Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

What would Patrick Bateman Do?

Despite the seemingly ominous title, this post is not a dedication to the pro’s of yuppie pride, 80’s power wear or, of course, the slashing and slicing of innocent lady loves.

This is an insight into one of American Psycho Patrick Bateman’s most prized pieces, so beloved it requires it’s own public reveal and in-depth narrative-the business card. For those of you in need of a refresher, have a squiz here:

watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2Ux3vncNNLg

Just with everything in the life of the psychotic serial killer, all things must be done with utmost precision, and the business card is no exception. While his utter devotion to his card (and all other material possessions for that matter), may seem a little (read: completely) batty, he does have a point.

Your business card is often the first tangible item a potential employer or contact has to remember you by, and while you don’t need to spend a fortune on it, you should definitely put in a little bit of effort.

To start with, pick a design. What shape should it be? How thick would you like the stock? What colour

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

LINKED IN vs FACEBOOK: A User’s Guide

They both boast the ability to ‘connect’ you with those around you-some you may know, some, not-so-much. Both help you get into the innermost thoughts of others, and above all, both can be supremely affective time-wasting tools. The difference with Linked In and Facebook however, is that one is for work, one for play, and never shall the two intertwine. Because as we have seen with Lindsay Lohan and her embarrassment of an acting career, sometimes unprofessionalism cannot be overlooked.

While no one will bat an eye if you add five thousand of your nearest, dearest, randomest, weirdest mates on Stalkbook, the same cannot be said for Linked In, and the reasons are twofold.

1. Firstly, It’s one thing to add the cute guy/gal from the gym you’ve had your eye on to the Book, but Linked In is for BUSINESS people-and not the funny sort you’re picturing in your dirty minds. Stick to those who are in your industry or at least are semi relevant!

2. Having said that, there are occasions when you

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Let’s Get Product Savvy

Until now, when on the job hunt you were seen merely as faceless entities, portrayed with a little added panache on a curriculum vitae. Not so these days, as with blogging at an all time high, and with the introduction of social media powerhouses Linked In, Facebook, Twitter et al. YOU have become the product itself, like a puppy (or a pitbull) at a pet shop, looking for a suitable home. And it’s up to YOU to publish yourselves to the best of your ability.

So how can you ensure you are presented in the most glorious light? As simply as you would any other brand or product: marketing. And how do you market yourself in the digital age you may wonder? By giving your internet output a Queer Eye style zoosh! And here’s how:

1. Text

Ok, this may seem like a no-brainer, but text is the simplest of ways to sell yourself. Like it or not, even the shyest mouse must learn that a little bit of self-promotion is essential to furthering your career, as you aint gonna get hired

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Suck It Up

Well, well, well. Hasn’t 2012 well and truly crept up on us to send us crashing back to reality following what was hopefully an invigorating break of sun, sand, surfing, skiing, and general slacking for you all. The first week back at the office can often leave you feeling a little blue (I know I am looking ever-less tanned and ever-more the duck-egg shade of a Tiffany’s box right now).

So let us take the opportunity now to turn your work doldrums into a positive new beginning, starting the year off on the right foot and setting the tone for a bloody sensational year.

Marketing guru Chris Savage recently sat down with Iron Man great Trevor Hendy, who provided one of those lightning bolt pieces of wisdom regarding the secrets to his success- “The conditions are always great”.

Aint it the truth. I’m sure you are all already finding ways to renege on your New Years resolutions (It’s too wet/hot/early to go for a run; I’ll give up the fags as soon as January/Summer/my hot holiday fling is over etc); just as you are constantly inventing excuses

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Modern Recruitment and The NEW Candidate

Listen up all of you talented, currently employed, hard-working, Australian blokes and sheilas out there. We are living in a modern era and as such have had to adjust our lives and our businesses accordingly-no if’s, buts or exceptions.

We have heard the call here at GXY Search and are ready, willing and able to move with the times and take the journey into the 21st Century, by changing the way we find and recruit potential employees.

“So what’s this got to do with me??” you may ask and with good reason. Well here goes: You, and every other gainfully employed talent out there is a head hunting candidate, as in the new world, EVERYONE is applicable.

Greg Savage, creator of famed recruitment and staffing website The Savage Truth has made a fascinating discovery, stating:

“Research (and common sense) tells us that less than 10% of relevant talent are actively looking for a role at any given moment in time. That means that 90% of candidates suitable for your roles are not engaged in job searches. They have not registered with recruiters, they are not perusing

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Starting a biz? Check out what’s so hot right now…

This week we continue on with the entrepreneurial theme, with an insight into the hottest industries for start up businesses, based on some of the more interesting suggestions found via a helpful little slideshow recently published on inc.com (see here for more info and all the pretty pictures).

So what is hot, hip, happening and more importantly, raking in the dough these days?

