It could be triggered by something small, like a strange coincidence, by general life malaise or by a serious personal or professional disappointment which causes you to begin to question everything.

Ask 5 friends today whether they have experienced some form of existential angst in the past 12 months and at least 3 will answer ‘yes’ (if you are reading this, you probably answered ‘yes’ too).

Overthinking personal or career problems, feeling overwhelmed, anxious, depressed and stressed for protracted periods of time is a common affliction for young Australians. Second-guessing our past decisions, questioning our current circumstances, and striving to forecast our futures are some of the main factors contributing to an outbreak of what we’re describing as ‘millennial life fright.’

Why are many millennial Australians experiencing a spike in early life crises? 

Perhaps more than preceding generations, Gen Y Australians are cripplingly conscious of our limitations and our own mortality.

We understand that life is finite and there is no time to waste, leaving us prone to setting ambitious, and sometimes unrealistic, goals. We make mental layer cakes formed of equal parts hope, ambition, pressure and expectation.

Our hopes and dreams

But when these dreams fail to materialise on our abstract mental timeline, we go to water.

Rather than taking small setbacks in our stride by taking a beat, re-thinking, re-grouping, and re-jigging our plans, we can sometimes be susceptible to catastrophising the situation. For example:

I didn’t get the job, so I’m never going to be able to get a job ever and will never amount to anything. I’m going to be a deadbeat loser my entire life with no career, no hope and no prospects.”

The main byproduct of this deeply ingrained generational proclivity for disappointment and self-loathing is ongoing levels of anxiety, stress, and depression.

What our unusually cruel internal dialogue tells us is that the only logical reason why things have not worked out according to our original watertight plan is because we are impossible failures. Our friends or classmates will go on to enjoy wild success and enviable accomplishments, while we sit and ruminate in an unbearable pit of despair.

Somewhat counterintuitively, the more we tend to experience these anxious and negative thoughts, the more we try to convince our wider social media networks that we are leading full, happy and successful lives.

The result is a digital vortex that pulls millions of unwitting and increasingly dissatisfied young Australians into its murky depths.

Social media is the carrier, self-doubt is the virus

Social media is a place where everyone is having the best day of their life every single day.

The fact that these platforms feed us a curated ‘highlight reel’ is not lost on most millennials. It does, however, still succeed in generating overwhelming feelings of inferiority at times.

We are all guilty of looking at what our peers are doing – whether in the form of kicking career goals, travelling the world, buying a new house, getting married or having a baby – and comparing their success to our lives, thereby questioning our own journey and achievements:

Who am I? What am I doing with my life? Should I be doing more?”

More often than not we leave social media networks feeling as though we have simultaneously been punched in the solar plexus and are coming down with a hideous virus.

But self-doubt and disenchantment have become psychological viruses of sorts. They have not only found their perfect breeding ground in social media’s fragile and narcissistic ‘ego-system’, but are also capable of using these digital environments to spread through Newsfeeds, multiply exponentially, and infect millions of unsuspecting users daily.

These viruses of doubt quickly infect our subconscious and warp how we see ourselves.

It is a painful process that often makes us realise the ways in which our actual self differs from our ideal self. This is a major source of anxiety for many Gen Y.

Social media lives seem real. But rather than doubt the legitimacy of our friends’ digital world, we doubt the legitimacy of our own.

Viral content, like Prince Ea’s motivational video below, for example, are brilliantly inspiring but they also contribute to lingering questions about whether we are missing something or should be doing more.

They make us feel as though if we are not doing or achieving something significant every day that we have, in some way, failed to live a full life.

My personal experience with self-doubt is consistent with this. I graduated with a Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Psychological Science in May 2016. Since then, it feels as though all I have managed to accomplish with my degree is successfully appeal a parking ticket. I have so much ambition and when asked ‘whether I am going to use my degrees’ I am reminded of the disparity between who I am, who I want to be, and the steps I am taking (or not taking) to get there.

Social media only exacerbates this anxiety and self-doubt. I am constantly reminded that others my age seem to have it all figured out. I look at what they are doing and feel flawed, doubtful and inferior.

Like many other young Australians, I am left wondering ‘What am I doing wrong?’

Causes of common career crises

Through work, we are searching “for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying” – Studs Terkel

Daily internal dialogue

You may absolutely love studying your degree – but will it ultimately lead you down a career path that you are equally passionate about?

You might adore your job – but is it something you can see yourself staying in for five, ten or even twenty years?

The reason many of us become ensnared in paralysing worry and self-doubt about our occupational choices is that we have a habit of blurring the lines between a job, a career, and a calling.

We needlessly worry about selling out, selling ourselves short and becoming inauthentic versions of ourselves.

In her book, Simple Abundance, Sarah Ban Breathnach distinguishes between three categories of work and attributes much existential suffering to those who are searching for a calling, not a job.

1. A job is something that is a means to an end. It pays the bills and may be a temporary position that tides you over as you search for something else. For example, casual hospitality work.

2. A career is something you usually study for and unfolds according to a clear occupational path. For example, legal, advertising, medicine, engineering, accounting, publishing. It generally pays well and has security and predictability. But it may not bring you passion, help you to sleep peacefully or fulfil a deeper purpose in your life.

3. A calling is that gnawing feeling in the pit of your stomach. It is the idea that keeps you awake at night. It is why you get excited to get up every morning. It may not pay well, in fact, it may not pay anything at all. But it is something you feel that you are meant to do because it uses your unique skill set to fulfil a higher purpose which brings you peace, fulfilment, authentic happiness and meaning.

Your career may well be your calling. Or you may have a career but find that you are still searching for your calling. The search for meaning is, perhaps, why many of us are pursuing creative passions in the form of entrepreneurial ventures or side projects built around full-time work.

How to handle inevitable existential distress

It is easy to regard self-doubt and anxiety as uniformly negative emotions. But, when handled correctly, engaging in deep thinking about different stages of your life can be a powerful and positive exercise. It means you have a sound idea about your life goals and that you are not willing to settle.

• Write down your goals.

Try to break them down into bite-sized and manageable segments. Do you want to be running your own business in 5 years time? You can start by gaining industry knowledge and experience by working in a similar startup. When you do decide to launch your business, you will be able to do so from a solid foundation.

Importantly, celebrate everyday triumphs. Never underestimate small, or seemingly insignificant, accomplishments. Every win has brought you one step closer to achieving your dream than you were yesterday.

• Be mindful

Practising mindfulness means spending time appreciating your life as it is right now, without judgment.

If it has become a source of anxiety, take a step back from social media and other negative influences or people in your life. Consciously removing yourself from unrealistic external sources of pressure and negativity limits their power to influence you and your overall happiness.

As a start, experiment with great apps, such as Headspace, which coach you through effective strategies to meditate and to exercise mindfulness everyday.

Monash University also runs free online courses on Mindfulness for Wellbeing and Peak Performance.

• Talk to someone

There is an excellent chance that your friends are feeling, or have felt, the same way you are right now.

Remember that nobody goes through life at the same pace, and not everyone wants to achieve the same things that you do. This means that it is impossible to compare your life with somebody else’s and to expect similar results.

When it comes to millennial Australians, the reality is that we are not following the same well-worn path as our predecessors, or our contemporaries. Our personal and professional timelines are not linear.

The key to minimising the impact of an existential crisis, then, is to appreciate what you have now while working towards what you want. If you already know what you value and where you intend to go in life, then you are already a success.

The good news?

The best part about having an existential crisis is the dawning realisation that you don’t have to figure everything out right now.An existential crisis just means that you are questioning ideas and challenging the status quo, whether in your own life or a broader social context, and this is a sign of a healthy mind that is engaged with life.

One of the simultaneously exquisite and excruciating parts of life is that your true path will only emerge at a time and place when you are ready to receive it.

In the meantime, keep dreaming, keep seeking and keep believing.

Etiquette is everywhere.

It’s a set of invisible rules that unconsciously, and sometimes consciously, govern our social interactions.

From networking etiquette, to social etiquette, meal time etiquette and professional etiquette. With so many unwritten rules informing our daily social interactions, it can be almost impossible to know what the right thing to do is in any given situation.

When it comes to the freneticism and sheer volume of online interactions, most of us have been lulled into the false belief that email etiquette is not an essential career skill. Our capacity to complete tasks efficiently and achieve a result is often considered more important than how that result was achieved. This means that most emails are assigned little time and consideration before being sent to their unwitting recipient.

But an email reveals more about you than you might think. Often it is the first impression you make on another person. Structure, tone and content are all important elements in conveying your core message. If rushed and poorly constructed, a bad email can quickly elicit a lasting negative response.

