Career and Work

So why am I still jobless?

2009-06-28T09:02:00.001+08:00

Don’t give up. Put an extra spark in your job hunt with these tips.
Although the economy is showing signs of recovery, the labour market is still tight and many people are still finding it tough to find a job.
Many job seekers receive a job offer within two to three months. But longer searches are not uncommon. As the waiting drags on, people feel their morale and energy slipping away.
Those who have been unemployed for a prolonged period of time may tell you they have been “looking for years”. But have they tried to do something new? Chances are they have not. There are always new things to do. It may be something that they have overlooked which they could try out.
The key is to maintain a positive attitude in order to have a successful campaign with a happy ending.
Here are some tips to help keep you motivated when things look bleak:
Expand your targets
Think out of the box. If you have been looking only in the same industry as before, look elsewhere.
All of us have transferable skills. People who have worked for accounting firms should look on the client side and explore accounting for not-for-profit organisations or small to mid-sized corporations.
There may be literally hundreds of companies and organisations to explore, most of which can be unearthed by just a few hours of research on the Internet.
Try different techniques
Most people think that getting a job is about answering advertisements in the newspaper or relying on search firms. People do get jobs from advertisements. Yet fewer than 20 per cent of all jobs are filled through search firms and ads. Some people get their next job because of their “old boys’ or girls’ network”.
Another overlooked technique is direct contact, which is not the same thing as networking. Many people get good jobs because they go out and find them.
You may think that writing to employers out of the blue is a waste of time. Often it will be. But enlightened employers (the sort you want to work for) will never ignore a good letter from out of the blue. They know that first-class people are difficult to find.
Be flexible on salary
Most people are not making what they made three years ago. Many were over-paid during the boom of the 1990s. Be realistic and accept that you will be paid fairly at current market rates, as the market is not very strong right now.
Whatever your salary, think of it as temporary until the market turns around.
Be realistic and do what you have to do to bring in some money and keep yourself healthy emotionally. The situation will change again in a few years. You’re just trying to get through this rough patch.
Be around positive people
It is not helpful to associate with people who wallow in frustration and self-pity.
Join associations or do volunteer work to make positive contacts. You will meet people with an upbeat attitude while keeping yourself up-to-date in your field.
Of course, you can also seek help from a career coach to help guide you through the process of personal career mastery.
Get a job-search buddy
Your buddy is someone who is also searching for a job. He should be someone whom you can talk to fairly often and informally. You might say: “Here’s what I’m planning to do today in my search. What are you planning to do? Let’s talk tomorrow and make sure we’ve done it.”
Your classmates are your best job-search buddies if you are a fresh graduate. Or you can probably find your job-search buddy through job search agencies such as the Community Development Councils (CDCs), the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) or self-help groups.
Keep physically and mentally fit
Looking for a job can be stressful, and stress can prompt you to give up good habits such as going to the gym.
Take care of yourself physically. Watch your drinking, eating, and smoking which can get out of hand.
Get dressed every morning. Look good. Get some exercise. Eat healthy food. Take some time off to recharge. Don’t postpone having fun until you get a job.
Do something you are normally unable to do when you’re working, such as going to a musical or to the park for a walk. You’ll be more relaxed and more interesting when you go on interviews.
Don’t give up
Continue looking even if you don’t feel like it. When you were in your old job, there were days you didn’t feel like doing something, but you did it anyway because it was your responsibility.
Hunting for a job is your job right now. Make a phone call. Write different resumés for different jobs. Research a company you’re interested in. Do your best every day. No matter how you feel, remember that looking for a job is a full-time job.

Train yourself for a new career

2009-06-28T09:00:00.001+08:00

After working for years as a corporate executive, you may have an urge within you to realise your entrepreneurial dreams and change the world.
You may have accumulated sufficient knowledge and experience, and cannot wait to share it with the younger generation. You wish to spend more time with your loved ones and to pursue your interests.
One option you may want to consider is a second career as a trainer. The Government is proactively promoting Singapore as a regional training hub for short courses. Visitors from surrounding countries can join short courses and enjoy a short vacation here, at the same time.
Starting up
Training is a high value-added education industry. It is a relatively easy service business to set up. The training consultancy can be started as a one-man-operation. Another plus: The Housing and Development Board allows you to start a training business from home.
Starting costs are also minimal. As a training consultant, you get to work flexible hours. Training is a very fulfilling job as you impact and change peoples’ lives with your technologies. When the job is well done, it is gratifying to see participants come forward to express their appreciation.
The training market is segmented into various categories —preschool children, primary school students, secondary school students, junior college students, undergraduates, home makers, foreign workers, clerical and technical workers, executives, senior management executives, singles, parents, grandparents and retirees.
The market is as big as you can explore. Trainers should survey the market, find a niche appropriate for their skills and specialise in it. Apart from Singapore, surrounding countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, India and China present burgeoning opportunities.
Training areas
Which area do you want to teach? You can choose a specialty area based on your educational background. If you studied accountancy, for example, you can train non-finance executives in finance.
You can also offer courses based on your own training. If you are trained as a sales executive, you can teach others selling skills. If you have worked as a human resource manager, you can facilitate topics such as interviewing skills, appraisals, performance feedback and so on.
Alternatively, you can offer training inspired by your hobbies or areas of passion. For instance, if you have a passion in nutrition, you can teach others about dietary habits. We develop new interests all the time.
Of late, many people have wandered into alternative medicine, holistic living and spiritual areas such as aromatherapy, colour therapy, nutrition, yoga, Rolfing and graphology.
Makings of a trainer
Both human resource managers and participants like to engage mature trainers with a breadth of working experience and depth of technology.
You must have a burning passion and an urge within you to articulate it to the rest of the world. You must have fire in your belly to engage others through instruction.
A respected trainer possesses high EQ, likes interacting with people and has a lot of patience. An engaging trainer, in many ways, is an entertainer. Come what may, the show must go on. Trainers are drawn from a big reservoir of people with different backgrounds and experiences. They include mid-life executives who want a change of careers and those who have completed overseas job assignments.
Others include the self-employed (tutors, real-estate and insurance agents) as well as retirees from the civil service, uniformed services and the private sector. Human resource executives, teachers and pastoral care workers are ideal candidates.
On the other hand, there are “Plan B” executives who are still working in corporations but learn to be trainers. Such training skills will prove handy in the event their companies are restructured.
How to be a trainer?
The first step is to enrol in a “train-the-trainer” workshop or get a diploma in training. It will equip you with the necessary training skills to facilitate your maiden workshop. Delivering speeches and conducting mini-workshops let you experiment with your instructional design. The rest is up to you.
The more workshops you facilitate, the more you sharpen your skills. As you acquire more experience, you can widen your repertoire of subjects.
Where do you go from here?
Once you are a trainer, you can also dabble in related activities such as being a master-of-ceremony, game master, writer or counsellor. The more entrepreneurial ones can organise seminars, establish a commercial school, own training franchises or go on training engagements overseas. It can be a satisfying profession that you need not retire from.

