Career Newz Bytes

New blog for Career Newz Bytes

2005-09-02T09:16:00.000+10:00

To check out our new blogging home go to:

http://catapultyourcareer.typepad.com

See you there! Annemarie

2005-08-20T17:30:00.000+10:00

Predicted Employment Growth

2005-08-14T09:01:00.000+10:00

According to the Australian Department of Education, Science and Training during the next six years or so, the majority of employment growth can be expected across seven industries. These include: - Property and business services - 24.3% - Health and community services - 20.9% - Retail and trade - 20.6% - Construction - 8.4% - Accommodation, cafes and restaurants - 8.2% - Education - 5% - Personal ad other services - 4.8% - Other industries - 7.7% Food for thought for job seekers planning a career change, or particularly for our youth planning their future careers.

Informational Interviews

2005-08-03T14:24:00.000+10:00

I recently had the pleasure of attending a Career Expo and spoke with numerous young (and not so young) job seekers looking for some direction and support in their careers and job searching. It was quite surprising that many job seekers were not aware of 'Informational Interviewing' and how this tool could play a significant part within their job search campaign. For those of you who are conducting informational interviews as part of their campaigns - Terrific! Give yourselves a pat on the back. For those of you who are not performing informational interviews, review the reasons below as to why you should! Five key benefits through conducting Informational Interviews: - Gain a better understanding of the job specificiations; - Allows you to get raise your awareness of the company's culture, and whether or not you would fit into the work environment; - Expand your network of contacts; - Enhance your appreciation of the company's structure and possible needs, so that if in the future should an employment opportunity present itself, you can better position yourself as a leading candidate; - Network with professionals in a reletively low-stress environment. I'm sure you would agree that these five reasons are pretty convincing - yes? For more information on informational interviews including 'How to approach a company to request an information interview' contact me at info@annemariecross.com

Employability Skills

2005-07-30T19:30:00.000+10:00

DEST and ANTA developed the Employability Skills Framework (2001) following extensive liaison with industry on critical generic skills required to facilitate employability across Australian workplaces. Employability skills are crucial in not only assisting you in gaining employment, but also in supporting you in your continued progression within the company in alignment with the organisation's strategic direction. There are eight key employability skills, namely: - communication skills that contribute to productive and harmonious relations between employees and customers; - team work skills that contribute to productive working relationships and outcomes; - problem-solving skills that contribute to productive outcomes; - initiative and enterprise skills that contribute to innovative outcomes; - planning and organising skills that contribute to long-term and short-term strategic panning; - self-management skills that contribute to employee satisfaction and growth; - learning skills that contribute to ongoing improvement and expansion in employee and company operations and outcomes; and - technology skills that contribute to effective execution of tasks. How do your employability skills stack up? For further information go to: http://www.allenconsult.com.au/employabilityskills/

Champions & Mentors

2005-07-28T18:12:00.000+10:00

To ensure ongoing success within your career you may consider establishing an alliance with a champion and a mentor. According to a recent article in HR Monthly (written by D. Ryall), a champion is someone who is 'well connected in your organisation - who knows many employees, what they do and how well they do it.' A champion is well informed to the goings-on in the company including new projects, company restructures, and which staff members are able to take up the challenge of a new position. Ensure this champion is aware of who you are, your abilities, and your most recent wins and successes. A mentor on the other hand can be either an internal or external resource, providing valuable feedback on your developmental requirements and your career aspirations. This may be someone who is highly skilled in the area you wish to transition to, thus being able to provide crucial information pertinant to your development and progression within the role/organisation. I think we could all benefit from developing a strategic alliance with both a champion and a mentor! Here's to your continued success!

Uncovering mistruths

2005-07-27T16:07:00.000+10:00

I was flicking through an earlier edition of HR Monthly (Feb 2005) and came across an interesting article, "Untwisting the truth." The article addresses a number of possibilities in uncovering candidates' true values rather than their 'acting ability and delusions.' Basically, it boils down to a candidate stretching the truth in terms of who they are and what they offer the employer, and how in the past it was very difficult to pinpoint incongruencies, particularly if the job applicant had (and I quote) "large eyes, thick lips, thin eyebrows and a narrow jaw line." Psychologists have apparently identified new ways in pinpointing bona-fide values, including behaviours, interests, beliefs and demographics of job applicants through observing various characteristics and language patterns. For instance (they say) candidates who frequently use the words 'but', 'without', except (exclusions), or 'perhaps', 'maybe' (uncertainty), are less likely to value success in their careers, but rather, prefer social interactions. Further research and studies have established over 200 characteristics that can assist in identifying candidates 'underlying values'. Interesting!

