Passion Pioneers

I’ve had so many career coaching clients who struggled to find a job when moving to Australia. I hear them say things like: I’m not getting any interviews because I’m from overseas. No one will hire me because I haven’t worked in Australia, or haven’t  got enough Australian experience. I’m working in retail/hospitality/manual labour … though I’m trained in  [insert incredible qualifications & highly relevant industry experience  here]. I’ve heard this from Europeans, Asians, Americans. And I’m sure if I asked an Antarctic penguin, it would sing me a similar story. STOP THE MUSIC! You are drowning out the sound of your own success with your problems & excuses!!! So here are my 5 top tips for getting a job in Australia when you’re not Australian. 1. Reframe Your Value Instead of seeing your overseas origin as a hindrance, see it as your biggest strength. In case you haven’t noticed, Australia is an island… For hundreds of years...

Cute, huh? I made it up. I originally thought of writing about “ portfolio careers” . A portfolio career refers more to having a number of roles that make up your total income, with some usually being part-time or casual such as board positions, freelancing, short-term contracts etc.  But it’s not quite what I mean. Other terms I threw around: - Multi-loyal employees - but this is more than just about company loyalty. - Fit-for-purpose career - but it sounded like a reliable SUV. - A promiscuous career - while provocative, feels like something you’d just stumble into. - Career chameleon - fits better with personality & communication. - Career agnostic - not the religious definition, the IT definition , where you’re interchangeable amongst different platforms. But I decided that Pick & Mix was by the far the cutest of the lot. It's how most people now experience their careers, so let's explore it & what it will mean for you. What is a Pick ...

Where you work & where you live should be within 20 minutes of each other. That’s all you need to know. Whether you drive, walk, cycle, ferry or fly to the office, 20 minutes is the sweet spot. I HEAR YOU NOW: “But there’s no jobs in my area!” “I get stuck in traffic!” “The train is an express & only takes 1.5 hours… one way.” “I have to work in the city!” These are all stories you tell yourself to justify your own suffering. Trust me - I know. I grew up in Frenchs Forest, Sydney, & worked in a cafe one suburb away. On weekdays, it was a 20 min walk to work from school. That was ok. But on the weekends, without any reliable buses, it was over 45 min walk to work… and on Sundays I’d work 7 hours. LET’S PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE A 20 min walk for a 7 hour shift is 5% of my working hours. Back & forth = 10%. A 45 min walk to work for a 7 hour shift is 11% of my working hours. Back & forth = 22%. Which means on the weeke...

Saucy stares through your morning meeting. Tempting whispers over the photocopier. An office fling at the Christmas party. Workplaces tend to be hothouses for sending sexual sparks flying. But why? Here are my top 3 reasons: 1. Values It’s often not the first thing we think about when it comes to choosing a spouse, but it’s such a powerful & driving force within our lives & our choices that it probably should be. Values are the things that are most important to us, and they drive our beliefs & behaviour every day in both personal & professional spheres. A good company (& even most industries) will have strong, clear organisational values & ways of doing things that align to those values.  Staff MOSTLY tend to align to them too, and that’s a large part of organisational culture & why a team feels so connected. Think of Apple’s drive for innovation & good design, or the medical industry’s passion for helping people & honour of human life....

Many clients I work with are dissatisfied with their current job. It no longer interests them, it doesn't pay enough, they've got a bad manager or a bad team, they work too long or too hard. Bored, tired & frustrated... but they stay in the job. Why?  Here's some reasons I've heard: - “I don't have time to look for a new job!” - “It's not bad enough... yet.” - “I won't be able to get another job with this flexibility (or pay).” - “I need to do training or get experience first!” - “I have a family & can't afford to risk going after what I want!” Whatever the reason, the role you're currently in is destroying you. It's draining your time & energy, maybe making you lash out at loved ones, maybe demotivating you to go to the gym, or maybe just eroding your self-confidence. Something needs to change. The Right Job Now, I’m an advocate of finding a job you LOVE: one that switches you on & invigorates you. ...