Our week at work, November 22-28

By Josephine Asher

It’s only a month til Christmas, which means the company festive activities are looming.

However, this year’s office Christmas party may not be as risqué as last year, with recent workplace sexual harassment claims putting employers on high alert.

Christmas parties in Australia have become associated with drunken behaviour which we all know can lead to inappropriate career-ending shenanigans.

But experts say workers can put in the effort to turn the annual festivities to their advantage.

“Any networking opportunity presents you with the potential to improve existing relationships and create new ones,” HLB Mann Judd marketing director David Dercho says.

“However, you need to be very mindful that your personal brand is on display and your actions have the ability to enhance or damage your reputation with co-workers, clients and potential future employers.”

READ MORE: Christmas party tips

Don’t let that stop you revelling in some Christmas cheer. Workers can look forward to more cheerful bonuses.

Business consultant Dr John Demartini says bosses should find out what makes each staff member tick so they can custom-make the Christmas bonus most likely to keep them motivated and productive.

“Money is a general motivator for most people but it’s not always the biggest factor,” he says.

“It could be recognition or having a day off or getting away for a holiday.”

READ MORE: Quest to find a better bonus

And if you’re not receiving much excitement from your current job, perhaps it’s time you stepped off the emotional rollercoaster.

Imagine starting your working day on the Moon Ranger or Flying Saucer.

Experiencing the rides at Luna Park is a daily part of the job as assistant manager at Sydney’s only theme park.

And even better – the position is available.

The position is one of the five jobs shortlisted in Drake International’s Ultimate Job competition.

Other finalists are luxury lifestyle coordinator at Quintessentially, advertising sales executive at Jamieson Publishing, receptionist at The Entertainment Quarter and online consumer relations and events coordinator at SunRice.

READ MORE: Sydney’s Ultimate Job

If none of these opportunities fit your idea of a dream job, there are new sectors emerging as we recover from the global financial crisis.

Today nearly every crime, from terrorism and theft of intellectual property to workplace fraud and the download of child porn, has the potential to leave digital footprints.

Consequently, computer forensics experts are in high demand, and not just for big-C crimes.

Leon Sterling, dean of the faculty of information and communication technologies at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne says abusive emails, online defamation, plagiarism, fabricated documents, recovery of destroyed information, cyber-bullying and exam cheating can all come under the digital microscope.

“The number of professionals qualified to deal with these issues is inadequate,” he says.

READ MORE: E-sleuths foil cyber culprits

And the job market is looking healthy in some overseas regions. Job ads in Asia shot up by 72.3 per cent from July 1 to August 31 compared t o the same period last year and up 12.7 per cent when compared to Q2 in 2010.

READ MORE: Jobs in Asia are on the rise

Graduates are also enjoying a new range of options.

Most graduates fresh out of university can only dream of getting an overseas posting in an international company.

For business student Ben Carson, it has been a reality. He was a participant in the 2010 International Business Cadetship program, a graduate initiative run by Trade and Investment Queensland, a government agency that supports Queensland exporters.

READ MORE: Opportunity for foreign experience

Students interested in studying animals also have some exciting new choices.

A four-year bachelor of animal science degree at the University of New England at Armidale, NSW now allows students to specialise in canine science, equine science, as well as wildlife management.

UNE lecturer Wendy Brown says the impetus for providing a canine science specialisation springs from a worldwide shortage of detector dogs due to increasing needs for biosecurity.

“There’s a huge demand for these dogs and within Australia the organisations that use them include the police, the military, Customs and quarantine,” Brown says.

READ MORE: Animal science goes to the dogs

School leavers aren’t enjoying as much good news, according to the latest How Young People are Faring report, released today by the Foundation for Young Australians.

The number of teenagers starting apprenticeships and traineeships dropped by more than 15,000 between 2008 and last year, with more than two-thirds of the losses from male-dominated trade organisations, the report showed.

Unemployment rates among teenage males not in full-time education rose from 18 per cent last year to almost 19 per cent this year.

READ MORE: Job search tough for school leavers

Accountants have also been hit with a warning, with the stabilising of accountants discouraging flexible “job hopping”.

According to the Lloyd Morgan Skills Index released this month the market for skilled accountants and auditors has moved from “a significant oversupply” of talent to a balance between demand and supply.

National Manager for Lloyd Morgan, Will Gordon, says employers have a preference for candidates with at least three years experience in a single job despite an increase in demand for accounting and auditing professionals such as Credit Controllers, Payroll staff and those who were recently qualified.

“Employers are less likely to hire a candidate with unstable employment histories and are now demanding higher levels of commitment and job stability. This is particularly true for those in the 25-35 year age group,” Gordon says.

READ MORE: Job hopping accountants and auditors warned

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