Tag: Career Counselling Salamander Bay

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Career Counselling – Coping with Employment Termination and Redundancy

According to an Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) media release dated 19 April 2018, the national labour force participation rate is at an all time high of 65.7% which means that more individuals aged 15 to 64 years are working now more than ever before.

Whilst the above is good news for our economy there is also the flip side of employment and the world of work.  That is, the need to address underemployment, retrenchments and terminations and the associated impact of same.

In the most recent ABS – Labour Market Statistics Report (July 2014) it was noted that 2 million individuals ceased their job in the 12 months to Feb 2013.  Of those 2 million individuals, 19% or 381,000 were retrenched or made redundant.

Thus, over the course of your career life cycle it is inevitable that at some point in your career you will experience this transitional period.  In fact, many clients have reported that they have experienced this period 2, 3, 4 or more times over the course of their career.

Thus, whilst you may perceive redundancy and/or termination to be taboo, embarrassing, humiliating or a hush hush topic in fact Continue reading “Career Counselling – Coping with Employment Termination and Redundancy”

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Career Counselling: – IF ONLY I…… STOP the Regrets and start pursuing your dreams

If you could be or do anything in this life what would you do or be.  As children we have so many dreams about what we will do, be and become when we grow up but somewhere between childhood and adulthood our dreams become squashed, buried deep, hidden away or totally pulled apart and reworked because they do not fit our loved ones or societies view of who we should be.

So my question to you is:-

“What dreams have you buried or given up on that would bring you fulfillment, happiness and joy”?

Do not place any limitations on yourself such as if I only had a million dollars in the bank and did not have to worry about bills, the mortgage, school fees etc I would be or do xxxxxxxx.

Find a way of incorporating your dreams into your life it maybe that you start small for example you may have always wanted to start your own small business; start doing some research, enrol in a small business course, talk to people who work in the industry and have already set up their own small businesses.

By focusing on what you want (big picture) and taking positive small steps to incorporate aspects of the big picture into your life you will eventually see the realisation of your dreams.

Find the peace, contentment, fulfilment, happiness and joy that you have been searching for.  It is YOUR LIFE after all – You deserve to be HAPPY, content and fulfilled.  So take a risk, follow your dreams and be the best person you can be.  Life is too short for mediocrity.

 

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Workplace Counselling: Yippee it’s Friday! – Addressing Job Dissatisfaction

How many times have you found yourself uttering these words?  Or perhaps you have found yourself counting the days to the end of the week or year.

These cognitions (thoughts) are indeed a major sign of job dissatisfaction.  However, Blu Ripples main question to you is “Why are you dissatisfied in your work”?

Is it because you experiencing: – Continue reading “Workplace Counselling: Yippee it’s Friday! – Addressing Job Dissatisfaction”

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Writing a Clear and Concise CV-Resume (Part 2) – Blu Ripples Career Consulting Services

Promote and elevate yourself on a professional platform with a Resume - Curriculum Vitae (CV) by Blu Ripples
Promote and elevate yourself on a professional platform with a Resume – Curriculum Vitae (CV) by Blu Ripples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing a clear and concise CV-Résumé is easy if you take the time to do your research, remain objective and highlight what you can do for your potential employer based on their needs not yours.

To ensure you achieve the above stated outcome it is imperative that you know your subject “YOU” very well.  Spend a little time analysing your academic, professional and personal background.  What skills, acumen (knowledge) and personality traits do you currently possess that would be beneficial for your potential employer? Now look at the flip side of the coin to analyse which skills you need to develop or refine.

The purpose of the above stated research and analysis is to determine congruence between yourself and the current labour market.

It should go without saying that the labour market is a highly competitive environment and as such when compiling your CV-Résumé you need to keep in mind that Managers, HR Professionals and Recruitment Consultants are predominantly highly conservative individuals who are impressed with the content of the of the document not the “Bells and Whistles”.

NB:  “ Bells and Whistles” refers to clip art, photographs, multiple fonts, colours, borders etc.

Speaking from experience the more Bells and Whistles one finds on a  CV-Résumé the more one is likely to focus on what the applicant is hiding or not saying rather than what the applicant can do; as previously highlighted the whole point of a CV-Résumé is to highlight what you can do for your potential employer not draw their attention to what you are lacking in experience and/or education.

5 Tips for compiling a Clear and Concise CV-Résumé

  • Optimal Page Length – 3 pages ideally, but no more than 5 pages
  • Do not include discriminatory information for example your date of birth or marital status
  • Do not include the Bells and Whistles; when formatting  your CV-Résumé remember the  4 C’s: – Clean, Clear, Concise and Consistent
  • Highlight your academic qualifications, key skills and competencies, professional affiliations, operational responsibilities, key achievements and projects, academic publications and if appropriate relevant voluntary work; and finally
  • Always clarify your statements in the responsibilities and achievement sections

 

Stay Tuned for Part 3 – Creativity in the recruitment phase; Is there a place for it?

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Career Counselling: Career Identification & Exploration- Help for Parents with Teenagers

CAREER COUNSELLING FOR TEENAGERS

Blu Ripples – We help parents discuss and explore career options and career pathways with their teenagers

Blu Ripples Founder, Katherine Foster, 2010

On contemplation of this article ones mind wonders back to a conversation one had with a local elderly resident a couple of years ago.

The resident stated to the author that

to make a child successful in their professional and personal life that the parents “needed to teach their child all manner of things” from “feeling the grass between their toes to experiencing travel and all life has to offer”.

Port Stephens elderly resident’s conversation with Katherine Foster – Blu Ripples Founder
Continue reading “Career Counselling: Career Identification & Exploration- Help for Parents with Teenagers”