Some Hard And Fast Rules For Good Email Etiquette

• Try to keep your sentences and language brief and to the point

Always remember to ask the person you are emailing how they are. It starts your dialogue off on the right foot.

• Wherever possible, always try to reply to emails within 24 hours

• Never sign off an email with a smiley face, a kiss, a wink or an emoji

If you cannot express something adequately with words then leave it out completely.

Don’t do this.

Using smiley faces and a seemingly harmless “X” at the end of a professional email can make you seem overly emotional, overfamiliar, lacking in emotional intelligence and weak. It can also come across as passive aggressive or that you are too lazy to say what you really mean.

• Avoid unnecessary punctuation such as CAPITALISATION, bolding and exclamation points!!!

Nobody enjoys feeling as though they are being yelled at over an email exchange. There are better ways to reinforce an urgent deadline.

• Never ignore an email from somebody more senior than you. This rule also applies to volunteer positions

If someone in a senior position has asked you to take on more work, to find information on a project, to chase down a lead or even what your stance is on a certain issue, always respond as quickly as possible. Even if your response is just a brief acknowledgement email along the lines of:

Try to respond like this.

Not responding at all sends a clear and unambiguous message that you do not care about your senior manager’s needs. It also tells the story that you do not value your role, that you have poor time-management skills and that you are not coping.

Remember, the person who supervises your work determines your salary increment and eligibility for promotion. They are also in a position to give you a glowing (or terrible) referee report one day.

Their opinion matters, so always try to go above and beyond in your interactions.

• Keep your commitments: If you commit to completing a task then stick with it

If you find that your circumstances change and you are no longer able to take on a task you committed to, have the confidence and courtesy to tell the person to whom you made that commitment. Being up front means that everyone knows where they stand.

Communicating your needs early also helps your manager do their job more effectively by being aware of which tasks need to be reassigned.

• Keep emotion out of it: Email communication should be professional and avoid unnecessary emotion

Sometimes the best professional communication technique involves knowing when to speak up and when to zip it.

Signing Off

Social regulations, particularly in a work context, are some of the most difficult to master. Everything depends on your office environment, company culture, past practices as well as who is supervising you.

If you work in an environment where the exchange of casual emails is commonplace, you may find yourself charmed by their informality, and tempted to respond in kind.

When this happens, and you are on the verge of stripping away a layer of professionalism from your digital correspondence, always remember before hitting SEND that you can never get yourself into trouble by being too professional.

Dressing for success is important, but developing a professional and authentic communication style is just as critical in shoring up a rock solid career trajectory.

What techniques do you use in email writing? Let us know in the comments!

I can’t do it anymore, I’m not good enough, this is too difficult.”

Do you ever experience any of these thoughts, particularly when exams are just around the corner, or when you have not started an assessment that is due less than 24 hours away?

If you answered yes, then you could be headed towards burnout.

As a university student, you may feel constant pressure to do well and to work hard. In the midst of juggling study, work and social commitments it is not surprising that many students forget to take care of their physical health and mental wellbeing.

Around the country, many students are experiencing increasingly high baseline levels of daily stress and anxiety but are, perhaps, unable to identify the root cause.

It is therefore important to be able to recognise the early warning signs which may indicate that you, or someone you know, is suffering from a mental health imbalance.

Below is a quick checklist for some of the most common symptoms of deeper underlying issues.

Physical Signs Of Anxiety Or Stress

Some common physical signs of anxiety or stress are:

• Exhaustion
• Feeling nervous
• Insomnia, or sleeping too much
• Loss of weight and appetite
• Headaches
• Neck tension
• Stomach upset or nervous stomach
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Prefering to stay at home

Emotional Signs Of Anxiety Or Stress

Some common emotional signs of anxiety or stress are:

• Feelings of apprehension or dread
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling tense and jumpy
• Expecting the worst
• Feeling restless
• Feeling miserable/irritable
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Frustration
• Disappointment in yourself

If you have noticed recognisable changes to your general state of mind or to your physical wellbeing that lasts longer than a few days, it is vital that you take positive steps and do something about it.

If you are still unsure whether you are suffering from anxiety or stress, complete BeyondBlue’s anxiety and depression checklist. 

Five quick and positive steps you can take today to help with depressive thoughts, anxiety or stress can be found below.

1. Seek Help

Every university has a counselling centre or a wellbeing society.

Make good use of free resources that are available to you. Seeking help does mean that you are a failure or can’t ‘tough it out’ on your own. It means that you are self-aware enough to recognise your limitations.

It’s crucial to keep in mind that you are not the only one experiencing anxious thoughts. Sooner or later, life has a way of knocking every one of us down to the point where we feel like we cannot get up again. This is a normal and natural part of being a twenty-or thirty-something. The important thing is that you do get up.

Understand that others, such as friends of family may, through their own life experiences, be in a better position to give you strategies to cope. Our personal experiences don’t always equip us to deal with particular types of stress, so speaking with someone who has been through something similar can help you to get back on the right track quicker and easier.

You may also meet someone going through a similarly stressful time who can relate to your experiences and offer support and friendship.

If you feel uncomfortable talking with a counsellor or other professional, Lifeline and Beyondblue provide 24 hour anonymous support either over the phone or online chat.

2. Take a Break

Remember that you’re only human.

Our bodies need rest to perform at their best. Nobody can work or study non-stop and expect terrific results every time.

Taking a break gives your brain time to recalibrate. It refreshes your thinking and helps you to see your situation with a fresh eyes and a fresh perspective.

3. Sleep!

Get plenty of sleep (at least 7 hours per night) and cut down your afternoon intake of caffeine.

Try to switch to decaf or herbal tea from 2pm. Many students get into the habit of leaving assessment or study until the last minute and pull an ‘all nighter’ to finish. Chronic sleep deprivation can, however, seriously damage your mental and physical health as well as diminish the quality of your work.

And why risk a bad mark, or compromise your mental health, with something that is as easily manageable as getting enough sleep?

If you can muster the willpower, avoid blue light from electronic devices like phones, tablets and laptops a few hours before bed. Experiment with apps like Sleep Cycle which help track your sleep patterns and monitor the quality of your sleep.

4. Try Yoga Or Meditation

Yoga and meditation are great ways to reconnect the mind and body, particularly if you are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress or fatigue.

Spending 15-20 minutes doing yoga or going for a quick walk or run during a study break can drastically lower stress levels, get your blood flowing, refocus your mind and improve concentration. Daily Yoga is a fantastic free app with over 500 yoga poses and instructions.

It’s great for study life and also life in general. Develop strength and flexibility and get into fantastic shape!

For a quick mental holiday, get into the habit of using apps like Stop Breathe Think, Smiling Mind, Simple Habit or Zen. You can check-in with how you’re feeling at any given moment and try short activities tuned into your emotions. Just 10 minutes of guided meditations per day has been proven to significantly reduce stress levels by proactively managing the way you deal with negative or overwhelming thoughts and feelings.

One practical strategy to minimise the impact of anxious thoughts is to put those thoughts on paper.
Set aside 15 minutes every night before bed to write down whatever is bothering you. It could be an upcoming exam, an overwhelming study schedule or general life pressure.

Seeing your fears or worries written down removes their power and unburdens your mind from its need to hold onto them.

5. Eat Healthy  

Midnight Maccas runs and dinners consisting of instant noodles always seem like a good idea at the time. But a few seconds of instant gratification with cheap junk food can mean that you are jeopardising your physical and mental health.

According to Dr Hyun Shin from the Harvard School of Public Health:

Although instant noodles are a convenient and delicious food, there could be an increased risk for metabolic syndrome given the food’s high sodium, unhealthy saturated fat and glycemic loads”.

High sodium foods have also been linked with heart disease and other serious health problems.

Not feeding your body the nutrients it needs to succeed is like pouring sand into an engine and expecting it to perform well. Recent studies indicate just how important healthy gut bacteria is for our overall health, including mood and mental health.

To effectively manage stress during exam period, it’s critical to spend the extra time preparing meals for the week and feeding your body the right fuel to succeed. Think tuna, rye bread, quinoa, green leafy vegetables, blueberries, and other superfoods that will boost your energy, focus and happiness and reduce stress.

If you are stuck for recipe ideas, the Women’s Weekly Super Foods for Exam Success book is a great place to start. HelloFresh delivers healthy ingredients straight to your door, and Youfoodz even prepares and delivers fresh meals, so all you need to do is factor in time to sit down and eat properly.

Conclusion

The next time you experience stress or anxious feelings that you cannot seem to switch off, try some of the above strategies as a first step.