The beauty industry for one. Perhaps spurred on by the seemingly ageless male and female celebs who grace our televisions, movie screens and magazine pages (Tom Cruise, Kylie Minogue I am looking at you); these day you’d be hard pressed to find a lady (or a lad for that matter-GXY Business Manager Pat simply lurves a spray tan on special occasions) who will leave the house without a fresh face of makeup, manicured talons and skin as hair-free as a newborns. Inc reports that it is the fastest growing industry of 2011 with a YOY growth rate of 29%!! That’s a lot of haircuts!

Public relations firms are also on the up and up with predictions of a 6% annual

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Important Ideas in Interning

Many, many, MANY jobs, no matter the field, offer internships. They are the perfect way to get your foot in the door, meet some peops and get a clue on how the biz behaves.

Tasks offered to interns are varied. And by varied we mean shitty. Filing enough paper to papier-mâché the world. Making enough cups of coffee to fill Hugh Hefner’s swimming pools, grotto and all. Cleaning out cupboards the size of Imelda Marcos’-full of litter, not Louboutins. Yes there will be a little field related work, but don’t be fooled. Those in charge are likely to go out of their way to find the dullest, most mind-blowingly crappy jobs they can find to avoid doing them themselves, evil geniuses that they are.

However, while the picture I am painting sounds more Little House of Horrors than Little House on the Prairie, DO NOT DESPAIR! We all go through it, and with good reason. An internship can be a gateway into a proper role, so it’s important to remember as you photocopy your millionth report that there

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

The Executive Monitor-Part Two

So last week we learned a few little tidbits from this totes f’amazing study “The Executive Monitor” and this week we’re going to let you in on a few more findings, to let you know what’s happening in the big bad world of work.

Firstly, people love brands. Now I’m not talking Louis Vuitton, Prada style brands (although I do truuuuuuly love those possibly mpore than my children! Ok that’s a lie I don’t have children but if I did I would surely put them on par with my Chanel 2.55) but rather universal and household business names. It makes sense that all those busy workers prefer to work at the big names, as these are perceived as the better employers. Yes this makes sense but don’t disregard the little fish either as just because you haven’t heard of them does not mean they are no good.

People also love perks. Who doesn’t! Particularly MONEY honey, with 61.3% choosing an annual bonus as their favourite thank you pressie. Seriously, who needs hugs when you’ve got some cold hard cashola!! Execs

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Let’s Get Passionate

When rebooting your life and undergoing a transition from school/uni to work, old job to new job, it is critical to grasp and embrace your passions so as to truly get the greatest potential from your role. We’re talking serious passion-the kind that puts a little spring in your step as you leap out of bed, a smile on your dial as you pop out the door and a trill in your voice as you laugh through the day. Not Tommy Lee and Pammy honeymoon passion though. That would just be creepy.

So how do we bring passion in our lives eh? By focusing on three key principles-Pride, Enjoyment and Flow.

Think about a moment when you were truly proud. A time you were so thrilled with your performance you beamed. Not a time that made your Mum, Dad, Sister, Brother, Granny, Boyfriend, Girlfriend, De Facto ex-Wife Living In Your Dream House proud; but YOU. Can you picture it?

Maybe it was when you were little? Did you lead the soccer team at recess? David Bowie’d the hell out of choir?

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Job Applications and Interviews-how NOT to roll

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the basics when applying for a job. CV’s printed on paper and not scrawled on the back of a napkin, a no brainer. Turning up to an interview after showering, brushing your hair and dressing in clean clothes are a given on, as is arriving on time to a job interview and not reeking of last nights Jägerbombs.

But what of those more finicky details, clever tricks and treats sure to earn you some brownie points and bump you to the top of the pile. In case you have been living under a ROCK you will be aware that the economy and job market is a little dodgy at the moment, so take heed of these handy hints and go from jobseeker to job-savvy.

• Don’t get overly creative when emailing your resume. While it’s true there are certain employers who respond to a little razzle dazzle, in the majority of cases, a plain old word document is all that is required. No zip files, pdf’s etc. While we are by no means saying do

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Hang Tough Baby

Earlier this year, an article posted on ERE.net caught the eye of GXY, with its theories on why you should never accept a counter offer. Nicht, Nej, Yok. That’s ‘No’ in German, Swedish and Turkish for those of you playing at home. Wow the internet is a sensational tool for getting distracted.

A counteroffer is commonly defined as an offer or proposal made to offset or substitute an earlier offer made by another. In employment terms, it’s the offer you receive when you’ve been given a better one, and your current employer scrambles to keep you onsite.

While being showered with employment opportunities can make you feel like the most popular gal in school, choosing her formal date from an array of studs on the football team, making the wrong decision and choosing a counter offer can instead lead to an evening on the bleachers, a lonely wallflower who should have said yes when the hot quarterback asked her first, for many reasons as outlined below.

