Career Trends
- Crafting Unicorn Careers: Navigating the Future of Work with STEM
- New Career Development Term: Intersectionality
- State of the Global Workplace, 2023 Report
- Biggest Challenges in Our Region
- Is Climate Change a Threat?
- Work Locations for U.S. Employers with Remote-Capable Jobs
- These are the 5 Fastest Growing Jobs in the World
- How can Chat GPT be Used by a Career Practitioner?
- Can ChatGPT be an Effective Career Coach?
- Sustainability/Social Justice in Career Development
- Mental Wellbeing and Career Development
- How Can An HR/PEO Consulting Firm Help Me Improve My Business
- How to Create Success by Playing by Your Own Rules
- The Future of Jobs Report 2020 Preface
- Reinventing Higher Education: What the COVID-19 Pandemic is Teaching Us
- The Voice of Industry
- Return On Investment for Career Services
- What are the Pros and Cons of Being a Criminal Psychologist?
- Career News by Scott Dell
- Conversations Do Matter!
- Professional Direction: An Introduction to Mentorship
- Starting Your Own Practice? Startup Costs You Might Miss
- What Can APCDA Do for You?
- Why Career Decision-making is so Hard
- Teach Students Basic Personal Finance to Help Them Feel More Secure in their Careers
- High-School Youth Building Projects to Win Internships
- Career Satisfaction for Multi-passionate People
- Finding a Good Job: A Case Study
- Succeeding in Your First Professional Job
- Work as a Way to Heal Yourself
Creating Unicorn Careers: Navigating the Future of Work with STEMBy Tam Nguyen
The research revealed a pivotal realization: what we, as workers, educators, advisors, and policymakers need to prepare for or help our clients prepare for lies not within a single realm of expertise, but rather in the multifaceted cultivation of skills. "This highlights that training policies and programs should not focus on any one area of knowledge, skill, or ability to best prepare people for the future of work, but instead support skills development on multiple fronts." One example is STEM – a sector undoubtedly expected to grow. Yet the report highlights the fact that not only highly technical skills are required; interpersonal skills and creativity are critical in the landscape of 2030. How could career practitioners help our clients chart their careers with science-focused skills and other creative career interests? Our upcoming October speaker – Alaina G. Levine might have an answer for your STEM career questions. With a background in mathematics, Alaina grappled with what other career choices she could pursue aside from being a math professor. Despite being told "nothing" by her career advisor, she embarked on a remarkable journey, ingeniously interweaving her mathematical prowess with an unexpected passion—comedy. Today, she stands as a well-known STEM career coach, professional speaker, corporate comedian, and author. Her unique data-driven approach in career practice has helped scientists and engineers design meaningful careers, combining the love of science and creativity to solve problems and serve the community. Have you ever wondered how the love of physics and dance can spark a unique career path? Or how baking and chemical engineering can turn into a joyful impact-driven career choice? Our journey as workers and career practitioners toward the future of work beckons us to go beyond conventional boundaries. The horizon of 2030 requires not just specialists, but versatile trailblazers who embrace diverse skills and the adaptability to craft careers that are not only economically fruitful but also resonate deeply with our inner aspirations, ushering in the era of the "Unicorn Career." To know more about Alaina and our fire chat session in October, click this link and register for the event. And most importantly, share your pressing questions directly with our speaker to enrich the conversation.
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Having delved into the intriguing New Career Development Term: IntersectionalityBy Dr. Marilyn Maze
GenderLab of India gave APCDA two webinars on this topic. In the first webinar, we experiences Intersectionality by applying it to ourselves (available here). In the second webinar, we looked at ways it applies to work settings (available here). The term "DEI" (Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion) is in common use today, but Intersectionality helps us to experience and understand these terms in a very personal way that helps us a counselors and practitioners to be more in tune with the feelings of our clients. We began by completing our own Social Identity Wheel which asked us to list various types of identities that make us who we are, including Age, Gender, Sex, Sexual Orientation, Religious/Spiritual beliefs, Caste/Race/Ethnicity, Physical/Emotional/Developmental Abilities, and Languages. We were asked which of these identities we think about most often? Least often? Which identities have the strongest effect on how we perceive ourselves? How others perceive us? How much do labels affect us? It is important to see our identity as we perceive it and as others perceive it. The term Intersectionality was developed in the 1980’s by Kimberly Crenshaw (see TED Talk below). Intersectionality relates to stereotypes and binary thinking of all kinds - disabilities, ethnic background, social-economic background. Through various examples, the group explored how different identities we hold make us experience different feelings in life - it could be those of pride, shame, anger, joy, etc. These feelings influence how we interact with those who hold the same or different identities. The presenter asked us to think about our own identities which made a difference in our career paths and have impacted our ability to reach our goals or to prevent us from reaching our goals. She shared that while we are attempting to be inclusive and open to creating space for all identities, a critical step is to understand what it means to have an intersectional lens. It is when we learn about intersectionality, that we are able to acknowledge and learn about the various kinds of identities in connection with each other. That will inform our practices towards inclusion. Each of us must take responsibility to learn the feelings of others who have had different experiences than we have had. GenderLab provided a number of materials and a Toolkit to us to help us use and continue to explore these concepts with our clients. These materials are available on the recorded webinar pages, and all APCDA Members are encouraged to watch these webinars and consider adding this concept to your practice. Please let us know how this works for you.
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You have probably heard of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), but Intersectionality is a slightly less-known term defined as an analytical framework for understanding how a person's various social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. Intersectionality relates to gender equality and social justice and identifies multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage.Insights from Gallup
State of the Global Workplace, 2023 Report
Introduction:
The State of the Global Workplace 2023 Report, compiled by Gallup, offers a comprehensive analysis of employee engagement worldwide. As career professionals, it is helpful for us to understand the insights provided, especially as they relate to the Asia Pacific region.
Engagement Rebound and its Significance:
According to the report, 23% of the global workforce now report being in a thriving state at work, representing a significant recovery from the decline observed in 2020. This resurgence highlights the intrinsic motivation and fulfillment experienced by workers worldwide and reinforces the link between engagement and positive work outcomes. However, the remaining 77% of employees who are not fully engaged pose crucial questions that demand our attention.
Key Findings and Implications:
This article highlights the key findings from the report and presents questions on which members can reflect.
1. The Cost of Low Engagement:
Low employee engagement had a staggering economic impact, amounting to $8.8 trillion or 9% of global GDP. This finding emphasizes the critical connection between engagement and business outcomes, underscoring the need to create work environments that foster purpose, meaningful relationships, and development opportunities.
2. Overcoming Quiet Quitting:
Research indicates that 6 in 10 employees quietly disengage but can be re-engaged with a few workplace changes. This finding emphasizes the positive correlation between engagement and productivity, highlighting the importance of investing in human capital, upskilling initiatives, and inclusive economic policies to nurture a thriving workforce.
3. The Role of Leadership and Management:
Leadership and management directly impact workplace engagement. Organizational culture, leadership styles, and transparent communication are possibly some of the key factors in employee satisfaction. Inclusive leadership styles, autonomy, and a supportive culture that encourages growth play a vital role in fostering engagement.
4. Regional Contexts and Disparities:
While the overall engagement numbers are encouraging, there are significant disparities across regions. Data from different parts of the world shed light on the diverse aspects that influence workplace engagement. From a sense of purpose and pride in work to strong camaraderie and friendships with colleagues, social connections and meaningful experiences play a crucial role in fostering engagement.
