How To Break Into A New Workplace Socially

Posted on September 22, 2021September 21, 2021 by outcomeweb

How To Break Into A New Workplace Socially

Starting a new job can be stressful, especially if it’s your first job out of university. You may feel nervous about being the new person in the office or worried that your questions will bother your supervisor or co-workers. Maybe you’re feeling afraid of criticism, delaying other people’s work, or being considered incompetent.

One of the most common anxieties when starting a new job is what co-workers will think of you, whether you’ll be included, and how you can get socially involved in your new workplace. As a fresh graduate who has recently experienced the same situation, I’m going to share with you some tips to help you overcome the stress and quickly adapt to your new environment.

1. Normalise Your Fear and Relax

New is scary, but it is normal. Everyone gets worried or stressed about the unknown, not just you. From a psychological point of view, “fear” is the emotion we experience when we sense a risk. But don’t worry, engaging with new colleagues isn’t life-threatening!

When I first started at my new job, I challenged the fear I was feeling and asked myself “what’s the worst that could happen?” When I thought about it that way, I realised that someone telling me one of my ideas was stupid was unlikely, and even if it did happen, I could change the way I received that feedback.

My suggestion is to encourage yourself to face up to your current situation and reframe it. Tell yourself, “If I ask this question, it might open my mind and get clarification” instead of “I might get scolded or look silly if I ask this question.”

2. Mind Your Body Language

If you strike up a conversation with a co-worker, they’ll pay more attention to your body language and tone than the actual words you say. In fact, research shows that your body language makes up about 55% of your communication, tone of voice 38% of your communication, and words only 7% of your communication to other people.

So if you want to get socially involved in your new workplace – relax. Loosen your shoulders. Say hello to people like you would to your friend. If you can feel your body tensing up, roll your shoulders, take a deep breath, and smile.

3. Remember Why You’re Here

There’s a good chance that the fear of your new work environment has made you forget how happy you were when you got the job. So, always remind yourself why you are here. You’re at your new workplace because you were selected – among all the dozens of applicants – as the best person for the job.

Share that excitement and passion with your new co-workers. Show them what you can do and don’t be shy to use “work talk” as an icebreaker. It gives people around you context and a view into your style. A bit of personal background information helps co-workers get to know you more, which is a good step to belonging socially to a new workplace.

4. Introduce Yourself

Introducing yourself is the best way to make a good first impression for people to remember you. Take the initiative to meet your new co-workers. Say hello in the elevator, kitchen, or hallway. If your colleague invites you to lunch, say yes and take the opportunity to get to know them better.

If you’re working remotely, schedule 15 minutes with a new colleague every week on Zoom or Google Meet. Start with your supervisor and the people in your team, and over time you can start seeking out one-on-ones with co-workers in different parts of the business. People love to talk about themselves and their experiences, so if you’re shy, all you need to do is sit back and smile while the other person does all the talking. Better still, you’ll become known as the office’s social butterfly!

As you become familiar with your colleagues, they’ll be happy to help you when you need it. Make sure you return the favour and help others as well. Your co-workers will love this new professional who is willing to collaborate and helps others with enthusiasm.

5. Learn The Company Culture

No matter the size of your new company, every organisation has its own rules and regulations. They have their own acronyms, language, and jokes. Most of these rules and behaviours are unspoken, so look out for social cues and be patient while you learn the way things work.

As a new team member, don’t be afraid to ask questions – how to ask for leave, where the best places to park are, when to use Slack versus email, and who the “class clown” is. This is one of the quickest ways to learn and gives you an excuse to talk to your co-workers. (This is especially helpful if you need a segway into more conversational topics.) With these things in mind, you can develop a basic sense of what behaviours are acceptable and expected in your new workplace, so you can quickly fit into the corporate environment.

So next time you’re diving into a new workplace, don’t be afraid of getting involved with your new colleagues – get excited! Remind yourself that fear is normal, your body language speaks volumes, you’re here for a reason, introducing yourself shows confidence, and take the time to learn your new company culture.

Do you have any tips for socially connecting in a new workspace? Tell us about it on LinkedIn, just tag us in the post so we can have the conversation together!

Shan Jiang is a Social Media Marketing Intern at Outcome.Life where she helps create content to empower better employability outcomes for international students and provide host companies with diverse and passionate interns. An international student herself, Shan is a bilingual content creator.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Benefits For Your Career Through Volunteering

Posted on September 2, 2021September 16, 2021 by outcomeweb

Benefits For Your Career Through Volunteering

Volunteering Can Accelerate Your Career

Have you been looking for ways to increase your chances of getting a job? Are you a first-time job seeker or new to a profession?

