to prepare anything before the start of your session. Arrive relaxed and ready to have a great experience finding out exactly what career suits you best and the best pathway to get there !
You will complete the Strong Career Interest Report® as part of our face to face meeting via video call. The Strong is a career interest tool that predicts your career interest areas with great accuracy. It takes just 20 minutes to complete. We review the results and find the career best suited to your personality, values and potentials. Revolution Careers is the only career counselling and career change counselling service in Australia that then provides carefully chosen, independent recommendations from the vast array of higher education, training other career pathways on offer.
No, the Strong Career Inventory® is not a test. It is a profile that creates an inventory of your interests and is not difficult in any way. In fact, most people really enjoy this part of the process. Basically you are finding out what is of real interest to you in life and ignoring all the things that are not!
Psychologists consider the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as having very little scientific validity and not an appropriate tool for determining career interests. The MBTI attempts to measure personality preferences, not career interest areas, aptitudes and personal values. It should thus never be used as an instrument for career selection.
A few key points to remember about the MBTI and career choices
It is not designed for career selection
The MBTI claims to provide insights into personality traits, not to one’s predict suitability for specific careers. Even as a personality type indicator, it is almost completely rejected by the academic psychology community. No major journal has published research on this indicator.
Lack of predictive validity and reliability
Psychological research indicates that scores or personality types as measured by the MBTI lack predictive validity, reliability and do not relate to suitability for specific careers, to vocational satisfaction or to job performance.
Potential for misinterpretation
Assigning career paths based on MBTI results will lead to inaccurate assumptions about someone's interests, values, aptitudes and potentials.
What to use instead
The Strong Interest Inventory®
The Strong Interest Inventory is the world's best professional level career interest assessment. It is based on consistent psychological research results that demonstrate that people are happier and most productive when their career choice matches their values and their personality. The Strong Interest Inventory® is specifically designed to identify your career interests and match these interests with potential occupations.
Professional level Career Counselling
Consulting with a professional Career Counsellor helps you explore your interests, values, and aptitudes to make informed career choice decisions.
Given that we spend around 90,000 hours at work - either working for someone else, with someone else, or doing our own thing - it is never too late to make a career change. At age forty you have about 45,000 hours to either enjoy or 'tolerate'! So if you feel you are currently 'spinning your wheels' in an unsatisfying occupation, it's clearly time to take some action and move into a role that aligns with your interests and values. Career change counselling works. No regrets!
Individualized professional level career counselling for young people provides a number of important advantages over the group offerings and the ‘cookie cutter’ services typically provided at secondary schools and tertiary institutions across Australia. These include:
1. Personalized Guidance: Every young person has unique skills, interests, and aspirations. Individualized career counselling helps tailor advice and recommendations specifically to each person’s strengths, passions, and challenges, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach.
2. Self-Discovery: Career counselling provides young people with the tools to explore their own interests and abilities. This can help them better understand themselves and what career paths might suit them best, boosting their self-awareness and confidence.
3. Improved Decision-Making: Young people often face pressure when making career choices. With personalized career counselling, they are given the knowledge and support to make informed decisions, consider all available options and the long-term implications of their choices.
4. Increased Motivation and Engagement: When career counseling is focused on the individual’s goals and aspirations, young people are more likely to feel motivated and engaged in their career planning. This greatly boosts their overall commitment to their chosen path.
5. Better Preparation for the Future: By working one-on-one with a Career Counsellor, young people gain insight into the specific skills, attributes and qualifications needed for various career paths. They also learn about trends in the job market, helping them stay ahead in a constantly changing world.
6. Increased Confidence and Reduced Anxiety: Career decisions can be overwhelming, especially for those who don’t feel confident in their choices. Individualized counselling helps alleviate anxiety by breaking down big decisions into manageable steps, and by reinforcing that they have support throughout the process.
7. Networking and Opportunities: Professional Career Counsellors have connections with businesses, mentors, and educational institutions. This can help young people access internships, job shadowing, and networking opportunities that they might not have been able to find on their own.
8. Support in Overcoming Barriers: For young people facing challenges such as financial constraints, lack of resources, or uncertain family support, individualized career counselling can help them navigate these barriers and find viable solutions.
In short, professional level individualized career counselling supports young people by empowering them with tailored guidance, increasing their confidence and preparing them for a happy, fulfilling, successful future designed and lived on their own terms.
Parents do not attend Student Career Counselling Program® career counselling sessions with their daughter or son. However with the young person's permission, the specific details of the 'Action Plan' describing the chosen career area and the selected education/training pathways to be undertaken, can be provided to parents or carers.
The Strong Career Interest Inventory is the world's leading professional level instrument with very high (.05) reliability and validity properties. Schools do not provide this type of assessment. The Strong is fundamentally a career interests 'quiz' that predicts your career interest areas with incredible accuracy. It takes about 20 minutes to complete.
Yes, Revolution Career Counselling is the only career counselling and career change counselling service in Australia that provides carefully chosen recommendations for the vast array of higher education, training, rebranding and other appropriate pathways that will lead to the careers in which my clients are interested. Having worked extensively in Australian and international universities and colleges, I can recommend exactly which pathway is best for you, why it is the perfect fit and most importantly, exactly how to make it happen!
