For some of us, choosing a career isn’t an easy decision. Whether you’re just starting out or making a change, mortgage broking is a career with opportunity and may be the right move for you. Firstly, what do mortgage brokers do?
Mortgage brokers are finance professionals that work in the middle between their clients and lenders to source the best loans suitable to their client’s financial situation. Mortgage brokers require great customer service, numerical, communication and organisation skills to balance multiple clients and lenders.
Now you know the basics of what a mortgage broker does, here’s why should you consider a career in mortgage broking.
 

 
Career progression:
Starting a career in mortgage broking won’t cost you thousands in tuition fees and you can generally establish a career within a couple of years. To become a mortgage broker in […read more]

Everyone faces setbacks at certain times, some bigger and unexpected than others. The question is: How do you bounce back from these and get yourself back on track?

 
Sometimes setbacks can be out of your control and aren’t a personal reflection on you. If this is the case, try to stay positive. They’re only temporary and you can get through them. When experiencing a setback, keep in mind the following tips to help you through.
 

Let it out and let it go

Allow yourself to feel the downside of making the mistake but be sure to move on from the situation. We all have bad days; be rational … you’re not a failure. Be gentle to yourself.
 

Swallow your pride and listen to your body

We all have a competitive streak in us and we tend to take mistakes […read more]

It’s very easy to get lost in our own worlds and become complacent of our relationships with those in our team. Behind every great organisation there are amazing teams that drive the success of the business.
 

 
I can’t hear you
Communication is one of the key factors of how well a team will function.
To play your role, be sure to:

Listen actively
Ask questions when you need clarification
Confirm with team members that tasks have been completed and then move forward

Rapport is constantly developed as each individual contributes to the conversation. This creates an enabling environment where everyone can freely share ideas and work towards innovative solutions.
It’s crucial to establish effective and clear communication. If you believe there are any confusions, be honest and let your teammates know that you don’t understand the situation or task. This will assist […read more]

With the Easter break coming to a close and ANZAC day approaching, we have been given a great opportunity to take a step back from our desks to unwind, unplug and recharge.
As the to-do list at work begins to spiral out of control and we lose our footing in life, we need to remember “balance is not something you find, it’s something you create”.
 

 
Prioritise: You
Balance is required for us to perform at our best, both at work and in our personal lives. Through the chaos at work we need to find ways to keep ourselves centred. This can only be achieved when you draw a line and learn how to put yourself at the top of your ‘to do list’.
If you are one of those people who say ‘Yes’ to everything, you may be […read more]

You know what confidence is when you see it, but the question is how do you become confident? More importantly, not only confident in yourself, but in all aspects of your life.
To put it simply, confidence is a combination of self-efficacy and optimism.
 

 
Self-efficacy can be defined as a person’s belief in their ability to succeed in specific ‘situations or accomplishing a task’. This can ultimately shape how you carry out your responsibilities, goals and challenges.
Self-efficacy can be broken down to the following factors of knowledge and skills:

Mastery – sustained effort and deliberate practice to achieve goals
Peer role models – looking for someone who is ahead of you, but not someone who doesn’t remember what it’s like to be in your position
Encouragement and support – look for those who can assist you to move forward
Body […read more]

With the week coming to a close we tend to look back and find it difficult to pinpoint what we have achieved. It’s important to reflect on your weekly achievements. Whether it be as small as completing those small administrative tasks you were hoping to get to, or meeting those tight deadlines and projects that have kept you on your toes since Monday.
 

 
In order to stay at the top of our game, you should bring everything to a close, recharge and start with a clean slate for another busy week to come.
 
Be humble, be proud
It’s important to reflect on what you accomplished within the five days of your working week.
Why? It’s proof to yourself you are awesome at what you do! It’s very easy to get down on yourself and to focus on your […read more]

The average life expectancy for a healthy Australian is a tick over 82 years. That’s 29,930 days. Seems a lot, right? Well, depending how you look at it, it’s really not that much. Considering a fair few of us wish away the days until the weekend (which as a matter of fact is less than 30% of your life … excluding the odd holiday here and there), it’s a fairly sobering thought.
Unless you’re a squillionaire or incredibly lucky, chances are you probably spend the majority of your days going to work. Your time on earth is limited, so it’s time to make the most of every day. Not only will you have more time to do the things you’ll love, you’ll benefit from:

Increased happiness
Healthier lifestyle
Fulfilment in your career and personal life

Don’t know where to start? Read on, you might pick up a thing or two.
 
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When it comes to making a meaningful connection with Gen Y, McCrindle said there are four key elements that advisers should bear in mind.
They must keep things:

real
relevant
responsive
relational

 

 
Keep it real 
Gen Y is a cohort that has seen a lot of hype during their life to date; they’ve been advertised and marketed to more than any other generation and they know when something is inauthentic.
“That’s the quickest way to actually drive them away, is to be inauthentic,” Henry warned.
McCrindle agreed, noting the power of social media means Gen Y will open the door to their friends, whereas, they’ll block the door to an advertiser.
“So, if we can keep it real, if we can build that connection in a real way, almost as an adviser of trust rather than someone pushing something on them, then I think we’ll […read more]

Chances are we’ve all experienced some form of Mondayitis before. It’s the common feeling of weariness, sadness, apathy and general distress many individuals feel when starting the Monday morning work week. It’s a pretty horrible feeling, but with a coffee, an email tidy up and the first meeting of the day, the symptoms of Mondayitis generally tend to subside.
In some cases, the symptoms don’t subside.  What happens if Mondayitis doesn’t subside? What happens when Mondayitis turns into Tuesdayitis and rolls into Wednesdayitis and beyond? Although these feelings may be a result of any number of factors, it generally stems from a lack of motivation.
 

 
Increased workloads, high stress, lack of opportunity, and poor pay are major factors for low motivation, which can create a downward cycle. […read more]

Ah, the famed New Year’s resolution – a promise of self-improvement. At the time, it seems like a great idea; the fairy of good fortune will arrive and wave its magic wand to provide the catalyst, motivation and persistence you need to reinvent yourself because you promised to turn a new page in the book of life.
 
If only it was that simple!
 

 
Hands up how many of you have made a New Year’s resolution and kept it? If you didn’t raise your hand, you’re not alone. As most of us know, it’s pretty difficult. In fact, a recent survey found an estimated 58 per cent failed to keep their New Year’s resolutions, with 15% giving up in the first three months.
 
Why do New […read more]