Recruitment and jobs blog

One in three Australian professionals are currently working remotely and that number is growing. In the meantime, the average job, if there is such a thing, lasts around three years. So when and why would you relocate for work these days? Peter Cappelli, Director of the Centre for Human Resources at The Wharton School, believes there is a general decline in mobility for work given the remote working trend* and also what companies are willing to offer. “If you were offered a new job in another city where you have no ties or networks, and you suspected that the job would probably not last more than three years (which is a good guess), how much of a pay rise would they have to give you to get you to move?” he asks. Quite a bit. As a general rule of thumb you should earn 10- 20% more than your current salary* when changing jobs in the same city. But when you are relocating you should and can be a little more aggressive. But as anyone who’s been in the workforce for a substantial amount of time knows it’s not always about the money. There are many other factors that need to be examined carefully before making the leap to uproot your life for your job on the promise of career advancement and a bigger pay-check.   Think About What You Will Miss. “We hate losing and we are hard wired to care more about what we lose. So think about what you’ll miss because that is what you will think about the most,” says Penelope Trunk, co-founder of several startups and business commentator for the BBC and CNN. Trunk suggests to truly question what you are prepared to give up, saying each relocation is not only about getting new stuff which is fun and exciting, but also making decisions that will put limits on other possibilities. ***   Visit the New Location More Than Once Visiting the new location many times will help you evaluate its true positives and negatives. Visit the new location with a partner and a friend and get their opinions. Go when it’s summer and winter, if possible. See if you can work there for a week or two before making the final move. You’d be surprised what you may uncover that is both good and bad about the place.   You Will be the New Kid on the Block For a while you will be the foreigner, the newbie and you may not “fit in” for a long time. For seasoned “expats” that nearly extinct sector of the workforce, this is nothing new and they actually thrive in this environment. For others it can be tough going. Be mentally and personally prepared to be the odd one out and miss your friends and family. You will eventually fit in but that can be a slow process depending where and who you are.   Take an Overview on the Cost of Living For example, don’t be misled by cheap rent if you have to instead buy a car just to get around. Look at all expenditure realistically. Estimate how often you will want to “go home.” Does “going home” mean an airfare and expensive accommodation and how will this affect your budgets, holiday plans and annual leave?   Do You Really Know about the Job, the Culture and our Manager? This is a particularly pertinent question. What if things fall apart? Is your job in sufficient demand in the new city and could you work there beyond your current role? Because if your job turns out be constricting to your career, your manager is inept or the culture is toxic, you need to think of exit plans. Thinking about these issues and investigating all unknowns about your work and environment will give you some peace of mind before you sign on the dotted line.   What Does Your Gut Tell You? Jacquelyn Smith of Business Insider advises to listen to yourself and be honest.  “If you’re doing a lot of second-guessing, you probably have your answer: You’re not comfortable with forging ahead. On the other hand, if you can’t stop thinking about the prospects of this potential move and have an unstoppable feeling of elation, you also have your answer: Take a leap of faith. You could catapult your career.”   *Peter Cappelli – Human Resource Executive Online May 19 2014 Don’t Get Around Much Anymore. www.hreonline.com **Jacquelyn Smith – Business Insider July 2 2015 15 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Relocate for a Job www.businessinsider.com.au ***Penelope Trunk February 11 2012 Seven Big Relocation Mistakes blog.penelopetrunk.com