The Student Career Counselling Program® is ideal for assisting students with their Year 11 and Year 12 subject choices. Informed subject choices will ensure they will meet the specific subject requirements of the tertiary programs they wish to undertake.
Revolution Careers' hours are 10 am - 6 pm Tuesday to Friday and 10 am - 2 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Phone inquiries are welcome 7 days a week from 10 am to 7 pm. I love my job!
All career counselling, career change counselling and career coaching services are delivered one on one face to face online via Zoom.
Career development counselling can be tax deductible. Please consult your tax professional for advice.
The non completion rate in Australian universities is still around 33%. So around one in every three students do not graduate in the program in which they enrolled. There are arguably many reasons for this very high attrition rate. However not receiving professional level career counselling and higher education advice before enrolment is clearly a major contributor to program withdrawals, and the accompanying frustration and stress that inevitably follows.
With a wide variety of majors and electives to choose from a Bachelor of Arts degree gives you the freedom to design your own skillset. You learn to think critically, to innovate, collaborate and communicate for the future world of work in a way that many vocationally focussed degrees do not offer e.g. engineering, information technology, medicine etc.
Most importantly, you will become highly literate and capable of demonstarting your unique personality and skills in a competitive job market, where these attributes combined with innovation and flexibily are now prized above all else.
The best way to prepare for a successful career is to master the skills that artificial intelligence never will and that employers demand. LinkedIn's recent research on the job skills most sought after by employers in 2021, found that the four most-wanted 'soft skills' were creativity, persuasion, collaboration and adaptability. Developing and demonstarting these skills will lead to exciting, rewarding and futureproof careers.
Thank you for your inquiry. Here are a couple of things to consider:
1. Professional Expertise and Training
Career counsellors are trained professionals with specialized knowledge about career development, labour market trends, and psychological insights into how young people make decisions. They are equipped with a wide range of tools, resources, knowledge and experience that most parents do not have.
Career counsellors have a deep understanding of how to match a young person’s strengths and interests with the most promising career paths, something that may be hard to achieve without professional training and significant experience.
2. Objectivity and Neutrality
Parents naturally want what’s best for their child. However their involvement can be clouded by emotional attachment or bias. A career counsellor offers an objective perspective, which is important in helping young people make decisions that are best for their individual growth, rather than making choices based on family expectations or pressures.
A career counsellor provides an impartial, third-party perspective that can be valuable for your child to feel heard and supported in exploring options beyond what the family may envision.
3. Personalized, Tailored Advice
Unlike most parents/carers, career counsellors have experience in assessing a young person's personality, skills, aptitudes and ambitions through a variety of methods, such as psychometric tests, counselling and structured guidance. This individualized approach helps a young person explore career paths that parents may not even be aware of. Counsellors can provide a customized approach based on your child’s unique strengths, skills and interests - something that is difficult to achieve without a structured, personalized process.
4. Access to Resources and Networks
Revolution Career Counselling provides carefully chosen independent recommendations from the vast array of higher education, training, career development and transition pathways on offer, the only career counselling service in Australia that provides this service. I also provide advice on valuable resources such as internships, career fairs, industry insights, and connections to professional bodies across all vocational fields. This provides young people with real-world exposure and networking opportunities that would be challenging for parents to discover on their own.
5. Decreased Pressure on Parents and Child
Parents often feel a sense of pressure to guide their child toward the “right” career! Professional career counseling allows the responsibility to be shared with an expert, relieving parents from the potential stress of navigating a complex and often confusing decision-making process. This also allows the young person to have a safe space to explore their interests without worrying about disappointing their parents. So fundamentally having a professional career counsellor guide your son or daughter helps take the pressure off you, while allowing your child the freedom to explore different paths in a neutral, supportive environment.
6. Improved Communication and Relationship
Sometimes a young person may resist advice from their parents, especially as they approach adulthood and seek more independence. A career counsellor can act as a mediator, helping to foster better communication and understanding between parents and children by providing clarity and guidance in the career decision-making process. This can create bridges to open communication between you and your child, helping to address concerns and aligning expectations in a way that works for everyone.
7. Preparation for Long-Term Success
Career counsellors not only focus on immediate decisions but also work with young people to set long-term goals, build relevant skills, and to plan educational and professional paths that will ensure future success. This holistic approach to career development is something that may go beyond what parents can offer on their own.
The goal is to develop a long-term strategy for success, planning not just for the next few years, but for a fulfilling career that aligns with their personality, values, evolving interests and the ever changing job market.
8. Professional Development for Parents
Parents may feel ill-equipped to give career advice, especially if they don't have familiarity with current educational and training opportunities, vocational trends or career planning resources. A career counsellor can help by letting parents know about their child’s interests, strengths and options, helping them to better support their child’s growth and making the most of all opportunities available.