Comparison by Region
|
US/Canada |
East Asia |
South Asia |
Southeast Asia |
Australia/ New Zealand |
|
|
Thriving at work |
31% |
17% |
33% |
26% |
23% |
|
Quiet quitting |
52% |
62% |
46% |
68% |
67% |
|
Loud quitting |
17% |
21% |
21% |
6% |
11% |
|
Stress |
52% |
52% |
35% |
26% |
47% |
|
Anger |
18% |
17% |
36% |
19% |
15% |
|
Job climate good |
71% |
50% |
56% |
61% |
81% |
|
Intent to leave |
47% |
56% |
50% |
51% |
43% |
In this table, we see that US/Canada and South Asia have the highest percentage of workers who are thriving, while Southeast Asia and Australia/New Zealand have the highest percentage who have quietly quit. The number of workers who have quit loudly is fairly similar, but East Asia and South Asia are tied for highest with Southeast Asia the lowest. Stress is much higher in the US/Canada, East Asia, and Australia/New Zealand. Anger is higher in South Asia. Workers in Australia/New Zealand feel best about the job market (although all regions feel positive about the job market) and the intent to leave is similar across these regions but lowest in Australia/New Zealand (in spite of the get outlook for finding a new job).
Conclusion and Call to Action:
The report provides valuable insights into the current state of employee engagement, highlighting its drivers, challenges, and potential solutions. Career professionals must prioritize employee well-being, foster inclusive cultures, and recognize the transformative power of engagement.
As we contemplate the report's findings, let us ponder the following questions together:
- How can we unlock the untapped potential within the remaining 77% of employees?
- How can we redefine work cultures to cultivate purpose, growth, and fulfillment?
- How can we collectively shape a future where employees thrive, and organizations flourish?
By considering these questions and implementing the report's recommendations, career professionals can play a crucial role in creating a workforce that is engaged, productive, and satisfied.
Biggest Challenges in Our Region
Based on Member Meeting Discussion
At the Annual Member Meeting, we used breakout rooms to ask attendees to talk about the biggest challenges they are facing in providing career services right now. Six major themes were mentioned:
- Lack of resources, including lack of trained professionals
- Lack of common understanding of and respect for career services
- Lack of quality standards for career services
- Social Justice Issues
- Conflict between personal preference for working remotely and corporate preference for working in-office
- The casualization of the workforce
We will describe each of these separately.
1. Lack of resources, including lack of trained professionals
In many areas within our region, training in providing career services is not widely available, which means that few professionals are available to provide career services. For example, in Cambodia, the profession of career practitioner is still new and not many people are working in this field. Tools in Cambodia to support people to find the right career are still lacking. Vietnam reported a similar situation.
Among our Not-high Income Areas, the lack of resources was especially frustrating. One attendee from the Philippines said, “My biggest challenge is to deliver career development programs to all stakeholders of our institution since the number of Career Counselors/Practitioners is not enough. At this time, we are only 2 licensed professional counselors with more than 11 thousand students at our university.” Even if people are eager to get training, the ability to pay a professional salary with benefits is limited. One way to deal with the shortage of staff would be to develop more techniques for delivering large-scale services rather than one-on-one. This is a challenge that APCDA hopes to address by asking our members to provide webinars explaining how to serve groups of clients more effectively.
In most of our region, it appears that career services are not readily available for people who are not in universities. While some of our areas have good university career services, there are far fewer services outside of this setting. Attendees from the US, Australia, and several other areas reported this issue, with a special concern about the lack of services for immigrants.
2. Lack of common understanding of and respect for career services
Another widespread issue is that the public does not know what career services are and does not recognize a need for such services. One attendee gave this example: “In Indonesia, especially in less-developed areas, the awareness and knowledge about career practices is still very low. People who don't know about career development won't be able to understand how much they need it.” The whole concept of career management is not well-known. Often, the public thinks it is a service to find jobs for people.
In other areas, there is a stigma attached to the concept of “counseling.” One attendee reported, “When parents think about “counselling,” they view it as a mental health issue rather than a career support.” Others agreed that the misconception around bringing issues to a guidance office is that it has a negative connotation. One attendee said, “In Philippines, there is a cultural mindset that career counseling is not useful.” We need to make career services more popular.
Technology is rapidly changing what clients are looking for and how they expect to find it. First, many people find their own answers online and never consult a professional. Second, many career practitioners have little expertise or resources that assist youth to identify potential careers. Most career practitioners know how to guide youth in their exploration, but unless career practitioners can provide assistance that is more trusted, attractive, and widely available than Google, we can’t expect clients to come to us for help. We all face the problem of gaining the respect of the general public. Recognizing Social Media as a major competitor, how do we gain the respect of potential clients? And how do we compete with Social Media related to cost?
A related concern in China is that millions of young people learn knowledge and techniques online. This is a very popular way to gain skills. We need to enhance the reputation of career services so young people seek advice before jumping into a field that is recommended on social media. Some of the negative attitude toward career services may be caused by lack of training. “In the Philippines, the recognition of the expertise of career practitioners is limited as this is delegated to licensed guidance counselors.” Guidance counselors do not always have career counseling expertise. All agreed that we need to find better ways to attract youth to career services.
3. Lack of quality standards for career services
The idea of standards of quality in the provision of career services is very complex. Many areas in our region are just beginning to face the issue of standards of training for career practitioners. Several areas have training programs with no quality standards set up to guide them. Others are seeking people with more experience in our field who have developed expertise and leadership skills to lead and advance the state of career services.
Related comments include:
- “In Philippines, we need training of staff (guidance counselors) in K-12 schools – this is a training issue.”
- “In Singapore, the need is for career practitioners to step up and be more productive, and use the government initiatives more effective.”
- “We need to communicate better. We need more consistency. Now that everything is moving online, we are losing control of the results.”
- In Pakistan, a more systematic approach is needed.
- “We need a standard for qualified career practitioners in each country/area. Making policies that state how important career development practitioners roles are can be another solution.”
- “Professional development of practitioners in the region, in developing and developed countries alike, as changes and updates in career services are urgent.”
- “In India, it's the difference in standards, access and cost/affordability. We have A or B Class cities. Career counselling has a good reputation in schools, but not in the small towns.”
Many areas in our region are just beginning to define what training of career practitioners involves. As these areas expand the number of professionals who consider them career professionals, certification of quality becomes an issue. Several countries have multiple training programs with no quality standards to guide them. While some countries have standards in place, these standards may not be uniformly enforced. The process of developing the field of career development practices is very complex and takes time.
4. Social justice issues
Career services can be very helpful to people living on the margins, but do these people have access to career services? One attendee explained, “In Australia: career work is quite systemic and available nation-wide available, but there is a need to reach out to the marginalized. We still have a big issue with lack of access to quality career development for marginalized people. In Victoria where I live the government has just cut funding to many services.” Attendees want to see the promotion of global citizenship and UN SDGs among youth, strengthening the concept of career development as a lifelong process beyond jobs/occupations.
5. Conflict between personal preference for working remotely and corporate preference for working in-office
There has been a cultural shift, debate, and radical change in the workplace surrounding allowing remote work or requiring in-office work. COVID caused widespread immediate remote work for extended periods, and many people don’t want to return to the pre-COVID style of working. It appears that this issue affects our region broadly.
6. The casualization of the workforce
Casualization of the workforce refers to the process in which employment shifts from a preponderance of full-time and permanent positions to casual and contract positions. Employers tend to feel less commitment to the well-being of part time or temporary workers. Often temporary workers are forced to work strange schedules which do not allow them to plan their own lives. They cannot go back to school to improve themselves because they have no fixed schedule. Part time and temporary workers have fewer benefits and often experience higher levels of illness with less access to health care. Several countries reported an increase of casualization of the workforce.
7. Country-specific Issues
- Japan: the challenge is the cultural shift from having a stable job for life (HR guiding) to needing more self-direction. This is related to the casualization of the workplace, but the Japanese situation has a unique aspects.
- Canada: International students struggle to find a job in Canada for Residency. We need more effective job placement for those students to assure they find jobs compatible with their qualifications.
- It was very interesting to hear about the family influence in Pakistan which is something career practitioners need to adapt to in their work.
Is Climate Change a Threat?By Lloyd’s Register FoundationAs it heats up across the Northern Hemisphere, the seasonal chatter on climate is likely to make an appearance in your conversations. Here's a global look from the Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll at who is most concerned about climate change. People in Latin America and the Caribbean lead the rest of the world in describing climate change as a very serious threat to their country in the next 20 years.