Working from home or remotely is one of the most valued work perks for Australian employees and many organisations are jumping on the bandwagon and fostering remote teams. In fact, remote working teams are no longer the anomaly. Over half of Australian professionals are now working away from their main office for at least half of the working week and that number is growing. So why, when remote working appears to be approaching its zenith and becoming the norm, are some high profile companies reverting back to the “old ways”? Recently IBM, a pioneer of remote working, announced that it is requiring thousands of employees to “co-locate” to one of six cities. Over the past three years Reddit, Best Buy and famously, Yahoo have also abandoned remote working options. Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer cited communication and collaboration as the major push factor for her to release a memo to staff removing one of their most valued privileges. Certain employees “who were working really hard on some key products” had complained to her they were being hamstrung by absenteeism by co-workers, she told Business Insider’s Julie Bort. She went on to say that serendipitous meetings and anecdotal collaboration could not take place to fuel creativity and innovation. “Things don’t come together unless someone from Flickr runs into someone from Weather in the hallway or cafeteria and has a conversation,” she said. Yishan Wong, CEO of Reddit went a step further and closed the online community’s New York and Salt Lake City offices, giving staff three weeks to decide if they want to relocate to its San Francisco headquarters or leave. In a statement he made on Quora where he is an advisor he said, “As it turns out, our teams (within each office) and remote workers did good work, but the separation has kept us from effectively being able to coordinate as well as we needed to on a full-company level. Big efforts that require quick action, deep understanding, and efficient coordination between people at multiple offices just don't go as well as we (and our users) needed.” For Best Buy, the decision came within a do or die situation. Facing a corporate restructure, including the sacking of 440 staff, the company banned all remote working and required all corporate staff to put in the traditional 40-hour work week, with the requisite 9am to 5pm hours. Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly said it was an “all hands on deck situation” and that they needed “all employees in the office as much as possible to collaborate and connect on ways to improve the business.” Across the three organisations, communication, group agility and access to expertise were the catalysts to termination of remote working practices. The 8 Biggest Challenges Facing Remote Teams Today  According to a survey conducted by Projects At Work, an independent publisher covering project management, the eight biggest challenges facing remote teams today are: Poor communication: 33% of respondents cited communication as their greatest challenge. Access to expertise: 14% report a difficulty in accessing the knowledge they need to succeed. Technical management: 14% say technical management is their biggest hurdle. Planning overhead: 12% have a difficult time planning. Lack of training: 10% claim their team is not adequately trained. Cultural differences: 9% say overcoming cultural diversity is their team’s biggest challenge. Team morale: 4% have trouble keeping their spirits high. Lack of support: 4% don’t feel encouraged in their work.   Getting The Right Technology and Training Michelle Campbell is a manager with Ignite’s Outsourced People Services group. She advises that companies considering offering remote working arrangements – or those who are not seeing great results from current remote arrangements – ensure they have the right management training and online frameworks. “Staff won’t be successful working remotely if their manager doesn’t know how to manage remotely. In addition to providing leadership training to enhance collaboration and results for remote teams, we recommend performance management tools that encourage ongoing communication, coaching and development,” she says. “We launched Ignite CCF (continuous conversations framework), an easy-to-implement SaaS (software as a service) performance management tool that is ideal for remote working arrangements.”   Should Your Organisation Go Remote? Words from the Wise Marc Andreessen tech entrepreneur and engineer says that if transitioning to remote working creates roadblocks to growth and agility it’s not worth it. He said, “A company can choose to open themselves up for remote work. It can bring a wealth of new talent and skills and ideas. They can train themselves up to manage the performance management aspects and ensure they have good development processes in place. But if doing all that introduces drag, particularly for the first few years while they get good at it, particularly if they’re a startup on a limited runway: the math just doesn’t add up.” If your organisation is looking for guidance, tools and technology such as Ignite CCF that can help create a successful remote working program, Ignite’s Outsourced People Services can help. Contact Sharon Costigan, senior solutions consultant with Ignite, to find out more please email [email protected].