In Summary
Career counselling is a professional, specialized service that offers both immediate and long-term benefits for your child’s future success. All the academic research clearly shows that ideally young people should start receiving this help at around 14 years of age. Professional career counselling greatly reduces the stress and anxiety that quickly develops in young people when they have no sense of personal direction. As parents we all want the best for our children, but all the love and good intentions in the world can't take the place of well informed, objective vocational guidance and support.
Young people from 14 years of age e.g. Year 9 level, can complete a Student Career Counselling Program®. Knowing where they are going in life and finding the specific higher education or training pathway to make it happen is incredibly empowering for young people. Years 10, 11 and 12 can be rather stressful for many young people. However when they know exactly where they are going and how they will get there it makes these years a whole lot more manageable - for themselves and their parents/carers alike! The Student Career Counselling Program® is also the only career counselling program in Australia that provide young people with individualized recommendations on the higher education and training courses best suited to their individual needs.
I have worked with many people who can offer valuable skills, knowledge and experience without formal qualifications. Some may opt to take on extra training or qualifications as part of their career change or reinvention plan.
Regarding resumes, many people 'hide their light' by not knowing how to best present themselves to prospective employers. These days a very well put together resume is crucial to get to interview. This should be complemented by interview preparation with an experienced specialist so that you can do your best at interview and get the position.
The future of work is not only about hard skills, it is increasingly about holistic job skills. Employers now look for more than just task-oriented or technical skills. Organsations want people with an eye for detail, creative problem solving skills, a high level of emotional intellegence, flexibility, a collbarative mindset and an ability to deal with ambuiguity and complexity. Current research across every area of the new world of work, especially since Covid19, clearly shows the importance of human interatction and clear communication skills and aptitudes in the new economy. 'People and culture' is the new focus, with employers and employees wanting to create environments that are also people based, and not only focused on technical skills and productivity. Career counselling, career counselling and career coaching will help you to develop the key skill types required in your given career field.
Yes, Revolution Careers provides Higher Education Selection Sessions covering all aspects of selecting university and technical college programs offered anywhere in Australia.
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Career Coaching Sessions can be focussed on advancing in your current role, applying for a new position, or creating your own career opportunity by building a sustainable business.
They also provide a great opportunity to develop the job search and employability skills you need to get the job you want, receive expert advice on all kinds of education and training options available to give you an edge in the employment marketplace, and to fully use the power of your personal career brand via a high performing resume and LinkedIn profile.
Revolution Career Counselling is not a recruitment agency, so I don't match you with specific jobs. Instead, I offer career counselling, career change counselling and career coaching to help you understand what drives you. Together, we'll identify the occupations and career paths that best suit your needs, values, goals and personality. This approach is the best and fastest way to find your ideal job!
A really important part of the career counselling and career change counselling process is to take things slowly - ‘baby steps’ win the day ever time. Whether it’s getting fit, learning an instrument, learning a new job skill, or navigating your way to your ideal career, it is much better to empower yourself with small, incremental steps. This way you apply a bit of behavioural reinforcement (!) to yourself, rewarding yourself with steady progress. Getting ‘unstuck’ and being clear about what you want, matched with a doable action plan will get you where you want to be in your life in the shortest possible time.
Career counselling should always be practical, stepwise and actionable to ensure you get you to where you want to be. This includes finding the most suitable pathway/s. It may be selecting the right secondary school subjects, choosing the most appropriate higher education or further vocational training, 'rebranding' your current experience, knowledge and skills to match a new opportunity, reengineering a current role, or planning a pathway to self-employment.
Revolution Career Counselling Programs® provide a detailed action plan that includes:
* Practical support and advice to focus and follow through on your career goals and pathways
* Addressing any doubts or self limiting behaviours that may be affecting your progress
* Problem solving and guidance on any education or training pathway challenges
* Expert advice on fully leveraging your education, training or skills development career pathway
When I first started out working as a career counsellor in universities I decided I needed a very good career interest assessment tool. The Strong Interest Inventory was and still is, the world's best professional level instrument. It is based on consistent research results that demonstrate that people are happier and most productive when their career choice matches their personality. It is essentially a career quiz that accurately predicts your career personality type. It only takes about 20 minutes to complete. Here is a basic summary of the 6 Strong Personality Types:
Realistic
Likes to work with animals, tools, or machines; generally avoids social activities like teaching, healing, and informing others
Has good skills in working with tools, mechanical or electrical drawings, machines, or plants and animals
Values practical things you can see, touch, and use like plants and animals, tools, equipment, or machines; and
Sees self as practical, mechanical and realistic.
Social
Likes to do things to help people - like, teaching, nursing, or giving first aid, providing information; generally avoids using machines, tools, or animals to achieve a goal
Is good at teaching, counselling, nursing, or giving information
Values helping people and solving social problems; and
Sees self as helpful, friendly and trustworthy.
Investigative
Likes to study and solve math or science problems; generally avoids leading, selling, or persuading people
Is good at understanding and solving science and math problems
Values science; and
Sees self as precise, scientific and intellectual.
