Long-Term Member Reflections

Please read below some member reflections for CAA's 50th Anniversary Special 'Prospects' Edition. Thank you for being a part of this milestone edition.

By Fleur Mara

VET Support Officer / Skills and Workforce Programs, Dubbo Education Office

The role of the Careers Adviser has significantly evolved from providing students with information about job options to becoming a strategic guide in helping young people navigate an increasingly dynamic world of work. Career Education is now an embedded, lifelong learning journey that we as careers advisers are a small part of. The focus on pathways has shifted from traditional jobs or university, to assisting students navigate and explore entrepreneurship, vocational education, gap years, micro-credentials, and evolving industries like AI, renewable energy, and digital technologies.

Technology and global shifts in employment trends have had a major impact on students’ career planning. As a careers adviser I find this one of the biggest challenges is staying on top of all the emerging trends and technologies, students with low literacy and numeracy are being left behind. The rise of automation and AI has made it essential to teach students about transferable skills like critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence—skills that can’t be easily automated. At the same time, there’s a growing awareness among students of new career fields that didn’t exist even five years ago, such as data ethics and green energy roles.

Flexibility, working from home or remotely, portfolio careers, and side hustles are now part of many young people’s career aspirations. Our role is not just to inform but to prepare students to thrive in this ever-evolving landscape—helping them develop the mindset, adaptability, and lifelong learning habits needed for success.

By Julie Grimshaw

The year was 1997 and the Department of Education established twenty Vocational Education Consultants.  I was appointed to support Careers Advisers and Vocational Education and Training (VET) teachers in the Bankstown and Granville Districts.  Although I had a strong background in VET as a Head Teacher TAS and an early deliverer of VET Hospitality, my experience in Careers Education was limited. So, I completed a Graduate Certificate in Education (Careers), was accredited as a Careers Adviser and joined the Careers Advisers Association of NSW (CAANSW&ACT).

A significant highlight and legacy from this time involved working with the with Bankstown Careers Advisers and Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital to develop and establish Certificate III in Community Services (Aged Care) and a traineeship pathway for senior students.  This initiative was the precursor to the current Human Services Curriculum Framework.  I also had the opportunity and privilege to help establish the School to Work program across NSW.

Later, I returned to school as Deputy Principal, teaching Careers lessons and working with students on transition pathways.  In this role, my Careers Adviser knowledge, experience and contacts were invaluable in helping students develop and implement individual plans for success.

My involvement with CAANSW has changed across the years.  In the early years I benefited and valued the support and guidance from more experienced Careers Advisers.  Later, I was able to contribute to journal articles, help judge applications for the Careers Adviser of the Year Award, present at New Teacher Induction Programs and Annual Conferences.  The professional association has grown both in numbers, advocacy and impact across the years.

I reflect upon and thank the members past and present who have been part of the journey to build CAA to what it is today. Congratulations Careers Advisers Association on celebrating 50 years.

By Jennie Zugajev

My career advising journey started on 12 March 1987, as a casual position for 6 weeks: no training. No help (knowledge) from within the school. Here are some of my highlights & memories from my 32 years:

  • The one afternoon a week training in Parramatta DET Office with two other ‘newbies’
  • Organising 2 weeks’ work experience for 180 Yr 10 students, 4 weeks after starting the ‘casual job’ (my Principal did not realise that I could change the dates booked in the previous year). Many tears were shed in my Office …
  • Doing the DET’s retraining course during 1989 with about twenty other people. It was then done in 4-week blocks throughout the year at Leichardt DET Offices. One other and I had already been teaching careers for 2 years by this stage. It was a fun way to learn.
  • Being asked to launch the new “JST” (before it became JSST … before it became TVET) course from my school in the late 1980s.
  • Mentoring about ten new CAs during the early 2000s, during their retraining courses and for their first years in schools. An absolutely fabulous experience and honor.
  • Twice serving on the CAA Executive (as Secretary) for a total of eight years
  • Being the recipient of the Hilary Boland Award in 2016
  • The wonderful friendships that are still continuing today, formed out of working closely with my colleagues in both the Nepean and Blacktown Careers Forums.

Thanks for the memories …

By Marg Selby

Former Careers Adviser & Exchange Co-ordinator

I started working as a Careers Adviser in 1989 in a part-time capacity. At this time, there were few resources available, and the tertiary institutions did not do much to promote themselves, like by providing “Student Recruitment” staff or offering websites to explore. However, I found the role fascinating and soon made lots of contacts and was able to build up a broad knowledge about the depth and breadth of tertiary courses offered. As time continued and students became more adventurous in their thinking and choices, I expanded my knowledge, not only about the local courses on offer, but also those that were offered interstate and overseas. I loved the fact that this was a job where I was always learning and that I could support and aid students at the same time.