You should know that volunteering can help you in many ways, personally and professionally. Mentioning your volunteering efforts on your resume and LinkedIn profile will increase your chances of getting a job drastically. Let’s break this down further.

Employers Value Strategic Volunteering As Work Experience

Most employers value volunteering in a related professional environment as real-world work experience. For example, if you studied management and you are organising your sports club on a voluntary basis, this will count as experience even though it isn’t a paid job.

Therefore, make sure you mention it in your resume and LinkedIn profile!

Just as important as the experience from volunteering are the soft skills you gather through volunteering. Voluntary work also demonstrates your values by doing something for someone in need without asking for something in return!

Volunteering shows that you have a great level of commitment, dedication, social responsibility and motivation. Your potential employer will value these personality traits highly.

Some Skills You Might Gain During Strategic Volunteering

Volunteering will boost your confidence, as well as give you opportunities to develop and refine your skills. This could be your soft, technical, or transferable skills.

When volunteering, you most likely will speak in front of a crowd eventually. Even if it’s just a group of friends, you will practice public speaking as well as your presentation skills. Make sure you mention these skills that you’ve developed in your next job interview!

Depending on what type of volunteering you are doing, you can gain technology skills, knowledge about how to use social media in a business context, project management skills (for example, when you are organising the next sports event), training and leadership skills, and many more.

By choosing a specific area of volunteering, you can gain any desired professional skill.

You Will Meet New People Through Volunteering

#Networking: If you have been following us even for a short time, you have probably heard about the importance of networking!

By extending your social network, you are gaining new potential business relations at the same time. A senior sportsman who you are organising an event with might be your next employer or refer you to your next employer.

You will meet many people with different networks when volunteering. One day they might find you your next job!

Determine Your Personal Career Goals Through Volunteering

Is your dream to work on the management level of one of the big companies? If so, have you tried managing even a small project?

When volunteering, you have a low to no pressure environment to try out new things. You may also discover you enjoy working for a small non-profit organisation way more than working for a big static company.

Do you enjoy delegating and managing tasks for other people or do you rather complete tasks yourself? Also, do you rather work on your own or as part of a team?

You can answer all these questions and more by gathering experience through volunteering. And no doubt, you will need to know what makes you enjoy work the most at some point soon!

If you are already volunteering, make sure to mention your volunteering activities in your resume, LinkedIn profile and at your next job interview! If you are not, now it’s time to consider volunteering. You may be part of a club already that needs help in an area where you want to gather experience. Otherwise you may want to volunteer at the next Rotary event in your area or find another purpose that your heart beats for.

If you’re struggling finding a job, start volunteering now!

Leonie is our Content Coordinator where she helps create content to empower better employability outcomes for international students and provide host companies with diverse and passionate interns.

Once an international student herself, Leonie is a bilingual content creator who also enjoys playing the Australian sport, polocrosse (a mix of polo and lacrosse).

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Developing Professional Email Etiquette

Posted on August 4, 2021August 25, 2021 by outcomeweb

Developing Professional Email Etiquette

Email is an important communication tool in our modern age, especially in professional settings. So, if you think it doesn’t matter how email is formatted, think again!

Fundamentally, an email is a formal method of communication. An email can be the first impression you make on a recruiter, a colleague, or a professional contact in your industry. Therefore, it’s essential that you develop good email etiquette so that the message you send matches your intention.

Here is a handy checklist you can follow to ensure that your emails are written to impress!

1. Create A Professional Email Address

Let’s face it – we all have those old, quirky email addresses we created in high school to sound cool. Although dragonslayer564@xyz.com might fly in World of Warcraft, an email from this address is destined to crash land straight into spam folders!

A combination of your first and last names with a symbol works best (e.g. mick.smith@gmail.com or mick_smith@hotmail.com). You may use a number only if all other email combinations are taken. This ensures that you come across professionally and your recruiter or future employer remembers who you are when you send them an email.

2. Use “Reply-All”

Get into the habit of checking who has been copied into your emails. You may be communicating primarily with a single person, but if they’ve copied their colleagues into the email, there is a high likelihood that those people have some involvement in your recruitment process or professional projects. When you respond to that email, use the reply-all function to avoid leaving the copied colleagues out of the conversation.

