A Number of General Observations of the Working World

A Number of General Observations of the Working World
or
​A List of Things You Must Know Before Entering the Workforce as a Young Kid/Adult or Something Else
​Part 6
41-50

41. Social media conundrum
Everyone and their dog has social media pages now to show the world them looking their best.
They are also shown at their worst by friends commiserating about a party, gathering, event or whatever. Social media can make or break you in your career.
Hell the Internet can break your career.
Worst comes to worst make a “clean and visible” professional account and privatise your real account.
Linked-in is a must for professional reasons while Instagram is your go to for visuals and for everything else there is Facebook.
Don't be afraid of multiple pages for yourself as if you are visible to all and visible to the few you know then all lies well.
If you are going for likes: BE PREPARED.
Why?
Unless you pay for them, likes are the audiences choice, if they think you deserve attention then you will get one if not then so be it.
Friends, followers and likes help, but when it is revealed that they are bots then you are in for a world of criticism.
 
42. Old world
The world around us is changing daily and leaving some of the dinosaurs behind.
I’m from the Age of the most rapid evolution.
 I saw the iPod first generation to the last in iPod touch. I was there when the iPhone was released and to when it broke the mound and joined the pack with its latest sharing the universal cable charger.
Like in the past, there are many who refuse to believe that the old ways of doing things will change until they have to change with it.
My father is the best example of this.
 Of all the smart phones with their ease of navigation and usability, he chose a blackberry. Like most people of his generation, his use of mobile is varied to only when he needs to make a call, even though he can use said phone for checking emails and internet research usually delegating research through me and relaying information onwards once gathered.
This phone however proved to be unsuitable for an ageing gentleman so he upgraded to a newer/older version of iPhone as the buttons are bigger, he uses it only for phone calls and texts but hates text conversations.
But hey, the older generation sticks to their guns for as long as they can.
Hell I do that too.
 
43. New world
Yes you hairless ape, evolution is the norm.
Its not going to stop anytime soon.
New technology is evolving and making recently bought technology obsolete in a matter of months.
Most of you can keep up but others get lost on the way.
Try as best as you can to stay updated, while not leaving those who refuse to move on behind. Seriously trying to get a point across to my parents about why iPhone sync and photo back up is important is a nightmare that many sons and daughters around the world are nodding in agreement reading this.
If you don’t adapt, listen and learn, then shuffle off the mortal coil quietly please or keep your mouth shut and don’t ask for help.
 
44. Make an impression
Why so far down thus list?
To keep you reading, duh.
As I mention in appearance (No 2. To be exact) the first impression matters.
As I also mentioned in the first real job you apply to, your resume matters.
Usually your resume/CV matters as it is the first impression before they even look at you in the flesh (unless you have a headshot in there).
As I briefly mention, you have to tailor your CV to your potential employer.
Basic and simple works, skilled and tailored works, examples of your work works but each has their own niche.
From here you then have to make your cover letter: who you are, what you do, what you like doing or a personalised version of your CV and why you should work for their company. Next is your interview look.
This depends on the job but looking smart looks better than being lazy.
As a male, a collared shirt is necessary for the interview buttons done up to the throat. A suit makes you stand out but if you are applying to retail it is overkill and makes you look overly ambitious and a kiss ass.
 I applied for a role once and it was a group interview, I had the qualifications and the skills deemed necessary but was entirely out of place as everyone there was a professional in their dress: suits and ties or no ties at all.
I was there in a suit jacket and jeans with a shirt underneath with coffee stains as the cup I had ordered wasn’t sealed properly.
 I knew I wouldn’t get the role as I am a specialist in creativity and unlike the rest, I was aiming for one specific role compared the three roles that everyone else seemed to be gunning for.
But yeah, look good but dress appropriate.
Ladies, you are lucky in this department as you understand fashion and looks.
Don’t overdo your make up and look presentable but don’t over do it.
For everyone, dress like your going to a wedding in a classy place, dress smart and casual with a extra hint of class.
 
45. Experience
The bane of all members of society starting out for the first time in the job hunting market. Everyone is looking for pervious experience in the role for you applied for.
Majority of places state “years of experience needed” in their ads, half the time this is to screen out raw newbs who have no or very little experience if any at all from applying.
 As said in No# 17 work experience, interning and volunteering is a great way to gain what information you need for the industry you want to be in.
it might not be paid but it teaches skills that are needed to do the job you hope to get or at the end of the stint you are offered a role with the company you put time and effort in.
Also experience gained from school, uni, college, wherever, jobs or previous careers can help too.
Why?
Simple.
 They are invaluable experiences in communication, presentation, knowledge, relationships and a infinite amount of other things I currently can’t think of but can give and example of.
 A long time ago I studied to be a graphic designer in an amazing school, which I am proud to add to my many alma maters.
I learned more about graphic design while learning how to cook professionally four years later.
Why?
Because I was horrendous with my negative space, layout, kerning, leading and placement of words and images on the page/poster/website/brochure… while cooking taught me all about presentation that I had learned all those year ago.
Hell, I designed a professional menu that was probably the only menu of the year that was not done in Microsoft word due to my previous experience.
Hell my experience with an international staff back in 2006 has helped me communicate with international students and work colleagues ever since.
 
