Australian Experiential Learning Centre

#GenY #GenerationY | This blog is probably not of much use to anyone reading it but it does focus on an interesting observation. There are two main types of Generation Y and there is a HUGE gap between the two types.

On one side you have the motivated, savvy, go getting individuals who study, take on further studies at Uni or TAFE etc and although they are perhaps a little selfish and ‘me’ orientated, they are positive, hardworking and almost mature. Then…. There are the others. Now I say this with a hint of trepidation because the others I have decided are the ones giving Gen Y the bad name.

Employers can handle some pushiness and a bit of snobbiness if their employee is a machine that does the job and wants to hike their way up the ladder as fast as they can, but what employers are afraid of when hiring the infamous Gen Y is the other lot. The ones who bludge and expect things done for them. The ones  I’m sure they are referring to on the radio when they read out the stats of Christmas car crashes and the 18-25 year olds who are predominantly in them. The ones who want everything and are not prepared to give anything back. These are the Gen Yers who let us all down.

I don’t mean to sound rude but I get a little sick of being put in a category of people who are not like me at all. I am 23 but I’m as hard working as you get and I am always striving to better myself. I don’t expect things for free but I do give a lot of myself for free, I don’t bludge and make others take on my share of the work and I certainly don’t think going 150 in a 60 zone is fun!

So anyway, there is my observation. What do you see when you look at Generation Y as a whole?

Don’t give up! #geny #generationy #jobsearch #jobs

Remember I was telling you about the position I went for at my local paper? Well I got it and I couldn’t be happier. I am now officially a Communities Reporter for the Sunshine Coast Daily which means I will be acting as Editor for seven regional papers!

It is so hard to break into the industry you have always loved and always wanted to be a part of and when you finally do; the hard yards, the free work – everything seems well worth it.

But it has not been easy and it has taken me a lot of time and a lot of patience and persistence to get where I finally am now.

Many people who graduate (and I was this person once) think that because they have the piece of paper to say they are competent, employers will now throw open their doors and invite you in. Wrong!  You are not the only person who has just graduated and so you, along with a gazillion others, are all wanting to break into the career of your dreams.

So some advice from someone who has been there and made it out the other end:

Get a foot in the door

If you’re finding that you’re getting a lot of doors slammed in your face, start thinking differently and consider what you’re lacking – what an employer wants you to have. EXPERIENCE! Start applying for internships and graduate programs instead of a job. It gets your foot in the door, shows that you are keen and will give you great hands-on experience and the upper hand if a position becomes available within the company. Businesses admire people who are willing to put in the time and effort to do unpaid work and this will show that you have passion!

Start at the bottom

Sorry guys but you don’t walk straight into a $100,000 salary job after you graduate (unless you’re bloody lucky). Starting at the bottom of the food chain is often the way to get into the company you want to work for. If you want to work as a radio presenter and the only position available at your dream radio station is as a receptionist – take it! Australian Vogue editor Kirstie Clements started out as a receptionist before working her way to the top. Work hard, get to know the key players in the company and get noticed.

Hang in there!

Don’t give up and get disheartened. There will be so many no’s before the big yes so don’t lose confidence and don’t lose your passion. I waited three years for the job I wanted and even now I’m on a starting wage.  But I know with my personality and enthusiastic manner of doing things that I will get noticed and I will grow. Just keep being proactive, positive and wholehearted in your approach to landing the dream job. Look through newspapers, job search sites and social media sites, join networking clubs, and just don’t give up. You never know what might be around the corner.

#geny #generationy #jobsearch #jobs

A few weeks ago I looked up on facebook the Editor in Chief of the biggest regional newspaper in Australia, The Sunshine Coast Daily. I sent him a friend request. He accepted!

A few days after that I began my online stalking… I mean, researching. I checked out his profile, his pictures, his info and friends; anything else I could get my hands on so I felt like I knew him better. Then I sent him a message.

This may sound creepy but this is a man who is very sought after and often hard to get hold of and thanks to a few mutual acquaintances (on facebook) he accepted my friend request and I was taking full advantage of that!

So, I spruced up my resume, rounded up some samples of work and devised a clever, witty message to send him via facebook and subsequently via email as well, asking if he had any available jobs and can I please, pretty please have one!

Of course I said this a little more diplomatically and sounded much more professional but the quirk of using online social media to ask for a job was great!

AND IT WORKED!!!!

Not a week later did I receive an email from the weekend Editor of the paper asking if I would like to do some weekend work experience and possibly get an internship? YES!!!

Then, a week after that fantastic email, I received a call from the Community Editor saying she may have a job for me and can I come in for an interview… Mark (the Editor in Chief) had sent her my details! This job  was for a regional acting Editor looking after SEVEN community newspapers all connected to the Sunshine Coast Daily! I was in for my interview the next day!

