Speak Out OCTOBER 2021 DIGITAL EDITION

EARLY CAREER

Get ready for work

Are you prepared to transition into the profession

Many students who are completing their university courses are beginning to search for jobs and think about their transition into the profession. The Association has a variety of resources to support future speech pathologists during this time. Job search The SPA Career Centre allows you to search for jobs in various sectors and practice areas around Australia. You can also post your resume and cover letter and let interested employers contact your. In a recent interview, Jamie Williams from Your Membership, which hosts the SPA Career Centre, indicated that speech pathologists can successfully find employment by contacting and forming relationships with practices and organisations where they would like to work. He suggests that researching these practices ahead of time, creating a script for contacting them and practising it is important. He also provides advice for writing a CV and interviewing. Ready for work Jamie’s interview sits with a suite of other brief videos and podcasts on the SPA website called Ready for Work .

This resource covers a variety of topics of importance to graduating students, including: • employment contracts • work arrangements • pay and awards

• starting work requirements • working in private practice. Supervision

Another video in the Ready for Work series discusses the importance supervision. While it may seem early to consider supervision at this stage, it is helpful to discuss the professional support that is offered by potential employers and to include any arrangements for supervision in employment agreements. SPA has a variety of online resources for discussing supervision, including guidelines, templates, and an online register for identifying external supervisors. If you have questions about these resources or about discussing supervision, please contact the Association's professional support advisor at psa@ speechpathologyaustralia.org.au

Nathan Cornish-Raley Professional Support Advisor

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October 2021 | Speak Out