That being said, don’t spam everyone when there is no need to. If you have a question regarding an email that was addressed to all staff, don’t reply to everyone in that list! Use your best judgement and always double-check before you send.

3. Use A Clear Subject Line

A subject line is the first thing that people read when an email lands in their inbox. It needs to reflect the contents of the email accurately so that the receiver can anticipate exactly what it contains. You can scan the body of your drafted email for keywords and use them coherently in the subject line. Make sure the subject line is limited to six or seven words, otherwise it will disappear from the inbox view.

Another tip: Capitalise the First Letter of Important Words.

4. Include Polite Salutations

An email is a professional piece of communication that is specifically and purposefully written for the receiver. To honour this, start your email with a polite greeting for the receiver (e.g. Dear , Hi ). Writing an email without a salutation is akin to answering the phone without saying “hello”.

It is also important to end your emails with a salutation. Depending on your audience, you may use ‘Kind regards’, ‘Thanks and regards’, ‘Cheers’, etc. followed by your name to sign off your email.

5. Proofread Your Email Before You Hit Send

“Typos! Who cares? Everyone knows we’re busy; they’ll understand what I mean!”

Sure, I understand your argument. But remember the point we mentioned about making impressions? You certainly won’t be making a good impression if your email is full of typos and the quality has not been checked before sending it out. Turn your spell-checker on in your email settings and your computer will do the proofreading for you! This is an easy problem to fix and it should take only a few seconds to glance over your email before you hit send.

Get Emailing!

So, there you go! All you need to do now is remember these five tips to write smart, professional, and well-formatted emails. If you need more tips on how to be professional on your resume or LinkedIn, register for a free coaching session with one of our consultants. Good luck!

Swathi Stirling is part of the placement team at Outcome.Life in which she talks to new students and host companies every day about the importance of work-integrated learning. Once an international student herself, she is passionate about connecting with international students and sharing with them how she navigated the same path and kickstarted her career. She also loves creative writing.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Emoji Etiquette In The Workplace

Posted on July 14, 2021July 26, 2021 by outcomeweb

Emoji Etiquette In The Workplace

Is It Okay To Use Emojis At Work?

Emojis are everywhere these days. Most commonly, you’ll see them in text messages or social media posts, but you can also find them in public bathrooms, asking for a rating of cleanliness. You can’t hide from them in today’s world.

But are emojis appropriate to use at work? Opinions are split, but based on this survey of 560 individuals, the majority of workers find emojis appropriate if used thoughtfully!

In general, young professionals use emojis and find them appropriate and even value adding at work, while older professionals tend to find emojis inappropriate in the workplace. So how can you decide when emojis are appropriate?

“It Makes Everything Easier.”

Using symbols and images to communicate has been popular throughout human history – just think of hieroglyphics! This is not without reason. Emojis provide a simplified way to communicate. Everyone can understand images and therefore emojis. It doesn’t matter which language you speak or what cultural background you have – a smiling face means the same thing everywhere.

Using emojis, you can better illustrate your message in the context or tone of voice you mean. Sometimes it might not be easy to express your feelings about something. But if you add the right emoji, your concern may be better understood. Especially if English is not your native language, it can be quite helpful at times to add a matching emoji so that your message is understood the right way.

“Using Emojis In The Workplace Makes Work More Fun.”

Many people use emojis to lighten the mood of conversations and to show their support to others. This is backed up with the research finding that 81% of people believe that people who use emojis are friendlier and more approachable.

When you see an emoji in your messages, it can lift your mood and make the whole day seem brighter. Especially if you’re working from home with less personal interactions, this can improve the experience of a normal work day drastically.

When Can You Use Emojis?

Now, you probably wouldn’t use emojis in your email response to the HR team who is still chasing documents for your contract. And you shouldn’t.

But you certainly can use emojis at work, if you consider who you are talking to, what platform you are on, and if there are guidelines within your company for the use of emojis.

Know Your Audience

Not everyone receives emojis the same way. As mentioned earlier, many older professionals (45+ years) will avoid using emojis, while most young professionals won’t mind or may even appreciate you using emojis. Having said that, many working professionals in their 60s will regularly use a ‘thumbs up’ emoji in response to certain emails.

You should consider who will see your message: Is there any chance that a customer could see the email that you’re typing later on? Are you talking to a group of people where you don’t know every person very well? In these cases, you should avoid using emojis.

