Most of us are blessed with an incessant need to know other people's business. Nightly news bulletins and current affairs programs are loaded with human interest reports, reality tv continues to ply us with salacious storylines and deeply personal information on its subjects. Our conversation with colleagues, friends and family tends to be about specific people in the media spotlight rather than events - we use information as a way of connecting with one another and establishing common interests.
Similarly, we talk about ourselves in order to establish close bonds. Besides being a favourite topic for most people (whether the news is good or bad), talking about yourself is an important means of establishing trust and loyalty. Your listener gets the message that you have selected them as an ally, someone who will keep your confidence and treat your sensitive information with respect. Ideally that message is reciprocated, and a mutual bond is formed.
In sourcing new work opportunities, this instinct for human self-disclosure can be used to your advantage. Everyone you come into contact with, either over the phone, online or in person, has valuable information worth storing and recording. There is no need to arm yourself with microphone bugs and freelance for ASIO, this is more about broadening your awareness of the infinite network around you. If you go to a barbecue on the weekend (ideally with outdoor heaters and good coffee - denial is no match for winter!) the questions are there to be asked. How do you know the host, what do you do, what does your partner do, how long has that been happening, how did it come about, how is it going, who is that, can you introduce me. Anyone who has worked as a telemarketer or in a supermarket check out knows that a simple "how are you, how's your night going" is a small blessing and starts a much more interesting conversation.
The key is to write these details down. Who you met and what they said is not only going to be of use to you, it could also benefit someone else. Helping others establishes you as an important contact, and you know they will come back to you in the future. The infinite online network of people is available without even leaving the house. Let your curiosity off the leash and start asking questions!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
I am appalling.
Spellcheck was a sound addition to job board and word processing programs, giving us all the chance to complete resumes and advertisements without obvious errors. There are however times when even the computer is lost on how to help us.
A job application cover letter which came across our desks featured the line, I am appalling for the position of .... . Faultless honesty to be sure. No further explanation was necessary - if one intends to write applying and comes up with an alternative like this one, appalling is a choice description.
Likewise, a brush-up on their/there/they're would not hurt for a good many recruitment consultants. A poorly written advertisement is a brand image wrecking ball - the consultant appears to have typed their text after the fire alarm bell has started sounding in their office, the agency should be closely examining their publishing material, and the client should have every right to deny all knowledge of their commercial agreement. Moreover, you'd feel like a bit of a goose applying for a job that doesn't quite make sense.
It is much harder to read a body of work which is peppered with mistakes. Besides losing credibility, the lack of care shows disrespect towards the intended audience. The job application may be shredded or the advertisement overlooked. Our time is important to us.
Professionalism on both sides makes for a great relationship. Ask someone else to double-check your work so that you do not miss out on making those new contacts.
A job application cover letter which came across our desks featured the line, I am appalling for the position of .... . Faultless honesty to be sure. No further explanation was necessary - if one intends to write applying and comes up with an alternative like this one, appalling is a choice description.
Likewise, a brush-up on their/there/they're would not hurt for a good many recruitment consultants. A poorly written advertisement is a brand image wrecking ball - the consultant appears to have typed their text after the fire alarm bell has started sounding in their office, the agency should be closely examining their publishing material, and the client should have every right to deny all knowledge of their commercial agreement. Moreover, you'd feel like a bit of a goose applying for a job that doesn't quite make sense.
It is much harder to read a body of work which is peppered with mistakes. Besides losing credibility, the lack of care shows disrespect towards the intended audience. The job application may be shredded or the advertisement overlooked. Our time is important to us.
Professionalism on both sides makes for a great relationship. Ask someone else to double-check your work so that you do not miss out on making those new contacts.
Battler Mentality vs Battle Mentality
When tough times get Australians down and make livelihoods and luxuries more uncertain, we have an iconic stereotype to fall back on, one that makes us feel honest, hardworking and dedicated to our commitments through hardship. The image of the Battler is further pushed by the media, commonly in connection with those who are especially hard done by - an enemy such as the council, neighbours, family members, bank or similar in the background.
The Battler first came about in the eighteenth century as a term of respect for those who conscientiously made the best of their circumstances, despite having little in the way of social privileges and financial reward.
The term has changed somewhat in the time since, so that we now have the pure, traditional meaning of the Battler alongside a media idea of someone who, not having the most fortunate of circumstances, complains about their situation and blames others for blocking their means of gaining the same entitlements that others receive. If there is a population consensus that healthcare is unaffordable or banks are overcharging, the Battler group is likely to be labelled as the ones hardest hit, or the ones with the loudest voice.
