Tag Archives: career coach Brisbane

The Green Rush. Why pay attention to this emerging industry?

01 May, 2018

A few days ago I heard something so exciting for our economy that I’ve felt compelled to write about it since. My partner asked me to watch an episode of ‘4 Corners’ that he’d recorded last week called ‘Green Rush’. We recently purchased a small number of shares in two medicinal marijuana companies and he thought it would give me some understanding of what is going on with the industry.

As I watched, rather than thinking about share values, I started to appreciate the possible impact of the medicinal marijuana industry for the Australian agricultural and pharmaceutical industries and our general economy. I couldn’t help thinking that this emerging industry may very well be the answer to many of the challenges Australia faces.

As a career coach, one of the approaches we encourage clients to consider is looking for emerging opportunities or occupations based on strategies such as research, gathering intelligence from our networks, attending conferences, reviewing media reports etc. Medicinal marijuana seems a perfect enactment of this strategy on a macro scale.

The ‘4 Corners’ episode explained that medicinal marijuana has been identified as a possible treatment for a range of medical conditions including epilepsy, insomnia, autism and chronic pain. There have been some promising overseas clinical trials and some Australian states are currently running clinical trials. The Federal Government approved the prescription of Australian-grown/manufactured medicinal marijuana in 2016 but it hasn’t been smooth sailing for patients. They have faced many barriers although the government has been working to reduce these, with some recent success.

When ‘4 Corners’ reported that the Federal Government had recently approved Australia exporting medicinal marijuana products I actually said out loud, “This could be the smartest thing the Australian Government has ever done.” Demand for the product is building, with consistently more and more countries considering or approving medicinal marijuana, and we have masses of land with ideal growing conditions, creating excellent circumstances to embrace this opportunity.

The medicinal marijuana pharmaceutical market is likely to present a lucrative export and domestic opportunity for the Australian economy, particularly given the reported shortages of medicinal marijuana worldwide. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, “By opening up the export market the government is hoping to improve the viability of domestic producers, thus securing supply for Australian patients”.

Let’s imagine for a moment that we can become the world’s leading producer of medicinal marijuana. That could reinvigorate our declining agriculture industry and generate significant revenue to invest into science, research, exploring additional new industries, skilling Australians for the future and providing support to members of our society in need. All potentially equating to additional job growth and worthy of our attention. As a career coach, I’m certainly looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.

If you haven’t already watched it, I’d encourage you to take a look at the 4 Corners Green Rush episode and share it with others in your networks.

Simple steps to finding a job you’ll love

24 January, 2018

Finding a job you love and are good at is a common goal. Some may even feel it is some unattainable dream. It doesn’t have to be a fantasy, you can do something you enjoy for a living and excel at it.

To do this you need to identify what your strengths, skills, and passions are. Once you know where your strengths are you can use that information to find a career that allows you to thrive.

Strengths and Passions

There are many ways to find out where your strengths lie and what gets you excited. You could simply make a list of things people tell you that you are good at to start your strengths list. Then take that list and ask friends, or coworkers if you have them, what they would add to it. In terms of passions, try thinking of what you love to do at work and in your spare time. Don’t worry about whether or not it could be something you can do as a career at this point.

Another option is taking a personality test to help you see where your personality lies. These tests ask a series of questions and has you rank your agreement or disagreement to each. 16 Personalities is one of my favorite free versions of the popular Myers-Briggs assessment. Once you take the quiz the site gives you a very detailed insight into your personality.

Connecting with a career counselor to help you to identify your strengths and passions can also be a great idea. It can be hard for us to work out what we are good at and enlisting the help of a professional can be very insightful.

Applying it to a Career

Once you’ve worked out what you are good at and what keeps you engaged and excited, what do you do with that information? If you have found that what you enjoy doing is completely unrelated to what your current profession is, brainstorm some ways you can move into the field you would be more passionate about. What skills or certifications would you need to gain? Is there a way you can start out as a side gig or volunteer to gain the experience you need?

If you took a personality test, there are tons of ways to see career options based on your personality type. Business Insider has a great infographic showing popular career options based on the Myers-Briggs assessment. You will have to do some internal reflection to see which role types align with your passions for the best outcome.

With such a big decision, talking to someone about what you are thinking is a great option. This can be family and friends or a professional career coach. Take in their advice but remember to choose based on what you are truly feeling. We spend the majority of our day at work, so why not make your career something you are great at and love to do!

At Career Vitality, we specialise in helping people find a job they’ll love. Call Judith today on 0400 739 919 if you’d like a chat about your career.

