Inside uncover the secrets to a 4 hour work week thanks to the

best seller by Tim Ferriss pg. 11

[1]

UNIQUE CAREER ADVANTAGEWinter Edition 2010

Solutions;Where you get ideas, insights and

tips to apply to managing YOUR Career Change and

Transition ...

All too often I hear the words "I'm not happy in my job" followed by any number of reasons why… find out out what’s really going on pg. 3

Your No.1

Reason To Do

What You Love

Everyday

Fast Track Your Career Success Today

Proudly brought to you by Serendipity Me where our experience and your passion align to create your next career move....For more information visit www.serendipityme.com.au

We go deep into the forest to unco

ver the apiculture

industry

What we can learn from dogs!

We went to the Melbourne L’Oreal Fashion show

! ! Check the inspirational story on page 7.

A member of the Serendipity Me group

[2]

We love hearing your feedback. If you have a story you want published or a related topic researched drop us a line at editor@serendipityme.com.au

Next Season ....

we have inducted a panel of

experts in the Human Resource and

Recruitment fields and can’t wait to

share what they have to say to help to

give you the insider

advantage

CAREER FACT FILE

There is a 1 in 2 chance work will change. Are you ready for it when it comes?

Results as quoted by www.abs.gov.au

In November 2002, there were 7,726,000 employees in the Australian labour force. The most commonly reported changes were:

new, different or extra duties' (38%) and 'change in hours' (19%).

Approximately more responsibility' (reported by 40% of these employees); 43% reported no change at all.

Letter from the Editor

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Hi and welcome to this season magazine!

As the Founder of Serendipity Me I was looking for a new avenue

to take my message about career change and transition to the office. Like you I spent my days in the corporate sky rise until one day I was brave enough to dream for more. After a little while of believing there was more to life I finally had to listen to that entrepreneurial voice in

my head and so I threw in my six figure corporate salary to create something more exciting.

That doesn’t mean this is a magazine about quitting your job

because there may be a fabulous opportunity for you on the next floor of your building.

What this magazine is about then is providing you alternative

thinking that gives you permission to wonder what else is waiting for you on the other side of today. Why am I so sure there is more out there for you? Because I know you see the same faces I do on your way to work, the faces of all the commuters, the hustle and bustle

when the lights beep at the crossing in your lunch hour and the sinking feeling when you know there is more of the same tomorrow.

Why would you want to flick through CAREER Advantage?

In this mag you’ll find stories of inspiration, ideas on jobs you may not have considered. There’s secret information on interview techniques from experts in the industry, career profiles and tips on

what you can do in your current job to make it more exciting.We love taking our news to you so if you believe there is

something that just has to be heard then let us know. If you have a story that shares our passion we will publish it with your permission

to share the message.What else in this issue?There’s a few quirky ones with a Career Health Check using

Cheezles, front stage mess ups that leads to back stage VIP access, a sneak peak on products, stories of inspiration and insider information we had to call out. I don’t want to spoil the surprise so rather than me

tell all check out the next few pages.That’s it from me I trust you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed

pulling it together. Angelina Cirelli-Salomone

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Do you know the number one reason most people aren't happy in their career?

I don't like my BossI don't like the people I work withThe work is too boringThe travel time is getting worseI never get any recognitionThe work load is too much Too much politics There is no leadership ...........and the list goes on

The number one reason isn’t any of those!!!

Can you imagine how many times you have complained about what you don't like in your job!

Now what strikes me odd about the conversations I have is that so few times can people tell me what they would rather be doing instead? Imagine even if just for fun you chose to spend your time actually focusing on what you did like to do and what you could be instead! How much more rewarding your day would be?

If only people knew what they wanted to do instead!

Not sure where to start? It’s a simply as getting back to the dreams and ideas you had when you were a child. Remember that feeling of being invincible, the whole world an oyster for you to explore…

It’s been said that once a mind has been stretched by a new idea it can never again return to its original state! What would it take to have a new idea special enough for one to change? That has to mean your ideas are still there just lost in the labyrinth we call a mind and if you are really board with your job you can play the maze game to unlock what it is you really want to spend your day doing!

There are a FEW small steps that we can all take if we are seriously not happy at work….

1) List all the “jobs” you thought would be fun when you were young enough to dream.

2) Now from that list what do you feel it was about that “job” you thought was going to be exciting?

3) See your self in that role, hear the noises around you and feel how great it feels to jump out of bed ready for a new day.

4) !What would it take for you to believe all that is possible?

Possibility is only limited by the mind so “think you can and you can think you can’t and you’re right”.

There in lies the number one reason most people aren’t happy in their job...

They have bought into their limits, accepted every day mediocrity and settled for the easy option. Lack of belief in self is the only reason that keeps us in a job that doesn’t fill those dreams we had as a child and still today as a grown adult secretly dream of.

So why not dream a little, live a little and be a little more like the child you were and believe you can be what ever you choose to be!

EXCUSES !!!

Courage

starts with

taking the first

step

[4]

Recruitment Industry Expert Interview with ....This season we get the inside gossip from one of our future panel experts Catherine Ward.

Catherine heads up the internal recruitment team for a large corporate and knows every thing there is to know about how to progress your career through the recruitment process.

Can you share a little bit about your background and what led to you becoming so passionate about what you do?

I have a broad background and I’m very thankful to have such a strong apprenticeship behind me. I started my career in bid management environments and moved into project management. I worked locally in Sydney and also internationally in London and Ireland. I began my career in administration based roles and built my skills and experience from there. As I gained more experience and demonstrated my willingness to apply myself, I was asked to take on more responsibility I was involved in some really interesting work, including working in large bid teams on large government contracts and a large scale building refit as part of a project management team.

I moved into recruitment when I saw an opportunity and took action. I came back from working overseas at a time when the employment market wasn’t very strong. I registered with a couple of recruitment agencies. When I went home from one of the agencies, I recalled them being very busy. I literally rang them up and suggested I might be able to help them out. They called me back in for an interview and that was the beginning of my recruitment career!

