Graduate outcomes
It can be hard to rate graduate success. Is it whether you get a job when you graduate, how much money you earn, or perhaps your overall satisfaction with your course?
How graduate success is defined varies between students — after all, no two people ever have an identical course experience. For some students, a measure of success is passing their course; for others, it's graduating with honours and being offered a top-paying job with a prestigious employer.
So how do graduates of your field rate their experience? Our Ratings section shows how institutions performed in each field of study in categories such as employment outcomes, graduate starting salary and teaching quality
Once you finish studying, the natural next step is to begin looking for work. Even if you choose to relax for a few months or take a year off to travel the world and see the sights, it's likely that at some point you'll feel the urge to settle down and begin job hunting.
Although some graduates will find work within weeks of course completion, the reality is that some fields of study have lower graduate employment rates than others and, likewise, that some graduates simply have different circumstances than others (perhaps they have an industry contact, previous work experience or they've sought out professional accreditation).
It could also be that job opportunities in your field are scarce where you live.
Whatever the reason, don't despair if you don't find a job the minute you graduate.
Professional membership is basically a subscription to a professional organisation. Most professional sectors have at least one organisation that provides services to support professionals who work in that field — Engineers Australia and the Australian Computer Society are both good examples. If you ™re not sure if your industry has one of these, a quick search online will usually do the trick.
These professional organisations promote quality standards and professional development within the field and offer members activities and services. Generally they offer student membership at a reduced rate with access to an extensive range of services.