46. Up skill
This helps like nothing else.
Why?
Because up skill is just like the add-on extras to a new car.
Example car roof racks, not everybody uses them but there are those who do and those who have to borrow/lease a vehicle with roof racks or a trailer to be able to use them.
Up skills are important because they make you stand out.
 Like I said about in experience, it helps other roles.
Doing marketing or advertising?
Start graphic design too and learn how to use photoshop, illustrator, indesign, dreamweaver and everything available to you while studying because if you know how to put your ideas down in a professional concept that you can explain, your clients will thank you for that instead of going out and paying someone else for it.
Graphic designers can be pricey so having one in house and on hand to discuss specifics helps out a lot.
So if you know what you want and need for your product you will also know what you want and need your product to feel like.
Having the credentials of three of the selling industry got me into many interviews and did get me jobs.
 
47. Speak English, asshole
Communication is important.
Really important.
Believe me when I say that English is not what I speak.
I speak the bastardised the Queen’s Australian American English.
 This is the tongue that all inner and more affluent members of Australian society use. Example is that I pronounce “H” ah~ch instead of hay~ch.
I also speak aussie English, bad English and international English.
Why are there so many variants of a single language?
It’s all a part of accents, dialect and pronunciations that its all English right?
Wrong.
Australians use colloquialisms, slang and terms that only our varied regions, cultures and heritages areas know.
We can learn others but we retain our knowledge of our butchered language.
International English is a must to know: no colloquialism, to the point with explanation that is simple to understand the meaning of, which helps out in an internationally run kitchen or business.
Bad English is what is said when in pain, angry or any time one is annoyed at something or someone and should usually not be used.
Aussie English is the accent that is further out from the city to the very heart of the rural areas of Australia, this is where slang is at its thickest.
But that’s getting off topic.
Just learn how to communicate effectively with others and you’ll go far.
Seriously nail the terminology of your chosen field and make your life easier with a backing in international English.
 
48. Learn the Language
Seriously.
Learn the language of your craft or chosen industry.
It helps.
Seriously the “brief” is an industry staple for so many creative fields its not funny.
 The “brief” is a summary of what the look, feel, emotion and need of an ad campaign/design/video/photo. “SWOT” (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat) and “PEST” (Political Economical Socio-cultural Technological) Analysis are marketing staples that are actually a thing you can use everyday.
The “4 P’s” (Price, Product, Promotion, Place) –marketing 101, USP (Unique, Selling, Point) – marketing and advertising, the “Claw” (Ctrl + Command + Alt/Option + Shift + S) save for web – graphic design, “Dragging” cook term for waiting on cooking food that needs to be served immediately and a million more each suited to their unique fields.
 
49. Industry Me
Which industry do you want to be in?
Seriously you have to consider this.
Hell, you can work for yourself but you have to be ready for anything.
For example; All industries require a base use or knowledge of social media.
Why?
Because it means you are now a being of data.
Data is the new currency yet only as facts not as a being.
You can see what people are saying about you, about the company you work for and  the creation of an interaction path direct to customer.
Now let’s circle Back to the industry of your choice, but be careful in what you pick.
Take social media managers: As of January 2018 algorithms for Instagram and Facebook were changed to a pay to play system so creators with a large following wishing to gain a larger audiences would have to pay to be seen in correct order, smaller creators would then instead have to rely on their followers to actively follow and like every post in order to stay relevant in the larger scheme of things.
 As much as the “like” is power, hundreds of influencers trade on their number of followers in order to gain advantage of services, products and accommodation for no financial burden to themselves.
Many however are rejected due to the financial burden for the industry they want to take advantage of, as you can buy followers for a price as or spend time and money on oneself to raise to larger heights.
 Now this has put thousands of people into damage control as they have spent money of their clients on building a social media presence that they now have to pay more for.
The same is going on for YouTube.
 
50. Work life
This is a kicker.
The 21st century buzzword quote is the “work life balance”.
Make more time for you, make time for a social life, make time for family life. A healthy life balance for a healthy work life.
It’s all bullshit.
Twenty years ago the retirement age in Australia was 55, it is now 75 as of 2015.
Right now there is a crisis for the younger generation coming through, that is how do you keep the younger generation in the workforce without burning them out too soon.
Mental illness and disabilities are on the rise, anxiety and depression are at record levels which seem to be broken every year.
So how does one make the money to live their best life?
I got no idea as my experience is as a unemployed handout taker, I lived my best life in freedom and education trying to learn and figure out my path in life.
When I was working though, my anxiety and depression increased, fear and worry were constant companions and it destroyed relationships with friends, partners and family.
40 hours a week at work are considered a normal standard for work life balance, not that this means you earn just enough money to live. Hell don’t get me started on overtime which is always inevitable.