The red pen: using mistakes to move forward in your career

I remember sitting at my school desk one Friday afternoon, watching the teacher walk the length of the classroom, stopping at each desk as she returned our major assessment. I felt quietly confident. I was familiar with the topic on which we were asked to write, and it hadn’t been a great effort to pull something together into a coherent piece of work. As the teacher reached me and the paper fluttered down to my desk I tried not to look too smug as I turned the page over. The number thirty-five was scrolled across the top. The paper had been graded from a total of 100. Which meant that I had failed, miserably.

We have all heard the lesson about learning from your mistakes. My mistake had left me feeling stupid and unprepared. It rocked the confidence I had in my own skills. At the time, I couldn’t see that this was an important learning experience for my career. I only saw that the red pen meant I had failed.

When you enter the workforce, as much as you try, you won’t know everything. You need to prepare yourself for the messy red pen that is going to be all over your work – in the form of a co-worker revising your work, a team mate fixing your mistake or your boss pulling you aside for an unflattering review. ‘Red pen’ is something that you need to get used to and begin to recognise as a tool to use to push forward rather than crumbling under feelings of failure. It can be the lesson and motivation to keep you improving and striving forward.

That assessment paper was the highlight of my education that year. I had pretended not to care when I told my friends about my mark, but inside I had felt shaken and disheartened. I went home and, after feeling sorry for myself for an appropriate amount of time, forced myself to look at the paper and find out where I had taken a wrong turn. The highlight of that experience was that I managed to take red-penned failure and learn from it. I went to my teacher and received feedback, something that I had never done before. I then went home and re-wrote the entire essay.

My experience was a vital lesson that developed my knowledge and skills more than I would ever have achieved while remaining complacent. It stretched me, humbled me and forced me to work hard to re-assert my skills. So don’t fear the red pen, use it to push forward.

© Jacqueline Batterham

The first step to building a career that’s right for you

The idea of building a career can often be daunting. It is a fear of the unknown and unfamiliar which slowly begin to creep in on the back of innocent decisions, such as choosing elective subjects or looking at University and TAFE courses. Suddenly, it seems, we face the unavoidable question from parents, teachers and friends, who ask ‘what do you want to do once you’ve left school?’

While it is never too early to start thinking about a career path, any answer that you initially give will often change and mould as you discover more about your passions and interests. And that’s ok. You don’t need to have the right answer right now. The first and most important step is not to struggle to select a job title from the limitless available options, rather to focus on your own likes and dislikes. The best careers are born from those who spend time and attention learning about who they are as individuals.

Experiment and discover what areas motivate you, excite you, fascinate you and challenge you. Step back from the big picture and ask yourself some simple questions, such as:

• “What school subjects do I enjoy most and why?”
• “What are my favourite activities to participate in outside of school?”
• “Do I enjoy interacting with people or do I excel in solitary situations?”
• “Do I enjoy finding answers or creating questions?
• “Would I rather play with numbers or mould sentences?

A career is personal and unique, and should reflect you as an individual.

Discovering your passions will light up career paths that you will enjoy and therefore excel in. So take a moment to move your eyes away from the endless elective subjects, university courses, job titles and industries, and consider your personal passions and interests. This is the first step towards a successful career.

© Jacqueline Batterham

Dealing with Day One Jitters

So you’ve got a new job and you’re about to start: here are some tips to help it go smoothly.

Depending on your personality and life circumstances, it can be an exciting or stressful time when starting a new job. Most people have Day One Jitters to battle, regardless their age or experience. Few people actually like so much change.

Whether you’ve won the job of your dreams or you’re there to pay your bills, whatever your motivation and emotional state, how you approach the new environment can make a world of difference. Go armed with a few tips for success.

Curb the emotions
Take control of your thoughts and internal conversation. Talk yourself into being confident and to getting on well with your new work mates. The more relaxed you are the less likely you are to make silly mistakes too.

Be gracious with yourself
You’re going to make mistakes in the early days; we all do. Give yourself time to learn. You don’t know it all on day one―nobody does―so take notes when someone is telling or showing you how to do something. You’ll need them to refer back to; it’ll save you and your work mates time repeating themselves. Ask for help; it’s not a sign of weakness. People feel comforted when you ask because they know you’re not going to hide a mistake. It also makes them feel good to know that their knowledge is needed and valued – this is great for building good working relationships.

Whatever you do, don’t hide a mistake
Inform someone quickly of what happened and ask them to show you how to resolve it. Keep your emotions in check and stay alert to learn. Don’t take your hands off the job and fall in a crumbling, crying heap: this is your prime opportunity to learn.

