Podcast of the 2018-2019 Job Transition Strategy participants elaborating how their lives were transformed after going through the intensive 12-month Job Genie Program run by Job Transition Strategy.
Participants in this Program included:
Alex Veselov – Business Development Manager, Eastern Europe, Electrical Engineering Discipline, Brisbane
Peter Koulos – National Director Transport, Electrical Engineering Discipline, Sydney
Vishnu Nagadevan – Senior Contracts Manager, Mechanical Engineering Discipline, Perth
Senthil Sambandham – Senior Project Manager, Electronics Engineering Discipline, Sydney
Raja Ganguli – Applications Engineer, Electrical Engineering & Control Systems Discipline, Sydney
Paul Ivkovic – Senior Infrastructure Engineer, Civil Engineering Discipline, Perth
Dewald van Wyk – Process Engineer, Chemical Engineering Discipline, Brisbane
The podcast is of one hour and answers the following questions:
– Introductions provided by each of the participants
– What was their mindset before entering this Program?
– Why did they select this Program?
– What the Program has meant for them?
– Did the Program meet their expectations?
– What was their mindset after finishing the Program?
– Was it worth the financial & time comittment they made and why?
– How available was someone to be able to answer career related questions along their journey.
I am a self-employed consultant specializing in the pre-contract area of construction and also provide constructability advice to consulting engineers. Prior to entering the program, my workload pretty much reflected what was happening in Queensland, where there was not much work around. What work there was available, was variable. What I was looking to you towards, was in providing continuity to my workload and to broadening my client base.
I thought that your range of contacts would be of use to me and I also thought you would be able to guide me to a better methodology toward marketing my practice.
The step change in the business model you proposed, has been what’s been most successful for me. My own business model has changed quite a bit over the last few months as a result of that and my thinking has changed quite a bit too. I’ve developed this with your guidance and I think I now have a more stable client base. The workload has increased substantially and as yet I have not perfected the scheduling of it but certainly I am not so reliant on the fickleness of the market. I’ve been forced to broaden my client base substantially. And the initiatives you’ve suggested have been successful.
The roadmap you proposed has been very useful and just having somebody to discuss the various steps involved in the marketing cycle has certainly been a major help to me. In the past my efforts to find somebody who could help me haven’t been terribly successful. But I think you’ve managed to provide an umbrella and various circuit breakers as we’ve gone along, which have been pretty helpful.
You’ve just got me to think about issues in a slightly different way providing me with a way forward in a manner I hadn’t thought of before. The idea generation was probably one of the more successful parts of your process.
In terms of the amount of time I’ve been within your Program, I think it was since September 2017, so about four months.
In terms of the level of support, it’s been all I would have expected. You were always available when I needed you to be available. And you weren’t intrusive in terms of pushing anything in particular. But at the same time, you instilled a bit of discipline in terms of time management towards the things I needed to have done to move forward. If I had been doing it by myself, this probably would have dragged on. So this aspect of it was quite valuable too.
In terms of my recommending others to do this Program – definitely. I think if someone is working on their own and trying to carry out all their business functions, as well as the technical work themselves, then your Program is most useful. Having somebody that can provide a structured process is a lot more valuable than you initially think. It’s only after you look back on it that you realize how valuable your Program was
Peter EganI’ve had a number of jobs, having changed jobs several times but kept feeling unfulfilled and that’s why I contacted Ray. I chose the Job Transition Strategy Program because I wanted things to improve. I’d investigated other avenues to seek out a mentor or a career advisor but ultimately I decided on the Job Transition Strategy Program. The reasons were, I resonated with what the book Ray wrote said, along with the free consult with Ray, which made me realise that he knew what he was talking about with lots of connections in the industry and that he was there to help people like me. In terms of the situation changing, I’ve learnt a lot about myself from things like identifying my talents, more about my previous work pattern history and my reasons for leaving previous roles. I feel I have things in control now, am heading in the right direction through the addressing of core issues and I genuinely feel the Job Transition Strategy Program has played a part in that. I’d rate the Program really highly. I feel you’ve provided real insight, a strategic approach and making sure I head in the right direction. I’ve found your follow up to be thorough and your approach to be understanding, accommodating and patient.
