Events
Please check back regularly as we update our site with career expo's and other events which occur in the region.
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Media
Find your hidden talents
Courier Mail - Mar 28-29, 2009
Stage a job-skill treasure hunt to uncover your true career potential, writes Amanda Horswill
REDUNDANCIES have made jobseekers scared. Will they find a new job? Will their skills match up to the competition? Will they be able to change to a job in a safer industry?
But swapping from an angst-prone sector to a job in a more secure employment environment could be as simple as finding your hidden talents. The ones we take for granted or don’t think important. If you think you have no skills, you are wrong, says recruitment firm Robert Half’s Andrew Brushfield.
We all have them, we just need to know how to tap into them, he says. ‘‘Candidates with 10, 15 or even 20 years’ experience when they are preparing for an interview or writing a resume most often think about the last job or the last two jobs,’’ Brushfield says. ‘‘They tend to turn a blind eye to what they have done before that, thinking that it’s probably not relevant, or they don’t think that what they have achieved in other jobs would be of interest to an employer. ‘‘They are. ‘‘They need to think about those skills because any decisions made are on the back of the performance in an interview and on what is documented on a resume.
‘‘So you really need to consider everything that you have achieved throughout your whole career. ‘‘Investing that half an hour rewriting your resume can make a big difference.’’ He says candidates must sit back and do a thorough analysis of each job they have had and what tasks they performed. Note what skills were used in the job and what successes were achieved, and how that success was measured. Ensure the key skills and achievements, as they relate to the job you are applying for, are noted on the resume.
‘‘If you do this analysis and find that you may be short on a particular skill, there are options available,’’ he says. ‘‘You can do extra education, so be proactive in the interview and talk about how you have had technical exposure to, say, nine of the 10 selection criteria but that you could do this course or train in this area to make up the difference. ‘‘Don’t not apply because you don’t meet every criteria. ‘‘I am not suggesting that if you have four of 10 requirements that you should apply —you shouldn’t. ‘‘But if you have six of the requirements, you should give yourself a chance.
You can’t discount the importance of the cultural fit. ‘‘Every employer out there is looking for technical skills as well as a cultural fit. ‘‘There might be a person who meets all the criteria but would not be a good cultural fit; or there may be someone who meets six of the criteria but fit into the working environment perfectly. ‘‘The hiring manager may well say they are willing to train up that person.’’ That was certainly the case for Expressions Dance Company’s new education officer Vicky Lewis. At first glance, Lewis’s past experience as a professional ballet dancer and then real estate agent might not seem to match the requirements of a cutting-edge dance company’s go-to marketing expert. However, a little lateral thinking about the value of Lewis’s skills made her an obvious choice for the job. ‘‘When I was working with Ray White in property sales, I realised that I had this undiscovered skill in community liaison and communication. I then had this desire to actually go and do something with that and to combine it with the other experiences I have had,’’ Lewis says.
So she reworked her resume and went to a networking event, in the hope of making new contacts that could perhaps propel her into a new job. She found Expressions Dance Company’s artistic director and former Queensland Ballet colleague, Natalie Weir, who later told her they were recruiting for an education officer and that she might like to apply. She did, and she encourages other job seekers to have an open mind about what type of jobs to consider. ‘‘You never know exactly what people are looking for,’’ she says. ‘‘You may not have the exact skills that are required, but you might just be the right person to fit into the establishment. I think the drawcard for me was that I had worked with the artistic director previously, had a history in dance, strong communication skills, and of course my history in real estate sales helped. ‘‘I am still pinching myself.’’
Career Spa career counsellor Wanda Hayes says confidence is the key to uncovering hidden skills. Start by ditching any negative thoughts about what skills you don’t have. Pretend you are someone else assessing your skills. Concentrate on the positive aspects, and what you have done — rather than what you think is lacking. ‘‘They will need to think about how they want to package themselves — identify their strengths that are relevant to the sort of work they are seeking, and highlight those, rather than trying to cover up what they perceive as weaknesses,’’ Hayes says.
‘‘It’s like having a bad hair day—no one else really notices. For some people, that might mean getting someone to look at their experience with fresh (and objective) eyes, to draw out those abilities that they currently take for granted.’’ Hayes says career practitioners can be found on the website www.cdaa.org.au ‘‘Working with a career practitioner has the added benefit that we can help them to address issues of confidence and job readiness, as they can be a real hurdle when you haven’t worked for a while. ‘‘They also need to have an answer for the inevitable questions about the times when they haven’t worked. A brief answer that focuses more on what they are looking forward to about returning to work than on why they stopped working in the first place.’’
Training must have a target
Courier Mail - Jan 31st, 2009
2009 is set to be the year of the training course, writes Amanda Horswill
ECONOMIC downturn means an upturn for education and training. Wanda Hayes, career counsellor at Career Spa, says training represents a way to take control of careers in a time when economic forces are working to reduce choice.
"In uncertain economic times, one of the best ways to ensure your own security is to focus on your employability. You can't control what steps your employer will take to manage their own financial position, but you can take your own steps to ensure that you remain a sought-after employee," Hayes says.
"One of the best ways to do this is to keep your skills and industry knowledge up to date, so that you are able to anticipate as well as meet future needs.
"So, right now, the smart people are planning to brush up their skills and doing some research to keep themselves on the cutting edge in their field. Then, even if their current employer needs to downsize and isn't able to keep them on, they will be better placed to find another job quickly.