Enterprising
Likes to lead and persuade people, and to sell things and ideas; generally avoids activities that require careful observation and scientific, analytical thinkingIs good at leading people and selling things or ideas
Values success in politics, leadership, or business; and
Sees self as energetic, ambitious and sociable.
Artistic
Likes to do creative activities like art, drama, crafts, dance, music, or creative writing; generally avoids highly ordered or repetitive activities
Has good artistic abilities - in creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art
Values the creative arts - like drama, music, art, or the works of creative writers; and
Sees self as expressive, original and independent.
Conventional
Likes to work with numbers, records, or machines in a set, orderly way; generally avoids ambiguous, unstructured activities
Is good at working with written records and numbers in a systematic, orderly way
Values success in business; and
Sees self as orderly and good at following a set plan.
The Student Career Counselling Programs® provides higher education students and graduates with the necessary focus and practical strategies to gain employment in their field of choice. They learn how to manage your own career and leverage their qualifications to get the type of jobs they want.
The Student Career Counselling Program® significantly reduces the stress for Year 12 students (and their parents/carers!). The Program provides a clear self-understanding of a young person's interests and potentials. The Program then guides them to the most suitable higher education or training options for their chosen careers. Knowing exactly what uni or TAFE program to apply for relieves a lot of the stress and apprehension experienced by Year 12 students, who typically have little idea of what they want to do after school. Revolution Career Counselling takes away the guesswork and empowers young people with a surety and confidence that makes Year 12 a lot easier to navigate - for everyone 😊!
Young people invariably take to career counselling very well, often to the surprise of parents and carers! They soon realize they are now—maybe for the first time—taking an active role in what they want to do with their lives. This sense of self-direction is a great motivator.
As I am often wont to say, I don't want to help people get a job! I really want them to get a vocation. Sometimes we can get a bit lost 'tilting at windmills' but career counselling provides a terrific opportunity to take a little time to find your way to a career - and a 'congruent life' - that best matches your personality, your interests and most importantly your values.
The Student Career Counselling Programs provide higher education students and graduates with the necessary focus and practical strategies to gain employment in their field of choice. They learn how to manage your own career and leverage their qualifications to get the type of jobs they want.
I get variations of this kind of questions a lot! Fundamentally I am in the business of helping people like yourself who are motivated to make meaningful changes in their lives that lead to a 'congruent' life. The humanistic psychologist Carl Rogers described congruence as a state in which a person's ideal self and actual experience are consistent. In a nutshell, this is what I would be helping you achieve. Together with a practical and straightforward plan to make it happen 😊 .
Anxiety levels in Australia are currently at an all-time high. People are experiencing the challenge of dealing with rapid and deep changes to the way they live their lives. But change (whether we want it or not!) always offers opportunities. Taking a little time to assess what you really want and how to make it happen, is a very effective way to deal with situational stress and regain a strong sense of self direction and purpose in your life. This is what good career change counselling is all about.
'The sponge is full' is an apt description for the sense of overwhelm felt by a lot of young people today. Career counselling removes the clutter and misinformation. It empowers young people to focus on what matters to them and the type of career that will offer them a strong sense of meaning and purpose.
TAFE is Australia's largest vocational education and training provider. TAFE SA delivers job-focused training from industry experts across a wide range of industries from entry-level certificates to bachelor degrees. TAFE programs focus on practical, hands-on skills and experience. This results in students graduating with the skills employers value. The TAFESA Cert 4 in Cyber Security is a good example of a job-ready career pathway, with a number of Revolution Careers clients having completed this course and immediately finding employment.
Career counselling should always be straightforward, transparent in terms of the process and enjoyable, as it is designed to enlighten and empower individuals with choices. Career counselling and career change counselling should also always result in a practical step-wise plan that helps get people to where they wish to be in their lives.
Individual career counselling is rare in schools, as is the provision of reliable career interest assessments administered by qualified career counsellors. This contributes to the confusion and stress experienced by many young people, particularly in upper secondary, who are overwhelmed already and unsure of their futures. Revolution Careers' programs focus on the individual (anything else is really an untenable compromise) and all include the Strong Interest Inventory®, the world's leading professional level career interest assessment instrument with very high (.05) reliability and validity properties. Recently one of my young clients impressed me when she spoke of about "entering her vocation" and this is exactly the point. We want our kids to have a vocation, not just a job!
Clarity about their career choices is key for young people. This clarity is achieved when a young person is given the career counselling time and support, to find a vocation that aligns seamlessly with their personality, interests and values. I use the Strong Career Interest Inventory in all my work. The Strong is a professional level career interest tool that uses a career quiz format to accurately align the young person's personality type with specific career options. It takes just 20 minutes to complete. The results are then interpreted by myself and my client. A clear Career Action Plan is then put into action.
The creative industries sector in Australia is experiencing a high growth rate with a lot of demand for talented creatives - who have received appropriate education and training - right across the spectrum from production to performance. To address skill shortages in a range of employment areas - including the creative industries - the Australian Government is currently subsidizing a number of TAFE and university programs. A young Revolution Careers client recently auditioned for and was offered a place in the Diploma in Music (Performance) at Southbank TAFE in Brisbane. The Diploma fee is normally over $14,000 but this year she will complete the course for under $200! From my client: "John helped me to understand how I can make a career in music as a professional singer and musician. I have now gained a place in the Diploma in Music (Performance) at Southbank TAFE."
