All I keep hearing is how stressful some jobs are. How do I find a good career and get into it?’
‘Industry’ is a label given to a group of businesses and skills that go into producing products and services. The leading industries in SA include:
- Resources: This is the exploration and processing of oil, gas, minerals and metals for a range of uses in daily life, as well as harnessing alternative sources of energy including geothermal (also known as hot rocks), wind and solar energy.
- Defence: This is not the army, navy or air force but the cutting-edge research, development and manufacturing which supports the defence forces, including ship building, designing national security software or servicing jets.
- ICT/Electronics: More than just wiring plugs, this is about the design, development and production of both hardware and software. For example building an iPhone and designing the apps that work on it.
- Advanced manufacturing: This is the design and production of the
components that go into all the things we use every day of our lives
and don’t even realise. How did you think this computer got here? - Construction: More than just building things, construction is also
about design, planning and environmental management.
Why these industries?
Although these aren’t the only industries you can work in, the South Australian Government strongly supports them because they offer a great future for people like you. Right now, there are billions being invested to develop projects. If you’re starting to think about how great your career could be, then it’s worth considering all the exciting opportunities in the industries right in your own back yard.
And your interests could lead you right there.
What should I be thinking about?
Whatever you’re into, from designing outfits or playing music to gaming or going camping, you can discover that your interests – no matter how random you think they may be – can actually lead you into a rewarding job. Take designing outfits - what skills does that require? Coordination, style, flair, budgeting…the same kinds of skills a project engineer needs!
To make this connection, learn a bit more about some of our growing industries and ask yourself some questions, such as:
- Which industries build things?
- What stuff do they build?
- Who is responsible for the design, the project, the result?
- Would I enjoy doing that?
- What skills am I likely to need to do that job?
- Is there anyone I can talk to about what it’s really like to work there?