APCDA is offering a webinar about how climate change can be mitigated through Green Jobs on July 20, but according to the above poll, Asian countries are not too worried about this issue. Could this be true? Learn more about the data upon which the above graph is based. It was collected by Lloyd’s Register Foundation. To learn more: The Lloyd's Register Foundation World Risk Poll
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These are the 5 Fastest Growing Jobs in the WorldReprinted from the World Economic Forumhttps://www.weforum.org/videos/these-are-the-5-fastest-growing-jobs
Meanwhile, these five jobs are expected to decline the most.
These figures cover 673 million workers, a subset of the International Labor Organization dataset and not the total 3.3 billion people in work globally. The energy transition could add an estimated 30 million jobs by 2030 in clean energy efficiency and low emissions technologies and 3.5% a year to the global GDP.
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These fastest growing jobs are predicted to expand as automation and the energy transition transform the way we work.Can ChatGPT be an Effective Career Coach?by Han Kok Kwang, 1st NCDA Master Trainer in Asia & 1st APCDA legacy partner
Have you tried it yet? If not, you are missing out on the next big thing, like when the Internet and smart phone first appeared! If you are not convinced, just look at the impressive statistics of how fast ChatGPT took to reach 100 million users:
And ChatGPT? 2 months! It actually reached 1 million users in just 5 days! According to chatGPT itself, it is "an artificial intelligence language model designed to communicate with humans using natural language." While ChatGPT's abilities seem impressive, it is critical to remember that it can't understand the nuances of human language and conversation. As a result, its responses may seem a bit shallow or lacking in depth and insight. The risks of misuse and misinformation are there, so it's vital to be aware of the tool's limitations and weaknesses. This is where you make the difference. Use ChatGPT to supplement (not replace) your effectiveness at work and you’ll be streets ahead. If you use it to do everything for you, then you risks becoming redundant! Be forewarned. In the wise words of Bill Gates, "AI can magnify the best and worst of humanity. That’s why we need to be thoughtful about how we use it." Bottom-line: it can make you a better or worst person, depending on your core self. There’s no doubt ChatGPT is a very powerful tool. The scary part? It is learning and improving every day, 24/7, on its own! Playing the role of a “career coach”, it can help you do the following with ease:
It is a master of “content aka what”! But it cannot
With ChatGPT, career coaching is now a “high-tech high touch” business! If you think “high touch” alone can keep your role relevant, think again. The winners of the future are those who combine the best of themselves and technology to provide “pain relief” to their candidates’ concerns. Do that well, and you will always be in demand! You cannot learn how to swim in a classroom or by reading books. You must get wet. Now take a chance and discover the power of ChatGPT, hands-on! As a community service, I’m running a ChatGPT 101 class via Zoom on Saturday, 13 May from 9.00am to 12noon Singapore time (GMT+8) via Zoom. Topics include
For APCDA members who are keen, email me at haninc@singnet.com.sg by 10 May 2023 for the Zoom invite link. Please send me a question or topic on ChatGPT that you’ll like me to address. You can either ride the wave, or be swept under. Choose wisely.
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Forget all the noise and rage about ChatGPT!Sustainability/Social Justice in Career DevelopmentBy Tam Nguyen
In November 2022, more than 100 Heads of State and Governments and over 35,000 participants from all over the world gathered in Egypt for the UN conference COP27 on climate change. The conference was concluded with a historic decision about loss and damage fund – in other words, whether developed countries will support vulnerable and developing countries in addressing loss and damage associated with climate change impacts. While richer countries are speaking the language of the future, poorer countries are feeling devastating impacts in the here and now. This got me thinking about the career development outlook in different countries in which our APCDA members reside. What are the roles of career development practitioners in the context of a country’s sustainability and global sustainability? Is our role only linked to Sustainable Development Goal 8 - decent work for all? Career Practitioners’ Role In experiencing a deeper shift in the public consciousness about work and sustainability, do we – CDPs- choose to prioritize the needs of individual students, hence, protecting our professional impartiality; or, do we care more about the needs of wider society, by doing that we involve in influencing students’ choices? This article by David Winter from “Career guidance for social justice” did a great job using socio-political ideologies to help us structure our thoughts and redefine our roles as career practitioners. It might be overwhelming at first for career practitioners to actively involve in bringing sustainability and social justice into career guidance, on top of their daily practices and responsibilities, but I believe the involvement itself is a way to help us (and our clients, students) stay hopeful amid the uncertainty of the future. New Look at Sustainability/Social Justice in Career Development (APCDA Conference 2023) These upcoming sessions at the APCDA conference this year guarantee to offer a holistic look at sustainability and social justice in career development: Session 111 “Professional Development Institute: Career Development for Social Justice” by Dr. Tristam Hooley challenges career practitioners to think outside of the traditional approach and foster world changes alongside individual changes, using a practical framework on career guidance for social justice. Session 626b “Case Study of Career Counselor’s Social Justice Advocacy in Japan: International Students’ Job Hunt” by Rie Takanuma will provide a great example of how career practitioners embrace their roles in social justice in Japan through advocacy work for international students. Session 723 “Do you know the UN Global Goals? Travel around a rapidly changing world with the SDGs” by Danita Redd, Leah Goforth-Ward, Candy Ho would be a fun and informative presentation that helps us quickly learn 17 UN SDGs, what matching careers for each, how different countries are doing around that. This is also a chance for each of us to play an advocacy role in a collective effort of promoting UN International Day of Career and Livelihood. Session 733 “Career development and sustainability: Using system thinking to address a complex systems problem” by Lizzie Knight, Dr. Mary McMahon will help us untangle the complexity of SDGs through system thinking and system mapping and how they can be used in career development practice.
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Mental Wellbeing and Career DevelopmentBy Tam Nguyen, News Committee Co-Chair
With Canadian Mental health week approaching (May 1-May 7), I would like to share some resources to start with on this topic:
Our APCDA conference this year (May 16-26) will focus on “New Look at Careers in a Rapidly Changing World”, where we gather to exchange knowledge, discover and discuss new perspectives and innovations in our career development field. Some sessions on the topic of wellbeing and career development to add to your watch list this year: Session 514: 5 Steps to Help Clients Self-manage Their Career Path Based on Practicing Mindfulness by Nga Nguyen Session 526b: Exploring the Well-being of Guidance Counselors in the Philippines: a Phenomenological Study by Maria Theresa B. Gallardo Session 533: Remaining Hopeful in a Rapidly Changing World- Hope Centered Intervention by Raza Abbas Session 735: Is Mindfulness Helpful for Career Development? by Lily Tran
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How Can An HR/PEO Consulting Firm Help Me Improve My Business?by Elena Stewart
Image via Pexels In the world of human resources, things change often. There are taxes, employment and recruitment laws, employee benefits, and more. As a business owner, you either have to be fully versed in these all the time or you have to rely on a company that can do it all for you. Today, let’s look at a few of the benefits of outsourcing human resources management. Address Post-Pandemic ProblemsIn a post-pandemic world, the collaboration between HRPs (Human Resource Planning) and CDPs (Career Development Planning) can play a crucial role in addressing workforce challenges. While HRPs focus on recruiting, retaining, and managing the workforce, CDPs specialize in individual employee development and skill enhancement. By working together, HRPs and CDPs can identify skill gaps, design training programs, and create career development opportunities to ensure that the workforce is equipped with the necessary 21st century skills. The collaboration can result in a more resilient and adaptable workforce, ready to tackle the challenges of the changing work landscape. Cost SavingsWorking with a PEO (professional employer organization) you can save up to 35% on your admin and HR expenses. These professionals know what to do, how to do it, and when, and you’ll benefit from the full-service and resources offerings and personal service. Anytime you can save money without sacrificing quality is an easy decision to make. Access to Global TalentSome human resources firms work with recruitment agencies to help their customers find talented professionals outside of their commute area. By branching out, you can find someone with the skills you need in all areas, including IT, design, and marketing. As an added bonus, when you diversify the workplace, you’ll promote cultural awareness and give your business a positive reputation. The Ability Options website also asserts that having a diverse workforce gives you more marketing opportunities. Better RecruitingHuman resources professionals can help you create a better recruiting plan, which might even include starting an internship program. As an intern host, you not only help up-and-coming professionals gain job experience, but you are in an excellent position to turn your interns into ideal employees. Access to TrainingHR compliance is a big deal, and you must continually stay on top of rules and regulations at the local, state, and federal levels. Utilizing an HR consulting firm means that you can stay informed. More importantly, the right firm can help keep your staff in the loop of compliance for important topics, such as Age Discrimination and the Fair Credit Reporting. Happier EmployeesYour human resources department plays a major role in your employees’ happiness. According to Nectar, employees need self-development opportunities, rewards and compensation, and a purpose. These, among other essential needs, can be better met by human resources professionals or having your own in-house HR team trained to best cater to the people on your payroll. Ask your team to send out employee satisfaction surveys to keep tabs on your company culture. You can even encourage your staff to complete them through a small incentive. Use a system that distributes digital gift cards in order to easily reward respondents and increase participation. Better SupportSmall businesses can have trouble keeping up with the needs of their staff, especially during times of growth. A human resources firm can guide you into ways to better offer your staff everything they need when they need it. Goal TrackingPart of the human resources department’s responsibility is to track your employees' success and whether or not they are meeting your expectations. Your human resources consulting firm can help you do just that without being intrusive into your workday. Staff AugmentationIf you typically have your own human resources team but have staff that is out for maternity leave or other long-term needs, your human resources consulting firm can fill in temporarily. Although this is likely not the least expensive route to go, it can keep you out of sticky HR situations until your staff roster returns to normal. Consider Using an HR/PEO FirmUltimately, the human resources department plays a major role in your business's success. From finding a company that can help you source talent from across the globe, refine your recruitment process, and better support your employees, the benefits of a helping hand in this arena may go further than you expect.
