Weird jobs up for grabs in Australia !

Hey peeps,

So if you live in the UK , this one is for you !!!

Tired of the 9-to-5 routine in the rainy UK? Australia is offering British citizens aged 18 to 30 the chance to go on a working holiday on their shores to take "unusual, exciting and potentially life-changing jobs"

"Unusual" seems to be the right choice of word as the posts advertised by the South Australian government include "beach babes judge", "koala catcher", "beer taster", "shark tagger", "penguin home re-modeller" and “roo poo picker" (a job consisting of collecting kangaroo manure) .

"Life-changing" they may not necessarily be, but one thing's for sure: all of these jobs are set in exotic locations, somewhere far away from a dark and confined office in Britain.

But why are these positions advertised at all, in a country where immigration policies can be so tough?

South Australia's economy is currently booming, mainly thanks to the state's mineral wealth, and more than 180,000 new workers will apparently be needed there by 2015.

But these job offers aren't all about tempting workers to Australia. They will probably also help promote tourism in the area, as South Australia's agent general Bill Muirhead said: "This isn't about one job that everyone has to compete for, but rather about showing people that South Australia offers more exciting work and travel options than anywhere else in the world."

So if you feel lucky and fit the criteria, head out there and send me a post card!

Until da next Tyme !

Reasons you are in the wrong Job!

Hey peeps,

Most of us spend a significant proportion of our waking hours at work, so no one wants to be stuck in an uninspiring or stressful role. While even the most satisfied employee can have an off day, it may be heartening to know that 48% of Brits describe themselves as fulfilled at work and almost two thirds have had a job that they genuinely loved at some point in their lives. 

I am currently amongst that few , as I love my job .....

However, that still leaves over half the population who aren't happy with their professional situation.

It's unlikely that any job will be 100% perfect, but if you live for the weekends and then spend Sunday in dreaded anticipation of the coming week then now might be the time to look for a more rewarding position. The main consideration is whether your current level of dissatisfaction is the result of temporary circumstances -- either of a personal nature or within your organisation -- or a sign of deeper problems that can only be fixed by a fresh start in a new company.

If you're still unsure whether it's better to stay put or jump ship then the check list below might come in handy -- if you find yourself nodding in recognition of three or more of these points then it could be time for a change:

1) The 80-20 rule applies for all the wrong reasons
The 80-20 principle was introduced as an economic theory in the early 20th century and has since been applied to many areas of life, such as diet. Nowadays it's an effective way to assess professional satisfaction, with the aim that you should be reasonably happy about 80% of the time you're at work. If the balance shifts and you spend most of your time feeling dissatisfied or frustrated then it's a clear indication that something is inherently wrong and major change is required. 

2) You haven't had a pay rise in years
There are many factors to consider when assessing happiness at work - some of which are hard to measure -- but there's no doubting that money is a key issue and it's normal to expect your salary to increase over time.

The recent economic climate has forced numerous organisations to freeze pay rises and promotions until their financial situation improves. However, Home Learning College research shows that 10% of workers haven't had a pay rise in the past five years -- long before the recession caused companies to tighten the purse strings.

If this is ringing any bells then the question is whether your company is simply unable or unwilling to address the situation or whether your performance is lacking in some area. Either way, it's time to face the up to the problem and either fight for a pay rise or move into a new line of work that's better suited to your personality and skills.

3) The thought of promotion fills you with dread
Increasing responsibility is another sign of development and success at work, and many people are stimulated by the challenge of progressing to the next level in their career. However, if you're feeling bogged down and stressed by your current workload, or as though you're a round peg in a square hole, then the thought of additional accountability is sure to leave you cold. If this lack of desire for change is due to satisfaction with your current circumstances then there is no law that you need to strive for more seniority. When combined with a sense of inertia or feeling trapped in the wrong role then it's a warning signal that something isn't right.

4) Your work never excites or interests you
Money and promotions aside, most people prefer to be stimulated at work and boredom is often cited as a key reason for leaving a job. Doing the same role, day after day for several years, can become extremely tedious and leave you feeling jaded and in need of a new focus.

Consider when you last learnt something new at work: if you can't remember then it's time to get the old grey matter buzzing again. A change can be as good as a rest, but it's not always necessary to turn your life upside down to enjoy these benefits. Another option is to take up a vocational course that will deliver practical skills and may enhance your existing role or set you off on a whole new career path.

5) Conversations about work are mostly negative 
It's completely normal to gripe about work occasionally. After all, there is no other social situation where you are obliged to spend a set amount of hours in the company of people you may not always like, doing things you may not always agree with. While the odd moan can be a healthy outlet for such frustrations these shouldn't dominate your conversations, either with friends or colleagues.