If you are communicating with team members who you are close with or you know they are comfortable using emojis, you can of course use them. Still, you should ‘season’ your message with an emoji or two, not drown it with hundreds of emojis. Use them at a reasonable rate. Always make sure every emoji is used in a clear, understandable context.

Check Your Platform

Not every platform is suitable for emojis. While you can send as many emojis as you like to your teammate on Slack or any other instant messaging tool that your company uses, you should reconsider using emojis in a run-of-the-mill project update email.

Typically, the more formal the communication, the less emojis. If in doubt, less (or none at all) is best.

Consider Others’ Perspectives

Always consider how others could interpret the emojis you’re using. You might be thanking a colleague for his great work with an emoji blowing a kiss. But the recipient could interpret this as flirting and consider it inappropriate.

Therefore, before sending an emoji, always think about how the person receiving your message may interpret it. If you’re not sure which emojis are appropriate to use in the workplace, the ‘smiling’ and ‘thumbs up’ emojis should be your bread and butter.

Using emojis at work can be great, as long as you always consider three things: Your audience, your platform, and potential interpretations. But don’t let that stop you from brightening up your colleagues’ day with some appropriate emojis! 🌞

Leonie Schaefer is a Social Media Marketing Intern at Outcome.Life where she helps create content to empower better employability outcomes for international students and provide host companies with diverse and passionate interns. An international student herself, Leonie is a bilingual content creator who also enjoys playing the Australian sport, polocrosse (a mix of polo and lacrosse).

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Dear Intern, Love Shan

Posted on July 6, 2021July 26, 2021 by outcomeweb

Dear Intern, Love Shan

From An Intern To an intern

If you’re reading this, you should start your career planning if you haven’t already. Maybe you’re a university student and your timetable is filled with various group projects and job hunting workshops from your university career hub. Maybe you’ve just graduated or are about to graduate. Either way, you will be grateful for planning your career at this early stage.

If you haven’t considered an internship before or if your last internship was not perfect, I’d encourage you to consider one with Outcome.Life. Internships are made for you to learn from your experience. This is your chance to explore another avenue, go on an adventure, and learn more. No matter what stage you are at, I hope you will have a meaningful and valuable internship and learn from the experience like I have from mine.

Welcome To The Post-University And Post-Covid World

Welcome to this new world with no more case studies! You will no longer need to write a report for Virgin’s top management to analyse their last year’s financial report. Everything here is real. The social copy you write will be posted on social media and the brochure you design will be used for real. Isn’t that cool?

Welcome to this new world with no more printing paper copies and setting up your desk each morning. You won’t need to fetch coffees for everyone or clean up meeting rooms like interns in the movies do.

Covid has changed how we work. Everything is done online. I’m not surprised when my supervisor tells me that she has never met with a colleague in our team, even though they have worked together for months. As an intern, this remote environment means that you need to learn how to use and be familiar with workplace communication and document sharing software like Zoom, Slack, and Google Drive.

You will have to learn to adapt to a new way of working. You won’t have a colleague sitting next to you. No coworkers in the same office to share lunch with. But you can work at your own pace and share your office with your pets, as long as you get the job done!

Yes! Coffee Break!

If you are in the CBD or at a university, you will often see a group of people chatting together with cups of coffee in their hands. Yes, coffee breaks are part of Australian culture. People drink coffee together, chat and share interesting information. If you’re a new intern, your team may invite you to join so you can get to know each other.

Such social activities can enhance the understanding between colleagues, which is a very important part of networking.

Don’t worry: You will not miss out on such social activities just because it’s a remote internship!

Every week, my supervisor schedules me to have a one-on-one coffee catch up with one of our team members. It usually takes about 20 minutes and helps us get to know each other better. This is on top of attending our team meeting every morning. Everyone is friendly and willing to help. Thanks to meeting all these people everyday, I don’t feel like I’m working on my own and really I am not.

I’ve had one-on-one coffee meetings with team members who look like geniuses when presenting in meetings. Through conversations I have with them, I learn that they started as interns – just like me! Thanks to this insight, I feel more part of the team.

The experiences and advice colleagues share with you in these meetings are invaluable.

Take It As An Adventure

My internship is an adventure for me. It gives me the opportunity to figure out what kind of career I want to strive for. Being an intern is a great way to get exposure to a potential career without having to commit to it in the long run.

