Exploring Tomorrow
Year 10 students immersed themselves in the world of work this week, exploring their future careers through a comprehensive program that blended industry insights and hands-on workplace experience with lessons in digital professionalism.
A highlight of the week was a frank discussion about online reputation in the digital age. Sally Dwyer from Be Social. Be Smart. reminded students of the influence their social media presence can have on their employability. She recommended students google themselves to discover the impression employers may glean from their digital footprint. “A little audit at this point is a great thing to do,” she said. “They’re not going on there to find a reason not to hire you. They’re going on there to make sure you are who you say you are and that you are living up to all the things that you say you are in your CVs and your cover letters.”
Grace Jorgensen from Assistant Sydney built on this theme, encouraging students to consider their ‘personal brand’ as they prepared to embark on their Work Exploration placements. Her session provided valuable insights into future employment success. “Just getting a university degree is not enough to get a job,” one student reflected.
Sparking particular interest was an Alumnae panel featuring graduates working in business, law, medicine and nursing. Alumna Eleni Gorgas (2018) shared her journey to becoming a medical doctor, speaking candidly about her initially uncertain path. She chose Clinical Science partly because the accelerated two-year program would give her a degree quickly while she worked out her true direction. Halfway through her first year, she decided to sit the GAMSAT exam and performed well enough to enter Macquarie's Medicine program. Her circuitous journey offered reassurance to students still working out their own directions.
In a new initiative this year, Careers Prefect Georgina led a panel of Year 11 students who shared practical advice from their own work placements. "The feedback was really positive," Georgina noted. "Year 10 said it was helpful hearing advice from students rather than teachers, especially about what to wear, how to act and what different workplaces can be like."
A cornerstone of the annual experience is Industry Day. This year, students rotated through hands-on workshops providing taster experiences across diverse fields, as well as useful life skills. External guests from NEX GEN construction, Sydney Design School, National Fashion College, Galmatic Car Maintenance, and Vanilla Blue Catering brought their industries to life, while Wenona staff shared expertise in podcasting, floristry, marketing, human resources, project management and finance. The Australian Defence Force session proved particularly popular, opening students' minds to unexpected career paths.
The week culminated with Year 10 journeying beyond the School to various work placements. Out in force across Sydney, they immersed themselves in organisations from Taronga Zoo to Cisco, Pinterest Australia, Belle Property Mosman, The National Rugby League, NIDA, Seven West Media, Atlassian, Royal North Shore Hospital, and Reef Safari Diving, gaining firsthand insight into their potential futures.