5 Podcasts for Getting Unstuck

16 July, 2017

Are you looking for some career inspiration? Maybe you’ve realised that something needs to change but you’re not sure how to go about it. Perhaps you’re feeling really stuck and it’s paralysing.

Often some inspirational input can help shift our thinking and open our mind to possibilities. In the old days you might buy a book and hopefully you’d find the time and motivation to read it and get inspired. While books still have a place in my life (mostly on holidays), one of my favourite discoveries as a career coach has to be the world of podcasts.

These free, easy to access and digest, bytes of inspiration have the potential to change your life. I can often be found listening to one when I’m straightening my hair, driving my car, eating my lunch or just going about my business really. Many of my clients have given me feedback on the positive difference inspirational podcasts are making to their lives.

Here’s a few of my favourites that could lead to some career inspiration.

Quote-Of-The-Day – I often describe this one as an anti-depressant without side-effects. Sean Croxton pulls together the best of the best to inspire and motivate you. Varying in length from around 5 – 15 minutes this is the perfect daily dose of positivity. You will be introduced to many amazing individuals who you can then explore further depending on who/what resonates with you.

The Art of Charm – this is a great mix of inspiration and skills development for life and career. These young guys interview guest speakers, share their own experiences and respond to listener’s challenges. The average episode is around an hour and they offer loads of value.

Small Business Big Marketing – if you’re really open to what your next career step might be, this one could be for you. Designed to support small business owners with their marketing, Tim Reid’s guest’s will also inspire the potential career changer. Many have made significant career changes to arrive where they are eg. an aerospace engineer who quit his high paying job to become a very successful Uber driver and an even more successful blogger.

Magic Lessons – aimed at aspiring artists/creatives, author Elizabeth Gilbert, helps people to overcome their fears and to achieve their dreams. The guest interviews, case studies and access to experts such as Oprah’s coach, Martha Beck, will be helpful to many who are looking for career inspiration.

The Tony Robbins Podcast – if you’d like to work with one of the world’s best coaches but are not yet earning what you’d need to pay for it, think about accessing Tony Robbins and his high calibre guests through this podcast. Tony opens your mind and challenges you to go after what you want from life.

In case you’re wondering how to set up a podcast on your phone, it’s as easy as downloading an app from your app store. My iPhone automatically came with one (it’s purple and looks like an “i” with circles radiating out) and I’ve seen an equivalent on android. Subscribe to your favourites and check your feed for the latest episodes.

Need a career coach after all this inspiration, give Donna a call on 0419 120 601 or email donna@careervitality.com.au for a free 15 minute phone consultation to get you started.

Yes you can have a career after 50!

23 May, 2017

This week one of my career workshop participants asked whether it is actually realistic to think a career change is possible in your fifties, especially after a break from paid employment. It’s not the first time this has come up in my careers practice so I thought I’d share a few thoughts on the topic.

As someone who is turning 50 this year, I can see how my perspective on age has changed over time. I used to think that 50 seemed old but now I’m here I have to say I feel youthful, fit and healthy and love that I have wisdom and significant work experience to complement these attributes. I have absolutely no doubt that I still have a lot to offer the world of work and can demonstrate that.

I guess this brings me to my first point, mindset. What are you own thoughts about your employability? If you think companies are not going to want you, guess what, you’re right! You will go into the process inadvertently looking for signs that they are judging you as too old for the role, particularly if the interviewer(s) are younger, and this will unconsciously impact your performance. It is important that you get in touch with your skills, strengths and achievements and go into the process feeling confident and knowing how you can add value to the target role.

One of my past clients found herself unemployed in her 60s after her position was made redundant. While she wasn’t planning to embark on a totally different career path, she said to me “I don’t think I’m going to get another job because I’m too old”. I had no problem convincing her that I felt she would be successful because she had had a wonderful attitude and many achievements and skills to offer a future employer. While it took around two months, and some proactivity on the part of my client (she took her resume to organisation she was interested in working for), she secured an excellent position with a great company which was replacing a retiring staff member.

Knowing, and being able to communicate, what you can contribute to a company is paramount to success. Take stock of your skills, prepare your achievement stories (refer to my 27 March blog – “How to Ace Your Interview Responses” for a guide to doing this), and focus on establishing a strong link between yourself and the role. These don’t have to be limited to a work context and can be transferable from previous roles.

A few years ago I attended a workshop at the Career Development Association of Australia’s (CDAA) annual conference discussing a study which looked at the outcomes for a group of unemployed mature age adults. Of the 55+ age group (155 people), 62.3% secured employment and 65% of those who placed in a role had undertaken a career and resume review, engaged in job search training and/or career coaching. This information suggested to me that age is likely not what restricts those of mature age from accessing employment.