Keep in mind that stress and worry are our brain’s way of working through problems – real or perceived. The more you worry about something, the more value your brain assigns that worry as a big problem that needs to be solved.

If you really want to stop worrying about something, you have to deal with it head-on.

Either write down what is troubling you; adopt healthy incremental lifestyle changes, such as eating healthfully, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep; talk about your problems with friends (who are likely to be feeling the same way as you) or seek professional help from a university counsellor or anonymous national helpline.

University is one of the best times of your life, so remember to keep things in perspective and proactively care for yourself and your friends. When it comes to the pressures of student life, try not to assign too much value or stress on getting perfect grades, performing perfectly or acing assessments.

Things are never as bad as they may seem at the time and, importantly, this stressful period in your life is only temporary.

Further Information

• Monkey Mind: A Memoir on Anxiety by Daniel Smith
• Things Might Go Terribly Wrong: A Guide to Life Liberated from Anxiety by Troy DuFrene
• The Worry Cure by Robert L. Leahy
• Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence by Rick Hanson

What strategies do you use to cope with stress or anxious thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!

News of the release of the Copyright Amendment (Disability Access and Other Measures) Bill 2016 exposure draft was probably drowned out by the tiresome election coverage and any hope of immediate action in the first few months of the new government is pipe-dreaming. This is indeed a bothersome state of affairs for copyright reform advocates.

Copyright law is the misunderstood angsty teenager of the legislative family, one that is very often overlooked despite being of increasing importance in an ever digitised world. While the proposed bill does not go all the way to making the changes that the Australian Law Reform Commission’s (ALRC) Report Copyright and the Digital Economy recommended in 2014, it does make some modest and important improvements to the existing copyright framework.

The main changes proposed in the bill are designed to streamline and simplify the Copyright framework to:

• make it easier and simpler for educational institutions and copyright collecting societies to agree on licensing arrangements for the copying and communication of copyright material
• provide simple, clear guidelines for libraries, archives and key cultural institutions to make preservation copies of copyright material
• align the period of protection for unpublished works with that of published works to provide libraries, archives and other cultural institutions with greater opportunity to use, and provide public access, to unpublished works
• ensure that search engines, universities and libraries have ‘safe harbour’ protection if they comply with conditions aimed at reducing online copyright infringement
• importantly, the bill also seeks to streamline and simplify the existing copyright exceptions and limitations for the use of copyright material by the disability sector.

Protection Of Unpublished Works: Respect For The Creator Or Unnecessary Stymying Of Creativity?

The purpose of copyright law is to protect the expression of the work, rather than the ideas and facts it contains.

However, affording indefinite protection to unpublished works has not only locked up expression, it has also locked up facts. Take, for example, Captain Cook’s recipe for carrot marmalade, undoubtedly a valuable contribution to society, but one that cannot be published because it is contained in a book of Cook’s correspondence.

The National Library holds this among many other letters written and received by notable figures, including Jane Austen and Dame Nellie Melba, all of which cannot presently be digitised or copied.

Advocates of retaining the indefinite protection afforded to unpublished works argue that it is a necessary outgrowth of the need to respect the wishes of the creator, who never wrote or received those letters with the intention of publishing them.

This argument, although initially persuasive, is easily refutable.

Copyright law was established with the intention of encouraging creativity, where the promise of protection and corresponding reward is thought to be necessary in order to incentivise the creation and dissemination of works in the first instance. Unpublished works clearly do not fit within the broader goal of copyright work, since they weren’t created with the rewards of publication in mind.

It is more persuasive to suggest that unpublished works should not be protected by copyright law at all.

How Does The Proposed Bill Change Things?

The bill seeks to make the protection terms for published and unpublished works the same.

Currently, unpublished works have indefinite copyright protection, and published works are copyright protected for the lifetime of the author, plus 70 years.

The proposed bill aims to apply what is known as the “plus 70” law to unpublished works, an unprecedented step in the quest to encourage creativity.

The proposed bill provides libraries, archives and key cultural institutions with ways around their present inability to preserve unpublished works.

While the copyright protection of unpublished works isn’t going anywhere any time soon, the bill seeks to provide an acceptable compromise, one that affords unpublished works the same term of protection as published works, and allows institutions to make ‘preservation copies’ of such works.

If the Bill does not pass, creating such copies will remain illegal, which leaves our existing copyright laws with a serious deficiency.

The Copyright Act 1968 and associated legislation is excessively complex, archaic and restrictive. In the light of this, the Bill also seeks to streamline educational statutory licence provisions, supporting access rather than creating unnecessary red tape and overly bureaucratic processes. This will improve the quality of teaching in schools by providing simpler and more accessible licensing arrangements regarding copyright material.

Submissions to the consultation regarding the exposure draft of the Bill closed on 12 February 2016. Once the new Parliament settles in, hopefully the bill will be re-introduced with amendments that take account submissions received. Maybe then we will finally see action in an area that has been crying out for reform since the internet of things was born.

Conclusion

It’s the first step, albeit small, towards realigning copyright law with public and industry sentiment and need.

The passage of the bill through Parliament will hopefully ignite discussion surrounding more contentious areas of copyright law, namely the introduction of a fair use exemption. There is still much work to be done in establishing how much protection and control creators should be afforded over their work, and how this can be balanced with the need to ensure public access to such works and promote a rich and vibrant public domain.

Have anything to add to this copyright discussion? Let us know in the comments section below!

You tell yourself: the whole world has ended. I am barely holding it together.

No: the world has not ended.

Yes: you can take control and get your life back on track.

Whatever the circumstances, ending a relationship is an uncomfortable and stressful rollercoaster and may feel like your world is over. A complete overthrow of life as you know it – who you are, where you live, who you socialise with and, for longer term relationships, your finances and family life.

Be kind to yourself. It is important to realise that you have access to plenty of support. There are a number of positive and easy steps you can take that will help you navigate the emotional and legal maze caused by the end of a relationship.

Talk To Someone You Trust

Emotional and psychological support is extremely important at a time like this.

Although you might not feel up to speaking about it, it is essential that you try to express your feelings, your thoughts, your worries and your stresses, rather than bottling it up.

Family and friends can be great sources of comfort and reassurance. A friend or sibling who has also been through a break up is an especially good source of support as they may be better placed to understand your feelings and have tips or strategies to share with you.

Recognise A Relationship Breakdown

One of the first major steps in healing and moving on is accepting the fact that your relationship has ended.

There are two consenting people in any relationship. Every person has a right to decide whether a relationship should change or end. It is a decision you can make, or it may be a decision made by your partner.

Once this decision is made (easier said then done) follow through with clear communication and positive action. If you have decided to break up, then it is important that you behave that way. The sooner everyone is on the same page and it is clear where you are going, the easier it will become to start moving on.

Come to terms with, and respect, your new reality.

Give Yourself Time To Grieve

A part of your life is over. This is big. Recognise this change. You are likely to feel many emotions, and go through various stages of grief, including shock, anger and sadness.

Work out a strategy that allows you to feel whatever it is you need to feel. Let out your emotions with complete freedom.

Cry, write, laugh, paint, exercise, sit on the beach. Eat!

What makes you feel better? Start to build a solid base of coping mechanisms and positive thinking that you can use into the future.

When you are going through a traumatic time in your life, the best thing you can do is focus fully on yourself. It’s okay to be selfish and focus on what is right for you.

Sources of healthy life tips and coping mechanisms are available at AUReachout and Counselling Connection.

Speak To A Counsellor

You may find it awkward, or even impossible, to speak with friends and family about your situation. It could be because of complex family dynamics, or maybe they do not really understand what you are going through.

Counselling is an excellent, and often overlooked, option which can provide you with support when you feel at your most vulnerable. The healthy strategies you take away from counselling sessions may even help you start moving on from a relationship breakdown faster than you would alone.

Know Your Legal Rights And Responsibilities

Okay. Now we are feeling strong and brave, let’s face the law.

It’s not so bad.

Getting access to the right legal information and advice early is equally as important as obtaining emotional and psychological support.

If you and your partner have been living together as a couple, there are a number of practical decisions to be made, even if you would prefer to avoid them.

Before making any decisions, an awareness of what you are legally entitled to, as well as what you are responsible for, is important. This is especially so where your finances are complicated or you have children together.

Where Do You Stand Legally?

1. De facto relationships

If you were in a relationship as a couple living together in a genuine domestic basis, your relationship is likely to be considered a ‘de facto’ relationship. How do you work this out?

Your personal circumstances are relevant, including how long you were in a relationship, how long you were living together, whether you were in a sexual relationship, how dependent financially you were on one another, how you owned your property and how you socialised in public, as well as your commitment to each other. Your gender is not a relevant consideration.

