Carolyn Smith

Achieving the Work/Life Balance

November 4, 2013 by Carolyn Smith Leave a Comment

work-life-balance We are all in charge of the choices we make. So, the first choice is whether you actually want to achieve work/life balance?

Setting boundaries when climbing up the traditional corporate ladder

If you are climbing up the traditional corporate ladder, – you will probably find this an extremely rewarding path and good on you. But just keep in mind, that although there are a few adjustments you can make to create more balance, to get to the top will probably involve more work time, than family time, as the prevailing corporate culture is that it is vital to do more and be more, to get to the top. [Read more…] about Achieving the Work/Life Balance

Should you leave your current job?

October 22, 2013 by Carolyn Smith Leave a Comment

When you start to get frustrated with your job, sometimes it is easy to think it would be a great idea to leave and find another job. This attitude is very prevalent amongst job-hoppers, who quickly switch jobs as a result of boredom, frustration, or a perceived, or actual conflict with other staff members or management. But sometimes it is important to have a serious think about staying in a job, rather than leaving – and below is some valid points you need to consider as to why it might be a good idea to stay, rather than leave.

Being perceived as a job-hopper can be detrimental to your career

In a booming economy, if you are a skilled worker, then it is probably not going to be that detrimental if you have a record of job-hopping. However, as the job market retracts (as with the current market), it will be more difficult to secure a new job and employers will prefer to employ someone with a stable work history to someone with an unstable work history. If you have been through several jobs in the last year or so, you need to seriously consider staying put.

Excessive personal debt

If your finances are stretched to the limit, (mortgage, credit card debt, personal loans), moving jobs is a much greater risk. Obviously if you can secure a higher paying position, then great, but make sure that the job is secure, the costs associated with taking the new job is minimal and that you are confident that the probation period is not going to be a problem for you.

No job to go to

It is not always a good idea to leave, without another job to go to. Even assuming that you don’t need to work to make a living, or you can cover costs for an extended period of time – generally it is easier to find work, if you are in a job, rather than out of a job. Plus it is way more stressful finding a job, when you are effectively unemployed, so it is best not to leave without a new job, unless there are extenuating circumstances at work, or at home.

No idea what you want to do

Unless you have a really good understanding of what you want to do, then don’t leave, just because you are bored or frustrated, as otherwise you could end up in another similar job, or situation. Make sure you are clear as to what sort of job you want, and if necessary, get career counselling.

Is the job that bad?

Before you leave, carefully consider your current position and assess your options. So often people convince themselves that they are being underpaid, but in reality are being paid the average market rate. You also need to weigh up the various options, as it might be the job, rather than the organisation that is making you disillusioned or bored with your lot. Remember, a change won’t necessarily mean that you end up in a better work environment or position, so do your homework before you leave.

Why LinkedIn and an Online Brand is your job search future

October 2, 2013 by Carolyn Smith Leave a Comment

Let’s face it – the only time you worry about finding a new job is when you need one. Upon being made redundant or finally making the decision to move on, we take action, including updating our resume, sending out job applications and networking furiously.

However, this concept of only taking action on your career when you need a new job will no longer serve you in the very near future. Recruiting practices are changing rapidly and those that take steps to cement their LinkedIn profile and online brand will be the winners in this new landscape.

The Job Board

Currently the job board dominates the recruiting landscape in Australia, in particular the large job boards such as SEEK. Employers, recruiters and headhunters use the job board to attract talent. While the job board has been a very successful mechanism – its success has also resulted in some serious problems for employers, namely employers being inundated by unqualified job applicants. The result of this inundation for job seekers is that there is a very low success rate (with applications getting overlooked) and the administrative need for HR to resort to technologies such as applicant tracking systems (ATS) and talent getting overlooked, due to the flawed nature of ATS systems.

With many employers and recruiters recognizing job board shortcomings, they are moving to other methods to find and retain talent, such as social media and LinkedIn.

For example, with LinkedIn, employers and recruiters can find the right talent and bypass the need to process hundreds of job applications. LinkedIn is also increasingly optimizing and changing its business model so it becomes the first port of call for recruiters and employers to find and employ talent.

So my prediction (along with many others in the sector) is that job boards will eventually go the same way as the hard copy newspaper. There will be a core client base, but the market share will diminish. What this means for you is that you need to continually work on and optimize your LinkedIn profile, even while employed.

Individual online brands

A staggering number of employers check out potential employers through a Google search and an increasing number of employers and recruiters won’t hire a person based on what they find online.

In the same way a consumer checks out the credibility of a service or product online, employers are checking out potential employees online. What this means is those job seekers and professionals that have a strong and positive online brand will be chosen over those that don’t. So to be successful now and into the future, you need to control your online brand and identity.

To control your online brand, you need to start getting strategic about what you share online and more importantly shape what is online about you. My prediction is that an online brand is going to become increasingly important for professionals and executives now and into the future. To ensure that you take advantage of this future – now is the time to lock down your Facebook page (so only those within your circle can access your private life) and register your name as a domain name (for future development of an online resume, blog or website). Even if you don’t use this domain name, you protect yourself from someone else using your name online and if someone has beaten you to it, your options will be a lot more limited in the future.

How to write a resume for Australia

September 17, 2013 by Carolyn Smith Leave a Comment

Australian resumes are unique, and in this article I quickly outline some of the key characteristics of the modern Australian resume.

