Getting a better education is a great way to get ahead at work. But juggling a job with external study isn’t always easy. The workload as office and course deadlines loom can be suffocating and relationships with family and friends can suffer.

If you plan to work while studying, experts say preparation, support and a good employer are all important.

Cate Wellington, an organisational effectiveness manager at Qantas, saw extra study as a way of taking the next step in her career. She began a masters of business administration in mid-2006, hoping to develop her management skills, and is due to finish at the end of next year.

To help contain the study workload and keep a healthy work-life balance, Wellington takes just one subject a semester. She says even for a well-organised person it can take real discipline and organisation to accommodate the extra work. “Typically, I get up three mornings a week at 5am to fit in some extra study,” she says. “I’m careful to optimise my time. For example, I make personal phone calls on the way to and from work.”

Evidence suggests bosses reward those who study with promotions and pay rises.

 

Ken Burt, general manager for Victoria and NSW with recruiter The Brooklyn Group, says there are many positives to combining work and study, “There’s a real bar set with some organisations,” he says.

“They [are looking] for candidates with postgraduate qualifications. An MBA, for example, can help when organisations are looking for … people with future potential.”

However, Jasmine Sliger, a corporate psychologist and executive coach with JSA International Communications, says the downside of working while studying is often having less time for family, friends, relationships and socialising.

Before people commit to extra studies, Sliger says they should ask themselves key questions, such as “Do you have a support team with your family and employer?” and “Do you have realistic expectations and a real passion for what you’re studying?” She believes some personalities are better suited to the work-study juggling act than others and it helps to know how you cope with competing demands.

Another hurdle is that some bosses can feel threatened when employees start advanced degrees. This may lead to them questioning the commitment of workers to their jobs. Sliger advises people to be discreet about taking on extra studies if they’re in this situation. “The larger the organisation, the better off people usually are,” she says. “But be judicious about asking for time off, especially if you have a poor manager who may be unsupportive.”

However, many employers recognise the value of further education to the company and are becoming more flexible and accommodating. Wellington has been in her job only since December last year but she’s already found “Qantas is very focused on the development of people, so they have been supportive of my MBA.”

Wellington says her work-study mix has forced her to make adjustments to her life but doesn’t regard these as negative, given the benefit her career is getting. “I tend to think in terms of ‘opportunity-cost’ quite a bit and focus on quality time with family and friends rather than quantity,” she says.

Meanwhile, one benefit of keeping your job when you study is that it can help you maintain commitment to learning during the your course. Edwin Trevor-Roberts, a career consultant and chief executive of Trevor-Roberts Associates, says this is because you see your studies being applied in real-life situations.

Do you currently juggle work and study? What has your experience been like? Please send us a comment and let us know.

(article published on smh.com.au)

Logic are proud to announce that Calibre Engenium has joined us as our latest high profile client. We welcome Calibre and hope that we can have a long and successful relationship together.    

• It’s no longer enough to go to a job interview with your CV. A growing number of employers are checking a candidate’s credit history before making an offer. Employers see it as a way to determine the job seeker’s character.

 
• Are you trying to retain staff? Its often assumed only money talks but according to a recent survey, a simple thankyou or pat on the back can be even more effective. A survey of 1000 workers by UK consulting firm White Water Strategies found an “ego boost praise'’ often has the same impact on job satisfaction as a modest pay raise. A third of employees were not thanked at all when they did well, while a further third said they were not thanked enough. Praising staff had the same motivational kick as a 1 per cent pay rise.

• Nearly half of all Australians believe Richard Branson would be the ideal boss to work for, new research shows. According to Talent 2’s survey Mr Bransons appeal is in the impression he creates that in his businesses theres an element of fun, employees are generally well trained, well looked after and the environment they are going to work is not going to be overly bureaucratic or boring.
  

• Rising interest rates aren’t only having an impact on homeowners, but if your looking for a job in the finance industry you might be having quite some trouble. The Aussie banking sector job market is floundering, according to the most recent monthly instalment of the Olivier Job Index.

• www.seek.com.au will go black this Saturday night, 29 March, as part of its commitment to Earth Hour. Recognizing the significance of Earth Hour to do something visual to convey its support. The black screen, which is a way of aligning with Earth Hour supporters worldwide who are switching off their lights for an hour, also uses less energy on some computer screens.

