University Lecturers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
University Lecturers lecture students and conduct tutorials in one or more subjects within a prescribed course of study at a university and conduct research in a particular field of knowledge.
Tasks
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Prepares and delivers lectures, and conducts tutorials, seminars and laboratory sessions.
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Prepares and marks essays, assignments and examinations.
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Advises students on academic and related matters.
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Attends departmental and faculty meetings, conferences and seminars.
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Supervises work programmes of postgraduate and honours students and tutorial staff.
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Participates in setting course and degree requirements, curriculum revision and academic planning.
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Serves on council, senate, faculty and other committees and professorial boards.
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Conducts research and undertakes consultancies in a particular field of knowledge.
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Stimulates and guides class discussions.
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Compiles bibliographies of specialised materials for reading assignments.
Characteristics
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University
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Analytical
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Enterprising
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Helping
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Sedentary
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Light
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, University Lecturers and Tutors, under the outlook section.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
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Around 73% of people employed as University Lecturers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 7 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 46 hours per week in their main job. This is similar to the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.
Industries
Main industries
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Most University Lecturers work in the Education and training industry.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | University Lecturers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 31.2 | 31.6 |
VIC | 28.3 | 25.6 |
QLD | 17.2 | 20.0 |
SA | 6.9 | 7.0 |
WA | 9.4 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.2 | 2.0 |
NT | 1.0 | 1.0 |
ACT | 3.8 | 1.9 |
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Around 76% of University Lecturers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Sydney - City and Inner South
- Australian Capital Territory
- Melbourne - Inner East
- Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of University Lecturers is 48 years. This is higher than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 45 to 54 years.
Females make up 48% of the workforce. This is the same as the all jobs average.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | University Lecturers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 0.1 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 0.9 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 11.9 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 26.3 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 28.6 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 14.2 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 10.2 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 7.9 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 48 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
A formal qualification in an area of expertise is usually needed to work as a University Lecturer. Many workers have a postgraduate qualification.
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- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | University Lecturers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 85.7 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 11.2 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 1.1 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 0.4 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 1.4 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 0.0 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 0.1 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for University Lecturers and Tutors who are accurate and pay attention to detail, motivated and have good interpersonal skills.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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71%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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71%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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70%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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66%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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64%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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64%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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61%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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61%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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59%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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55%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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52%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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50%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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50%
MathematicsUsing maths to solve problems.
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50%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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48%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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48%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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48%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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46%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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45%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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34%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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91%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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86%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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69%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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67%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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67%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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66%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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66%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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64%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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63%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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63%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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62%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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59%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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58%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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50%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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50%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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47%
GeographyDescribing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.
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37%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
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36%
History and archeologyEvents of the past, their causes, how we learn about them, and how they influence the way we live today.
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35%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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34%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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77%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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75%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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73%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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71%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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71%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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64%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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59%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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55%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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52%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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50%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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50%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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50%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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48%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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46%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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45%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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45%
Working with numbersAdd, subtract, multiply, or divide.
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43%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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41%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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41%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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37%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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86%
Making sense of information and ideasLooking at, working with, and understanding data or information.
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81%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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79%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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79%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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76%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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76%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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75%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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72%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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69%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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69%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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69%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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68%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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68%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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65%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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65%
Giving expert adviceProviding guidance and expert advice to management or other groups.
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63%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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63%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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59%
Coming up with systems and processesDeciding on goals and figuring out what you need to do to achieve them.
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53%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
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52%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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100%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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62%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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57%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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52%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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48%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
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14%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
Values
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81%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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81%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
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76%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
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76%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
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71%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
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38%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Demands
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97%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
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97%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
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96%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
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96%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
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90%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
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84%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
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84%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
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82%
Public speakingTalk to a group of people.
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81%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
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81%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
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80%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
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80%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
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79%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
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76%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
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71%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
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67%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
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63%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
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62%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
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60%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
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58%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 25-1011.00 - Business Teachers, Postsecondary.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.