GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Our Digital Dollars Going Offshore!

Something we bemoan a lot around here is the failure of Australian retailers to offer us a compelling online shopping experience. Don’t they know that Australians LOVE to shop online? Why are they letting more than half our (multi-billion dollar) online spend go overseas, often to stores which are smart enough to actively court the Australian market, such as Topshop and The Book Depository?

We have heard various excuses thrown around – the market’s too small, early adopters were burned years ago when the market wasn’t established, franchisees won’t support it – but none of them are washing with us. We think the industry needs to put on its big girl pants and face up to the realities of 21st century retailing.

The fact is that Australians are big online spenders, and given that many of us are geographically isolated (from high-street retailers at least), and all of us are spending more time online, we’re only going to spend more this way.

There are a few local retailers who are getting it right: JB Hi Fi, Dick Smith, Sportsgirl and Witchery are notable for their online success. Just recently Big W

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

More Than Window Dressing!

This week we’re on the sofa with Justin Compton (pictured above with Yvonne Hughes and Katherine Incledon from our team), visual merchandising expert and lecturer at RMIT School of Design TAFE.

 How did you get started as a visual merchandiser?
 I actually started off doing graphic design, but then did a course in visual merchandising. My first job was with Henry Bucks on Collins Street, and from there I went to Nike, Daimaru and Myer. Department stores provide a great training ground for visual merchandisers because you get to work on such a wide variety of projects – everything from perfume displays to fashion shows.

 What makes a good visual merchandiser?
 Primarily, it’s about creativity and an eye for design, but there are a lot of other skills that you need, like being able to think on your feet and take directions. You need to enjoy a challenge and very hard work. It’s very hands on. Being able to interpret what the client wants – and help them work this out when they aren’t sure – is also very important. This means asking the right questions and really listening to the answers.

What sort of jobs are out

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Mel’s life on the D-list

Lately, Mel has been profiled in a range of publications, including the Herald Sun, where she was described as a “no-fuss Melbourne A-lister” (which had us wondering: “No fuss compared to whom? Mariah Carey?!”)

It’s been interesting for the rest of us to watch the process of Mel becoming (very vaguely and locally) famous. Her lack of vanity has shocked us: who would have thought she’d back up for a photo shoot sans slap?! We’ve also been surprised by her concern that she might be perceived as a “bit of a wanker” despite the fact that she is extremely self-aware and earthy.

Overall, we suspect she’s enjoyed the attention, but we’re pretty sure that the next person who asks her for an amusing anecdote about her childhood will receive a sharp slap.

Electile dysfunction

This will probably be the first and last time we blog about Federal politics, but how about that election…

We hope that when the votes are counted and the backroom deals done, we end up with a government that puts social justice and addressing global warming high on its agenda. (We also hope that we get to

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

On the couch with AFL player agent, Lucy Mills

Lucy is an AFL player agent who was actually the first woman to gain accreditation by the AFL Players Association . Lucy works for Connors Sport Management, who manage many high profile players including Luke Hodge, Adam Goodes and Chris Judd (as well as his bride-to-be Rebecca Twigley!). Lucy completed a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Sports management at Deakin University.

What does an agent do?  Amongst other things, we negotiate contracts for clients, liaise with the media and work hard on building networks with potential clients and families.

How did you get started in the industry?  I’ve been with Connors Sports Management since 2002. After completing an 80-hour work experience placement for my university degree they offered me a part time job while I finished my degree, and I’ve been here ever since!

What do you enjoy most about the role?  I love the fact that no two days are the same. Dealing with a wide variety of people is really interesting and challenging at times. Also as ours is a very small agency so I work across all aspects of the business.

What is the toughest thing about you role? 

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Blog bliss!

Instructional or diary blogs have their place, but when you want a really good laugh – with a life-affirming side serve of shadenfreude– it’s a bitchy blog that you’ll be needing. So, grab yourself a cuppa, put a continence pad in your knickers, and check out our favourites…

Regretsy

The cleverly titled regretsy is the work of April Winchell, an American humorist who was only recently outed as the blogger behind this gem. Regretsy features (for which read ‘mocks’) art and craft works for sale on etsy.com. (If you don’t know what etsy is, do yourself a favour and get over there NOW.)

The blog has its own catchphrases and mascots based on particularly memorable etsy items and while it is funnier if you’re familiar with the bizarre etsy sub-culture (teddy bears with vulvas appliquéd on them, anyone?), you’ll find it a riot even if you’ve never lusted after a homemade dream catcher.