Paul IvkovicI’d moved from Perth to Melbourne during 2016 due to family circumstances. Upon moving to Melbourne, I applied for a number of jobs through Seek and all of them got rejected. I also got in touch with a couple of job agents but nothing changed. I was getting very frustrated. The job which I’ve got now was helped along through the skills I gained via the Job Genie Program. Skills like preparing a resume which captured attention quickly, mock interviews and guidance from around four relevant mentors you’d organised for me. While the job I got took longer than normal in my case, the level of support even outside the normal three-months of the job genie program was extraordinary. I can say without a doubt I would never have gotten through this period without the support and guidance you provided. I was feeling frustrated and feeling rejected through the numerous times where my experience matched well with the criteria and yet I was unsuccessful. At times, I was extremely demoralised but your enthusiasm kept me going. I would recommend this program because it has a number of facets such as the strengths finder program, knowing how to improve on your resume writing skills, the on-line social media presence I was able to improve on, various practice interview role plays I underwent and the mentors all of which together proved to be very useful in my job search.
Chad GunathilakeI am a graduate Mechanical Engineer and I was trying to get into a career related to my field. I’d been looking for work since April last year. Before I met Ray there were a lot of roadblocks and I was not getting through to the jobs I was aspiring for which was frustrating. It was like going uphill on everything. There was much resistance in the whole job application and interview process. I felt, what’s the point, I’m just going to get rejected. So I got demoralized.
I’ve got in touch with Ray because nothing was working and he presented a solution. The process with Ray started with a strengths assessment which was a real eye opener for me. From there on, I had several meetings with Ray which allowed the development of a career game plan I could adopt. This led to my meeting various mentors relevant to my situation through Ray’s guidance and assistance. This ultimately led me to the job I have landed for which I am really happy. Having someone like Ray guide me was a great help and I’d definitely recommend him to any engineer looking to gain a competitive edge
Gaurav KumarI contacted Ray Pavri, as his offer of mentoring “for degree qualified engineers dissatisfied with their current work situation who feel trapped without an escape plan” resonated with me. I felt that I had lost direction in my career. Ray was able to offer me a structured program ‘Job Transition Strategy’s Job Genie Program’ which enabled me to identify my strengths and understand why I was feeling defeated in my work situation.
Ray has provided me with a sounding board for job ideas, allowing to re-build, re-engage and develop a new vision of my work opportunities.
Catherine HatchAfter a little over a year of applying to advertised jobs and not getting a single callback, I was feeling very hopeless and unwanted by industry. Two different resume writers and copious amounts of web research into job hunting was not helping me get past the initial screening. I came across Ray’s website and book and so I decided to engage his services.
Immediately Ray was able to start injecting new energy into my search and opened my eyes to practical ways to break into the notorious hidden job market. Ray helped me figure out my strengths and weaknesses and ways to express them to communicate a picture of what I can do for an employer. Ray facilitated connecting with senior industry process engineers who were able to offer insights into the current employment landscape and help to contact the Process Managers in the companies we decided to target. Ray also showed me a better way to layout my resume which resulted in my first callback leading to a second interview with a Senior Plant Metallurgist.
Above all, Ray helped me to think creatively and take risks, and this ultimately resulted in me being offered the position I am currently in after just eights weeks working with Ray. I snared this position before it was advertised. Even though there was some luck involved, if you are creative and keep trying different things, knocking on doors and showing up in person, rather than emails and website submissions, you are going to create the luck required to go to the next step.
Ray helped me refocus, rebuild my dropping self esteem and regain a higher level of professionalism. I will now be on a path that not only will build a foundation for the next couple decades of my career, but also to building a personal brand that will allow me to help others and be in demand in the not too distant future.
Damien BoyleHaving been successful in the past in finding full engineering employment I found myself facing a possible end to that good fortune of recent. I realised through recent experience, that my advance years (early 50s) and a “tick the box” approach to some recruitment processes, which I would have thought was my most valuable asset, could be an issue preventing me from getting my job. I needed to distinguish myself from the crowd and realised that I didn’t have all the skills to promote myself so I applied and received (very quickly) Ray’s “The Work Trap Dilemma” book. I realised on reading it that many of my experiences were shared.
With Ray’s guidance, the process of determining my strengths and having them evaluated and assessed was enlightening. Before then I’d have struggled to explain 34 themes of talent. Having however the five most dominant “Signature Themes” explained in great detail by a qualified psychologist gave me some ideas and key words for my later to be produced resume and profiles.
