Have you ever considered using PEAP but are not sure where to start or what you might find most useful?

If you’re not sure what we’re referring to when talking about PEAP, find out more about the Partner Employment Assistance Program.

Defence has partnered with Right Management to provide career coaching and transition support for its members, and the workshops and Right Management learning platform, “RightEverywhere” is also available for ADF Partners at any time.

The employment workshops, JSP or Job Search Prep workshops have moved from being held across two full days in person to four live 2 hour modules completed virtually. The new flexible format makes them particularly suitable for Defence partners. It is recommended that the modules are completed in order however in reality if that’s not convenient for you they can be completed when and how it suits you over one month (if you are unable to complete all modules within this time you will receive a reminder email and the opportunity to reregister and complete at a later date).

After that time you continue to have access to the “RightEverwhere” learning platform which has guides, templates tools and reference material to continue supporting your career journey.

Module One Career Insights covers a review of the current Job Market including unemployment rates .6.9% * and growth occupations, Professionals, 13% increase in jobs by 2024*. The pre work for this module is the Birkman First Look questionnaire; I found this self-assessment particularly helpful. The insights contained in the personalised report may provide a catalyst to investigate a new side hustle, take your career in a whole new direction, or confirm that you are indeed on the right path.

Module Two Personal Branding looks at the basic tools of your Job Search, Cover Letter, Resume and LinkedIn Profile including providing you the templates to create your own. They work through these in a very structured way using information from the pre-work so to get the most from the workshop I would advise setting aside enough time to complete the pre-work free of distractions even if this is only achievable in 15/20 mins blocks. For me this was a good reminder to check my settings and update a few items on my LinkedIn profile.  

Module Three Networking and Job Search covers the very important topic of uncovering the hidden job market. We hear over and over again how the key to a successful job search is not so much what you know but who you know, or we think we have interviewed really well for our dream job only to find out afterward that the successful candidate knew the hiring manager somehow. As a Defence partner, always relocating, can be extremely frustrating. This workshop takes you step by step how you can actually do this yourself, how you can utilise your existing network to land yourself the perfect position.

Module Four Preparing for Interview covers the different types of interviews along with the behavioural interview questions and how to prepare for them. They also cover the all-important creating a great first impression because the reality is that an interviewer has sometimes already subconsciously decided if you are the right candidate for the role in the first few minutes and they then spend the next 45 minutes looking for justification for their initial assessment. I really like the idea utilising the “Power pose” just prior to interview so you project confidence.

These workshops although conducted by Career Professionals are not designed to replace PEAP. In fact they are designed to complement it.

They give you the basic skills and knowledge to help you identify where it is that you need support. We are all different, some of us may be able to present ourselves well on paper but then get nervous at interview, others may look ok-ish on paper but when we get to interview that’s when we really shine. We can get so much more benefit from PEAP when we look for a provider who specialises in what we need, rather than going looking for someone, anyone to help as we don’t even know where to start. If you would like a little more support with your job search this is a fantastic resource giving you guidance on where and how to start as well as increasing your confidence by providing a comprehensive overview of what can be a very overwhelming process.

Good Luck!

Nejula Blake
DFA Project Officer – Employment

The information contained in this post is general in nature and does not take into account your personal situation. You should consider whether the information is appropriate to your needs, and where appropriate, seek professional advice.

*these were the stats when I participated in the workshops, Right Management are currently updating this information monthly as it is highly dynamic