Old Can Be GOLD

2009-06-28T08:57:00.002+08:00

If you are middle-aged, you may have started worrying about your employability.
Have you tried searching for a job but were turned down because you were considered too old?
Do you feel as if your time is running out because there are too many young colleagues around you getting ahead?
What matters is your attitude towards change. Change is not an easy process, especially when you are feeling insecure.
While you cannot stop some employers from claiming that “older workers are much more resistant to change”, you can certainly try to prove them wrong.
Here’s how:
Be open to change: Older workers are perceived to be resistant to change. This makes it difficult for them to be re-employed. Change such mindsets by keeping up with the times and showing prospective employers that you are as suited to the job as anybody else.
Learn new things: Learning does not just mean taking up courses. It also means being ready to take on new projects, new tasks and new roles should the company require you to do so.
If you refuse to learn, someone else will. Then, do not be surprised if you are replaced or your job seems redundant. Recognise that it happened because you did not add value to yourself and the organisation. You can prevent this from happening to you by being open to new ideas.
Anticipate change: Understand what is happening around you and how it is impacting you and the organisation. Keep abreast of new methods. Make an effort to stay updated with new laws, new processes in the industry and new technology so that you can make the necessary changes in your work environment.
Networking and participating in seminars, conferences and workshops are good ways to stay up to date. This way, you will be prepared for what is to come and not be caught off guard.
Be a mentor: Older workers are wiser as they have working experience and a better perspective of the world.
Turn this experience into an advantage by sharing your experiences with younger colleagues and earn their respect. This also increases your value-add in the organisation.
Don’t play the blame game: It will not get you anywhere. Whether you are retrenched or stuck in your current position, be aware that job scopes are always changing. Take action and equip yourself with new skills.
If you are retrenched, look out for programmes that could train you for another career.
If you are stuck in a job, be pro-active and look for ways to make your work more interesting. Make sure you are seen and heard, but for all the right reasons.
Get it right: Not all employers hire people based on age. There are employers who value experience and are willing to take in older workers if their attitudes are right.
Show your future employer that you are willing to learn and take on challenging tasks. Highlight your achievements and show how you can add value to their organisation.

Are You Proud of Your Achievements ?

2009-06-28T08:52:00.002+08:00

Go beyond expectations and start to fill your career history with achievements that matter.
Look at your resume. Which part of it are you most proud of? Is it the section on your career achievements? Do you secretly wish you had a few more achievements listed in your resume?
In any organisation, everyone has a role to play, responsibilities to shoulder, tasks to perform and targets to meet. But if you do all that, you are doing what others are doing -- that is, meeting expectations.
If, however, you go beyond the expectations, you enter into the zone of performance called achievements. You create achievements when you go the extra mile. Achievements are those performances that you never forget and always feel proud of.
Achievements are important to you for three reasons:
Scarcity
Scarcity is the very foundation of any economic system. Look around and you will realise that there are always fewer jobs in the market and fewer higher-level positions in an organisation than the number of aspirants.
This means that whether it is getting a new job or growing within an organisation, you need to stand out in the crowd.
One sure way to move up the pile is to have achievements under your belt. Achievements add the silver lining to your resume. Employers love employees who constantly think, perform and value-add beyond their expectations.
Self-worth
Recall how you felt when you last did something extraordinary. What were those feelings? When you deliberately strive and perform beyond the routine expectations, you enjoy greater self-worth, which is no small matter.
Personal growth
Doing repeatedly what is expected of you is a recipe for capping your own growth as an individual. You will never know the limits of your own potential unless you keep on stretching the limits of what you do.
So how can you create achievements? The process requires a deliberate effort on your part. Here is a roadmap:
Understand expectations: First, fully understand the expected outcomes. Only when you are clear about what is expected of you in a particular project, task or situation can you think about doing it better.
Think beyond: Ask yourself in what way you can exceed the expected outcomes. Can you finish the task sooner? Can you do it at a lower cost or with fewer resources? Can you bring some innovations into it? Can you suggest some improvement to the process for the future? Can you simplify it?
What matters most: As you brainstorm about what to do, you will be flush with ideas. Identify an idea that would matter most to your organisation. Sometimes, finishing a task at a lower cost can matter more than doing it faster and vice versa.
Also, start with small achievements instead of trying something revolutionary at the beginning.
Imagine: Leave aside everything and imagine what it would take to accomplish what you are thinking of doing. Feel the excitement of creating such an achievement. See it written in bold letters in your resume.
Stretch: Next comes the hard part -- doing it. You may have to put in extra hours at work or face unexpected problems, including resistance from others. Persist with your plan and do it.
Savour the process: The process is as important as the result. Enjoy the journey of moving towards the intended outcome.
Celebrate your achievement: After reaching your destination, celebrate your achievement.
Finally, even if your superiors do not recognise your efforts and achievements, don't let the disappointment dampen your spirits. Any achievement is one more nugget to add to your resume. It will pay off in multiple ways, even if you cannot see it now.
Every day that you spend at work, you are actually writing your career history. How will you feel when you look back at your career in, say, five or 10 years from now? Will you feel more proud of your career than you are today? Start doing something about writing your career history today.