I subsequently worked in two different recruitment agencies before landing an in-house recruitment role in my current organisation. I started on a fixed term contract and have built my career from there. I now manage the recruitment team nationally and have a team of recruiters working from three different states – Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

As part of my development and to increase my knowledge and skills, I have also completed a Masters of Business Administration. But this isn’t the only or the last training, I always analyse and look for ways to improve my performance.

I am very passionate about the recruitment industry and love being able to help people fulfil their career dreams, and also hiring managers to source the right candidate for their team to contribute to the success of the business.

You have a colourful corporate background. What is it about working in an office environment that you love?

Really it is about the people that I work with. They are intelligent and passionate, and I really enjoy being a part of that. I love the fact I get out of bed every morning excited about the people I work with.

Because there are so many different types of people in an office environment that bring all of their skills and experience with them, I find I am constantly learning and seeing things from different angles.

I also love the variety a corporate environment offers. One day is never the same in my role and I have opportunities to move into new roles or work on projects that I would never had thought possible. I get a real thrill out of that.

What would you say are the foundation blocks for finding career fulfilment and success?

Keep an open mind and trust in yourself. I would never have expected to have landed in the type of role I currently work in. I saw an opportunity and embraced it. I have always trusted those around me when they believed in me and my abilities and I took the challenge on. That is how I have been able to grow and extend myself.

Also accepting that when you start your career, you have to start at the bottom of the ladder, and that’s ok. You need to ensure you learn the basics correctly so you have solid foundations to build upon.

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What is success to you?

Success means something very different to me in my personal and professional life. Personally, success is spending time with the people I care about and really being present with them when I am with them.

Professionally, success is achieving my goals and always doing the absolute best I can do. I don’t do things in halves, so if I commit to doing something I give it 100%. Even if I don’t get the outcome I wanted, success comes from ensuring I did everything possible to achieve my goal. Sometimes success comes from extracting the learnings from what I could have done better and not repeating the same mistakes in the future.

Having fun and enjoying the ride also contributes to success for me. I couldn’t imagine not doing something I love.

So if you were to share with the readers today one pearl of wisdom that you believe has led to your success what would it be?

Trust in yourself and your abilities. Know what your limitations are and maximise your strengths. I have a clear individual development plan which outlines what things I need to work on over the next 6 and 12 months. These include areas I need development in and also areas of strength that I can capitalise on.

I work on my areas of development so they are not weaknesses (that is

not debilitating in me being good at my role), but at the same time I develop my strengths so they get stronger.

I am lucky because I have a strong team of people who work for me. When I recruit people I ensure I am not choosing people who compliment my skills and experience and also each others.

I know you love the recruitment industry so just for a minute let’s play and say you have another life that had no boundaries, conditions or responsibility, what would you be doing and where?

That is a really hard question! I would definitely be running my own business, maybe even a not for profit, which involved helping others. I think that is why I love the recruitment industry so much. It really is helping people – whether it’s helping a candidate achieve their career goals, or a manager finding the right person for a role.

Other than that, I would probably be a professional tennis player – travelling the world, staying fit and healthy, meeting interesting people, seeing amazing places, and being able to take fabulous holidays with my winnings!!!

You are very strategic in your planning and goals play an important part in your success, can you share with us today your strategies for creating goals?

‘Strategic’ by definition implies long term planning. I set clear short term tactical goals that will help me achieve my long term goals.

I think goals are very important – they keep you on track and focussed on what is important.

I normally spend time thinking about what it is I am trying to achieve. I mull over it for a while and then I commit to writing my goals down. I find it’s really important to write them down, so they are real. I always try and make sure they are going to stretch me, but at the same time they are realistic. I set myself a reasonable and achievable timeframe to finish the goal that is also going to challenge me. Committing to a date to complete my goals is critical, otherwise they aren’t tangible.

Join Catherine and other recruitment experts next season when we ask them to share with you their tips and tricks on how to get a head in the recruitment industry.

We have an exciting panel of experts coming and they are pumped about sharing their industry knowledge and experience with you as a regular article in future issues.

[6]

Health Check Your Job using Cheezles!

Why is it we know the ingredients good or bad, exactly how we will feel after weʼve eaten the entire contents of the box, the total nutritional value (close to zero) and...

We eat them anyway?

A Job Description is the same, you get given the good stuff and the rubbish up front and have to make a choice. What you do next is up to no one else but you.

So how do you decipher the nutritional value?

Thatʼs easy hereʼs how...

1. Take your job description, grab two markers and get ready to colour up your page.

2. Using one marker scan the document and highlight the areas your are strong in and areas of the job that you like.

3. Using the other colour scan over the document again and highlight areas that are not so great about the job and areas you have less skills in.

4. Be honest and ruthless.5. Now which colour stands out the most?

This easy yet effective technique will highlight just how nutritional a job is before itʼs too late.

Cheezels are a popular Australian snack

food that was introduced to the food market

in 1971. Cheezels are owned by Snack

Brands Australia. In Malaysia, Cheezels are

produced and sold by Kraft Malaysia.

Made from corn and rice, they are a crisp

puffy ring with a strong Cheddar cheese

flavour and aroma. Similar in texture to a

cheese puff (or a puffy Cheeto in the U.S.).

Cheezels are also available in a Mini

variety, which come in both regular, 'Pizza

Cheese' and 'Cheesy BBQ' flavours.

Children and adults alike enjoy placing the

full sized Cheezels like rings on their

fingers, and eating them one at a time.

Nutrients per 100g How much?How much?

Total fat 30.6 g A lot

Saturated fat 15.1 g A lot

Sugars 8.1 g OK

Sodium 1220 mg A lot

Additives listed:

Flavour enhancers (621, 635),

Food acids (262, 270, 330, 331),

Mineral salt (339), Colours (160a, 160e),

Soy lecithin (322).