At a hotel in San Francisco a robot delivers room service, in Singapore a driverless taxi picks up a passenger and at Dusseldorf airport a machine parks your car for you. The robots have arrived. In some cases, replacing humans, changing the way we do business and live our lives. The one thing they aren’t doing is destroying the human workforce, but they are transforming it. In fact, several studies suggest that while technology and robots do indeed wipe out whole sectors of the workforce they also create new ones. One UK study from 2011 found that the addition of one million industrial robots created nearly three million jobs* and of the countries examined in the study, five saw their unemployment rates go down as the number of robots went up. Of course there will always be job losses during periods of industrial adjustment. Automation of any kind will impact jobs and tasks. We don’t have to look too far back historically to see examples; software, computers, mobile phones and robotics have eliminated many roles including receptionist, telephone operators, street cleaners, video store owner, cashiers and bus conductors to name a few. However, a large number more have been created; App Developer, Social Media Manager, front and back end developers, UX designers, any job title starting with on-line and digital. The growing trend for new and in-demand jobs is resoundingly in tech itself. Technology Analyst and Vice President of Forrester Research, J.P Gownder predicts that new automation will cause a net loss of only 9.1 million U.S. jobs by 2025, well under the 70 million jobs that famed Oxford professors Frey and Osbourne predicted in 2013**. One way robots and increased technology will change our workforce is by creating a huge demand for robot and systems maintenance. Machines break down, need updates and require new parts. Computers are glitchy and need to communicate with each other.  As we rely more and more on machines we’ll need more and more people to update and maintain them. This is where we see the rise in job titles such as field service technician, systems analyst and network administrator. In fact, whole IT departments have been created thanks to the rise in automation, tech and yes robots. But who is benefitting from this new jobs bonanza? Truck drivers being replaced by driverless trucks aren’t simply switching up to Transport Planner and Switchboard Operators aren’t immediately filling roles as Telecommunications Managers. So how can you ride the wave of increased tech-job prosperity? “The automation of the workforce is nothing new and it affects both entry level or lower tier workers, as well as medium to senior management and professionals,” said Ivan Maloney, National Account Director at Ignite. “There will always need to be a person as a conduit among all the technology and all the human applications,” he added. To future proof a career and make the most of this shifting technology-landscape Ivan suggests three main tactics:   1. Focus on your passion Always keep your passion at the forefront of your working goals to keep razor sharp focus and drive. And also create a critical road-map to achieving your personal idea of success.   2. Examine key trends in the market Keep a close eye on the market or markets where you’d like to add value. Research current trends and acquire a deep understanding of your market and predictions for it. From online research to attending meet ups and workshops, stay informed and connected.   3. Align your work and education plus keep learning and evolving Integrate on-going education, up-skilling or re-skilling into your work-life schedule. Side projects, online courses and workshops can ensure future career relevance and usefulness. Technology has disrupted education and plethora of part time or modular online courses offered mean incremental learning is accessible and inexpensive and invaluable to future-proofing your career.   Ignite is the unification of Clarius, Alliance, Candle, JavIT, Lloyd Morgan, SouthTech & The One Umbrella reimagining talent services and igniting greater potential. Go to Ignite and discover your potential.   * "www.ifr.org" ** "www.oxfordmartin.ox.ac.uk"  

With technology changing everything we do, it’s no wonder the job market is not what it used to be. New roles and job titles are being created and new skills and proficiencies are needed. So what jobs and skills will be in demand now, for the rest of the year and the foreseeable future? Ivan Maloney, Business Leader, Victoria, and National Account Director at Ignite has been working in IT and Technology Recruitment in Australia and the UK for over 15 years. He has seen some jobs and whole departments become obsolete, while other positions have grown and transformed the workforce, due to the ever-changing march of technology. However, Ivan believes in the human in the big machine, even though technology seems to be calling the shots. “There’s always a need for a person to be the conduit among all technology,” he says, “And with that comes specialised demand.” Data Science “Interpreting the sea of data produced by more machines and smarter machines is becoming more and more important. Those whose job it is to interpret and translate relevant information to business leaders to help them make decisions are extremely useful,” he says. Ivan says job titles such as Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Big Data Engineer, Business Analyst, Analytics Team Lead and Business Intelligence Analyst will see continued growth throughout the year and beyond. Security More machines mean more humans with powerful machines trying to hack them. Information security is a growing requirement for nearly all companies operating online and roles for this essential activity are growing. Roles in demand include; Cyber Security Officer, Data Security Technician, Security Network Engineer, Security Systems Technician and Procurement Analyst I.T Security. The Cloud What has also experienced huge demand are Digital Transformation Lead roles. This is not specific to the cloud but across all businesses migrating applications of different technologies in preparation for the Internet of Things revolution. Many of these roles are project and contract based; Technology Consultant, Change Analyst, Lead Program Architect. Yet specialist execs are in demand, such as Chief Digital Officer and Chief Technical Officer.  Software and Website Development  Unsurprisingly there is still strong demand for software and web developers and so User Experience and User Interface roles are becoming more relevant. Ivan advises that the current trend in winning these positions is to offer more than the job description demands. Emerging Industries Nearly all business is being redefined or disrupted by technology but here are some industries led by technology that weren’t really around 10 years ago and are showing very strong growth signals here in Australia: Internet of Things The Internet of Things is the connection of the Internet or data to everyday objects like home appliances. Virtual Reality Applications for this are not limited to gaming. It now applies to live streaming of events, drone control, healthcare and technical training, from the military to medical professions. Renewable Energy This has been a growing industry for well over 40 years but has reached a tipping point recently and is disrupting energy suppliers globally.   Ignite is the unification of Clarius, Alliance, Candle, JavIT, Lloyd Morgan, SouthTech & The One Umbrella to reimagine talent services & ignite greater potential.