There are several reasons why so many university students drop out in Australia, including:
Financial difficulties
Lack of academic preparation or support
Mental health issues
Balancing work and study
Personal or family reasons
Lack of interest in the course or career path
Difficulty adapting to university life.
It is important to note that each student's experience is unique, and the reasons for dropping out can vary greatly. Revolution Careers' Student Career Counselling Program is focussed not only on helping young people and mature age students find the career best suited to their values and interets, but also showing them the most suitable education or training pathway to prepare them for their career of choice.
Your career personality type and the very particular way you express your dominant personality traits, are the most accurate predictors of the types of vocations where you will find a real sense of meaning and purpose i.e. your perfect career. This is why I use the Strong Interest Inventory® with all my career counselling and career change clients. It is essentially a career inventory that accurately predicts your career personality type. It takes about 20 minutes to complete during your first session. The Strong is only available to professional career counsellors with appropriate post graduate qualifications and training (e.g. psychology, counselling). The Strong is the world's most reliable instrument for predicting areas of career suitability. A little science can go a long way!
I've often said to people I have helped over the years, that I wish I had a career counsellor when I was young and rather lost. I remember trying to get some help at an Education Department vocational guidance centre in Melbourne, a three hour drive from my home town in rural Victoria, only to be dispatched to a 'Reading Room' to somehow sort it out for myself! Stories like this are still all too common today. The good news is that when you do find a professional career counsellor who is actually interested in your future, the guidance and support you receive will set you up for a fulfilling life of your own design.
A lifetime of career counselling, career change counselling and personal counselling experience has shown me that EVERYONE (!) has a gift and a raison d'etre. My vocation is helping people find it.
I use the Strong Interest Inventory in my career counselling programs. It is the world's most highly regarded, reliable career interest assessment tool and removes any bias or 'guesswork'. It is also a lot of fun for clients to use as it has the uncanny knack of cutting to the essence of what people are - and are not - interested in. We spend about 90,000 hours at work in our lifetime. We should enjoy and find meaning in that work.
The Career Counselling Programs® and Student Career Counselling Programs® are designed to ensure that all necessary actions are broken down for you into small, readily achievable steps. Whilst clarity and positive change is guaranteed , it is important that people are not overwhelmed and that the change process is an affirming and empowering experience.
A few words about overcoming obstacles from the wonderful writer Paulo Coelho:
“When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back.”
Covid-19 has and continues to be a major challenge for us all. However like most challenges it is providing an opportunity for people to act and think differently. I suggest this is particularly so in vocational terms. What we do and how we do it is becoming much more fluid, so we now have many more choices. I feel that the power to make those choices is a bit of a surprise for many people, who are realizing that perhaps they actually have the right to be happy and fulfilled in their careers. This is as opposed to the 'groundhog day' experience where, as Albert Einstein put it: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” And to make the necessary changes, investment supremo Warren Buffett advises: "By far the best investment you can make is in yourself." Career counselling, career change counselling and career coaching provide you with the insights, knowledge and practical tools to build a life on your own terms.
In 1900 human knowledge doubled approximately every 100 years. By the end of 1945, the rate was every 25 years. Currently the best estimate is that the volume of knowledge is doubling every 12 hours. The speed at which technology is progressing is the driver, upending our careers, transforming our lives and disrupting economies. So I suggest the idea of avoiding all this change is a bad one! The good news is that by finding out what you really want to do with your life, you can take advantage of rapid change and disruption rather than be afraid of it. Find your vocation first. Then just adopt whatever technologies and constantly evolving knowledge and skills, that will help you do what YOU do and enjoy better. 😊
I work with people from fourteen years of age through to people in their sixties and sometimes older. Younger or older, we all have a lot of time to live congruent lives—lives that reflect a strong match between our psychological attributes and our behaviors. On average, Australians live for about 80 years or 29,200 days. You will spend about 10,000 of those days at work (hopefully in a vocation and not just a job). So Carpe Diem (!) and do what interests you and aligns with your gifts and values. The alternative looks a bit like that movie 'Groundhog Day'....! Bill Murray's portrayal of someone who eventually decided he could and would change his life because it was not giving him any joy or positive sense of self is a great example. It's never too late to be yourself. So 'back yourself' with career change counselling.
With the current rate of change in the world, ongoing professional development in whatever area you may work is paramount for your success and job security. Of course if you are not fulfilled in your current work the idea of ‘more of the same’ is no doubt not particularly attractive! The first thing to do is to get some help and make the time to look carefully at what you really want to spend your days doing. Once you establish the what, the how to make it happen is fairly straightforward. As Miles Davis said “It takes a long time to learn to play like yourself”. So perhaps it’s time to work out the what, apply the how and start playing like yourself.