Whilst I had always loved my role as a classroom teacher, I found the opportunity to work with students on a one-to-one basis extremely rewarding and I relished the research opportunities that were required, to be able to answer all the student queries. I soon found myself totally enamoured of my new role and over the course of a few years, it quickly expanded to become a full-time role. Listening to the aspirations of the students and probing their thinking to make them consider their decision-making process in a logical and rational way, is something I have never tired of doing.

Over the past 35 years, the range of courses and the volume of information about tertiary opportunities has expanded exponentially and so the job has kept growing and changing. There was never any chance of becoming bored with my work and I was fascinated by the different areas that have attracted my students’ interest. I have regularly dealt with the usual interests of business, health, and law, but have also felt privileged to assist students to explore, study and work in less common areas of interest, like doing aid work in places like South Sudan, the Congo and India, along with improving the lives of our own indigenous people.  In addition, I have been proud of students who have gone on to work in areas as varied as air traffic control, biobanking, casting direction, food sustainability, health economics and ornithology. I had always hoped that I could interest someone in studying podiatry, as there is such a need in that area, but no-one ever was interested in taking me up on doing that!

Nevertheless, I found my long stint as a careers adviser to have been totally fulfilling and consider myself very lucky, that I never found going to work tedious. It was such a privilege to be able to work with students who made every day so varied, fun, and motivating. There can’t be another job as rewarding as careers advising, I am sure! How fortunate am I to have had this opportunity?

By Linda Downey

Careers Adviser East Hills Girls Technology High School

The past 30 years as a Careers Adviser have just whizzed by, who knew I'd manage that! CAA was a great support and collaborator during that time. Being a solo practitioner in a school requires a great backstop. Thanks CAA. 

Greatest buzz: randomly meeting ex-students who thank you for achieving a career goal that would otherwise have escaped them.

Ever grateful to colleagues over the years who imparted their wisdom and advice freely and willingly. The early years with careers advisers from the Canterbury Bankstown district was special, I hope I have managed to inspire newer colleagues as those "old hands" inspired me.

Happy 50th thanks to all those who committed their time and effort to maintaining the CAA over the years.

By Anne Cheetham

Reflecting on my 31 years as a Careers Adviser it is difficult to pinpoint any specific memorable moment, or moments. Success stories have been extremely variable ranging from an apprentice jockey winning his first race as an apprentice, to an Astrophysicist and to a Police Inspector of a NSW Police District.

After the 4-week Career Education Training Course at the Teacher Reorientation and Induction Unit at Woolloomooloo in 1978, my first appointment as a Careers Adviser that same year was to Girraween High School. After appointments to other schools including Maitland Grossmann and Tomaree (previously Nelson Bay) and Consultant positions in between, I retired in 2009 from Tomaree High School where I spent the last 15 years of my own memorable teaching career as Careers Adviser.

In 2006 I received the Hilary Bolin Award from the CAA in recognition of my contribution to Career Education – this was a real highlight of my professional career. As well as being an executive member of the Careers Committees of Met West, Liverpool and Hunter Regions during those 31 years, my role as the NSW CAA Communications Officer from 1983 – 1985 included the publication of ‘Prospects’. Looking back at those early editions certainly shows the influence of advances in technology…no emails, mobile phones, internet or shiny coloured publications.

By Caroline Wilson

When I took on the Career Adviser role at Kingswood High School following the snap resignation of the previous Career Adviser, I didn’t know the journey it would take me on. With 250 students to place on work experience in the next 2 weeks it was a baptism of fire!

Luckily, I had persuaded the Principal that if the role was advertised that I would be permitted to apply. Luckily, I was appointed and agreed to be trained. This training cemented my skills base for a life of being a Careers Adviser, intertwined with other roles. Names like Margaret Gambley and Yvonne Hardy and many others contributed to our learning in the 6-week retraining course. There were 2 groups in 1989, at least 40 of us, and some faces I can still see around at conferences, enjoying the best job in the school, as I did! One learning from the course- handle any document only once (read it and deal with it before moving on to the next), I tried to follow that advice.

Working with the Nepean Careers Network gave me the remaining skills I needed for the job. No matter what you think you know in this role it never stays the same for very long. There I made some lifelong friends, Lyn Tuckwell is one of them.

