People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

On the couch with…Kate Hamilton

Melbourne gal Kate Hamilton met Mel on a recent camping trip in Wilson’s Prom and the two instantly hit it off. When Mel mentioned the GXY REBOOT Summit workshop before her last trip to Base Camp, Kate was instantly intrigued and became a last minute entrant to the gang bound for Nepal for our most recent adventure.

The former Director of Business Development for Aviation Screening provider Rapiscan, Kate has recently gone freelance taking some time off to study an MBA Executive at RMIT/Open Universities and consult and advise local businesses in strategy planning.

A trip up one of Mother Nature’s greatest creations was a sure fire way to spice things up,  as Kate immersed herself in her new chosen transition from full time employment-even if it did mean she had to make do without a hot shower at the end of a long day of trekking!

For adventure-loving Kate, whose average day is spent “working & training hard then spending time with family and friends”; the opportunity to climb Everest was a once in a lifetime one. She fell in love with the beauty

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People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

On The Couch With: Darcy Wright

Quiksilver Buying Manager, surfer, and all around nice bloke Darcy Wright recently took part in Reboot’s surfing workshop, with sensational results.  We chat to Darcy about what he’s been up to.

First off, what is your background?

Well, I started on the frontline of retail and worked my way up the food chain reasonably fast (lucky break huh?), and had a great opportunity to get into buying with the General Pants Group in Sydney. There I learned a lot of “best practice” and worked with some very knowledgeable and inspiring characters – they knew how to have fun too which made for a great work environment.  From there I had an opportunity to move across to Quiksilver – a brand I’ve been passionate about since I was a little frother – and eventually was shipped down to Torquay to where I am today.

What is your current role at Quiksilver?

I am currently the Buying Manager for our retail business looking after 43 stores in Australia and New Zealand.

Can you give us a snapshot of a day in the life of Darcy Wright?

Get up early, check the surf,

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People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

On the couch with: Elle Ferguson

Considering that we spend a good 2 or so hours of our working week trawling the posts on www.theyallhateus.com (sorry Mel), we took it upon ourselves to hunt down the beautiful Elle Ferguson, part of the ’Elle and Tash’ duo.  As the current National VM Manager at General Pants, Elle has what we rate as a dream job – not to mention a dream blog, wardrobe and legs!   Here’s a sneak peek into the life of one of our favourite fashionistas….

Elleshia Ferguson

Blogger (www.theyallhateus.com)

Women’s National Visual Merchandising Manager at General Pants Co.

1. How did you break into the industry?

I studied Visual Merchandising for 12months and then transferred into a 4-year degree in Interior Design. At my final exhibition I got offered the National Visual merchandising job for One Teaspoon. After that, it was hard work and long hours.

2. What do you love most about your role?

For me it’s that no day is ever the same as the next. And my role allows my to be creative and passionate about the thing I love most: FASHION!

3. Do you agree that it’s not what you know, it’s who you know?

I do and I don’t.

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People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

Holly Curtis.. the beauty behind ‘Am I There Yet?’

With an office which spends a decent amount of time each week reading blogs, we got chatting the other day at Market Lane Coffee (our latest coffee hangout – we don’t like to get too attached to any one place) about the wonder of these magical online spaces. To quote the master, Perez Hilton says that 19% of young people aged 12-17 have their own blogs. Gen Y never ceases to amaze.. who knew they could even touch type at that age.

So, what better way to find out more, than to get it straight from the horse’s mouth? Or, in this case, a very pretty Peninsula-born pony. We sat down for a chat with ‘Am I There Yet’ blogger extraordinaire, Holly Curtis (this time at The Cullen). Part Uni Student, part Beauty Editor for Onya Magazine, part Tiffany & Co sales assistant and part blogger, if you haven’t yet read this busy girl’s blog, it’s time to get on board. The perfect mix up of make up and madness, we love Holly’s way with words.

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People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

Our friend Motherbird.

Three young guys, brains for business and a killer design instinct – Motherbird is emerging communication design studio on the path to greatness. And we think they are awesome.

Last week our consultant Pippa heading to Sydney’s big smoke for the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards. Held at the waterfront Museum of Contemporary Art in the Rocks, it was a star studded evening. Brushing shoulders with everyone from the Zimmerman sisters, Dion Lee and New York based Art Director Deanne Cheuk to Academy Award winning film producer Jan Chapman – it was truly fantastic evening. Plus there was heaps of free booze and food. Couldn’t really go wrong.

But, specifically, we would like to congratulate our good friends over at Motherbird for taking out the SOYA Award in the Visual Communication strategy. Up against some of the best rising talent in the industry, they were chosen by the category mentor, Deanne Cheuk, for being the “most inspiring,” and having work that really “captured her.”

A three-way collaboration between Dan Evans, Chris Murphy and Jack Musset, the studio has built up an impressive client list in their 18

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People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

Spring Carnival Fashion: Bra, yes. Straps, no.