Work For LIFE !

2009-05-30T23:00:00.001+08:00

Career development needn’t be always about promotions, says a top career coach. It’s about sustaining people throughout their working lives.
On his first visit to Singapore, top Australian career coach Paul Stevens refused to believe that Singaporeans cared only about power, status and money. So, he set out to prove it.
He didn’t have to try very hard. His three major clients — the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Defence and the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) — are what he calls “courageous” employers willing to buy into the concept of career development.
“There’s an enormous mindset change. Employers are beginning to realise that keeping talent within the organisation reduces the risk factor,” said Mr Stevens, 61, a self-styled “career technician”, who is also the author of 38 books.
The issue, he added, should not be placement, but sustainability of persons.
In Singapore recently to train the IDA’s human resource team, his approach is optimistic. He teaches people that everyone has 10 options (see sidebar).
Singaporeans, he said, think only in terms of promotion, but not all workers are interested in climbing the corporate ladder. An employee of an organisation he had coached had asked to be demoted to a lesser role because he wanted to spend more time with his family.
“We were happy to hear that, because it meant that our message was getting through to people,” said Mr Stevens.
“You can’t look at your career without looking at your life. As societies become more affluent, people are starting to question the meaning of work.”
Gone are the days when a job’s sole purpose was to bring home the bacon. “Once that is met, it’s natural for humans to seek other forms of self-actualisation,” he said. And now, skills are not “the most critical thing” to getting — and keeping — a job.
However, re-skilling is just one part of career development. According to Mr Stevens, making sure you are functioning at an optimum level in the company also hinges on:
• Work and life balance
(how you juggle work and personal life),
• Renewal of motivation (how you find ways to be motivated by your job),
• Compatibility of values (why you see your job as a perfect fit),
• Identification of primary wants (what the job means to you), and
• Self-audit (how regularly you assess your performance).
But he cautioned that career development doesn’t happen overnight. “It’s a cultural change, a mindset process” that is delicate and cannot be rushed.
Paul Steven’s
10 career options
1. Remain in current role: No content change
2. Enrichment: Develop current job
3. Vertical: Seek promotion
4. Exploration: Test out options
5. Lateral: Sideways move
6. Realignment: Moving down
7. Relocation: Change business unit
8. Redirection: Change career field
9. Proposal: Create new job
10. External: Change employer

Get that goal

2009-05-30T22:55:00.001+08:00

It was the early 1970s and a young boy was struck by longing for his first major acquisition — a cassette tape recorder. I remember thinking that simply by wanting it, I would somehow get it.
I confided in my father in the hope that he would hand me the money but, of course, he didn’t. “Which cassette tape recorder do you want to buy?” he asked.
I hadn’t thought of this. So I went out to every electronics shop in my hometown, checking out all the latest models. I finally decided on a shiny black and silver model. It was a massive $86.
I took my dad to see it and he agreed that it was a very striking model. He asked the salesman for a brochure and as we walked home, he asked: “Why do you want it?”
I told him that I liked music but was sick and tired of listening to Cliff Richard, whom all my elder sisters loved. I reasoned that if I had my own music, I could hide in my room and be happy.
“OK,” mused Dad, “it is your birthday in four months. If you can manage to raise $43, I will give you $43 dollars for your birthday.”
I wasn’t overly thrilled with this solution because I got only 50 cents for pocket money a week. That would total a measly $8 over four months and it would mean I’d have to forego my weekly Superman comic and bag of mixed sweets.
“How are you going to raise the money?” my dad asked. I thought about it. I could threaten my sisters to hand over their pocket money or I could do odd jobs for my parents and my neighbours. My father suggested that the latter was a good tactic. When we got home, he stuck the cassette recorder brochure on my mirror. Every morning, as I combed my hair, I’d gaze at it.
So began my first job — odd-job man. I turned into an accountant too, adding up every cent I got meticulously.
I got a dollar for washing the car, 20 cents for cleaning Dad’s shoes and 10 cents for waxing his bald head. I did gardening jobs for the neighbours and collected bottles for refunds. And every morning, I’d look at my goal on my mirror.
By my birthday, I’d saved $47 dollars. Dad and I marched into the shop and put the money on the counter. It was a proud moment for both of us.
That year, my dad taught me a lesson about goals that I’ve remembered to this day.
Define what you want
When you set a goal, you must be specific about it. You need to decide exactly what you want and when you want it by.
Research is crucial. If you want a degree, a promotion or a new car, get the information first. Being precise about what you want helps you to focus on your goal.
Why do you want it?
Focus on the benefits of your goal and not just your goal. If you want to lose weight, think about how much better you will feel when you are thinner. Dream about how you will be able to wear a bikini or play with your children without getting exhausted.
Make it visible
Once you know exactly what you want, tell everyone. This is a great motivator! You will not want to lose face by not achieving your goal.
Having an idea in your head isn’t very concrete. So write it down, draw a picture of it or get a brochure like my dad did. Stick it somewhere so you can see it every day. This will keep you focused and stop you changing your mind or giving up.
Organise and plan
Don’t leave it to chance. Sit down and think about how you are going to achieve your goal. What will you have to do? You may have to make sacrifices like going without weekly Superman comics, but if you know why, it will be easier to bear.
Record your progress
Make a list of milestones and check them off when you reach each one. Tell your friends how you are progressing.
This is an especially good technique if you are aiming at a sales target. Put a chart on the wall and watch how you are advancing towards your goal — it’s incredibly motivating.
Do it
Move towards your goal daily. Think to yourself at the end of each day: “What did I do today to reach my goal?”
Celebrate and reflect
When you have finally reached your goal, let everyone know and celebrate. Then, think about how you did it. What did you do right? What did you do wrong? What could you have done better? What worked? What didn’t work?
Finally, set a new goal!
I’ve just bought my latest dream gadget — an Apple iPod. It took me eight months to research, plan and save but I got it last week. And whom do I have to thank for it? My dad! He taught me some simple and effective lessons that I used to get my degree, to buy my first house and even to get my current job. It works.

