Goal Setting

The HopeFull Institute has developed a set of free worksheets for students covering a range of topics such as: digital detox, examining stress, goals (general and athletic) and gratitude.

Career Planning and Job Seeker Program

The team at My Career Match have developed a free program for secondary school students that is broken into five key categories:

• Career planning
• Promoting yourself
• Getting a job
• Personal development
• Mind, body & soul

Students can choose which categories and lessons they would like to work through.

Inspirational Videos

What better way to start the year than dreaming about your future and possible careers you may be interested in?

Australia National University has developed a large collection of over 90 videos that cover a range of topics from astronomy/astrophysics, physics and mathematics to science communication, environment, and sustainability, to health, medicine, psychology, to earth and marine sciences and much more!

Kilbreda Careers Website

Did you know we had our own Careers Website? It is a ‘One Stop Shop’ for everything you will need with Career Planning and support. It feaures:

• Latest News and Events
• VC / VCE VM Information
• Post School Options
• TAFE and VET
• Univeristy Admijsssions
• Find out what career suits you
• Discover a Course
• Find a Job
• Create a Resume
• Youth Allowance

Discover it for yourself today!

University Course Search Tools

Course Seeker 

There are many university courses at various institutions across Australia. It can be a daunting task to research your options, but the Course Seeker website has been designed to make this an easy process for you.

It contains a national course comparison tool which enables students to search, select and compare higher education courses and filter search results by ATAR, study area and location.

View Course ATARs

If you would like to view the ATAR profiles for university courses for each state, you can do this by using the course search functions on state based Tertiary Admission Centres.

Students will be able to view the lowest ATAR and lowest selection rank (ATAR inclusive of equity and academic bonus points) to receive an offer for the 2023 intake.

Course ATARs can be used as a guide when planning for post school studies. It’s important to note that as selection ranks are based on the demand for a course, they may rise or fall for the 2024 intake.

Use the following websites to access up to date information:

VIC	www.vtac.edu.au
NSW and ACT	www.uac.edu.au
QLD	www.qtac.edu.au
SA and NT	www.satac.edu.au
WA	www.tisc.edu.au
TAS	www.utas.edu.au

Dental Technology and Oral Health Courses in Victoria in 2023

Dental Technicians: Construct and repair dentures (false teeth) and other dental appliances, including crowns, bridges, and orthodontic appliances (Good Careers Guide)

Oral Health Therapists: Diagnose dental decay and gum diseases, collaborate with dentists to provide routine oral health care for children and adults, and also help to promote oral health and preventive dental practices among school children and the broader community (Good Careers Guide)

Both professionals work together with Dentists and Dental Surgeons.

Institution	Course Name	VCE Prerequisites	Major Studies (2023)
Charles Sturt University (Wagga Wagga) also taught at Holmesglen Institute, Chadstone Campus	Bachelor of Oral Health (Therapy and Hygiene)	n/a, but satisfactory completion of Year 12 and ATAR is used as part of selection	Oral Hygiene, Oral Therapy
Holmesglen Institute (Chadstone Campus)	Diploma of Dental Technology	n/a, but satisfactory completion of Year 12	Appliance Design Techniques, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Dental Material Science, Structures of the Oral Cavity
La Trobe University (Bendigo Campus)	Bachelor of Oral Health Science	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in one of Biology or Chemistry	Dental Hygiene, Dental Therapy, Evidence-Based Oral Health Practice, Oral Health Science, Preventive Dentistry
RMIT University (City Campus)	Diploma of Dental Technology	Satisfactory completion of Year 12	Complete and Partial Dentures, Crown and Bridge, Mouthguards, Orthodontics
University of Melbourne (Parkville Campus)	Bachelor of Oral Health	Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in English (EAL) or at least 25 in English other than EAL; Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 25 in one of Biology or Chemistry	Oral Health Sciences, Preventive and Clinical Dentistry, Social Sciences and Health Promotion, Vocational Clinical Practice

Getting Ready for Work

You might have already thought about doing mock interviews to practise answering the questions. It is after all a crucial stage of any job application process. However, before you get an interview, you might be required to complete some short-answer questions on the application forms.

Common questions could include: “Tell us why you want to work here”, “Why should we hire you?” or “What makes you unique from other candidates?”.

Tips for Answering Application Form Questions

• Don’t just answer the question reflexively; give some thought to what the employer is trying to find out by asking.
• Use the job description and your research on the company to help you answer with relevant information.
• Use the STAR technique, or the “show don’t tell” approach, to answer where possible. Provide examples not just statements.
• Write original answers, don’t copy and paste from resumes or cover letters.
• Avoid plain YES or NO answers.
• Don’t leave fields empty.

Common Questions

Here are a few example questions and answers to help you out if you’re struggling with writer’s block. You can also Google specific questions, but don’t copy the answers – just use them as inspiration.

Why do you want to work here?

Employers want to know if you’ve given serious consideration to your application. You need to show that you’ve done your research and understand exactly what the job entails.

“Your company stood out when I was researching the leading IT Solutions companies. I am aware of your dedication to the development of innovative consumer products, and I believe that this role would be the perfect fit considering my strong IT background.”

Why do you think you are suitable for this role?

Explain how your skills, knowledge and experience match the job outline, while also explaining your motivation and goals.

“I have always wanted to work as graphic designer that embraces change and provides great user experience. My studies have helped me to develop key artistic and organisational skills, while the experience that I gained from working on the school magazine has been the ideal preparation for a job in this field. I would relish the opportunity to be part of the team that works on your upcoming projects to learn more about the processes involved.”

Can you briefly outline your relevant skills and experience?

Even if you haven’t got any direct experience, yet, you can still highlight any transferable skills that relate to the role. Turn your answer into a positive one by making it clear that you want the job in order to gain experience in the area.

“Although I haven’t had the opportunity to get work experience in a marketing company yet, I have already created high level concepts that have been used by the organisation where I volunteer, I was the copywriter on a number of marketing campaigns through the school magazine and have generated interest in my work through my website, which I designed myself.”

Can you give us an example of how you made a positive contribution to a team and what the outcome was?

Talk about a time that you were recently expected to achieve a goal in a team setting. Discuss how you went above and beyond to ensure that your contribution made a difference.

“I was elected as Captain by my soccer team and committed to winning a few games this season. Along with the coach I implemented a reward system and encouraged everyone to attend extra training systems and organised some workshops with other professionals.”

Can you tell us about your strengths?

Identify two or three of what you’d consider to be your best attributes, what do you often get good feedback for? For example, communication, teamwork, efficiency, work ethic, reliability, etc. Make sure you mention how they’d be an asset to the job you’re applying for.

What are your weaknesses?

You don’t want to undersell yourself or turn off employers, but you also don’t want to say nothing. This is an opportunity to show your self-awareness. Follow up with how you’d like some professional development in that area and mention how you’ve already been working towards it – a specific goal that you’re working towards perhaps?

For example, if you’re a bit shy, you could talk about ways that you’re taking on public speaking roles and putting yourself forward for leadership or performing roles at school to.

We all have to start somewhere!

You don’t have to wait until you’re applying for a job to start practising how to answer application questions. You could go online and find jobs similar to the ones you think you’d like to apply for, then go to the application page and copy the questions. Write your answers and ask somebody else to read them and suggest ways you could improve.

Laura Lunardi
Careers Coordinator