As an intern at Outcome.Life, I am responsible for marketing our MentorMatch program. My job includes planning the social media marketing calendar, writing social copy, conducting research, editing images, and even getting involved in team brainstorming and strategic meetings. Because of these tasks during my internship, I’ve realised that I see a career for myself in social media marketing. What I didn’t know before: I like the design side of marketing – and I’m actually not bad at it! I love the kind of job that allows me to be creative.

Take this as an adventure to explore yourself and what you want for your career. Maybe you’ll realise that it’s not quite what you’d like to do and that’s fine, too. You’ve been given the chance to explore another avenue, go on another adventure, and learn more.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Top Employability Skills You Need To Develop

Posted on June 16, 2021August 4, 2021 by outcomeweb

Top Employability Skills You Need To Develop

Transferable Skills: Independent From Any Profession

In today’s ever changing job environment, employers are focusing on transferable skills: Skills employees can use in almost any role. For example, time management is important in every job – a waitress needs time management skills as much as a manager does. If your role happens to change within the organisation over time but you have a good set of transferable skills, your employer can still rely on you in a different position.

Combined with good profession-specific skills, transferable skills will make you stand out from the mass of applicants. So make sure you are aware of yours, so you can advertise and use them.

Let’s talk about some important transferable skills that you should develop if you don’t have them already.

Adaptability

Since today’s work environment is continuously changing, no one can afford to stand still. Technology, industries, and market trends – everything is changing permanently. If you can show employers that you can adapt to these changes, you are increasing your value drastically.

If you are adaptable, your employer will be able to shift you into another role when necessary. They know you can upskill to stay on top of industry trends and changes relevant to your function and industry.

You may have to demonstrate your adaptability in a job interview. In this case you should be able to talk about recent courses or self-learning you have completed to widen your skill set. If you already have work experience, describe situations from previous roles where you had to show adaptability.

Analytical Thinking

Today’s businesses are about being economic, which relates to figures, so it is important to be able to analyse data. Numbers are one of the fundamentals of business decisions. While computers and programs can analyse data, the interpretation is still up to us – the humans. To increase efficiency and return on investment (ROI), you need to have a handle on analytical thinking. Be prepared to explain to potential employers how you have impacted business with your analytical skills before. Explain a situation where you had to fulfill an analytical task, and what activity you performed to achieve which specific result.

A Proactive Approach

Businesses are becoming more agile to adapt quickly or move before the market changes. This requires employees to be proactive and share their ideas.

To demonstrate your proactiveness, you need to be able to outline situations you have been in, as well as their challenges and what you did to overcome these challenges.

Empathy

Today’s consumers are used to unlimited access to information thanks to technology. They are seeking swift, seamless, personalised service. Ideally 24/7. To serve these needs, businesses are realising human-centred company design methods. These ensure the inclusion of the customer as a centre of business processes, products, and services. Empathy is required from all employees to understand your customer’s perspective.

Resilience

Today’s pace of work creates challenges which have to be approached with experimentation. Experimentation, aiming to find the best way to overcome these new challenges. For example, how to serve a newly established customer need. If you’re conducting experiments, you will soon find that you’ll be confronted with failure. Dealing with failure and being able to learn from it takes resilience. This is why employers are searching for employees with this skill. At your next job interview, be prepared to describe how you have effectively managed significant changes in previous workplaces.

More Transferable Skills

Time management, financial management, creative thinking… The list goes on. There are plenty of transferable skills that are good for you to develop. Start by growing in some of the areas we’ve talked about and continue on from there. If you’re feeling stuck, or want some support, check out some of our employability training.

Leonie Schaefer is part of the Marketing Team at Outcome.Life. As Content Coordinator she plans and creates content to empower better employability outcomes for international students and provide host companies with diverse and passionate interns. Leonie used to be an international student herself, therefore she is a bilingual content creator who also enjoys playing the Australian sport, polocrosse (a mix of polo and lacrosse).

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

How Important Is Social Presence As A Graduate?

Posted on June 2, 2021October 12, 2021 by spc@outcome.life

How Important Is Social Presence As A Graduate?

Wish This Blog Post Were A Video? Click Here.

Should I Be More Present On Social Media? Yes, Absolutely!

If you haven’t heard, LinkedIn is the new Facebook for professionals. You may still get the odd cat or pet lizard photo, but the animals are in a home office!

For years, I thought LinkedIn was only helpful in maintaining connections with people you previously knew in a professional capacity. Only after I moved to Australia did I realise how effective a tool it is for creating future opportunities and employability pathways within and outside your chosen industry. It’s modern-day online networking. You know someone through someone and one day a connection offers you a job!

