PUTTING FIRST THINGS FIRST

Habit 3: Putting First things First

In the first habit we discussed the importance of taking responsibility for your life and what happens to you.  The second habit looked at leadership- accessing your right brain and creating a mental picture of what you want for your life.  The third habit is about management of that vision, and making it a reality. 

 

We often tell job seekers that looking for a job, is a job in itself. 

 

There are four generations of time management:-

  1. To do lists and tasks
  2. Diaries and planners
  3. Goal setting
  4. Prioritizing

 

If you want more time to spend on the important things in life and achieving your goals, then you need to take control of your life and start scheduling in what is important.  If you are not proactive and take control of your activities, your activities start controlling you, and you will spend most of your time in crisis management, and less time in planning and making your goals a reality.

 

  1. Have a look at all the aspects of looking for a job:-
  • Creating a vision or mission statement for what kind of job you want (habit 2)
  • Drawing up a professional CV
  • Getting your CV to potential employers
  • Succeeding in interviews
  • Taking control of the feedback
  1. Next, set at least one goal for the week ahead for each aspect that you have listed as important:-
  • Creating a vision or mission statement for what kind of job you want (habit 2)
    1. Draw up a list of all the things you liked and disliked about your last/ current job
    2. Do a behavioural profile to determine what jobs you are best suited to
  • Drawing up a professional CV
    1. Re-type your old, hard copy CV in a document that is easy to edit and update
    2. Get a professional photo to put on your CV
  • Getting your CV to potential employers
    1. Send your CV to three employment agencies
    2. Load your CV onto one job portal
  • Succeeding in interviews
    1. Research three commonly asked interview questions, and write down answers
  • Taking control of the feedback process.
    1. Follow up with two companies that you have sent your CV to
  1. Finally, schedule the goals that you have set for yourself into the week ahead. Make them a priority.  When you are offered a less important way to spend your time, act with integrity towards yourself, and honour your commitment to yourself. 

Make sure to schedule some time in your week to uplift yourself and work on yourself.  People get too wrapped up in achieving goals and ticking items off their to- do list, that they forget that it is important to spend time on yourself and your spirit. 

You can apply the above method to any role that you play in your life.  If you are a parent, and it is important to spend quality time with your children, schedule to read them a bedtime story, and make it a priority.  If you want to get healthier, schedule to take a walk twice this week at lunch time and make it a priority.  Honour your word to yourself. 

 

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

 

(inspired by “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. 

 

START WITH THE END IN MIND

“The Second Habit of Highly Effective Job Seekers” is “Start with the End in Mind”.

 

Too many people come into an interview, and they have no idea what they want to do, or what they are good at.  They just know that they want another job, and all the bad things that they want to avoid, and how much money they need to earn.  People will never employ you because you “can do the job”, they will employ you because “you want to do the job”.  They want to employ staff that are focused, motivated and know where they are heading.

 

This is not to say that you need to know the exact title of the job that you will get, but you do have to know your strengths and weaknesses, what you are passionate about and the values you live by.  Blindly going into the job market, accepting any job, because superficially it looks good or the salary is right, will result in you being back on the job market a year later. 

 

Before you start looking for a job, imagine yourself at your Retirement Party.  What will you want people to say about you?  Will you have clients there, and what will they say?  Will have you staff that you have trained and mentored- will they miss you?  What will they say your greatest accomplishments will be?  What legacy will you leave behind?  

 

The Second Habit states that all things are created twice- once mentally, and then again physically.  When you build a house, mentally you will draw up plans, and then physically you build the house.  This is true to all aspects of your life.  The first creation happens either by design or default.  Either you can intentionally plan how you want your life to go- dream it up- or you fall at the mercy of other people who will plan your role in it. 

 

Before you can start being the primary creator of your life, try and take a step back and get some perspective.  Examine your life and how you feel about all aspects of it.  The left side of the brain is about words, planning and action, and the right side is about creating and dreaming, but not very good at words.  To access the right side of the brain, start writing.  Write a list of what you have liked and disliked about previous positions, companies and organizations; and about subjects at school and extra murals or projects, if you are still at school.  List any activity, private or professional; paid or voluntary, that inspires and motives you.  Keep a note pad with you and as soon as a thought comes to mind, add it to the list.  Put all your ideas to paper, and then start refining them, until you have a “picture” of the kind of position you will work for.  Not the title, but actual day to day duties, the purpose of the job, the feelings it will make you feel. 