Value your work mates
Even if you don’t like some of the people in your new workplace, always value them. Each of us has specific skills and attributes that we bring to a workplace. And when there are so many personalities in one place you’re bound to find some you don’t connect with. However, if you still give them respect then you’ll earn it too and it’ll make for a great working environment.

© Gina Gray, Managing Director of Clarity Press corporate communications and author of A Head Start – A Young Person’s Guide to Success in the Workforce.

Impress prospective employers or agents with a ‘wow’ pack

You’ve been accepted to meet with your prospective employer or agency. Don’t go empty-handed. You need to have a promotional pack ready to give to prospects.

Create a personal introduction kit, your ‘wow’ pack, containing information and sample work that shows them why they should employ you or sign you up to their label.

When planning your kit, consider what you think your prospect would need to know about you.

It should include at least your:

• business card – your contact details presented to them in some quality looking format
• skill set and qualifications e.g. Cert III/Diploma in Music, level X in piano
• attributes e.g. reliable, honest, punctual
• experience e.g. performance/work history
• any references or testimonials from audience members, previous venues, event organisers or employers
• samples of your music or design work on USB, DVD, CD or whatever format it comes in.

Always go prepared to impress and give something to them; everyone loves freebies. Even if they can’t take you on right now, they may know someone else in their network who’s able to. That’s why it’s important to always give a decent impression of yourself whatever the outcome. A good attitude can go a long way to getting your foot in the door of the industry you want to work in.

© Gina Gray, Managing Director of Clarity Press corporate communications and author of A Head Start – A Young Person’s Guide to Success in the Workforce.

Job hunting: how to tell the difference between a good or poor employer

Job hunting is time-consuming and an emotional journey as much as a physical one, between the CV tweaks and tailored covering letters, the rejections and the interview process. So you want your efforts to be rewarded, right? You want to avoid the time-wasters, the tyre-kickers. You especially want to avoid those who are looking to take advantage of a young person who might not know what the fair pay rates are for the role and who might not have the strength of character to challenge them on it when they do find out.

Here are several things to look out for when choosing a potential employer.

1. Ad size and colour.
Size matters: it’s often only the quality employers who can afford the big ad with colour. However, there are still good employers who don’t spend big money on the ad and go for something conservative so don’t be fazed if the job you want is smaller and in black and white only…or online. There are plenty more signs to look for to help you tell the difference between a golden goose and a turkey. Read on.

2. Bonafide details in the job advertisement.
a) It should state the business name.
b) It should display a logo, though some smaller businesses don’t have one yet are still bonafide, honest operators.
c) You should see a contact name and details.
d) They should provide a clear title and description of the role.
e) There should be a traceable website and/or physical address for the business; you can do a simple web search to find this out: Google them.
Other details are useful, like closing date and salary/benefits, but this isn’t always advertised so you can’t really go off that.

2. Transparent application and interview process.
Be cautious if the ad reads something like ‘Present at XYZ address for an interview at XYZ time.’ Good employers have a process to follow, which goes something like this:
a) Send your CV with a covering letter that addresses the ad requirements.
b) They’ll shortlist and notify you of an interview by phone or email. Some are courteous enough to notify you if you don’t get an interview; others inform in the ad that if you haven’t heard anything by a certain date then you didn’t get through to interview stage. sadly, the rest leave you wondering. Although this is poor form, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re a poor employer. They may be highly sought after, inundated with applications and simply unable to handle individual reply on high volume – some kindly put another ad in the paper instead saying something like ‘Job filled; thanks to all applicants; no more applications thank you.’
c) At interview, they use a system – a piece of paper with a checklist – to ask certain questions and check off their rating of your response. They use the same questions for all candidates so afterwards they can compare candidates fairly and consistently against the skills and attributes documented in the job description.

3. A contract.
A good employer will always have a contract or something in writing that sets out your hours of work, rights, responsibilities, what your pay will be and when and how you will receive it.

4. An induction program.
All good employers put through you some kind of induction program on your first day or two. It may be a simple or complex process; some can last for up to 4 weeks with training at the nearest capital city and they pay for your accommodation and meals. The aim of an induction program is to introduce you to the physical work location (where the kitchen, bathroom, your desk are), colleagues/team mates/other departments, and your job tasks.

It should never include physical or emotional abuse, pranks, dares, belittling behaviours or anything similar; that kind of induction program is illegal and should be reported to authorities. You do not need to be subject to it to try to fit in with everyone. This would be classified as a poor employer.

5. Good business systems.
Every good business operates to standards. This means they have rules, regulations, processes and procedures that everyone is required to follow. It protects the business entity, its people and customers in many ways. It holds every team member accountable to achieving task or sales targets, good safety practices, efficient task management, fair treatment of each other, and much more. If your prospective employer can’t produce something like a business and marketing plan, a systems manual or a new employee’s guide, for example, then be wary of joining them.