The importance of recognising your relationship as de facto lies in the flow on rights and responsibilities, discussed below.

2. Separation at law

Whether you were married or in a de facto relationship, your separation commences at the point in time when one of you decides to stop living with the other. You may move out or you may remain under the same roof but live separate lives. At this stage, there is no formal legal process you need to take to separate.

3. Division of property

If you were in a de facto relationship and cannot agree on how to divide your property and assets, in some circumstances, you may apply to have the Family Court decide this for you.

When the court is making a decision, it will look at the individual circumstances of each couple.

To start, the court will look at what property exists between you, including assets and debt. Then the court looks at the contributions each person has made. This is not limited to financial contributions. Contributions made by a partner who stayed at home and cared for children or who contributed domestically are also relevant, in addition to what you owned before you got together.

The court will also consider other relevant personal factors such as your earnings into the future, your age, your health and any care required for children.

In the light of your individual circumstances, overall, what is most important is coming to a just and reasonable final division.

When you try to come to an agreement independently, the above should be a useful guide on the relevant factors that will affect how to reach a fair agreement with your former partner.

4. Maintenance

If you were in a marriage or a de facto relationship, you may have a right to receive financial maintenance payments from your former partner, or you may be responsible for making these payments.

For de facto relationships, you may have be entitled to receive maintenance payments from your former partner where you are unable to adequately support yourself. For example, due to the care of a child from the relationship, for health or any other adequate reason, and your former partner is able to afford to make maintenance payments to you.

The Family Court makes decisions about maintenance. In making a decision the court will consider a wide range of factors, including both your financial positions.

Any maintenance order will usually only be for a specific length of time. A change in your situation, such as if you get married, may end your entitlement to these payments.

5. Parenting

If you have children and your relationship breaks down, your responsibilities to your children do not change.

If you are unable to come to an agreement which provides for your child spending time with both parents, you may need to seek family dispute resolution.

If you cannot reach an agreement through alternative dispute resolution, then it may be necessary to apply to have a Court decide on parenting arrangements. This may include who your child will live with, when your child will spend time and with you or your former partner, parental responsibility and, more broadly, issues about how the child will be raised.

The most important consideration of the Court in making any such orders is the best interests of the child.

Reaching An Agreement

The ideal situation for everyone would be to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that is fair, reasonable and in line with your rights and responsibilities.

A number of legal advice providers and community services can help by offering mediation and dispute resolution.

Any agreement you make will not be legally enforceable unless it is registered as a ‘consent order’ by the Family Court. You should seek legal advice before doing so.

Domestic Or Family Violence

If you feel at risk of, or have been the victim of family or domestic violence, contact the police immediately. You may also seek support and referrals from the resources extracted below.


See The Positive Side – Things Will Get Better!

With time, and when you are ready, think about what you have learned from your experience, about yourself and about life in general.

This is a chance for you to positively change and grow as a person.

Further Information

For access to counselling and support services contact:

• Relationships Australia – 1300 364 277
• Family Relationships Online – for information about family relationship issues and services
• Family Relationship Advice Line (national) – 1800 050 321
• Lifeline – 13 11 14 for free counselling and support
• Beyondblue – 1300 22 4636 for free counselling and support
• QLife – 1800 184 527 for counselling and referrals
• MensLine Australia — 1300 789 978 for support and advice for men

Domestic Violence Support

• 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) (National) for sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling
• Domestic Violence Advocacy Service – 1800 810 784 (NSW)
• DoCS Domestic Violence Line (NSW) – 1800 656 463

Legal Advice 

Community legal centres across Australia and Legal Aid organisations may provide you with free initial legal advice.

Legal Aid organisations differ in each state and territory, the details of which can be found at www.nationallegalaid.org.

Factsheets and information brochures are available on most of their websites:

• Legal Aid New South Wales factsheets 
• Law Society of NSW
• Legal Aid Queensland booklet

For a list of community legal centres across Australia, visit the National Association of Community Legal Centres.

The Family Court of Australia also provides useful information on how to reach an agreement without going to court.

But when social media platforms are misused to go further than a little harmless fun, such as making serious threats and offensive or improper suggestions, do we ever stop to think – is this against the law?

A Sydney man, Zane Alchin, who made a string of abusive and sexually threatening comments on a screenshot of a woman’s Tinder profile which was posted to Facebook posed the question:

What law am I breaking?’

The answer came in the form of a conviction by a court for using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend under Part 10.6 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act 1995 (the Criminal Code). The maximum penalty is 3 years imprisonment.

Congratulations!

Welcome to full-time work – including all the joys of early starts, lunch meetings, CLE points, figuring out team dynamics, and triple-checking an email before you send it to anyone in the office!

It’s pretty easy to fall into a bit of billable cynicism and weekend-pining when you finally start working at your law gig. So here are a few ideas and insights from those who have gone before you to help make your first years a little easier.

• You’re Going To Make Mistakes

Without a doubt, you will make mistakes. It’s not called the “practice of law” for nothing.

But let’s be realistic: as a junior lawyer you’re rarely going to be put in a position where something you do (or don’t do) will lead to an ‘end of the world’ scenario. Regardless, be open to the fact that despite your perfectionism, attention to detail, and fastidious nature, at some point you’re going to make a mistake – and that’s OK. See the next dot point.

• It’s How You Handle Mistakes That Matters Most

Okay, so you’re now aware of your error.

If you discovered it, think about what has or hasn’t happened and consider possible ways that you can fix it.

Never try to cover up what has happened. This is not the time for pride. Now, go and see someone more senior and give them the straight run of facts. You don’t need to apologise profusely, but do say that you’re sorry and that you messed up. Suggest ways you think the situation can be fixed and werk, werk, werk, werk, werk until the problem is fixed or the issue is mitigated.

If the mistake has been identified by someone else, then you need to apologise immediately and open a dialogue as to how you think the problem may be solved. Don’t blame anyone else at this point. You need to wear it.

Once the problem is no longer a problem, or the fall-out has been substantially minimised, start a conversation with your manager or partner to figure out why the mistake happened in the first place, and how you can do things differently in future. This conversation is super important.

Senior lawyers know you’re going to make mistakes – they’ve been there before, even if they don’t always seem to remember what it was like. They’re not going to make you feel great about it when the inevitable happens. But the real test of your character, and your resilience, is to do everything you can to fix the problem and to identify strategies to diminish the risk of a repeat scenario.

• Communication Is Key

You’re going to work with people at many different stages of their legal careers.

Make sure you are always respectful in your communication – whether it’s via email or in person. If you’re giving a clerk or paralegal a task, remind yourself what it was like to be in their shoes and explain the task slowly and considerately.

If you’re called to anyone’s office to discuss a task ALWAYS take a pen and notepad with you. Write everything down. And always ask questions. If you don’t understand something when you’re receiving initial instructions for a task it’s far easier to ask straight away rather than later that afternoon when you’re trying to recall all the other things that were said!

It’s also essential that you ask when the task is due and how long you should spend on it. This way you can manage your time effectively. It also means you’re likely to be adding value to the file, rather than spending too long on a task with the time later written off.

• Dealing With Different Personalities

It’s not always easy working with different people who have unique working styles.

Try not to be disheartened if you feel you don’t “click” with someone. Keep trying, even if you feel like you’re not making progress.

• It’s Okay To Say “No”

If your workload is maxed out – don’t be afraid to say “no” to extra work.

It’s important that you manage your tasks so that you can finish the work that has been assigned to you in an achievable timeframe. It’s better to be realistic and say to a Senior Associate:

I’m pretty snowed under this week because of due diligence for the Commercial team, but I will have capacity on Monday.”

This is the preferred approach.

It’s much better to be clear about your existing workload, rather than a) taking on more than you can manage; b) offloading the task to someone else at the 11^th hour; or c) giving it a bare minimum crack.

Be honest about your time and manage the expectations of others.

• Time Is Important

As cold and callous as it may sound, if you’re working in any kind of firm that makes money you’re probably going to have to bill for your time, meet KPIs, or both.

While things are changing, and some firms are offering alternatives, the vast majority of commercial firms charge by the 6 minute unit.

You have to get good at billing and establish a routine of entering your time as soon as you’ve completed a task. Otherwise, you’ll probably miss time which means you won’t be meeting budget and you won’t be demonstrating your value.

It can be really depressing looking at “the clock” and seeing how many more units need to be done for the day. So try and plan your day around getting short and sharp units on the clock first thing in the morning – like firing off emails and telephone calls. When you start the bigger tasks a little later in the day, it’s not so daunting and you have already posted some good time.