The next opportunity was to have peers as mentors organised by Ray, discuss what they looked for when recruiting and I found this very useful and enjoyable. The confidence these experiences gave me allowed me to revise my resume, update my LinkedIn profile and start writing meaningful applications to jobs that interested me.
Ray guided me all the way, provided constructive criticism and beavered away in the background with a tenacious appetite looking for jobs I’d never find. He has an immense network of connections and a realistic approach based on his broad experience.
In our meetings I found him always to be direct yet courteous, positive and punctual and extremely responsive to my requests.
It cost me the equivalent of a new high spec. laptop which I bought at the same time and I suspect the skills and opportunities Ray has provided me will last longer than that laptop. I recommend you give him a call and take the first step in transitioning your career.
Michael Hogg2016 began with an unnervingly quiet start for me career wise, after successfully receiving sufficient work as a contractor during the preceding 10 years. The drought of work continued throughout the first half of the year, but fortunately at the beginning of the second half of 2016, I met Ray and he provided me with the opportunity to turn my situation around. Ray quickly began to impart his knowledge to me, offering a diverse range of strategies to improve my prospects of securing engineering employment. Ray assisted me to apply for various electrical engineering roles by adapting my resume to capitalize on my strengths whilst addressing the selection criteria for each position. He also introduced me to other engineers in my field of expertise and secured their assistance to act as my personal mentors and went on to provide me with a technique to boost my workload using our combined LinkedIn network so that I could continue contracting whilst seeking full time employment. Ray patiently walked me through a multitude of strategies and motivated me to explore every opportunity as it arose. Consequently 2016 ended on a high note and 2017 has begun with a bang and I have hit the ground running with a full time job in addition to keeping busy working from home in my role as an engineering contractor. Thank you Ray.
Mike Donnelly of G & M DonnellyIn writing this testimonial it might help to explain the enormity of the challenges I faced before meeting Ray. I was a recent, mature age professional engineer, with several previous years’ technician experience within Australia, having recently graduated from an Australian university in Western Australia. When I met Ray, I was temporarily working as a kitchen hand to keep cash flows going, while trying to look for job in the engineering field. Those from Perth and Western Australia would know that it is going through an unprecedented challenge. I had made several unsuccessful attempts towards finding an appropriate job and I was getting despondent. Australia and even outside Australia was not very favorable for engineers working in the mining & oil-gas fields and it looked like my having undertaken the degree was of no use. No solution sprung to mind.
Upon starting Ray’s Job Genie Program, I found and secured a job in the engineering field within Perth within three months of starting. What he did and is still doing for me was completely different to what I had been doing before meeting Ray. He first identified my strengths using a renowned strengths assessment program, subsequently followed by a three-way discussion between him, a trained psychologist and me. This provided an excellent foundation of understanding where I’d thrive and where I would not. Ray then related that to market needs relevant to my skills set. He then helped me to build up my resume and LinkedIn profile. He took me through interview role plays. He showed me strategies on how to improve my communication and other soft skills. He provided support about job strategies by placing me in a series of direct discussion with experienced engineers of different companies who I then took on as mentors. Even after getting this job, I am still in touch with him and will keep touch with him in future as he is an excellent career coach. He is a valuable asset to any engineer, no matter whether they be a young or a mature age person like me.
Raja GanguliRay was an immense help to me during my career move from Australia to New Zealand. He not only helped determine my next career move but also helped to better understand my motivators and how to select roles that best fit my personality.
As a result of Ray’s passion, sharp insights and mentoring, I was able to secure a role with a leading organisation in New Zealand.
It was a pleasure working with Ray and I was impressed with the excellent delivery of his services.
Chamath WijeratneFrom the moment you meet Ray, you instantly sense the energy, passion and commitment that he applies to everything he does. From his own experiences and growth as an individual, it has led Ray to focus his energy on helping and guiding professionals in order to understand their potential and opportunities for real personal success.
His journey resonates with so many energetic, passionate and entrepreneurial individuals who might reach a supposed level of corporate success, be it for the companies they work for or even businesses they run, yet find themselves in a space where the success attained does not feel rewarding. Ray has looked to encourage these people to find an inner source, to change their way of thinking and look to alternatives that not only leverage their strengths and abilities, but result in personal success and satisfaction.