6. Training and development opportunities.
If you take your time seriously then choose an employer who will give you opportunities to develop job and life skills, possibly even progress within the company in some way.

If you’re not comfortable with applying direct from an ad, then try a quality careers agency … but that’s another blog for another time.

Good luck with the job hunting and remember: never give up–the right job for you is just around the corner.

© Gina Gray, Managing Director of Clarity Press corporate communications and author of A Head Start – A Young Person’s Guide to Success in the Workforce.

What NOT to wear to a job interview

To help us identify what TO wear to a job interview, let’s start out with what NOT to wear. It’s absolutely un-funky and un-uber-kool to wear:

• Spinach, grains or anything else in your teeth that’s left over from brekkie or lunch.
• Goobie in your nostril.
• Wax in your ears.
• Dirt in your fingernails or toenails.
• Used tissue up the sleeve or down the bra (“here’s one I prepared earlier”).
• Unchecked body odours.
• Dandruff on your shoulders and back.
• Crumpled clothes.

I know: gross, isn’t it? Yet people do it all the time, even interviewers. And you can’t concentrate, can you, when there’s something that distracting quietly yelling at you?

So, you know what’s next: brush your teeth, check your nose and ears, clean your nails, top up your deodorant and check your clothes for ‘fluff and stuff’.

It’s wrong but it’s true that first impressions count and you really don’t want to miss out on that job because your nerves got in the way of attention to detail. Take the time to check, check and check again.

Oh, and regarding clothing for job interviews, it’s really quite simple and common sense: dress to suit the role you’re going for.

• If you’re going for an office job then wear business clothes like trousers and a shirt (all ironed of course).
• If you’re going for a caretaker’s role then go smart-casual with trousers and a polo shirt/collared t-shirt.
• If you’re going for a sales job or a role where you’re going to be representing the organisation to its prospects and customers then wear a full suit and tie.

Some experts recommend dressing one level above the role you’re going for, and that’s fine too. The important thing is not to under-dress for the occasion. Do make an effort. Gals, add a little makeup even if you’re not comfortable wearing it.

Now, good luck with that interview!

Want more information on getting the job of your dreams? Check out my book A Head Start – A Young Person’s Guide to Success in the Workforce.

Copyright Gina Gray.

How to find out your passion and direction in life

You can save yourself some grief in jobs that aren’t ‘you’ by taking some time now to review your interests, life experiences and personal lifestyle preferences. They’re all big clues to the job or career that works for you.

Step 1
To find your direction in life consider the following aspects of your life and yourself.

What motivates you?
What gets you out of bed … other mum or dad with a cold glass of water or the dog with its wet tongue on your cheek?

What energises you?
What can you do for hours on end and still feel energetic when you stop? When I wrote my first book I used to wake up inspired at 2am and start writing. I’d have to stop at 7am to get ready to go out to work for the day, but I felt energised and easily put in a full day’s work day after day because my passion – writing – was being satisfied. (See my blog about this.)

What makes you feel a sense of purpose?
Have you ever done something that helped somebody and felt on top of the world afterwards? What was it? Did you help your friend’s little sister figure out a math problem and her sense of pride afterwards gave your life meaning? Perhaps you could investigate something to do with teaching, coaching or mentoring in areas that interest you. For example, if you love computers maybe you could teach people in retirement homes for a small fee. Build up a client base of say 30 people per month (7-8 people per week) for 30 mins each at $10 a session – that’s $300 a month. Not bad for some pocket money outside of school hours.

What consistently grabs your interest?
Have you always enjoyed music, singing, guitar, crafts, making cards, going to the gym, surfing?

What life experiences have impacted you?
Have you or someone you know battled an illness like cancer or a physical challenge such as blindness? Has it developed a passion in you to help others in the same boat? Do you despise injustice and inequity? Are you sponsoring a child in a third world country as a result and do you want to see poverty wiped out?

Step 2
After considering your personal preferences, experiences and interests the next thing to do is get your creative juices flowing and brainstorm all possible options that cover two or more of those aspects of your life. Here are some examples around an interest in gaming.

• You like gaming and talking to people so consider a retail sales assistant role in a gaming store. There are usually opportunities for advancing your career in retail.
• You love gaming – never tire of it – but you’re not great with people. Consider buying and selling games online to turn a quid. Consider starting a membership based website to inform and teach people about gaming developments and how to crack into new levels in specific games.
• You like gaming and you’re highly skilled in technology. Consider getting work online as a gaming software developer with one of the big retailers like Nintendo. Start by researching their requirements for developers and how they attract them. You may need a qualification (or not) and you may need to pitch your skills to someone direct rather than waiting for them to advertise. They’ll want to see that you’re serious about it so you should have some of your own work ready to show them.
• If you like gaming and get a lot of satisfaction from helping people learn for themselves, consider starting a business teaching specific groups of people how to use a game. Apparently Nintendo Wii is becoming really popular in retirement homes because it helps older people stay well physically and mentally, and it helps them connect with their grandkids when they come to visit.