Figure out what works for you – but make sure you bill, and bill honestly. If a three-page letter took you three hours, you’ve got to bill for it. This is also the partners’ way of seeing how you spend your time, so that if you’re spending too long on something they can help you.

• Get Involved And Give Back

Young Lawyers and the various Law Society Committees are a great way to meet other people and attend cool (often free! open bar!) events in the law.

If you’re in a big graduate program, it’s important to be involved with the other graduates and participate in your firm activities and events. However, don’t let this limit you to the world outside your firm. There are lots of interesting law and other speaking events, competitions and networking opportunities that are great for meeting other people and growing your personal brand. You just need to be aware of what is available and tap into it.

Once you have become settled into the full-time routine, you may wish to think about volunteering your time at a community legal centre.

As a lawyer, you’re in a pretty privileged position and giving something back is a nice way to recognise this.

• Take Time For Yourself And Your Health

It’s no doubt been drummed into you all the way through law school, and sounds like such a textbook suggestion, but it’s really important that you have a life outside work.

Take time for yourself, your friends and family and continue to enjoy the things you like doing in your spare time. Whether this takes the form of enjoying weekend sleep-ins, competing in Iron Man events, having dinner with friends or relaxing with Netflix and wine, it’s crucial that you carve out some dedicated “you” time.

Working in law can be high-pressure and competitive. To perform at your best during work hours, it is critical to take time for yourself and pursue interests outside the office.

This gives you a bit more balance in your life and means that you will be in a better position to cope with work-related stress when it arises.

• Get Yourself A Mentor

This doesn’t necessarily need to be someone working in law.

Find a person who can give you guidance and support, especially in your early years working as a solicitor.

There are many unforeseeable challenges that come with full-time professional work, not to mention the challenges that are specific to law. It’s nice to be able to soundboard problems or ideas with someone who has a few years on you and has literally “been there, done that” before.

You might already have someone like this in your life, which is great. Use them as a resource to fast track your professional development!

Otherwise, Young Lawyer Mentoring Programs can assist. LinkedIn is another great networking resource. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you admire, or would like to get to know better, and seek out their time and advice.

Just remember to always be very grateful and respectful of their time!

What are some of the main challenges you face as a young legal professional in Australia? What strategies have you found are the most effective in helping you cope? Let us know in the comments section below! 

Further Information

For light-hearted guides and resources on how to survive law school and beyond visit:

• Survive Law

To find out more about young mentoring programs get in touch with:

• NSW Young Lawyers Mentoring Program
• Law Society of NSW Womens Mentoring Program
• Womens Lawyers Association Mentoring Program
• Victorian Womens Lawyers Mentoring Program
• Law Society of South Australia Womens Mentoring Program
• Australian Corporate Lawyers Mentoring Program
• AICD Coach and Mentor Connect
• ACT Law Society Young Lawyers Mentoring Program
• Adelaide Law School Young Lawyers Mentoring Program
• Law Institute of Victoria Mentoring Program

Universities run Alumni Mentoring Programs twice per year:

• ANU Alumni Mentoring Program

For support coping with work-related psychological or emotional distress contact:

• Lifeline for Lawyers – telephone crisis support every night between 8pm to 4am (AEST).
  Call 1800 085 062; or start a live chat.
• Lawyers Assistance Program – Open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday.
  Call 1800 777 662 or email to access support.
• LawCare – a professional and confidential counselling service for solicitors and their immediate family members. Counsellors are practising GPs experienced in dealing with unique difficulties faced by legal professionals. Initial phone assessment and referrals are free. Costs only incurred for face-to-face consultations and much of this can be claimed back through Medicare or private health cover for clinically relevant medical conditions.
  Call 0416 200 788.

• Vic Lawyer’s Health – LIV members and their families have complimentary 24-hour access to the Vic Lawyers’ Health line. Up to three face-to-face counselling sessions are free.
• The Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation Psychological Wellbeing – Best practice guidelines for the legal profession are intended to support the profession in raising awareness of mental health issues.
• R U OK? – Helpful tips for having a conversation about mental health openly and respectfully with those around you.
• R U OK At Work? – Workplace resources to educate and inform managers and employees to ask for help and manage difficult situations.

“Dear Sir or Madam,

My name is [insert your name] and I am writing in response to the recently advertised position of [insert name of position] at [insert name of prospective organisation] … ”

Yes?

No. No. No!

When you sit down to plan a cover letter for your dream job, consider what you are trying to achieve. Sure, your end game will be to actually land the position, but you have a few things to nail before you get anywhere near the interview room.

Below is our Go-To Guide for Writing a Killer Cover Letter and landing that big interview.

Pause & Ask Yourself Why

Ask yourself why you are writing a cover letter.

Okay, so the job description mentions that you need to include one, but think about why this is being asked of you. It may seem tedious, and ridiculously time-consuming, but the whole point of a cover letter is to assist people at the other end of your application to decide whether they want to meet you.

Make their job easier! Sell yourself and your skills and enthusiasm for the role from the start.

O-riginal Tip: Don’t punish a recruitment manager by making him/her read two to three paragraphs before they even get to the relevant information about you (assuming they bother to keep reading). You don’t need a long-winded introduction, just get straight into it.

The trick is to think about what a prospective employer is looking for in an applicant for the role they have advertised, and respond appropriately. Normally job adverts have a helpful “about you” section or selection criteria where they actually list the qualities they are looking for in a successful applicant.

Each piece of information you include about yourself, your skills, or experience must serve the ultimate purpose of making you a more attractive applicant. If you are applying for a graduate role in a professional services industry, for example, ask yourself whether your babysitting career as a teenager is relevant. If it isn’t – don’t include it!

New Job, New Cover Letter

You know those carbon copy cover letters we all guilty of sending out?

You have a general template and then you do a quick copy and paste, with a few Ctrl F’s to insert the company or organisation’s name throughout your letter. Or you might be super savvy and have a mail-merge set-up.

Either way, go ahead and throw away any hard copies you have already printed into the recycling bin and straight out delete digital copies from your computer. This just isn’t going to work.

Any recruitment manager, CEO or senior partner worth their salt will take one look at this type of letter, roll their eyes and say “NEXT!”

You need to show that you are genuinely interested in the role.

Sending a one-size-fits-all letter will not cut it in this very competitive job market. It is clear to a recruitment manager that you have not invested any time or effort in applying for their role.

Recruiting and hiring staff is expensive, so it is up to you to prove to the company or organisation that you are worth that investment. It may seem like a lot of work, but taking the time to write a genuine and personalised cover letter that shows your personality will get your application noticed and drastically increase your chances of getting an interview.

O-riginal Tip: Always make sure your letter is addressed to a person and not “To whom it may concern.” If you cannot find a contact person on the company website, pick up the phone and give recruitment a call.

Always get a name.

Do Your Research

It seems like an obvious point but this really requires you to look past the first two pages of a company, organisation or government website.

If you are applying to work within a particular team, research the managers, partners or senior staff of that team. Stalk their LinkedIn profiles, look at their career progression, find out what boards they sit on and read up on projects, initiatives, cases or other work they have been, or are currently, involved in.

If you can use any of this information in your cover letter – do it. The trick here is to make it natural and part of a letter about you.

If you cannot use any of the above information, that’s fine – think about what team or role you are applying for, and how your past experience and/or skills will best align and complement the job. Highlight these, without repeating your resume.

O-riginal Tip: As you write your cover letter, think about highlighting a skill or quality you have, and explain how this has the potential to add value to the role or team. This way you can identify what you will bring to the role and also show that you understand the company and its values or objectives.

Keep It Short And Sweet

Format, tone and brevity are all important here.

Unless a job description specifically asks you to answer certain questions (and many government and graduate roles do), aim for a cover letter of less than 1 page and in no less than 11 pitch font.

O-riginal Tip: White space is super important. You want it to be easy to read. Stick to the basic rule of one idea to one sentence.

Keep the language formal but in your own voice. Applications for most professional service industry roles are still pretty conventional – we have not yet seen the kind of creative applications common among marketing and advertising roles filter through these industries.

Remember to make sure that you still sound like you.

The cover letter is your introduction or first impression to the company or organisation before they bring you in for an interview – stay true to you!

Proofread

More than twice. Probably three times. Definitely walk away from the draft before you come back to it and have a final read-through – out loud.

If nothing else, make sure that you have spelt the name of the company or organisation correctly.

Before hitting send, check you are sending your application from an appropriate email address!

O-riginal Tip: If you have highlighted your “attention to detail” then you better make sure that this attention to detail is plainly evident throughout your cover letter, and that your spelling and grammar are up to scratch.