• When an employee quits, the employer is left with

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

All about online-ASOS and Myer get Aussie’s web surfing

When it comes to the world of retail right now, its all about the invasion of the overseas labels. We’re talking Zara, Topshop and now coveted shopping haven ASOS, which opened a dedicated Australian site last Thursday.

Since launching in 2000, ASOS has grown exponentially with the number of loyal customers expanding day by day. Think those cute, fluffy buggers that multiplied into squillions of gremlins when they get wet. Ok I don’t think the ASOS crew has been chucking water on their computers but you get the picture.

The Australian recently reported some pretty amazing ASOS figures proving the era of online shopping is well and truly here, including:

• ASOS’ annual turnover is currently ₤340 million ($531m) compared with Net-a-Porter’s ₤230m ($359m)

• ASOS boasts more than 990,640 facebook followers (update: now more than 1,032,111!)

• ASOS provides its top shoppers with a printed magazine-that’s 450,000 recipients!

The site not only features hot little numbers from the house design team, but also from a ton of highly respected international fashion houses including Chloe, Jil Sander, Elizabeth and James, and our own Elke Kramer; ensuring the site covers every corner of

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Happy career = happy life?

At GXY Search we’re big advocates of following your passions, doing what you love for a living and working towards your dreams, but a recent article by Eve Tahmincioglu got us thinking. It’s well worth the read, and to summarise it into a paragraph is tricky, but we love a challenge. So here goes:

People whose goal is career ‘happiness’ often feel less happy than their more tangible goal-setting counterparts (e.g. save $x to pay off the handbag I bought a month ago on credit). With all the books and the blogs (guilty) and the tweets about doing what you love for a living, people are feeling pretty bummed out these days if they don’t achieve it. 

It’s one of those ‘you want what you can’t have’ kind of things – once you get to a level you strive for the next, and you do this again and again throughout your working life. If you don’t celebrate those little wins along the way you can come out feeling anxious, like you haven’t gotten anywhere at all. No matter where you are or what you have, you always want more –

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Tidy your desk and get ready for succ-esk!

Welcome to the most productive day of your life. And no, you don’t need to turn the computer on just yet (well, this is a lie – as this post is on the internet you will need the computer on. Unless you have printed it off. Then you won’t. But sometimes our website prints funny. So maybe test it first?)

Where were we? Oh that’s right. We’re talking distractions. Think TV programs – “de-clutter your life, de-clutter your mind!” and other such profound statements.

You see, for every piece (or in some cases, piles) of paper that sit on the desk, there is a distraction, or something unfinished. Not only does a messy desk make it hard to find things, but it makes it easy to forget them too – and when your boss comes over and you are scrounging to find that article they left you with / piece of work that you’ve forgotten to do / sandwich they lent you, things can start to get awkward.

So we present you with GXY Search’s 4-action plan of getting your shit together.

Your new mission in life (if you are to accept it) is to

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

GXY Search: just like Masterchef (kind of)

Over the years recruitment has come to be a bit of a dirty word, and the pushy nature of some in the industry has provided a hurdle to others setting out what they aimed to achieve: placing the best candidates in the best roles- like a maths equation where the output is a really great career move and a really happy client.

So, what is it exactly that we do all day? Well, we are always talking to people – clients, candidates, random people at St Edmonds (that’s our local coffee shop) and people at Sportsgirl (sorry, that’s just Pip and Kristen who spend too much time in Chapel St). As a recruiter, it is a difficult thing to separate work from life – work and home hours blur at the seams, everyone you meet is a potential candidate or client, and you are only as good as your last placement. Think Masterchef, but people instead of dishes, and minus the threat of elimination. And minus the threat of overcooking your fish. Ok, so not really like Masterchef at all.

We know who is moving on from where, who is expanding and who is

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Getting career-ready with Reboot

Participants join the GXY team on the sand at Jan Juc

We’ve launched a new initiative to help professional athletes transition to successful careers after sport. Called ‘Reboot’, the program aims to give participants a clearer idea of who they are, what they want and how to get there. In late April, we piloted Reboot with five ex AFL players.

The program was the brainchild of GXY founder, Mel Bridge, and Pete Summers, who was delisted from Essendon in 2004. Mel had worked with numerous ex-athletes at GXY Search, as well in previous roles at Adidas and Ripcurl, and been struck by the unique challenges they faced in transitioning to new careers. It was not, however, until Mel was coaching Pete Summers, her (then) electrician, that the idea of a course specifically for ex-footballers arose.

