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This BLOG contains various insightful articles that may help and inspire professionals apply the discipline of management practices.

12 is company and the intellectual journey goes on

8/14/2014

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How many lives made wonderful by discovering true life-purpose, whose joy is to willingly render self-dedication in bringing this purpose to completion.

And for business professionals, what could be more meaningful than finding a job that they're passionate about, and being given the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and experience, and use their gifts.

Gifts? Yes. The business professionals we’re about to feature here are skilled migrants. Coming from different countries, they are not only equipped with professional skills but also with the gift of language; they speak at least bilingual: English and their mother tongue – either Mandarin, Korean, Malay, Cambodian, Hindi, or Spanish.
Picture12 skilled migrants (2 not in the picture) brought together by one common purpose: To reach their potential



















They migrated to Australia for a number of reasons – due to family reason, for better future, or simply their love for Australia. However, searching for job opportunities haven’t been really easy for them, let alone finding one.

Could it be that they know not how? Or could it be employers who couldn’t recognize their capability? Or could it be they know not how to convince the employers?

In fact, there are some truths in all of the above: these skilled migrants after experiencing some unsuccessful job applications, often they become discouraged as their self-doubt starts to creep in. Especially for some of them, who have been out of work for a while due to employment termination or family reasons.

Losing courage and self-confidence is very daunting.

Frodo, in the Fellowship of the Ring – realising that he was in danger but didn’t know how to face it – also suffered such a discouragement.

“But where shall I find courage?” asked Frodo. “That is what I chiefly need”

“Courage is found in unlikely places,” said Gildor (his companion, an Elf)

Indeed, courage, along with self-confidence, is also what these skilled migrants mostly need. While it’s true that courage or self-confidence can be found in unlikely places, however, it’s not just where to find it, but how to get it.

For the 3rd time, Reach Your Potential – a five-week employability skills workshop, sponsored by Crows Nest Centre and Hornsby Shire Council – was conducted. The workshop is specially designed to help skilled migrants reconnect themselves with their skills and experience in order to find their self-confidence back, and develop their employability skills within the Australian working framework.

It was conducted in Lindfield Library (Lindfield), and attended by 12 skilled migrants – from India, China, Korea, Malaysia, Cambodia, Mexico, Columbia, and Spain – whose academic and professional background and past experiences are quite fascinating.

They shared two main challenges: first, how to find their confidence back; second, how to get a job that fits their skills or passions, therefore establish their presence in the Australian working place.

Finding the authentic career story. It was here in Reach Your Potential where Janice Hui and Fourteena Halim led them on an intellectual journey, a journey to return to themselves in order to discover their “intellectual treasure”:  their skills and experience, and to assess their strengths. And captured all of their findings in a story – their authentic and unique career story.

How is it not authentic and unique when you find in their stories a former successful entrepreneur whose passions are in bookkeeping and accounting and wants to find a job as a bookkeeper while pursuing his studies in business; a young industrial engineer who chose to be a marketer, while a senior marketer who found a new talent in teaching wishes to find a job in education; or a web designer – who holds a master’s degree in computer studies but also is a bachelor in economics – had recently undertaken a role as finance controller; or a senior telecom engineer who also has an accounting skill background, but wishes to remain to be a telecom engineer.

Among the 12, there are four who have been in a technical role – hardware or software expert with strong technical background – who aspire to find a role in the same area; and, there’s also a senior purchasing officer who still passionate about purchasing and an accountant with pure accounting background – both want to return to the work force in the area of their expertise, after a few years of career break. And finally there’s one – a bachelor in science who also holds a diploma in computer programming – whose dream job is to be a laboratory technician.

Through their story, they’ve finally found and saw their core values. Upon finding them, their level of confidence increased: they now believe that they truly have something to contribute to the Australian working place.

Refreshing the communication skills. But the story alone wouldn’t mean much unless they know how communicate it articulately. Indeed, it was in Reach Your Potential that they also had a chance to refresh their communication skills, namely, writing, speaking and listening, and self-presentation.

Again for job seekers, one of the most important tools is resume; therefore apart from refreshing their communication skills, a special session was dedicated to writing resume, carefully reviewing job descriptions and responding to them, as well as preparing cover letter and job interviews.

Five weeks have passed since 17 July 2014:  their story written, resume polished, and their communication skills refreshed – their confidence’s back; nothing more exciting than to be once again dare to set out on a further journey – a job seeking journey – but this time, they hold the right tools in their hands!

Spring time is coming, a season of glad songs will be here again (Song of Songs); may we all soon hear a glad surprise, too, from one and each of them, saying: “I did it, I’ve got a job!”

We wish them all the very best, and let's toast for their success!

Picture
Never forget to toast for success: "May you face tomorrow confidently and courageously and be successful!"
Cai, Belen, Snehal, Zaneta, Janice, Ninive, Fourteena, Sebastian, Pern, Cecilia, Ethan, Lucy, Jane (Steven, Tony, Sunita -- not in the picture)
SPECIAL THANKS: Janice and Fourteena would like to thank Cai Ruggles, Community Settlement Officer at Hornsby Shire Council, and Zaneta Figiel, Settlement Services Coordinator at Crows Nest Centre, for their dedication and valuable support. 

