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Longer working hours, lower staff levels and increasing pressure and demands have meant that, for many, work has become excessively exhausting and stressful, leaving little time or energy for a life outside the office.

If you are finding the balance is not in your favour, it might be time to examine certain areas of your life with the aim of boosting your resilience and stamina. After all, if these things are being compromised, your work will surely suffer.

Quality sleep is by far the most vital component in preparing your body and mind for work demands. Sleep deprivation can cause anxiety, depression, memory loss, weight gain as well as weakening your immune system, leaving you susceptible to illness.

If work stress and anxious thoughts of the day are leaving you restless at night, there are plenty of options to assist. Exercise is one of the most beneficial practices you can do for not only combating stress and fatigue, but also promoting sleep.

Additionally, relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing not only assist with sleep but also general well being, advocating positive mental health and clearer focus. There are also many herbal teas and vitamins which promote sleep and have other benefits as well.

If you’re the type of person who takes work home with you or continues to receive work calls once you’ve left the premises, it’s extremely critical to set boundaries and strictly limit this kind of behaviour.

It’s often a case of setting cut off times and learning to switch your phone off at the same hour each day. Having self discipline where these factors are concerned will not decrease your productivity, as you might think, but will increase it, as you’ll be better rested and can input more energy during working hours.

For some, the opposite situation is the issue. For example, frequent lateness and never arriving to work early or finishing prematurely and allowing themselves to fall behind their workload.

It could be that social or home life are not only being put first, but are prioritised to the detriment of work and achieving goals. This is, however, where the same techniques such as exercise and relaxation will assist in positive ways.

Looking after your body and mind will improve motivation and energy levels, leading to earlier starts and more focussed drive and commitment at work.

A balanced diet, limiting caffeine, sugar and alcohol intake, will enhance mood and drive, so you’re able to organise your schedule and workload better and boast more effective outcomes.

Some of these practices may take a little while to perfect, but once you’re on a roll with your new work life balance, chances are you will never look back.

Every career comes with a new set of challenges – and no one knows that better than employees in the care sector.                                                                                    

When you embark on a career in the care sector, you’re not just taking on new responsibilities for yourself. In many care sector careers, the work you do has a direct impact on the lives and lifestyles of your clients.

For this reason, starting out in the care sector can be daunting! But it’s also one of the most rewarding careers out there. Here’s what to expect when starting a career in the care sector.

Getting the right start in a rewarding career

While some jobs can lack a sense of purpose, when you begin a career in the care sector, you have the advantage of knowing that the work you do has a real, tangible impact. You will often experience this during the course of your day.

Whether in an aged care, disability support or community services role, you will be in one of the most rewarding and fastest-growing industries in Australia. The care sector supports its workers not just with meaningful work, but with a healthy work/life balance, flexible working conditions and a positive career path.

What the care sector has to offer

The care sector has a range of other benefits to offer its employees, including:

• Qualifications – Many care sector employers support their employees to pursue further qualifications, making them a greater asset to the sector.
• Flexible working hours – If you are still studying, or perhaps undertake a new course while working, the care sector can provide you with flexible work that fits around your studies.
• Many locations – The care sector needs employees all around Australia, not just in the city! This makes it much easier to find community service jobs close to home.
• No experience necessary – There are roles available from entry level right through to senior management, so you can start your career at whichever level is most suitable for you.

Is the care sector for you?

The care sector has some of the most varied workplaces around! People who succeed in the sector include:

• School leavers, students and graduates – whether you’re looking for part-time work while you study, or are ready to start a full time career in the sector.
• Career changers – people seeking a change in their day job.
• Parents – returning to work after a career break and seeking flexible working hours.
• Mature employees – Retired or semi-retired workers looking for work that fits their lifestyle.

But it doesn’t really matter what your working background is – the care sector is home to people from all walks of life! It’s far more important that you’re empathetic, open-minded and a “people-person.”

Finding work that aligns with your values

If you want to find work where helping people is part of the day-to-day process, the care sector is the place for you. By finding a disability or aged care job that aligns with your values, you’ll set yourself up for a career that will be rewarding day in and day out.

Many people work for years in a particular sector before finding meaningful work. People in a community service job experience it on a daily basis.

Disability, aged care or community services – which is right for you?

There are a number of different roles within the sector – ranging from disability, aged care and community service jobs. The trick is finding which one is right for you.

Disability support and aged care both have extensive frontline support roles available. So if you’re looking for a hands-on role to dive straight into, a disability support or aged care job could be just what you’re looking for.

Whichever part of the sector you choose, there are roles ranging across frontline, transport, administration, corporate and management and more!

Carecareers.com.au is Australia’s leading care sector employment service, offering care career tips and advice, as well as an extensive job board.

They also provide a Care Careers Quiz to help you discover which role will best suit you within the care sector.

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There are very few people who aren’t faced with job rejection at some point in their careers.

Whether it be a missed promotion, an application brush-off or a succession of non-starters, job rejection can be painful and disappointing.

However, the way you deal with rejection can change it’s impact. You can be productive and make it work to your advantage or you can sulk in the corner wasting time. The choice is yours.

