AFQY Kiwiana Launches with 49 Students "We do know how lucky we are!"

I am extremely proud to have successfully completed the inaugural course with 49 Students with the help of two AFQY Careers Parters and five guest speakers. The term "Labour of love" is fitting, as this has been nine years in the making so to speak and finally, I've delivered it, but before I share what went into it, let me share some of the highlights.

While the lead image shows the slide related to the "Interview Process", the course covered not only the mechanics of process but the magic of the Kiwi Culture. While most students wanted to know the mechanics, it's really the culture that enables them to earn a job, be part of a team and part of NZ Society and it really hit home at the end when I explained the case of the "38th New Kiwi" I have helped into employment, the last prior to running this course.

The point is, you can perform process, but it won't be successful unless you can "Be a fit" for the employer (Culturally: Organisation, team, personality) and the person in the example wasn't a "Fit", which is where I spent most of my effort coaching this person through change and they applied what they learned to succeed in their interview - seen as a fit culturally as well as qualifications, skills, and experience - as we all know;

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast."

Culture also eats qualifications, experience, and skills for breakfast - if you don't fit the culture, you won't get employed, the rest is a given to get a foot in the door in the first place. So please have a look at the courseware below - and read some of the highlights and images below from all of the speakers:

Registration started at 8.30am to 9am, to allow for people to get to the venue and be ushered up the lift. While this was happening I greeted everyone (testing their handshake skills in the process for later ;-) and ran some discussion, asking everyone these three questions:

1. Where are you from? China, Korea, India, Brazil, America, Mexico, Malaysia, Iran, Taiwan (Did I forget any?)
2. How long have you been here? 2 days to 6 years
3. "What are you most interested in; the Job-related material, the Culture material or something else?"

I also played a piece of Kiwi Culture, which interesting Riki Williscoft asked in a comment in one of the promotional posts, which shows, just how relevant doing so is:

I also provided the following list in a post-event email as Kiwi Culture Homework -

Kiwi Culture at a click:

• Billy T James (Maori Comedian)
• Footrot Flats
• Classic NZ Music
• Kiwiana Culture Documentary

So back to the rest of the day, which after my opening started with (above) Patrick Dowling, Founder of Techtorium, where the course was held, but more importantly for this a New Kiwi himself and now an Employer. Patrick made many good points, here is a summary of his key points:

"Don't think Kiwi's don't like immigrants, they do and they are very helpful, so don't get negative about the (employment) rejections you may have had, keep positive and make your application relevant to the role, show them your personality, and tell them what you can do for their business, not why you need a job."

After Patrick spoke, I went through some of the material in the shared slide deck above before introducing Zabeen Hussain, 15 years a Kiwi who shared her journey, including her new role at NZ largest leading Technology provider - you can find out on Monday when she changes her LinkedIn Profile, as her career is enviable for anyone and especially as a role model to the New Kiwis she spoke to and hopefully inspired with her key message:

"Like you (I'm sure), I came here to leave behind something from my own country which in my case was political unrest to enjoy a better lifestyle and the opportunity to create a better life for myself and my family, so become a Kiwi, the culture here as you'll learn today is great, get involved don't just live in your own group - it is comfortable to start, but do embrace what you came here for."

Before a "Halftime break", I hauled up all of the speakers to demonstrate how to Network and especially how to join a group, concluding with how to shake hands in NZ. Shaking hands is a key part of how we greet each other and the first time is a major part of a first impression, not only our conscious judgment but most importantly our subconscious judgement as we judge someone in the first 4 seconds and spend our lifetime justifying that judgement - and as "We all do the same things differently" the handshake is one that stands out and is crucial, especially in an interview.

Following the break, Jehan Hyder spoke of her 29 years as a Kiwi and how her journey started as a New Kiwi where she has enjoyed the culture as something close to her personality and beliefs and enjoyed great success achieving success in Senior roles at major NZ companies. Her key points for me were:

"In some cultures including the one I came from Women are second to men, but as a child I didn't agree with that, so when I got to New Zealand and understood the egalitarian culture, the first country to give Women the vote, that I had found the right place. As women, you can 'assume the relationship', you don't have to look down, you look everybody in the eye and you tell them what you believe."

