Resources
Job Satisfaction
We spend a good proportion of our lives at work so it is not surprising that many people seeking career advice are driven by a need to find satisfying work. They want to be happier in their jobs because they know that people who are happy in their work are healthier, more productive and that their ‘happiness’ is likely to spill over into their home lives. They are better to be around as happiness is contagious. So if you are happy in your work it’s likely that others around you are likely to be happy too.
When you’re in a job that you find satisfying you’re more eager to begin work each day and you feel appreciated for your contribution. You probably respect your manager and enjoy your workmates or colleagues. It’s also likely that you speak with pride and appreciation about the organisation to others. A satisfying work life can improve your general well-being and positively influence other parts of your life.
Factors which contribute to your feelings of job satisfaction and their relative importance are based on the things you value, your goals and what motivates you in the first place. Nurses for example may gain personal rewards from helping others. They may enjoy hospital work because management hierarchies and pay structures are clearly defined. A sales person on the other hand, may be motivated by the thrill of the chase to clinch a deal and the adrenalin rush that follows. They may be driven by incentive bonuses and promotion possibilities.
Different people gain job satisfaction from different job settings but most people want work that is true to them as individuals and makes them feel good about themselves.
Some may choose a portfolio career allowing them to work in a range of jobs and satisfy multiple needs. A portfolio career may for example consist of a combination of: volunteer work (as Secretary on the Board of Trustees at the local school); an income producing activity in which they are highly skilled (Legal Executive) and a lower income area in which they are highly challenged (producing and selling their art work).
Some people thrive when they go into business for themselves. It can mean freedom to do the work they love; escaping difficult bosses and reaping the rewards of their own efforts. Self-employment can offer flexibility to spend more time with family and improve their lifestyle. However the size of the step from employment to self-employment can be underestimated and some may find themselves caught in a situation that is quite unexpected. They feel isolated from their colleagues and find most of their time taken up with tasks they don’t enjoy. They may lack the essential skills for business development and maintenance such as: administration, marketing, active selling and managing the finance. On one hand self-employment can open a world of untapped potential on the other it can remove people from the aspects of working life that were the basic rewards of their work scene.
You may choose to stay where you are if your work is more or less a good match and allows you to satisfy other needs. Rather than changing jobs you can change your work in some way and make it a better match. You might for example look for projects in-house that extend your skills; make a contribution to something you care about or participate in a conference. Finding a strategy that stretches you but still allows time for a personal life can allow you to advance your career and improve your level of satisfaction without moving on.
This ‘tweak’ approach is often what works best. You make no big changes; instead you look at what really motivates you and how you can keep that in your working life. It’s the net effect of your work on your life that is the key.
Resources
Dealing with Redundancy
Redundancy is, to a business, the result of changing direction or needing to reduce costs. To a person being made redundant, it cuts to the core of how they feel about themselves. To some, it means their work experience and abilities are redundant, out of date and unnecessary. Others may be able to look past the immediate turmoil and see that this as a chance to make really good decisions for their future.
It’s very common for people to experience actual grief as they come to terms with the loss of their jobs. It’s often followed by a cascade of further effects as the loss of income begins a trail of uncertainty. If you find yourself unemployed and things seem to be out of control you may feel a flood of emotions: anger, embarrassment, disbelief and shame. These feelings are normal. At this point it is really important to give yourself time to adjust and absorb the situation.
You may feel very uncertain about the changes ahead and anxious about finances. There’s no shame in losing your job. It happens to people at all levels. It’s what you do about it that matters. Try to use it as an opportunity to review your career history and build wider options.
While you may be experiencing job loss as painful, remember people do come through redundancy. Over time we adapt well to all types of life changes and challenging circumstances. There are things you can do and strategies you can adopt that will help you to get through the initial set back and start working on some options that you couldn’t see while you were busy in the job.
Amy
When Amy first became my client she was full of concern for her future. Recently the focus of the job had changed from customer relations to sales, sales, sales. Amy had been unable to meet growing sales targets despite winning sales awards in the past. With a restructure she’d been ‘let go’ while other younger and less experienced sales staff had held their jobs.
Amy had been dealing with customers; winning their respect and loyalty for 20 years. Customers sought her out if they had a problem. She knew how to network, develop and maintain relationships. It came as second nature to her. She’d felt intensely frustrated with the changed focus of her role and at a loss to understand how she’d lost her job when she’d been ticking all the success boxes and looking out for the well being of the company.
She needed to step back and look at her circumstances; her skills; her significant network and start realising that she had choices outside her previous job. We considered what was needed to help her to accept the changes and develop a positive mindset. We paid attention to her interpretation of events and developed a ‘leaving story’ with a positive spin. A story she could share with conviction.
