Communication Expert Francis Walsh Says, “Retirees Must Learn the ‘Gen X’ Way to Work”.
Following the Federal Budget in May, pensioners protested about the level of their pension and self-funded retirees are feeling the pinch, too, with rising prices and increasing mortgage rates. Many older people are deciding to return to work but, with low unemployment, they are finding that there are almost too many choices.
To help retirees to return to work that suits them, Communication Expert, Francis Walsh, has created a simple test that compares your aptitudes and attitudes with the requirements of a job you are considering.
“I call these folks ‘Generation F’. Retirees are the forgotten generation. They have been working all their lives and now they have to start again, usually in flexible, part-time jobs. Some have never experienced such working arrangements and they have been left to fend for themselves,” Mr Walsh said.
“Members of Gen F have to change the way they think about work. They have to find work that suits them, not try to fit into the work that’s available. They have to adopt the attitudes of their children: those aged in their late thirties and early forties whom we call ‘Generation X’,” he said.
Based on Infra Language principles, the test shows you whether you suit the job you have in mind. You have to respond to 11 questions about your sensory, intellectual, emotional and physical characteristics. And, you have to be honest, too. Ask your wife, husband or partner. They’ll help!
Then, answer 11 similar questions about the position you are applying for. When you are finished, you will immediately see whether you are right for the job and, if you take it, where problems are likely to arise.
“I’ve called it the ‘Hi Ho Test’ because Gen F has a great sense of humour and they know what I am referring to when I say ‘Hi Ho, Hi Ho. It’s back to work you go’!”
Take the test now.
First, complete the orange column on the left called ‘Hi. This is me’.
Just place a tick next to the answer that most suits you.
Be brutally honest about yourself. If you don’t, you may find yourself in a job that really doesn’t fit.
Then, thinking about the job you want to apply for, complete the white column on the right. That’s the one called ‘Ho. This is the job’.
Remember: first the orange, then the white.
A key to understanding your answers is below.
| Hi This is me. | Ho This is the job. |
| 1. My strongest sense is … __seeing | 1. The strongest sense required in the job is … __seeing |
| 2. I am attentive … __often | 2. The job requires that I be attentive … __often |
| 3. I calculate, measure, compare and contrast things … __often | 3. The job requires that I calculate, measure, compare and contrast things … __often |
| 4. Before I make a decision, I gather all the facts … __often | 4. The job requires that I gather all the facts before I make a decision? __often |
| 5. I believe that I know a lot about life … __often | 5. The job requires that I know a lot about life … __often |
| 6. I change my approaches to problems … __often | 6. The job requires that I change my approaches to problems … __often |
| 7. I am positive person … __often | 7. The job requires that I am a positive person … __often |
| 8. I express my emotions openly … __often | 8. The job requires that I express my emotions openly? __often |
| 9. I am physically active … __often | 9. The job requires me to be physically active… __often |
| 10. I tell other people what … __often | 10. The job requires me to tell other people what to do … __often |
| 11. I am self-disciplined … __often | 11. The job requires me to be self-disciplined … __often |
| Now what you have answered the questions … Count the number of answers ticked that are next to each other. | ||||||||
| Count this … | Don’t count this … | |||||||
| often sometimes never | often sometimes never | often sometimes never | often sometimes never | |||||
> Writers Survey Writers Survey
| Your Score | What it means |
| 0 | No way. Rethink your ideas about what sort of work you want to do. |
| 1 or 2 | You and the job are far from compatible. It’s best to keep looking. |
| 3 or 4 | You may suffer this job until you find something better. But, it really doesn’t suit you. |
| 5 or 6 | This job may tide you over, but you must try to develop the work so that your skills are better used. |
| 7 or 8 | This job is a pretty good fit, but you need to watch the areas where you are not compatible. That is where trouble may arise. |
| 9, 10 or 11 | Hi Ho, Hi Ho. It’s off to work you go! You have probably found the right job for you. Now you know how a Gen X’er feels! |
If you would like to learn more, visit Francis Walsh’s website: www.infralanguage.com