[7]

Merrin is a true inspiration to all young office professionals who have ever had a dream. She wanted to get clear on strategies for her future, professionally, financially and personally.

A little stuck Merrin made a list of clear goals she wanted to achieve and had hoped to one day complete a long distance race. Merrin shares a little of her story and personal triumphs during and after coaching with Serendipity Me.

Before the first session I was apprehensive as I did not know what to expect but upon ou r fi r s t s e s s i on Angelina made me feel safe to express my thoughts and feelings freely. She held me accountable and was really giving with her support and praise for the actions I was about to take and the actions that I took. She always offered her support betweens session so if I ever got stuck I knew that she would be on the other end of the phone if I needed her.

! At our pre meeting before our first session I wrote a wish list of things that I wanted to gain greater clarity around. The list included, homeownership, relationships, my relationship with money (or rather spending it!), 20 kilometer fun run, career, and my ongoing fight with self confidence.

During my time with Angelina I registered for 3 fun runs, d o u b l i n g m y p r e v i o u s

d i s t a n c e s . T h i s i s something that I had written down as a real pie in the sky wish, I never thought I would attach be able to achieve it, I am happy to report that I no longer believe that this is out of my league.

I have always been good at spending money and even better at avoiding holding myself accountable to a budget. After a session with Angelina, I worked out a budget and have started saving money at the same time as paying off debit. What a freeing experience as it has given me a light at the end of the tunnel to have access to travel more and working less. I had also always felt like their was something wrong with me that I was happy being single, I tended to think that others felt sorry for me or that I had something missing in my life because I was single.

I now know that it is OK to be happy being single, that is simply what my life is right now, everything is perfect just the way it is. What others think or how others are has always impacted the way I think of myself, Angelina and I worked on this a lot during my sessions, I no longer hold myself up against others results to criticize myself and celebrate my achievements.

I have found that the more I celebrate my achievements, the more I achieve.

I feel more confident to try anything, I now see something that I want and I go for it without thinking. In two weeks time I am heading to Sydney to have trapeze lessons. Now this is not something that I would have necessarily attempted in the past. I no longer stopped by fear, I have a more self confidence that ever before.

The results that I have achieved are varied and tang ib le ; I would h igh ly recommended Serendipity Me to anyone who wants more out of their life.

6 months later......

I felt quite chuffed when I finished the second 10km run on Sunday. I set my goal as 1 hour 10 minutes and I could not believe it when I ran exactly that 70 minutes, not a second faster or second slower, exactly 1 hour 10 minutes.. !very powerful!!

A true inspiration to many through taking action to achieve her dream. Merrin you are an absolute STAR!!

STORY OF THE MONTH......Merrin Hawking Melbourne Victoria

Determination Wins The Race

[8]

There’s always a reason to celebrate!

CAREER CREATIONSJanuary 2009

WE HAD AN EVENTSo there is a theme at Career Advantage and that’s fun!

If comes from our Parent Company Serendipity Me who believe in Adventure, Courage & Passion ......

We love having celebrations and well if there’s a reason to have one we’ll be sure to throw a party. What kind of friend would we be if we didn’t share the social pictures with you all so you can join inthe fun, or at least enjoy in the fact that we had some.

Last Season we held a thank you event with music and presentations over breakfast at a great venue inMelbourne.

We censored the pictures that made the cut but it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t mention we had champagne before breakfast. After all what kind of party would it be if you didn’t have bubbles!

There were clients, suppliers and staff there to celebrate our last 12 months of milestones. So much happens in business most of which we take for granted. Life can be the same with each day becoming part of a regular routine a little like groundhog day. Not at Serendipity Me, we make sure of that.

There is always a reason to celebrate no matter what you do or who you are. Each year is special, even the tough ones cause they remind us of how good the good times really are. Yes we encourage a celebration. Why because time can slip by too easily without being cherished. Our event was to say hey what a year, here is what we’ve achieved and thanks to those who have had a critical role to play in our success. How cool is that!

When is the last time you celebrated? I mean most people over 30 think ahhh it’s just another year...NO it isn’t. So take some time on your next 5 minute coffee or tea break or tram/train ride to jot down what your miles stones have been. Big or small, personal or professional and then decide how you want to celebrate. It might not be a fancy bubbly induced function so decide what is right for you. A few ideas I like are having friends over for a get together, a brunch out with those who you want to thank or a small gift to yourself to say well done even a nice meal out or picnic with a partner.

What ever you choose to do just do it! It works for Nike so make it work for you...and remember to let us know. Send your letter to the editor with how you’ve celebrated and include a snap. Why include a picture cause then we can inspire others to celebrate and you have a life long memory that grows with annual additions. Then when you think back about what life you have lived and the adventures you have created you can flick through the album and really truly celebrate a life well lived.! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Far Left Meet Farlie the Events Manager having a well earned break from helping behind the scenes with Angelina Cirelli Salomone.

Over the page Top Left Adele and Andrea get a well deserved hug for being supportive business associates and great sounding boards.

Top Right Master of Ceremony Sophia Cull form the Vow Exchange created an introduction to add a little style.

Bottom Left A few of the many who turned out to celebrate on the day.

Bottom Right Suppliers and Associates including Grant McKenzie from Phillips & Wilkins Solicitors and Consultants, Ray Orr from MBE Business Service Centre and Sophia Cull form The Vow Exchange.

[9]

[10]

Book Club!

Our book of choice to get the juices flowing is....

The 4-Hour work WeekEscape the 9-5, live anywhere and join the New Rich

Author: Timothy FerrissLive anywhere in the world beyond your imagination!!! Are you kidding me.When Tim Ferriss started to share his journey of over worked underpaid office worker to the new rich I could relate immediately.Who said life had to be so hard, stop spending the rest of life convincing yourself otherwise.