At The End Of The Day

Applying for a new job in the current climate is not easy. But if you invest the time and energy into tailoring your cover letter to the role and organisation you want to work for, then you are far more likely to get a call for an interview and, potentially, the job!

Good luck with your applications!

Think we’ve missed anything? Would you like to see us cover more career hacks for Millennials? Let us know in the comments section below! 

Remember, you can change your structure as your business develops but take care when you decide on a particular structure because there are costs and obligations that might affect the choice you make.

Getting your startup’s legal structure right from the beginning is critical as it can impact your expenses, tax consequences, extent of ownership and your overall legal liability. Confused? Let’s go back to basics. In Australia, there are four common legal structures to consider: sole trader, partnership, company and a trust. Each structure has its pros and cons, so let’s go through each one to help you decide which option may be best for you.

Going Solo – Sole Trader Structure

A sole trader is the most common and the simplest legal structure. If you are setting up a low cost small business with limited expected growth, then this may be the structure for you.

Although a sole trader may employ staff, you trade on your own and the business is owned and operated exclusively by you. This means you can make your own decisions, you have no one to answer to and, most importantly, everything belongs to you.

Setting yourself up as a sole trader involves minimal cost, few tax formalities and any assets and profits of the business are included in your personal tax return.

Sole traders are not a separate legal entity so while you reap all profits and benefits, you also personally take on all liabilities and business risks. This means that you personally owe any outstanding amounts to employees, contractors or suppliers. It also means that if someone decides to sue you, legal action is initiated against you personally.

Most importantly, if the business fails it falls solely on you.

Partners In Crime – Partnership Structure

A partnership can be formed when two or more people decide to run a business together with a view to making a profit. It involves an agreement between two or more people to enter a legally binding relationship.

To avoid disputes, a formal partnership agreement should be made setting out, for example, each partner’s responsibilities and share in the profits as well as what is to happen if the partnership is dissolved.

There are different requirements for various types of partnership, depending on which Australian jurisdiction you are setting up your business. In NSW, there are three types of partnership: a normal partnership, a limited partnership and an incorporated limited partnership.

1. A normal partnership is one where all partners are equally responsible and involved in the day-to-day management of the business, and each partner has unlimited liability for both the profits and losses. This type of partnership does not need to be registered under the Partnership Act, but the two other types of partnership must be registered.

2. A limited partnership must be registered through the Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS),but this type of partnership is more flexible than a normal partnership.

It must consist of at least one general partner, whose liability is unlimited, and at least one limited partner, whose liability is limited to the extent they have invested in the business. A limited partner is more like a passive partner who usually does not contribute to the management of the business. Raising funds in a limited partnership is less complicated. This type of partnership is ideal for a prospective partner who simply wants to invest in the business without being involved in the day to day management and and without accepting liability for the risks associated with general partners.

This type of structure may be suitable for a small to medium business seeking to raise funds in an uncomplicated way without the formalities and requirements of a registered company.

3. An incorporated limited partnership may be the right fit for you if you intend to be engaged in a partnership for venture capital investment purposes. You will need to register as an incorporated limited partnership (ILP).

Partnerships share many of the same advantages as sole traders in their simplicity and inexpensive nature. However, the downside is that a partnership is not a separate legal entity and, consequently, normal partners are jointly responsible for debts and liabilities owed by the business, regardless of who actually incurred the loss.

In Good Company – Company Structure

This structure is better suited to medium to large business enterprises. Unlike a sole trader or partnership structure, a company is a separate legal entity.

A company has the same rights as a person, meaning that it can incur debt, sue and be sued. A company’s owners (shareholders) can limit their personal liability and are generally not liable for company debts.

A company structure is a more expensive and complex legal structure to set up and has higher administrative costs. It must be registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and comply with reporting requirements, including initial establishment, regulatory and compliance costs. Company officers and directors must comply with legal obligations under the Corporations Act 2001.

Tax requirements for a company are very different to sole trader and partnership structures. A company pays income tax on its profits at the company tax rate and there is no tax-free threshold.

It may sound like a lot of work but if you need a flexible legal structure which allows you to grow, attract investors, and limit personal liability for company debts, a company can be the most attractive option.

Ready To Commit – Trust

A trust is an entity that holds property or income for the benefit of others. A trustee can be an individual or a company who is obliged to hold and deal with property and assets (business assets) for the benefit of beneficiaries. These can be business partners or family members, for example.

A trust can be expensive to establish and maintain. You will need to create a formal trust deed that sets out the terms of the trust and how the trust is to operate.  There are annual administrative tasks that must be undertaken and, if you operate your business as a trust, the trustee is responsible for its operations. A trust does not need to be registered with ASIC.

Some asset protection is available to the trust if the trustee is a company.

Final Remarks:

• Know your business – Consider how much control you want to have, the future growth of your business, the possibility of needing investors and employees, the amount of risk involved and any assets you may want to protect.
• Uncertain about the future? – Don’t fret. You can change your legal structure throughout the life of your business. As your business grows or changes, you can change its structure.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help – Setting up a business can be a very complex and confusing process, especially if you decide to set up a company or a trust. Consulting with a professional lawyer or accountant gives you peace of mind knowing that your new venture has been set up correctly from the outset.

Further Information

For more information on starting your own business and choosing the right legal structure for your startup visit:

• Business.gov.au
• Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
• Fair Trading (NSW)
• Australian Tax Office

To get in touch with a legal professional specialising in startup law, contact:

• General Standards

Of course, you wanted it when it was free! In fact, you revelled in the novelty of having top end reading materials during your morning train commute. You haughtily quoted the latest snippets of news on business, finance, investment and politics to your colleagues on your morning coffee run.

But then you forgot that your free trial period only lasted for one month …

Your golden age of pseudo-intellectualism abruptly ended, leaving a crestfallen you with barely enough credit to purchase a compulsory bottle of Chandon for your friend’s 30th birthday this weekend.

The Sting Of Unexpected Subscription Fees

Nobody has the financial capacity to spend their salary on recurring and unused subscriptions to magazines or other apps and services such as Spotify, Netflix, iTunes music, Evernote or gym memberships. Especially when a lot of these charges can be old subscriptions you have forgotten about and which occur without your knowledge.

But checking your credit card bills for monthly accumulating charges is a painful and time-consuming exercise in patience and persistence. The investment of time and energy necessary to chase down and cancel $12 amounts can seem too high. But over time these amounts can add up to $500 over per year.

Luckily somebody in Silicon Valley just automated your worst nightmare. A fancy new app scans your online statements to find paid subscriptions and recurring bills.

All you have to do is:

1. Sign up
2. Enter your bank or credit card institution. All major Australian banks such as ING Direct, St George, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac as well as credit cards such as 28 Degrees Mastercard are supported.
3. That’s it.

TrueBill sends you information on you subscriptions so you know who is charging you every month. A built in one-click cancellation system also allows you to instantly cancel unwanted subscriptions. The best part is that your statements are monitored every month so that any price hikes or unexpected fee changes are flagged and sent to you in a handy report.

Time to start putting that extra cash aside for your next escape!

Further Information

To sign up for free, visit the TrueBill website.

9.2 million Australians left our wide brown land for a short-term jaunt overseas in the 2014-2015 period, with departures of Australians traveling overseas now exceeding arrivals of international travellers entering Australia.

The places we visit are diverse. The most popular destinations for young Australian travellers are New Zealand, Indonesia, the United States, United Kingdom and Thailand. China, Singapore, Fiji, India and Japan not far behind.

At the heart of it, travel is an adventure. So it’s easy to see why many young Australians get caught up in the excitement of exploring a new country and can forget that cultures, customs and laws differ significantly from what we know and understand.

A little planning, foresight and consideration from the get go will not only help ensure that you travel safe but also that your holiday is as enjoyable and hassle-free as possible.

Research local laws & customs before you go

The internet is your best friend when it comes to planning your trip, and that goes beyond booking flights and researching hotels.

Your first stop is Smart Traveller. You can quickly and easily check travel advisories from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for each country on your itinerary, as well as visa requirements and anything else you may need to look out for.

Your next stop is to arm yourself with facts by scanning travel forums such as TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet and relevant travel blogs to learn from the experiences of other travellers, as well as any local customs, cultural differences and applicable laws you may need to be aware of.

Register your trip before you leave Australia

Once you have booked your flights and checked relevant travel advisories, make sure you register your travel plans with Smart Traveller before heading off.

It is a quick and easy way to ensure your safety while you travel. Registering your itinerary makes it easier for the Australian Government to contact or locate you in case of an emergency.

It is also worth subscribing to email notifications for the duration of your trip.

