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Life After Year 12 – A Survival Guide for Creative Students

22 July 2014Written by AIT Crew
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The Challenge

You are about to undertake your final exams, and the pressures of study and the impending choices you must make about your future are weighing you down. You have advice being thrown at you from every direction. Your parents, teachers, friends and career advisers are telling you that your creative passions should be kept as a hobby, and that you should focus on getting a “real job”. Everyone is telling you to choose a mode of study that will look best on your resume, such as the bigger universities. Teachers may even be telling you that you must go to uni because that is just what you are expected to do.

All of this can be quite intimidating, especially if you don’t want to study science, history or psychology.  These days a degree at uni can barely qualify you for a job at McDonalds, let alone a job that requires real skill and creativity. You may be hesitant to commit to four years of university, where you are just one amongst a huge crowd of 40,000 students being herded in and out of large lecture halls with hundreds of other students who are taking notes and writing essays.

In the back of your mind you have a deep yearning to be creative. You might have some skill in illustration, storytelling or working with computers. You may be experimenting with filmmaking, or have a passion to work in the ever growing video game industry. You want to be surrounded by creative people and ultimately be able to gain employment in a job that will allow you to use your digital skills on a daily basis. What do you do?

The Options – What Should I Study?

Choosing a study path after Year 12 can be a daunting task. The sheer number of options available can often leave school leavers confused about what career is right for them. Truthfully, the best answer is always simple: do what you love.

 Education is an investment and you shouldn’t spend time and money on something you don’t love.

Ask any person in the working world, regardless of the industry and they will respond that happiness in your job will translate to happiness in your life. It sounds like a cliché but if you choose to go into a field that doesn’t get your heart racing, you may end up regretting it rather quickly into your working career.

If you are a creative person, the growing field of digital media offers numerous options that can lead to all sorts of job opportunities. The world of digital media is great as it allows to you take traditionally manual tasks and expand them rapidly using a range of amazing computer programs and distribution methods. Choose to study a field that will capitalise on your strengths and passions, and your studies are now an extension of your interests, not a boring chore.

The Solution – How Do I Get Started?

Once you have reached the decision to study in your creative field of choice, you need to start looking at which institutions are best for you. Universities offer degrees in IT and Arts programs. There are vocational courses, such as certificates in multimedia at TAFE. Then there are private institutions such as the Academy of Interactive Technology.

AIT delivers highly specialised, focused and hands on courses in Animation, Game Design, Film, and IT. There are several advantages to studying at a private institution like AIT. Smaller class sizes means a more personalised tertiary education experience that can foster creativity and there is better access to industry standard equipment and software.

Most importantly, private education offers a far more practical and specialised learning experience from teachers who are actually practising in the industry. AIT student, Francis Caro believes that following his digital passions has inspired him to work harder and makes studying less a chore.

“I love being creative and thinking ‘outside of the box’. I enjoy coming up with ideas in my head and making them into a reality. I realised that I could never work in a ‘traditional’ field. It doesn’t excite me and I would be wasting my talents. That is why I like the environment at AIT. It’s not as strict as university. Universities can be quite bleak, grey and confined whereas here it’s really open and colourful. You have the freedom to express yourself. It is a fantastic creative space that is helping me realise my potential.”

Are you worried about getting a job in the industry once you finish your studies? You shouldn’t be. The digital fields are consistently growing, what many students do not realise is that there is a big shortage of skilled digital professionals in Australia.

Global management consulting firm Mckinsey has estimated that by 2020 there will be a shortfall of around 85 milllion skilled jobs worldwide due to the constant changes in technology and the lack of people studying in the field.

AIT specialises in translating digital skills into achievable career outcomes. Every project you work on in class will go towards a portfolio that will help you show off your work to potential employers. 

Imagine a creative college where you can pursue your dreams in 2D animation, 3D animation, film, game design, IT or mobile app development.

Find out more about AIT and our courses by visiting our connect page and choosing your own adventure. Talk to someone about your study options, book a campus tour and have a look around, chat with a current AIT student or get started on your application.

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