Salary Secrecy

2005-07-05T07:25:00.000+10:00

There still seems to be a 'culture of secrecy' with regards to salary in many organisations across the globe. This may be due to a number of factors, for example, the organisation may want to avoid: - causing disruption between staff due to differing pay rates, even if they have the same qualifications, experience and performing the same functions; or - key staff being poached by competing organisations should they be privy to this information. Each of us may have our own view on this topic, particularly surrounding the fairness of varying salary levels even if staff members are performing similar roles. Does this seem fair? I wonder whether this may be the cause of the candidate's inability to negotiate competitively during the job offer/salary negotiation stage? How well have they highlighted their skills, experience, and expertise, while showcasing their achievements and value they offer the organisation? Have they positioned themselves as key players, ready to overcome any challenge and steer projects through to success fruition thus impacting on bottom line profitability. This would serve to position the candidate as a 'must have player' to the interviewer. If you are currently interviewing for a potential job offer, here are some key strategies to follow prior to even approaching the negotiation stage: - Research the market to find out what the standard rate is across the industry (you will then know what is a fair and reasonable salary rate); - Have a clear understanding of what your needs are, and what you can use as leverage during your negotiations; - Research the organistion - larger organisations will possibly be able to offer a larger salary base than a smaller or startup company; - Avoid being the one to disclose your salary expectations, but rather have the interviewer state this information first; - Remember, that you may end up working with/for the person you are now negotiating with, so keep your conversation and negotiations at a professional level. For more must-follow salary and interviewing strategies check out www.acethatinterview.net

5 key steps to developing a positive approach

2005-07-01T07:25:00.000+10:00

Having a positive approach can be a contributing factor to maintaining business and career momentum. A negative attitude can affect your motivation, performance and subsequently tarnish relationships with people around you. While some people are able to eliminate unconstructive thoughts, others can struggle with this, which can unfortunately result their business and/or career stalling. Here are 5 key points to consider: 1. Pratice positive thinking: don't become overwhelmed in your work by taking on too much! Rather, concentrate on one task at a time to allow yourself a positive attitude toward your work. You should soon see the benefits of your new positive approach. 2. Maintain positive conversations: avoid being negative when you speak with others around you - your moaning tendancies will soon have you develop a negative reputation with those around you. Speak only about the aspect(s) you enjoy and maintain a positive attitude in your communications. 3. Identify the positive qualities in others: everyone of us has positive attributes and features so pinpoint some great qualities in others, commend them on this quality, and start spreading the word. This positive attitude could become infectious thus transforming a negative workplace into a positive one! 4. Concentrate on the positive attributes of your job and the company: again, identify the areas that you enjoy and that motivate you and concentrate on these. Don't allow yourself to dwell on the negative. 5. Don't be distracted: avoid being affected by negative people around you. Realise that you are only able to change your attitude - not theirs, soif they continue to dwell on negative aspects, this is their choice. Don't let it affect your new positive approach. Introduce a few (or even all) of these areas today, and begin to reap the rewards of your new positive approach. Here's to continued positivity and your success! [Do you have a positive story? Please share!]

The Human Resource Personality Test

2005-06-30T15:24:00.000+10:00

Do you cringe at the thought of being tested to determine whether 'you are the right personality' for the job? Often referred to as psychometric instruments, personality tests are quickly becoming commonplace during the interview screening process. Personality tests allow the recruiter/potential employer to determine if you are who you say you are, due to their built in fail safe mechanisms. So don't try to fool the personality test - it just will not work! There are six dimensions of personality that the tests measures, according to Edward Hoffman, Ph.D., and author of "Ace the Corporate Personality Test": 1. Conscientiousness - Can you be absolutely counted on? 2. Extraversion - Are you the life of the party? 3. Integrity - Are you honest as the day is long? 4. Going postal - Do you feel angry? 5. Are you entrepreneurial? 6. Stress Tolerance - Can you keep your cool? Beware of questions that try to catch you out in a lie - these can include "always, never, everything". For example - "I have never told a lie" or " I never lose my temper".