"For some, this may include gaining some formal qualifications or certifications, particularly in fields where your competition is likely to be better qualified than you are."
An example of this can be found at Carlton Brown. The care industry training provider has seen a boom in requests for aged care training from childcare workers looking to enhance their job prospects. However, CEO Kay Ganley says the recent tremors in the childcare industry have not decreased enrolments in that field. Instead, it has boosted numbers significantly.
Charlton Brown enrolment for aged care training has increased by 200 per cent from last year, while childcare has lifted 300 per cent. "People are looking to training to increase their qualifications and to increase their options in terms of employment," Ganley says.
"So it's not really a surprise that enrolments are increasing." She says older women returning to the workforce and media coverage describing a skills shortage has boosted interest in working in aged care. Childcare places are up because of an emphasis on vocational training in Year 12, and a move away from tertiary study in favour of something that can deliver a paying job in a shorter time span.
That desire for fast "work readiness" could be why Sarina Russo Schools CEO Marcel Creed predicts tourism, hospitality, construction, community and health services to be popular training courses this year.
"Demand for training and education is likely to increase in the short term due to a slowing labour market," Creed says.
"Looking further ahead, though, the ageing of Australia's population suggests that we will see cyclical rebound in job growth some time in the next five years. At that point, Australia will, once again, face a strong need for skilled workers with a quality educational background. So now is a good time to begin the upskilling process."
However, Hayes warns jobseekers to choose their training carefully. "People should be cautious, however, about taking on training for its own sake," Hayes says. "Whatever you learn will be lost very quickly, and become outdated almost as quickly, in some cases, if you aren't able to use it straight away. So the best training is that which has some relevance to the job you are doing right now, or to other roles that are likely to continue to be needed by your current employer.
"If you take on training in a completely new area, try to make sure that the skills and experience you already have are also valued and useful in that field."
Wanda Hayes interviewed on ABC Radio by Warren Boland
QLD - statewide, May 2008
Click on the icon to play the interview. Approximately 12 minutes long - please wait a few moments
after clicking the icon for streaming to start.
MEDIA RELEASE - AUSTRALIA’S FIRST CAREER SPA LAUNCHES
Brisbane, 3 March 2008Residential career development program, Career Spa Renewal, to help participants focus on 2008 career choices and work/life balance
Australia’s latest career development program for corporate executives of all ages was launched today in Brisbane. Unlike the majority of career counselling sessions, Career Spa™ is based on a different format. The two day residential program, Career Spa Renewal, facilitates an environment where people can assess their career path to date and work with qualified consultants to better plan their future needs. Career Spa is currently available in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and will be launched nationwide throughout 2008.
According to the Founder of Career Spa, Ms. Wanda Hayes, this is a unique opportunity for individuals to uncover the purpose and direction in their working lives.
“The Career Spa Renewal program is a specifically tailored two day residential program to ensure that our attendees are not interrupted and it allows them to simply focus on themselves and their careers. This is often the biggest issue that many people face – making the time to re-assess where they have come from and where they want to go versus where they are heading,” she said.
Career Spa is designed for a wide audience, ranging from young executives that have established a career but are lacking current direction, to workers in their 40’s, 50’ and 60’s seeking guidance on career planning, re-employment and career coaching for those lost in their work.
Renewal group sizes are limited to no more than six people per Career Spa consultant. The professionally qualified team of Career Spa consultants meet with participants prior, during and following the residential program to discuss the unique situation and needs of every attendee. All participants have complimentary access to the Career Spa online community.
Hayes continued, “For many people work is an integral component of how we create our sense of self. If your career is excelling then it does enhance your life and how you feel about everything. If it isn’t going to plan, then it can have negative ramifications for many aspects of your daily life – and those around you,” she said.
Career Spa Renewal costs AUD$1500 per person for the two day residential program and this includes accommodation, meals as well as a full 2-day career development program.
Career Spa will also be offering a full range of career development courses including:
- Introducing Me – update the way you present yourself to prospective employers and take ‘self-marketing’ to an entirely different level.
- Choices & Changes – the program for people facing imminent change in their working lives.
- Just for Me – one-on-one career counselling to facilitate individuals to think and act differently.
About Wanda Hayes
With over 15 years experience as a career counsellor and career development professional, Wanda has successfully worked with a variety of corporations and individuals to help people find a real sense of purpose and direction in their working lives. Her work in this area has ranged from providing career counselling for people facing unexpected unemployment, career guidance for students and career coaching for those who have lost themselves in their work. Wanda holds a Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and Diploma of Education from University of Queensland, as well as a Diploma of School Counselling. She is also a professional member of the Australian Association of Career Counsellors.
About Career Spa
Career Spa is a uniquely designed career development program with benefits for both individuals and employers. In a 2-day residential setting, the Career Spa program creates an environment where people can assess their career path to date and determine how career can add to and enhance their quality of life moving forward. Established in 2007 by Wanda Hayes, Founder and Managing Director of Essence HR and Career Spa, the program is available in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria with plans to extend both nationally and to New Zealand in the near future.
Contact us
CAREER spa is on the move.Our brand new premises will be ready early in the New Year, but in the meantime if you
need to contact us...
call Wanda Hayes: 0412317482
email: info@careerspa.com.au
CAREER spa is a division of essence consulting pty ltd
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