Imagine the 9-5 drudgery in my case 8-6 with lunch at my desk with the supposedly occasional working from home of an evening. There is of course the occasional 4 weeks off a year every 11 months even there are no major projects due and the staff have managed to take there leave….No thanks !!!

So make a deal to become the New Rich!

Definition - Ask yourself what do you do when you no longer have work as an excuse to be busy?

It’s far more lucrative to leverage your strength than fix all the chinks in your armor. Decide your relative income by using two variables money over time. Look at what you’re doing and ask yourself what would happen if I did the opposite to every one else?

If the potential damage is moderate or in any way reversible than give it a go. If you screw up get good at saying sorry and do it differently next time. Sure fear will pop up and most people dress it up as all sorts of things.

Consider on a scale of 1 being nothing and 10 is life changing what would you rate you worst possible case scenario of taking action? For most people it would be mid range and they would think shit life is over.

What if you flipped the model and considered your best case scenario. I have to share that it’s generally a permanent 9 or 10 life changing effect. So I don’t know about you but I can sure see why defining who you are what you do, when you do it and where you do make sense to get clear on before you continue in the drudgery.

...Oh Yeah and if you are stuck already then stop focusing on what you want and what your goals are, start focusing on what will excite you don’t be the 99% of people that aim for mediocre and get boredom.

Elimination – there is a principle I am sure you have heard of from Vilfredo Pareto which states 80% of the outputs result from 20% of the inputs. To successfully eliminate you need to know;

• Which 20% of sources are causing 80% of your problems•• Which 20% of sources are resulting in 80% of my desired outcomeThe goal is find your inefficiencies and eliminate them, find your strengths and multiply them. Think being busy is a form of laziness, most things make no difference.

Being overwhelmed is often as unproductive as doing nothing, lack of time is a lack of priorities so focus on the important few and ignore the rest. Tasks will swell in perceived importance and complexity in relation to the time allotted. The magic of an imminent deadline is almost inevitably of equal or higher quality due to greater focus.

Automation – how do you escape the limits of per hour based models? Convert expertise into shippable product, hard goods that remove you ongoing investment of time. If you don’t have a niche then you need to figure how you can tailor a general skill for your market.

What skills are you interested in that others will pay for?

What experts could you interview and record to make sellable audio product? What failure to success story do you have or know that you can turn into a how to product?

To reduce over heads never do the same thing twice, document, record, transcribe the first time so you don’t waste time repeating yourself. To keep your overheads down over no more that 2 levels a ‘basic’ and a ‘premium’ and offer one shipping option only. Eliminate phone orders, don’t ship over seas and when you have the numbers get a fulfillment centre to do it for you.Liberation – This bit is gold the concept in the book is about working remotely and having “mini retirements on a regular basis over a 4 week a year holiday”. Most people are not lucky enough to get fired and die a slow spiritual death over 20-40 years living mediocre not realizing that worthwhile has become wasteful.

Think of a time when you were completely in the zone, alive and un distracted think of playing sport and taking a shot for goal with out focusing are you likely to get the result you want?

Lacking an external focus the mind turns inward on itself and creates problems to solve even if the problems are undefined or unimportant. To combat that find a focus, an ambitious goal that seems out of reach and you will notice that you are now forced to grow in order to achieve it, interestingly the doubts disappear.

You see the focus needs to be on productive not busy. The timing is never right, this moment is perfect!I would highly recommend anyone wanting to work less for a great return consider reading and applying the principles of Tim Ferris’s’ The 4 Hour work week today.

A range of book summaries and audios are also available on our resources website visit www.serendipityme.com.au to view the full range.

[11]

Change is not a scary word?

If I had a coin for every time I was told people don’t like change I’d have more that a life time of city parking covered.

So why is it that the word conjures up a sense of fear so big that it keeps people…

Stuck in a job they hate.

Frightened to step out of their office cubical.

Afraid to apply for a promotion.

STOP….What are we afraid of?

There are actually three types of “common” fears; not being good enough, fear of failure and not being loved. Any one of these fears will stop us in our tracks until we gain awareness of when it was created and learn how to overcome it.

It’s easier than it seems really if you are willing to consider for just a brief second that facing an old fear will make way for greater opportunity in the future.

Take a minute to think who taught you to first feel hear or see fear…It may sound like an odd question only who else would ask you a question like that?

Yep to have a fear you had to once learn how to experience it so consider facing that moment way back when you were in school or in that playground or even at home.

See, the mind works in mysterious ways it likes to keep us safe, so when it thinks we are about to do something that might be evenly remotely close to that scary old thing our mind clicks over and bang the old records kicks in and before long we think I can’t possibly do that and we ignore that fantastic next big opportunity that is going to change your life forever.

When that fear creeps in next time ask yourself….

What if you enjoyed the new job more?

The next office has a window and pot plant

That promotion not only paid more, has shorter hours and you actually enjoy it.

Yes we humans are creatures of habit only imagine if nothing in your life changed every again. Day after day the same routine no reason to think or act any different to the last day, you would hate it.

With change comes possibility, which leads to opportunity which leads to creativity which in turn leads to fun and happiness.

With out change the world we live in would become as grey as the Melbourne winter cloud. Even with a designer scarf, great boots and a heavy jacket do you really want 352 days a year of that!

IT WILL PASS

Courage

starts with

taking the first

step

[12]

Ok so it might not be the first ideas that you think of when reading a corporate career magazine and that’s the fun. There are so many crazy possibilities out there most people wouldn’t know about. Our task is to take them to you...

• there is a lot that’s similar about bee keeping and running teams that work. If the keeper knows what he is doing?

You can't get a more natural product than honey, and bees have been pollinating flowers for centuries. But have you ever stopped to think about how bees are kept and used for commercial purposes?

Bees like any other livestock need to be managed effectively. The beekeeper is involved in all facets of bee management, ensuring that the colonies are producing the best quality and quantity of honey.