Whether you’ve been knocked back from the outset or made it to a final round of interviews, you are still within your rights to ask why you weren’t picked to go further and request to receive feedback which may be of subsequent use to you.

If you weren’t chosen for interview on the basis of your resume and application letter, why not ask to know why these documents fell short or what specifically this organisation was looking for. You will find that, more often than not, recruiters are only too willing to give post applicant feedback.

If you scored one or more interviews you can ask the same questions in relation to the responses you gave, your general manner or other information relating to how you presented yourself and discover if perhaps you were considered to be too casual or you didn’t focus on the right areas, for example.

This process also shows the employer you were serious about working for them and they are more likely to remember you when future positions arise.

It’s all in the name of improving with experience, building your confidence and learning from mistakes. However, you need to be prepared to hear constructive criticism and more importantly, to apply it.

Some people are so busy being deflated or defeated when on the receiving end of job rejection they forget that they’re not perfect and everyone has room for improvements.

Some employers will always promote internally and other jobs receive unthinkable amounts of applications, so it’s always worth remembering that certain positions are occasionally out of most people’s reach.

However, this should only fuel you further to apply for as many opportunities as you can so as to gain more and more practice, which will eventually lead you to the perfect role. Just as long as you keep requesting that feedback and apply it where possible rather than spending too much time dwelling on your losses. There’s work to be done!

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The first rule of thumb which should never be overlooked is that there are different approaches depending on the job or industry being targeted.

For example, it is not uncommon for a graphic designer or film animator to create a visually arresting and unconventional looking resume using artistic fonts and colours.

However, this approach would most certainly not be well received in more corporate environments. It, therefore, comes down to knowing your audience.

Perhaps there are times when a touch of colour might work for a retail position or even something customer service related, as long as you keep it looking professional and don’t go overboard.

In any case, however, you must ensure your CV is adaptable. Do not ever use the same blanket resume for every position you apply for. Every job and organisation has slightly or possibly dramatically different expectations and you must tailor your CV to suit each advertised role.

By directly relating your content to the specifications of the job description, you will instantly help your resume to stand out.

Remember also that many employers nowadays run your CV through a keyword check prior to even considering it. If yours fails to mention the appropriate words, it will go completely overlooked.

Common buzzwords might include the likes of strategic, proactive and innovative. However, the real clue to knowing which words to incorporate is generally in the job description, so be sure to examine it thoroughly, as it is your ultimate guide to what each employer is looking for.

Confidence is essential when creating your CV. Self promotion has never been more appropriate or essential when it comes to marketing yourself for a job.

Be sure to use strong, confident language which is direct and professional if you want the recruiter’s attention. Try not to over embellish and definitely do not tell lies. However, erring on the side of positivity and strengths rather than weaknesses is the way to go.

Being specific rather than general will also help your CV to stand out. Anyone can say they are good at something, but giving an example of particular events or quantifying results which highlight the strengths you are claiming to possess will back up your words and make you far more memorable.

Add to this a brief career summary and strive to avoid cliched phrases throughout and you are well on the way to a stand out, cutting edge CV.

The impact of stressful work situations is largely governed by how we react. The exact same scenario, for example, could have a vastly different outcome based on how workers deal with incoming stress, and whether precautionary strategies are already in place.

Most of us are familiar with the notion of keeping calm under pressure and resisting the urge to panic. However, stress can take varied forms from instant and alarming to slow burning and long term. As such, there are different ways to best manage job stress depending on the type, the source and the setting.

When stress in the workplace is sudden and abrupt, such as an unexpected conflict, accusation or legal issue, the temptation to panic and be alarmist or dramatic must always be avoided. One of the most valuable qualities an employee can possess is the ability to maintain grace under pressure so as to not elevate stress levels or cause additional damage.

Ideally, your workplace should have specific contingency plans in place in the event of these various emergencies. Rather than being caught off guard, employees know the protocol in advance and have had in-depth discussions and planning so they are ready to take action at any moment.

If your workplace has not implemented such strategies for sudden stressful events, it is highly advisable to develop concrete plans as a team, and designate staff members to particular responsibilities.

The ability to forecast potential stresses in relation to your organisation is key to being prepared and being able to respond quickly and confidently.

However, other versions of stress, such as a bullying boss or unmanageable workload, require different approaches.

Such examples tend to happen gradually over the course of time so it is a good idea to keep a record of each incident or details of the excessive work, highlighting the date, time and particulars.

When the time feels right, you can share your records with the most appropriate senior manager and calmly discuss how the situation has been making you feel and what can potentially be done about it. The key is to recall the details, and deal with them officially and equally at a later date, when resilience and steady thinking are stronger.

Throughout the process, however, you should never rise to the stress bait. Keep your emotions in check and stay calm and level headed, remembering to step away where necessary, even momentarily, in order to combat further stress.

When you keep in mind that you are making a record of current issues to be dealt with in due time, it can make it easier for you to deal with each stress as it happens, adding a certain security or feeling of future resolve, easing from the pressure of having upfront solutions, while emotions are heightened.

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