10 minute read
Channel Youth
Staying sane while job hunting
Your monthly Channel Youth column from Jessy Thurston.
Jessy Thurston
The beginning of a new year tends to launch high school leavers and university graduates into a looming pit of cluelessness, as the inevitable reality of job hunting arrives. We’ve gone from hours of studying, part-time retail jobs and the yearly three-month break during summer to this life-altering moment. It hits all of us eventually – we knew it was coming, but it doesn’t make searching for a fulltime job any easier.
Looking after your wellbeing while entering this stage of life is really important. It’s a little bit daunting when you’re new to the world of the dreaded 9-5, 40 hours a week. The shift from adolescence to adulthood can shake up what you’ve considered ‘reality’, and tackling this post-Covid is just another stressor that adds onto the job search. First, it’s the challenge of creating or updating a CV and trying to shove all of your value onto a couple sheets of paper. This task can be pretty hard, but there are loads of courses online, or even just tutorial videos that can help you address what to add in, and what to leave out. Confiding in family or other professionals around you can be a great start too – it can be scary asking for help, but so many people are happy to flick you a few tips or read over your resume when you're starting out.
Signing up to websites like Seek and Indeed was scary for me at first. I wasn’t sure which industry really fitted with my degree, and some of the terms included in the descriptions weren’t familiar so I just scrolled past them and felt a bit overwhelmed trying to navigate through hundreds of job listings. When I found something that seemed like it might suit me, I then read through requirements and found most of these jobs require at least a year of previous experience. For recent graduates, even with a couple internships under their belts, it can seem as if the industry is unreachable. When this obstacle hits, it’s best to try and ground yourself and make sure you’re not slipping into mindsets where you convince yourself you’ll never get anywhere. The trick is to remain positive and keep trying. Even if a job requires more experience than you think you have – apply for it anyway. The worst thing that will happen is you don’t get an interview. Once you get past the applying and actually get the opportunity to be interviewed, it can be a bit daunting not knowing what questions will come up, and worrying that you’ll not have anything to say. Preparing for interviews can make you feel a lot more confident going into them, and having a good idea of common questions and how to approach them may leave you impressing interviewers. It’s a good idea to do some basic research on the company you’re applying for – finding out their values and looking at their website is a great start. Also, thoroughly read the job description and try to relate your own skills/experience to things the listing mentions. Even if it is a small connection, it’s best to have some ideas on what to say to prove you would be a good candidate. Taking note of your strengths and weaknesses and having them ready to explain is a good place to start too. Always make sure to prepare three to five good questions about the job to ask when the interview is over – that way if some of them are answered during the meeting, you’ll still have at least a couple good ones to go to.
If you don’t get a job straight away, don’t get too down about it. You can always call or email and ask for feedback after an interview doesn’t work out; it might help you do better when you next get an opportunity somewhere else!
Keep in mind that looking online for positions is not your only source of finding something that works for you. Look out for hiring flyers on small local business windows, and let people close to you know you are looking for a job – sometimes word of mouth is the best way to get your foot in the door. The biggest advice I can give to people in the same predicament as me right now is this: if you start to feel a bit overwhelmed, take some time out to breathe, rest, and practise some self care. Don’t give up either. Take everything one step at a time and consider all interviews that don’t work out as opportunities to gain more experience for the next one.
I’m definitely no expert. I am still deep in the search for a job myself, but hopefully by sharing the challenges and tips I’ve come across, I can help make some eager go-getters feel a bit less intimidated by the process.
Passionate people making America’s Cup events memorable
In mid-January I had the pleasure of joining Mayor Phil Goff and Councillor Richard Hills as guests of the the Tūpuna Maunga Authority for a tour of Maungauika-North Head. Councillor Alf Filipaina was also there in his capacity as Aidan Bennett. Tūpuna Maunga Authority deputy chair. Members of the Tūpuna Maunga Authority team took us on a tour of Maungauika-North Head to look at the great work being done for events coinciding with the 36th America’s Cup.
Visitors to Maungauika-North Head during the 36th America’s Cup are able to discover murals, temporary sound and light installations in the historic defence tunnels, pop-up artist studios, a Hikoi Mai Hikoi Atu (a guided walk of the maunga) led by local Māori Performing Arts Group HIWA, performances, and interactive activities such as Rāranga (weaving) workshops, traditional kite-flying, and more. Kai stalls will also be at the tihi (summit).
I came away from this tour once again blown away by the passion of all the staff involved. As an (newly) elected official I so often hear people banging on about all the problems of council and the not so positive things. What we need to hear more about is the wonderful things that are going on – and there are many. Most of these wonderful things are being driven by passionate staff within council and related organisations. The Tūpuna Maunga Authority is one of those.
With the 36th America’s Cup event I have been impressed with the collaboration between council and Auckland Unlimited (formerly ATEED) with entities such as the Tūpuna Maunga Authority, and with local business associations and commercial partners to bring great events together for the Devonport-Takapuna area. They have had to do this despite coping with the curve balls thrown up by Covid-19, such as slashes in budgets etc.