I reminded Amy to enlist support from her family and friends. Their encouragement and reassurance during this difficult period would help her to bounce back. I emphasised the need for her to keep active and take time to do things she enjoyed to help reduce stress.
We embarked on an in depth self-assessment programme to build Amy’s work profile. She became clear about three types of roles that would be rewarding: Customer Service Development Officer; Retail Manager and Budget Advice Officer.
Realistic goals were developed within specific timeframes. The job search process was chunked down into manageable steps and she began to take decisive action.
Amy emailed me two months after our final meeting. She’d won a position as Sales Manager for a medium sized business. The new job entailed travelling longer distances to work and occasionally doing longer hours than she had anticipated. She explained that she was prepared to accept these factors as ‘trade-offs’ because the new organisation valued the skills and experience she brought to this position.
Amy found she had choices. She was able to apply her transferable skills in quite a different setting. Her exceptional interpersonal skills enabled her to adopt a management role with ease and she’s benefiting from extra in-house training. Amy now looks back on this episode of job loss and uncertainty, as a huge leap forward.
Resources
Minimising the Cost of Tertiary Education
Many students come to University or Polytechnic with a tight budget. If you’re a tertiary student or about to become one you need a financial plan. Be smart! Avoid the very large student loans that can severely restrict your future hopes and dreams. Put effort into creating a financial plan early so that you maximise your chances of sticking to a budget.
This article outlines some important strategies to help you: minimize costs; get the best deal and make the most of the financial assistance that’s available while studying for your tertiary qualification.
Student Loans & Allowances
Student Allowances:
To minimise your up-front costs, check to see if you are eligible for the student allowance. It’s a weekly payment that doesn’t have to be paid back and helps with living expenses while you study full-time.
Student Loan Scheme:
As a full time tertiary student you can borrow money from the government to help pay for your tertiary study. This loan has to be paid back and this is done by government deducting money from your pay once you are over a certain amount. These loans can easily get to $30,000.00 or more over the 3 or 4 years of study.
To find out more and if you qualify, contact StudyLink. This is a service set up by the Department of Social Development to provide you with support and information about student loans and allowances. From the web-site download the “Get Your Future Sussed’ booklet to take the ‘SudyLink Reality Check’. Click on ‘Tools and Calculators’ to find out how much student allowance you may be eligible for while you are studying.
Tip: Borrow only what you need because anything you borrow you have to pay back.
Scholarships
Numerous scholarships are available to students. A scholarship is a grant of money that is given to you to that you don’t need to pay back. The money is designated to pay for fees, associated course costs and / or living costs. The amount of money gifted is decided by the organisation giving it.
Not all scholarships are aimed at top scholars or high achieving sports people. Winning a scholarship depends on a wide range of criteria such as your: region, needs, academic abilities, cultural background, sporting background, school, future plans and subject areas.
The Career Service web-site provides excellent information on this topic. Check your eligibility through the Scholarships office on your tertiary provider web-site. Some community service clubs, Government agencies and industry bodies provide scholarships. Access the ‘Breakout Database’. It holds information on thousands of funding schemes that include study.
Tip: Search the scholarship funding sites thoroughly and put in some applications.
Part-time Work
Any type of earning can reduce the need for borrowing.
It is commonplace for students to find work for five, ten or more hours a week in fast food or retail outlets. It is far easier to earn $60.00 to $100 weekly while studying, than repaying it years later with interest. Holidays can be a better time to get work as you can do more hours and earn more. Use Student Job Search. It’s set up to help.
Special focus: For holiday work many have found that they used this opportunity to work in a field that fitted their study. Placements relevant to your course of study can give you a practical experience of your academic learning as well as enabling you to earn valuable dollars.
Employers’ greatest issue with fresh graduates is that they lack professional experience. Internships can help you to develop a network of contacts and a range of essential work skills that make you more employable.
Smart placements in businesses that you would hope to gain long term employment give you both experience and visibility at these work places. Occasionally students have gone on to internships and eventually employment in the organisation where they did holiday work.
Tip: Minimise borrowing by getting part-time work.
Study Location
It seems great to get away from home to live and study. When making the decision on where to study, think this one through.
Living in the family home can halve student loan debt for some borrowers. By choosing to study local you can dramatically reduce living costs. While Halls of Residence provide safe havens for students when they first leave the nest, it comes at a financial cost. Flatting is usually a lot more expensive than living at home. Save on transport costs by choosing to live handy to your place of study. Use a cycle or public transport instead of buying a car.
Tip: Study local if you can.
Student Discounts
Reduce costs by finding out what free services are available from your institution’s Student Union. They are the best source of information for how to gain access to student discounted / free services. At Waikato University for example, there’s no charge for doctor’s visits, prescriptions or counselling services on campus. Otago University Student Union organises: $5.00 dinners; cheaper photocopy facilities; computer equipment for hire and so on. Auckland University offers: ‘How to manage on a tight budget’ workshops – a budget allows you to monitor your spending.