People of Walmart

What’s not to love about a blog with such a simple and compelling premise: it’s fun to look at photos of ugly Americans. This one isn’t good for the

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

On the sofa with wardrobe organiser, Yvette Sormann

Yvette, you bravely took on the job of sorting out (GXYSearch Director) Mel’s wardrobe. What did her wardrobe say about her?

She’s a very casual, chilled-out person with a sense of fun.

Well, nothing says fun like a dozen fake fur gillets! What is the scariest thing you’ve found in a client’s wardrobe?

Sex toys aside, a particularly hideous ball gown that looked like something from a Disney film. It took me a while, but I finally helped the client to see that it did her no favours (even a cartoon Cinderella would have struggled to pull it off!) She eventually agreed to give it to her daughter as a dress up.

What makes someone call you?

It’s usually one of two things: they’re bored with their look and ready for a makeover or their wardrobe is a total mess and they can’t face tackling it alone.

What exactly do you do for your clients?

A range of things: whatever it takes to get their wardrobe working for them, basically. Usually a clean out, an audit and some help with shopping and putting outfits together. I can help organise other areas too: desks are a favourite of mine.

Are

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

On the sofa with… Melissa Bridge – Director of GXYSearch

What do you love about your job?
What’s not to love about running GXY Search? We have amazing clients, inspiring candidates and really cool staff. And I can bring my dog to work!

How did you get started in the industry?
I served a life setence in corporate HR before realising that if i wanted to use a really excellent recruitment agency I’d have to start it myself.

What do you love/hate about working in recruitment?
Love – I still get a real buzz from connecting talented people with great employers. Hate – the dodgy reputation that the industry has.

How do you maintain a work/life balance? If at all…
I’m really big on this. I do tai chi (which everyone thinks is hilarious given how hyper I am) and take regular holidays.

Where do you find inspiration?
Everywhere! I’m always travelling and meeting people and reading (embarrassing) management books. If I stop learinng I get really bored.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made at work?
Thinking I could get surfers to act like ’suits’ (when I was at RipCurl).

Who do

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Why we’re lovin’ LinkedIn

LinkedIn – the dominant social networking site for professionals – is often referred to as “Facebook for grown-ups”. It’s not. There’s nothing fun or goofy about LinkedIn. You can’t play idiotic games on it, you can’t join stupid fan clubs, and you definitely wouldn’t use it to share photos of yourself desperately necking a bottle of Bacardi at your bogan cousin’s 21st. Put it this way: if Facebook is Buenos Aires, LinkedIn is Brussels.

So, given our preference for beach parties over bureaucracy, we were as surprised as anyone by how much we’ve fallen for LinkedIn. And apparently we’re not alone, as it now has over 70 million users worldwide.

Basically, LinkedIn is really good at what it does, which is connecting professionals and helping them manage their careers. It doesn’t look sexy (I’ve heard it described as “myspace designed by Microsoft”) but it is easy to use and much of its functionality is free. Currently, it’s dominated by the more conservative professions, but this is changing. We’re seeing more and more people in fashion, media and sport getting on board.

LinkedIn is also becoming extremely popular with recruiters, who can use it to

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Finding your first job in fashion

Looking for a graduate position in fashion is a bit like searching for the perfect bikini: you know it’s out there somewhere, but you suspect that by the time you find it you will have lost all your self-esteem (and found yourself wearing bondage gear with a straight face).

So no, it isn’t easy. But nor is it impossible. As specialist fashion recruiters, we’ve seen a lot of people successfully launch careers in fashion (and even helped some through our XYG Graduate Service). Basically, there are two things you need to do to get a great first job in fashion (apart from being talented and passionate): stand out from the crowd and make yourself a low-risk proposition to employers.

Let’s start with your resume: it needs to be short, sharp, visually appealing and convey who you are. The creative types who work in fashion will no more wade through an 8-page CV than they will forgive an ugly font. Get it down to two pages and make it sexy. Show that you speak the same language as the tribe you’re approaching. Your CV for a job at Roxy needs to be

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Is the CV dead?

If you’re anything like me, you find updating your CV to look for a new job about as enjoyable as cleaning up vomit. In fact, a good friend of mine is so intimidated by the thought of putting a new resume together that she’s stayed with the same organisation for 15 years. Seriously.

Accordingly, when I heard rumours that the CV was “dead” – or at least dying – I could not have been happier. What I didn’t realise, however, was that it’s being replaced (or supplemented) by something involving a lot more work: a compelling online presence.

At this stage, the trend is confined pretty much to creative and digital fields because blogs, web profiles and social media provide an excellent showcase for creative work. They also provide evidence that you’re social or digital media savvy, which is increasingly valued by employers. That said, the trend isn’t confined to sexy industries. A linkedin profile, for example, is pretty much expected if you are a professional in middle or senior management.

