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.

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!

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)

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. 

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)

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. 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

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