• We at Logic Recruitment urge all of you to help out with Earth Hour too. We ask that you turn off all your lights on 8pm-9pm March 29^th. This Australian idea has reached out across the globe with 24 countries participating this year. For more information goto:
                 http://www.earthhour.org/
                                                                                                

                                   

                                           

          

          

Logic Recruitment are proud to be supporters of Eberius Princess Margaret Hospital Book Run.

Inspired by an episode of Oprah, Jodie Eberius has decided to attempt to make a difference to local children’s lives.

The idea: This particular episode Oprah spoke to a executive from Microsoft (John Wood - he has written a book about his experiences) who had taken some leave and  trekked through Nepal.

Along the way he had visited local schools where he discovered that they had very limited books for the amount of children attending. Some of the schools had books left over from tourists but as you can imagine they were highly unsuitable for children.

He decided to go home and do a book drive and went back 4 months later with over 3000 books. He has now left Microsoft to do this full time. He now has a foundation called Room to Read, (www.roomtoread.org) and as well as books he is now building schools and libraries across 3rd world countries.

Jodie inspired, then asked herself what could she do? The Eberius Princess Margaret Hospital Book Run was born.So we want YOU!  Take on this mission if you dare!

The mission: For each and every one of you could donate a new children’s book!Don’t be shy though recruit all your friends/work colleagues and family members to do the same. 

The briefing: The children’s age groups range from newborn to 18 years old. Once all books are collected they will be delivered to PMH for all the Kids. Contact with PMH has been made and they are very excited about this mission.

Jodie’s message: I know it’s not schools in Nepal but depending on the response, we may try for bigger and better things next time.Delivery Address: Unit 5/19 JCA Logic Outram Street West Perth.

I would love a response on how many you have collected and when you are due to deliver them just to give JCA the heads up.

Due Date: April 21st 2008 The reward: I guess it’s a little something we can do to give something back to sick children and bring some joy and happiness to them.

So please accept your mission jump on board and let’s make this an annual occurrence! And check out John Wood’s website its amazing, what an idea can turn into!
We wish you a Happy and safe Easter from all of us at Logic Recruitment.

Survey results
More than 50 per cent of Australian employees are either actively or passively looking for a new job, according to a new survey released this week by Hudson Recruitment. The large amount of job hunters can be put down to the current tight job market due to the lowest unemployment rate in three decades, says Gary Lazzarotto, managing director of Hudson Australia/ New Zealand.Ideally, this should be a time of bosses tailoring engagement with employees in a bid to hang on to them,”Employees are finding themselves in a position where they have more negotiating power than ever before,'’ he says.
So chances are employees find themselves in a position that job satisfaction can be a major trigger to start looking for employment. If a person’s job satisfaction starts to wane, they will more than likely start browsing through the job boards and see what’s available.
Passive into Active
50 per cent + of the Australia job market is passive…So with this now in mind Logic Recruitment Recruitment have thought up of some ways you can change that passivity into action and secure that new job!
Many people will troll through the job boards and send out hundreds of resumes never getting a call back or an interview. Well its one of the most obvious but often looked over tactics. Be proactive, chase the application. Keep record of the roles you apply for and make contact after submitting your resume. Show that your interested, look at the companies web page, and call asking some questions related to the role. Be active not passive.
Are you getting through to the right person
However often no matter how active you are sometimes it’s the person whom receives the resume that is hindering the progress of your application…
Passively sending out resumes – regardless of how well-written they are – to employers or recruiters won’t necessarily get you an interview or job. You must get your resume to the right person, which requires creativity and work. Before you send out resumes you must know the following:.  The Type of job you want.
Identify the industry, title, function and organizational level, specialty area, type of company and location.
Don’t select a job because it’s in demand, select one that appeals to you. What’s your passion? What skills and other attributes do you want to use?   If it the position doesn’t excite you, don’t apply move to the next one.
Resume Care
Many large organizations use computers to scan resumes for key phrases or buzz words mentioned in job descriptions.  
Your resume should be widely spaced out, easy to read, and concise (Don’t mention job descriptions for every role you have ever done) Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial in font sizes of 11 to 14 points.   
Since most employers prefer chronological resumes, use this format if you’re applying for a similar type of job in a related industry.   
Most importantly spend a bit of time to ensure that the resume you submit highlights the attributes and requirements specific to the position you apply for. Your resume should work for you not against you.
Ask someone to proofread it.