For that connection to vouch for you and offer you a job, you need to ensure you are present and active on social media. We live in a well connected yet remote world. (Thanks, COVID-19.) The connections you make physically or virtually can propel you a long way. So, how do you go about creating your presence?

Consider Yourself an Asset

You are the most valuable currency an organisation has. If you value yourself and build your profile on social media, companies will see your worth and want you as their professional asset. The more you increase your value and profile, the more you get paid and the more companies can’t live without you. Make yourself an acquisition rather than an employee.

Build your Network and Foster Relationships

The days of fishing out business cards and collecting them are gone! When you attend networking events these days, the thing people fish out of their bags and pockets is a phone.

Connections are directly made on LinkedIn so your profile photo and details reminds everyone of you – the person they had a conversation with.

Another important thing to note is to ADD A NOTE when you send your connection request to people on LinkedIn. Personalising your message to future connections makes you memorable for those connections. In this fast-paced world, it can be difficult to remember every person we meet. Sending them a nice, personalised message helps to jog their memory of you and reminds them of what you both have in common.

Be Engaging

According to LinkedIn Jobs statistics, 94% of recruiters globally use LinkedIn to vet a job applicant. Even if you send out the best personalised email to a recruiter, they will still look you up on social media to gauge how engaged you are with the industry. You need to stand out from the crowd by actively interacting with other professionals on social media platforms.

Check out what your favourite companies are doing – follow their initiatives, like their posts, comment creatively and positively on their endeavours. All of this active engagement commits your name to their memory. So when you seek a job from them, they see your initiative, hard work, and determination. If they are unable to offer you a job, they’ll be determined to connect you with someone else who can because they see your value.

Be Curious

Employers love people who grow and change with the times. Showing them you are interested in learning gives them confidence that you can grow their business and yourself.

There is so much to learn from other professionals on LinkedIn. A social media post unrelated to your specific industry can still spark ideas and bestow you with skills that can be transferred to your industry. Joining professional groups on LinkedIn or Facebook can keep you current on the latest industry trends. Invest in self-learning, improve your knowledge and skills base, and be your best professional self!

You can learn more about developing your LinkedIn presence by joining our free workshop.

The professional world is a large place but you can make it smaller through your connections on social media.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Sports: An Easy And Fun Way To Connect In A New Country

Posted on May 26, 2021May 27, 2021 by spc@outcome.life

Sports: An Easy And Fun Way To Connect In A New Country

How I Grew My Community And Met New People Thanks To Polocrosse

I am an international student from Germany. Like most international students, I didn’t have family or a big number of friends in Australia when I first came here. I knew a few backpackers from travelling the country, but eventually they all returned to their homes overseas.

There I was – in a great, big, strange country and to make it even harder, I was 230 kilometers away from the next town. So how was I going to meet people and make friends? My Australian boyfriend had the answer: Polocrosse. I’d never even heard of polocrosse before I met him – an Australian team sport combining polo and lacrosse and played on horseback. Luckily, I used to ride horses in Germany and I love horses, so I decided to give it a go.

In the dry season, we drove to Darwin almost every weekend to play polocrosse. I was very nervous about meeting new people when we drove to polocrosse for the first time. But once we got there and everyone welcomed me with open arms, I was very relieved and so happy!

Now, four polocrosse seasons later, I consider myself part of the amazing Northern Territory polocrosse family! Because that’s how they are, like a great big caring family!

How You Can Become Part Of A Sports Community

Most likely, you have done some kind of sport in your home country. Maybe basketball, soccer, tennis, yoga, or belly dancing. If you live in a city, it’s very likely you will find a club doing your sport somewhere nearby. You may have to catch a train to get to an outer suburb, but most likely, there will be others practicing your sport.

And if you haven’t done any sport before? Well, it’s never too late! You may want to try something typically Australian, like cricket, netball, Australian rules football, or polocrosse like me. If sports aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other clubs you can join, like music or art groups. There will always be a community that shares your interests!

If you’re living remotely? Here is your opportunity: While there might not be a club for your sport exactly, there might be a different sport that is similar enough! And when you’re living remotely, people understand the struggle of feeling alone and will include you even quicker!

Just make the first step and go see them. Sometimes you don’t even have to participate – you’ll start talking and get to know new people just by being there and watching. Go to the sports ground (most likely, you will be able to enter for free). If not, your $5 will be invested very well!