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How to Create Success by Playing by Your Own Rules
by Sharon Redd
According to the United Nations, women continue to earn around 20% less than their male counterparts. While the wage gap is closing in some countries, we, as women, can’t just sit around and wait for the men that make the decisions to change things. It is up to us to put ourselves in the position to be the decision-makers, and that begins by taking the reins of your career in your own hands and playing by your own rules.
A Conscious Decision
It's first important to understand that a growth mindset is needed to achieve everything you desire. It is simply not enough to believe in your current capabilities, you have to know in your heart that you can do more and be more.
It’s Time to Write Your CV
If you haven’t updated your resume and curriculum vitae while, now’s a good opportunity to do so. Not only will this showcase your strengths and successes to your employer, it will help you put your own value into perspective. You can use a template for a CV so that you can focus on the content and not the design. A template gives you access to plenty of different options, all you have to do is plug in your academic background, accolades, achievements and, if applicable, a photo.
Enter Into Entrepreneurship
If you truly feel stuck in a dead end at your job, now’s the time to start your own business. Begin by forming a private business, which involves choosing a business name and confirming you can register using that name. A private business can also protect your personal assets, but these protections as well as formation requirements are different from country to country. Use a formation service to save money instead of paying an attorney.
Learn to Manage Your Mental Health
Your mental health matters now more than ever, especially as we enter a new post-pandemic era where the world isn’t always certain. Asia Pacific Career Development Association offers many mental health webinars that address everything from trauma to stress management.
Celebrate Small Wins
As women in the workplace, our achievements are often overlooked. This is also true for those of us who chose to stay home and raise our families. But now’s the time to stand up to what MindBodyGreen calls your inner critic. Get rid of self-limiting beliefs, and, most importantly, don’t listen to what other people think.
Be Assertive
When you work in a male-dominated industry, you have to learn how to be assertive without being aggressive. Fortunately, there are several ways to do this, and it begins by forging one-on-one connections with your coworkers. You can also make your voice more heard by asking questions that naturally segue into your perspective. Avoid playing the blame game, and don’t accuse any particular coworkers of sexism, but don’t be shy about voicing your opinions and exerting your expertise in areas where it’s needed.
Fortunately, the gender pay gap does seem to be closing in many parts of the world. But it’s not closing quickly enough, and women are not always given the opportunities they deserve. Today, it’s time to play by your own rules. So, spruce up that CV, form your own business, prioritize your mental health, celebrate the small wins, and don’t be shy. Today’s the day that you take control of your present and future successes.
Sharon Redd created Live All the Way to help others live life to the ABSOLUTE FULLEST. She believes life all the way is a life with all the toppings! It’s ordering guacamole and queso at the restaurant. It’s wearing those bright pink shoes, no matter what anyone else thinks. It’s using your formal china for every meal and hugging your friends every time you see them. It’s eating ice cream for breakfast and so much more. Her goal, each and every day, is to live all the way and her mission is to help others do the same.
The Future of Jobs Report 2020 Preface
Reprinted from The Future of Jobs Report 2020 published by the World Economic Forum. The full report is available for download. After years of growing income inequality, concerns about technology-driven displacement of jobs, and rising societal discord globally, the combined health and economic shocks of 2020 have put economies into freefall, disrupted labour markets and fully revealed the inadequacies of our social contracts. Millions of individuals globally have lost their livelihoods and millions more are at risk from the global recession, structural change to the economy and further automation. Additionally, the pandemic and the subsequent recession have impacted most those communities which were already at a disadvantage. We find ourselves at a defining moment: the decisions and choices we make today will determine the course of entire generations’ lives and livelihoods. We have the tools at our disposal. The bounty of technological innovation which defines our current era can be leveraged to unleash human potential. We have the means to reskill and upskill individuals in unprecedented numbers, to deploy precision safety nets which protect displaced workers from destitution, and to create bespoke maps which orient displaced workers towards the jobs of tomorrow where they will be able to thrive. However, the efforts to support those affected by the current crisis lag behind the speed of disruption. It is now urgent to enact a Global Reset towards a socio-economic system that is more fair, sustainable and equitable, one where social mobility is reinvigorated, social cohesion restored, and economic prosperity is compatible with a healthy planet. If this opportunity is missed, we will face lost generations of adults and youth who will be raised into growing inequality, discord and lost potential. The Future of Jobs Report provides the timely insights needed to orient labour markets and workers towards opportunity today and in the future of work. Now in its third edition, the report maps the jobs and skills of the future, tracking the pace of change and direction of travel. This year we find that while technology-driven job creation is still expected to outpace job destruction over the next five years, the economic contraction is reducing the rate of growth in the jobs of tomorrow. There is a renewed urgency to take proactive measures to ease the transition of workers into more sustainable job opportunities. There is room for measured optimism in the data, but supporting workers will require global, regional and national public-private collaboration at an unprecedented scale and speed. The Platform for the New Economy and Society at the World Economic Forum works as a “docking station” for such collaboration on economic growth, revival and transformation; work, wages and job creation; education, skills and learning; and diversity, equity and inclusion. By leveraging this publication and other insights, the Platform supports a range of consortia and action coalitions, including the Reskilling Revolution Initiative to provide better jobs, skills and education to one billion people by 2030. We are deeply grateful to the New Economy and Society Stewardship Board members for their leadership of this agenda, to the over 100 partners of the Platform, and the expert guidance of Global Future Councils, the communities of Chief Economists, Chief Human Resource Officers, Chief Learning Officers and Chief Diversity Officers, and to a range of national ministries of economy, education and labour. We are also grateful to the many partners whose views created the unique collection of insights in this report. It presents the workforce planning and quantitative projections of Chief Human Resource and Strategy officers through to 2025, while also drawing upon the qualitative expertise of a wide range of World Economic Forum executive and expert communities. In addition The Future of Jobs 4 the report features unique data from LinkedIn, Coursera, ADP and FutureFit.AI, which have provided innovative new metrics to shed light on one of the most important challenges of our time. We would like to express our appreciation to Vesselina Ratcheva, Insights Lead; Guillaume Hingel, Insights Lead; and Sophie Brown, Project Specialist for their dedication to this report. We would also like to thank Ida Jeng Christensen, Eoin Ó Cathasaigh, Genesis Elhussein, Till Leopold and SungAh Lee for their support of this project at the World Economic Forum. Human ingenuity is at the root of all shared prosperity. As the frontier between the work tasks performed by humans and those performed by machines and algorithms shifts, we have a short window of opportunity to ensure that these transformations lead to a new age of good work, good jobs and improved quality of life for all. In the midst of the pandemic recession, this window is closing fast. Businesses, governments and workers must plan to work together to implement a new vision for the global workforce. Useful Infographics:
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The educationists today have more on their plates than they could ask for. Up till the pandemic, counselors still had the responsibility of keeping themselves abreast of the latest trends, but after two years of lockdown in which everything was online, the whole scenario changed and there has been more to learn than before. The global economy as well as career trends have changed.