Nomination for the Career Adviser in the Year 2012 was my next highlight. I had been at Kellyville High School for one year before the Principal nominated me. I was unaware of this nomination, even when she asked me for a bit of a biography about what I had done across my roles. Her comment was “I knew you were more than just a Career Adviser”- I didn’t know whether to be insulted or impressed! Winning the award even better!

My dream job followed a few years later. I had always admired Sue Maclean in her Department role supporting Career Advisers in NSW schools. I once again applied for my dream job and got it. I didn’t just get it- there was one role up for grabs, but they found the resources to employ two of us. Sharing the Principal Education Officer role in the Department of Education Pathways and Transition Team (2020-2021) with Glenda O’Brien was that dream come true. Glenda had such a passion to support career advisers in her day-to-day work and I to support rural and regional career advisers. We were a great team for a couple of years! We supported 2 teams of Education Pathways Program schools between us, a program that has evolved to a much greater footprint today. Covid even happened and we still survived….

My Career Adviser journey sort of ends in 2022 as a Career Adviser in a rural school, Canobolas Rural Technology High School. I always gravitated back to school and making a difference to students. I received the Margaret Gambley award in 2023. This finalised my Career Adviser journey and I was so proud.

 I now am an Assistant RTO Manager for the Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst, and despite not being in the classroom, I still try to support Career Advisers in schools in the Central West. I am blessed with working with some very passionate Career Advisers, in a very highly functional and collaborative Careers Network- the Central West CAA, led by Glen Pearson.

Thank you, CAA, for supporting my Career Journey, the journey of hundreds of Career Advisers over the last 50 years.

 

By Nashwa Karafotias 

Careers and Partnerships St Agnes Catholic High School

My journey in Career Development Education began over two decades ago in the Department of Education, working closely with young people in Juvenile Justice. It was there that I learned the power of belief, structure, and hope. Many of the students I worked with came from deeply vulnerable backgrounds: Aboriginal, Pasifika, and African communities whose stories were often shaped by intergenerational hardship, trauma, and systemic barriers. Yet, even in the most challenging contexts, I witnessed how the right opportunity and timely guidance could spark transformation.

Today, I serve as a Careers Adviser at St Agnes Catholic High School in Rooty Hill, Western Sydney. The demographics may be similar, but the context has shifted: I now work in a faith-based setting where the focus on dignity, compassion, integrity and inclusivity enables me to guide students beyond just pathways - it's about discovering purpose. I no longer just talk about jobs with them. We talk about identity, skills, purpose, and future readiness. We facilitate career education that empowers students to think critically, build capacity, and understand the changing world around them.

One of my most moving experiences came from a Year 11 student of Pasifika and African descent who had been on the edge of dropping out due to a range of systemic barriers and socioeconomic challenges. Through sustained mentoring, partnership with family, and access to phenomenal university partnerships, they not only completed Year 12 but received a scholarship and working towards a Masters degree in Social Work. They recently told me, “Miss, you’re the first person who ever told me I could do more than work in a factory. You helped me see I had choices.” Moments like this affirm the value of what we do, and this phenomenal life will continue to advocate for their local community into the future. 

Technology and shifting employment trends have profoundly changed how students explore and enter the workforce and how I support their needs. Digital portfolios, AI-generated resumes, online micro credentials and remote internships are becoming the norm. Students are no longer just competing locally. They are operating in a global market. But in our local community there is an inequity in access to digital resources. We must walk alongside students, enabling them to not only use the tools but to believe they are worthy of the futures those tools can help create.

As we celebrate 50 years of CAA, I reflect with deep gratitude for the mentors, students, and communities who’ve shaped my practice. Moving from one system to another, not knowing how to navigate different organisations, there has always been a consistent team of specialists that have supported my journey. Anytime I mentor young new Careers Advisers, the first place I send them is to this network. I let them know that the feelings of hopelessness they are feeling will soon be washed away when they get to their first New Careers Advisers Forum. Once in a room with like-minded colleagues they can collaborate, build networks and partnerships that align with the community they are advocating for. Our one-stop shop to all the current trends and yardstick organisations symbiotic with Careers, Pathways, and Transition. 

By Katrina Smith 

Careers Adviser Loreto Normanhurst

As I look back on my journey with the Careers Advisers Association (CAA), I am filled with immense pride and gratitude. Being part of this community for so many years has been a truly enriching experience. One of my most memorable moments was when Mrs. Alexi Kayes and I were awarded for Excellence in Careers and Transition Planning in 2023. Our initiative in gaining this award not only provided students with invaluable career guidance but also fostered strong partnerships with local businesses and universities. Seeing students thrive and confidently pursue their passions is incredibly rewarding.

