Career Pathway - An Individuals Guide


The H&S profession is a highly rewarding career which is focused on the welfare of people at work. H&S roles hold mana in businesses and are often in positions of respect and influence.

Everyone has a different reason for wanting to work in Health and Safety (H&S), and more people are entering the profession directly from tertiary education or as a second career. 

Roles are available across the public and private sectors, as well as varying industry sectors. H&S Generalists often move across different sectors to gain more experience and help them decide where they feel best suited to.

Career success will depend on your career aspirations or what gives you the most satisfaction. This could be choosing a “hands-on” in the role of a H&S Generalist, rather than progress up the promotion ladder to take on leadership or more strategic roles. Or you may want to think about specialising and look to complete further qualifications to work in this specialised field. 

How can this career pathway guide help me?

So, how do you decide what career pathway to choose? What options are available to you, so you can have a rewarding career ahead.

The Individual Guide is aimed to help anyone who is interested in starting a career in Health and Safety (H&S), has just started in H&S, setting career goals, or is already working in a H&S role and wanting to know how they can progress through their career.

The pathway will provide clear guidance around:

  • clarifying what a H&S Generalist does (as compared to other H&S disciplines).
  • helping individuals to understand some of the broad differences associated with various H&S Generalist roles which are currently advertised; and
  • helping clarify the core skills and attributes needed for individuals to be successful in those various roles.

This guidance will also provide you with an overview on the following:

  • What are common Health and Safety Job Families and Roles
  • How to identify common core knowledge, skills and attributes needed to be successful
  • What a ‘good H&S professional look like’ across the different roles in the pathway for career advancement
  • Qualifications, technical competency, and professional accreditation
  • Check out some career persona’s
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

This guide is also intended to be used as a good conversation starter with your manager around the setting of professional development goals; and or for line managers to start a discussion and explore opportunities for personal and professional development with their staff members.