Top things to consider while selecting a course in Australia
There are many universities and courses available in Australia. Sometimes, we are confused which one to select and what is the best one and which one has better prospects for career opportunities. When I had a plan to study in Australia, I had no idea of how to select a course. I was just totally relied on the consultancy to guide me. I was fortunate that I was guided properly by the agent.
During the time of applying to Universities, I had no clue of Permanent Residency and the career prospects in Australia and around the world for the course I had chosen.
I want to bring some guide how you can select your course and how to check your career prospects.
Skilled Occupation List (SOL): This occupation list is prepared by the immigration department based on the shortage of skills in Australia. This list has Short Term skilled Occupation list (STSOL) or Regional Occupation List (ROL) and Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MTLSSL). So you can check here which skills or jobs are on demand in Australia.
Skills Assessing Bodies: These bodies’ help you assess your above occupation chosen after you finish your studies in Australia. There are more chances of positive assessment if your course is closely related to the nominated occupation. Please refer to CPA for assessment of Accounting degrees.
My Bachelors was B.com and pursued M.Com (PA) in Australia. I was assessed by CPA Australia based on these qualifications. I was given a positive assessment as my skills were relevant to nominated occupation of Accountant (General). Based on this assessment, I was eligible to apply for Permanent Resident (PR) in Australia under Accountant (General) category. Try to select the course wisely that helps you for your future prospects.
Career prospects: Many of us have doubts what jobs do I get after completing my study. I was one of them. I have learned the hard way. When you are planning to study in Australia, refer to list of Australian universities . Select the university and course you want to study. After selecting the course , look at career opportunities available.
The example I have shown here is; I have selected for Master of Professional Accounting. It has career opportunities as Banker, Professional Accountant, stockbroker etc.
Once you have identified your profession, search the relevant jobs in the recruitment websites.This helps you what employers are expecting from you and helps to develop your skills accordingly.
Points system: Australian immigration processes the migration applications based on the points system. The points are usually 60. These point change depending on the demand and supply of immigrants. The points are awarded for age, qualification etc. Read my article here.
Alternatively, you might be eligible to apply for Permanent Residency from your country. This is suitable for candidates you have work experience overseas in one of the occupations listed on SOL.
There is code given for each occupation, it is called ANZCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations). This code provides information on the skill levels of jobs, qualifications and experience to apply for nominated occupations listed in SOL. To know whether your experience is related to nominated occupations see ABS
The same steps apply for other occupations as well, however, the assessing authority change as per the occupation listed in SOL. Here I have chosen my field as an example which helps to present my thoughts well.
Summary:
- Decide your goal
- Look at SOL to know the current opportunities available for Permanent Residency.
- If the selected Degree relates to one of the nominated occupations then go to the Assessing Authority to identify what subjects to study as part of your course.
- The next step is go to your chosen University. Select the course that has subjects you are looking for. Check whether career opportunities matching to the nominated skilled occupation
- Develop your skills and knowledge to make you ready to get into the marketplace.
- Consider applying for PR visa after you met the relevant points.
The intention of the above article is to help students who wants to know the possible opportunities available in Australia to settle down permanently along with career opportunities available across the world for their course.
Share your experience in the comments how course selection helped you to settle down in Australia.