Another highlight is the annual Career Development Conference, where career advisers from all over NSW & the ACT gather to share insights, strategies, and success stories. The sense of camaraderie and shared purpose is always palpable, and it reinforces the importance of our work in shaping the futures of young people.

As we celebrate CAA's 50th anniversary, I am reminded of the countless resources, activities, professional development, and time all members of the CAA give, especially the volunteers and employers of CAA. Without you all, we would be unable to achieve the remarkable impact we have on students' lives. Here's to many more years of dedication, innovation, and success in career development education!

By Lynette Tuckwell 

Head Teacher Careers Educational Pathways Program

We all play a huge role in sparking lifelong learning for our students and there are so many highlights for me, over the past 40 years - from the day to day ‘Thank You’ greetings, to the school and community praise and the post school contact with students who still appreciate you and the help that you gave them. Where I have spent my career in Western Sydney schools, if you can make a difference to a student journey, it can make a difference in their family and in their neighbourhood. What an honour! It could be helping them to land their first job or take the next step to university, TAFE or training. I can show them what is possible and set them up for life. Seeing these things reflected in our NSW Skills Plan and our plan for public education is now the ultimate highlight. All the other highlights happen every day.

How lucky am I!

By Annie Fellows 

Careers Adviser Wagga Wagga High School

Working in Careers for over 25 years has been rewarding on so many levels. The day I made the decision to move from teaching PE and Dance to working in Careers was one I never imagined would bring me so much happiness and fulfilment.

My journey in this field has been nothing short of amazing. I've had the privilege of helping countless students reach their goals, and working alongside staff and parents has made me love what I do every single day. No two days are the same, and my role at WWHS has given me the freedom and support to work both independently and collaboratively to design and embed meaningful, valuable programs across the school.

I love the ability to think outside the box to address emerging needs and tackle the challenges schools often face. Hard work is in my DNA, and I feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by fantastic staff at WWHS and to be part of the local WWCAA network. These professional connections allow us to work together to achieve career goals and, most importantly, to support our students.

Some of the highlights of my role include having deep conversations with students, meeting new people every day—whether parents or industry representatives—and working alongside dedicated staff from TAFE and universities. I continue to grow and learn from these enriching opportunities.

Giving back to the community and building strong connections is something I deeply value. One of my favourite programs to run each year is the Year 10 Enrichment Program. Everything Careers offers—from SBATs and work experience to expos, excursions, TAFE and university engagement—makes this role so rewarding.

In conclusion, saying yes to the Careers role at WWHS in 2000 was the best professional decision I've ever made.

By Tania Burgmann

Careers Adviser Penshurst GHS 1986-1995/1997-2001

Vocational Education Consultant for Bankstown & Strathfield 1996

Careers Adviser GRC- Penshurst Girls Campus 2002-2011

When I was in high school in the 1960’s Careers Advice came from the Vocational Guidance Unit.  Reps would come into a school and give Year 3 (the equivalent of Year 9 under the Wyndham System) a Vocational Guidance Assessment which was followed by an interview.  This must have made an impression on me because that is what I decided to do for my BA (Psychology major) but at the end of my degree after doing a job interview with Vocational Guidance, I decided they were too slow in getting back to me, so Teaching Social Science, it had to be!  The Careers Retraining course was undertaken in 1978 which brought in a fulltime CA for each government high school.  For about 3 years or so before this, some schools had a 0.5 CA (usually from Social Science)

