Like it or not, workplaces continue to change significantly. If you are currently transforming your career or breaking back into the workforce, you might be wondering what to expect from today’s modern work environments. In this guide we take a look at how technology, recruitment, employment contracts, workspaces and work hours have all evolved and offer practical tips to help you embrace all that the modern workplace has to offer. For even more information and support on navigating today’s workplace, contact the USQ Career Development Team at Student Services to make use of their professional resources or to book a free appointment. It may take some getting used to, but there’s a lot to like in the modern workplace!

1. What to expect
in the modern workplace
A mature age student’s guide to staying on top in today’s
rapidly changing work environments.

2. You’re studying hard to transform your career
or break back into the workforce, but
have you ever considered how
significantly workplaces are changing
and what effect that will have on you?

3. Some will say workplaces are changing for the better,
some will say for the worse, but either way they’re definitely changing, so let’s
take a look at what you can expect and some great tips to help you adapt.

4. What is changing?
Technology How you
get a job
Employment
contracts
Work
environment
Work
hours

5. Technology
The most significant change to workplaces over the past
10 years involves the use of technology.
The office fax machine sees more dust these days than
it does faxes, with email ruling the modern workplace.
Filing cabinets are vanishing as digital cloud storage takes
hold, and large desktop computers have been phased out
in favour of smaller versions with smarter software.
Not to mention, today’s mobile phones can outdo our
old computers. They can help to organise your time;
keep you up-to-date with emails, text messages and
social media; let you surf the web; provide you with
directions to your meeting; and can even talk to you (if
you really want!). And did you know there are apps to
help you with just about anything; including project
management, productivity, résumés and budgeting?

6. This technology is fantastic once you know how to work it, but can be a challenge until
you learn how!
Before you take on your new career, our advice is simple. Do everything in your power to understand and learn how to
use today’s popular devices, software and social media. You may not want to set up a Facebook account, but it’s helpful
to at least have an idea how it works, why it’s used and how it affects businesses in your industry. Articles, classes and
your friends and family can be a great source of knowledge and support when it comes to learning the art of new
technologies. There’s no such thing as a silly question!

7. How you get a job
Gone are the days when every Saturday you would pour
over the local newspaper looking for job opportunities.
Now you will need to spend most of your time searching
employment websites like Seek and Career One,
delving into LinkedIn and Facebook and checking out
the individual business websites of places you want to
work. Not only that, but you will also need to use your
best networking skills, as one third of all job vacancies are
never advertised.*
Today, a massive 93% of recruiters use or plan to use social
media to support their recruiting efforts.* This is why it is
essential for you to develop your personal brand and
have an effective profile on LinkedIn at the very least.
It doesn’t have to be complex or even perfect, but you
need to have a professional presence that shows who you
really are and what makes you great.
1. Australian Government, Department of Employment, 2015, Australian Jobs.
2. Jobvite, 2014, Social Recruiting Survey.

8. It’s always a good idea to use your network and talk to people who have recently been job hunting, or looking for staff,
about their experiences and advice.
Another way to find out about job vacancies is by keeping an eye out at uni. Employers often use university career
services and career fairs to recruit, so make yourself known to USQ’s Student Services team to find out more.
TIP: Check out these 8 useful steps to help you launch your new career.

9. It might take a bit of getting used to,
but there’s a lot to like in the
modern workplace.

10. Employment contracts
Not so long ago, companies employed staff on mostly
permanent appointments and those staff generally
showed loyalty to their employer by staying for a number
of years.
Fast forward to today, and hiring staff on fixed-term
contracts is now a widely accepted and growing
employment practice, giving companies the flexibility to
quickly increase or decrease their workforce as needed.
So, what does that mean for you?

11. Fixed-term contracts generally pay a higher wage, provide sick leave, superannuation and other benefits, while enabling
new challenges and often more flexibility. On the downside, you may miss out on holiday pay and can’t ever be sure of
contract renewal until it actually happens.
Permanent roles allow you to work on longer-term projects and see them through from start to finish. You’ll also have
access to paid holidays and sick leave, company benefits and opportunities for career advancement. While there are many
benefits to permanent roles, they can also see some people getting bored in their work over time.
In your new career you may find yourself in both fixed-term and permanent roles, because in today’s workplace
permanent roles are often recruited internally. This means that if you’re aiming for career advancement within one
company, you may need to start on a fixed-term basis (and possibly work through multiple contracts) in order to advance
to a permanent position.

