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With such a range of jobs available in aged care, the first step is to decide what kind of work you would like to do. For example; do you want to work directly with clients as a personal care assistant? Or are you more interested in a less 'hands on' role? 

It would also be useful to consider what kind of service you would like to be involved with, as the work environments can be very different. For example, do you like the idea of different clients that you visit regularly in their homes? Or is a residential facility where you can get to know a group of older people and experience a range of daily activities more appealing?  Or perhaps you'd like to work in a specialised area; such as dementia care? 

Finally, what level of work are you looking for? If you're just starting with an entry-level position, you can expect to be following an individualised care plan for each client to ensure that they are getting the care and support that they need, and working under supervision. If you already have some experience in aged care, perhaps you're looking for a job with more responsibility, or you may want to get into specialist fields such as dementia care or physical therapy. 

Your answers to these questions will also help you determine whether you'll need to do some training, or get a qualification, for the job you want. 

To learn more about jobs in aged care, good place to start is our occupational profiles but you can also take a look through the following websites.

• Take this quick career quiz to see what kind of role would suit you.
• View the occupation profiles on myfuture.edu,au (you'll need to register, but it's free!)
• Your Career: Occupation profiles search
• The Commonwealth Government's Department of Health website has useful information about the aged care industry
• For information about the rules for issues such as funding, regulation, approval of providers, quality of care and the rights of people receiving care; view the Aged Care Act 1997
• The Commonwealth Government's Institute of Health and Welfare has some useful information about people's care needs in aged care

If you're after a specific occupation or looking to make a career move then skilling up through training is the way to go. 

Right now there's 180 qualifications with course fees reduced by half or more under the Lower fees, local skills program... and even better, there's an annual cap on course fees, so you can super size your study but only pay as little as $400 for the year if you are under 25 or looking for work!

 Take a look at the Do you need to skill up? section for more information

These are both great options to kickstart your aged care career. 

With a traineeship, you will complete a program of work and training over a period of time (generally one to two years). You are employed, and paid, during this time. 

A pre-traineeship is a qualification that you complete at a TAFE college or private training provider, to give you some entry level skills and knowledge as a pathway to a full traineeship and employment

Take a look at the Do you need to skill up? section for more information

• We have compiled a list of all the aged care related courses here, including pre-traineeships and traineeships,  for you to browse through

Because WA's aged care industry is rapidly growing, the demand for workers has never been higher! Most job opportunities are advertised online — here's some places to start your search.
 

• The Jobs and Skills WA jobs board
• SEEK job search website
• indeed.com job search website

There's also some companies who specialise in recruitment for the aged care industry. We recommend doing an internet search to find out more about what services they offer for jobseekers. And if you're on social media, there's several groups on Facebook and Instagram that regularly post job opportunities — do a search to find them. 

If you’re interested in an aged care career your local Jobs and Skills Centre can help with free advice on career planning and training to help you get there.

And if you've spotted a job you want to go for, they can help freshen up your CV and even help you put your job application together. Need some tips for job interviews? They can do that too!

Because Jobs and Skills Centres work closely with local employees and industries, they know where the jobs are and how you can get them.  And they know what employers are looking for. There's 15 JSCs across Perth and regional WA, and all services are free. Call your local JSC on 13 64 64, or check our map to find your closest centre.