Why Is It Easier To Get To Know People Playing Sports?

You will find that it is a lot easier to get to know people when playing sports together than it is to connect with new people at work or at a party. The reason for this is that you share a common interest. You are simply having fun together, so why wouldn’t someone be friendly and welcoming? People switch off and relax when they are exercising, especially when doing team sports. They will see you as part of a positive experience.

After training, people like to have a drink together. Just ask if you can join! There is no reason why they wouldn’t let you. Are you still nervous after getting rid of some energy? Have a glass of beer. It can be easier to start a conversation after a sip of beer or when you’re holding a drink.

You’ll find that you will make new friends in no time!

How Your New Connections Can Help You Find A Job

As you might know, something special about the Australian work landscape is the hidden job market. A lot of jobs are not advertised and therefore not visible for someone searching for a job on the web. Some companies might not even know they are going to create a new job and employ someone new the next day until they meet the perfect person.

By becoming active in a sports club, getting to know people and volunteering where possible, you are not just making new friends. You are creating and spreading your personal brand. You are extending your network in a fun way! A senior player might be the CEO of your future company. Don’t stress yourself out about this. Just relax, be yourself, and enjoy! That’s the only way to make true friends. And it also is the only way to find a job that you will enjoy doing.

Get Out There And Find Your New Sports Family!

If you are feeling lonely in Australia because your friends and family are far away, I can relate. I warmly recommend that you join a sports club. You may find the ideal club is two suburbs away from you, but I promise the drive will be worth it!

Get on the field and make some really good friends! I know I have.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

CEOs Predictions About The 2020 Workplace

Posted on April 2, 2020April 27, 2021 by spc@outcome.life

CEOs predicted a Pandemic in 2020! But did the world listen?

Domenic Saporito examines "the 2020 Workplace", a 2010 book about the future of work and the new normal

In late 2010...

I remember reading a book titled “The 2020 Workplace”.

The book was a summary of interviews conducted by the authors Jeanne C. Meister & Karie Willyerd with hundreds of forward-thinking CEOs as they prepared to lead their businesses through the next decade.

I was so taken by what I read, I summarised the top 20 predictions of what our workplaces would look like in 2020 and passed it onto my senior staff. I told them, “If what we do doesn’t align with what is in this book, we ain’t doing it!”

Now, having plenty of time on my hands thanks to COVID-19, I took some time out to look back on the predictions of 10 years ago to see how accurate they were. Remember, some of the biggest and most successful tech businesses in existence today, like Zoom, Monday and Instagram, didn’t even exist when experts made these predictions!

But you could have knocked me over with a feather! When I re-read this stark warning in Chapter 8:

"Smart companies should prepare now for wild cards as disasters such as pandemics, terrorisom and mass climate change that will create an even greater focus on teleworking ... and migration to all forms of virtual work."

Jeanne C. Meister & Karie Willyerd

The 2020 Workplace

Creepy amazing, I think you’d agree!

So, if 100 CEOs can predict a COVID-19 type pandemic that would be the catalyst to redefine our workplaces 10 years before it happened, I wonder how accurate they were with their other predictions?

I’ll let you decide. Here are their top 20:

You will be hired and promoted based on your reputational capital
Your personal brand, expertise and the breadth, depth and quality of your social networks will be vital in getting a job in 2020.
Your mobile device will become your office, your classroom and your concierge
The global talent shortage will be acute
Fast-breaking technological breakthroughs in new products and services will create a huge demand for new jobs with more complex skills.
Recruiting will start on social networking sites
Questions from employers will include: How many followers do you have on LinkedIn? How many people have recommended you on LinkedIn? Have you turned any of your followers, connections or friends into new business? Do you blog regularly about issues related to your job or industry? Have you participated in any innovation events?
Web computers will force corporate offices to reinvent themselves
Knowledge workers will increasingly elect to work at “third places”. Not at work or home, but informal public spaces such as cafes, coffee shops and coworking spaces.