Fourteena is now an executive coach for young professionals; through coaching sessions, Fourteena helps them reach their potentials discover new skills and capabilities. Read their stories  a-transformation-moment-all-they-need-is-just-a-little-light.html
And here the recent work journey-to-change-nothing-is-too-difficult.html

​Stay connected. Join the circle of "A" great team www.facebook.com/Arc-Australia-Consulting-118192751679453/


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Reach Your Potential: The intellectual journey goes on ...

3/27/2014

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The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,  
(The Lord of the Rings)

This was the rhyme that heavily-burdened Frodo was softly singing to himself as he was walking further and further away from his homeland, the Shire, to undertake the journey to deliver the Ring to where it belongs.

Like the hero of the Lord of the Rings, Frodo, six skilled migrants: Solmaz, Kim, Chris, John, Astrid and Uta  are now far ahead from where they are from.

They are now in Australia. And like Frodo, these six migrants must also follow the Road, if Frodo has to deliver the Ring to where it belongs, these six migrants must find a job.

"if I can ..." some of them ask.

Of course, you can! Yes, the road may go ever on and on -- in other words finding an employment in Australia can be a never ending quest but walk on, that is the only way!

And a long the way, they stopped and attended Reach Your Potential, a five-week employability skills workshop, specially designed for migrants with skills from overseas. 

For the second time, Janice and Fourteena teamed up and conducted the workshop. This time workshop -- organised by Zaneta Figiel, Crows Nest Centre's Settlement Services Coordinator -- was held at Crows Nest Centre (also sponsored by Willoughby City Council and MOSAIC Multicultural Centre).

Solmaz, Kim, Chris, John, Astrid and Uta were the six participants who persevered and, at last, completed the whole five-week program on 27 March 2014.

It is in Reach Your Potential, Janice and Fourteena took them into an intellectual journey to get in touch with their capabilities; to give their self-doubts a rest and to trust more in their passions: hopes and dreams -- these what kept them going. 
Picture
Solmaz, Kim, Astrid, John, Uta, and Chris -- pose for success with Janice and Fourteena
Solmaz from Iran, whose academic background is in architecture, is an artistic and creative interior designer. She dreams to find a job in any architectural firm in Sydney. But she doesn’t have any knowledge of the Australian working culture; she is lost.

Kim from Vietnam, a very bright girl -- fascinated by science -- undertook studies in medical and biomedical science specialising in laboratory technique in pathology at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). In fact she was just recently graduated; she needs guidance as she is about entering into the professional world.

Meanwhile, from China, Chris brought with him his vast knowledge and experience in complex IT infrastructure, project management, and IT consulting capabilities -- but he hasn't been successful in securing a job; he is at the point of his frustration.

John from Korea is a talented individual; he is an expert in business intelligence (BI) analytics. While his short-term goal is completing his master's degree in marketing at the University of Sydney, he is aspired to find a job upon completing his studies. However, John has no clue at all how to be part of the Australian working culture. 

From Germany, Astrid has a strong background in human resources and office administration skills, she loves working with people; for a while she worked at one of European consulate offices in Sydney, and then she took a career break due to family reason; now she is ready to return to workforce but she has lost her confidence! 

Similarly, Uta, also from Germany, she was a senior office administrator specialising in law offices in Berlin; working with people -- lawyers and clients alike -- was Uta's enjoyable duties. She was absolutely good at what she was doing -- she demonstrated it while doing a voluntary work at the Australian Red Cross; she was so good, that she was offered a job on a casual basis. Still, she needs a full-time job -- she has so much to offer. But like Astrid, she has also lost her confidence.

In Reach Your Potential, not only Fourteena and Janice worked closely with them: assessed their strengths, helped them set their career goals, trained them in the most important skills needed in the professional world --communications and self presentation -- but also coached them how to be ready in their job seeking endeavour: from building their resume, writing a cover letter, crafting their self pitch, to interview practices.

In five weeks? Can it be done? 

Certainly! Believe it or not, in week 4 -- Chris shared his joy, he received a job screening call from a potential employer concerning one of his job applications. And in the last week -- week 5, Uta shared hers: she was invited to an interview for a job that she applied in the same week -- her dream job!

Five weeks-- since 27 February 2014-- have passed: Along with their career story is their clear understanding of their unique skills and qualities; best of all Chris, Astrid, and Uta found their confidence back; and Solmaz, Kim, and John found some directions on how to apply a job in Australia.  

Yes, the road may go ever on and on --the quest to find an employment may seem never ending and they must walk on, but now they will walk on with confidence.

