Kindly Yours

I was instinctively disturbed by a news story , based on some university research, about job applicants, with names that are not Anglo sounding, facing more daunting challenges in getting a job in Australia. There were percentages quoted of how many more applications such individuals had to make before they were successful, ranging the lowest for those with Italian ancestry, to the highest with Chinese names. I found it odd that one could link this single factor - names and what they represent -with such a high impact on impressions from recruiters of individual candidates, even before they were considered for an interview. What about personality, qualifications, experience, the ability to effectively communicate and a past record of team work? This evening, on a day with weather rather best suited to stay-at-home, I came across the persistent efforts of a dear old pensioner lady in New South Wales in trying to ensure that a complaint she had was followed up. It all started with a a ...

What is life today? Another Tuesday, another late night before coming back from the office work. The rain continues coming down outside my office window. Thick cumulus white clouds were spotted by me earlier that afternoon, and now the wind must be pushing them down. The last person to leave the workplace before me gave me a shout far away to say goodnight, and I continue to clear off another relentless stream of business emails, follow-up requests and official whirlpool. What is life meant to be? Is it in the faces of people streaming away from the game between the Dragons vs Broncos last weekend. They are dressed contentedly in their choice of team colours, and in Wollongong, it is mostly the red stripes of St George. It is more than national rugby league to these individuals, groups of mates and whole families. It is a lifestyle, something to look forward to on a dreary Wednesday morning. It promises the synergies of group power, safety in familiarity and something to motivate whe...

I got thinking of mateship, after reading the related musings of a friend on her blog. Living away from networks I grew up with, residing in a special region of the country I adopted with differences and various nuances and being of a cultural background not seen as mainstream, I did and do face some challenges and opportunities. Whatever the scenario, I am here to stay and enjoy these unique perspectives. After graduation, I worked in a close-knit environment of a family-owned bank. My colleagues and I saw the blurring of job and personal relationships after work. We congregated around individuals and random groups each of us found ourselves to be comfortable with. Extra-curricular activities were organised and encouraged around sports, food, outdoor and indoor activities.There was no need to have formally appointed mentors, employer-paid support groups and talk about what should be done in career and personal development - we just did it, relentlessly, subconsciously and with gusto...