 

(And just to catch you before you get started… your mission statement will never be about money.  Money is a reward for a job done well; a job will never be well done, purely for the money.  Studies have shown that while a lack of money may contribute to unhappiness, abundance of money does not increase happiness or job satisfaction.)

 

As soon as you have created this initial creation of your future, you will feel inspired and motivated, and it will come across in interviews.  You will become that person who knows what they want to do, even if they don’t know what it’s called. 

 

If you keep focusing on the end and staying true to the person that you want to be, you will see your career grow and develop (and the money will follow if that is important to you).  If you focus on climbing the corporate ladder for the sake of it, you may just find that you have put that ladder against the wrong wall, and you are climbing away from your end goal, no towards it.

 

(inspired by “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey. 

 

Be Proactive

Seven Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers

 

The first motivational or self-help book that I read, over 20 years ago, was “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey, and it changed my life.  Not only did it turn me into an avid reader of books that would grow my heart and mind, but it also changed the way that I looked at business. 

 

This month, I started a weekly program of going through these seven habits with my amazing team at RESOURCE recruitment, and it occurred to me, that this is something that every job seeker needs to know too!  So each week I will post a blog on “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Job Seekers”.

 

HABIT ONE: BE PROACTIVE

Do you ever catch yourself day dreaming; or snap at someone, and know that your behaviour is not right, and possibly you need to walk away until your mood improves?  This is because as humans, we are “self-aware”.  This means we are aware of our thoughts and feelings.  This is a powerful concept because it means that we are not our thoughts or our feelings, and we are not slaves to them either.  We have the freedom to choose how we react to the stimuli around us, and the ability to control our emotions and moods. 

 

Being proactive is more than taking initiative, it is about taking responsibility- for our “ability” to “respond”.

 

Highly proactive people take RESPONSIBILITY for their actions and their lives.  They don’t blame circumstances, other people, economic conditions or other people’s opinions.  Proactive people are grateful people.

 

YOUR WORDS HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

As a job seeker, the first thing that you need to watch is your speech- both what you say to others, and what you say to yourself!  Words have a way of being a self-fulfilling prophecy.  When you are constantly saying that there are no jobs out there, and you will never get the salary you want- this is exactly what you get.  Reactive people also tend to turn “words” into “feeling”.  Instead of saying they are “unemployed” in a way that they are now open to new opportunities, have time to help in community projects and are available immediately; they say it in a way that it is an excuse, a title, a description of the sum total of who they are- a victim of circumstance.  If you are unemployed- do you say it like you are proactive, or reactive?

For the next week, listen to your language, and that of the people that are around you.  As recruiters, we are extremely aware of proactive and reactive language in interviews.  Reactive applicants come into the interview with every excuse why jobs have not worked out, why they have not been able to find another job, why they are looking for another job.  Their excuses are all about the country, the economy, race, age… everything that they have no control over.  Proactive people come into the interview and they focus on what they have to offer- their skills, experience and opportunities they see around themselves.  They turn “If only…” into “I will”; “There’s nothing I can do about it.” into “Let’s look at alternatives.”; “I will have to take what I can get”, into “Give me an opportunity and I can grow the position.” 

People like positive, proactive, responsible people- so guess who gets the job?

 

FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL

The next part of this chapter, that I love and apply every day, is “The Circle of Control and The Circle of Concern”.  Everything in life falls into two circles or categories- those things that we can change, and those things that we cannot.  Whichever circle you focus on, grows.  In the Circle of Concern, we have everything that happened in the past and may happen in the future- you can be concerned about these, but you have no control.  Other areas of “concern” are what is happening on social media; other peoples driving skills in the mornings traffic; the outcome of the political elections and the state of the government; which companies are retrenching; the economy and rising cost of living….  Focusing on these areas will get more areas of concern to focus on, and your problems will appear to grow!