Ray has selflessly invested his time over the last few years in mentoring a number of people and seeking out individuals who inspire and promote Ray’s mantra of seeking out real personal success. Through his own businesses with Job Transition Strategy, Watt Electrical News and the not for profit organisation My Electrical Community, Ray has sought to connect and engage with industry professionals so that collectively we all feel like we achieve the best out of our careers and life.
Peter KoulosI first met Ray Pavri when he heading up Sustainergy – Search and Select when he asked to talk to me about a potential career opportunity. What struck me about him was his interest in me as a person, my motivators, wants, needs and also how my working life affected my overall enjoyment of life. I have not been placed by Ray in any of my roles but was interested to hear about MyElectricalCommunity and his plans to provide assistance to others within the industry through mentoring sessions and an Industry Networking organisation.
The MyEC Electrical Showcase Events initiated and managed by Ray have provided insight to a variety of roles carried out by those working in the electrical engineering field of many different industries. In September 2015 MyEC held a career planning advice event “Job Hunting within a changed Industry Environment” that provided benefits to those currently struggling to secure employment in a job market that is no longer basking in the high demand and shortage of engineers created by the mining boom and Mega Oil&Gas projects of the last 10 years. I am pleased that Ray, through his connections in MyEc, provides me with opportunities to contribute to helping others whilst adding to my own personal development.
Ralph StevensI have known Ray for a number of years and have always been impressed with the passion and commitment he puts into his work. Of recent times I have had the opportunity to be involved in a new business startup that Ray has obviously put a lot of time and effort into, My Electrical Community. Ray clearly saw a missing piece in what electrical professionals needed from industry associations. While my involvement has been limited the times I have been involved the organization behind the events has been faultless which reflects Ray’s passion and ability.
Garry TaylorRay has extensive experience and understanding of the subtle intricacies of the workplace environment and the impacts on the human psyche. He cares for the development of the working individual, with a belief that being part of a greater understanding community is essential to the happiness and achievement of the individual. This book is a must read for any person who is contemplating changing career, job or work situation and is just waiting for the right time, while time passes by.
Wessel WesselsRay Pavri is a dynamic, tenacious, focused professional who has a genuine desire to help others realize their full potential for their career and life in general. I have known him for over 10 years now, having sought assistance on executive placement, mentorship ideas and also for deep insights into the professional landscape. Ray is switched on and has his finger on the pulse as demonstrated in his newsletter “The Weekly Wire” and also the community of electrical engineering professionals, “MyEC” that he is building as Chairman of the group. To this end, seminars and network events are being organized throughout the country on a regular basis. He has been through much in his own early career that has shaped him and puts him in good stead to advice, mentor and coach others in their own professional development. This book “The Work Trap Dilemma” is an interesting account of Ray’s own professional journey and awakening that would resonate with many facing the daily grind of work. I would certainly recommend this for those wanting to utilize their full potential but dared not to, do not know how or worse still, living in denial.
Pascal XavierIf you want to meet a person with unlimited energy, enthusiasm, passion and zest for life, meet Ray. Ray is a pioneer in the recruitment industry and he brings a lot of skills to the table, he is always there for you when needed. He is very knowledgeable, in his subjects, and goes out of his way to help his customers and clients, both. He comes up with amazing initiatives which benefit the industry like; My Electrical Community and gives his all to see that it works. For me Ray is an asset to anyone he works or would associate himself with. I wish him all the success for any endeavor he takes.
Gajanan BhaleroMy relationship with Ray Pavri dates back to 2006, when he offered me job in a prestigious automation company in Australia. As an employer, Ray not only helped me in relocating from overseas but also assisted me throughout the settlement process. I know him as a very dynamic person with great vision who mentors people in aligning their career to their goals. On several occasions, I received valuable guidance from him both in career and personal fronts.
Ray is also the founder of ‘My Electrical Community’ (MyEC) which is a peer-to-peer business and social network for people with an electrical background. As a visionary, identifying the needs & gaps in the electrical industry, he formed this organization and steered it to a successful position conducting networking and mentoring events throughout Australia. MyEC is a wonderful platform for people seeking support to improve their network, technical knowledge, understanding of industry issues, and receive directions to achieve career goals and Ray’s efforts have been instrumental in making this happen.