If you've passed that tipping point and rarely have a good word to say about work then your unhappiness at work has clearly spread into other areas of your life. Instead of wasting valuable energy complaining about things you probably can't change, why not re-focus that time on doing something productive, such as gaining new skills or hunting for a more suitable role. Not only will you feel happier, but those closest to you will feel relieved at having a new topic for discussion.

Until da next Tyme !

50 Worst Common Job Interview mistakes !

Hello Peeps,


You may have heard the horror stories—job hunters who take phone calls or text during an interview, or bring out a sandwich and start chomping, or brush their hair, or worse. You wouldn’t do any of those things, would you? Of course not.


But there are tons of other job interview no-no’s you may not have thought of.  Or that you’ve forgotten.  The job hunting trail is long and arduous, and a little refresher course can’t hurt.  So for your edification and enjoyment, here are 50 (yes, 50!) of the worst and most common job interview mistakes:
1.   Arriving late.
2.    Arriving too early.
3.    Lighting up a cigarette, or smelling like a cigarette.
4.    Bad-mouthing your last boss.
5.    Lying about your skills/experience/knowledge.
6.    Wearing the wrong (for this workplace!) clothes.
7.    Forgetting the name of the person you’re interviewing with.
8.    Wearing a ton of perfume or aftershave.
9.    Wearing sunglasses.
10.    Wearing a Bluetooth earpiece.
11.    Failing to research the employer in advance.
12.    Failing to demonstrate enthusiasm.
13.    Inquiring about benefits too soon.
14.    Talking about salary requirements too soon.
15.    Being unable to explain how your strengths and abilities apply to the job in question.
16.    Failing to make a strong case for why you are the best person for this job.
17.    Forgetting to bring a copy of your résumé and/or portfolio.
18.    Failing to remember what you wrote on your own résumé.
19.    Asking too many questions.
20.    Asking no questions at all.
21.    Being unprepared to answer the standard questions.
22.    Failing to listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying.
23.    Talking more than half the time.
24.    Interrupting your interviewer.
25.    Neglecting to match the communication style of your interviewer.
26.    Yawning.
27.    Slouching.
28.    Bringing along a friend, or your mother.
29.    Chewing gum, tobacco, your pen, your hair.
30.    Laughing, giggling, whistling, humming, lip-smacking.
31.    Saying “you know,” “like,” “I guess,” and “um.”
32.    Name-dropping or bragging or sounding like a know-it-all.
33.    Asking to use the bathroom.
34.    Being falsely or exaggeratedly modest.
35.    Shaking hands too weakly, or too firmly.
36.    Failing to make eye contact (or making continuous eye contact).
37.    Taking a seat before your interviewer does.
38.    Becoming angry or defensive.
39.    Complaining that you were kept waiting.
40.    Complaining about anything!
41.    Speaking rudely to the receptionist.
42.    Letting your nervousness show.
43.    Overexplaining why you lost your last job.
44.    Being too familiar and jokey.
45.    Sounding desperate.
46.    Checking the time.
47.    Oversharing.
48.    Sounding rehearsed.
49.    Leaving your cell phone on.
50.    Failing to ask for the job.


Until da next Tyme!

Britains Recession...ls it over ?

Hey there peeps,

Early this week, the UK Prime minister informed the country that the Recession is over ........

So the recession is officially over. After six straight quarters of negative growth, or 18 gloomy months of seeing our national output wither and contract, the economy has finally started to rise again.

Well a big fat genuine hooray for that.

But before you start pinning up the bunting, dancing in the streets and erecting statues to our glorious leader Gordon Brown, let's take a closer look at what this actually means.

While the recession officially ended in the final quarter of 2009, it was a close run thing. The economy grew a pale and poxy 0.1% against the bright and rosy 0.4% anticipated by most economists. And that's despite the Bank of England slicing the base rate almost to zero and printing £200 billion in a bid to move things along.


Only 40% of the data is in, so that 0.1% could be revised upwards in the months to come. Alternatively, it could be revised downwards, which would mean the recession isn't actually over at all, and we'll have even more to grumble about.
The recession may be over, but the economy is still much smaller than it used to be. Output has shrunk a mighty 6% since the credit crunch, so that 0.1% is just a spit in the ocean of loss.


And that is bad news for you and me. It means finding a job will still be hard. Wage rises will be flat or non-existent. Consumers will remain cautious. Mortgage lenders will keep LTVs low and SVRs high. Anybody with a bruised credit record will find it difficult to access finance. Happy days aren't here again.

Until banks regain their appetite for lending, businesses will struggle to find affordable finance, further constraining economic growth.

Even if the recession is over, it won't necessarily feel like it.


Until da next Tyme !