In the “Circle of Influence” you have everything that is in your life today.  You have control over what books your read; free online courses that you can study to increase your skills; how you spend your free time; the people you surround yourself with; who you vote for; what you spend your money on; what you say; how well your CV is put together and how many people who you have sent it to.  And when you focus on your “Circle of Control” you get more in control of your life!

 

MAKE A COMMITMENT TO BE MORE PROACTIVE

Its easy to say that you need to be proactive, speak positively and only focus on the parts of life you can control, but its hard to keep that up when the realities of life can be overwhelming.  Like all things, proactivity is a skill that needs to be learnt and practised.  Start each day my making a promise or commitment to yourself to do something- a little things at first and keep that promise.  Maybe make the commitment that you will update your CV on a job portal; or review your CV; or send your CV to three people; or read five pages of an uplifting book; or maybe just get out of bed by 8am and go for a walk.  Make yourself a promise everyday for 30 days, and keep it, and you will be shocked at the shift in your life at the end of 30 days

 

Sometimes, the biggest change comes from the smallest of actions.  Give it a try!

 

It’s time to Embrace Generation Z

As managers and recruiters, we just thought that we had Millennials figured out, and then Gen Z arrived, and we are going to have to change the way that we do business again!

Generation Z (also known as Post Millennials or iGen) are those people roughly born between 1995-2010, in other words, the 18-23 year olds that we are recruiting and employing.  Like each generation before it, they have their strengths and weaknesses, and whether we like it or not, we “created” them and we are going to have to adapt to what they bring to the work place.

If you are wanting the management and motivation of these new recruits entering the work place to go smoothly, then it’s important to educate yourself on what to expect.

How Generation Z Differs from Millennials

  1. Less Focused

This is probably one of the biggest criticisms that we get from employers of junior candidates, “They just totally lack initiative and work ethic”.  Your typical Gen Z appears to get bored and lose interest with a complicated project, ands the more you try and challenge them to grow, the less they seem to embrace these projects.  Millennials on the other hand, loved being given a project from start to finish, and having that sense of accomplishment and autonomy.

Gen Z processes information faster than other generation thanks to Google, YouTube, Social Media and a host of other apps, so they have never needed to stick to a task as long a someone who did a school project using a stack of books.  You want the answer, ask them!  But you want a process seem through various steps and stages, and they are going to lose interest.  It’s a skill that can be learnt, but perhaps smaller projects with faster results is a place to start, and harnessing their ability to process information rapidly can be used to our advantage.

  1. Better Multi-Taskers

Although Gen Z can appear less focused than Millennials, while still at school they could create a document on their school computer, do research on their phone or tablet, while taking notes on a notepad, then finish it in front of the TV with a laptop, while face-timing a friend. You get the picture.

Gen Z can quickly and efficiently shift between work and play, with multiple distractions going on in the background…working on multiple tasks at once. Talk about multi-multi-tasking. Just think about how this kind of flow might reshape the office.

  1. Gen Z will approach education differently

In days gone by, you wanted to know something, you went and studied it through a training institution.  There was a lot of “academic snobbery” and you were shunned if you did not have a matric, and through a good school at that.  Over recent years, we have seen more and more job applicants doing their matric through home schools or correspondence, and studying via distance learning if at all.  Gen Z’s are coming of age in a time when you can get just about any information on google, watch a YouTube video or study on line.

This means that companies may need to change their policies on education requirements for certain positions, or they run the risk on missing out on the applicants that have the ability to learn and use their initiative that they need.

  1. Gen Z Is More Entrepreneurial

Everything about Gen Z speaks of their desire for independence and traces back to them coming of age during the 2008 recession.  They are not reliant on technology, they are technology.  This highly technical and socially networked group have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and majority of teens today, dream of one day owning their own business.

  1. Gen Z Has Higher Expectations Than Millennials

Gen Z have never known playing solitaire on their PC, coming home to dial-up internet and stretching the telephone cord down the passage to get some privacy on a phone call. Generation Z was born into a world overrun with technology. What was taken as amazing and inspiring inventions, are now taken as a given for teens.  And then they are not fast and instant, they think something is wrong.  They will battle in a workspace where cell phone are banned and internet access is limited

  1. Gen Z Is Big On Individuality

Gen Z’ers were born social.  Nearly all of Gen Z has a digital footprint. This means they seeks uniqueness in all walks of life primarily through the brands they do business with, future employers, etc. As a manager this means that they are not looking to be one of the team, and forgotten.  They want to be treated like an individual and get the attention they deserve.