''Bees are very important. One in three mouthfuls of food you eat is produced directly or indirectly by bees.”

Actually there is no formal training to be a bee keeper it’s all on the job training. Do you know the name of the industry?

Its apiary and well ladies the guys win this vocation as the majority of beekeepers are male.

So what’s involved?

The keeper manages the hives and moves them around each season to encourage more activity. The intention is to encourage the brood to breed and look after the queen.

Hives usually consist of three boxes (or supers) each containing seven or eight frames. The bottom one (brood nest) houses the queen and her progeny, and the upper two (honey supers), collect the honey.

Working with smokers, bee brushes, protective clothing and hive tools, beekeepers constantly manipulate the frames and boxes to assess the health of the colonies, control breeding and collect the honey.

When the honey season starts, it's ideal to have about 70,000 bees in a beehive. To ensure this, beekeepers need to know about swarm prevention, otherwise they'll lose their precious bees. Factors such as replacing the queen bee at the right time not only prevents swarming, but can also improve the genetics and size of a colony.

As the availability of food and water also impacts on the size of a colony, beekeepers need to know when to give bees supplementary feeds to prepare for the honey season in spring and summer. As you can see, beekeeping involves ongoing management of the colony all year round.

Bees are shifted every six to eight weeks and if you have a good hive or box of honey it produces 25 kilos a week at the peak. This job isn’t as easy as it initially sounded.

Don’t be fooled the apiculture industry in not your every day picnic in the bush. You have to be away a lot and know more about botany than you would expect. An understanding on insect behaviour, marketing and patience is also recommended.

From a past time hobby to a profession of choice that can earn between 20k to over 100k per annum.

Not all smoke and honey through. There is a down side that results in getting stung. Not for the faint hearted this occupation can test the old nervous system.Not recommended if you have allergies yet very rewarding and gives a new appreciation to honey on toast or pancakes?

From a lover of outdoors and honey I think I’ll leave this on to the professionals!

Have you ever thought of being... a bee keeper?

[13]

Have you ever been back stage to a Fashion Show?Can I tell you when I was asked recently to stand in for the CEO of The Coaching Institute Sharon Pearson at a recent training event there was a while lot of courage called on there. See Normally I would spend hours preparing my spiel, matching the message to my target market and wrapping up a few juice stories to keep the engagement high.

Thing is I was opening and it was only a refresher on the earlier day so I figured you know what you know so this time dig deep and do it!

The Cherry on top is that that night I was heading out with the team from The Coaching Institute for... wait for it.

A stretch hummer ride to dinner at Valentinoʼs on the top floor thanks, then whisked off to a fashion show. Not any fashion show back stage pass to the Melbourne LʼOreal

fashion show. Followed by the show of course and then whisked back to our final destination (which for some was the closest cab thanks to the bubbly in the back of the stretch hummer).

So even though I was looking forward to going back stage it was my being onstage that was calling on my courage. Why? Because I threw into my material 3 stories from way back, got the order i needed to deliver them in all jumbled up, missed a key instruction and you know what? If didnʼt matter I gave it a go, jumped in head first, fluffed it and no one else but me noticed it.

Hereʼs the thing if you choose to jump in and do just one thing today that creates a little bit more sense of you trusting yourself I wonder what youʼd do?

What message would we be

sending if we didnʼt get out there

and break the comfort zone once

and while.

So this page is dedicated to a little

bit of courage and a whole lot of

adventure ....

BRAG PAGE - WHAT HAVE WE BEEN UP 2 ?

.......

[14]

Who in the world is Facial Attraction and how do they know so much about skin care?

We caught up with Nancy Abdou co business owner of Facial Attraction to find out a little more about this specialist industry.

We asked Nancy a few few questions about how she became a business owner and what key messages she could share. Like many who have found their passion Nancy is a fun, energetic and vibrant individual who clearly believes in making her clients experience the best it can be. Join me on the next two pages where we hear just why Nancy is out business profile on the season.

Why did you decide to leave your past jobs and create a new career for yourself?

I decided to sell the mobile phone business as it was not personally satisfying. That is, I felt I was just providing technology, nothing more. Although technology certainly helps people's lives, it does not help their confidence orself esteem - their inner being. This is where Facial Attraction differed.

Facial Attraction initially started when my older sister and I had been receiving laser treatments ourselves. We both felt the same way about the level of service we both received, the level of "care factor" that was given and the level of scientific and clinical knowledge that was offered - it was all very limited and of course, we were unhappy. We set out to do the exact opposite.

After much research and further education, we decided to provide a quality, clinically based service, along with our younger sister - we opened multiple Facial Attraction locations. The fact that we are all tertiary educated in science - meant that all services provided are scientifically proven to give results, but not only that, since it was a family venture, it also mean it was done with care and of the highest level of safety standards.

Safety. Comfort. Results.

This has become our company motto and we stand by that. All of our staff know how important it is to provide the best level of service - which encompass' those 3 very factors. You cannot have one without the other.

For me personally, I gain a great sense of accomplishment when a client comes in with a problem that affects their self-esteem or confidence and once we have completed only a few treatments you see their personality shine through. I love helping people, it excites me. That is what makes my job so rewarding andfulfilling, not only that, I have the utmost confidence that I can get results, performed in a safe and comfortable manner. As for the "care factor", clients canfeel the passion I have, its skin deep.

BECOMING A BUSINESS OWNER...

Business of the season

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Before you became a business owner what did you do?

Prior to entering into the Facial Attraction Laser & Skin Clinic business with my sisters (and brother-in-law), I had another retail business, a mobile phonefranchise. It must have been scary leaving the security of a franchise business and starting on your own paying job and becoming your own boss! Any secrets you can share for those considering the same move?