Dr. Pooja Singh works as a Counselor in Saint Edmund's School, Jaipur, India. She has a doctorate degree in Commerce and has worked as an ELT trainer because of her passion for language. She has been in the Education fraternity for the past 19 years and believes she has evolved with the changes in the field and also looks forward to growing with it. She is a blogger, podcaster, and YouTuber. She is a counsellor by choice. She is a student enthusiast and has a penchant for working for the upliftment of the student communityReturn On Investment for Career Services
In business, an important term is “Return On Investment” (ROI). It means that we compare the cost of our work (salaries, facilities, computers, etc.) to the value they create and determine if the cost is providing a good return given the amount that has been invested. Often, in our field, returns are not easy to measure in hard currency. If we compare the cost if running an employment agency with the taxes paid by employed people who we helped to find jobs, that may convince government agencies that an employment agency is a valuable service. But how does a high school convince the school administrators to spend money on career counseling? How does a university career center convince the administration to spend money on a career center? How do private career counselors convince clients to pay for their services? Often, those services which do not have evidence of ROI get cut when budgets are tight. On September 15/16, the webinar “Measuring the Value of Career Services” will help us find ways to gather this valuable data. The data measuring our success can be used to convince others to fund our services and can also be used by us to determine which services are most successful and which services might need improvement. The exciting thing about this type of data is that it has tremendous value in guiding our efforts as well as convincing others or our value. Collecting this data can be one of the most beneficial parts of our work, helping us to understand our strengths, helping clients to value our services, and helping administrators to enthusiastically keep us funded. It takes time and effort to collect this data. Come to this webinar to find out why this time and effort may be the most valuable use of your time and may provide unimaginable paybacks.
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Many APCDA members work in a non-profit or social enterprise environment where doing good for others is its own reward. Our clients tell us how much our work means to them. That feels good. We know we are making the world a better place. Why should we take the time and effort to measure our success?
Career News by Scott DellWhat do you say when someone asks YOU for career advice, and possibly resources? Harvard Publishing has an answer! Professor Ralph Jagodka wrote a powerful article containing several amazing resources and answers to 7 key questions about seeking career opportunities that would help anyone looking to help others or even themselves. It can be found at https://hbsp.harvard.edu/inspiring-minds/what-to-do-when-students-ask-you-for-career-advice. If you are wondering why some folks are applying to 100’s (yes hundreds) of jobs online and getting 0 responses or offers, check out the 2022 Job Stats found at https://zety.com/blog/job-search-statistics. Highlights include “Less than 1% of candidates who apply for jobs through job boards and career sites are offered the position.” Also, “70% (according to Forbes) and 85% (according to LinkedIn) of jobs are NOT posted online.” This reinforces the NEED to effectively network – which is one of the reasons I wrote the book on LinkedIn ! Get news from Scott Dell directly at https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8952287/
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Conversations Do Matter!By Tam Nguyen
2 Conversations Matter events at APCDA – a great chance for professionals, practitioners, and researchers… in the career development field to get to know each other at a deeper level, to share personal stories and aspirations. We learn about our work. We share our mission. We hold each other accountable. It’s truly inspiring to see such a connected community we have at APCDA no matter how different our cultures, backgrounds and experience might be. 2 webinars on a very hot topic at CERIC: Building a bridge between employers and CDPs. Over 960 professionals attending proved how important we all know this relationship is. Both sides are sharing the same mission to make this world of work better. Yet somehow we all face challenges and opportunities when it comes to communicating with each other. A bridge can start with a conversation like this – the first step to creating a compound effect on career development and career wellbeing for all.
APCDA is building such a community for members from over 30 countries and our May 2022 conference is the best way to learn through conversations. Below are some conversation tips for first-time conference attendees to make the most out of it and bring home memorable moments: Before conference:
During conference:
After conference:
"Sometimes the greatest adventure is simply a conversation." - Amadeus Wolfe I wish you all a great experience and a successful conference this week.
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Conversation is our channel to learn, to connect, and to grow. It is social support that helps build the authentic connection we’re all craving. Technology facilitates conversation, at the same time makes it harder for a truly authentic connection to be nurtured. Yet if we choose the right community, we have the ability to trust, understand and support each other.Professional Direction: An Introduction to Mentorshipby Sharon Redd
Why Mentorship Mentors provide a number of key benefits that can provide long-term benefits for you in your career. The first of these relates to self-awareness - with experience in the same field, a mentor can view your work approach with objectivity and find areas for improvement that were otherwise unbeknownst to you. They can also help you to set and work towards the right goals that will result in your advancement. Best of all, someone of an elite status within the industry is likely to possess key, niche knowledge that is unavailable to others. Receiving the endorsement of someone with high status within your industry can be invaluable - mentors who are in leadership positions may be able to accredit your accomplishments and vouch for you when the time comes for a promotion. Finding Mentorship Ideally, you want a mentor who has followed and succeeded in a similar career path to your own. Finding this individual has been made easier by the advent of social media - Linkedin, for example, allows you to look at the career history of others so that you can gauge whether they’re an apt choice. There are also online platforms that streamline the process and link individuals from communities, helping you to network and find seasoned professionals. Beyond their professional history and reputation, you also want to find someone who has enough time on their hands to communicate regularly and who is located near enough that you can meet at a moment’s notice. Sometimes, even with similar professional backgrounds, a mentor and mentee don’t connect as people - it’s important that you find someone who you identify with in terms of personal values. Securing Mentorship The first and most important thing to consider when approaching others for mentorship is that securing a mentor is a privilege and not an entitlement. Successful professionals usually get where they are because they work hard and, for this reason, may not be able to share much of their time. To make your approach, remember to always be cordial and patient and avoid any pushiness. It will help if you have identified your career aspirations in a formal, structured manner with a plan of action for how to achieve your goals. You can use a free resume builder to refine your resume before meeting (these often have a library of professionally designed templates and allow you to add your own copy, photos, colors, and images). You should also aim to convey your expectations for the mentorship, including how often you’d hope to meet the person and the skills that you’d like them to help you develop. With transparency, you can avoid any unmet expectations and determine whether this is the right partnership for you both in the long term. The right mentor can often prove to be invaluable and it’s important to put time and effort into constructing meaningful relationships early on in your career. With the right network of experienced professionals, you’ll have access to more opportunities, exclusive knowledge, and support as you navigate the trickier decisions along the way. APCDA connects career development professionals who work in or are interested in the Asia Pacific region and provides a global forum for sharing career development ideas, research, and techniques that are effective in the Asia Pacific region. Join our upcoming Member Mentoring Webinar “Cultural and the Ethics of Providing Career Services” on June 13/14, 2022. More to come, subscribe to APCDA’s newsletter to stay updated: www.asiapacificcda.org Image by Pexels
Sharon Redd created Live All the Way to help others live life to the ABSOLUTE FULLEST. She believes life all the way is a life with all the toppings! It’s ordering guacamole and queso at the restaurant. It’s wearing those bright pink shoes, no matter what anyone else thinks. It’s using your formal china for every meal and hugging your friends every time you see them. It’s eating ice cream for breakfast and so much more. Her goal, each and every day, is to live all the way and her mission is to help others do the same.
