The literature on career decision-making suggests that students make their decisions based on the degree of match between their own attributes and certain perceived characteristics of occupations and that these perceptions are generally accurate (Gottfredson, 2002). However, in Australia, there is also evidence that students have misunderstandings about the status of some occupations, including trades (Alloway, Dalley, Patterson, Walker, & Lenoy, 2004). The sources of career advice available to middle-secondary students and their satisfaction with that advice was found through a survey of a representative sample of Australian 15-year-old students. Nearly all Year 10 students reported that they had received career advice at school and they stated that they were satisfied with that advice. It was found, however, that students' career aspirations do not match well with the opportunities in the Australian labour market and that some students (a minority) are embarking on educational pathways that will not lead to the careers to which they aspire. Thus, there are several areas of mismatch in the career advice available to students, their satisfaction with it, their career aspirations and their educational plans. These discrepancies may contribute to an explanation of labour and skills shortages and suggest that there is some scope for remediation to the benefit of students and the labour market.