Then AFQY Careers Partner Raj Singh spoke about Job Search Strategy and he was a force to be reckoned with, something is boiling under that Turban and it's a passion to help people get a job, his insights were:

I got 27 rejections for 25 jobs, and I was wondering whats wrong with me, but then I realised there was nothing wrong with me, but something was wrong with what I was doing -I was looking in the wrong place - 70% of Jobs in NZ don't appear on a Job Board, so you need to stop spending your time with your best friends SEEK, Trademe Jobs as everyone is into online dating - or fishing from the same pond with the fewest fish. What you NEED to do is fish in the pond no one is fishing in and go for the 70% of the roles.

Towards the end of the day, he also answered a question so well - that questions is "I get the response that I don't have enough NZ Experience, but how am I to get any if I am not given a chance, I really am capable...", to which Raj Said:

"Understand that this is a rejection, that's it, it's a polite way to say, you are not the one without attracting too many questions, just accept it for what it really is and move on, this is not your hot date."

The 'third Musketeer' or AFQY Careers Partner Adon Kumar continues to amaze me the more I get to know him and the more I find out like when he starts speaking fluent Mandarin like he is Chinese, according to those who are Chinese on the course, and then in Malaysian to Nimal, and I waiting for what's next. Adon really "pulled the rabbit out the hat", when he pulled out the old paper Rubbish bags we used as kids that was his first job for $3.50 p/hr and pulled out of that his Air New Zealand Kia Ora Magazine double page spread with the message,

"It may feel tough, I got 22 rejections for 23 jobs but I went from paper rubbish bags to having a big spread about my role as President of the largest Wine Search site in the world and held Senior Management positions in 4 companies in between, and you can too, to do this your english must be good, you must work on your english, an accent is fine, but you must be able to speak and listen fluently to be able to communicate."

Our 3-month-old Kiwi, Neil Wang was both a Student and a Teacher, so I can't help buy bring out a Star Wars line, "When we first met, I was but the learner, now I am the Master... only a master of Kiwiana bro ;-)"

Neil has attended a range of courses, and worked with both Adon Kumar for CV and Cover Letting writing and myself for an introduction through my network and resulting Interview coaching so he knew what to expect and how to handle it the "Kiwi way", as we say:

• Photo To be Added of Neil

"We all do the same things, differently."

This was one of Neil's first ever public speaking gigs, and "The Master", mastered it very well and gave his insights,

"Go on the courses, you learn a range of different things at each, expand your network as you do, and get involved"

Last but not least, Neil Forster a senior exec over a range of leading NZ organisations came to share his experinces as an employer and as a Kiwi and as a leader (not a manager, although I added the not-a-manager part, and some of Neils key points included:

In Kiwi culture, we want you to challenge the boss, the team, your colleagues, espcially when asked for your opinion - clearly there are some who don't appreciate this, but good comanies and leaders do. Also Qualisifications are only a foot in the door, as to Kiwi's it shows you can stick and apply yourself, and an interview is not about your capabilites as much as it is about WHO you are, what your personality is, how you deal with things."

"So there ya go mate, that's about it, oh and I talked way too much, way, way too much, I always do, but at least I owned my mistake (Kiwi lesson there), so I'll ask all the attendees to add in the comments, What did you learn from Ryan and the crew that made a difference for you?

Cheers

Ryan the Lion

A Few Quiet Yarns

• More photo's and details to come.

So what went into creating this AFQY Kiwiana?

Firstly, nine years of experiences, observations, tears and laughter and joy helping 38 New Kiwis into work from simple introductions to full on training across process, culture and more.

Linkedin Articles:

• The why's and wherefores of AFQY Kiwiana
• Multicultural Societies Misunderstandings
• Learning Kiwi English
• Cultural Differences
• AFQY Kiwiana Launches