Rachael has a Bachelor of Communications and specialises in the recruitment of qualified accounting staff in the permanent market. She commenced her career in recruitment in 2007 and is here โfor the long haulโ, as demonstrated by her long term relationships with her clients and candidates alike.
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There is a bit of an old-fashioned view that your career development should be linear.You take a job, get some experience and then step up for either more money or more responsibility. Itโs a race to the finish line and retirement.ย Your career is more like the journey of hiking the Camino Trail as opposed to racing to the finish line in the London Marathon.Now, donโt get me wrong; Iโm not poo-pooing ambition! Ambition is great, drive is amazing. You need these things, combined with skill and a little bit of โright place, right timeโ to get anywhere. Sitting on your couch in front of Netflix does not help you reach the peak of your ambitionโ unless your lifeโs goal is to binge all 500 seasons of Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in one weekend. In which case, live your best life!What I am saying is, donโt be afraid to go sidewaysโฆ or hell, even take a step backward. Think about why you are looking and what you want to be doing long term. As recruiters, we often see people getting hung up on a job title or the salary. That can be a very short-sighted way to look at things. Long term, what is going to hold you in good stead is what you can offer a business in terms of expertise and โvalue addโ โ things that come with time and experience.So, while a role might not have the right title or the leap in salary you were wanting, what does it give you exposure to? Will you have the opportunity to lead a team? Learn from well respected leaders and mentors? Be part of the implementation team on an exciting project or IPO? Move interstate or overseas? Move into an industry you are passionate about? ย Itโs important to look for the opportunity and possibilities in a potential role and remember that moving for a similar role or same money isnโt necessarily a bad thing. Longer term, it may help you gain more skills, become more adaptable and most importantlyโฆ make you more attractive to future employers.
November 18, 2019
Work is hard. Parenting is hard.Both? Well that, as I am slowly learning, is a whole other ball game.Returning to work is a bit like riding a bicycle, you remember how to do it.ย Only this time the bicycle is on fire has one flat tyre, the gears donโt change as smoothly as they used to and you have to ride it with no hands. Donโt be too hard on yourself!ย Trying to get everything exactly right and in its perfect place will never work.ย ย Yes, yes I know, Iโm not the first, nor will I be the last person who has a baby and then decides to go back to work. Heck, I am only one of many within the people2people team.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Everyone has a different experience and in my short time back in the office and wrangling an 8-month-old baby (along with 2 dogs and a shift working partner), Iโve learnt a few important things:ย Coffee is king. Evidently, my child also thinks that. So, while multiple cups are needed, make sure that:ย a) you donโt have hot cups near babies (safety first, but who am I kidding, Mums and Dads donโt get to drink their coffee hot!)b) your child will inevitably spill the lukewarm/cold coffee all over you! Which brings me to my next pointโฆย Pack a spare shirt. And pants. And jacket. Somewhere between the front door of the house and leaving daycare drop off, you are inevitably going to get covered in somethingโฆ ย Check yourself before you run out the door โ are you wearing appropriate workwear and shoes, NOT trackies and Birkenstocks? Is there food in your hair? Have you remembered to brush your hair?ย Get a notepad, keep it on you and TAKE NOTES. Baby brain has been proven to be realย Daycare is a cesspool of germs. Your child will get sick, so will youโฆ despite the guilt of not being in the office, your colleagues would rather you donโt share the loveย Babies are cute, their poop not so much. You donโt need to share every little detailย Enjoy being back in the adult world, enjoy what you do and make your time in the official count, because when you leave, you need to make the limited time you get with your little one of quality; balance, while hard to achieve, is important.ย Yes, you may walk into the office looking a harried, dishevelled monster. But get a coffee and get to it. Things arenโt going to get done by themselves and remember โ people do like to see the OCCASIONAL photo of your little โangelโย ย
November 06, 2018