Network.
Networking  enables you to increase your contacts and get useful information, such as unadvertised positions and companies that are hiring.    
Identify people who can connect you with decision makers in the organization. Personal referrals to hiring managers increase the likelihood your resume will be read.    Increase your contacts by joining professional or trade groups. Attend career fairs, trade shows, and seminars.

Let others do the work for you.
If your serious about your job hunting, let others do the work for you. Recruitment companies will help to take the guess work about the sorts of positions your after.
Its shameless plug time! Logic Recruitment Recruitment are more than happy to organize a time for you to come in a talk to us about your recruitment needs.      

 

 

 

Related links
1. Ultimate resume guide
2. Job search tips
3. Five star cover letters
4. Top interview mistakes

A résumé is one of the most important elements in any job seeker’s armory. It’s a chance to sell you, and get a foot in the door.

In simple terms, a résumé is a document that summarises who you are, what you’ve done in your career and how well you’ve done it. Remember, it will be used by recruiters as a tool to screen and cull. So, to increase your chances of being called for an interview, here are the top10 mistakes you should avoid.

1. Having a one-size fits all résumé
You can’t just presume a one-size fits all résumé will work. Just as you would tailor your cover letter to the job you are applying for, you need to do the same with your résumé.

Don’t give the hirer a reason to turf your application — make sure you address the key selection criteria and clearly show how, and why, your experience/skills fit those of the position on offer.

2. Too long or too short
A résumé should give the reader enough information to understand your background and how it relates to the position your applying for.

According to Meredith Fuller, a Melbourne-based psychologist and career change specialist, résumés should be kept short and concise at two-to-three pages in length.

‘’Most employers or recruiters only spend two minutes casting their eye over your résumé, so make every point count.'’

She said the exception would be résumés for university positions or government roles which usually require more comprehensive information.

3. Not selling yourself
In your résumé, you need to sell yourself wherever you can. Here are three key opening tactics to get off on the right foot.
• Capability statement - This acts as an introduction to your strengths, relevant expertise and key skills (in three-to-four lines).

• Career summary - This provides a quick snapshot of your job history.

• Key achievements - Choose your top three or four career achievements to highlight. It’s great if they can relate to the position’s key selection criteria.

In short, by highlighting the above on page one of your résumé, you’re hitting the hirer immediately with ‘’what you can do'’, ‘’how you would perform in the job'’ and ‘’what effect your contribution would have on the bottom line'’.

4. Failing to highlight achievements
In any résumé you send off, you must provide your achievements along side your responsibilities. Employers don’t care so much about what you’ve done as what you’ve accomplished in your roles.

Fuller says whatever you do ‘’don’t list boring job duties — outline your significant achievements and provide behavioral examples to help the employer get a picture of you doing the job'’.

‘’Show them how you operate, how you add value, and how you measure and evaluate goals.'’

5. Choosing wrong format
It’s vital that you choose the format best suited to your circumstances. (A sample resume is coming soon to the Logic Recruitment web site)
• Chronological - The most common way of structuring a résumé. It lists your work experience and achievements in each job, beginning with the most recent.
• Competency or functional - This type of résumé groups your work experiences according to your skills and abilities rather than specific positions.

6. Poor presentation
Whether you’re sending via e-mail or hard copy, look carefully at the presentation of your résumé.

Do
• Use good quality white or off-white paper
• Keep fonts plain and simple (and around 12 point)
• Use bold for headings (and usually 14 point)
• Use bullet points where appropriate (ie to outline achievements)
• Use page numbers
• Run your résumé past another pair of eyes — do they find it easy to read and visually attractive

Don’t:
• Use a tiny font size or lines of italic
• Mix fonts
• Use illustrations or fancy borders
• Waste paper on a cover sheet
• Use coloured paper or text
• Including irrelevant data

7. Unnecessary Information
Research shows it’s not necessary to provide the following when it comes to résumés:
• gender
• age
• martial status
• nationality/religion
• health, weight, height etc
• photos

By including this information, you run the risk of making your résumé look dated or having your application thrown out based on personal attributes (ie age or physical appearance) which are not relevant to your ability to do the job.