The benefits to employers of these ‘alternative CVs’ are obvious: a person’s online presence tells you way more about them

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Contracting – are you cut out for it?

Who hasn’t – on a day when office politics seemed particularly Machiavellian or that promised pay rise has been postponed AGAIN – fantasised about chucking in a permanent job and contracting? The freedom, the flexibility, the power… it’s seriously attractive. But will it work out for you?

Basically, the answer depends on two things: the demand for your services on a contract basis and your personality.

The former is easy to assess: check the job ads, talk to some recruiters, check with your industry contacts. In most industries, the demand is there. But if you want the big money that you should be getting in exchange for less job security, fewer benefits and a lack of conventional career progression, you need to be offering something that’s in limited supply (and not being off-shored to Bangalore). Contracts typically range from 1-24 months in length. Twelve months is common, probably because contractors are often used to cover people on maternity leave.

Once you’ve established that there’s a strong market for your services, you need to get real with yourself about whether or not you’ve got the personality to make the most of the opportunities

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Mentor as anything…

Finding a mentor is something we’d recommend for anyone who’s serious about their career. Mel herself has had one for years and thoroughly recommends the experience.  Mentors can play a number of different roles:

A sounding board to help you make decisions
A cheer squad when you’re feeling low
An amateur psychologist, helping you get to know yourself better
A business advisor, finding weaknesses in your business strategy and processes
A source of contacts and referrals.

Finding a mentor can be hard. Some corporations run formal mentoring programmes, but are you really going to spill your guts about how much you hate your current boss/job to someone senior from the organisation? Maybe in smiley HR land, but not in the real world!

When looking for a mentor, think outside the square. It doesn’t have to be someone in your own industry or even someone who’s older than you, although business and life experience are prerequisites. A great mentor could be a successful relative, a friend’s entrepreneurial mother, or someone you used to work for. You could even approach people you’ve admired from afar by writing a compelling letter.

When you approach your potential new mentor, be clear

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Decoding job ads

Like real estate ads, job ads are often written in an arcane language designed to sell rather than inform. So, just as buyers need to know that ‘renovator’s delight’ is code for ‘uninhabitable’, job seekers should understand that ‘employee with a flexible attitude’ often means ‘someone happy to work 16-hour days without overtime’!

Having written thousands of job ads for previous corporate employers, we’re fluent in dodgy-job-ad-speak and happy to provide the following translations…

• ‘we’re looking for someone to grow into the role’ = ‘we pay peanuts and want someone under 25 who will do what they’re told’

• ‘challenging environment’ = ‘toxic culture’

• ‘opportunity to fast-track your career’ = ‘turnover is so bad that you can go from receptionist to CEO in a year’

• ‘fast-growing family business’ = ‘workplace devoid of any professionalism’.

Alarm bells should also ring if an ad isn’t clear about who the role reports to. This usually means they don’t know, which in turn means they haven’t really thought the role through and may not even proceed with hiring someone. An unusually vague job description should also have you on high alert: it often means the organisation doesn’t want

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

Great job – bad interview.

One of the things I get asked all the time is “How do I recover from a crap interview?”

It’s not uncommon for an interview to go badly, even when you really want the job and know with absolute certainty that you were born to do it. Fortunately, a bad interview doesn’t mean that it’s all over (unless of course you smoked a joint or forgot to wear clothes – and let’s face it, even those moves could work if you’re interviewing at a certain large American-owned hipster chain store.)

If you only stuffed up part of an interview, perhaps by saying something indiscreet about a previous employer or by giving a lame answer to an important question, the best approach is to acknowledge this as soon as possible. It’s best if you can do this while still in the interview, but it’s OK to do it afterwards, and after consultation with your recruitment consultant. It can be worth sending an email to the interviewer along the lines of “Hey, thanks for meeting me. Really want the job. Thought I could have done better when you asked about X. On reflection, what I

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GXY Blog

A blog about all things career-related.

We’ve had some work done!

Yep, we’ve had a rather dramatic make-over here at GXY Search. And we’re feeling frisky!

We know a lot of you loved our old website, but we really needed a new brand to reflect the fact that the business has grown and branched out into sport and media recruiting. (Also, Dave and Tom were so embarrassed by the old website’s girly whimsical illustrations that they had started telling candidates that we didn’t have a website!)

The new brand was the result of lots of collaboration with Truly Deeply, a brand agency in South Melbourne that really knows its stuff and uses a really interesting methodology. We loved working with them. Check out their blog post about how they helped us come up with our new brand, and let us know what you think of our new look (we can take it, I think!)