Make a fresh start

2009-04-17T21:54:00.002+08:00

Don’t let retrenchment rob you of your confidence — treat it as a learning experience.
Losing a job can be a traumatic experience. But it can serve as a springboard to new and exciting learning experiences.
For the 50-year-old, it could be a “golden handshake” or a fatal loss of identity. For the 40-year-old, it could be a new lease of life or a shocking realisation that life is over. For the 30-year-old, it could be time to give up on climbing the corporate ladder and become an entrepreneur. For the 20-year-old, it could be time for an extended vacation, or a loss of confidence that crushes one’s future plans.
No matter what your age, if you are retrenched, you will have to deal with some harsh realities of losing a job: The household cash-flow may get very tight, re-entering the job market at the pre-retrenched salary and seniority level may be “impossible” and family security can be shaken.
Despite the setbacks, it is important that you refrain from destroying your personal identity. The most shattering personal damage occurs when you internalise the job loss, shut down the learning process and, in the process, lose your identity.
I’ve seen both sides of the coin. As the deputy general manager of a large foreign financial institution in Japan, I had to retrench a number of senior Japanese managers in the mid-1990s. And recently, I was on the receiving side myself, retrenched from a financial institution in Singapore.
In dealing with the retrenchment process, here are some steps to follow that will allow you to reframe the experience from one of fear and despair to one of growth, learning and “upsizing your life”.
• Take an inventory
The biggest post-retrenchment challenge for you is to acknowledge that you are more than your job, especially if you have spent 10 or more years with one company.
Given that most of your social and professional networks are exclusively in one company, the thought of starting new relationships and a new job can be terrifying.
An exercise that I used with particular success in Japan was to have the retrenched employee list 10 different roles that he currently played in his life.
With some prodding, he wrote: husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend, tennis player, tennis coordinator, day trader, mahjong player, electrician and handyman.
The exercise helped him to move from despair to optimism about his future.
• Conduct a financial check
It is imperative to get an accurate picture of the family financial situation.
Changing your lifestyle can be a big help, especially if it forces you to achieve better control of your cash flow and your financial balance sheet.
Cash outflows include rent or mortgage, food, transportation, tuition, clothing, dining out, entertainment and investments.
Cash inflows include salary, rental income, dividend income, part-time employment, business ownership and royalties.
Understanding your financial situation and taking some steps, such as selling a car or moving to smaller living premises, are all part of the re-learning experience.
Depending on whether you urgently require a full-time or part-time job, take the appropriate steps to study and learn to manage your household cash flow.
• Nurture your identity
Continue to learn, think and create. Enrol in government-sponsored retraining programs for computer or technical skills development.
Most of the training that I recommend is a combination of technical skills and some essential management or “soft skills” training such as interview skills, public speaking and rapport building workshops.
• Start networking
Join professional organisations that give you the chance to make more contacts.
For some of the finest training in public speaking, check out non-profit organisation Toastmasters International.
Don’t be afraid to take the first step to break out of your comfort zone. It will expand your identity and the possibilities that will create your future.

Move on to move ahead

2009-04-17T21:43:00.001+08:00

A job for life is not a realistic goal these days. Here are five tips to help you progress from one job to another.
THE workplace of today and of the future does not come close to the one most people entered 10, 15 or 20 years ago.
A shift in the job market has been taking place in recent years. To manage their staff costs better, many employers have been hiring people on a project basis, with no guarantee of future work.
How will you be impacted if companies continue to rely heavily on temporary staff or contract workers?
The advancement of medical science has increased life expectancy, which in turn means that workers are anticipating a longer work life. Employees can expect to switch jobs many times. It will not be unusual for employees to change jobs 10 or more times, or take up a whole new career two or three times in their lives.
So how will this scenario affect your career plan? Clearly, you are responsible for managing your own career. It might be helpful to think of yourself as being self-employed even though you are working for an organisation. Remember, if you are self-employed, you are not going to wait for your boss to do a career planning session with you. Your career is your own, and you will want to have the flexibility to plan for moves beyond your current job.
Here are five steps to help you transit from one job to another, or go from being an employee to an entrepreneur:
Step 1: Discover yourself
Whether you are contented to be an employee or aspire to be an entrepreneur, you need to discover your true self — the self you are designed to be, with your unique strengths and talents.
Choose a vocation that suits you and experience a lifetime of joy and growth doing the work you enjoy. Key components include your skills, life purpose, passion, values, experience, perceived barriers, expertise, network, drive and the number of dependants you have.
Step 2: Research the market
With the information gathered in the first step, research what the market wants and the opportunities available for you as an individual. An awareness of market trends and growth opportunities is mandatory. Use tools such as Internet search engines, the classified advertisements and your network. It is even better if you can spot upcoming trends.
Step 3: Identify your niche
Once you have explored the opportunities available, you can pursue a full-time position in the job market as an employee, or become a freelancer or an entrepreneur. Set an objective and plan your route of advance. Then execute your plan.
Step 4: Live your plan
If you choose to remain an employee, focus your efforts on job search strategies, resumé design secrets, power interview skills, job offer evaluation and remuneration negotiation.
If you opt to become a freelancer or an entrepreneur, concentrate on bundling your skills and experience, designing a unique value preposition, targeting prospective clients, delivering great value and quality service, and building your portfolio or business.
Step 5: Evaluate your results
Measure your progress against your preset targets in Step 3. Without targets, you cannot tell if you are on or off track. Spend time setting clear targets. If you like the result, keep at it to improve. If you do not like the result, build on what you have achieved and change strategy.
In this last step, loop back to any step in the process, depending on your results, situation and aspiration. Remember, take time to plan your career, and it can make you a lot happier and more satisfied with the job you will eventually get.