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For anyone looking to move forward constructively in their career, finding a mentor should be a top priority. Mentors can help to improve your knowledge of your industry, identify goals, iron out bad habits and make the right choices but finding the right people is not always easy - here are some factors to consider.Starting Your Own Practice? Startup Costs You Might Missby Elena Stewart
Capital For Your Cash Conundrum If you find yourself struggling for cash, as many new entrepreneurs do, you have options. A few of these include:
The old saying, “It takes money to make money,” remains as true today as ever. Unfortunately, you may not always be prepared for the ways that you’ll have to spend. A good rule of thumb is to always expect the unexpected and know where your resources are at all times.
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Elena Stewart is a certified life coach specializing in the teachings of Brené Brown, Danielle LaPorte, and Marie Forleo. Through one-on-one coaching sessions and career mentoring, she helps women (and men!) like yourself jumpstart their careers. Are you ready to reach your full potential? If so, I’d love to hear from you! What Can APCDA Do for You?By Han Kok Kwang, Bestselling Author,1st Legacy Partner Lifetime Member of APCDA,& 1st NCDA Master Trainer in Asia
The next Conference would be in Hawaii in 2014. I booked my ticket early but I had no clue what to expect! On my flight to Hawaii, the #1 question on my mind: “What can APCDA do for me?” On the flight back, I was a changed person. I saw the people behind the association up close. I had so much fun interacting with and learning from them. They really care about people and career development. If you don’t know who they are, please go check out APCDA’s history! At the conference, I had the privilege of meeting the giants of the industry, like John Krumboltz (Happenstance Theory), JoAnn Bowlsbey (DISCOVER software), Richard Bolles (What colour is your parachute?), and Richard Knowdell (Knowdell card sorts), just to name a few. Though they have passed on, their legacy lives on. I also met fellow practitioners from so many places, like the US, China, Japan, Canada, Taiwan, Macau, Philippines, Korea, etc… They were a really fun bunch, especially “off Conference”! Coming from a super-efficient and results driven place like Singapore, it was a life changing experience. It was where you were treated as a human being, not a human doing. You are defined by your human qualities, not grades, position or station in life. Their sincere belief in your potential makes you feel that impossible is really nothing! I even had someone asking me, “Why do Singaporeans work so hard?” It was a major paradigm shift. You have to experience it to feel it! By the end of the Conference in Hawaii, it is no longer about what APCDA can do for me. Instead, it is what I can do for APCDA? Knowing that they were a “start-up” where resources were tight, that’s one reason why I signed up to be the 1st legacy partner lifetime member of APCDA. I also continued to partake in the annual APCDA conferences where possible, be it as a speaker, panellist or PDI instructor: 2016 – Taipei, Taiwan 2018 – Beijing, China 2019 – Ho hi Minh City, Vietnam 2021 - Virtual John F. Kennedy said, “For of those to whom much is given, much is required.” I’m privileged to have met the wonderful folks at APCDA. In the process, I have grown to be a much better career professional. I know I can count on them for whatever challenges that come my way, and vice versa. Thus, I’m donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale of my new book, “No Job? No Sweat!” in April 2022 to support APCDA scholarships. I’m doing this because what we do in life echoes in eternity. Whatever you give will return to you multi-fold, as long as it is unconditional giving. In case you are wondering why I am doing this, I’ve actually done this a few times. I have donated over $110,000 (with Government fund matching) to charitable causes in Singapore through my book sales. This is one of the secrets of the tycoons who seemed to get richer every year because givers gain. You may not know it now but your contribution can really make a difference to those who need it. Simply check out the testimonials of those who have benefited from APCDA’s scholarships. Talent may be equally distributed but opportunity is not. You now have the power to provide the opportunity. Pay it forward and help a fellow career practitioner today. All of us have a strong affinity for people. That’s why we are in this helping industry. Donate generously today and be informed on the latest know-how on the future of work in my new book, so that you can empower yourself, your students and your clients. Ask not what APCDA can do for you.
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Why Career Decision-making is so HardBy Tam Nguyen
You can find the link to Wayfinder here: https://ceric.ca/wayfinder Today I would like to pick my favorite tool I got from Wayfinder: Career decision-making difficulties questionnaires CDDQ (huji.ac.il) Why it’s important to understand why We can’t untangle the knot without checking tight clumps. We can’t help our clients to make their decision if we don’t understand what stands in the way. In one of the discussions with my clients, a young woman shared her stress working in a toxic environment and not knowing what to do next. She shared the pressure of making the right decision, the heaviness, anxiety, and fear she is having. Going deeper, it turned out she did have a solid idea of what she would like to do next, the only thing that blocks her way is the fear of judgment from her parents and society about leaving a government job. Another client shared that the transition was extremely difficult for them because they have no connections or experience in the new industry, and they worry if they can fit in with their current skills. One was simply a perfectionist and would love to procrastinate the decision-making until a full picture was painted. For each of those clients, the approaches will and should be different. And the tool from CDDQ.org will surely help practitioners to identify which difficulties the client is having so that we can tailor our approach. The questionnaire is designed to identify the cause of career decision-making difficulties. Then feedback and recommendations are provided. The tool categorizes causes into 3 main groups:
Within each main group, sub-groups are introduced based on if the issue is internal or external: should we help clients go over the self-discovery process, or should we focus more on guiding them toward resources and information? That question will be answered. Let’s go into detail for each sub-group: Lack of readiness due to lack of motivation The client is not willing to make the decision now. If you are a fan of Daniel Pink’s “Drive” book, you would recall that lack of motivation stems from a lack of one of 3 things: autonomy, mastery, and a sense of purpose (I have a brief summary here) Do clients feel like they have a choice and freedom to make their own decision? Do they feel trapped - that if they make the decision now, they can’t change later? Do they clearly see a purpose for making a decision about their career? Lack of readiness due to general indecisiveness Why are they hesitant? Is there any fear that blocks them from believing in their choice? Do they need support and affirmation from others to be certain about their decision? Finance is also a big factor that often causes hesitance. If it’s the case, help clients to get prepared for what they fear. We have an article by Tuan Anh Le on how to do it here. Lack of readiness due to limiting beliefs Do they believe that they have to live with their decision for the rest of their life? Do they believe that passion is the only factor of an ideal career? As a career practitioner, simply ask them to go deeper. Listen to their response to fully understand - not to find a solution – but to create a safe space for clients to share their thoughts and for us to learn what our clients truly believe without any judgment. Lack of information about the decision-making process, occupations, and additional resources This is where a career development practitioner can help to guide clients toward reliable resources and information. Our job here is to help them sort out only information that’s useful for them and not make them feel overwhelmed with too much information. Too much information can cause the decision-making to be much harder than it already is. Help them to understand the process of making a decision, to organize information, and to reach a conclusion in a step-by-step manor. Lack of information about the self Do clients really know what they want? Are they aware of their interest, aptitude, skills…? This is usually the core of current career development services. With so many tools, assessments and approaches developed solely for this, it definitely plays a significant role in our guidance process. However, from what we have seen so far in this article, assuming that this is the only challenge clients have and ignoring the rest will potentially derail us from the help our clients actually need. Inconsistent information due to unreliable information It could be self-knowledge, could be industry and occupation knowledge. Our job is to point out the contradictions or gaps if there are any. Do clients view themselves the way their colleagues, their friends view them? Do they have accurate information about what is required to get into that industry? Perhaps the client loves using a certain skill, but they believe they are not good at it. Is that belief true? Inconsistent information due to internal conflicts Do clients have multiple values that clash with each other? Do clients have a set of criteria that are seemingly impossible to fulfill? Help them to sort out “must-have” and “nice to have.” It’s important also to remind them to have an open mind and remain flexible. Inconsistent information due to external conflicts Do the desires of the client conflict with what their parents want? This can be a source of stress. How about their own definition of success versus society’s definition? Is what they think different from what their peers think? To sum up, I think it’s important to always listen wholeheartedly and be culturally sensitive. When we take time to learn about our clients’ backgrounds, we understand what’s most important and should be taken into account in their decision-making process. Only then do we know better how to help. On another note, News Committee is launching “Story Hub” - where we share life narratives, either from our personal experience or professional experience, and discuss how the interplay of cultures, backgrounds, etc. shapes our professional careers. More details can be found here.