8. Omitting action words
Be sure to include adjectives and verbs to create ‘’energy'’ in your résumé.
Fuller says it’s imperative that you use active words. ‘’Think descriptive words like streamlined, spearheaded, and evaluated … and so on.'’

9. Spelling mistakes
There’s no excuse for spelling mistakes on a résumé. Always run your document through the spell checker and have it read over by someone else before sending.

10. Incorrect contact information
You would be surprised by the number of candidates who get their contact information wrong. As it’s one of the most important parts of the résumé (what’s the point of having a winning résumé if the recruiter can’t get through to you?) make sure you double-check your personal details.

By Hannah Nicholas, December 2007

This weeks blog is a bit different… The latest research shows that regular consumption of omega 3 fatty acid, increases concentration not to mention the other cardiovascular and dietary benefits. So next time you have an interview and want to nail it have some fish! Oily fish such a salmon and swordfish are rich in omega 3. You can also find omega 3, or fish oil capsules in any pharmacy and major super markets.

Here’s a few yummy recipes you might want to use:

Potato and herb hash brown with smoked salmon
Ingredients:
• 700g potatoes
• 1 small brown onion
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp oregano, chopped
• 2 tsp plain flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 2 slices smoked salmon

Instructions:
• Preheat oven to 180C.
• Peel and grate potatoes and onion. Tap dry with paper towels.
• Place mixture in a bowl with green onions, oregano, plain flour, lightly beaten eggs, salt and pepper.
• Preheat grill to high. Heat olive oil in a 22cm ovenproof pan and shape to make small hash browns. Cover and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, then place under grill until top is golden.
• Turn out, season with salt and pepper and cut into 4 wedges.
• Serve with one poached egg and 4 slices smoked salmon

Roasted Salmon with Potato and steams asparagus
Ingredients:
• 4 x 120g Tasmanian Atlantic Salmon fillets
• 440g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• A bunch asparagus, sliced into 3-4 cm strips
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 4 spring onions, trimmed

Instructions:
• Pre-heat the oven to 220°C
• Microwave potatoes for 2 minutes to soften a bit.
• Place potato in greased baking dish and drizzle over half the oil.
• Cook for 20mins and flip for 10mins more until soft.
• Add thyme, onions and salmon on top of potato.
• Season, drizzle over remaining oil and bake for a further 8 – 10mins until salmon is cooked.

A new international workplace survey has found that Australian job seekers topped a list of countries in their use of the Internet to find jobs, with a majority finding their most recent position online.

Online recruitment eclipsed all other forms of recruitment including direct approaches, newspaper advertising and ‘word of mouth’ according to the international survey.

The survey also found that more than a quarter of Australians have concerns about how they perform during face-to-face job interviews while one in three have doubts as to whether their CV presents them to potential employers in the best possible way.

The Kelly Services global survey sought the views of more than 115,000 people in 33 countries including almost 19,000 in Australia on a wide range of issues about how they find work and how they deal with aspects of the recruitment process.

Amongst the key findings:

1. A majority (54%) found their most recent job online, the highest of any country in the survey followed by Thailand (52%), Hong Kong (51%) and China (50%), New Zealand (43%) and Indonesia (43%)
2. 8% admit they have been untruthful on their CV
3. 37% have doubts about whether their CV presents them in the best possible way
4. 27% have doubts about how they perform in face-to-face job interviews
5. 62% nominate ‘waiting for a response’ as the worst part of the recruitment process
6. 80% believe that employers treat them fairly in job interviews

“This shows that candidates have embraced the Internet as the preferred way of finding a job,� said Kelly Services Country Manager, James Bowmer.

“People are now very confident about applying for jobs online while employers are becoming much more skilled at dealing with the online recruitment phenomenon�.

While 54% of those in the Australian survey found their most recent job online, 9% found work as a result of a direct approach to an employer, 9% from a newspaper advertisement, 8% from a direct call from an employer or recruiter, and 7% through other methods.

Online recruitment is considered by candidates to be a better way to find a job, with 83% pleased with the outcome compared with 51% for traditional written and posted applications.