When we lack focus we can become overwhelmed i.e. too much to do and too little time. Mostly it is not that there is too much to do. It's more that we don't know where to start and this is always stressful. As you gain clarity by understanding what is really important to you - and ignoring the rest - you will stop feeling overwhelmed and immediately lower your stress levels. You can see what you need to do, take appropriate actions and acknowledge that you are making progress. Baby steps work best! We create our own worlds every day, so make sure your path and your destination is clear.
"There are lots of reasons why people stay in their comfort zones, like the riskiness of a new step, the fear of inconsistent income or pressure from others. And while starting anything new poses challenges, you don’t want fear to keep you from pursuing your dreams. People hold themselves back with their own excuses. They talk themselves out of going after what they want. But, once they realize they’ve been building a case against themselves, they’re able to stop saying “What if…” and start saying “Why not…”
If you’re guilty of saying (or even thinking) any the following lines, consider this a sign that you’re holding yourself back."
1. “I’m Happy Enough Where I Am”
2. “It's Not Financially Possible”
3. “I've Already Invested Too Much”
4. “I’ll Disappoint People I Care About”
From Harper Spero, New York City-based business and career transition coach. See copy of complete article here.
I am a great believer in coaching and mentoring. Trying to do everything on your own is a very slow and usually unproductive exercise. I actually feel that, psychologically, the idea that we can somehow be across everything in a complex world is a sure-fire way to quickly become overwhelmed. This in turn, usually results in doing nothing at all 😢. So ask for some help. Learn from someone who has spent a long time (perhaps a lifetime) developing knowledge and experience that will help you identify and achieve your goals. It's a LOT faster this way!
Whilst Revolution Careers is not a ' Registered NDIS Provider', I provide all my career counselling and career coaching services to NDIS clients who receive their funding support as 'Self-Managed Clients'. Self-management is when you manage your NDIS funding yourself. It gives you the flexibility and choice to decide what supports you buy to pursue your plan goals. See this link for details:
https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/self-management
A big part of my work is keeping up to date on the ever-changing world of occupations and sharing what I find with my clients, and via my web site blogs, Instagram posts and other forms of digital media. New occupations are being created every day, offering people a wonderful variety of vocational opportunities. My role here is acting as a 'translator' who turns often raw information into actionable knowledge and career pathways. For someone with strong 'Enterprising, Social, Artistic' personality traits, this type of activity is a good natural fit for my values and interests. Are you wondering what your 'career personality type' may be?!
The notion of being passionate about anything is something a lot of people (particularly Australians?) seem to have a little trouble with e.g. '"I wouldn't say I was passionate about...." However I feel that having an intense feeling about, say, what you are interested in and how you want to spend your days, is a very good thing and one to encourage in yourself and others. The alternative is to mosey along on the surface of the life you are given, too afraid to engage with what you really want to do and end up regretting that you never 'backed yourself'. Be brave. Be yourself. As the saying goes 'Everyone else is taken'!
"Your mind knows only some things. Your inner voice, your instinct, knows everything. If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path."
Henry Winkler
French microbiologist and chemist Louis Pasteur, renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization famously said: “In the fields of observation chance favours only the prepared mind.” This has been one of my guiding principles in life as a career counsellor helping people to get clear about what they want. Specifically, if you get some help to discover exactly what you want to do with your life, then plan and take the necessary practical steps to create the best possible opportunities for success, you will eliminate any confusion and achieve any goal you have set for yourself. Insight and clarity are the keys to success.
It is estimated that 1 in 70 people are on the autism spectrum. Autism is a condition that affects how a person thinks, feels, interacts with others, and experiences their environment. Every Autistic person is different to every other. This is why autism is described as a ‘spectrum’. Australia’s largest service provider for people on the autism spectrum, ASPECT https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/ describes autism as "a different brilliant®". Revolution Careers has successfully helped many clients who have been professionally diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum.
Areas of strength and interest vary but include:
* Logical or visual thinking, persistence, eye for detail, good skills with technology, memory for facts and figures
* Very strong focus on specific interest areas
* Deep interest in typical topics such as Pokémon, sport, Disney or trains or more unusual topics
* Up to 20% of Autistic people have exceptional or above average skills in one or more areas such as reading, maths, art, mechanics, music, memory etc.
And here is a link to a good video on autism, made by someone diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum:
Revolution Careers has successfully helped many clients who have been professionally diagnosed as experiencing a level of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). There are three types of ADHD: Hyperactivity Type, Inattentive Type, and Combined Type - the most comon form of ADHD.
ADHD Australia estimate the prevalence in Australia to be about one in twenty people (5%). However ADHD is often misunderstood and under-diagnosed. Key features of ADHD are inattention, distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD may also be linked to other co-ocurring mental health conditions. Untreated ADHD can cause lifetime impairment; however there are effective ways of managing ADHD.
Follow the link below for a good primer on ADHD for anyone interested in increasing their understanding of this mental health condition. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouZrZa5pLXk
And follow this link for a clear guide to testing for ADHD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH4UzMcbmjU
Yes. Revolution Career Counselling is the only career counselling service in Australia that has over many years, built up and continually maintains, a database of over 3,500 professionally recognised career and educational/training pathways that lead to the career of an individual's choosing. This is an essential part of the Career Action Plan that is included in the Career Counselling Program® and Student Career Counselling Program®.
