Finding information about career options
Your decision about a career direction needs to be based on some facts about yourself and the industry you are considering. Where you can, gather some personal perspectives from people already studying and/or working in a career you think you are interested in.
The information below is adapted from Brisbane's Centrelink Career Information Centre's fact sheet 'Planning a Career Path' and the Tasmanian Regional Disability Liaison Officer's publication 'Leaps and Bounds'.
Key research points:
The key points of information to research are:
About you:
- What are your areas of interest, skills and abilities?
- What are the things about work that are most important to you? (For example, achievement, status, financial reward, social contribution, creative expression, etc.)
- What other factors will influence your decision making? (For example, family views, work available in your local area, cultural considerations, etc.)
- What kind of work/life balance do you want? (For example, working on weekends and after hours, travel required for work, long distance commuting required, etc.)
- Does your disability affect what type of work you can do? What are the core requirements of this occupation? What adjustments can be made in this industry to accommodate your disability? Are there core requirements of this work that cannot be adjusted to accommodate the effects of your particular disability?
About this career:
- What are the key facts about the career you are considering? (For example, hours of work, levels of pay, levels of employment and unemployment, the ratio of men to women working in the industry and the average age of those working in this type of career.)
- What does the future hold for this type of career? (For example, whether work will be readily available when you graduate and later on and any areas of growth that may interest you especially.)
- What will your workplace/s/ be like in this type of career? Would this be adaptable to your disability?
- What specific activities and tasks would you be doing when working in this industry? Would these activities and tasks be adaptable to your disability?
- Is there work available in your local area or in areas readily accessible by public transport or other transport available to you?
- Is there a professional registration board involved and, if so, how will their requirements affect your career options? Where can you find information about the specific registration requirements of this field?
- What formal qualifications are needed for this type of career? Will the course/s/ you are considering open up options for you in this industry?