Now, if you’re stuck for ideas for your personal situation then get your friends and/or family in on the brainstorming, PROVIDED they don’t try to direct you in the way they want you to go. This is your life: you have to do what satisfies and fulfils you if you’re going to enjoy it to the max.

Failing that, you’re welcome to email me to help with some ideas to kick-start you.  gina@claritypress.com.au

Meet Curious Willy and say hello to your future

I recently read a wonderful e-book: Meet Curious Willy.

After fits of giggles with friends over the title and hours of surmising what it could contain, my copy finally arrived by email and of course I didn’t hesitate to delve into it. I pushed back jobs in my schedule immediately and settled down with a coffee to join the Curious Willy club.

Meet Curious Willy tells the tale of a high school teacher who learns some invaluable insights from his high school pupil, William, that help him re-shape his life into one that satisfies him to his core after years of dabbling in a range of roles.

Curious Willy earned the nickname because he had a genuine passion to learn about things so always asked questions. He was never satisfied with a pat answer or something that was accepted as the norm. He thought outside the square. Naturally, he was a challenge to most teachers because he wouldn’t just take as ‘gospel’ what he was told. Thank goodness. His insights revealed through this e-book are simple yet solid for helping you figure out just what it is you’re made for in life.

The e-book is published by Linnerts, a business that helps you create the life you want – your unique picture of success, not the life that your family, friends and the media portray as success.

You can get a free copy of the e-book by signing up to receive the Linnerts e-news at www.linnerts.com.au

It’s well worth the read and when you do you’ll have a doh! moment, like, ‘that’s SO obvious – why didn’t I see this sooner?’ I’d love to hear about your journey as you start to apply the principles so stay in touch.

Copyright Gina Gray.

You gotta swim through the snot to get the gold

I’m a swimmer. I love nestling into the tepid baths first thing in the morning and gliding off into my own world for an hour. It’s the best way to start the day! The water fills my ears and drowns out the sounds of other swimmers and all the other noise that bombards my thoughts constantly – the ‘to do’ lists, the worries, the frustrations of work, the conversations with people that I’ll probably never have.

I dive in and suddenly there I am, in my clear zone, a fresh space to gain inspiration and perspective on … well, everything.

However, one glance below the surface and I’m crashing back to earth as I spy the dreaded floaties: belly button fluff, old plasters/Band-Aids, strands of hair, bits of dead skin but the worst …. OMG, SNOT! Aaaarghhhhhhh! Don’t look, don’t LOOK, DON’T LOOK! And they’re just the visible floaties; I won’t start on the chemicals and bacteria in case you begin to think I’m OC.

So I keep my eyes above the water line and to the goal ahead of me: the end of each lap – the short term goals – and the wonderful youthful figure I’m retrieving for myself – the long term goal, the gold at the end of all the hard work.

I pondered this state of affairs as I swam this morning and it occurred to me that, as it is in the pool so it is in life: you have to swim through the snot – the attempted roles that just aren’t ‘you’ – to reach the gold at the end. You have to ignore the floaties, press on and fix your eyes on the end prize: finding that job or career you enjoy.

Don’t give up and don’t let the floaties get you down!

Discover how to find the job or career of your dreams

Ever found yourself dragging your feet to work … chucking a sickie because you can’t face your job today … feeling sluggish and a little depressed? You’re in the wrong job, Mate!

If it makes you feel slightly better: you’re not unlike millions out there in the big wide world who find themselves carried along into a job or career because of their circumstances. But take heart: you DO have a say in your life. You can recreate the life you want.

I wrote  A Head Start – A Young Person’s Guide to Success in the Workforce for a few reasons. One is because the pressure’s on for teenagers to figure out what they want to do for the rest of their life, before they leave high school. They have to know what career they want so they can choose their higher education course. It’s a little bit crazy, isn’t it?

Yet life doesn’t always work out that way we think it will and many waste thousands of dollars on an education they come to realise is just not ‘them’.

A Head Start gives you tips to identify the kind of career or job you’ll enjoy so you don’t waste too much of your life trying to figure it out through trial and error … like most of us do. How many 30-somethings out there have had mutiple job or career changes and still haven’t found what satisfies them to their very core?

Get smart and get A Head Start. Life’s too short to waste a minute, let alone a lifetime in the wrong career.