James Bowmer said however that online recruitment should not be seen as a shortcut to proper evaluation of candidates.

Eight per cent of candidates admitted to being untruthful on their CV or in an interview. The most likely untruths were omitting negative details from the past and claiming experience that a candidate did not have.

When 72% of respondents said they performed well during face-to-face job interviews, 12% said they did not and 15% were unsure. Men were more confident in their ability in job interviews than women.

Some 37% of candidates also had doubts about the quality of their CV with 11% certain that it did not present them in the best possible way and 26% unsure.

And even though the task of applying for jobs and facing an interview can be daunting, it’s not the worst part of the recruitment process according to candidates.

The worst aspect of the recruitment process, nominated by 62% of respondents was ‘waiting for a response’, followed by ‘searching for jobs’ (13%), ‘attending interviews’ (12%), ‘filling in applications’ (6%), and ‘preparing resume/CVs’ (6%).

The factors that best determine a person’s job suitability were also canvassed in the survey. When asked what single attribute people considered to be the best indicator of job suitability, the overwhelming factor was ‘attitude and personality’, cited by 42%, followed closely by work experience (38%). Other factors such as interview performance, level of education, reference checks and psychological test results all rated low.

Despite the uncertainties on the part of some candidates about their capacity to perform well in the recruitment process, most feel that they get a fair hearing from employers. When asked if they felt employers treated them fairly in the interview process, 80% said they did, 18% said ‘sometimes’ and only 2% said ‘never’.

My Career - 4 February 2008

This week Logic Recruitment is rejigging their radio ads that air on 96fm and 6pr. With this thought in mind we look at some stats on the effectiveness of radio advertising.

Effectiveness of radio advertising
For products targeted at younger people - 80%
For use in an integrated multi-media campaign - 76%
For creating awareness of a new brand - 45%
Radio was seen as being particularly effective for prompting an immediate response. The most popular sectors for radio advertising were seen as retail, fast moving consumer goods and finance. Eighty-per cent said radio was an effective way to target younger people and 76 per cent said it was effective in integrated multi-media campaigns.
( Source: http://www.commercialradio.com.au)

Across Australia, radio is the most easily accessible medium. There are approximately 37 million radio sets across the country, every household will have at least one radio and on average will have 5.1 sets, 99% of all cars having a radio and almost 8 in 10 Australian’s will listen to commercial radio every week. (Source: All Australian Listening Report, 2000)

King of the Airwaves ?

What sort of radio advertisements do you find effective? Can you name any services ads and what they were selling? When thinking of radio ads this blogger has Lube Mobile and those annoying screaming discount clothing sales come to mind.
So this weeks question: What makes good radio advertising?
Don’t forget to listen out for Logic Recruitment’s new ad hitting the airwaves soon!

It is a well known celebration that 14th February Valentine’s Day!
There is no discrimination of who can celebrate this day, young or old, women or men, from all walks of life.

People celebrate this day in many different ways; it could be sending cards, flowers, gifts, romantic dinners, or a weekend away. Of course there’s also the present advanced technology, which makes some of us think it’s more efficient sending an email or a text message, buying gifts or vouchers online.

No matter what we choose to do, it is to express our deeper, romantic feeling towards the people we care about. It is almost an excuse and that it is okay for the ‘shy’ ones to allow themselves to express emotions and affections.
So what is Valentine’s Day? Why do we celebrate it in such a way?
First of all, there are many stories told of how Valentine’s Day was originated.
It was mostly believed that during the third century in Rome, Emperor Claudius II felt single men would be better soldiers without thinking of they loved ones, wives and children, and their desire of going home. Therefore marriages were not allowed.

Valentine who was a priest disagreed and thought of it as an injustice, continued to perform marriages for lovers in secret.
His disobedience was discovered, was jailed and died in prison.
To add to this most believed story was that a blind girl who is believed to be the prison officer’s daughter visited him whilst he was in his confinement and he cured the girl’s blindness.
Before he was sent to be beheaded, he wrote a letter to this girl and signed ‘from your Valentine’. Of course to this day this expression is still very popular.
Based on this story, I wonder why is it ‘a gift’ almost a must these days to express our feelings? Does a gift have to be associated with spending money? Does spending more money means greater love? Or have we simply been fooled by clever advertising.