Five Short Courses To Get a Job Quickly
Changing careers can be a daunting concept. Especially when you have been working in one industry for so long.
You’ve got to think about what kind of job you want to do, what your transferable skills are, how much you’ll need to make and what kind of hours you can work.
And all of this can be compounded by the stress of not knowing how long it’s going to take to get started on your new career path. After all, not everyone has the luxury of being able to take their time to complete a full degree and then intern somewhere for six months before they see any return for their investment.
Sometimes you just need to find a job quickly.
In these five industries you can become qualified in less than six months.
Here’s our list of five short courses to get a job quickly.
Hospitality
The hospitality industry is in desperate need of more people at the moment. After two years where many restaurants, bars and venues had to keep closing their doors in lockdowns, they have lost a lot of great staff.
If you’re an enthusiastic worker who’s great with people and quick on your feet this could be the right career choice for you.
The Course
The Responsible service of Alcohol certificate is the required qualification to work in the hospitality industry. You’ll need this certificate to work anywhere where they serve alcohol. Thankfully this is a short course, emphasis on the ‘short’. The course only takes half a day in a face-to-face workshop to complete and it only costs $95.
Getting an RSA will mean that you hold the required certificate to work in any venue serving alcohol. This includes bars, restaurants, cafes and even bottle shops.
About The Hospitality Industry
There are a lot of different roles you can do in the hospitality industry. You can work as a barista in a cafe, as cook or chef, as a bartender or a waiter. Whatever role you go after there are some skills that will serve you well no matter what role you decide to take on.
You’ll be on your feet the whole shift, running around, serving food, serving drinks or making drinks. You’ll need to be good with people and able to anticipate needs. You’ll also need to be very organised and able to keep a lot of things in your head at one time, so an excellent memory is a must and remember to always keep your order pad on you.
There is a lot of shift work, nights and weekends, so you will need to be able to work in those hours. But if all of that sounds good, then you could be applying for hospitality jobs with your new RSA certificate in a matter of weeks! Check out the course here or get in touch with one of our friendly course advisors here.
Traffic Control
You’ve definitely seen traffic control workers. They are the people on the road crews holding up the stop / slow sign that let you know when it’s safe to pass. Traffic control exists within the construction industry, so it’s an area where there is a lot of work going but to start with it may be on more of a casual basis. There is always room for career growth though as they need supervisors and shift managers on the road crews.
The Course
The course you’ll need to do in order to work with road crews holding the stop / slow sign is the RIWHS205E course – Control Traffic with stop-slow bat. This course is delivered in a one-day face-to-face workshop followed by 20 hours of workplace based training and logbook completion and then a one-day workplace-based assessment. This short course will only set you back $500 and you can learn more about it here.
About the Traffic Control Industry
Working in traffic control and on road crews you’ll need to be fit and able to stand for long periods, bend and lift heavy things. The road crews and traffic control workers work outside so you’ll get a great tan and plenty of fresh air.
There is often shift work in this industry, so you could find yourself doing nights, very early mornings and weekends as well. But if you’re looking for a career change where you get out in the open air, and you’re not stuck behind a desk anymore, this could be the right choice for you.
All things said and done you could be working on a road crew with your completed certificate in just one month.
Security
Security is a growth industry. Experts say the industry is expected to grow 3% every year between now and 2028. There is a lot of work going in the security industry and it’s a perfect time to move across to this field.
To excel in security, you need to be perceptive, good at handling people and a good communicator. You’ve got to be able to remain vigilant on long shifts and often times you’ll be walking long distances or standing for hours on end so you’ll also need to be relatively fit.
The Course
The course you’ll need in order to work in the security industry is the Certificate II in Security Operations. This course is taught over an 8 day in-class workshop in QLD with some online learning required before attending. The course covers everything you’ll need to know to excel as a security guard including negotiation, communication, restraint, protocols and more.
Once the course is finished, you’ll need to take your certificate and apply for your unarmed security guard licence. In Queensland, this application is handled by the Office of Fair Trading and could take anywhere from a few weeks to 2 months to be processed.
The full fee for service cost of this course is $1500 but most people are able to access some government funding to help cover the costs.
About the Security Industry
Because security guards are required in every different industry there is a job out there to suit everyone. Security guard roles run range from those being very well-presented and customer facing, in regular daylight hours to working alone at night, patrolling buildings and not seeing anyone.
There are so many choices for security workers. If you’re interested in art, you could work at the museum. If you’re an adrenaline junkie, you could work in the hospital emergency department. If you are good with people, you might make a good concierge. And if you’re a bit of loner you could work a night shift gatehouse role and you’d rarely have to deal with anyone.
Because there are so many options, this industry is very adaptable to your personality and preferences. If it sounds like something you’re interested in, you could be qualified and licensed and applying for jobs in a matter of a couple of months. If you’d like to know more about the course, you can check it out here. Or get in touch with one of our friendly course advisors here.
Personal Trainer
Being a personal trainer is a great job for any enthusiastic gym goers. You get to work for yourself and show people how to work out to achieve their fitness goals. It’s an incredibly rewarding job to do.
To excel in this industry, you’ll need to have a real passion for fitness, a kind attitude, a desire to help people and a flair for business.
The Course
In order to work as a personal trainer, the course you will need to do is the Certificate IV in Fitness. This course is taught in a face-to-face classroom setting over 6 months. In the course they cover all the essentials of working as a personal trainer, how to design a fitness regime for your client, the health and safety standards of the industry and how to launch and run a small businesses as this is what you’ll likely be doing.
About the Fitness and Training Industry
In the fitness industry you would have the choice to work for a gym or organisation as a personal trainer or run the show yourself. Most personal trainers prefer to run their own business as it provides them with more freedom and the chance to earn more money.
In order to excel in the industry, you’ll need to keep on top of fitness trends, work hard for your clients and be empathic and kind.
Construction
People working in construction often report that they chose the career because they didn’t want to be stuck in an office somewhere, pushing papers around. They enjoy the open air and the physical nature of their jobs, ending each day being able to see the change they have made to the job site. This results in higher job satisfaction than some other professions.
The Course
In order to work in construction, you only have to complete the OHS Prepare to work safely in construction course or as it is also known, the White Card course. This course is taught in a half-day face-to-face workshop and it only costs $110.
About the Construction Industry
It’s no secret the construction industry is build on a foundation of hard work, physical labour and a strong union presence. The industry is one where if you are a hard worker and you stick together with the crew you’ll get along well. Construction is often an industry where you will start early in the morning and be finished by mid afternoon, so this industry suits those early birds. If you want to know more about the construction industry, the course or your options for short course study, you can get in touch with our friendly course advisors here.
That was five short courses to help you get a job quickly. We hope you found this article helpful. Remember if you’re interested in knowing more about your career options and the short courses that can help you get there, get in touch with our course advisors, they can help you find the best short course for you.