It was a risk starting from scratch, with no one to fall back on or consult. Not only that, it was a huge financial investment, this business model HAD to work, we had no choice - my sister's house was on the line. I believe that if you risk nothing, you gain nothing - this is a "safe" way to live your life. However, what life would that be? A safe, yet fairly average one. Life is all about risk,turning that risk into an opportunity and the constant determination to succeed, from there the rest all falls into place. Sometimes you need to ask for help and there is nothing wrong with that at all, pride has its limitations. Do not let pride get in the way of your success (i.e. - don't be to proud to ask for help, newideas, another point of view etc)- we never stop learning.

What drives you to go to work every day?

Passion to get results, getting positive feedback and seeing client's unclouded personalities.

I had a male client who came in, head down, embarrassed by the state of his skin. He'd told me that his daughter told him she was embarrassed to be next to him. This broke my heart, I had to help him. He came in for his 4th

treatment, sitting in the waiting room - his head held up high and a very big smile on his face - a smile that I will never forget. Needless to say, how his daughter felt about him now. Can you imagine changing someone's life like that? It truly is an amazingfeeling.

How did you uncover your true professional passion and love?

I believe that no matter what I do or did - if in the end, it was to help aperson, it would give me the same buzz I get now. In my work life I help clients, in my personal life I love helping my family, friends and people I don't know. When I give, I get so much back. If there is one piece of advice you can give to people who aren't happy at work and considering a change what would it be?

Find out why you're unhappy and take the risk to change that aspect in your workplace. Sometimes we get caught up in a rut and it becomes the rat race and all you need is a small change.

If the source of unhappiness is greater than that, then it may be a time for a big change. People are always scared of change, but the outcome maybe worth thattemporary ill-feeling. Build up self confidence, have an optimistic outlook, positive self-talk is important and if you struggle with that - then get help!

Generally I am a positive person - sometimes there can be stages in your life where you may find it hard to stay positively focussed, this is where Angelina helped me see the light and from then on, she has managed to keep me focussed on what is important, but not only that, she has fine tuned other aspects of my life

to make me a better person and business owner. I'm looking forward to further learning and fine tuning with Angelina in the future.

Nancy was already a huge success before engaging services with Serendipity Me Coaching and Consulting. A few tips, a little awareness and a who lot more confidence was what she found. THe result.....she is out taking on the world creating even more success in her amazing life and business.

Well done Nancy for taking the Serendipity Me Challenge this season and sharing your story for the readers of Career Advantage this winter addition.

Want to know where to find Nancy so you can become one of her happy clients?

Facial Attraction is Located at......

93 Upper Heidelberg Road Ivanhoe, Australia, 3079

New clinic in the city at 595 Collins Street Melbourne

For more information on the incredible treatments available and to meet Nancy and the girls for a pampering call 1300 735 234 to make an appointment

You can also check out the websitehttp://www.facialattraction.com.au

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A few Career Pearls of wisdom....

I had the privilege of being interviewed this month by Nadine Love from Infinite minds and thought it was worth sharing a few of the highlights

So what was your greatest motivation for spending your time and energy and resources to become someone so very well-equipped to helping office professionals because I think that’s what Serendipity’s about isn’t it?

So for me, the greatest opportunities that a corporate provided was growth. It allowed you to move from role to role within the safety of the same company that was still pushing you outside your boundaries of comfort to a certain degree. So my number one personal motivator then was a need for growth which I’ve now recognized is a core need. At the time it was really about the challenges. I’d complete a role and get to a point where I felt that I’d learnt the role and was ready to move on and stretch myself to a new position and on goes the career journey.

It was really about my own journey. It was then throughout the management roles of developing other staff that I realized there was an opportunity to learn more about career development and what it was that people wanted from their career. So I started to self-educate myself internally through the company as well as externally and that is really I guess, when I started to learn some of the keys that I have today and the tools to help people make the choices with intention rather than getting a role temporarily so to speak and realizing five years later that they’re still in the same job. All the dreams an aspirations they had when they got that position have really been parked.! ! So the greatest motivation for me was my own journey of wanting growth throughout my corporate career and then tapping into my own experiences to help the staff that I’d been managing. I think too, over that period of time as a call centre manager I mentioned, was a good part of what I did at Optus. I had around 100 to 150 staff and the beauty of that Nadine was that they aged from 18, so really green, weren’t sure what they

wanted to do in life and it really was the first job that they’d gotten to 65 plus, people that were verging on retiring or ready to retire.

What would you say are the foundation blocks of finding that fulfillment and success? You spoke a lot about the wonderful image you have about the foundation and that being, needing to be strong in order for the fancy frills and artwork to happen on the outside and the exterior. So what are your foundation blocks for fulfillment and success made of?

I think it’s still being defined, you continue to look within yourself and search every possible corner of your mind, you will find that there is even more and more strength, opportunity within yourself to be successful. So for me it’s doing the soul searching. It’s really getting clear on what works and what might need to get a refresh. So, we’re defined by our values. We’re defined by our beliefs. We’re defined by the mentors and influences we’ve had throughout our life, when we’re quite young and when we are influential. For me the foundation really is okay, well does that serve me well? Do the beliefs, values, ethics and background serve me well? If there’s something there that perhaps isn’t aligned, well I need to align it. I need to visit it and refresh my own internal representations of who I am before I can then really form those blocks on a solid foundation. So it’s discovering what’s really good for me and tapping into that and knowing that if there’s something that isn’t resourceful or something that isn’t aligned, well then I don’t entertain it. I don’t spend the time really thinking about it or processing it. It just doesn’t enter my world. I’ll acknowledge it, I’ll process it. Is it good for me, isn’t it good for me, and if it isn’t, well then it just gets dropped. So that to me is what has been key.

In your experience, what are the benefits of education and training, I guess, both personally and in business? What would be your advice in this regard to a professional person facing a career change?