With another Spring Racing Carnival down, it’s the perfect time for a fashion wrap-up. Please welcome Lucinda Ormonde, our guest blogger for the week. Part writer, part bookie and avid tea-drinker, she takes us through the fashion do’s and don’ts of Flemington’s big week.

After many, many years of working on the racetrack over the Spring Carnival I’ve seen it all – the good, the bad and the very, very bad. And on that basis, I’ve compiled this little list of common fashion failures and how to avoid them.

Ladies:

Bra straps, let’s talk about them. There’s a reason it’s called underwear and there’s also a reason God/Calvin Klein invented the strapless bra. The only time a black bra should be seen is when Carrie Bradshaw is wearing it. And you know those “invisible” plastic straps? I can see those too.
And still on bras…. If you’ve got boobs, I suggest you wear one.
Flesh coloured tights. Yes, I know many of you think they’re non-existent, but here’s a little secret: when you wear them with SANDALS, the seams that gather at your toes make those “invisible” …

People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

Who needs Seek when there is Twitter?!

There is a digital revolution going on. I know, I know, the internet, is so great and all that. But its not like the dot.com boom of the nineties, it’s different. It’s bigger. And in terms of finding a job, it’s much more useful.

When you’re job hunting, do you spend your days trawling through Seek or MyCareer, page after page? Or you search the same key words under five different categories because you aren’t totally sure what heading your dream role will come under? Or you’re not sure what your dream role is, but before you find it you go cross-eyed and have to have a nap?

If this is you, you will probably feel irked by my next profound statement. A lot of jobs don’t make it onto career sites anymore. Sorry. But this doesn’t mean they aren’t out there and up for grabs, they are just getting advertised differently – namely, Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. And just as much as companies can put their roles out there, you can do the same with your availability.

With the majority of businesses having a solid social media

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People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

Guess Who! to win a double movie pass to Village Gold Class!

With many our favourite stores expanding their portfolios into kidswear (think Country Road, Big by Fiona Scanlan, Witchery and Zimmerman) we’ve been reminiscing in the office about our childhood fashion sense.. While Pippa had no say and was always put in the same outfit as her older sister, Yvonne cemented her fashion guru status early in life- she was always wearing pretty dresses, come to think of it, she still is now.

Second born Erin was right into country kid hand-me-downs– or if you go by modern day terms we can call them ‘pre-loved, vintage pieces’. Another country baby, Nick, describes his early styling as “understated farmhouse chic,” and Jayde followed the trend refusing to wear anything but overalls. And no need to laugh at this, the jumpsuit is back in fashion so really she was just ahead of her times. Waaaaay ahead.

Much like Yvonne, others developed their fashion know how early; Katherine has been in floral dresses since pretty much before she was even born, and she still loves ribbons and the colour pink as much as she did then. Mel’s first purchase

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People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

Open your mind & watch for opportunities…

Meet Clare. Clare is a London based copywriter who currently works for cult fashion and lifestyle brand Anthropologie. In the past, she has also spent time scouring the London streets as a freelance trend predictor – now that’s a job! Her career has led her to some pretty enviable organisations including Harrods, Cath Kidston and even our beloved Net-A-Porter. Clare is testament to the fact that passion is what ultimately leads you to finding job bliss. Clare’s also a digital social butterfly and blogs about all things vintage, fashion, art and music here.

When you were in school what did you want to grow up to be?

I went through various ideas – from air hostess to hairdresser to film star – I think every girl wants to be an air hostess at some stage in their life. Although, with so many budget airlines now, I’m not quite sure the ‘glamour’ exists as it once seemed to.

Where did you start? Did you have a career strategy when you went out and got your first job?

I’ve taken many, many paths but I didn’t work out that I wanted to

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People we admire

A blog about all things career-related.

Introducing.. New GXY Tribesters!

The GXY tribe has grown and this week with three new starters– Erin, Haylee and Pippa, joining Nick who has been with us now for three weeks. The girls have come on board with wide eyes and big smiles and have quickly slotted in alongside their respective partners in crime; Dave, Yvonne and Jayde.

Amongst the excitement (and continuing office renovations) we have upgraded our database system, or as Mel likes to say “traded in the Ford Fairmont for a Porsche.” As we write this, Dave is letting out sporadic gasps of excitement at its amazing features – seems the only thing it can’t do is make us lunch, which is ok because apparently Pippa is a great cook so we may add this to her job description instead.

Speaking of job descriptions, we may have to include “Dave-Watch” to Erin’s role as she is to head up our Sydney division with him. Erin is a mover and shaker –a Perth girl at heart, she has lived in 6 different cities so far including London.  Soon she is to go back to City #4 when she joins her fiancée and their Maltese-Shih tzu, Bongo,

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People we admire

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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People we admire

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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People we admire

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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People we admire

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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People we admire

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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