Frequently asked questions
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.