Companies will hire entire teams
Instead of individuals, to tackle big business problems.
Job requirements for CEOs will include blogging
The fastest way to communicate broadly with customers and clients will be via social media (right, Donald Trump?!)
The corporate curriculum will use video games, simulators and alternate reality games as key delivery models
Corporate training will be transformed into a nimble, fun and highly collaborative experience, to develop leadership and complex critical thinking skills.
A 2020 mindset will be required to thrive in a networked world Employees will communicate, connect and collaborate with one another, around the globe, using the latest forms of social media, working in virtual teams, to solve problems and create new ideas. Other mindsets needed will include: Social Participation, Global Thinking, Ubiquitous Learning, Thinking Big, Acting Fast, Constantly Improving and Embracing Cross-Cultural Power.
Human resources’ focus will move from outsourcing to crowdfunding
A bit like the open source community, rather than outsourcing problems to third-party providers or consultants, companies will empower their communities to provide solutions to their biggest problems.

Corporate social networks will flourish and grow inside companies
Millenials and Gen 2020 will demand access to external social networks. Forward-looking companies will exploit the power inherent to social networks to attract new staff, develop new skill sets, support and enhance team knowledge, drive collaboration and improve innovation.
You will elect your own leader
Companies that allow employees to elect their own leaders have become the “employers of choice”.
Lifelong learning will be a business requirement
Lifelong learning will be required to continually update one’s skills for both current and future roles
Work-life flexibility will replace work-life balance
Uber-connectivity and virtual workspaces will allow employees to choose the times of day to work that suits them.
Companies will disclose their corporate social responsibility programs to attract and retain staff
Increased focus on people, planet and profit.

Diversity will be a business issue rather than a human resources issue
There will be a focus on multicultural talent.
The lines between marketing, communication and learning will blur
Companies will create online learning that not only teaches customers how to use their products, but builds brand loyalty along the way.
Corporate app stores will offer ways to manage work and personal life better
Social media literacy will be required for all employees
Building a portfolio of contract jobs will be the path to obtaining permanent, full-time employment

How do you think they went? Not bad for 10 years ago! I can’t imagine trying to predict, in such detail, what the world would look like in another 10 years.

10 out of 10, or should I say 20 out of 20, to Jeanne C. Meister and Karie Willyerd and the CEOs they spoke to. I can’t wait to get my hands on “The 2030 Workplace”.

Source: Meister, J. C. & Willyerd, K. (2010). The 2020 Workplace. Harper Collins.

Domenic Saporito is the co-founder of Outcome.Life and GADA Technology. Dom has started, run and sold many businesses throughout his career, ranging in industry from property to tech, and even golf! As a business owner, product developer and chartered accountant with 15 years’ experience in the recruitment industry, Dom enjoys sharing his knowledge, insights and advice with international students looking to enter the job market in Australia.

If you have any questions...

The Outcome.Life team are always here to answer any questions or help with any problems you might encounter during your internship.

You can contact us between 9am – 5pm, Monday – Friday at:

Phone: 03 8899 7424

Email: hello@outcome.life

Software Testing Intern to Full-Time Employee

Posted on March 16, 2020March 18, 2020 by spc@outcome.life

By Domenic Saporito

Are you one of many international students struggling to get a job in your field of study here in Australia?

Well, instead of sending out 100’s of applications to ads on job boards for no reply, perhaps it is time to try something a little different. Let me explain…

Sid & Bindu were two Computer Science students in their final semester at Deakin University. Knowing that completing a degree is only a small part of building a successful career, come enrolment time, they chose to do a work placement as an elective.

Sid & Bindu joined a software development company as testers. But not just ordinary testers… Automated software testers!

Sid & Bindu implemented the company’s very first ‘automated software testing framework’ and, in the process, made themselves valuable, sought-after graduates.

Their first responsibility was to research and recommend the latest and greatest in automated testing frameworks. They looked for frameworks that suited the software applications being built. For this, they chose Puppeteer. Not just because the applications were being built in JavaScript, but because of a unique feature that allows multiple User Sessions to be tested at once – something not many other frameworks can do.

Throughout their 12-week internship, Sid & Bindu successfully built and implemented a comprehensive library of tests that they then integrated into the company’s automated build process called Jenkins.

Sounds amazing? It was! But not as hard as it sounds.

Both Sid & Bindu now have full-time jobs as Automated Software Testers in separate companies, applying the skills they acquired during their internship.

The stark reality is that in a competitive graduate market, today’s employers want more than just a qualification. They want graduates with real-world experience! Whilst a university can provide a degree, an internship will get you a job.

So, if you are here over summer and think that an internship may make you more employable after graduation, give us a call. It may be the catalyst that kick starts your career.

Internships are available in a wide variety of disciplines including Engineering, IT, Accounting, Marketing & Social Media.