Partha SinhaI have known Ray for a one and a half years. Ray was working as the Chair and Company Secretary for MyElectricalCommunity, a not for profit organization for those with an electrical background when I was a company director in 2015. Since knowing Ray I have witnessed his journey from running an on-line business catered to the electrical niche, to running a not-for-profit organization for the electrical niche via MyElectricalCommunity and now to career coaching for the electrical industry through Job Transition Strategy.
At MyElectricalCommunity Ray played a key part in the planning and organization of mentoring and networking sessions throughout Australia. Ray has a very broad understanding of the electrical industry as a whole and a specialised knowledge of the soft skills required to be employed within this niche. He truly understands the mind set of those within the industry. In working alongside Ray I felt driven and inspired by his energy and creativity. He displays a high level of organisation and professionalism in his work. To me Ray has been a mentor, an advisor and a leader. It was a pleasure to work with him.
Jeremy VarendorffRay is an excellent career coach, who not only gave me a chance to determine all of my career options but then gave me the direction, guidance and tools to be able to pursue the career I got most satisfaction from. He has always helped and motivated me along my career journey. He has gone way beyond the call of duty catching up with me and my family in Tumut to assess my whole situation fully.
I would highly recommend Ray for any career counselling strategies because of his ability to think clearly and to leverage his understanding of employers & the Australian employment market. Through his extensive contacts he is also able to organize relevant mentors which helped me immensely in my own journey.
Abhas NigamI have known Ray for many years now as an expert in search and select within the electrical engineering field. In his role as the Chairman of MyElectricalCommunity; Ray shares his wealth of knowledge with young graduates and with more senior engineers in career transition phases. At the most recent MyElectricalCommunity’s meeting Ray showed just part of his expertise outlining how to approach the job hunt including how to develop job transitioning strategies in the current, very challenging job market we find ourselves within.
The presentation covered the full life cycle of career planning, guidance, career transitioning advice and this attracted great response from the audience. Ray’s latest endeavor establishing Job Transition Strategy, as a career coaching consultancy, to guide professionals through career change is the best I have seen within the industry. The coaching provides a complete strategy on how to approach the hidden market for jobs, detailing what and how to do at each step, with attention to detail when communicating with potential employers. I recommend having a one on one discussion with Ray to see how he can help you with your own Job Transition Strategy.
Tony PalechekI have known Ray in his role as Chairman of MyElectricalCommunity and as the founder & Managing Director of Job Transition Strategy, a company he runs for individuals looking towards career change. Ray is an expert in the full life cycle of career planning, guidance, career transitioning and advice. The discussions I have had with Ray & the events on career planning, guidance and transitioning Ray has organised are the best I have seen within industry. Ray has provided some excellent advice which has helped me in my own career path. I recommend having a one on one discussion with Ray to see how he can help you.
Huyen DuongI just wanted to commit in writing how great I feel about the mentoring session Ray conducted. It was the first time I joined a professional networking event here in Australia. I suppose after the meeting, I am gaining back my confidence to start communicating with professionals in my field and present my skills properly. I took precious points on developing methods for effective application to jobs and I think one of the strategies, Ray suggested at the meeting, will work for me very soon
Amin SerajianRay is a true professional and an individual dedicated to the industry. His job transitioning strategy related expertise has helped me tremendously in seeking employment and he is one of the best consultants in his field that I have had the pleasure of dealing with. I have no concerns in promoting his services to people in need of work but also to employers as his level of service and consideration is second to none.
Abhishek KumarHi Ray. It was of tremendous value to me to attend the event organised by you on 16th September. Your tips for job searching in the current highly competitive market were spot on and I cannot thank you enough for sharing these with us. I met some very knowledgeable mentors who presented a realistic picture of current market trends in various electrical engineering related industries such as power industry, telecommunications, transport and control and automation.
I personally learned a lot from you and other mentors. I also got invited to a meeting with one of the mentors on this coming Thursday. This all became possible due to such a wonderful event organised by you. Please keep up the good work
Ashok KumarThanks for organizing the job transition strategy related event last week. It was an amazing opportunity where I could network with my Electrical Engineering peers from different industries. The insight and advice I received was invaluable and I am happy I have already attended a few of these networking events. It has also helped me to have a better understanding of the current situation of the industry and the job market. In addition, I have established connections with the professionals out of my current network which otherwise I wouldn’t have the chance to.
Alan Mazloumian