The Career Book - current version | Page 10

the career book influence of others People around us influence our career decisions. Let’s look at how we can use this to our advantage. USQ 1.21  Career Tree 1.22  Access your allies through networking Our friends, the teachers at our school, the family we have and the people our parents know are all influences in our lives. The jobs those people around us have also influence us. Do the people I meet go into trades? Do the people I meet go to university? Do the people I meet work in unqualified jobs? If you want to be a physiotherapist or a plumber and you don’t know someone who is, maybe your family friends might know someone? Accessing our allies, or ‘networking’, is very important in both career planning and job hunting. 1.23 Mentoring 1.24 Volunteering Volunteering experiences are a great addition to your resumé. Volunteering can also be a very helpful way to gain a ‘foot in the door’, particularly in some industries and occupations. National park rangers and marine biologists are some of these. Mentors are experienced people who can help you as you begin on your career journey. People you meet along the way can then be mentors as you travel on your future career path. 1.25  Work experience USQ 8 If you need help with mathematics you ASK your mathematics teacher, or if you need to know about sports training you ASK the PE teacher. ASK questions. ASK those who know. Recognise that if you don’t know about a career path, a particular job or going to Uni., someone around you may know. Informational interviewing and work experience can be very valuable. 1.26 Student’s guide to work experience Sitting on the couch won’t be the best place to find out about or experience what it is like in different careers. What if you want to find out what it’s like to be a vet or an engineer and you don’t know any? Work experience is an essential part of finding out about occupations and possible career paths.