Project Management Institute, Western Australia
Strategies to future proof your employability

The 5% I would like you to retain from tonight
• Create your own market. Always be in demand.
• Trends are just that – trends only.
• Focus on what you can control and influence – the
market, weather, your partner; you can’t control!
• 3 certainties in life – change (so be a life learner,
agile, innovative & a unicorn?), taxes and…your
mortality.
• Your career should always be your full time job. Be
accountable & take responsibility, build a genuine
network, partner with specialist recruiters. It works.

What is the current employment trend in WA?
• Up, down, flat lining?
• Is it really relevant?
• Draw your own trend
line.

What are the big future trends?
• Ageing population (healthcare, accommodation etc.)
• Technology Disruption (Mobile, Digital, STEM, IoT)
• Energy (solar, geothermal, wind)
• Education (new skills, innovation etc)
• Fast, Flat & Free ie speed of change, world has fewer boundaries,
Freemium (consumption models have changed)
• Financial Management and FinTech
• Agritech – (current primary food (and water) production is not sustainable)
• Fourth Industrial Revolution/ Industry 4.0 … and many, many more.

Your job is to build a sustainable career…
• Become an A-Player employee always
in demand.
• Top 20% get hired or retained in any
market cycle (rarely First in/First out).
• The Ideal Candidate
1. CAREER vs Job
2. Life STUDENT
3. Passion for achieving BHAG’s
4. SME in a ‘rolodex’
5. It’s all about the TEAM.

Is your EQ in check with your IQ?

How is your personal brand? Good? No really how is it…
• This is a given – review your offline & online
personal brand (do the basics really well).
• Video is HUGE. Consider a video job
application letter?
• Your Resume:
• “Either write something worth reading or do
something worth writing” - Benjamin Franklin.
• What can we S.E.E.’S. in you - S(uccesses)
E(xperience) E(ducation) S(kills)?
• Be SMART Socially (LI, TW, FB, PI)

How to Network – not 101, but 201…
• Who are the top 20 most influential people in
your network? When was your last meaningful
contact?
• Set aside time each month to network (Sport,
Friday drinks, attend events, set up or join
alumni’s, footy tipping competition etc. Pick up
the phone – don’t just email!)
• Be a Boomerang ie. Volunteer, support the
Startup sector, give back to your community.
• You are always being “interviewed.” How good
are your interview skills?

Build a relationship with specialist, professional recruiters
• Why?
• Time
• Objectivity
• Expertise
• Access the “other” hidden job
market.

Always play with a straighter bat than the current Australian
Cricket team!

Some useful career resources.

Three other “R’s” - Reading, Research & Reports…
• Federal Government (aka “The Feds”) – Future Focus Report (http://ipsos.com.au/wp-
content/uploads/2012/10/Final-Future-Focus-Report.pdf)
• CEDA - Australia’s Future Workforce
(http://adminpanel.ceda.com.au/FOLDERS/Service/Files/Documents/26792~Futureworkforce_June2015.pdf)
• Australian Bureau of Statistics – Lots and lots of employment and trend data
• Australian Computer Society – ACS Digital Pulse
(http://www.acs.org.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/69720/02062015-Australias-Digital-Pulse-FINAL.PDF
• Gartner – Building the Digital Platform (https://www.gartner.com/imagesrv/cio/pdf/cio_agenda_insights_2016.pdf)
• Deloitte – Tech Trends 2016 (and other similar reports).
• Seek – plenty of data published – “The Department of Employment is predicting strong growth in the demand for
technology professions of 12.8 per cent by the end of 2018”
• Recruitment Consulting Services Association (RCSA) - www.rcsa.com.au/tools_resources
• ITCRA (Information Technology Contract & Recruitment Association Inc.) – Insight section has a range of resources.
• Beacham Group - https://www.beachamgroup.com/market-update/
• (Seek Job Ad Growth for Programme & Project Management - Dec 2014 vs. Dec 2015. Up 12.5%)
• And there are many more…

Thank you and your questions