Thread: Sources of career advice

I'm a creative professional - design, web, photography, video and strategy - been in the industry for almost 10 years. Currently working as creative and marketing director for Australia's leading health retreat, but started with my own freelance design business out of school. I've traveled overseas and worked with universities and non-profits in creative roles.

Does your daughter have one area of multimedia that she's passionate about? What attracted her to that line of study?

My experience is that passion, raw creative talent (which still means you have to work your rear off!) and a strong portfolio (including personal projects) are invaluable assets to landing a job in the creative field. Bypass the recruitment agencies and seek out creative agencies she would love to work for/with, then hit them up with her portfolio and, if no immediate replies, offers of doing free work to get in the door. It's a crowded market, but talent is lacking and persistence pays off!

The designer that works with me is leaving for 6 months traveling overseas and I've been looking at new designers looking for experience in the non-profit field. I haven't found too many that seem passionate and talented (by talent I mean a bit of creativity and a ton of I'm not going to rest until I make my good better, and my better best!).

I agree with the others on finishing the degree and traveling - neither of which will be regretted.

Hope that helps a bit. Feel free to ask any industry specific questions and I'll try to answer them.

Hello Steve,

I am not sure if your daughter's university has its own Careers Adviser? I know that my little regional university does have one at a number of its campuses.

Some of the better recruitment agencies do offer aptitude tests which are linked to suitable vocations.

Kind Regards
Lionel

Hi Steve,

Has deferring the course for a while been discussed? maybe some time off to travel/work will get back some of the lost motivation to complete her uni work.

I know I wish I had done this instead of dropping out of uni. At the time I thought it was the best option (really it was just the easy option). I am really kicking myself because now I still am not sure what I want to do and don't have a qual.

Craig

Originally Posted by cdbanks

Hi Steve,

Has deferring the course for a while been discussed? maybe some time off to travel/work will get back some of the lost motivation to complete her uni work.

I know I wish I had done this instead of dropping out of uni. At the time I thought it was the best option (really it was just the easy option). I am really kicking myself because now I still am not sure what I want to do and don't have a qual.

Craig

Sorry to hijack the link Steve; however just to follow what Craig wrote about - it took me until I was 40 to realise what I wanted to do when I grew up . I moved from career to career and then suddenly realised that the part I enjoyed most about each job was finding out about new stuff. So I got a qualification with a research background and now I do professional research.

The thing is about deferring - a lot of people defer and then get a job and become use to getting good money.... for a while. Study gets put off until later. The only thing is that it will never get any cheaper to study than it is now - as dear as it is. In other words, each year from now study will only get more expensive.

A degree is something which opens doors - if you don't have one those doors don't open. In a lot of cases a degree just shows to an employer that you have the discipline to stick something out and see it through to the end. Oh and that you can live in sheer poverty for at least three years.

When other mature aged people have asked me about whether they should study when a part-time degree will take 6 years I usually ask them, "how long have you been alive for now? How many more years do you think you will live for if you take good care of your health? How much does 6 years part-time stack up against that? People then usually say very rude things to me as they walk away.

Kind Regards
Lionel

Originally Posted by steveG

After spending the last 3 years (of a 4yr multimedia degree) at uni, my 21yo daughter is struggling to see where she's going with it

Exact same predicament I had with my Light Vehicle app. But I stuck it out to the end and now have 4 certificates and no desire to use them. The only advice I can give (be it that I'm looking from the same point/age, sorta) Don't nag. It makes it harder. Give advice and let her figure it out herself.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

the easy way into a new carer is through the defence, and they are starting to get desperate for some roles.

Depends on which service. Defence is certainly a good job. Teaches you to push through, rather than give up.

Originally Posted by Marshall

Best career advice I can give; finish the degree

+1. Finishing something that you hate shows alot of strengths in character. It's a good leverage point for other jobs (mainly officer entry to Defence) That once you've made your decision on something, you can see it out to the end.

Regan Consulting on 384 Church Street Richmond are very highly regarded. They offer aptitude testing as well as career advice. Not inexpensive, but for me their advice given in 2008 has proven invaluable.

Originally Posted by Marshall

Best career advice I can give; finish the degree.
...

Agree.

She is most of the way there. A finished degree will help with employment and salary (not just in fields related to the degree).

Plus, if she decides on a different career path down the track, the degree can still be used for credit towards another UG degree or allow her entry to PG (Masters etc) degrees.

Taking Landie333's advice of "dont nag", I sent my daughter a link to this thread so she could read the responses herself. I also forwarded on to her some PM's that I had received containing more detailed info.

Thought you might like to see the quick reply she sent back:
"I have never found a bunch of supportive people like the people who have replied!"

Also, I just had a phone call to say that she's definitely going back to uni this year - to finish off the degree

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions.

Steve