Having worked in a number of positions assisting organisations review cultural and team performance issues, I have regularly been alarmed by the attitude of individuals towards their own career.

When we are children we are asked “What would you like to be when you grow up?”

Generally we are all firemen, doctors, princesses or ballerinas, however, with the pure excitement of this question alone even as children we go off and practice what we believe are the skills needed to achieve our goal.

We are then asked this question again at about 14 or 15. This time we take it a little more seriously; we look at what we are good at, or what we might be bothered doing, and make a more judged decision. We then use this to select school subjects or programmes; requesting assistance from parents and school counsellors for guidance.

Ultimately, we make the decision based on what we want to achieve but the support is always beneficial for making sure we are on the right track.

A couple of years later when we look to completing high school, enrolling in apprenticeship programs, or even enter the work force. We again take responsibility and make a career decision. We get support, we ask for guidance, but we make a decision and do something with that decision.

So far we appear to be on the right track.

All of the above key points in our lives have something in common – we take responsibility. We look at what we want to achieve and we do something about it. We engage support from specialists and family members and we use this to make a judged decision; well most of the time anyway.

We take responsibility for ourselves – for what we want to achieve and for what we need to do to get there.

So why does it seem that it changes once we become a professional?

In many of the assessments that I have undertaken, the result has been very similar. Employees are disengaged, they feel that they are not being provided the opportunities that they believe they deserve and their manager won’t do anything about it. When I ask them for more information about what it is that their manager, or organisation, is not doing for them, I am alarmed by the result.

Ultimately, many professionals believe that the organisation, or their manager, is responsible to drive their career development. Their organisation, or their manager, is responsible for their career, not them.

Does something seem wrong with this perception? Why is it that once we have initiated our career, what we want to achieve and the skills we want to develop now become someone else’s responsibility to initiate? If they don’t, it appears we start to become sour and unmotivated about the organisation we are working for.

When did our career start to become someone else’s responsibility? Is it, and should it be, someone else’s responsibility?

NO

Alarmingly, it is becoming evident that this is now the perception of many individuals once they become a professional. A struggle many managers and business leaders are faced with daily.

Our career, our progression, and our development should never be someone else’s responsibility. In many of the organisations I have worked for, there has been resentment held against individuals that may have excelled because they used their own initiative to excel. Why this happens alarms me each time I witness it. We all have opportunity, whether we have the time or the inclination however may be more the issue that professionals are faced with.

Personally, I know that I don’t have the time to undertake additional study and this is the case for many individuals. But if you have the inclination, have you looked at all the other opportunities that may not require as much time however provide you with the same outcome? Have you engaged the support or guidance to assist you with this?

The first and most important step to excelling in our career is to take responsibility. Once we have taken responsibility, we start to own the problem and the solution. Once we have ownership, it becomes much more obvious what the starting point might be to becoming the professional that we really want to be.

Without taking responsibility for our own career, we are ultimately just accepting a job. A job and a career are 2 very different things and only one will be the most fulfilling.

So what is it that you want, a job or a career? Are you ready to be responsible?

The first step to achieving what you want is to take responsibility. Once you have done this, then you are ready to take the first step to achieving your personal career goals.

Welcome Back

Happy New Year! Wow, what a year it has been. We got some people some jobs, we got some people careers, but most importantly – we worked with some great clients! For this reason, we thank you and hope you really enjoyed your break.

2011 was an amazing year for us as an organisation. We increased the amount of consultants that worked with us but we also set some standards. We worked extensively over 2011 to increase Australian Resumè writers awareness that they have to operate under the 2012 CICA professional standards – we told them all about it so no-one can say they weren’t aware! The standards are going to help all of us ensure that we work at the top of our game, but most importantly help our consumers understand when they may or may not be working with a recognised Australian professional. If they aren’t recognised, they may not have the industry knowledge or qualifications to be providing you the service they are selling! If it looks cheap and nasty, a lot of the time it generally is. More about this later in our blog though.

As an organisation, we are determined to make 2012 even better. For this reason, we have launched a new brand. Many of our clients have come to us in Melbourne wanting to only work with a career consultant and for this reason, Recruitment Services & Resumes will now be dedicated to our Victorian clients. The business itself stays the same; however we will focus the consultants within this business on servicing our clients wanting career management and career coaching. Through Recruitment Services & Resumès we are now offering dedicated career management including:

• Career Profiling: Using the Strong Interest Inventory, working immediately with our client’s to identify their ideal career based on their areas of interest. This is one of the most accurate psychometric tool available and will give each of our client’s a detailed report on their ideal career, ideal industry and ideal working environment. Not to forget about also highlighting the jobs that probably suit them the least! Great for those looking to get more satisfaction, understand why they are not excelling in their current role, or those just looking to make that first career decision! Amazingly enough, the report and a consultation will still be only $199 for the whole of 2012. To see a copy of the report and for more information on SII, click here.
• Career planning: working actively with an accredited career coach, working through the identified stages of career planning through our personalised career model to identify your career goals then work within this program to target that dream role.
• Career coaching: working with a career coach to improve the core employability skills such as communication, team work, leadership and motivation to ensure that you remain employable whilst developing yourself professionally to improve your transferrable skills.
• Group training: throughout the year we will be running various group training programs on resumès, employability skills, interview skills and job search strategies. We will keep you posted about these through our websites and our blogs.

So, you ask, what about those of us just wanting resumès?

This is the exciting part.

As of today, we have launched a new website:

www.writemyresume.com.au

Writemyresume.com.au will be servicing our resumè clients nationally. We won’t be offering face to face rather phone based consulting as an option through this website. The reason for this is we still want to ensure that we are one of the lowest priced Professional Resumè Services in Australia – and we are happy to say that we are still looking this way.

The 2 different business units will allow us to ensure that we direct your enquiry immediately to the right consultant, and immediately be able to arrange your service. This will also support our consultants to ensure that they are working with the client’s in the area that they specialise in. In 2012 we will continue to increase our consultants to support the changing demands of our client’s which is a really exciting time for us.

We are also releasing a book. So watch this space, it will first become available as an e-book through our website and is titled – How to write a winning Resumè; The Australian Way. Coming soon!

So, that is enough about us for the New Year. We have a New Year’s Resolution to blog more often so you will be hearing from us more regularly on all things CAREER.

We want to take a little bit of time now to further highlight the introduction of the standards. This is extremely important for consumers of all services in career management across Australia, and for operators within the industry. If you have any questions about the standards, please don’t hesitate to send us an email and we will contact our association to get you an answer.

2012 – Professionalism and Career Development

For a number of years, the Career Development Industry has been phasing in the industry based CICA professional standards. These standards are focussed on increasing professionalism within the industry; improving the quality and knowledge of operators working as “professionals” within our field.

From January 1 2012, these standards are now in full enforcement.

What this means for us as an industry is quite important. As with the standardisation of accountants some years back, the Career Management Industry is seeking to ensure that all individuals operating across the umbrella services within career development do so in accordance with these standards. The standards look at:

• Education
• Industry Experience and knowledge
• Ongoing professional development
• Industry awareness
• Professional conduct
• Professional ethics and morals

Services that are recognised within these standards as being within the umbrella include:

• Career guidance counsellors
• Career consultants
• Career Coaches
• Resume writers
• Employment counsellors
• Career information specialists
• Employment support workers
• Work experience coordinators

And many more.

What this now means as consumers is that you must be aware of these standards so that you can be confident in knowing that you are working with a true professional. In Australia, there are only 11 associations recognised as member organisations of CICA and endorsed. These include:

• CDAA
• National Association of Graduate Career Advisory Services
• National Athlete and Career Education
• Rehabilitation Counselling Association of Australasia
• Graduate Careers Australia
• Career Education Association of VIC/WA/NT
• Career Advisers Association of NSW and ACT
• Queensland Association of Student Advisors
• Queensland Guidance and Counselling Association

For an individual to be recognised as an Australian professional – they should be accredited by one of these associations. The CDAA is the most recognised and the leading association for Career Development within Australia. They have ensured that each of their members has adhered to the requirements of these standards since 2011.

When selecting a professional, it is important to remember that an Australian recognised professional that operates under the Australian standards can only do so if a member of one of the above associations. If they are not working under the Australian standards, then they have not requested for their experience and knowledge to be assessed against the minimum Australian industry requirements; nor are they required to meet ongoing professional development or confirmation that they have the required level of industry awareness and knowledge to support their client’s.

We have been advised by leading industry bodies that to operate as a “Professional” Career Consultant or Resumè writer within Australia then we must operate within these standards. We do; and are now actively leading the improvement of resumè writing standards across Australia through the CDAA.

So, to ensure that you are working with a qualified individual and one that has the current knowledge and industry capabilities, make sure you ask first “Are you recognised as an Australian Professional and a member of an Australian recognised career management association?”