This is the pitfall of this Australian icon. We merge the idea of the hardworking, much-deserving individual with one who protests for more, more, more and publicly criticises their opponents. When it suits us, we can all assume the identity of Battlers in the face of a global recession - we are doing our best, but we are thoroughly annoyed at the lack of positive results for our efforts.
Quite concerning then that we believe we are part of the Lucky Country and should not be subjected to extraordinary hardships. The reality is that we should stop seeing ourselves as victims, even if that means we need to temporarily shelve our cultural identity in the process.
This is the time for a Battle mentality. Not necessarily the notion that one individual or one group should win and another lose, but rather that we should be pushing ourselves harder, choosing to leap over adversities and maintaining the determination to drive back the obstacles. We should be arming ourselves with the skills and tools to be better persuaders, better negotiators, better time users. We would all be more motivated if we felt that there was a team of like-minded others who were in pursuit of the same goals and were facing the same challenges. It's not enough to seal the hatches and wait til this economic phase passes - if we make the most of it, we will be better for it when the market recovers. Call the Battler into Battle because we will need them on our side.
The Battler first came about in the eighteenth century as a term of respect for those who conscientiously made the best of their circumstances, despite having little in the way of social privileges and financial reward.
The term has changed somewhat in the time since, so that we now have the pure, traditional meaning of the Battler alongside a media idea of someone who, not having the most fortunate of circumstances, complains about their situation and blames others for blocking their means of gaining the same entitlements that others receive. If there is a population consensus that healthcare is unaffordable or banks are overcharging, the Battler group is likely to be labelled as the ones hardest hit, or the ones with the loudest voice.
This is the pitfall of this Australian icon. We merge the idea of the hardworking, much-deserving individual with one who protests for more, more, more and publicly criticises their opponents. When it suits us, we can all assume the identity of Battlers in the face of a global recession - we are doing our best, but we are thoroughly annoyed at the lack of positive results for our efforts.
Quite concerning then that we believe we are part of the Lucky Country and should not be subjected to extraordinary hardships. The reality is that we should stop seeing ourselves as victims, even if that means we need to temporarily shelve our cultural identity in the process.
This is the time for a Battle mentality. Not necessarily the notion that one individual or one group should win and another lose, but rather that we should be pushing ourselves harder, choosing to leap over adversities and maintaining the determination to drive back the obstacles. We should be arming ourselves with the skills and tools to be better persuaders, better negotiators, better time users. We would all be more motivated if we felt that there was a team of like-minded others who were in pursuit of the same goals and were facing the same challenges. It's not enough to seal the hatches and wait til this economic phase passes - if we make the most of it, we will be better for it when the market recovers. Call the Battler into Battle because we will need them on our side.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Welcome!
If you've just joined us, we are well on our way towards making TalentWax a household name. We currently have several students completing our course and making sensational progress. It's amazing what a difference it makes when the solutions come from your own knowledge and experience rather than a coach or trainer telling you what to do. And that's really the premise of our program, an exchange of knowledge and experience. We don't presume to know what detail, style, contacts and strategy is best suited to you - we know that our students are always going to have the edge in that respect.
And what an edge it is - there's nothing better than knowing your career history is not only unique, it's going to be very valuable to your next employer. The key is in how you deliver that information. Most of us head into job interviews on the belief that the answers will come to us at the right moments and we have a good idea of what the interviewer is after...but it doesn't take much at all to practise the interview process and get it spot on. Better yet - a panel interview, which is many people's idea of panic central. We'll get you comfortable with the panel interview experience so that next time it comes more easily.
We'll be discussing elements of our course program here as well as providing commentary on all facets of the recruitment experience. It's going to be so good.
And what an edge it is - there's nothing better than knowing your career history is not only unique, it's going to be very valuable to your next employer. The key is in how you deliver that information. Most of us head into job interviews on the belief that the answers will come to us at the right moments and we have a good idea of what the interviewer is after...but it doesn't take much at all to practise the interview process and get it spot on. Better yet - a panel interview, which is many people's idea of panic central. We'll get you comfortable with the panel interview experience so that next time it comes more easily.
We'll be discussing elements of our course program here as well as providing commentary on all facets of the recruitment experience. It's going to be so good.
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