Turning your hobby into a business

2005-06-04T06:26:00.000+10:00

It seems that many workers who are seeking methods to earn a living are now turning their hobbies into business endeavours and reaping the benefits of a second income through performing an activity that they are passionate about. If you are considering transforming your passion into a business you may like to check out this articles first: ‘Do you have what it takes to turn your hobby into a business’ http://www.propulsionbusinessnetwork.com.au/Expert-Column-131.html Are you considering establishing up your own business from a hobby and believe you would benefit from strategic coaching and support in planning your start up and launch? If so, check out our Entrepreneur coaching services at www.career-coach.com.au

New forum for serious job seekers

2005-05-19T19:38:00.000+10:00

Looking at taking the next step in your career but have a burning question you would like answered before making a move? Perhaps you were stumped by an interviewer's recent question and would like to get some feedback on how to approach it better if asked this question again? If this sounds like you then visit: www.aresumewriter.net/forum/ where you can get all your career related questions answered by career experts. What are you waiting for??? Get posting!!!

Boosting your credibility during your job search!

2005-05-16T08:03:00.000+10:00

In a highly competitive job market with a candidate's resume often being amongst hundreds of hopeful applicants it can be difficult to not only have your resume stand out during the initial screening, but also to maintain your positioning throughout the entire selection and interview process ~ that is, until now!! Exciting developments in the career industry now allows you, the job seeker to harness dynamic web design elements into a Career Web Portfolio, to present a professional, compelling and memorable visual portrayal of your expertise. A marketing tool that works for you 24/7, 365 days a year, while giving you that edge during initial screening, interviewing, right through to salary negotiation stage and allowing you to get the results you want! If you want to position yourself from your competitors, read more about these pioneering marketing tools at: www.resume-showcase.com

Lying on your resume

2005-05-12T09:56:00.000+10:00

An article I recently happened upon piqued my interest, in which the company Australian Background (who on behalf of recruiting firms, check and verify applications) claimed a staggering figure in relation to untruths being stated in candidates resumes. The excerpt is as follows: "The survey of 1000 candidates finds that applicants in the banking and finance sector are the worst offenders. Most frequently, applicants lied about university qualifications they didn't have, dates of previous employment, and positions they never held. Applicants in the building, construction and manufacturing industries are most likely to falsify their qualifications; 30 per cent were found to have lied." [2004] This figure is shocking and indeed extremely concerning, particularly when you hear stories of senior executives at the helm of multi million-dollar corporations, or surgeons/doctors operating on/medicating patients even though that had never received the qualifications, nor had the experience that was stated on their resumes. I'm sure I'm not the only person to be shocked when reading this. In an article I wrote about this topic mentioned that various mistruths could include: - enhancing position titles to a status that was not the level in which you were hired; - fabricating accountabilities and accomplishments; - making up employers or positions that never existed; - exaggerating your abilities and claiming expertise in areas you either know nothing about or have very little experience in; - stretching dates to cover-up periods of unemployment. For those readers who think that telling 'little white lies' on their resume is fine as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, perhaps you may like to read further to see the ramifications this may have on your future employability with the company. http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/Resume_writing/101772 Let's strive to keep our resume content correct and accurate! If you feel you are unable to portray your experience in a compelling and marketable way, then hire a professional resume writer. Through information gathering and further exploration a professional writer will be able to garner additional accomplishments and achievements that can be scripted into powerful resulds-driven statements, thus enhancing your overall candidacy without the need to revert to lying. Continued success!

Asking for a payrise

2005-05-10T19:05:00.000+10:00

I recently wrote an article in our monthly newsletter Career Communiqué (April 2005 issue) which provided a number of strategies for people wanting to approach their boss to request a payrise. This is something that many of us may have had to struggle with sometime in our career, I'm sure. To increase the chance of your boss even considering awarding you a pay increase it is crucial to prepare your campaign prior to walking into his/her office. Here are a few tips to get you underway: Document all of your achievements and contributions within the organisation including significant projects you were involved in or in charge of; situations where you exceeded goals/objectives/budgets; additional work you completed concurrent to normal duties; influential suggestions/recommendations, and the list goes on. This information should be presented to your boss to confirm your accomplishments and overall contributions toward the ongoing success of the company, while providing reason to support your request for a pay increase. To read further visit our article at www.aresumewriter.net/resources.htm (April 2005 edition). Continued success!

Welcome to Career Newz Bytes

2005-04-23T09:24:00.000+10:00

Hi, and welcome to Career Newz Bytes, which I hope will become a regular meeting place for all of you who are currently in the job market, or are committed to performing at optimum level in your current role while maintaining a healthy work/life balance. My name is Annemarie Cross and I'm Career Coach and Professional Resume Writer and I have worked with clients across the globe, from graduate through to senior professional. I trust you will be able to benefit from the upcoming posts. Have a career-related comment or feedback from what is happening in your part of the globe? Please feel free to post! I look forward to getting to know you! Cheers Annemarie Cross :)