The Interview Preparation Session® focusses on ensuring that you will be very well prepared, have a clear understanding of exactly how job interviews are structured and how your suitability for a role will be assessed. This preparation is essential if you wish to be competitive at interview. Learn about the challenging questions often asked at job interviews,whyemployers really ask them andhowyou shouldrespond to these questions e.g. "Why do you want to work here?", "What are your weaknesses?", "What makes you better than other applicants?"
How You Benefit
* Increase your confidence and self-awareness
* Build rapport and make an excellent first impression
* Learn how to control your nervousness and do your best
* Understand how panel interviews work and how to answer questions calmly and confidently
* Plan well for your job interview by being aware of likely questions and why employers ask them
* Answer situational, competency-based and behavioural questions with appropriate strategies
* Understand your options around salary, contracts and employment conditions
If you look the same as everyone else, you are invisible! The world of work is changing rapidly and you need to change how you go about getting the job you want. Today's recruiters skim resumes for an average of 6 seconds! So it is more important than ever to clearly present your unique skills, experience and aptitudes to potential employers. Here is something to consider. The average yearly wage in Australia is currently $89,000. The average length of a job is 3.3 years. This means the job you are seeking (and the resume required to get you to interview) is worth an average of $294,000. So the quality of your resume and personal branding is obviously extremely important. This is where a professional resume writing service can help. A modest investment in your resume and personal branding is the best possible decision you can make for creating the kind of future you want. Traditional, boring resumes and position applications that do not focus clearly on the specific needs of a role, send a clear message to prospective employers that you have little respect for the opportunity they are offering. Such resumes are virtually guaranteed to fail. And whilst a well written and presented resume is an important part of your job seeker toolkit, it is not enough to help you stand out from the crowd and get the job. To increase your visibility and employability you actually need two things: 1. A professionally designed and written resume that will get you noticed and be seen as worthy of interview. 2. A LinkedIn profile that clearly shows the employers and recruiters who use LinkedIn to locate talent every day, exactly what you have to offer. Your LinkedIn profile is your digital resume. Summary: How You Will Benefit From Professional Resume Writing
* Show employers and employment agencies who you really are with a professional resume and LinkedIn profile
* Gain more confidence by recognizing your own value, strengths and expertise
* Get the job by showcasing your 'unique value proposition' via your resume and LinkedIn profile
* Stand out from the crowd, distinguish yourself from the competition and get to interview
* Build your employability by clearly aligning all your skills, knowledge and achievements with the job you are seeking
My personal recommendation is Malcolm King, professional resume writer and director of Republic Resumes https://www.republicresumes.com.au/
Having a 'personal brand' means being visible, building a reputation and getting known. It means creating and controlling the way you wish to present yourself, describing what is unique and distinctive about you and letting other people know. American management guru Tom Peters Peters coined the phrase. Through his career, Peters examined the leading issues in business such as organization, leadership, innovation, technology, marketing, strategy and human resources. I like the idea because it suggests that if you don't control your career, someone else surely will! So paddle your own canoe.
Revolution Career Counselling has successfully helped many clients who have been professionally diagnosed as experiencing a level of Dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a neurobiological learning difference that can make it challenging to read, spell and write. It affects the brain's ability to process language, particularly the sounds and letters that make up words.
Understanding Dyslexia
Dyslexia is not a disease! The word dyslexia comes from the Greek language and means difficulty with words. Individuals with dyslexia have trouble with reading and spelling despite having the ability to learn. Individuals with dyslexia can learn, they just learn in a different way. Often these individuals, who have talented and productive minds, are said to have a language learning difference.
Dyslexia and reading difficulties are on a continuum
Dyslexia occurs on a continuum from mild to severe and no two are alike. Dyslexia is a brain based difference. However with appropriate instruction aimed towards their learning needs, people can overcome their literacy difficulties and lead productive lives.
Central difficulty
A student with dyslexia will have a particular difficulty with single word reading networks that are brain based (neurological). Dyslexia is not a problem with comprehension. Individuals with dyslexia are able to use higher level language skills to support their reading of connected text (stories) and this ability to ‘compensate’ may mask their underlying difficulties with single word reading (decoding).The central difficulty for a student with dyslexia is to convert letter symbols to their correct sound (decode) and convert sounds to their correct written symbol (spell). Research into dyslexia subtypes indicates that poor visual (i.e. orthographic) coding can also be part of the difficulty.
What causes dyslexia?
Dyslexia is:
· Highly hereditary.
· A difference in the way the brain works
· Problems in the development of phonological awareness
What are the primary indicators of dyslexia?