Well done Solmaz, Kim, Chris, John, Astrid and Uta! Now, let's toast for your success: "May the stars shine upon the end of your road." (The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring)
PictureYes, the road may go ever on and on but never forget to celebrate: Toast for success (March 27, 2014)


Janice and Fourtena  would like to thank Zaneta Figiel and her manager, Denise Ward, Executive Officer of Crows Nest Centre, who have made this workshop possible and successful; Rita Leung of Willoughby City Council and Mosaic Multicultural Centre for her continuous support.
Read the full story of the first Reach Your Potential's participants http://www.14arcaustralia.com/2/post/2013/11/reach1.html
Fourteena is now an executive coach for young professionals; through coaching sessions, Fourteena helps them reach their potentials discover new skills and capabilities. Read their stories  a-transformation-moment-all-they-need-is-just-a-little-light.html
And here the recent work journey-to-change-nothing-is-too-difficult.html

​Stay connected. Join the circle of "A" great team www.facebook.com/Arc-Australia-Consulting-118192751679453/
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Reach Your Potential: an intellectual journey to find self confidence

11/7/2013

5 Comments

 
PicturePose for success: Five skilled migrants with their mentors, Fourteena & Janice
Remember the story in the Bible where God asked Abraham to leave his country to set out on a journey but he wasn't told where to go? 

Abraham did go without questioning the authority of his loving God, didn't he? It was the story of faith, trust and confidence that all shall be well if we believe we can.

The story I am about to share here may not be exactly like Abraham's but it requires the same degree of faith, trust and confidence: It is about five skilled migrants who dared to leave their country to undertake their professional and personal journey from the beginning again.

One purpose to share.Through
Reach Your Potential: an employability skills workshop, initiated and presented by Fourteena of Arc Australia and Janice Hui, a fellow business professional and career development coach -- sponsored by Willoughby City Council; supported by Mosaic Multicultural Centre (Chatswood, Sydney) and Crows Nest Centre (Crows Nest, Sydney) -- these five skilled migrants were brought together and bonded by one purpose: to unlock their potential so that they can establish their presence and be themselves once again in a foreign country, Australia -- their new home!

Guiselle Vargas (first from left, second row) from Peru, a very energetic and dynamic professional was trained as IT project manager, less than a year ago, she moved to Australia to dream of a better life. How? She can't even find a job. 

And Nariman Khodadoust (second, second row) from Iran, a brilliant young man who was trained in metallurgy and materials engineering, came from a close-knit family, left his promising career as a quality control inspector at an automobile manufacturer in Tehran to join his beloved sister in Australia. Great! But it's not easy for him to find a job that fits his expertise. 

Speaking about Jimmy Wong (third, in second row) from Hong Kong, an IT&T professional who is passionate about serving customers, though he has been part of Australia for more than 20 years, still he finds it difficult to return to a corporate world after sometime off from work.

And what about a lovely girl such as Suchitra Patnaik (fourth from left, first row) came all the way from India to be with her husband in Australia; without a doubt she is a hardworking person, while actively seeking employment as an administrator or secretary, she puts her hands to work as volunteer at Mosaic Multicultural Centre.

Not to forget, Somaie Moghadas (third, first row), she is also from Iran, a social worker who cares about people. People who need help: homeless, refugee, lonely and housebound. She is very eager to pour out her energy and tender care to people in need. But again, the way to employment for her is still not yet seen.

Are they giving up? Never! 
    

Not after Fourteena and Janice journeyed with them for five weeks. In Reach Your Potential, Fourteena and Janice worked very closely with them, assessed their strengths, trained them in the most important skills needed in the professional world such as writing, speaking/listening and self presentation to help them in their networking and job seeking endeavor in Australia.

An intellectual journey. Reach Your Potential  also took these five skilled migrants on an intellectual journey to reconnect with their skills and experience, and reminded them to have faith, trust and confidence in their ability. The door of opportunity only opens to those who are prepared. Indeed, for that reason they joined the workshop --to be prepared at all times. 

Five weeks --since October 3, 2013 --have passed, with them now is their career story carved in their hearts. Now they can start introducing themselves with confidence when they meet any fellow professionals or potential employers anywhere --physically or electronically. They no longer wonder: Am I good enough? Can I find a job? What do I have to say about me? 


They have their career story to tell!

PictureNever forget to celebrate: Toast for success! (November 7, 2013)
Guiselle, Nariman, Jimmy, Suchitra, and Somaie are now aware who they are and what they can do to contribute and to bring values to the Australian's working place.

Again, warm welcome to Australia, and all the very best!





Many thanks to Rita Leung, Ethnic Services Coordinator, Mosaic Multicultural Centre and Zaneta Figiel, Settlement Services Coordinator, Crows Nest Centre for their great support!

Fourteena is now an executive coach for young professionals; through coaching sessions, Fourteena helps them reach their potentials. Read their stories  a-transformation-moment-all-they-need-is-just-a-little-light.html
And here the recent work journey-to-change-nothing-is-too-difficult.html

​
Stay connected. Join the circle of "A" great team www.facebook.com/Arc-Australia-Consulting-118192751679453/

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    Fourteena, a business strategy professional, is passionate about sharing her knowledge with professionals around the globe. To her "to grow in knowledge" means to share.

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