Stressful Days Of Our Lives
Sun Herald
Sunday November 19, 2006
IN ANY given year, so the statistics show, seven out of 10 Australians will change their jobs.
And for most, that means sending out a resume, waiting for a call, then enduring that most excruciating of tortures, the job interview.No matter how self-confident you are, it's a process guaranteed to humble as a group of strangers sits down, pores over your life's achievements and decides whether you're good enough for them."Really, that's what happens when anyone goes for a job and it's a stressful, very stressful, situation," said Chris Bath, host of Seven's You've Got The Job, which follows job seekers through the process of applying for work."If it's a job that you really need, you know it could change your life, and, even if it's just something that will help get a bit of extra money in your pocket, it still comes down to being accepted or being rejected - and nobody likes rejection!"But even rejection makes for good drama, Bath has found.In a series of intensely personal stories, she introduces us to Australians looking for work, including as a wildlife park animal wrangler, hair stylist, fighter pilot and high-flying executive.Each has unique reasons for wanting a change of career and each has unique ways of approaching the process."You find yourself drawn to some of the people we meet, thinking, 'Wow, I really hope they get the job!' because it would make such a difference to their lives," Bath said."And it can be heartbreaking to see them ruin it all in an interview, or do well but be followed by someone who just completely wipes the floor with them during the interview process."On the other hand, you can't help but share the exhilaration when it goes right. It's something we can all relate to."And, almost as important as the drama, are the tips potential job seekers can pick up, even if it's just that sometimes there is nothing you can do to convince an employer you're the right fit for the job."They give their best and then we sit down with the interviewers afterwards and watch them dissect the applicants; it helps you get inside the head of the employer and understand what they're after."In a perfect world you'd like to think they sit back, clinically examine the resumes and decide on who the perfect person for the job should be based on their qualifications ... but it can be as simple as someone's hair."And that can be heartbreaking to see. But it's also important to understand that sometimes you really have done everything possible."You've Got The JobChannel Seven, Sunday, 7pmFollow my leadPerhaps the best tip for job hunters comes from Chris Bath herself, who learnt last year just how important it was to be adaptable. A serious news journalist, Bath took a chance as a contestant on Seven's Dancing With The Stars and found to her amazement that she enjoyed it immensely. "It left me thinking that I'm not going to close my mind to anything any more," Bath said.ONE of Australian television's more memorable ventures into the world of job hunting came in 1996 when siblings Shane (pictured), Mark and Bindy Paxton were caught up - some say set up - in a series of stories A Current Affair ran on the long-term unemployed. Their refusal to take jobs offered during the program, and their reasons for saying no (Shane wouldn't cut his hair, for example) made them instantly infamous.Flashback: The Paxton familyONE of Australian television's more memorable ventures into the world of job hunting came in 1996 when siblings Shane (pictured), Mark and Bindy Paxton were caught up - some say set up - in a series of stories A Current Affair ran on the long-term unemployed. Their refusal to take jobs offered during the program, and their reasons for saying no (Shane wouldn't cut his hair, for example) made them instantly infamous.
© 2006 Sun Herald