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Teach Students Basic Personal Finance to Help Them Feel More Secure in their Careersby Tuan Anh Le
When it comes to personal finance, there are a lot of complicated terms and keywords like 401(k), credit, and mortgage - but everyone can start learning about personal finance by understanding these three simple steps. STEP 1: UNDERSTANDING Ask questions and keep a record of spending First, a person needs to understand his financial situation. You need to be able to answer questions like:
Then a person needs to know how much money he spent yesterday, on what. How much money did I spend last week? How much money did I spend last month, how much did I spend last year? We certainly cannot remember the details of each item without taking notes. So where are you recording your money right now? Currently, I am making daily spending records through the MoneyLover application, every time I spend a certain amount, I open this application to enter it. Taking notes with an application is more convenient than using your brain to remember. The convenience here is that at the end of the week or month, looking back, you will know which items you have spent, how many times spent on that item – all these things are recorded. Automation is very convenient. For example, when I look at a year ago, I see 60 spending items for KFC, 50 spending items for Texas Chicken - so I guess I ate 2 fried chicken meals a week on average, that's why my doctor told me that my blood fat is a bit high. When recording expenditures, there are also records of revenues. If you are a regular employee, you are likely to have only 1 fixed monthly income from the company. The question you might ask here is, are you satisfied with that income now? If not, what do you do next to increase this number? Suggest to the company to increase the salary, or do some other jobs to get more income (in the latter part of the article I will talk more about some of these jobs I am doing). Plan your spending Once you've gotten into the habit of recording your spending for about 3 months, you can start planning your next month's spending. People are busy talking about getting rich and investing, but in fact, the first thing you should do is keep the money you have. A month you spend less than you earn, so is progress on the path to getting rich. If, after looking at your recent spending months, you feel fine, keep spending. However, I guess most, like me, will find that they spend too much and waste too much. So the goal is that, next month, to spend less and save more. This is a good goal, but many people set the wrong goals. For example, if, for the past 3 months, you have spent 20 million each month, this month you could decide to only spend 10 million - that is not feasible. The most feasible path is to gradually decrease month by month, somewhere around 10-20% per month is very good. Last month you spent 20 million, this month determined to spend 18-19 million, so you are successful. When planning your spending, you need to list all the potential expenditures and estimate how the money will be spent in the next month. For example, here are the bills I usually pay each month, which you can refer to for yourself:
The above are the basic categories. There are other categories you might list, or combine. Once you've determined that you have a fixed amount of money each month, you can think of a few rules for how to divide it up accordingly. There are two easiest principles you can refer to.
I have a rule of thumb if you to rent a house, which is not to spend more than 30% of what I earn each month on housing. For example, if you earn 1500$ a month, you can spend up to 500$ on housing – this is a common principle in the context of personal finance. When you have planned a 1-month spending plan according to the items above, you can break it down into weeks. A month has 4-5 weeks. Set a fixed day every week and take 30 minutes to review whether you have followed the plan correctly. If there are any areas where you have overspent, see if those areas can be reduced next week. 2/ SAVING Once you understand and know how to plan according to the plan above, the next step is to plan on saving. As I said once above, we just have to worry about investing in what we do, getting rich in the other - but don't forget the generations of our grandparents and parents who know how to save money to buy a house, a car, and raise a family. So, in my opinion, before investing, know how to save. There are some saving principles that I am currently following and want to share with you.
If you've already made money and don't have either of the above funds, start by saving enough for those two funds and postpone enjoyment spending until you have built up those two funds. 3/ INCREASE YOUR INCOME Investing, I'm still learning, but I'm very familiar with having a lot of income sources. I myself am a person with many income sources. I want to share with you some guidelines for income that, no matter what profession you work in, you can use.
Above is a little sharing of personal experiences to help readers better improve money matters. Good luck.
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In career guidance, we often talk a lot about discovering strengths, passions, life values, and so on. The subject of money is rarely mentioned or discussed in a very confusing and complicated way. In fact, an individual who is strong in personal finance management skills can feel much more secure in career guidance, thereby spending more time exploring other topics. In this article, I want to share some personal finance basics so that career professionals can understand and talk to their clients about the topic.High-School Youth Building Projects to Win Internships
We want to thank the members of the PilotCity team and APCDA participants from all over the world for attending the webinar. Derick, a trained architect/entrepreneur, found what career specialist Jane Horan calls his "Genius Zone" by starting PilotCity and innovating the fabric of San Leandro, California – his hometown. Returning to his roots after college and a work-stint in placing USA university-bound international students into job-shadow programs in the USA, Derick Lee could see how the flow of talent out of his city of approximately 90,000 people led to stagnation. So, he set out to solve one of the most challenging problems of the small San Francisco Bay Area city near Silicon Valley by focusing on youth employment. One webinar participant chatted in agreement, “ My school district spends $130,000 US on one student’s education. After spending this amount of money and resources, we send them away to colleges. We then hope they come back, which they do not.” The six panelists included students Areeba Asaduzzaman and Eric Xie, two program alumni currently working for PilotCity. They each discussed their projects in the group “digital internships” inside significant companies and how they grew from that experience. The students hosted the discussion by asking provocative questions of the employers and teachers. Industry executives James Gardner from Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and Peter Tatischev, formerly from Uber and now working for Disney, provided detailed insights about their first reservations on hiring high schoolers. Although, at first, they both had doubts about managing the students' work-based internships, but they found that teachers provided terrific results interpreting the companies' requirements prior to the start of the project. After interfacing with local teachers to help guide the students, teachers provided project-based learning experiences in the classroom. This offered students new perspectives on what the companies needed to accomplish and motivated them to create solutions. Another example that makes PilotCity’s program work for employers is their efficient digital methodology of recruiting groups of students to match employer projects. This method streamlines and eliminates the traditional individual resume and hiring process. The students asked the two panelist educators, Jason Eber from Antioch High School, and Kristin Berbawy from Fremont High School, to explain how the PilotCity program works in their high school classrooms to help students prepare for the work-based internships. Both teachers confirmed the power of working directly with the companies. For example, Ms. Berbawy remarked that the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory brought real-life science problems into her engineering classroom. Executives came to schools to give lectures and talk about the skills needed in the workforce. While she had to accept the chaotic environment since students worked on different projects, the interaction with industry folks before the project begins gave the students a sense of purpose. And in the case of Uber, the transportation projects led to unique solutions the students produced proved to be valid for businesses outside of the taxi services. Mr. Eber hoped that many more of his students from economically challenged homes could get even more help from local industries because they were desperate to find meaningful work. The public school system transformed many students by increasing motivation for group internships that faced real-world problems. Although lacking confidence at first, many students begin to feel inspired to learn skills like taking risks, collaborating with others on a meaningful project, and talking directly to industry executives. The challenges among all six panelists included students learning to communicate with each other. For example, some students had very fixed mindsets with difficulties accepting criticism or even comments about their work, which leads to conflict and, hopefully, self-growth. Additionally, the key employers had to learn how to plan and manage the internship process; with extended deadlines, employers found they could give the student group the same pressure as they usually would with full-time employees and keep elevating expectations. In summary, PilotCity helps fuel meaningful, digital internships through students learning to communicate with each other and having opportunities to talk with adults such as crucial employers. Additionally, employers collaborate with teachers to create more extended deadlines for projects, giving the student group pressure. Students showed their absolute commitment and skills when doing their work – they made sure to get the job done and exceeded expectations. And finally, employers do more projects with PilotCity once as they understand how smart, willing, and ready high school students are for the new frontiers of the unknown, post-COVID workforce. Derick ended the online seminar with a lively demonstration of his onboarding flow-chart showing a range of all projects, how companies can sign up for a digital internship project and how interns can access that information and apply. One Webinar participant asked, “Is PilotCity open for only US students?” PilotoCity is open to working with APCDA members to see how these services can help in other countries. The employment services are ideal for high school, vocational education, and college students. If interested, please contact PiltoCity and Derick Lee directly at: https://www.calendly.com/dericklee/60minteam