Taking a break from work

2009-04-10T23:46:00.001+08:00

IT IS known as the gap year for grown-ups - a breather from the rat race. And the best part is, you get to keep your job.
This is the time-out from work called a sabbatical - the holy grail of usually long-serving executives who crave a little perspective and a radically different life - for a while.
And no, it is not a religious holiday. But in many ways, a sabbatical can recharge your spiritual and physical batteries, break up the routine nature of your life, and empower you with more energy and motivation when you do return to your career.
Chances are, you've heard of it before, but have not seen it widely practised. The good news is, human resources (HR) consultancies in Singapore say there is a growing trend of employees seeking such sabbaticals, and firms granting them.
A sabbatical, essentially, is a mutual agreement between you and your employer, in which you are granted extended leave.
It could range from a couple of months to as long as a year, either paid or unpaid - and is outside of your normal annual leave entitlements.
Some common reasons for wanting the time off are a desire to travel, rest, pursue further education, spend time with the family, or just simply to re-evaluate life priorities, said Ms Joanne Chua, manager of Robert Walters' HR recruitment division.
While she notes that people who seek such time-outs are usually in their 30s, other consultants say it can be taken by someone of any age. What is more important is their years of service.
HR consultancy Robert Half's Singapore managing director Tim Hird points out that employees who have a good track record in performance and quantum of service tend to fare better in getting sabbaticals, where their job is kept for them while they are away.
"If someone has worked in a firm for say, 10 years, the sabbatical is generally approved. It's a good staff retention tool. It's a bit like getting a bonus - but you have to earn it," he said.
Unpaid leave is the most common. Paid sabbaticals are rare but they do exist, he said. For example, US technology firms like Microsoft, Adobe and Autodesk, do give executives paid leave of up to eight weeks, he added.
The benefits of taking a sabbatical are well-documented. Companies which have sabbatical policies - and they are usually multi-national companies (MNCs) - claim it is a great way to retain staff, boost productivity and provide opportunities for new challenges and growth for their employees.
Hewitt Singapore's compensation and benefits leader Samir Bedi said employees tend to come back to work with more well-rounded personalities, renewed enthusiasm and energy.
But taking unpaid leave is not all a bed of roses.
Some drawbacks that consultants highlight are: Missing out on developments in the industry, potential loss of business deals and revenue, and also, competition from rivals who will take the opportunity to build relationships with clients during your absence.
In addition, while some firms may be open-minded about sabbaticals, this is not true across all industries.
Robert Walters' Ms Chua says: "I wouldn't say this is frowned upon in Singapore but neither is it generally accepted. It is more common in Europe and the States."
Taking sabbatical leave is something fairly new in Asia, and challenging for employers as they have to find a replacement to take over someone's duties.
"Taking unpaid leave is particularly challenging in sales jobs," she added. Also, the company may have evolved while you are away and the role may no longer exist.
Sabbaticals tend to be more common for certain professions, for example, in the academic field.
Lecturers, for example, are usually granted sabbaticals to further their own goals after a number of years in tenure.
One teacher, Ms Ng Yilan, 26, said she is already contemplating a sabbatical in a couple of years.
"Many of my colleagues have requested and got them. It's a way to prevent us teachers from burning out," she said.
In other sectors, especially for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), there is more of a stigma attached to extended time-outs.
Senior HR manager Ko Lay Tin told The Straits Times that her firm - a mainboard- listed SME - does not approve unpaid leave unless there is a very strong reason, such as further education, to learn relevant skills, or for health reasons.
"For smaller firms, it's a challenge to find someone to take over certain duties. Even if we engage temporary staff, they face a steep learning curve," she said.
Mr Darren Ellis, 34, who has worked in Singapore the last four years, also agrees that it is easier to take unpaid leave if you work in an MNC, which is more likely to have the resources to manage the absence of one member of staff.
"I do think sabbaticals are a great idea - provided they're not abused. They must be taken for the right reasons," he added.
Some questions that consultants say employees should consider when thinking about sabbaticals are:
Can you afford to take unpaid leave? For how long?
Can your work be covered during your absence?
Will your long-term absence affect clients or suppliers?
Can you commit to coming back to the same job?
Then there is also the matter of what you should do on your sabbatical.
Travelling is a popular option, and many professionals may even experience life-changing encounters that equip them with a broader perspective on life and the business world when they return to work.
There are some websites, such as www.realgap.co.uk, which offer paid work abroad, or volunteer programmes where individuals can go to a foreign destination to do something radically different.
Of course, there is also the option of furthering the skills in your field, for example, by applying for a professional fellowship abroad related to your job.
The possibilities are endless and the world is your oyster. And the good news is, companies in today's world face a serious shortage of specialised talent, said Mr Hird.
"HR and employment policies can, and have to be, creative to suit the demands of the individuals," he said.
People seeking sabbaticals are prepared to make sacrifices professionally, or take risks, to provide for their own long-term well-being, he added.
It is no wonder that many companies now realise that one way of keeping the brightest in their employ is to let go of them for a while.

Still jobless after five interviews: What's wrong?