Careers Education varied from one school to the other and even in one school from one year to the next.  For instance, some years saw me free to organise and supervise the activities without having to teach classes whilst other years I was timetabled and again this varied from year 7 or 9 or 10 or 11.  There might be year meetings as well, to cover such things as subject selection or university and TAFE applications etc.  There were other school based responsibilities too, like:  playground duty; excursion assistance; Parent/ Teacher Nights; Sports and Swimming Carnivals; Sports supervision.  Irrespective of whether I had classes or not, for me, Careers had the great attraction of very hands on learning for students – it often allowed me to see them in a different light to their everyday classroom learning but best of all it created a reality check for the students themselves as they had to face up to their choices.  The Penshurst Girl’s Careers Program evolved from just having students placed for work experience to support activities such as careers assignments and mock interviews (staff and parents helped with interview or work experience when they had a particular interest or when they had free time) plus other activities which covered a variety of students for different ages, interests and skills.  Of course, many activities also provided interaction with other Careers Advisers whose team efforts led to the development of Tertiary Days; Subject Specific Days (one of the best memories was Creative Day where one of the university reps pulled out his saxophone a played a mighty jazz number in our school hall); TAFE  Days also supplemented by Girls in Technology Days (held at a TAFE) which later developed into JSST/TVET subject support; Tertiary Days; Careers Markets; Back to School Days for Education Week involving ex-students who took part in panel presentations followed by small group discussions with students.  These activities where a lot of work but they also brought us in contact with some amazing people in the community in general as well as local businesses; staff in your own schools and other schools; tertiary institutions and charity groups.  From the beginning of my fulltime Careers interest (when I went into training) there was always the support of the Careers Advisers Association (established about 1975).  The CAA was always pivotal in highlighting best practice and supporting an understanding of the requirements of implementing a good Careers Program.  Of course, this was where I could depend on likeminded people on a statewide basis to not only inspire me but to also share the gritty details that were essential to have a program meet Department and Legal requirements and thus to function smoothly.

In my school program students needed to prepare a resume and dress appropriately for the interview.  The interview had to be on the topic in the assignment.  Many of the interviews were held at the school with industry reps doing the questions.  One year we had a Qantas flight attendant; another year a policeman and a defence force arrived in uniform; a solicitor came to school but expected to read the student’s assignment beforehand; other careers advisers; ex-students or parents or staff covered a variety of careers including education, trades, health etc.  Some students went to offices in the local community.  Some went to the local police station but that was eventually stopped because of privacy laws.  Other memorable moments: a student wearing an outfit she had made herself for a fashion design job; one very embarrassed girl trying to make an impression, fell over in her mum’s high heels; one student didn’t want to be a hairdresser but thought it was easy for the interview but then went on to open her own salon many years later.  And then, there was work experience:  one student I discovered in the great cavern under the Australian Museum – she was given the responsibility of packaging New Guinea artefacts to be sent overseas;  one girl cut her finger at the Italian restaurant at the Quay and then passed out;  one girl had to wear a gown and mask to be allowed to watch an operation in a private hospital;  yet another student at a local vet passed out whilst watching a dog operation;  one year I ‘rescued’ two students cleaning out a plane from a possible flight on Dick Smith’s airplane at Bankstown Airport ; one of the most rewarding was for a girl who caught public transport after her dad, on day one, just had to take her to work experience and pick her up after work.  She was so pleased with herself.  This brought back a contrasting memory of male student at a co-ed school I was relief teaching at, a few years earlier, being refused permission by his parents, to travel by train to do work experience with an electrician I had organised in the city.  Probably my favourite supervision was taking the ferry to the zoo.  One year I was allowed to feed the seals (after I had taken off my black coat – the seals had refused to come near me with the coat on even though it was feeding time and I had such lovely fresh fish); at another I fed the giraffes in their enclosure; at another I went behind the scenes of the orang-utan cages.  What a buzz!  An extension of the work experience program was the Executive Shadow Program which ran for several years enabling girls in Year 11 to be placed with a female executive.  Managers from Hyde Park Plaza, the Royal Flying Doctors, Readers Digest, Qantas, Telstra, Westpac, Triulzi Group, Red Cross, Office for Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment and others made time in their busy schedules to encourage these young females to try to take on a future for change.  Some executives even followed up by speaking at the school assembly.

Another related ‘work’ situation is Community Service which I ran as a sports option as well as a placement throughout the week.  I was really impressed by the students who went to St George Special School to help in the classroom, the playground and with particular students.  Their courage and patience were commendable.  It even gave me the opportunity to play in the coloured ball pit with a St George Special student.  Another student who stood out in her dedication, was placed in an Aged Care Facility where she connected so well with an elderly lady that in her spare time after school and during her holidays she continued to visit.  Students such as this received awards at Parliament House, after lunch overlooking the Domain, provided by Volunteering NSW; yet other awards such as the Order of Australia were presented at Government House; other students received awards and a meal at a formal dinner for Young Citizen of the Year or Young Sports Person of the Year from the Hurstville Council.  Other students took up the challenge of signing up for the Duke of Edinburgh Awards.  Some dedicated staff members led student for bushwalks, camp outs and canoeing while I did the paperwork and talking at meetings. I also managed to squeeze in a walk or two and a camp out at Bundeena.  Never a dull moment as a Careers Adviser – things were always changing and there was always something to do and some fun to be had as well!

Tania Burgmann, Retired Careers Adviser