MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 1: Lifelong learning > Employability development is lifelong
- ANNA What if Steve Jobs decided when he was young to give up learning and just watch daytime television? Our world would not be the same.
- REA If you want to progress and continue your development as you move through your career, you need to keep learning from your experiences.
- If you look at work by a researcher called Holmes, Len Holmes, he says that it’s about your trajectory, so it’s your long term lifelong learning approach and how employable you will be for the whole of your lifetime.
- REA The things we have told you about the importance of learning from experiences and using that learning to enhance your personal and professional development apply to your entire career.
- It is also about engaging in a range of experiences just like you did as a student, that will help to build on your employability and DETERMINING the learning from them.
- ANNA By now, you should be able to use our SEAL method of self-reflection to learn from experiences and you know how easy it is to apply this approach to any given situation, task, experience or event.
- The beauty of SEAL is that it can be used for any experience and after you’ve done it a few times, it kind of becomes natural.
- Overall, we are continually learning from these experiences, applying this learning to other workplace situations, and hopefully, continuing to enhance our employability.
- ISIS I would say that the main skills that I’ve been learning since I’ve finished university would be, first, how to communicate with very different stakeholders in different countries because I worked before in Australia, now I’m working in Singapore.
- I’ve also had to learn to listen more to people.
- That’s really something that we learn on the ground, on the field by working with those different clients, and to be very open to feedback.
- Charlie I think, as a new graduate, the process of learning can’t stop.
- I think if you keep that student mindset of continual accelerated learning, then I think you can make your way through those type of problems.
- REA You need to be able to identify what you have learned, and what you still need to learn, in order to move into the next role.
- This is what we mean by lifelong learning and how important it is to your ongoing employability development.
- ANNA The point is, learning is lifelong and you now have a tool you are able to apply in any situation to help you to learn from your experiences throughout your career and your life.
- As a student, you use SEAL to identify learning from an experience and how this learning contributes to your overall employability.
- Just realise that you can learn from watching other people’s behaviours and actions as well as your own.
- So how are YOU going to learn and develop so you can create change in the world?
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 1: Lifelong learning > Graduate insights into lifelong learning
- I really just have to adapt, because in an organisation like this, it moves so quickly that you really just need to be one of those people that will jump onboard.
- I think if I hadn’t been in an organisation that just kind of forced me to do it and to get on with it, then I wouldn’t really have that confidence and that skill set that I do now.
- LUCY There’s skill development in other fields has been really important.
- The importance of building relationships, I can’t really stress that enough, the importance of networking.
- I think it’s really important to build and maintain relationship, especially with the people you went to university with.
- Whether you work abroad or not, there’s people you know are going to be your immediate contacts and your best contacts, I think, for a really long time when you first get out of the university, I wouldn’t cut ties with anyone.
- I think being able to communicate really clearly and build relationship is a really important skill, and confidence is vital to that.
- When you first graduate, because you’re so new and you might not have so much experience, I think it can be really overwhelming to speak out in a meeting with the client, or network with people in event and PRs, particularly talking to journalists can be very scary, and trying to get them on your side.
- I think just throwing yourself out there is really important.
- I knew when I started I was really scared to go to events to learn or-and try and speak to other clients or journalists.
- I think confidence is a really important skill to develop.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 1: Lifelong learning > Explore further: Lifelong learning
- So somebody moving into a managerial position needs to be able to justify their claim to be somebody that could be entrusted with managerial responsibilities.
- Continue to do that and to be successful in that, so that later on, three, four, five years down the line, it becomes less important that they’re able to justify their claim to be the kind of person that we call somebody ‘worthy’ of a graduate occupation.
- Later on, moving into more senior positions they can justify that claim.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 2: Professional development opportunities > Professional development opportunities
- What may not occur to you, is how you need to continually look for learning and development opportunities to stay ahead of the game.
- The learning opportunities will look like networking at a social function.
- People talk a lot about career progression and this may conjure up the image of someone climbing the corporate ladder with the aim to be the CEO of a top tier firm by the time they are 30.
- Personal circumstances, opportunities, external factors such as labour markets or changes in the economy can all play a part in the direction of your career.
- You need to be thinking about your career as a journey.
- Actually the fact that you are doing your job well, learning from experiences and continuing to improve IS STILL career progression.
- Your career goals and priorities may change over time and as different opportunities arise, and as your personal circumstances dictate, you may need to rethink your plans and realign your perception of success.
- How do you make ongoing learning a part of your career journey? We’ve beaten you over the head with the SEAL stick so you should be all over that.
- There are plenty of other things you can be doing to complement that learning and be proactive about your career.
- The upshot of all this is that you need to take advantage of any self-development opportunities that are available to you as these will contribute in some way to your employability and your career progression.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 2: Professional development opportunities > Graduate insights into professional development activities
- I’m doing the EPIC Program, which is an education in practice to transition to learning program, which is doing study guides and research, so-as well as doing some assignments to make sure that you’re progressing in what you’re learning and applying those skills.