Length of the Australian Resume

In Australia, we like our space and this love affair with space is also evident in our resumes. If you undertake a search on how to prepare a resume, so often you end up on career sites that make a strong suggestion as to the length of your resume. Please IGNORE those sites that advise you to limit your resume to one or two pages, as usually these are American or UK sites where the recruiting practices are different from those prevalent in Australia.

Instead, focus on a resume that truly reflects your skills and experience and even if this takes five pages, so be it (unless a page limit is imposed by the employer). HOWEVER, make sure you don’t waffle, and don’t include information that is not required, repetitive, or irrelevant.

Note: The average length of an Australian resume is usually anything between three and five pages long.

Brag in a subtle but effective way

In Australia, we are lousy at bragging about ourselves, but not as low key about telling the world how great we are on paper as the English. We are probably half way between the Americans and the English in how we talk about our accomplishments and achievements.

So if you are creating a resume for Australia, make sure you really focus on contributions and achievements, but don’t go over the top with the language.

Objectives are just ‘oh so old fashioned’

In Australia our love affair with objectives within a resume is coming to an end. Instead the modern Australian resume usually incorporates a profile, which outlines the skills, knowledge and experience that meets the needs of the employer.

Personal data is no longer required within resumes

In Australia, there is a large trend away from providing any personal details, such as date of birth and marital status. While in Australia, there is a raft of legislation protecting candidates from discriminatory practices, most professional resume writers, don’t include personal information that could unnecessarily place their client in a position of being ‘pigeon holed’ by employers and selection panel members, or indirectly discriminated against. In Australia, the following details are usually left out of the resume, unless these personal attributes will enhance the application.

Date of birth
Martial status and number of children
Photographs, no matter how photogenic you are
Personal data, such as health status, height and weight
Interests and hobbies
Photocopied written references attached at the end of your résumé. Save these for the interview, unless specifically requested in the application form.

Formatting trends

Yes content is KING – but equally important is the formatting of your document.

In Australia we tend to be conservative, so it is important to use a conservative formatting style. This includes being consistent in design treatments, adding white space, breaking up lengthy paragraphs, using bullet points to highlight skills and achievements balancing the resume top-to-bottom and left-to-right and using no more than 2 font styles.

The difference between a resume and curriculum vitae

September 16, 2013 by Carolyn Smith Leave a Comment

There is quite a lot of confusion in Australia over the different use of the terms curriculum vitae and resume.

Some employers request the submission of a curriculum vitae rather than a resume and likewise, some job candidates tend to think they should title their document, a CV, rather than a resume.

So what is the difference? Well the literal Latin translation of curriculum vitae, means ‘the course of one’s life’, and is usually used by job candidates within the areas of science, education/academia or medical communities. CV’s within these professions incorporate-detailed information relating to their professional activities, including journal articles, research, scholarships and publications and the correct term for this type of detailed document is curriculum vitae.

The term curriculum vitae is also used to describe documents submitted by job candidates in countries such as New Zealand or the United Kingdom, where the term resume is not commonly used. (So if you are applying for a job in these countries, uses the term curriculum vitae (CV), not resume).

However in Australia, the terms CV can be used interchangeably with resume and so you can use either term to describe your document, although the term resume, is the more common approach used here in Australia. If an employer requests that you forward a CV, rather than a resume, just simply change the heading of your current resume, or alternatively, don’t provide your document with a title. After all, it is pretty obvious to the reader, what the document is about, even with a title.

The 10 vital things you need to know as a job hunter

September 2, 2013 by Carolyn Smith Leave a Comment

If I had exactly 5 minutes where I could make a major impact on how a job hunter approached finding a new job, I would provide them with the following list:

1. Job boards have a very low success rate so don’t focus all your energy on finding and applying for jobs online.

2. Rejection is just part and parcel of finding a new job – (in particular if using the job boards) so don’t take it personally – EVER.

3. You can have the best resume in the world, but unless you get it in front of the right decision maker (that is the person that has the ultimate say on who employs you or not), then it is a waste of time.

4. You need to tap into the hidden job market – if you don’t, you are missing up to 80% of the job opportunities out there.

5. A LinkedIn profile won’t work for you, unless you have a complete and effective profile and use the right strategies.

6. Job interviews are about making a connection. If employers were only after a particular skills set, they could easily just read a bunch of resumes and hire someone without spending hours interviewing potential employees. They are not just after a particular skills set, they are after someone with whom they can make a connection, will fit in with the culture, have the right interpersonal and communication skills and are enthusiastic about the opportunity (that is not just after a pay check).

7. While not all employers or recruiters read them – still send a cover letter, since many employers will reject an application without one. If sending a cover letter, don’t send a generic one – make sure you address the specific needs of the employer.

8. After a job interview, ALWAYS follow up with an effective thank you letter/note. It could be your ticket to success.

9. Recruiters are working for the company, not you! So don’t be lulled into thinking it is OK to spill the beans, or that they are somehow obligated to find you a job.

10. Employers are after a solution to their problem – a statutory or policy obligation to fulfil (particularly if government), or they want to make a larger profit. Period. To make a larger profit or to fulfil this statutory obligation, organisations/businesses need help and support (that’s you), from administration officers (task orientated), managers (managing people, resources and projects), through to the CEO, Director or Business Owner (the visionary leader). SO to succeed – you need to become the SOLUTION to their problem, so focus on employer needs and what you offer that can solve their problem.