A side hustle or side job is a product sold or service offered that becomes another income stream on top of your full time job. It can offer increased flexibility and the chance to pursue what you're interested in, a chance to delve into fashion, travel, or whatever it is you care about the most, without quitting your day job. Some side gigs have become major success stories, with hustlers growing gigs into fully-fledged businesses that have become their major source of income. In some cases, they’ve built high profile companies with global reach, large workforces and impressive profits. An estimated one in four working Australians have a side hustle and the jobs are as inventive as the hustlers. Some examples include a lawyer re-selling luxury handbags, a corporate communications manager writing wedding speeches and a PR account manager selling homemade bath salts. IT professionals are some of the best placed employees to reap the benefits of the burgeoning side hustle economy with increased ease of internet access and demand for online services and products. IT side hustles are some of the most popular and lucrative. If you have a passion or interest, something IT based or something personal, you could do a number of things to earn extra money – develop web sites or apps from home, install software, remove malware or offer general troubleshooting services. Many of these gigs can all be done remotely and in your own time. If you’re articulate, patient and able to impart your IT specialist knowledge you could try tutoring or teaching online. Digital Marketing subjects such as SEO, SEM, email Marketing, Web Analytics and Mobile Advertising have high demand for tutors and good tutors can make $50 an hour. Or instead of tutoring, you can also try your hand earning residual income by teaching a course online. Udemy is a great way to teach a class on anything you are an expert in. They have strict criteria for their classes, but they have helpful and free resources to teach you how to develop an exceptional on- line course.  Teachers on Udemy can make $1,000 or more per month. At General Assembly  you can teach in person in a one off class or workshop or lead multi-week course in the evenings or weekends. Content creation is also very high in demand. Whether it be writing, graphics or video, social video marketing or influencer marketing the demand for quality online content has never been greater. Browse tasks Airtasker and Fiverr and get inspired and creative as what you can offer. Other side jobs are as diverse as designing surfboards, being a wedding celebrant and online English teaching.  The success of the side hustle is in utilising additional skills that are unused at the fulltime job and getting creative within your niche.   So how do you get started? Side Hustling, unlike its older, shadowy friend moonlighting, works along side your main job and can in fact improve performance at your current full time job, spur creative thinking and encourage a business/entrepreneurial ethos at work. Conversely, moonlighting is typically a secret job in addition to your 9-5 and is in direct competition with it. Herein lies the success of the side hustle. Side hustles prosper when your main source of income is respected and the side hustle serves as a supplement to your main job for a bit of extra cash, a creative outlet or for the joy of it. Super successful side hustler Tory Johnson founder of Spark and Hustle suggests using life motivations such as helping a family member or saving up for something really special to drive passion for the side hustle rather than just dollars in the bank. “Understanding motivation makes it easier to keep going during tough times,” she says. Often side jobs start off organically. A passion or skill noticed by others can end up being a commodity and the joy of tapping into a dormant passion or skill is matched by the freedom and flexibility offered by the hustle. “It has be something that comes naturally that you love otherwise it’s just another job with finite opportunity and prospects,” she adds. So be creative. Some of the most successful side hustles were unheard of only a few years ago, such as Millennial Generation Expert, UX Designer, Social Media Listening Expert, Global Mobility Consultant (relocations expert). If you see a gap in the market now’s the time to fill it and own it.   Know your goals, skills set and time scale. Compile of list of your current skills and business ideas and carefully deduct ideas that you know are unrealistic with your current workload. Remember, your 9-5 role should never be compromised. Marketplace sites that engage services and goods providers with a strong, active market include Airtasker, Freelancer, Fiverr and Upwork. These platforms are growing in number every day. Make sure the gig brings in income rather than draining your finances and your time. Pick one and not many. Let your manager know. You should be proud of your side hustle, as it should help you perform better at work. Let them know what skills you are honing, recent successes, learnings, setbacks along the way and identifying opportunities.