For me education has been personal education. I don’t mean heading off and doing an MBA or whatever it may be. For me, it was the personal development. It’s like I had to unlearn everything that I had learnt to look within myself, unpack it, get clear on it and put it all back together so that it was much stronger and I had greater awareness. It was really about

taking all the experience and knowledge that I had and then looking within. So my advice to office professionals that are looking at changing a career, is before you step out of what you know, get really clear on what it is that you want to do. Have a plan, know what it is that you want to achieve in that period of time, get your list of dreams out and think even bigger, and that’s what you need to aim for. That self-belief, that embracing of the unknown is where the growth is because if you continue to do what you’ve always done - we know the catch-cry there of the law of insanity, if you do what you’ve always done, you’re going to get exactly the same result. That is insanity. So if you want a different result in life, you really need to consider doing something differently. So for me, it was the personal education.

If there was something that might have made a difference to you by knowing it, what would it have been and what would you like to share with others right now?

So if I think about my days as a manager and a leader, I wanted to help everyone. I wanted to take on the world. It’s quite entertaining to reflect back on that now because I could see their inner potential and I could see that the staff that I had, had such amazing beauty and inner shine. Of course as soon as I wanted something for them, it was making it about me and it wasn’t making it about them.

At the time I had no idea and if I knew about NLP back then and if I understand the neurology of the mind and how we create our behaviours, the limiting beliefs and all of the incredible things that I’ve learnt on my own personal journey, I could have been even more resourceful and a more successful mentor to those staff and perhaps tapped in or allowed them to tap into their inner beauty with a different level of understanding.

Yes, I’ve heard about the mind over matter concept and that if they change their thoughts, that would create different actions. But I didn’t really understand that until I went on my own personal journey of studying human behaviour and playing with NLP which is all about neurology of the mind and how we create the language that we use creates our world. So definitely for me, understanding that the science behind what we do and how we do it would be key.

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How dogs can teach us to communicate better...

Ever sat and watched how dogs that have never met each other behave?

They look around, observe the visitor, assess the threat then act. Can you imagine what kind of world we would be living in if humans could do the same. See most people see another individual and make a split decision on what kind of person they are.

Have you ever seen a person in the street and made a snap judgement? We all do it based on what we perceive to know about the individual. How they dress, how they speak and how are they act.

Here’s the thing a dog acts on instinct, something we all have with in us but choose to use only in extreme cases of danger.

What if we trusted our instinct more and our perception less.

If we did that then I can guarantee we would be living in a very different world.

The same is true of our chosen vocation, if you trusted what your instincts told you about what you are doing at work every day rather than some made up story you or others have been telling you would you still be where you are today?

A dog in the domestic world knows it’s role is to make it’s owner happy. Do you know what your role in life is?

Check out the Doggie facts below...seems we can learns a lot from our furry friends from an early age they are very similar in behaviour to humans.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM DOGS?

Companionship is vital to a dog's emotional well-being. Interacting with a dog of any age involves consistently rewarding all desirable behaviour.

Taking a dog out in public to meet other people and dogs is an essential part of socialization.If you see a dog off a leash, watch for body language. For example, a wagging tail and relaxed posture are more welcoming signs than raised hackles, erect tails and staring. If you sense any tension, change your walking route or pick up your young pup and prevent the animals from having eye contact.

If you want a well-adjusted dog, actively seek new experiences and arrange for pleasant encounters throughout your pet's puppy hood. This is how dogs learn to respond to situations in life without fear. Socialization is the most important process in a dogs life, ranking right up with proper feeding, shelter and medical care. Socialized canines are typically happy, friendly, predictable and able to handle stress.

We are a very evolved race us

humans.... or are we?

If you are a dog lover you will get

more that you bargained for the

next time you take your fluff for a

walk....not so effective with the

cats I agree yet worth a read.

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There are a rage of products and services available in the Serendipity Me range. Check the website www.serendipityme.com.au for more information on the goal planning pack

CAREER MASTERY PREVIEW E-BOOKS HOME STUDY CAREER COACH TRAINING

“How to Have a Successful and Fulfilling Career”

Stopped by Fear? Read “I Can’t Do That!”

You can create the career you deserve at home! Check out www.careermasteryhomestudyprogram.com.au

There is a limited number of private clients accepted each month for 3-6 months.

Workshops are available for 3 days on Career Mastery and Building Confidence Through Public speaking.

PRODUCTS AND SERVICESWhere has the year gone? I know they say the older you get the faster times seems to pass, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of it right!

I’m not so much into letting time pass by with out a fight and one tool I find handy is using my vision a planner so I know just what and when my goals need to be actioned.

Have you heard of a vision planner?

It’s basically a plan for the future. It can be used for short term plans over the next 90 days or you can use it to map out the next 1 to 2 or even 5 years. Think of it like a system that keeps you on track so it makes you take action and achieve results. When you do realize it’s Christmas 2015 you have managed to kick some big goals rather than wondering what you’ve been doing the last 5 years.

You’ll see our parent website has a few other products and services as well as the brief summary at the bottom of this page. Only the first step is having an idea of where you want to go and the how well that manages to find it’s way if you have a big enough reason to want to achieve the goal.

If you’ve never completed a vision plan then don’t panic we can help you with that too. There are a few options available depending on your budget and how big the goals is you want to achieve. You already know where to find the experts so what sense would it make if you didn’t have the tools and support you needed to help you along the way.

The vision planner is available for purchase as a single item or as part of the goal planning pack. It makes a great gift and can be adapted to goal setting in an area not jut for career planning.

It’s an easy to follow system and can be loads of fun especially if you choose to add pictures for visual motivation. Oh Yeah and a glass or red and some nice tunes also help to get the creative juices flowing. Orders online are posted out with instruction to follow on how to complete.

We are always looking to add more resources to help so if you have an area of interest and would like to discuss how we can work together to create a solution drop us an e-mail at angelina@serendipityme.com.au

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Career Development Frequently Asked QuestionsHere is what you asked so we had to answer

I’ve been with my current employer for over 5 years and when I started I use to love it. It seems the more time that passes the less I enjoy my work. Should I leave?