2009-04-10T23:43:00.000+08:00

Q About two months ago, I resigned from my job due to some differences with my ex-superior. I had worked there for less than six months. I've been to five interviews since then, but I never made it to the second round. I feel it may be because of the reason I left my previous job.
At the interviews, I put across the reason in a more diplomatic manner, such as I didn't feel challenged by the work as there wasn't sufficient autonomy given. Should I be stating a different reason? My past employment includes four months in the job I have just left, six months in a contract position and four years in a permanent position.
Please advise what concerns these potential employers may have and how I can counter them?
A While the short tenure in your last two jobs could be a possible reason you did not go further in the interview process, how you performed at the interviews could also be a factor.
Employers generally assess candidates based on their ability to perform the job in terms of their past working experience, career achievements and qualifications. Another area, which is often overlooked, is the personality of the candidate and the likely fit into the company's corporate culture.
When shortlisted for an interview, candidates would usually have met the minimum criteria based on what is presented in their resumes, namely, their work experience and qualifications.
While potential employers are typically focused during job interviews on finding out more about the candidate's career achievements, such interviews are also used to assess the candidates' soft skills, including interpersonal and communication skills; and for more senior level positions, leadership skills and management style.
Candidates who are articulate and express themselves well would clearly stand out among the many job applicants. And candidates with solid career track records and good progress in their careers would generally be preferred over candidates with short stints in different jobs or companies.
Given that you were shortlisted for five job interviews within two months, you probably possess the basic skill sets and experience for the positions you applied for.
If asked why you left your previous jobs, it is good to give a 'diplomatic' answer. But if probed further, it may be good to give an honest answer instead of being evasive. You should not lie or make negative comments about your past employers.Your answer may give potential employers the impression that you need to be constantly challenged and be given autonomy in your job, otherwise, you could get bored and seek other job opportunities.

Just how safe is your job?

2009-04-10T23:41:00.001+08:00

The five riskiest sectors
Banking and finance
Considering the root of this crisis was in the banking and finance sector, its employees face the biggest risk of layoffs as the industry consolidates.
This difficult period will last for at least one to two years, say analysts.
Investment bankers, stock traders, analysts and bank tellers are particularly vulnerable, compared to those in specific functional roles such as risk, control and operations.
Some financial institutions are also turning to contract hiring as a way to fill back-end positions to keep costs down.
Any jobs considered to be support roles, or non-essential, may also be among the first to go, added analysts.
Tourism and services
As consumer spending slows in tandem with the economic slide, the services and tourism industry is expected to take a significant hit.
With customers tightening their belts, employers in this sector may have to cut costs by laying off staff from businesses such as hotels and travel agencies.
Visitor arrivals have suffered four months of decline, so tourism will also be hit as regional travellers forgo holidays here.
Other workers who are at risk include semi-skilled and unskilled workers such as cleaners and waiters.
Luxury and retail
During bad times, in-your-face luxury 'is suddenly very passe', analysts say.
Consumers are likely to cut back on luxury goods while high-end stores and luxury brands scale back staff numbers to reduce costs, they say.
The credit squeeze is likely to continue exerting pressure on consumer spending, so employment, salaries and bonuses in this industry could take a hit.
Manufacturing
Singapore's manufacturing production numbers have been sliding because of weakening demand for exports.
Electronics, which makes up 30 per cent of Singapore's manufacturing sector, is expected to slide further as firms scale down information technology spending and defer outlays on tech upgrades.
Jobs in the manufacturing sector are vulnerable as a fall in demand could cause firms to scale back to cut costs.
Transport and aviation
As consumers adopt a more conservative outlook and tighten their belts, demand for transport services such as taxis and flights is likely to be affected.
Fuel prices and falling demand could also take a toll on airline profits.
Carriers in the United States and India have already reported plans to retrench staff, including pilots, stewards and baggage handlers.
Five low-risk sectors
Law
The legal profession is still seeing strong demand. In the current economic climate, analysts see a shift in terms of skill sets required, with a stronger call for insolvency and bankruptcy lawyers.
Accountancy
As the finance industry consolidates, demand remains healthy for accountants, particularly cost management executives and those skilled in tax restructuring and managing distressed assets.
Public sector, including teachers
The public service sector has always been a 'relatively stable sector' and remains the largest employer in Singapore, says recruitment firm Robert Walters.
Education is generally not affected by economic volatility, so teaching jobs, in particular, are relatively safe.
Health care
Health care is generally regarded as recession-proof, although this depends on the nature of the service provided.
Optional surgical procedures such as cosmetic enhancements and dental services not covered by health insurance are likely to see a fall in demand.
The employment prospects for other occupations such as doctors, medical assistants and nurses are likely to remain stable.
Energy
Countries will still need energy to run, so jobs related to oil and gas, and alternative, renewable energy are likely to remain relatively stable.
With the growth of climate change awareness fuelling a demand for 'green' skills in the energy sector, this industry is tipped to remain strong despite the current economic slowdown.

What's more important than having no job?

2009-04-10T23:39:00.001+08:00

THE recession guessing game is here: Will our jobs be left standing, as the economy shrinks?
But fear not, Singaporeans have in our hands the power to turn unemployment to zero instantly.
How? Hold your horses while I paint the big picture.
Earlier this week, the Government released a report forecasting that unemployment is expected to rise over the next few quarters.
Some economists are even saying that the unemployment rate might almost double to 4 per cent (from the current 2.2 per cent) by the end of 2009 - a level not seen since the Sars period in 2003.
Employment figures released on Friday also showed the manufacturing, services and construction sectors added 20 per cent fewer jobs in the last quarter.
A quick poll among 10 of my friends on whether they feared for their jobs was predictable - they all said yes. Well, duh.
Half of them had mortgages and tuition fees to pay, and the rest were saddled with car loans.
So what will they do if they become the targets of 'right-sizing' (a fancy way of saying 'You're fired', Donald Trump style)?
Looking for another job was a given. But what if they couldn't find a job with equivalent pay?
Go for a lower paying job, they said.
But how low would they go?
Now, that's where the fun starts.
I asked one, who works as a manager in a local bank, if push came to shove, would he take up a job as a waiter or construction worker?
'No way. So malu (embarrassing in Malay),' he said, adding he would have to use up every last cent of his savings before he would even consider it.
The answer was the same for a female friend, when I suggested a job as a receptionist or spa assistant.
'If I have to serve one of my friends or family members, where to hide my face?' she shrieked.
Here's the rub.
There are more than enough jobs available in Singapore but Singaporeans are too choosy, it seems.
According to official figures, there are some 757,000 work permit holders and 143,000 on employment passes currently working here.
So, technically, if we really really really needed the jobs, we could presumably take over those currently handled by foreign workers.
The guys can take on work at our many construction sites. After all, we've done similar work during our stints in National Service - carrying heavy loads to and from trucks, digging trenches, shovelling sand.
The gals can parlay their charm into service sector positions. Beauty spa, retail store and healthcare jobs are all there for the taking.
But it seems that even in extreme times, 'face' trumps 'guts'.
Many people would rather sit around twiddling their thumbs, and live off their dwindling savings rather than take a job they deem to be 'beneath' them.
In a recent letter to a newspaper, a beauty spa owner lamented that no matter how many recruitment ads she placed, most of the replies she got were from recruitment agencies offering workers from China or the Philippines. Only 1 per cent of applications were from Singaporeans, she said.
There will soon be another 10,000 jobs up for grabs when the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort opens for business next year.
But despite the recession, the resort believes that it will still have trouble filling out all the positions, and may need to look for some foreign workers.
So with so many jobs presumably up for grabs, how can there be any unemployment at all?
Well, you might ask if I would take up a job that pays only a fraction of my current salary when the crunch time comes.Of course. Because the last time I checked, 'face' wasn't listed as one of the payment methods on my credit card bill.

