chris.barry
27-07-2009, 09:53 AM
In a recent AAP article titled Young job seekers need to be realistic (http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,27753,25837305-462,00.html), Employment Participation Minister Mark Arbib, in an address to the young Labor conference in Sydney, told young people they should take a job even if they do not consider it ideal. The message is that young job seekers need to be realistic and put their ideal job on hold because of the tough job climate.
While this may be true in the short term, the savvy Gen Yer should be looking at the opportunity this presents in the longer term. The skills shortage hasn't gone away. The ageing workforce hasn't gone away. The numbers of baby boomers retiring in the coming years will continue to put pressure on the labour market.
Upskilling now will put you in a superb position to take advantage of these facts. As Australia moves out of the recession and back into a period of growth, the employees who will benefit are those who develop their skills and experience today.
The message here is that if you need to take a job that is not ideal, find a way to use that job to develop and broaden your experience. At the same time, undertake some training to develop and broaden your skills. At the same time, develop your networks, so that you can gain access to all the available opportunities. I wrote a short article on networking here (http://forum.aimnet.com.au/showthread.php?t=92) which may be of interest.
While this may be true in the short term, the savvy Gen Yer should be looking at the opportunity this presents in the longer term. The skills shortage hasn't gone away. The ageing workforce hasn't gone away. The numbers of baby boomers retiring in the coming years will continue to put pressure on the labour market.
Upskilling now will put you in a superb position to take advantage of these facts. As Australia moves out of the recession and back into a period of growth, the employees who will benefit are those who develop their skills and experience today.
The message here is that if you need to take a job that is not ideal, find a way to use that job to develop and broaden your experience. At the same time, undertake some training to develop and broaden your skills. At the same time, develop your networks, so that you can gain access to all the available opportunities. I wrote a short article on networking here (http://forum.aimnet.com.au/showthread.php?t=92) which may be of interest.