Your concerns are quite normal. A common problem in many office roles is boredom. If your mind is no longer being stimulated because the work has become easy then it makes complete sense you are looking for another opportunity.

The decision you need to make is can you reignite your initial passion in your current role or have you outgrown the possibilities and need to move on.

Often there are ways to increase the stimulation in your existing role. It’s a matter of speaking to your manager about what’s next.

In the majority of cases there are new skills you can learn, projects you can be involved with or responsibilities you can take on to spice up the interest in the role.

if you have exhausted all options here and feel that it really is time to move, now would be a good time to consider what skills you are good at, what you enjoy doing and to kick of the research phase of your next career move.

There is a fantastic e-book on our website called how to have a successful and fulfilling career that has more detailed information

I recently had an interview and I know I ticked all the qualification boxes but still

didn’t get the job. What else can I do?

An interview is about finding the best person for the job not necessarily the most qualified. What this means is that the interview already knows you can do the job that’s why they agreed to an interview. What they are really looking for is fit. Are you the right character for their team and do you have the attributes they are looking for.

The key here is research and rapport. The more you find out about your potential employer the better chance you stand of know what they are looking for. Once you’ve done that you need to connect with them on a personality level. Building rapport is simple when you know how. The small talk / relationship building and language you use in an interview is sometimes more powerful then the responses to the questions you give.

For a while now I have been thinking of working with a mentor and am having trouble finding some one who is right. I would prefer they were’t in my immediate department. Any ideas?

Working with a coach or mentor allows you to gain new perspectives, ideas, suggestions and resources to further compliment what you already know.

There are a number of ways you can connect with a coach or mentor who is right for you. It may be for you right now a manager at work or leader in the corporation who you respect, feel is approachable and know to be knowledgeable in the area of career change and transition. A strong individual who can work with you on next steps.

A good coach would have industry experience, recognized qualifications and a guarantee of results. Look for a person who you feel can stretch you

with challenges and different thinking. You are not looking for a new best friend! There are loads of friends and family members who can tell you what you want a hear. A great coach holds their opinions to themselves and is there to get the best out of you and for you.

I’ve asked my manager for career advice but did’t get a lot of help. Aren’t they supposed to know?

Who’s responsibility is it really?A great question and all too often employees are left floundering about their career direction because their manager doesn’t know how to help.

Here’s what you need to do...

Firstly know that it is the employee’s primary responsibility to manage their career. Often the manager is dealing with their own areas of development so it can be a challenge for them to know what to say, do or offer.

If you approach your manager with a plan even if it’s a loose idea of what you think you need they can work with you on developing the structure. If you have a manager is quite new to the game then you can both use it as a learning opportunity.

This might also be a good time to look for an experienced mentor in the company or externally who can provide you clearer direction and hold you accountable.

If a manager tells you something you don’t want to hear you are less likely to be as responsive. If a mentor challenges you and hold your accountable you are more likely to be responsive and success in the delivering on the action.

If you have career related question that we can solve please email us editor@serendipityme.com.au and we will personally respond and share it in future editions.

Radom information to get you home....To Blackberry or iPhone?! ! !

Like a career your phone choice needs careful consideration. You need to know what you want to use it for, how much you want to spent and how easy it will to use. So here is the low down from our researches in the field.

Do you like fiddly applications with endless possibility and more shortcuts to the web that you could ever use? Yes then iPhone

Do you have a Mac computer? Yes then iPhoneAre you more of a make it easy and I just need to access my email kinda person? Yes

then Blackberry.

The iPhone has a down with technology up with Generation X factor cool appeal about it and can offer photo options, a touch screen, great playback and great design.

The Blackberry is reliable and has secure email, a strong corporate support and reputation, great expandable memory and removable battery along with solid call quality and a full easy to use keyboard.

The jury is still out on what is better and because I couldn’t decide I choose the Nokia E71. Just as smart as the other two has a great camera, access to emails, the web, Facebook of course, is easy to down load and simple to use as you’d expect from a Nokia. If you have a preference we’d love to know why.

Till next season when we pack away the scarves and boots and get ready for spring fashion.

UNIQUE CAREER ADVANTAGE MAGAZINEGPO BOX 4009

Melbourne Vic 3001

To become a VIPSubscriber log on towww.serendipityme.com.au

WHAT’S COMING NEXT ISSUE?

So unless you tell us any different next month there will be more of the

same...

Here’s what to expectArticles on topic of your choice so

send us a request other wise we have

a load of topics we can share.

Career Facts and Figures that are

not only interesting but useful to know.

I am very excited about our panel

of experts who will be sharing their

tips, trick and insights in the recruitment industry. We have be

interviewing like crazy so we can take the best from the best and deliver it

straight to you so stay tuned for next

seasons issue.

Then there is or course more stories from amazing people. We’ll

hear from an individual who lost his

‘corporate security’ over night. Wait until you hear what he is doing now

and how it may have just been the best bad news he was ever given...

We have another Inspiration story of the month from a client who has

been achieving amazing results since receiving personal mentoring....can’ t

let the name out just yet.

Did I mentioned the brag page?

That’s where I get to share how all of

you keep me honest. See I have always believed in delivering a

transparent message. Even back in the days when I managed 100’s of

staff in call centers it was important

that they saw me leading by example. Well it was important to me anyway,

So given that’s a core belief the more I ask of you the more I need to ask of

myself. The point of that is so we can

share what we’re doing to live with Passion, Dig into Courage and

deliver our goals of creating new

memories through Adventure... Let me know how I am going and if you

have any crazy ideas for me on how I can do more of that!

P.S you can share your stories as

well so we can all inspire each other.

A special shout out to the guys who were at the last seminar you ROCKED!