Make sure you have everything you need to travel legally & safely

Make a checklist which can include:

• A valid Australian passport with at least 6 months of validity remaining
• Any necessary visas, or the correct currency to pay for them on arrival
• Up-to-date vaccinations, travel or otherwise
• Any medications you need. Be sure to check that it is possible to take your medications into the countries you are visiting, and carry all relevant supporting documentation. This can include a letter from your doctor, a prescription, or a letter from the relevant embassy
• Travel insurance. Make sure you have the appropriate level of cover and understand your coverage
• Double check that you are not travelling with anything prohibited. For example, foods, medications, vitamins, media (magazines, books, video, music), religious materials, alcohol or cash.

Are You A Dual National?

If you hold dual nationalities, you are a citizen of Australia and another country.

For example, your parents are nationals of another country, or you marry someone of another nationality.

If you are a dual national, there may be implications if you travel to the country of your other nationality. For example:

• you may be liable to complete military service
• you may be liable for prosecution for offences under the laws of that country, even if they were committed elsewhere
• the Australian Government may be limited in its ability to provide you with consular assistance if you seek it.

Always depart and re-enter Australia on your Australian passport

All Australians, including dual nationals, are advised to leave and enter Australia on their Australian passport. If you have a passport from another country, you can use this once you have left Australia.

Laws abroad may surprise you

Many countries have unexpected rules and regulations which can catch unsuspecting travellers. For example:

• In Singapore, it is illegal to import chewing gum
• The legal drinking age in Bali is 21
• Sharia law is in place in parts of Malaysia
• Sex outside of marriage is punishable by imprisonment in Dubai
• It is illegal to deface or step on the Baht (local currency) in Thailand
• Pseudoephedrine and codeine-based medications are illegal to bring into Japan
• You must carry your passport with you at all times in China
• Homosexuality is a criminal offence in India

When in Rome, do as the Romans do

Making sure you respect cultural differences and customs is a good way to avoid drawing unwanted attention and accidentally landing in trouble with the authorities.

Some common things to consider:

• Eye contact – In some parts of the world, such as China and Japan, prolonged eye contact is considered rude and akin to staring. In other countries such as the United States and Canada, however, eye contact is considered essential and a way to demonstrate that you are interested and engaged in the conversation.
• What not to wear – In Dubai, for example, it is important to cover your shoulders and back and wear garments that end no higher than the knee. In Barcelona, it is illegal to wear swimwear in any locations other than the beach, and streets very close to it.
• To tip or not to tip – In some countries tipping is expected. But in others it is frowned upon. For example, it very rude to tip in Japan. In the United States, on the other hand, tipping makes up a significant portion of income for many industries – so expect to tip 15%-25% for meals, drinks, and cabs.
• Physical contact – Different parts of the world consider differing levels of physical proximity appropriate, and public displays of affection may be encouraged, tolerated, frowned upon, or even illegal depending on where you travel.

Dealing with local authorities if something goes wrong

Although it is uncommon, in some cases gross injustices are done when victims of sexual assault have been imprisoned after reporting the crime to police.

If you are a victim of crime while traveling overseas, the most important thing is to get yourself to safety and contact someone you trust. Get in touch with the nearest Australian embassy, high commission or consulate.

Report the crime to the local authorities as soon as possible, however, your first port of call should be Australia’s 24-hour consular emergency service.

Further Information

For 24 hour consular assistance visit the SmartTraveller 24 Hour Emergency Assistance tool or contact:

• 61 2 6261 3305 (from overseas)
• 1300 555 135 (from within Australia)
• 61 421 269 080 (for SMS)

To register your trip visit:

•  SmartTraveller

For passport information visit:

• Australian Passport Office

To be the first to hear about official government advice when travelling sign up via:

• SmartTraveller’s Sign Up Form

For more resources to visit before you travel visit:

• DFAT’s Guide for Travellers – What To Do Before You Go
• SmartTraveller Travel Advisories

It is relentless, distracting and exhausting.

Technology allows us to check email and draft an immediate response anytime and anywhere. While queuing for our morning coffee, while waiting at a pedestrian crossing, or even while killing time on the train during our daily commute. For most of us, sending a quick, and often ill-considered, email has not only become commonplace but also socially acceptable.

For the recipient of a poorly-constructed email, however, this approach delivers a duel message. They receive your intended email, of course, but between your lines of text lie a hidden message which reveals itself subliminally through your tone. Rushed emails that omit common greetings, use passive aggressive language or make unreasonable demands, for example, betray a lot about you and your environment.

Nailing the right tone for emails is one of the most important, yet consistently undervalued, components of any job.

But what if you do not have the job yet? How can you follow up on a job application without coming across as desperate, needy or irritating?

The Situation

Sending out a number of job applications and not hearing back for several weeks (or even up to a month) can be acutely demoralising.

While most companies notify unsuccessful applicants, an increasing number are failing to get in touch with those who have not been selected for interview at all.

This makes knowing whether you have been eliminated from the list of potentials, or whether they are still considering your application, extremely difficult. Not knowing where you stand can leave you in a constant state of frustration, anxiety and uncertainty.

The good news is that there is no need to wait by your phone or jump at the first sign of a new email.

Make a decision and take control.

Step 1: Settle in for the long haul

Relax. Recruitment processes take a LONG time.

Allow at least two weeks, and sometimes up to one month, from the time you first lodged your application before thinking about following up. Sending an email any sooner will come across as too eager and demanding, which could result in more harm than good.

Step 2: Follow up 

If over two weeks have passed with no correspondence, you may wish to consider checking on the progress of the recruitment round.

You can call the relevant contact officer, or send a short email.

How To Pull If Off The Right Tone

Follow up emails are a tricky and temperamental beast.

Sending a balanced, considerate and well-crafted email that achieves its objective (without getting a potential employer off sides) is an art form which requires time, consideration and skill.

A template example of what NOT to send:

Dear [insert name of recruitment manager]

I applied for [insert name of position] with [insert name of organisation] some time ago but have not heard anything back.

Could someone please let me know what is going on and when interviews will be held??

Cheers

[insert your name]

Do not take your frustrations out on recruitment. This structure and tone will immediately antagonise a potential employer and your application will be scrapped. Here’s why.

The email starts by accusing the organisation of being disorganised or slow with recruitment. Its passive aggressive tones will not be well-received by most people. It goes on to demand information about internal company timelines and processes which the applicant (as someone external to the organisation) may not be entitled to. Lastly, it assumes that the applicant will be called in for an interview – a decision which has not yet been made by recruitment.

A better, professional template you may wish to consider using:

Dear [insert name of recruitment manager]

I hope this email finds you well.

I just wanted to follow up on the progress of recruitment for the [insert position that was advertised] in respect of which I was an applicant.

I would be grateful if you could let me know if this position has been filled.

Thank you very much.

Best wishes

[insert your name]

Benefits Of Being Bold

Knowing that you can follow up on the progress of a job application places you in a position of power.

Learning whether or not you are still in the race means you can focus your energy either on preparing for your possible upcoming interview, or moving on and finding a better job.

What strategies do you use when following up on a possible job? Let us know in the comments section below!

Further Information 

Some great resources to kick-start your job search:

Legal Jobs:

• Law Societies
• Legal Aid
• BeyondLaw Job Hub
• Pro Bono Australia
• RRRLaw
• eFinancialCareers

Federal Government:

• Australian Local Government Job Directory
• Australian Public Service Jobs
• Australian Public Service Graduate Programs
• Australian Job Search (JobActive)

NGO and community work:

• EthicalJobs
• HAC Jobs
• NGO Recruitment
• Trans Remote Assistance
• JobSeeker

State Government and Council:

• NSW Government
• Victoria Government
• Queensland Government
• South Australian Government 
• ACT Government
• Western Australian Government
• Tasmanian Government
• Northern Territory Government

Creative Industries:

• MUmbrella
• Australian Infront
• Creative Foyer
• Creative Pool
• Freelance Factory
• Ozlance
• Pedestrian Jobs
• The Loop
• Adcorp
• COMJobs

Following the increased frequency and severity of revenge porn attacks in Australia, intensifying community rhetoric concerning the inadequate state of criminal legislation to deal specifically with the revenge porn problem, as well as other troubling incidents involving the use of technology to breach the privacy of individuals, (for example, the Sydney nurse who took explicit photos of a patient under anaesthetic), new legislation that would make it a Federal crime to distribute sexually explicit images of a person online without their consent has been introduced into Parliament.

What Are The Proposed Changes?

The Bill to amend the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth) would introduce three new telecommunications offences.

