Dear Home and Away fans,

In this third exciting installment of an exclusive five-part series of blogs by me, actor and muso Mark Furze (I’m the one who played "Ric" on Home and Away), I’ll be sharing some more insights into my current career adventures and life in L.A. This blog will focus on why what you learn at school and throughout your life is important – learning is ongoing! I’m also an ambassador for the National Career Development Week Campaign (or "Aussie Career Week") and I’ll let you know where you can get some great inspiration of your own on the net. You heard it here first!

Let me ask you this … ever thought … "What’s the point of school?" or "How will school help me in the real world!"? Well you’re not alone… we’ve all had that thought at some stage … But trust me … Not only is getting an education vital in making your future everything you want it to be - no matter what you end up doing – but you’ll need to keep learning throughout your life!

What do I wish I'd known at school? To be honest, I wish I'd realised that I was being taught how to apply myself to what sometimes can be mundane tasks! I know that there are some elements of school that seem boring and pointless. I often found that I wouldn't apply myself when the content didn't interest me. Now I realise that those instances were a great opportunity - to develop the skill and work ethic to get through things in the real world that I can't just avoid because they aren't fun. When I was at school I knew I wanted to be a muso and an actor but what I hadn’t realised was that this meant I’d be self employed – with various jobs and contracts. Paying more attention to maths and taking some business subjects would have been very useful.

You know the saying "you can't teach an old dog new tricks"? Well, I hate it! Unfortunately, that's because it's often true. It's hard work trying to teach my Mum how to use her Blackberry and it's hard work trying to get my Dad to listen to Rock music. Whether it’s technology, music or your career, it's very hard work changing the way you think about or approach something you feel you're familiar with because it means you have to step out of your comfort zone.

I've learnt that every time I force myself to try something I've never done before it always pays off.
• If it turns out badly - I've learnt what not to do, I won't make the mistake again and I now know what to look out for.

• If it turns out well - I've just gained something I never had before!

And the best thing about being an "old dog" willing to learn new tricks is that everyone else who is too scared or can't be bothered to adapt is stuck in exactly the same place. I wanna move forward in my career and my life - achieving my goals makes me happy!

My first job ever was at a car wash... It was NOT fun. But it taught me two very important things.
1. If I work hard I can make progress to where I want to be;
and

2. I don't ever want to get stuck doing a job that I hate!

So I combined those two things and now I'm working hard at doing a "job" I love. But I don't even consider playing and writing music a job.

When I first started on Home and Away I quickly discovered how to get the most out of working in a group environment. There are a lot of people on a TV crew/cast and everybody's working towards the same goal. I certainly don't want to be the one thing letting 50 people down, so being prepared is a great way to ensure you're confident in what needs to be done. And the other main thing you learn as an actor... How to kill time! Johnny Depp says "I don't get paid to act, I do that for free. It's the waiting around you have to pay me for."

More recently, I've been spending a lot of time on my voice. I've been doing vocal lessons almost every day. I've learn't some really effective warm-ups and exercises and the results have been so motivating. I've had numerous comments and compliments about how my singing has improved and it feels so great to know that my hard work is paying off. I only wish I'd done it sooner. And for any singers out there, do yourself a favour and check out Singing Success It's the best thing I've ever done for my voice.

I guess my point is (even though I'm only 25) the saying should be "old dogs that are willing to learn new tricks are awesome because they know how to do more stuff." Or something like that ... Ok, that saying sucks, but I'm a musician not a poet!!

You’ll find some great information and resources to help you with your own career decisions and to get the life you love at www.aussiecareerweek.com ... plus the latest interviews and videos featuring me! Or check out AusCareerWeek on Facebook and the awesome NCDW video resources on the AusCareerWeek on YouTube. Be sure to take a look at The NCDW Video Series - There are even videos on "School – what’s the point?" and "Learning is Ongoing." These exciting Aussie Career Week videos on YouTube presented in a cool, upbeat, urban style, by me with Angela Bishop (TV entertainment reporter) and David Wirrpanda (ex-Footy player/ mentor/ founder David Wirrpanda Foundation) providing helpful advice and information for you to get proactive about your own career!

Don’t forget to watch this space for my next blog ... I’ll be sharing some more exclusive insights into my life and work in L.A., including what I’ve learned about the importance of knowing yourself, believing in yourself and following your heart when it comes to getting the life you love!

Mark Furze is an ambassador for the National Career Development Week Campaign. Go to Aussie Career Week and get the life you love!

The National Career Development Week Campaign (also known as "Aussie Career Week") is an initiative of the Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) and funded/supported by the Federal Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR).