character building jobs

Have you ever had a ‘Character Building’ job?

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Would you work in a recycling plant sorting people’s recycling by hand? I did… and yes… I survived! It was definitely one of those character building jobs that made me step far outside my comfort zone and one that I am still glad that I did.

At the time of my move from Sydney to the Gold Coast I was an Office Manager and had just completed my studies in HR. I had just purchased a new place on the Gold Coast, had a new mortgage and bills to pay. I thought (silly me) that I had a new job lined up to fall straight into, however when I arrived, it just wasn’t the case. That means, I had to start looking for work quickly. Through a good number of applications, my ideal role was not coming off and I needed a strategy to get work quickly. This I found, is where we normally draw the line with our pride – what do you choose – lose my house or take a hit to the ego, get a less than perfect role, and keep my house… the choice was very easy.

Answering an ad in the paper for labour hire staff, I turned up at a local recruitment agency and to my surprise, looked a little bit out of place. Me, being from Sydney, turned up in a full suit and tie, not like the other 8 guys who were in a combination of high-vis, king gees and work boots. Basically, because I turned up (and they needed people) I had a job that I could go to. My options were the chicken plant or the recycling plant. Easy decision – the recycling plant. Now, if anyone has actually done this job, it’s hot, dusty and physically demanding – not really suited to an office boy like myself. I definitely take my hat off to the guys that do this work – it’s really hard! In hindsight, I think that the chicken plant was the ideal choice for me but I stuck it out for 6 weeks until I scored the job that I was seeking. Added to this, it was my first Gold Coast summer, it was very hot, I was working day and night shifts, wore a hat, face mask, jeans, long sleeved shirt , glasses, and a lot of dust and debris, which mostly ended up in my car. It was like a dust cloud each time I sat down to drive home. Added to this, I learned that people don’t know what is allowed in a recycling bin. I wish to forget how many dirty nappies, dead animals and waste that I touched but I knew that I was burning my clothes when I was done!

Whilst this is my story, it’s actually your story that really counts. If you have been made redundant, the business you were working in closes, or you are just let go, are you the type of person that will take a stance and draw the line at jobs that you are too proud to do or are you a person that would suck it up and take it head on to keep the money flowing in? Believe me, these ‘character building’ jobs motivate you even more to get the job you really want and also to be a bit more creative in ways to beat your competition to get the job you want. Ordinarily, most labour hire, contract and temp jobs are equally suitable and can bridge the gap between your next role.

Basically, on a resume and at an interview it is far easier to explain a few months of undertaking labour hire work due to your redundancy or whilst you are looking for your preferred role than it is to explain a large gap in your employment history. One gives the impression (and it is just an impression) that you value work and actually need it, whereas, the other may give the impression that you have done nothing since leaving the last role. We all know that in most cases this is not always the truth however, again, it could be an impression formed by the employer.

It was 12 years ago since I worked in that recycling plant and can now have a laugh at the characters that were there and the situation I was in. I will never forget it. If you are in a rut looking for work and your bank account is getting lower, ground yourself a bit and see what else is out there for the meantime. As they say, the race is only against yourself, not anyone else. Who really cares what they think?

We would love to hear about your ‘fill in’ or ‘character building’ jobs. How did they push you to get the job you really wanted?

recruiting is tough

Recruiting – It’s a tough audience at the moment!

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… and comedians think that they have a tough audience! Lately, the market has been flooded with some great candidates. A lot of them are vying for that one opportunity that’s being advertised and are becoming increasingly frustrated when not getting to the next stage, which to some extent, is understandable. Just the other week, I was on the receiving end of some rather abusive language from a frustrated candidate that I was actually trying to help.

It’s also tough being a job seeker

It’s not easy being a job seeker and sending out a large number of applications for roles that you never hear from – I have never forgotten the struggle that I had to break into a new industry (and that was over 10 years ago). I still recall sending out 83 applications, receiving 2 phone calls and only 1 interview, which actually got me the job. By the end of that process and 8 months of looking for the right role that would launch my career in this industry, I had lost quite a bit of confidence in my actual ability – I knew I could do it but being constantly rejected can take a big toll. What I learned during the process was to really focus on a range of roles that you have the skills in, work hard on your resume and application letters and network hard to get known by people in the industry that you’re targeting. The good news is that we do work with job seekers to update their resume (there are some great people out there that just don’t know how to sell their skills and experience on paper), create engaging cover letters and have better interview skills, so that they can stand above their competitors in a tough job market.

The good news

Whilst everyone is hearing mixed news about the economy, the lack of jobs, redundancies and businesses closing, there are also some really good stories coming through that just aren’t getting reported. We currently work with some great clients that have been growing in this market – that’s right, growing. They’ve broken with tradition, been innovative in their approach and are taking on new staff to build their businesses. Some have been start-ups that had the right business model and others have revisited what they and their competitors do, and have decided to do it differently. The great news in all of this is that they are recruiting additional staff and this means new job opportunities for candidates. By no means are we saying that the economy is fixed and that we are in boom times (I think we all know that it’s a while off yet), what we are saying though is that it’s good to know that amongst all the negative reports out there, we actually have some positivity in our local economy.

Innovation – how can we help?

Just like our clients, we have added additional services for our clients and job seekers so that we can differentiate from our market. With the latest software to track and match candidates like never before, as well as live updates, job boards (within the fortnight) and job matching for candidates registered with us, we are hoping to assist candidates even further in their job search. We are also in the process of implementing some new services to add further value to our clients when selecting staff.

How can you help?

We are always networking, meeting with employers, and speaking with our clients to find out how they are tracking, what projects they have in the pipeline and also what forecasts they have for staffing. We believe that by having this information, we can educate our local community and also give candidates some hope and guidance in their job searching efforts. If you would like to provide any information to us regarding what you know about the current market, we will always welcome your feedback. Working together can make a difference.

Thanks and have a great day.

Best regards,

David Ford.