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On March 22/23. 2022, PilotCity CEO Derick Lee and six panelists from the program provided a dynamic online seminar for APCDA members: High-School Youth Building Projects to Win Internships. Career Satisfaction for Multi-passionate PeopleBy Tam Nguyen
What is a multi-passionate person? Multi-passionate personality is more common than ever before, however the term is quite misleading. It doesn’t mean the person has a lot of passions, rather it describes people juggling with some different interests, often unrelated. They have a wide range of interests, skills and usually have trouble settling down with just one. It’s the main reason why others might label them as confused, lack of commitment, indecisive. Why do multi-passionate people struggle with choosing a career? It’s quite hard for someone non multi-passionate to understand people who experience that. Outsiders might say “Lucky you, you have many options to choose from. Just commit with one and stop using it as an excuse for procrastination”. It’s unfortunately not that simple. The paradox of choice you might know. Professor of psychology Barry Schwartz named two consequences when people have many options “paralysis instead of liberation- with so many options to choose from, people find it very difficult to choose at all; unsatisfaction and regret of the choice being made – what if the one I didn’t choose is better?” When you have 6 jams and 24 jams to try and buy, which case do you think people will actually buy the product after trying? A famous jam study from Professor Sheena Iyengar Columbia Business School suggested that in the first case, 13% of shoppers will end up buying a jam; the second scenario only 3%. Just to be clear I’m not trying to compare between buying a jam vs choosing a career, but I hope you get my point. When people have many interests, choosing just one might make them feel like they have to give up the rest. Indeed, they quite struggle to set up a proper career path and build commitment around it just because juggling different interests is usually what brings them joy and a sense of fulfillment. It’s what they value in their life and potentially career. Society is part of the struggle as well when optimization means a specialist nowadays is more appreciated than a generalist. The lack of cross-department tasks, unfortunately, kills creativity and exposure space for multi-passionate people, leading to their confusion of value they can contribute and career dissatisfaction. Two types of multi-passionate people A multi-passionate personality can turn a person into either a powerful or confused career designer. A powerful one is when the person gains self-knowledge. They understand what they are looking for in the job, what’s most important to them, what is need to be met. By doing that they make sure they don’t neglect any hobbies/interests that nurture their souls and their authenticity. A powerful multi-passionate person will know what is the best way to balance all interests and give them room to be nurtured. A confused person doesn’t realize they have advantages, that they are multipotentialite (another name for multi-passionate people). In other words, they don’t see it as a strength so they never embrace the trait and let it shine. Juggling many interests means their energy can get drained easily, they get distracted often and find it hard to make a commitment. They will unconsciously try out a lot of things at once and give up before any hypothesis has been tested properly. A great lesson from a powerful multi-passionate person, self-knowledge and self-esteem is the key. A mindset to start designing a satisfying career for multi-passionate people Strength vs weakness Once people start to embrace multi-passionate personality as their companion, their strength, it will start serving its role. If they consider it as their enemy, it has no choice to play an evil role it has been assigned. Multiple lives vs one life Confused people are so caught up in the idea that we only have one life to live, meaning what we choose today will decide what we do for the rest of our life. Saying it out loud perhaps help them to realize it’s nonsense. A press release by BLS even though limited to a small subset of the population, revealed that individuals held an average of 12.4 jobs from ages 18 to 54. What we do today doesn’t decide what we do 10 years from now. Keep an open mind and instead of just thinking one lifetime, how about multiple lives? We always have a chance to creatively write a new chapter of our life every day. Life is nonlinear It’s never a straight line when we describe life. That’s what makes it worth living. It’s okay for us to try, to test and then if we see turning left seems wrong, we stop and be happy that now we know what would be the right direction. 3 ways to achieve career satisfaction as a multi-passionate person Having experience with quite some multi-passionate clients (myself included), I notice there are 3 ways we can help those people gain a sense of fulfillment: Umbrella: some interests and hobbies seem unrelated on the surface, but if we help them to think out of the box, dots start to be connected and we might find many cool combinations among those interests. Who knows, people might give birth to innovative ideas for current world challenges, or create a new industry/new position that has not yet been born. Job and side hustle: they might have jobs that have nothing to do with their interests but help them pay the bill. If the job brings them the security or advancement that’s part of their career values, why not go ahead. But make sure they have time and work-life balance to tap into other interests outside their working schedule. As long as people don’t sacrifice their career values and authenticity, career happiness can still be achieved in this case. Turn one interest into a passion: To turn one interest into a passion and grow a career with it, people have to make sure they prepare themselves with dedication, devotion, and determination. And never forget to book some time for other interests. Interests feed the souls of multi-passionate people, so avoid neglecting them which can further cause burnout and unfulfillment. Considering those 3 ways is not an either/or but different strategy. We can help clients try different ways in different stages of their life. But before starting to design appropriate strategies, help clients to learn about themselves first. Take-away message I constantly mention the importance of self-knowledge before designing a career and this is no exception. The very first step is to help multi-passionate people gain access to their self-knowledge. A person who values financial stability over creative freedom might find a stable well-paid position, even though it couldn’t provide room to express themselves creatively, still worth pursuing. They can then find an outlet for their creativity outside the office. Or they might talk to their boss to see if they can utilize the current environment to activate their creative stimulation. There is no one size fits all, but if we take time to attentively listen to clients and help them to listen to themselves, career satisfaction is within reach. Reference
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As a multi-passionate person myself and working with multi-passionate clients who struggle to achieve fulfillment at work, I started to collect all pieces and put together what I have learned to help them happier with their careers.Finding a Good Job: A Case StudyA composite case study that embeds eight key principles and practices.
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Here is a first-person report that's a composite of my clients' experiences. It embeds eight key principles, practical and psychological, for landing a good job. After, I call those out.
Hello, my name is Jeremy.Succeeding in Your First Professional JobA case study with four embedded practices.
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It’s me again, Jeremy.Work as a Way to Heal YourselfFinding well-suited work and the motivation to pursue it.By Dr. Marty NemkoReprinted by permission of Dr. Nemko from Psychology Today
Many people find that well-suited work not only provides money and meaning, but it also heals. The right work for you Here are four relatively easy approaches to finding well-suited work:
Gaining the motivation to search with vigor Especially if you’ve been away from the workforce for a while, fears can build up: Will I fail? Have I lost it? If I go back to work, I’ll have to change so much. Might any of the following help? No need for drastic action. Just dip your toe in the water: browse the ads, chat with a trusted friend, or write the job description of your dreams. Sometimes, low-risk action is enough to increase your motivation to do more. Write your resume/LinkedIn profile. It’s easy to think that you bring little to the table. But many of my clients have found that writing their resumé reminds them of their value. That’s because it forces you to think hard about what you’ve done in your previous jobs, school, and volunteer work. Get a goal partner. Some people do well to have a check-in partner: perhaps a friend who has some goal: to lose weight, stop abusing a substance, or yes, find good work. You might want to check in with each other daily by email, phone, Zoom, or in person. The takeaway The Buddha said, “Foolish people are idle, wise people are diligent.” That may be a bit extreme but a possible healer for what emotionally ails you is to follow Eleanor Roosevelt's summative advice on work: “It is not more vacation we need — it is more vocation.”
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"Work is almost the best way to pull oneself out of the depths." –Eleanor Roosevelt