On The Spot - April 2009
Welcome to this month’s edition of “On the Spot”
SPOTlight on: April
“Oh to be in England now that April’s there”. Let’s allow for poetic licence here - Robert Browning presumably meant to include the rest of the British Isles too. Certainly the weather seems to be on the up and up (although doubtless some sort of depression is lurking in mid Atlantic ready to strike) and with the blossom strutting its stuff on all the trees, this is certainly a green and pleasant place to be.
But with the onset of warmer weather, perhaps your thoughts are turning to foreign climes, either for temporary work or gap year purposes. Bear in mind that “time out” is no longer confined only to the young: middle aged gappers (ie anyone between 30 and 60) are a fairly recent phenomenon. Whatever your age, what might be in it for you – apart from the obvious surfeit of sun, sea and sand?
Certainly if you aspire to working in international development or conservation, the advantages of taking part in a short overseas project are obvious: such a background is now virtually a prerequisite to employment. But that’s just a starting point. For instance, one HR honcho for a leading bank wants some evidence of using a spell abroad to go beyond your comfort zone. The rationale being that it’s all very well to have worked in accountancy in Auckland or consultancy in Capetown, but volunteering at an orphanage in Odessa or a sanctuary in Simla shows real tenacity and resolve. (Not that standing out from the crowd should be your sole motivation in these circumstances).
What if your experience proves more mundane? The majority of employers positively welcome all gappers and those with vacation experience abroad, providing they can talk positively about their experience on CVs, applications and at interviews. So not just the standard fare - “Barperson at the Jolly Swagman, Sydney” or “Camp Counselor, Smallville, USA” - but a synopsis of what you learned in terms of surviving and thriving in an alien environment. This could be as wide ranging as team skills, grace under pressure, problem solving, adjusting to new cultures…you name it.
Sometimes the benefits of overseas travel are hard to articulate, but no less tangible. A recent graduate who failed to make the final cut for a major management scheme decided to do some teaching in China while he considered his next move. Returning to these shores, he secured a place on no less than two similar graduate programmes. Happy coincidence – or a direct result of his new found self confidence? He’s in little doubt that it’s the latter.
Of course, some intrepid travellers are concerned that they might miss out on job hunting while they are way. But internet job sites mean that you can access the same vacancies available at home, while, when it comes to careers advice, the Domino team is just the click of a mouse away.
So, when travelling abroad, it can pay to go the extra mile. Plan it carefully, use it wisely and market it proactively. Above all, enjoy.
This Month’s Nugget Of Information
Following seamlessly from the above, few of you will have missed the fact that some graduate employers are putting back graduate start dates and paying said employees to take time off. (In fact there seems to be a contest going on in the legal world as to which firm of City solicitors can pay their trainees the most for not turning up.) Some think it’s the thin end of the wedge: will the deferral become permanent? In other words can graduates be made redundant, even before they start?
Various rumours, not to say Chinese whispers, on this topic are flying up and down. It’s a difficult one as we are in unexplored territory which means that here be dragons. However, I have heard it suggested – on very sound authority - that is unlikely that a contract could be terminated in this way because, if the traineeship is considered a contract of “apprenticeship”, then the employees concerned would be in line for hefty damages. If this has affected you, take heart from the fact that you are clearly highly marketable and sought after – and make the most of your enforced absence from the world of work.
Hmmmm….
It’s not all doom and gloom in financial quarters. Tesco – and let’s face it, there’s one on almost every street - plans to open its own bank in 30 of its supermarkets over the next year. Expect competitors such as Sainsbury’s to be keeping a close eye on developments and maybe following suit. One for opportunity aware Domino readers to bear in mind….
Dear Aggie: our agony aunt has the answers.
Zodiac Sign of the month - Aries
Happy Birthday, Aries. Extrovert, confident and outgoing, you are also enterprising and pro-active. So whatever the barriers, the Ram need not be sheepish when it comes to finding work.
I have some interviews lined up, but I’ve always had a slight stammer and I’m worried that this will get worse when I’m nervous and maybe cost me the job. Any tips?
The last time I worked with a client with a stammer, he was facing not only an interview but, as a would-be graphic designer, having to talk through his portfolio. Like you, he was apprehensive about the flow of the conversation, so between us, we came up with the following ingenious plan. He emailed the recruiters, explaining his predicament and saying that he wanted them to know about this advance in case it caused them any embarrassment. Cunning eh? We made it seem as if we were doing the panel a favour. Result: client fears allayed; interviewers forewarned, forearmed and only too pleased to offer what help they could; everybody happy.
This is a useful tactic to try if you have physical condition that you feel may be a drawback. Interviewers are only human (believe it!) and can be discomfited if they are faced with the unexpected. It also puts you more in control of events rather than trusting to fickle Fate.
Good luck with the interviews and let the Domino team know how you get on.