It is about Who You Know

2009-04-03T23:30:00.002+08:00

When marketing manager Jacob Ng lost his job last Christmas, he flipped through his collection of name cards.
From those that he selected, he renewed contact with people he had 'networked' with over the past two years.
Within a month, the 28-year-old, through one such contact, had secured another marketing position in a small and medium-sized enterprise.
'I knew the manager from a company lunch I went to,' says Mr Ng. 'I never imagined he would be the one to help me get a job.'
With the current recession, people like Mr Ng are reaping the rewards of networking.
Earlier this month, former high-rolling bankers were at Harry's bar at Boat Quay to meet potential recruiters through a networking event.
Experts tell The Sunday Times that while networking is still used to cut deals, more people are networking to secure jobs too.
What exactly is networking?
Mr David Ang, executive director of the Singapore Human Resources Institute (SHRI), defines it as casting one's net wider, to increase exposure to a larger group of people through various forms of interaction.
He says networking has become especially important in a job search.
'If you cocoon yourself at home, opportunities don't come fast and furious,' he says. 'With networking, you open yourself to new people and ideas.'
Human resources company Adecco believes that besides traditional methods of job searching, networking is an excellent job- search method to consider.
Adecco strategic accounts director Yue Yin Mun explains: 'Networking is very effective. You get instant introductions, and relationships can be developed much quicker than through resumes.'
Singapore International Chamber of Commerce (SICC) chief executive Phillip Overmyer says the biggest challenge for a person searching for a job is to get through the first two interviews.
He adds: 'If you have a recommendation from somebody in some informal way, it dramatically increases your chances.'
Mr Overmyer has also read that 75 per cent of jobs are secured through networking recommendations, rather than through headhunters or newspaper and online advertisements.
'Networking puts you ahead of those who are simply filling out job ads online and those going through recruitment firms,' he says.
Ms Cecellia Telkes, an associate consultant at Imageworks Asia, an image training and consulting group, agrees with Mr Overmyer that often, job vacancies are not advertised.
She adds: 'In times of recession, it's not what you know, but who you know.'
In Singapore, networking can occur in different forms.
Organisations, social clubs and even community development councils often organise events for professionals from different backgrounds. Apart from roping in expert speakers, these events also offer the chance for mingling before and after the talks.
At roadshows and job fairs, one can also hope to network with potential employers.
The SICC convenes industry-focused meetings once every quarter. Breakfast and lunch meetings are common too. The group has seen a 10 per cent to 15 per cent increase in attendance at such networking events in recent months.
'In times of recession, business may be quieter and people may have more time to come for events and keep themselves engaged,' says Mr Overmyer. 'That's very important.'
Less formally, companies and clubs also hold cocktail parties, or 'wine and cheese' events, where professionals gather at various venues to mingle over drinks.
Says SHRI's Mr Ang: 'In such social networking, you get to meet new people and tap on each other's network.'
At the Toastmasters' Club of Singapore, members organise frequent gatherings, apart from holding two meetings each month, to forge bonds.
'The club is a good place to network, as you get to meet people from all walks of life,' says president Jacky Lim.
In networking, experts say, one can even ring up friends, ex-colleagues and ex-schoolmates to arrange meetings.
Imageworks' Ms Telkes says: 'Don't discount the people you already know. Eat humble pie and pick up the phone. They might just be able to help you.'
In the digital age, it is also helpful to network electronically, say, through LinkedIn, Twitter - and even Facebook. The main aim, experts say, is to keep oneself connected and in the minds of others.
In networking to find job opportunities, it is important to follow up after meetings.
Adecco's Ms Yue advises: 'Have an updated resume ready and follow up a day or two after the event. The turnaround time is very important to make sure the person still remembers you.'
Though the rewards of networking often take time to reap, experts agree it is a habit that should be cultivated for life.
Ms Telkes says: 'You never know when your networking is going to come in helpful. As we like to say, 'Rich people network; poor people just work'.'
Networking Tips
Make a list of contacts, including former colleagues and schoolmates, and people you've met at conferences. Send them an e-mail, explain that you're looking for a job and ask for advice and referrals.
Before attending a networking event, find out more about the company and people who will be there.
Polish up on your introduction and read up on current affairs so you can talk easily and comfortably. Stick to safe topics and avoid talking about religion and politics.
Set yourself a target to speak to about five people in an hour. But don't just focus on getting name cards. Make sure you spend enough time with each person so they remember you.
Be active in your follow-up; send a thank- you note or your resume if they asked for one.