If you’re entitled to student allowance you will qualify for a Community Services card that can help to reduce some costs. Student I.D. cards provide reduced entry charges to various entertainment outlets and access to a myriad of discounts, bargains and freebies. Banks offer fee-free tertiary accounts to students (but be wary of the bank; the more indebted you become, the more money the bank makes from you).
Tip: Check out what your Student Union offers.
Programme Choice
A key strategy in making the most of tertiary study is to get assistance in choosing the most suitable areas of study. The most expensive aspect of tertiary study occurs when students change direction or course in their second or third year. This inevitably adds more time to gaining a qualification. Papers / courses already achieved can be eliminated in the count towards the final.
If you’re unclear about career direction get professional help from a Career Consultant. Establish a career plan with them that gives you the best possible chance of success. Select a programme that suits you and leads you towards long term satisfying employment.
Tip: If you’re uncertain about your career direction, get help from a career professional.
Resources
Advice for Parents
Help your son / daughter make the ‘right’ career decision.
Many people are anxious about making the right career decision. How do I know which work suits me? How do I choose the right career? What am I going to study?
Teenagers and students are not the only groups prone to career confusion and indecision but they are particularly vulnerable. University education makes demands on parents at a time when they can least afford it. The pressure is on teens to make the ‘right’ decision.
For young people with little work / life experience this is easier said than done. Making career decisions can present a real challenge. ‘How do I know I’ll like it if I haven’t done it?’ Anxiety may lead them to either follow the career path of their parents or their friends, whether or not they are suited to it.
Don’t be too concerned. If your teenage son or daughter has no idea what they want to do, that’s normal! Many successful adults I know have managed some self-doubt while they tried to find the right field. There is no one ‘right career’ and there is no one formula for finding the ‘right career’. It’s not a one-shot deal, it’s a process.
As a parent you can, however, have considerable influence over your teenage son/daughter’s career choices. Here are some ideas to help provide them with direction and focus as they approach the decision-making stage.
- Start career conversations by letting go of your dreams of what might be. This may interfere with the realities and aspirations of your off-spring. Instead offer them a chance to dream. Dreams can be starting points for possibilities.
- Help them to gain experience and develop work skills by taking a hoilday or parttime job. This can give them an ideal introduction to the world of work. Even a dull or boring job can hold valuable learning. Volunteering or work experience are excellent ways to learn skills, gain understanding of specific careers and develop a sound network of contacts.
- Discuss your teen’s natural abilities with them — their people skills, their handiness with tools, their facility with numbers and /or their creative flair. Explore skills they may have developed on the sport’s field, netball court, in youth groups or kapahaka. Pay attention to skills which can be transferred to work situations for example, good communication skills, the ability to organize, lead others and find information.
- Ask about their attitudes toward work. What would they want from work, apart from earning money? What do they think they would need in a working environment to feel truly engaged? Be open to discussing the pitfalls and successes you’ve experienced in your own career.
- Help them pinpoint their major interests as these may become the basis for an appropriate career.
- As career options open up ask exploratory questions and listen actively. Once teens have a clear picture of themselves and their unique abilities, realistic career options can be discussed.
Today’s workplace is constantly changing. More jobs and career fields are being created which has created more choices. Parents who are aware of these changes and actively engage with their teenagers in a career decision process will help them make better career and educational decisions.
Resources
Getting Started on your CV
A CV is a sale’s document. It can win you an interview. Your CV sells you as the product or resource. It should tell the employer what you can do and how well you can do it.
It is common for people to feel a bit awkward about the idea of ‘selling themselves’ in this way - spelling out their achievements and talents to the world at large. However this is exactly what is needed. Don’t be modest. Through your CV you need to clearly demonstrate that you have exactly the skills and attributes that the employer seeks and you are very keen to win this position.
Here are 10 pointers to help you to get your CV underway.
- Say the minimum powerfully. Stick to facts but give emphasis where justified e.g. A special talent for... Highly competent in...
- Make your unique selling points (u.s.p.s) obvious.
- Format carefully. Align text. Use plenty of white space.
- Describe your key competencies and add examples to give them validity.
- Let your skills and achievements speak for themselves. Unless you are going for a design position, keep additional design features subtle with the aim of adding character to your CV and helping it to stand out.
- Don’t exceed 4 pages.
- Include your interests. They give a bit of an insight into your personality.
- As a general rule, include information from the last 10 - 15 years only.
- Fashion your CV to suit the position. Use the language that is used in the ad.
- Expect CV development to take time. It explains the course of your working life. Give it the attention it deserves.