12. Work environment
The new norm for offices throughout Australia is the
open-plan office space, which has come about to
improve communication and collaboration within the
workplace. Open-plan offices allow you to quickly and
easily share ideas, feedback and information with your
colleagues and contribute to a more inclusive workplace
culture.

13. On the downside, this style of work environment can also be busier and noisier than traditional offices and may even
reduce productivity and concentration if you’ve never worked like this before.
As with many other facets of the modern workplace, open-plan offices just take a little getting used to.

14. These tips will help you adjust to working in an open-plan space:
1. Keep a set of headphones at your desk for times when you need to block out the office noise or signal (politely)
to your colleagues that you don’t want to be interrupted.
2. Be conscious of workplace hygiene. Sharing an open workspace can often lead to sharing germs, so keep some hand
sanitiser on your desk and stay home if you’re feeling unwell.
3. If you find you get distracted easily, start your workday earlier and get those high-concentration tasks completed before
others arrive.
It may take some getting used to, but the open-plan office has some great benefits if you embrace the change.

15. It might take a bit of getting used to,
but there’s a lot to like in the
modern workplace.

16. The virtual workplace
Huge advances in technology and the increase in global
business has led many companies to embrace the
virtual workplace. Gone are the days when all staff
worked together in one office. Today, your colleagues
may work in other cities, states and countries, either from
offices or their own homes.

17. This means you’re likely to see new technologies in the office that cater to virtual employees and allows them to be
included in meetings and office communications. You may need to Skype a colleague, share a document via the cloud or
conduct a tele-conference.
While these new technologies can seem intimidating, learning how to adapt and embrace them will be a big
professional advantage in your own career. You may even want to join the virtual workforce one day!

18. Work hours
With an increase in contract-based roles and the rise
of the virtual workplace, it comes as no surprise that
the standard 9-5 workday has also evolved. In today’s
workplace, many employees negotiate their working
hours based on their family commitments, travel
requirements and the needs of their specific role (such as
liaising with clients or colleagues in different time zones).
Make the most of any flexible working arrangements you
are offered, but be careful not to abuse the privilege and
to communicate clearly to your employer if you need to
adjust your work schedule.

19. One thing you may also notice if you are re-entering the workforce is the blurring of the boundaries between work and
home, with your boss, co-workers and clients often expecting they can contact you anytime, anywhere.
It’s important to have work/life balance, so set some boundaries early on as to what is and isn’t acceptable to you.
Make sure you clearly communicate these boundaries to others.

20. It might take a bit of getting used to,
but there’s a lot to like in the
modern workplace.

21. Putting it into practise
Change will continue in every aspect of your career, every
day. It is how you deal with change that will determine
how successful you will be. Here are some tips to help
you embrace change in the workforce …

22. 1. Approach the workplace with a positive attitude and try to find the benefit in all situations.

23. 1. Approach the workplace with a positive attitude and try to find the benefit in all situations.
2. Value and be confident in what you have to offer — your work and life experience, skills and knowledge are just as valuable to
an employer as any new technology.

24. 1. Approach the workplace with a positive attitude and try to find the benefit in all situations.
2. Value and be confident in what you have to offer – your work and life experience, skills and knowledge are just as valuable to
an employer as any new technology.
3. Be resilient and adaptable. You may not be able to influence what changes but you can control how you react and adapt to
those changes.

25. 1. Approach the workplace with a positive attitude and try to find the benefit in all situations.
2. Value and be confident in what you have to offer – your work and life experience, skills and knowledge are just as valuable to
an employer as any new technology.
3. Be resilient and adaptable. You may not be able to influence what changes but you can control how you react and adapt to
those changes.
4. Make use of your professional and personal networks and seek advice if you’re finding it difficult to adapt to a new
workplace or work style. Often it is a relief to know you are not alone and that others feel or have felt the same way.