While there are existing provisions in the Commonwealth Telecommunications Act that go some way towards addressing this issue, current legislation has not kept pace with technological developments, and does not adequately protect individuals against the escalating problem concerning breaches of privacy that are carried out using technology.

The proposed Bill contains important new offences that will prescribe appropriate penalties for persons involved in image-based sexual exploitation, known as revenge porn. The offences reflect the community’s increased use of telecommunications to engage in harmful and abusive behaviour of a sexual nature and the harm that can be caused.

The proposed offences prohibiting revenge porn focus on the use offenders make of technological tools to engage in sexual exploitation. The offences are designed to respond to the harm that is caused to a person that has their private sexual material shared without their consent.

The proposed new laws will make it an offence for a person to transmit, make available, publish, distribute, advertise or promote private sexual material.

It will also be an offence for a person to:

1.  threaten to transmit, make available, publish, distribute, advertise or promote private sexual material;
2. possess, control, produce, supply or obtain private sexual material, for a commercial purpose or for the purpose of obtaining a benefit. This would encompass popular revenge porn websites.

The proposed offences are particularly aimed at the use of the Internet, email, SMS and other online applications or technological tools to engage in revenge porn.

What Constitutes Private Sexual Material?

The proposed definition of private sexual material has been drafted broadly not only to encompass the range of possible exploitative scenarios that legislators can currently predict but also, importantly, to cover future scenarios they cannot currently foreshadow.

The definition includes sexually explicit or nude images of women, men, transgender or intersex persons, as well as sexual poses or sexual activity.

The proposed new laws also encompasses different cultural contexts, such as an image of a Muslim woman without her religious headscarf on.

If You Have Been The Victim Of A Revenge Porn Attack, What Do These Changes Mean For You?

If the Bill is passed by both houses of Parliament and made into Australian legislation, it will be a Federal crime to use technology to distribute sexually explicit images of an individual without their consent.

This is good news for victims, and much needed protection, against future revenge porn attacks.

It means that regardless of which State or Territory a revenge porn offence is carried out in, it will be possible for you to report the crime to police and for offenders to be prosecuted under Federal legislation.

The maximum penalty  for the proposed offence is 3 years’ imprisonment, reflecting the seriousness of this type of conduct. The penalty for commercial use of sexually explicit materials is 5 years’ imprisonment, due to the aggravated circumstances surrounding this offence.

Conclusion

If you or someone you know has been the victim of revenge porn contact:

• Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network (ACORN)
• Local police assistance line: 131444
• National Counselling Helpline: 1800 737 732 (for assistance and practical strategies on how to cope with the ongoing effects of revenge porn)

For practical strategies on how to deal with the immediate aftermath of a revenge porn, read our previous article here.

To read more about the Criminal Code Amendment (Private Sexual Material) Bill 2015 you can read the Explanatory Memorandum.  You can also track the progress of the Bill through Parliament by clicking here.

It’s a truth universally acknowledged: nobody enjoys being probed with questions about their personal life.

To avoid giving away more than you wish during a stealth information-seeking attack, it’s critical to psychologically prepare by using some effective strategies used by most lawyers.

Why do people ask personal or inappropriate questions?

Asking questions and sharing information is a way of building trust and forming social bonds. Humans are naturally curious. We love discovering little known information about others, because it gives us a social metric to compare our own success or failure.

In its least offensive form, personal questions can be asked out of curiosity and an genuine desire to get to know you. On the other end of the spectrum, however, these interrogations can be carried out with the goal of obtaining your personal information and misusing it.

If someone knows intimate details about your personal life, financial or career situation, for example, they not only have an insight into what makes you tick, but are also in a powerful position to use that information against you immediately or in the future.

Shock tactics, manipulation and stealth psychological strategies may be used trick you into disclosing information that you would not otherwise be prepared to part with. For some unscrupulous people, probing for your personal information is not just a hobby, it’s a blood sport.

How to identify someone likely to ask personal questions?

People who overstep the mark with personal questions are generally not in your inner friendship circle or professional network.

The very reason you are naturally reluctant to share information with them is because they live on the outskirts of your social world. Their capacity to keep your personal information private, or maintain your strict confidence, is largely is unproven.

It stands to reason, then, that people who have no reservations when it comes to asking you personal or inappropriate questions are not entitled to that information.

After all, if you wanted that person to know details about your private life, you would have volunteered the information to them in the first place.

What strategies are commonly used to extract personal information?

People who routinely ask personal or inappropriate questions are usually brash and unapologetic. Some common strategies involve:

Boldly asking you a personal question out-of-the-blue.

This surprise tactic guarantees you will be so stunned that you are likely to offer up the information immediately.

Rapid-fire questions used to disrupt your equilibrium and impact your judgement.

The speed and intensity of this style of questioning leaves you with zero time to answer with anything other than the truth before the next wave of questions hits you.

Feigned concern about you.

At face value, it seems as though personal enquiries come from a place of care or concern about your wellbeing. For example:

You look really exhausted lately, is everything okay at home with you?” or “You seem so overwhelmed. Are you coping with all your work?”

These questions make you feel that your best interests are at the heart of the enquiry, but in reality they mask a hidden agenda. As you explain what is worrying you, immediate insight is gained into your deepest life troubles. That information can now be used to spread rumours about your failed relationships; to damage your reputation; or to make an argument to your boss that you are not coping and to steal your promotion.

People who seek such information do not feel remorse for making you feel awkward or embarrassed by their enquiries.

In fact, they thrive on it because it means they are able to glean the information they desire.

Think like a lawyer to avoid awkward social encounters  

Experienced CEOs, business owners and lawyers rarely get caught giving away information they do not purposely intend to reveal. So how do they do it?

Lawyers, in particular, go into every social or work situation with the upper hand.

This is because lawyers trade in the exchange of information everyday. They are considered with their responses and trained to weigh facts, risks and possible outcomes. Lawyers understand common motivations behind enquiring human minds, and the far-reaching implications of private information getting into the wrong hands.

When asked a question, either socially or professionally, lawyers will pause and think carefully about their answer. These precious few seconds are critical time needed to mentally cycle through and analyse:

• Who the information is likely to benefit or work against
• What purpose the information could potentially be used (whether good or bad)
• Why the question is being requested in the first place
• Whether there is a need for the information to be shared

Try to forecast the future flow-on effects of revealing information about yourself

It is always worth using the same strategies employed by a lawyer. Ask yourself why someone is asking a particular question before deciding whether to answer.

Put yourself in the position of the person asking you a probing question. Think about why they need that information and whether their possession of it could be harmful to you.

Ten strategies to avoid answering inappropriate questions

1. Answer the original question with another question

Why do you want to know?”

This strategy allows you to take control of the conversation. That person must explain the reason behind their enquiries into your personal life. This usually generates enough awkwardness for them to drop the question entirely.

2. Respond with sarcasm or a joke

Q: “How much money do you make?”

A: “Not enough to buy my way out of this exquisitely uncomfortable conversation”

With a bit of luck, they will get the hint that they have overstepped and move on.

3. Redirect the question to a topic that you do feel comfortable discussing

This is a common strategy used by politicians when dealing with the media. It involves avoiding the original question by answering the question you wish that you had been asked.

4. Call it out 

Embarrass the person asking inappropriate questions by pointing it out in a light-hearted way.

Wow, you really do ask a lot of personal questions don’t you?!”

Laugh, then walk away to prevent the conversation from going any further.

5. Begin your answer by saying the word “No”

This is a psychological technique which generates the expectation that your response will be negative, paving the way for you to avoid answering the question altogether.

No, I won’t answer that.”

6. Answer ambiguously or immediately change the subject

That’s a good question! What do you think?”

Combine this strategy with a wry smile and most decent people will immediately understand not to push any further.

7. Play for time

Pretending, for example, that you don’t understand the question causes the person asking to experience some level of discomfort and the need to explain further. This gives you extra time to think about how much information you wish to reveal.

8. Ignore the question and continue the conversation as though it were never asked

A simple but highly effective strategy – the person asking the question will have no option but to move on or embarrass themselves by going over old ground.

9. Set boundaries

If someone is being particularly aggressive or persistent in their line of questioning, you may need to establish clear boundaries by firing back a few personal questions of your own.

This quickly places that person on the back foot and distracts them from their original agenda. It also establishes hard boundaries that they will not easily cross in the future.

10. Don’t answer the question at all

A nil response is the most difficult strategy to execute.

But if you can hold your nerve and maintain eye contact long enough for the person questioning you to lose their nerve, it is also the most effective.

At the end of the day

You may feel obligated to answer every question you are asked out of politeness but, the reality is, you are rarely ever compelled to.