- It’s also just about taking the opportunity to go to lectures or go to programs that my hospital offers, so things like going to study days or going to lectures that might be open during-if you have the opportunity during the workday, just taking those opportunities to go and learn more about what you’re doing in your workplace, and what you could be doing.
- Particularly since I graduated from the MBA, I’ve put a lot of focus into that ongoing development, ongoing professional involvement, those sort of things.
- I maintained a lot subscriptions to things like “Harvard Business Review” and a lot of the journals that I find quite useful in my role.
- Being in London, one of the fun things about that is you’ve got the commute time every morning, and podcasts are a fantastic way to pass that.
- A lot of the Harvard Business Review, The Economist, those sorts of things in podcast format as well.
- There’s always a list of things that’s being worked through.
- Things like the MBA were discussed very early on in the process in terms of “This is going to be something to do down the track.” And then I became very consciously aware that there is a need to be almost aware of the “Unknown unknowns”.
- It’s the things that you don’t know you don’t know yet.
- It’s almost like a constant scanning process that I went through and learned to do, where you’re looking for the things that you don’t know you don’t know, and then you can do something about them.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 3: Working globally > The value of working globally
- So what do YOU have to offer? ANDREA Having the opportunity to actually work in another country is one way to see more of the world and in doing this broadens your perspective.
- You will have to adjust to local ways of doing things, for example, working hours, how legislation affects how your organisation functions, and different business practices.
- ANNA I worked in Asia for several years after I first graduated from university.
- This is not just valuing other points of view but learning how to work with other people who look at the world differently and operate at work differently to the way that we do.
- Often people choose to work abroad to advance their careers.
- Obviously, working in another country will provide you with insight into different work cultures and the way business operates in other environments.
- REA Having an understanding of global business perspectives, bringing international contacts with you to your organisation, or particular technical skills that you have developed working abroad are also very highly valued.
- Working abroad can also give you a competitive advantage because it helps to differentiate you from other candidates for a job.
- Now, how you use the opportunity to work abroad is up to you, and depends on your focus.
- If career advancement is your main reason for working abroad then it is important that you make the most of every NETWORKING opportunity, to VOLUNTEER for new projects and to generally make an impact in your job.
- If your focus is more on the experience of living and working in another country you might spend more time travelling, being involved in leisure activities, and making new friendships with people from diverse backgrounds.
- Let’s hear from Amra, a UQ graduate now working in Singapore, around her development and how this will be valuable to an employer.
- AMRA The value for me for working overseas is being able to combine two things that I really love doing.
- I think an employer would like to hire someone who has studied or worked overseas because it gives-it gives you a bit more-well, the person-a bit more experience.
- They’ve worked in different types of environment, in different types of cultures, so work cultures, but also the culture of the country that they’ve been in.
- ANNA Global work experiences demonstrate that you are open to new ideas, are willing to learn, and willing to accept other perspectives on things.
- What are you doing to have an impact? Use your global work experience to develop your ability to think outside the box, make diverse friendships, appreciate other people’s perspectives, you will enhance your employability, encourage innovation and create change in the world.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 3: Working globally > My global work experiences
- PETER While I’ve been over here, I’ve been one of the first members to join the Alumni Council of London, and that has really helped because I’m now meeting people who are partners of KPMG, and global strategy partners of JP Morgan, amongst others.
- I think the value of my international experience really comes back down to understanding different perspectives of where people come from.
- You can see 10 percent on the top, and that’s what you can see, so what you hear, and this is what people are saying, but you’ve got another 90 percent of what people don’t say, and that’s all made up of where they’ve grown up, what their belief system is, how they interact with their family, whether or not they still have both parents, whether or not their parents are divorced.
- By going overseas and meeting a lot of different people, you’re able to see-you’re able to have a better appreciation from where that person has come from, and so therefore you can then interact with them with that in mind, which then makes you more empathetic at the end of the day.
- I think I’ve maximised the time that I’ve been in London by understanding why I’m over here in the first place.
- CLAUDIA When I think though, in terms of how to professionally develop and how to grow as a person, it’s important to be challenged.
- Where does my Australianness end, and where does my foreign environment begin? How much am I willing to step into that foreign environment and change, and how much am I willing to let it affect me? Just that concept of adjusting that line and that zone has brought me so much strength, inner strength, and opportunity as well, because you really are invited to look more deeply about who you are and what you want.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 3: Working globally > Employer insights into the value of global work experiences
- APRIL We do value graduates who have worked internationally.
- CLAIRE The value that I see in bringing in graduates that perhaps have come from a different part of the world is an incredible richness and an understanding that this is not how we do it in the UK. This is the best way and the only way that it is done.
- For me, to bring someone in with an international mindset is really very important, because we’re not a parochial little UK agency just working for UK businesses.
- When you get the opportunity to work internationally, you really kind of see why is that an organisation who is looking for their senior leaders needs someone who can-who has the ability to apply their skillset in a range of different scenarios.
- Businesses is very different in so many different regions, and that international experience starts to make you realise that there’s more to it than just the skillset.