The biggest thing you can you to attract a Gen Z to your company?  Apparently, its flexible working hours.  Why would you want to work 8am-5pm, when you can pull out your digital device at 2am and get the work done, and sleep until 10am?

  1. Gen Z Is More Global

Millennials were considered the first “global” generation with the development of the internet, but as more of the world comes online — Generation Z will become more global in their thinking,

Although South African companies are keen to become part of a Global Market, they are not so keen to become part of a Global Employment Market, and are still reluctant to approach recruitment via Skype and Video interviews.  As more of Gen Z enter the workplace, this is something that may need to be embraced.

  1. Gen Z are addicted to their Digital Devices

Gen Z have never known a time before cell phones, digital devices and the internet.  They watch less TV and spend more time connecting on social media platforms, playing games and watching video content.  While this has a massive impact on marketing strategies and where you should advertise, it also has a huge impact on the workplace.  While you want to harness these technical knowledge, huge amounts of productivity can be lost.

Another sad reality of this digital generation, is a loss of team work and team moral.  In recent years, we have heard the increased complaints by employers, sometimes resulting in dismissal, of employees putting on headphones and settling down to work.  Headphones, while cutting out distracting noise, also prevents you from networking and collaborating with the person sitting next to you, which would ultimately lead to positive relationships being formed.

The Gen Z conversation is one that is going to continue as more of this generation enter the work place, and as technology continues to advances at such a rapid rate, it is said that his “15 year generations” are going to get shorter and split within themselves.  But knowing where each generation comes from, and what they seek, can assist us as manager to better motivate and manage them, and put policies in place to help guide them.

If you would like to learn more about Gen Z, have a watch at this hilarious Ted Talk by Jason Dorsey.

https://jasondorsey.com/tedx-talk-igen-gen-z/

Employ Youth and Save

This June we celebrate Youth Day on the 16th, so this is an ideal time to employ some young, energetic graduates and school leavers

Did you know that you can claim back monthly against your PAYE submissions for new staff members employed under the age of 29?

 

From 1 January 2014 employers can take advantage of the Employment Tax Incentive (ETI), often referred to as the “youth wage subsidy”.  It appears to be a very simple process, essentially administered by SARS.

 

WHO DOES IT APPLY TO?

The scheme is available to employers who employ South Africans citizens and asylum seekers with valid permits aged between 18 and 29. This excludes:

  • Government departments, Municipalities, Public entities; and Employers not registered for PAYE.
    Employers can also not claim in respect of following employees:
    • Employees employed before 1 October 2013;
    • Domestic workers;
    • Connected persons (employees related to the employer);
    • If the employee is paid less than the minimum wage applicable to the employer i.e. a collective agreement or Sectoral Determination; and
    • If the employee displaces an existing employee.

 

WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS CLAIM?

Employers may claim 50% of an employee’s remuneration if the employee earns less than R 2000 (if the remuneration is not subject to any minimum wage provisions). If employees are earning between R 2 001 and R 4 000 an amount of R 1 000 can be claimed. For employees earning between R 4 001 and R 6000 a sliding formula applies .

Employers can claim the incentive in respect of qualifying employees for a period of 2 years. The value of the incentive however halves in an employee’s second year of employment. The incentive falls away on the commencement of the employee’s 3rd year of employment.

 

HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SCHEME

It is important to keep a accurate records when implementing this:
• Obtaining copies of the employee’s ID book/card or valid asylum seeker’s permit (obtain certified copies before the employee commences employment);
• Ensuring that a signed employment contract is in place (contact RESOURCE recruitment if you need a template contract)
• Keeping an accurate record of employees’ ages.
The employer can deduct the subsidy from the employer’s monthly PAYE liability. SARS is in the process of updating their EMP 201, EMP 501 and IRP5 documents to incorporate this incentive scheme.

 

Why not employ a young person today, assist with providing employment and valuable experience to our youth, and benefit from the subsidy at the same time!

 

For more information contact SARS. http://www.sars.gov.za/TaxTypes/PAYE/ETI/Pages/default.aspx