If you’ve worked out what your passion in life is, pat yourself on the back, you’re way ahead of the rest. To realise your passion is exceptional. And when you do, do you know how to turn it into a reality? Can you manifest your passion into action and maybe even turn it into your career? Whether following your passion means making a major career change, starting your own business, brand or blog, writing a book or climbing a mountain, the steps to achieving your goals are a work in themselves and a certain amount of detailed planning and discipline is needed. And of course it’s easier to action if it’s fuelled by passion and you are on a mission.   "You have to be burning with an idea, or a problem, or a wrong that you want to right. If you're not passionate enough from the start, you'll never stick it out." – Steve Jobs   The important thing when starting to follow your dream is to make sure it is your dream. Make sure it’s not a milestone created by your peers and influencers or a dream that is simply a path to your next logical career step. For example, is it a pay rise or is it a million dollars you want? Be specific, be honest with yourself and dare to dream alone. If you’re still debating which direction to go in it’s perfectly fine. This part requires thought and imagination. Talk to friends, take their advice and then ignore them if you have to. It’s good to get other’s opinions but not rely only on them. Read books, get curious, listen to your nagging voice inside that wants you to do that thing.   "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." – Albert Einstein.   Make sure though your dream is not a pipe dream. The term pipe dream actually comes from the dreams experienced by users of opium in the 18th Century. In other words, don’t drink the Kool-aid. Be real. Pipe dreams are all talk - no action, lofty dreams without basis, structure and plan and essentially, they are pure folly.   “If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins." – Benjamin Franklin   Dare to Dream It’s crunch time. Now’s the time to adopt tactics to introduce your mission into an everyday schedule. Here are some tactics you can employ to work things out:   Mind Mapping Some people swear by Mind mapping as a means to unravel their real thoughts and ideas and keep a record of them. If you’ve not done it before there are a wealth of tools online to help you get started. Don’t limit yourself to just one. The more detailed the maps are the better equipped you will be to create realistic milestones to start plotting your path to living your passion.   Set a Plan and Be Real One of the most efficient ways to live your passion is to create a detailed plan with realistic milestones and schedules. The key here is to be realistic and detailed. Many of you will be aware of the tried and tested S.M.A.R.T Rule: Specific Be specific with your goals. Instead of “I want one million dollars,” be precise about what you want it for, why you want it and list the areas to cover to actually get it. Measurable Make sure you can check on your progress. Remember dreams are a series of short-term goals joining up. Achievable Set objectives that are attainable. Enjoy plotting series of small goals and milestones to check off along the way. Weekly objectives work best for a lot of people and the serotonin hit of achieving regular goals can become habit forming (in a good way). Realistic This relates particularly to resources and timings. Make sure you can visualise success through this plan otherwise dreams remain just that. Timely Specify when you expect to achieve a certain milestone. Don’t forget “overnight success” usually takes seven years.   "Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you." – Oprah Winfrey   Do The Grunt Work This is the conversion section.  Time to get off the sofa, put down that remote control and live. Follow your own rules. These are your ideals and goals, not your bosses or anyone else’s, just yours. You are the boss and the worker. Get stuck in and do it. Practise some discipline by scheduling in times to work on your goals whether it be two hours in the morning before work or time on the weekend. Proclaim it. Tell people what you are doing. They can help you by getting on your side. They can offer advice or contacts and will respect the time you spend on your passion or project.   “The best thing one can do when it is raining is let it rain” – Henry Long fellow   Use life  Enjoy the journey. Everything good in life has to come from some struggle. It’s never going to be easy, whether you achieve your dream in a year or five. Obstacles will arise. Expect them and plan your reaction. Use change to adapt, learn and keep moving closer to your destination. The road to your dreams is twisted and long. In the words of Muhammad Ali, "It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you down. It's the pebble in your shoe."