Funnily enough when I arrived and met with Mark, the first thing he said to me was “No-one has ever contacted me via facebook before to apply for a job. You showed great initiative and creativity,” Score 1 to Lahnee!!!

The interview went great, we had an icebreaker (my facebook stalking) and now I wait for the verdict.

I suppose the point of this is that in such a competitive arena with hundreds of people fighting to get interviews and jobs or just a foot in the door, you need to get a little creative. Nearly the whole wide world is online and almost everyone uses some form of social media so be a little cheeky (but still 100% professional of course) and try new ways to get noticed and hopefully score that dream job you always wanted!

Now wish me luck with mine!

#geny #generationy OK, so lately I have been attending some pretty average networking events and meeting some pretty average networkers. As I have said before – networking is an art and so here are my tips on what NOT to do when trying to network!

1. No Pre-Planning -  Work out what you want to achieve from going to the event before you go because there is not much point in just turning up for the free food; Apart from a full belly you get nothing from the event! Do you want to meet people, just relax and have fun or do you want to build your business branding? No matter what you want to achieve be sure you actually plan for it. Set yourself some goals for the night and work out (pre-event) how you will reach them.

2. Running out of business cards – There is nothing more embarrassing or unprofessional than when someone asks you for a business card and you can’t produce one! Always carry too many rather than too few. Being prepared gives you more confidence and delivers confidence when developing new relationships.

3. Stick to your comfort zone – Most people have a great fear of walking into a room full of people they don’t know. See this as a challenge rather than an issue and avoid going for the easy option of meeting people you know well first. Certainly acknowledge these people but leave them until the end of the function to catch up with. This will maximise your chances of meeting new people.

4. Talking too much – Avoid talking too much about you. This is probably the biggest turn-off for prospective clients.

5. Not listening – How can you successfully build a relationship with someone if you don’t ask questions and listen to the answers?

6. The sales pitch – Business networking events are your opportunity to develop relationships, they are not for bombarding the people you meet with a sales pitch. Once the relationship has been established the business will come.

7. Lack of personal branding – Research shows that 95% of business people are often asked, particularly at business networking events “what do you do?” and it is really interesting how many people have no idea what they do. Having a personal brand and a business brand helps to clarify what you do and takes the embarrassment out of this question.

Great, so now everyone knows what you shouldn’t do at a networking event. I feel much better now.

#geny #generationy #intern #internship So it is that time of year where school ends, TAFE ends, Uni may finish for some and the question that is on everyone’s lips….what do I do now?

I finished school five years ago, have done three Diplomas and am half way through a Bachelor Degree and I am still asking myself “what am I going to do?”

The problem I find is not lack of knowing what you WANT to do but more a lack of opportunity. So many places these days don’t take graduates unless you studied at a particular University or College and quite simply the competition is fierce and the number of jobs low.

I have wanted to be a journalist and eventually a big fancy magazine editor since I was in grade 5 and my English teacher told me it would be a great career choice for me. I loved writing, loved magazines (I still find myself making daily trips to the newsagent today) and I even used to ask my old teacher for extra work (what the?); So my little year 5 heart got set on this career path and off I went.

After finishing school I did a Diploma in Professional Journalism followed by a Diploma in Public Relations and a Diploma in Event Management. I contacted a million magazines and papers for freelance work (and I was quite successful after a year of trying relentlessly), I read every newspaper and magazine I could get my hands on and started to get my name out there; for no money.

After two years of freelancing for free I still couldn’t land a proper job in the industry so I began a Bachelor Degree in Communications (Journalism) to increase my chances and I started working in Public Relations and Marketing instead; still looking for my break into the exciting world of news and or magazines.

In three years I have had 63 published articles in a WIDE variety of magazines and newspapers from fitness to travel, fashion, news, business and even bridal.

Still can’t get my dream job!

Don’t get me wrong, I am working and working hard. I even co-direct a boutique multimedia agency with my partner but I still dream of editing a magazine or reporting on the news. It’s my passion and passion is so important when deciding what you want to do with your life.

I have chosen a particularly competitive field and you need more than a degree and you need more than a bit of experience. You need to be the best and nothing less. You need to get your foot in the door however you can and keep it there however you can. I learnt this the hard and tiresome way but I stuck at my dreams and after three years and a lot of work experience, no pay and hard work, things have paid off and I have just been offered a trial at my local paper, the Sunshine Coast Daily; the biggest paper in the region! I am STOKED!

I suppose the point of this story is that anyone who has just finished their studies and wondering what to do should look to their passions and work hard. You work for most of your life so deciding to do something you love is very important. Get your foot in the door; do work experience, get an internship and work for free if you have to and prove to potential employers you are enthusiastic and you are worth it. Make contacts and keep excellent relationships with them because it will always be about who you know!

Go forth Gen Y’ers; ask yourself “what am I going to do now?” – Then go do it!