In terms of 36th America’s Cup related events for our Devonport-Takapuna area we have the fabulous Waterbourne Festival in Takapuna (collaborating with a commercial partner and the Takapuna Beach Business Association); the Devonport ‘Race Days by the Sea’ initiative (collaborating with an event organiser and Devonport Business Association); the Sunsetter Food, Wine & Music Festival at Smales Farm (collaborating with a commercial partner); and the Love Your Maunga ki Maungauika celebration (collaborating with the Tūpuna Maunga Authority). These events all fall under Auckland Unlimited’s ‘Summernova' initiative.
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority sees the 36th America’s Cup event as a great opportunity for people to connect with the maunga in a way they will not have experienced before. If you’re looking for the ideal vantage point on Cup race days, you'll find it at the tihi (summit) of Maungauika-North Head, with its stunning panoramic views over the Waitematā Harbour and the Cup racecourses. You can also grab a bite to eat from the kai stalls, find a spot on the grass, and enjoy. There is something for all taste buds but definitely try out the traditional Māori hāngi, and stick around for a hāngi cooking display on key race days. Coffee and other non-alcoholic beverages are available. Maungauika-North Head is an alcohol-free space though.
The Tūpuna Maunga authority have had responsibility of Maungauika-North Head for about 18 months and are doing a fantastic job.
Tūpuna Maunga Authority Chair Paul Majurey explained the opportunity when announcing the 36th America’s Cup related initiative. "We are expecting a lot of people to visit Maungauika during the Cup races for the unbeatable views over the Waitematā harbour. That connection between land and water at Maungauika is exceptional within the Tāmaki Makaurau Maunga network, so what better way to host our manuhiri than through a celebration of Papatūānuku and Tangaroa through the lens of Te Ao Māori. Visitors always leave the Love Your Maunga events with a better appreciation
With the 36th America’s Cup event I have been impressed with the collaboration between council and Auckland Unlimited (formerly ATEED) with entities such as the Tūpuna Maunga Authority, and with local business associations and commercial partners to bring great events together for the Devonport-Takapuna area.
Pictured, from left: Dominic Wilson, Head of Co-Governance Tūpuna Maunga Authority (TMA); Mike George, Communications Manager, TMA; Nettie Norman – Director, HIWA; Councillor Alf Filipaina, Deputy Chair, TMA; Mayor Phil Goff; Aidan Bennett, Chair, Devonport-Takapuna Local Board; Councillor Richard Hills; Paris Kirby, Director and Arts Co-ordinator, Social Ritual; Amiria Puia-Taylor, Director and Arts Co-ordinator, The People Weaver; Thomas Rawiri; Visitor Experience Co-ordinator, TMA; Sammy Johnston; Event Organiser, Auckland Council.
of the mana of the Maunga and the values of manaakitanga (hospitality), kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and kotahitanga (unity). We are looking forward to sharing those values with manuhiri during this next series of events."
Providing our mid-January guided tour and explanations of initiatives in place for the event programme for Love Your Maunga ki Maungauika were Thomas Rawiri, the Visitor Experience Co-ordinator at Tūpuna Maunga Authority; Auckland Council’s Event Organiser Sammy Johnston; Paris Kirby; Director and Arts Co-ordinator of Social Ritual; Amiria Puia-Taylor; Director and Arts Co-ordinator of The People Weaver; and Nettie Norman, Director of HIWA and organiser of the guided hikoi and performance group. Every one of them is passionate and dedicated to providing a great experience for attendees.
“Our relationships to place are transformed when we come together with a shared vision. This project has empowered artists to take the lead in communicating the maunga as integral to identity and sense of belonging in Tāmaki Makaurau,” explains Paris Kirby. "It is an honour to help highlight the importance of working together through creativity, cultural identity and storytelling,” adds Amiria Puia-Taylor. "This event is a chance to demonstrate Te Titiri ō Waitangi in action through our Māori artists, designers and performers who share a whakapapa to this special place, connecting with local communities."
Visitors to Maungauika-North Head during the pre-Christmas 36th America’s Cup racing were able to enjoy this experience and there will be another opportunity during the March Cup finals period. Once again there will be a series of performancebased one-hour guided walks led by HIWA. The organising team explain this as: "You'll be taken on a journey through time to experience the mauri life force of Maungauika as a waahi tapu, a sacred maunga here in the heart of Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). Woven into a visual, audio and movement based tapestry for all to enjoy, learn and fill your kete matauranga (baskets of knowledge) with something new on this one hour guided hikoi and experience Maungauika as you’ve never seen before.”
Well done to Auckland Unlimited and all the entities bringing events together for the summer of the 36th America’s Cup. Make sure you get along to Maungauika-North Head during America’s Cup racing in February and March, and also catch the other events happening in Devonport and Takapuna. Many are featured in this issue of Channel Magazine. For more info visit: www.summernova.co.nz