· Problems learning the letter sounds for reading (decoding) and spelling (encoding)
· Difficulty in reading single words, such as on flash cards and in lists (decoding)
· Lack of accuracy and fluency when attempting to read (and decode)
· Reading slowly with many mistakes
· Poor spelling
· Poor visual gestalt/coding (orthographic coding i.e. the brain's process of representing and storing written words, associating letter patterns with sounds and meanings, which is crucial for reading and spelling)
Strengths of Dyslexia
The Australian Dyslexia Association supports the 'Difference Theory', that is that we need to be careful assuming that challenges in language and literacy equate to innate challenges in other areas. The Difference Theory is producing more and more research that individuals with dyslexia can and do have remarkable abilities in other areas.
“Often individuals with dyslexia are very capable so whilst the challenges need to be addressed, there is a very high need to identify and cultivate their strengths whilst minimising their weaknesses”. ADA
Research has indicated that we should be wary about automatically assuming that language processing difficulties/differences or cognitive difficulties/differences associated with dyslexia are deficits. Some of the cognitive differences that dyslexic individuals display may actually confer advantages for some kinds of thinking or encourage them to find different paths to learning.
Here are some of the strengths that individuals with dyslexia may display:
· An inquiring mind
· Strong problem solving
· Good comprehending of new ideas
· Ability to generate ideas and think analytically
· Creative thinking
· 3-D construction
· Finding different strategies
· Seeing the big picture
· Insightful thinking
Resources:
Australian Dyslexia Association: Provides information and support for individuals with dyslexia and their families.
Career counselling provides personalized one-on-one guidance, helps young people understand themselves (their skills, interests, and values), and connects them with suitable career paths. When done well it is a structured, relaxed and engaging process that allows young people to explore their options, make informed choices and develop a realistic post school education and career plan.
Career counselling is crucial for all young Australians because it helps them navigate a complex and ever-evolving job world of vocational choices and educational/training pathways. Young people come to understand their strengths, interests and values and learn how to develop a long-term career and life plan. It supports informed decision-making about education and training, optimising their potential for a high level of job satisfaction and long-term success.
All the research and practical vocational counselling experience clearly shows that by aligning their career choices with their strengths, interests and personal values, young people will find satisfaction and fulfillment in their work. Career counselling helps young people - 14 years of age and above - identify vocations that provide the best fit for their personality, skills and potentials. This insight create a strong, abiding sense of self-direction throughout their lives, helping them to successfully navigate the inevitable changes and challenges along the way.
My criteria for recommending specific tertiary pathways for each individual with whom I work includes:
1. My knowledge of the unique value proposition offered by each program i.e. how the program content fits an individual's specific vocational requirements.
2. How well a pathway meets the needs of each individual in terms of elements like: mode of delivery preferences, fees, Government funding supported programs, HECS and Student Loan details, completion time, ability of any given program to provide a good range of employment outcomes with a singular qualification, annual Graduate Outcomes Survey results for tertiary programs, etc.
3. The individual's likelihood of admission to appropriate programs, based on their academic qualifications and relevant work experience.
4. Where applicable, advising individuals about the possibility of RPL's, credit transfers, and the need to meet any prescribed graduate entry provisions.
5. Recommendations that include university and further education and training pathway options that are fit for purpose. For example, university programs are not 'better than' TAFE programs. Each offer good options with TAFE often providing faster, lower cost/subsidised pathways, with appropriate professional recognition in the workplace.
6. Use of my constantly updated database of thousands of tertiary education, training, career development and transition programs offered across all Australia's States and Territories.
7. A very clear understanding that my primary role as a career counsellor, is to ensure that each person with whom I work enjoys an uplifting and stepwise transition into a personally enriching vocation.
Revolution Career Counselling utilizes the Strong Interest Inventory to help individuals understand their work interests, identify potential career paths, explore compatible industries and work environments, and ultimately make more informed career choices. The Strong is used along with other tools and strategies to provide personalized career guidance and support. The emphasis is on the importance of aligning career choices with an individual's values and aspirations, so that people can find fulfilling and successful careers.
My criteria for recommending specific tertiary and training pathways for each individual with whom I work includes:
1. My knowledge of the unique value proposition offered by each program i.e. how the program content fits an individual's specific vocational requirements.
2. How well a pathway meets the needs of each individual in terms of elements like: mode of delivery preferences, fees, Government funding supported programs, HECS and Student Loan details, completion time, ability of any given program to provide a good range of employment outcomes with a singular qualification, annual Graduate Outcomes Survey results for tertiary programs, etc.
3. The individual's likelihood of admission to appropriate programs, based on their academic qualifications and relevant work experience.
4. Where applicable, advising individuals about the possibility of RPL's, credit transfers and the need to meet any prescribed graduate entry provisions.
5. Recommendations that include university and further education and training pathway options that are fit for purpose. For example, university programs are not 'better than' TAFE programs. Each offer good options with TAFE often providing faster, lower cost/subsidised pathways, with appropriate professional recognition in the workplace.
6. Use of my constantly updated database of thousands of tertiary education, training, career development and transition programs offered across all Australia's States and Territories.
7. A very clear understanding that my primary role as a career counsellor, is to ensure that each person with whom I work enjoys an uplifting and stepwise transition into a personally enriching vocation.