26. 1. Approach the workplace with a positive attitude and try to find the benefit in all situations.
2. Value and be confident in what you have to offer – your work and life experience, skills and knowledge are just as valuable to
an employer as any new technology.
3. Be resilient and adaptable. You may not be able to influence what changes but you can control how you react and adapt to
those changes.
4. Make use of your professional and personal networks and seek advice if you’re finding it difficult to adapt to a new
workplace or work style. Often it is a relief to know you are not alone and that others feel or have felt the same way.
5. Push yourself to learn and hone your skills with technology — read articles, takes courses and ask friends and family for help.

27. 1. Approach the workplace with a positive attitude and try to find the benefit in all situations.
2. Value and be confident in what you have to offer – your work and life experience, skills and knowledge are just as valuable to
an employer as any new technology.
3. Be resilient and adaptable. You may not be able to influence what changes but you can control how you react and adapt to
those changes.
4. Make use of your professional and personal networks and seek advice if you’re finding it difficult to adapt to a new
workplace or work style. Often it is a relief to know you are not alone and that others feel or have felt the same way.
5. Push yourself to learn and hone your skills with technology – read articles, takes courses and ask friends and family for help.
6. Don’t draw attention to age gaps. Even if you’re the oldest person in the office, it’s not necessary to remind everyone. You are
all there because of the individual qualities and skills you bring to the job.

28. 1. Approach the workplace with a positive attitude and try to find the benefit in all situations.
2. Value and be confident in what you have to offer – your work and life experience, skills and knowledge are just as valuable to
an employer as any new technology.
3. Be resilient and adaptable. You may not be able to influence what changes but you can control how you react and adapt to
those changes.
4. Make use of your professional and personal networks and seek advice if you’re finding it difficult to adapt to a new
workplace or work style. Often it is a relief to know you are not alone and that others feel or have felt the same way.
5. Push yourself to learn and hone your skills with technology – read articles, takes courses and ask friends and family for help.
6. Don’t draw attention to age gaps. Even if you’re the oldest person in the office, it’s not necessary to remind everyone. You are
all there because of the individual qualities and skills you bring to the job.
7. For current students, USQ offers an excellent range of career services including the on-campus and online career libraries,
career development events and employability programs. Make use of these free resources.

29. 1. Approach the workplace with a positive attitude and try to find the benefit in all situations.
2. Value and be confident in what you have to offer – your work and life experience, skills and knowledge are just as valuable to
an employer as any new technology.
3. Be resilient and adaptable. You may not be able to influence what changes but you can control how you react and adapt to
those changes.
4. Make use of your professional and personal networks and seek advice if you’re finding it difficult to adapt to a new
workplace or work style. Often it is a relief to know you are not alone and that others feel or have felt the same way.
5. Push yourself to learn and hone your skills with technology – read articles, takes courses and ask friends and family for help.
6. Don’t draw attention to age gaps. Even if you’re the oldest person in the office, it’s not necessary to remind everyone. You are
all there because of the individual qualities and skills you bring to the job.
7. For current students, USQ offers an excellent range of career services including the on-campus and online career libraries,
career development events and employability programs. Make use of these free resources.
8. Get in contact with a USQ Career Development Practitioner at Student Services to find out other ways to smooth the
transition between university and work.

30. Whether you believe it’s for better or worse, there’s no denying that
workplaces have changed and will continue to evolve.
While some of these advances might seem intimidating at first and take a
while to get used to, there is a lot to like about the modern workplace. By
doing your best to embrace all that’s on offer in today’s work environments
you can use the skills and experience you develop along the way to your
professional advantage as your career evolves.

31. CRICOS: QLD00244B NSW02225M TEQSA: PRV12081 29.5.3 01.2017 Graphics © Shutterstock
social.usq.edu.au
If the thought of re-entering the workforce makes you nervous,
the Career Development team at Student Services can offer professional
support to help you navigate today’s work environments and
get back on track with your career goals.
Contact the team today to arrange your free appointment.
Good luck with your new career!