Pete explains: “The process Mel took me through was nothing short of life changing. Initially I just wanted help with my business plan, but Mel could tell my heart wasn’t in it so she took me through a series of exercises to clarify what I really wanted from my career. It

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Office romances – good for your love life, bad for your career

Our director has a rule. No dating within the office. Simple. And we stick by it too, you see, as she knows everything. Everything. What ever is going on, she always finds out. Alwayyyyys.

So while Monday mornings are always a buzz with who did what with whom on the weekend, we can’t help but feel a little left out when it comes to Valentines day and nobody is sneaking stolen glances over the top of their computer screens.

You see, there is this new phenomenon, and we’re not allowed it. It’s called a work lover. Or ‘WL’ for short. And apparently everyone is doing it – a recent survey found that 8 out of 10 people have shared more than a stapler at work. While my girlfriends send daily updates of their dealings with their WL’s (for example, ‘WL asked me to play in his indoor netball team’ or ‘just found out WL wears fake tan – eew’) we live vicariously thorough those who, at a larger company, get to sweep their indiscretions underneath a rug of client briefs and new business proposals.

With young professionals spending

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Febrolutions: like NY Resolutions, but much more achievable.

Statistics say that by February, on average 90 percent of New Years resolutions made will be broken. In fact, 30% don’t even make it past the first week of Jan. While this doesn’t say much for the follow through of the human race, it certainly does lend some consolation that we’re not the only ones failing miserably on our annual quest to be a better person.

In the recruitment world, the third week of January is typically the busiest of the year – after some peaceful time relaxing and lapping up the joys of the Christmas break, we get a stampede of candidates banging down the office door going for that fresh year, fresh start kind of thing. And every year we ask ourselves… what is it about the New Year that makes us all a little stir crazy?

To quote the experts, each New Year is seen as the chance at a new life. Out with the old and in with the new! Apologize for our bad behaviour of days gone by and make our lives better –generally by acting more responsibly.

But wait, don’t we all do this anyways? I’m

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Y are people so unkind?

This week I thought we might go a bit Dr Phil. I’m going to share some “hard truths” about how Gen Y is perceived and our Gen Y readers are going to sit on the couch ignoring me because I’m kind of boring and they are busy tweeting pictures of the tea-cosy they just knitted out of hemp.

Here’s the thing: Gen Y’s work ethic is a hot topic of conversation amongst “old people” or, as you might know them, “those assholes who bought a four bedroom house in Northcote for $185,000 a few years back”.

Fact is that if you’re under 30 (and some members of Gen Y aren’t, I know), people currently over the age of 30 are probably going to give you your next job or promotion. And lots of them aren’t sure they want you on their team.

Just in case you missed the 9,452 articles on this topic published over recent years (and didn’t overhear Uncle Geoff going on and on and on about his latest dud apprentice at Christmas), here’s how old people are describing you: unskilled, disloyal, spoiled, impatient and barely literate.

This is largely bullshit

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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Death by cliché

Question: what’s the difference between the following sentences from two hypothetical CVs?

(A) “I leveraged my extensive experience to motivate the sales team to come up with innovative solutions to drive performance”

(B) “I got the sales team fired up and thinking about new ways to boost sales; this doubled sales in three years.”

Answer: (A) makes me want to kill myself while (B) makes me want to pick up the phone to the candidate (and not just because s/he knows how to rock a semi-colon). When I read (A) I can almost taste the soggy sandwiches I’m eating out of boredom while enduring a two-hour PowerPoint presentation on payroll systems. When I read (B) I am left with an impression of energy and speed: a red sports car dashes past the periphery of my subconscious.

Pretty much everyone hates management speak. Using bland buzzwords that convey nothing except the sadness of your sex life doesn’t make you sound like the head of the Boston Consulting Group – it makes you sound like a 52-year old public servant who’s just done a course on Respect in the Workplace.

Professional networking site LinkedIn recently

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Your career

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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Your career

A blog about all things career-related.

Six things you don’t want to hear from a recruiter

Don’t make us say it!

Fortunately, the vast majority of our candidates impress us from the outset – after all, we only place A-graders. Occasionally, however, a less than slick job-seeker penetrates our security. If you hear us utter one of the following lines, be afraid…

“Could you please ask your Mum to wait outside.” Yes, adult candidates of normal intelligence do sometimes bring their parents to interviews. Take note: we don’t want to meet your parents. Unless you’re Kelly Osbourne.

“Try to wear something professional looking.” Usually, this is code for “You are unbelievably talented, but please don’t visit our client looking like you might be packing heat”. And also, sometimes, “Deodorant. Try it.”

“Don’t be late for the interview” If we have to tell you this, you have already pissed us off with your unreliability and we are really scared you are going to piss off our client and miss out on a great job. DON’T DO IT AGAIN.

“Have you thought about going back to uni?” There’s not much call for actor/model/stylist/street performers with no qualifications or experience. But yes, you are VERY

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Your career

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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Your career

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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