Job Seeker Services
Recruitment Queensland enables you to explore all your options during your search for temporary, contract or permanent positions. The experience and advice provided by consultants can assist with the practical challenges of job searching as well as the more emotional, such as the fear of change or the unknown. It is human for us all to seek comfort in the familiarity of our surrounds, including our jobs. However, we all come face-to-face with the need to move on, regardless of the reason.
So how do you decide 'where to from here?'
Your first step should be to plan. Success can be measured in many different ways. To some it will be reflected in salaries, to others it might be achieving personal goals, and to others still, it could be as simple as doing a job that they love. Whatever your goal, you need to know where you are going and how you are going to get there. What are your long-term objectives and what does your next role need to provide you with, in order to put you on the right path? Do you need to undertake further study? What personal sacrifices are you willing to make in order to get there?
By knowing these things and making a plan, you will be able to measure your progress. However, it is almost certain that over time your priorities and objectives will change, so be prepared to be flexible and don't be ashamed to make amendments to the 'grand plan.'
Once you have set your long-term goals, you then need to turn your attention to setting yourself some 'stepping stones' or 'sign posts'. These are markers that you need to achieve along the way in order to be able to reach your long-term objective. For example, if your objective in 10-15 years is to become an HR Manager of a national organisation, you know that your first stepping-stone or sign post, is to study to gain the necessary qualifications, or perhaps your aspirations lean more towards having more control and flexibility in your life, like working for yourself or owning your own business. Consider “how am I going to get there?”
Take action!
Now you know where you want to be, and you have set yourself some sign posts for along the way. Now what?
Regardless of whether your first step is to study, or start at the bottom of a career ladder and work your way up whilst gaining skills and experience, you will need to earn an income to support yourself along the way. By choosing a reputable agency with which to partner yourself, will invariably provide you with a head start in the right direction.
Agencies provide opportunities within three main areas, temporary assignments, contracts or permanent opportunities. Not only do you have to consider which of these employment conditions suit you best, you will also have to consider whether you wish to work on a full-time or part-time basis. The choices appear to be endless and sometimes confusing, so let us explore the differences.
Many people get confused between the terminology of full-time, part-time, temporary and permanent and it is easy to understand why.
- Full time
- This means that you work full-time hours, the norm in Australia being either 38 or 40 hours per week for example. However, you can work full-time in both a temporary, contract or permanent position.
- Part-time
- Means exactly that. You work part-time hours, ie less than the standard 38 hours per week, but again this can apply to temporary, contract, or permanent positions.
- Temporary
- Means that you will be working for an employer for a temporary period. In other words, there is no guarantee of how long the position will last for, and in most instances, you are not eligible for sick or holiday pay. However, to compensate this, a higher 'hourly rate' is usually paid to the candidate. Temporary positions can be as short as 1 day to as long as 12 months plus!
- Contract
- Contracts do differ from temporary insomuch that a particular duration of time is usually agreed upon at the commencement of the contract. For example, a contract may be available for a fixed term of 12 months to cover a maternity leave period of a permanent employee. It is usual for a 'contracted' employee to receive sick leave and holiday leave, pro-rata for the period of the contract.
- Permanent
- A permanent position is an offer of employment, on either a full-time or part-time basis, that will be available until either party deems necessary to end the employment contract by providing the appropriate notice period. Reasons for ending these employment arrangements are varied and can range from redundancy to change of career for the employee.