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There are countless frontline career opportunities on offer within the care industry. Each role is rewarding and offers a fulfilling career – as well as the chance to make a real difference to people’s lives. But which role is right for you?
From Support Workers to Social Workers, here is your guide to care industry jobs and the experience and skills you’ll need for each role:
FRONTLINE SUPPORT ROLES
Support Worker
A Support Worker cares for and supports people with disabilities, mental health issues, or aged people and helps them learn new skills, reach their goals and assist in everyday life.
Experience: Past experience isn’t required – but passion, dedication and a caring nature is a must. A driver’s licence and First Aid Certificate is desirable and further training may be required once you are employed.
Direct Support Team Leaders
People in this position have generally worked as a Support Worker and taken the next step whereby they lead and supervise Support Workers as well as supporting service users.
Experience: You will need the additional skills of being able to manage and mentor a team, have excellent organisational skills, computer and budgeting skills, as well as be working towards a Certificate IV in Frontline Management.
Program Facilitators
Program Facilitators plan and organise activities and programs from sports, arts, craft, holidays and courses for service users.
Experience: You will need to have good communication, organisational and motivational skills, leadership qualities and expertise in a range of activities and hobbies.
Employment Development Officer
In this role you will help people with disabilities undergo training and gain employment.
Experience: You will need to have strong communication, interpersonal and computer skills, training experience and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.
Case Managers
Case Managers take an in-depth look at the needs of individual service users and work out how the person can have all of those needs and interests met. Case Managers work directly with clients, as well as their families and support team.
Experience: They need to be great at communicating with a variety of people, be very organised and have excellent computer and problem solving skills.
FRONTLINE PROFESSIONAL ROLES
There are many frontline professional roles within the care sector. Here are the key roles and responsibilities:
- Speech Pathologists assist people with speech, communication and swallowing difficulties.
- Occupational Therapists (OT) help people to increase mobility and involvement in life.
- Psychologists and Counsellors treat people with mental health issues and concerns, as well as assisting people to deal with difficulty and challenging situations.
- Social Workers work with service users and their families to help them access all the services they need.
- Physiotherapists help to increase movement, mobility and ease physical complaints.
- Podiatrists treat problems of the feet and ankle.
- Dieticians help introduce healthy eating strategies and nutritious diets.
- Registered Nurses and Enrolled Nurses provide medical care.
Each of the above roles requires specific university qualifications, good people skills, a caring nature and organisational skills. Often frontline professionals get their start in an organisation through doing their university practical placements.
TRANSPORT AND FACILITIES ROLES
Transport and facilities roles include jobs such as Domestic Assistants who help out around the house; Gardeners; Cleaners; Home Maintenance and Modification tradespeople such as qualified carpenters, builders, plumbers and electricians; Cooks and Kitchen hands; as well as Drivers. Like every role in the sector, people skills are essential as well as role-applicable experience.
There are still more roles in areas like Administration, corporate support and more.
If you’re still not sure which is the right role for you, take our Career Quiz for a personalised recommendation.
Getting started in a role is simply a matter of updating your resume, undertaking appropriate training for the professional roles, then searching and applying for your perfect position.
Find a full list of the latest care industry jobs with carecareers or contact our team of advisors on 1300 637 637.