Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: seven

  • Employable

    Employable

    7 Attributes to Assure Your Working Future

    Roxanne Calder has been around the HR industry for most of her working life, an industry she admits she fell into by accident at time in her life when she was at a career crossroads. That is was a perfect fit became apparent in days and since that time, as a woman seeking a work life balance full of meaning and enjoyment, she has achieved much, founding EST10, in 2010, now a leading boutique office-support recruitment agency.

    In Employable – 7 Attributes to assure your working future she shares her knowledge of the employment industry and what she considers as the seven most valuable attributes to getting and retaining the job you really desire.

    Well written the chapter’s flow easily as if she is sitting speaking with you, as she addresses the aspects and attributes required in the highly competitive world of employment today, as well as sharing her journey and valuable learning experiences.

    Each of the seven attributes is given their own chapters which set out in detail what they are, how you can discover whether you have them or not and how to hone, or establish them to perfection. Questions are presented, explanations offered and helpful dialogue makes facing up to yourself relatively easy.

    Calder has also addressed the traumatic issues of getting sacked, redundancy and retirement, which is not always the happy place many expect it to be, as well as the very practical aspects of getting a job: resume writing to stand out from the crowd, personal presentation, the very important research and preparation, as well as those dratted nerves, which truly can skink the best prepared candidates at the final interview.

    Regardless of whether you are heading for the Corporate job scene, are newly graduated from University, leaving high school, returning to the work place after time out, or simply want a job doing what you love to do, Employable – 7 Attributes to assure your working future is and should be considered as a must read.

    Calder also points out the although Australia is suffering from a talent shortage which has been exacerbated by the Covid virus, with many taking early retirement, working part time or simply changing lifestyles, the employment market is perhaps more competitive than ever, as employers are seeking the best people for the jobs that are on offer.

    Gone are the days when any job will do or any employee will do. It is a marketplace that has changed dramatically over the past 20 years and one that job seekers everywhere need to understand, to keep upskilled for and to be able to offer something positive and interestingly ‘them’ to the equation or the interview!

    Well written, easily understood, Employable – 7 Attributes to assure your working future will help you give the best presentation possible as you address the many changing facets of the modern employment sector in pursuit of your dream job.

    If you are a job seeker, someone considering changing their career or wanting to re-enter the workforce, consider this as your handbook to a new future in a job or career of your choosing.

  • A Day Like Any Other

    A Day Like Any Other

    Excerpt of “The Man in the Window” lyrics by Michael Allison:
    “Like the glory of summer
    my love will drift on forever
    over the rooftops of houses
    under the river of silence”

    It is indeed somewhat unusual to be reviewing an album posthumously, but sadly with the passing of Michael Allison, otherwise known as Darshan Ambient, the words from the lyrics of The Man in The Window, seem now to be more poignant than when they were first penned, as he is now The Man in the Window of the soul.

    A Day Like Any Other is glorious, rich and delicately poised as Allison reflects on life’s journey, crafting with beauty and elegance, his parting gift to his family and the wider musical world. At times deep, introspective, sombre, at other times the songs are full of  joy, life and living; his trademark style evident, as the work is filled with an energy that is unmistakable, upbeat and yet relaxed.

    Sitting outside in the sunshine on a lovely autumn day, listening to the album for about the fourth time, his music was like a balm for the soul, as it blended seamlessly into slumberous nature of the day.  As the various titles of the tracks are read, it is easy to follow the course of creativity that has seen this album given birth, despite the nature of Allison’s illness.

    It is relatively easy to take each track and write it up as to its music formation. It is less easy to look deep within each of the pieces to discover the very real emotion which guides the music. If we are all honest, Allison has, with just the titles, captured the journey we are all undertaking, perhaps now more than ever before with advent of COVIT-19 and the uncertainly of the times in which we all live.

    His music could  almost be considered as a benediction, carrying with it the message of  understanding that each day, while different is and can be A Day Like Any Other, one which should be enjoyed for what it has to offer, a day  to be undertaken with love, kindness and true compassion.

    Reflecting on City of the Seven Hymns, a well-chosen piece to introduce his final album, could be considered as a look into the future created with the use of electronic rhythms to form a precise, gentle melody which focuses on the drawing in of the day, the final rays of the light as the day moves into night.

    As a final offering The Republic of Dreams, is not at all what could be expected as it is upbeat, catchy and almost extroverted in the use of the synthesiser, creating a sound that encompasses many different styles. The lovely addition of ‘vocals’ gives an almost angelic feeling to the emotion captured within the construction of the work, layering an already comprehensive song with a beautifully rich texture: A fitting finale.

    Michael Allison 1958-2020. Vale Michael Allison.