- Being able to apply it in a range of different contexts is incredibly valuable.
- ISIS Basically, you will be-wherever you are in the world, you will have to work with people from different background with different cultures.
- By working and living overseas, you will show to any that you’re able to adapt and to understand a different culture.
- You also need to underline that you’ve also been successful transitioning in a different culture, because there’ve been many candidates who’ve been living overseas and they come back home and they’re telling us, “I haven’t been able to manage the difference. I didn’t feel comfortable.” It’s also showing that you’ve been successful at adapting yourself, and at being successful integrating a new market.
- That you’ve gone out and, like I said, just tried something different and tried something new.
- Actually bringing that experience whether that’s a different culture or a different way of doing things that we might see, whether it’s in North America or Europe, Africa, or some other country, Asia, you can actually bring those learnings back to your current job and apply those things there.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 3: Working globally > Explore further: The value of global work experiences
- I think you can develop enormously through working and living abroad. MICHAEL The first is we’re living in an increasingly globalised society and a globalised job market, and it might be that graduates find themselves applying for jobs in a different part of the world, so it’s important that they have that exposure, and know how the job market and the recruitment process works in a different country, and know what the values are, and what is valued, and how to adapt to those expectations.
- I think it’s a sort of thing that would really-can be capitalised on peoples CVs and the recruitment process itself because I think global citizenship and global awareness is something that employers are very interested in and something that they place a high premium on, so I think the more exposure graduates have to working in a different context or studying in a different context, no matter how short-term that is, I think will be to their advantage.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 3: Working globally > Working globally: Some things to consider
- What else are you likely to encounter when you get there? Because you are going to be working in another country there are many things that you need to consider.
- Of course, just to get there and start work there are certain things that you will need to organise: visas, accommodation, setting up bank accounts etc.
- You might be surprised just how difficult they can be in another country! So, what are the realities of living and working in a new country? Well first up, you’ll need to settle in and become acclimatised to your new environment.
- When we talked to UQ graduates currently working in London they often mentioned struggling to adjust to the weather and climate, not just the temperature but the much shorter winter days, which sometimes had an impact on their lifestyle and the activities that they engaged in outside of work.
- Many of these graduates also mentioned experiencing a period of homesickness and frustration at the inconvenience of international time zones! It may sound silly but if you don’t have access to a laundry and can’t wear a nice shirt to work, then you will automatically be on the back foot.
- In relation to your job, you may need to adjust to different work hours than what you are used to and different expectations from your employer, particularly around productivity.
- Culture can greatly impact on the way things are done at work.
- Or, if you’re moving from a collectivist to an individualist culture, you may be expected to speak up and provide feedback and opinions – which may be very new for you at work.
- Now let’s hear from Craig, a UQ graduate whose business is based in London, talking about some of the considerations for working globally.
- The key is to do some research before you commit to your international work adventure and have some understanding of the way business operates in your new country and how culture impacts on business practices.
- There are plenty of resources on the Internet that can provide you with information on working internationally and with specific country details.
- It is also vital to find out about logistical issues such as visas, bank accounts and accommodation as these have a direct impact on your ability to work in another country and quite possibly on your quality of life.
- Working abroad is a hugely valuable experience and you will gain so much from it on a personal and professional level.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally > 3: Working globally > Graduate advice on working globally
- These little things really help make your transition a little bit easier.
- I would say really reading up a lot about the country and how a local is really-how a local really lives in the place is really important.
- If you’re really desperate to get back, you can do it in a long weekend.
- I’ve missed really good friends’ weddings, birthdays, engagements, things like that.
- ISIS Before making a decision about living and working overseas, you really need to do some homework, to study about the country, to analyse how the market works, and mainly, to study how open is this country to foreigners.
- There are some countries in Singapore, that just a year or two years back, was much more open to foreigners.
- It’s really about doing your research to connect with the people who are in this country, working there, maybe even in your field of expertise, it would even be better, and to ask them, “Is there a need for me to be there? How can I fasten my career progression? Is it really valuable for me to go in this country? Could I live in this country in term of environment, in term of culture? Will I be satisfied living there?” because that will also impact your performance at work and your career progression, and also to make sure that your experience, international experience, would be valued if you go back home one day, because some countries are more or less open to your international experiences.
- I would say really do your own study at home to make sure that it’s a valuable move.
- You can then move, and you would just need to really understand the background of the company and the culture of the people there once you’re there.
- If you didn’t secure job before going to the country, make sure that you can support yourself when you arrive in the country.
- Many fresh grads coming to Singapore, and they didn’t know before coming that the average time to secure a job in Singapore when you’ve never worked there, you’re a foreigner, is around 8 to 12 months.
- Obviously, for a fresh grad, that’s really something to take into consideration.
- A few people have been really disappointed by how the market was working and went back home.
- I would say the first consideration would be to know what you can do in the country.
- In Singapore, there are some profession, which are really hard to work in as an international worker.
MODULE 7: Ongoing learning and working globally