If you don’t already have a good understanding of career development and what it takes to be successful in job search reach out to someone who does. If you don’t have those skills in your network, the CDAA has a great tool on their website to search for a career practitioner. Of course, you can always call Donna at Career Vitality on 0419 120 601 for local or remote career coaching consultations.

LinkedIn, a No Brainer for Job Search

26 April, 2017

As I work with career coaching clients looking to transition, I am thankfully seeing less and less resistance to LinkedIn, however, there are definitely still some people who are yet to appreciate LinkedIn’s capability for job search or the role it plays in many a successful job search campaign.

Last week I received a message from one of my career coaching clients who has landed a great new job in her professional field. She got the role by connecting with the principal of the company she’s now working with and then sending her resume to them. The principal contacted her to meet up for a chat which then turned into a job offer. This is far from an isolated event. Another client told me just today that he had been approached by two recruiters in the last week after updating his LinkedIn profile. The roles are both of interest and align well to his skills and experience, which of course were reflected in his new profile.

Past clients have told stories of being headhunted via their LinkedIn profile whilst others have been contacted by connections about roles after adding “Currently looking for opportunities” to their profile headline.

LinkedIn is a key element of your professional branding. If you have a profile you do need to ensure it does justice to your brand. LinkedIn ranks very highly on google so will generally be the first item that comes up in a search for your name. And yes, they really do search, as one of my clients unfortunately discovered before she’d updated her profile.

Here’s my top 5 tips for using LinkedIn for job search:

Use the LinkedIn job search tool, accessible from the main menu, to search for job titles and locations, similar to online job boards. You can set up a job alert to be notified of future vacancies. You can even ask LinkedIn to suggest jobs aligned to your career interests (which you enter and update), with an option to show recruiters that you are open to opportunities.

Create a future-focused profile, ie. one written for your next role. Include a well-written summary with common keywords related to your target role and a catchy headline.

Follow companies you are interested in working for as they will frequently advertise roles on their company page to the base of followers who are interested in the organisation. Some may not even advertise elsewhere.

Build your connections by reaching out to your network. Cast a wide net – the more people you are connected with, the greater the opportunities. If you have a network of say 100, and each of those people has a similar sized network, you might have access to as many 10 000 people, any of whom could know of an opportunity to suit you.

Build your recommendations and endorsements as these can confirm your value to a potential employer. Consider writing recommendations for others which may encourage them to do the same for you but you can also ask people directly.

Want more detail on LinkedIn for job search, check out the LinkedIn Guide on the Career Vitality website Toolkit? If working with a career coach sounds like it’s for you, call Donna for a no obligation conversation on 0419 120 601 or donna@careervitality.com.au.

How to fast track landing your next job

04 April, 2017

Where do you look for roles when you’re in job search? Are you like many others who trawl Seek advertisements? There’s a bunch of different job boards out there but one thing they have in common is that they’re incredibly competitive because most job seekers focus on that channel.

When providing career guidance to my clients, I encourage them to think broadly to maximise their job opportunities. There is a strong view in the market that as many as 70% of jobs are not advertised and this is what we refer to as the hidden job market.

So how do you access the hidden job market? A great place to start is your network which can be a source of vacancies, referrals and support. Why not check out my You Tube video which steps you through an excellent tool for mapping out your network so that you recognise who can support your job search?

Direct approaching employers can get great results. I know of a woman who has never applied for a role but always keeps a resume in her car for when she comes across the right employer. Identify a number of employers you are interested in working for and send them your resume. Follow them on LinkedIn and visit their website careers pages to potentially access unadvertised roles. Work out if you know anyone who can provide an introduction to a person or company of interest as a referral can dramatically increase your chances of success. You might even write to a company with an offer to solve a problem they have or with a way to generate additional revenue into their business which has led to roles actually being created.

Consider including social media in your job search. I’ve had clients post on Facebook that they’re looking for their next opportunity and it’s been delivered to them. LinkedIn is also an excellent resource. While the platform advertises jobs, there are the additional benefits of companies posting vacancies on their pages which are only accessible to those following the company and you can easily see your network and network’s network to tap into opportunities and introductions.

Other valuable strategies include volunteering or enrolling in a course. Volunteering can be a great way to get experience and can lead to paid work. A course will build skills while connecting you with new network contacts and their benefits.

If you would like advice for accessing the hidden job market, or could benefit from some career guidance, call Donna on 0419 120 601 or email donna@careervitality.com.au to book a free 15 minute consultation. We work with Brisbane clients as well as offering skype and telephone consults nationwide.