How to be job-ready
Prepare, build confidence, and increase your chances of success.
Training and advice
The Australian Government offers a range of vocational education and training (VET) opportunities designed to:
- prepare secondary school students for work at Your Career
- help with school to work transitions
- encourage the take up of Australian apprenticeships
- School Leavers Information Service - telephone and SMS support for 15 to 24 year olds looking for tailored career guidance.
In addition, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) Worksite provides practical information for first time job seekers.
Job Jumpstart
Job Jumpstart aims to help young job seekers better understand how to:
- build work experience and skills to boost the chances of getting a job
- research career options
- connect with employers.
By combining information on employment planning and recruitment insights from Australian employers, the scheme provides resources and activities to help you work out what jobs might suit your skills and interests.
Find out more about looking for work at Job Jumpstart.
Understand your strengths
Identifying your strong points and being aware of any gaps in your skills and experience can help you plan a direction you’d like your career to take.
There are several online tools that can help shape your employment focus, including:
- myfuture captures your interests, skills, education and training experience to build a career profile and pathways to possible occupations
- Job Jumpstart has information and resources to help identify your goals and the skills you'll need, as well as industry insights.
Be aware of soft skills
Soft skills typically refer to interpersonal qualities and abilities that can be applied and built upon in most workplaces. They generally relate to:
- adaptability and resilience
- teamwork and collaboration
- creativity and innovation
- critical thinking and problem solving
- communication and interpersonal skills.
Soft skills can make a positive difference throughout your career as well as being transferable across most roles and industries.
While they can be difficult to demonstrate on your resume, many employers and recruiters may look to find out your understanding of soft skills in discussions or an interview.