I'll Create My Own

2009-04-03T23:26:00.003+08:00

I'll create my own
WITH the recession making it hard to find his dream job, Mr Nirav Nandish Shah, 26, decided to create his own.
The final-year business management student plans to set up his own business, a Bollywood dance company, after he graduates from the Singapore Management University (SMU) in May.
It's a far cry from the white-collar jobs he might have expected given his credentials.
Said Mr Shah: 'The finance sector was the hardest hit. Jobs are few and far between.
'There is a lesser likelihood that I will find a job which I like. So it makes more sense to venture out on my own.
'I have to find an alternative. If I can't find a job, I can't sit around and do nothing.'
For some, the shrinking job market has driven them to take the plunge and become entrepreneurs.
Practice Professor Arcot Desai Narasimhalu, director for the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at SMU, said he has noted increased interest from students who want to start their own companies.
'There is perhaps an increasing confidence in entrepreneurship as an alternative career path among students and those who have lost their jobs recently,' he said.
The New York Times, reporting the same trend in the US, called this phenomenon 'forced entrepreneurship', a Darwinian survival response to survive tough times.
Mr Shah has been learning dance for 10 years and has taught freelance for five years. His twice-to-thrice weekly gigs earn him more than $2,000 a month.
He started giving serious thought to started his own Bollywood dance company after getting tepid responses from his job hunt.
He started sending out CVs at the beginning of the year, but has got only two or three interviews so far and no confirmations.
'The situation is the same for my friends. The number of people they are hiring seems drastically reduced,' he said.
With his experience and existing client base after fiveyears of teaching, he is confident that his business is sustainable.
Still, he admitted that the fear factor of venturing out on his own is big - 'seven out of 10', especially since he is doing so fresh out of school.
While he has set aside $5,000 of his own money, he hopes to win more seed money.
He drew up a business plan and submitted it three weeks ago to Start-Up@Singapore, an international business plan competition organised by the National University of Singapore Entrepreneurship Society.
But Prof Narasimhalu cautioned against rushing headlong into things.
He said: 'Entrepreneurship requires serious commitment and sustained interest from the founders in order to bring their idea to market.
'It is not easy being an entrepreneur.
'I doubt many students will take up entrepreneurship as an option just because they are not able to find work.
He added: 'It is different for experienced people who recently lost their jobs.
'They would have a better understanding of the market needs and will have some of their own money to seed a company.'
This article was first published in The

Bright spots in dark times

2009-04-03T23:22:00.001+08:00

Fri, Apr 03, 2009The Straits Times

Bright spots in dark times
By Leow Si Wan & Amanda Tan
Recession can lead to serious business
MRS Brenda Wong, 28, was retrenched from her company six months ago.
As if that was not enough, the former marketing manager then discovered she was two months' pregnant.
Jobless and now expecting, she decided to tackle a third challenge, and enrolled in the Jewellery Design & Management International School (JDMIS) to learn a new craft.
She went on to take four jewellery design courses, spending an average of $1,800 on each.
Now, she is the proud owner of Desbre Jewellery, an online fashion jewellery business. She plans to open a physical store next year, once the dust has settled around the new baby.
Like Mrs Wong, other Singaporeans are seeing the bright side of dark times.
They are retraining - in order to go into business.
A check with 50 students enrolled in private academies teaching courses in food, beauty and wellness, and fashion and design, found that 70 per cent aimed to start their own companies using their newly acquired skills.
Of these, close to half are in various stages of carrying out their plans.
Fifteen schools told The Straits Times that they had seen enrolment for their courses increase by 10 per cent to 40 per cent over the past year.
At 14-month-old JDMIS for example, the intake for its courses has jumped from 70 students a month last year to 100 a month this year.
Schools have also noticed that more students are in for the long haul.
Said Haji Md Yusof Ismail, 50, chief executive officer of Ain Society: 'I see more students taking their lessons seriously, moving on from beginner to intermediate to advanced stages.'
Ain is a voluntary welfare organisation offering courses such as sewing.
Mr Paalu Ramasamy, 41, master teacher of Tirisula Yoga, has noticed a growing number of students who go on to start their own studios.
He said: ' About 10 per cent go on to have their own school. This year, based on the 80 or so I've taught, I already have 20 to 30 students keen on opening their own studios.'
One of them is Ms Adeline Lum, 23, a teacher, who is setting up a studio with two partners.
She said: 'The economy is very uncertain now and I think setting up my own business, and in an area I am passionate about, is less stressful. I need not worry about getting sacked.'
Indeed, it is the uncertainty of the job market which has persuaded many budding entrepreneurs that they have little to lose by charting their own course.
Said Ms Gloria Goh, 36, a sales manager who spent about $1,300 learning how to make jewellery and is now selling some pieces through referrals: 'I thought it was time for me to treat my hobby seriously, just in case anything should happen to my job.'
Others see opportunities in a slow market.
Mr Edmund Tan, 53, who opened Ed's Creation, a hand-crafted jewellery store in Shaw Centre a month ago, said: 'When the crisis started, I thought that it was now or never to start my own business because costs would be lower.'
He said he was paying less than $2,000 a month in rent, at least $1,000 lower than in boom times. He is also saving on salaries, employing retirees in his shop for $7 to $8 an hour.
It is heartening to see Singaporeans adapting to the realities of the economic situation, either by picking up new skills for new jobs or venturing into business, said the National Trades Union Congress' assistant secretary-general, Mr Ong Ye Kung.
Still, he advised entrepreneurs to go into business with their eyes open, as running one's own concern comes with risks.
Mr Alwyn Tay, 27, an engineer, agreed, saying: 'Setting up a business is a dream for many people but if I did so, I would find a niche and offer a unique service.
But for those who have always dreamt of being their own bosses, now is when the iron is hot enough to strike.
Said Ms Rosalind Lim, 42, a former general manager who set up a health food kitchen and cafe Onaka last month: 'In any case, you would need a couple of years before a business stabilises. Right now, rental charges and salaries are more affordable.'

No money? No capital? No clients? No problem!

2009-03-29T11:20:00.002+08:00

You can still be an entrepreneur. Here's how...

You dislike the rat race, hate being micro-managed, want to avoid office politics and imagine that you would be at your wit’s end if you ever lose your job.

Being an entrepreneur means that age is no longer a barrier to success. You do not have to deal with office politics and you have autonomy, not to mention the ability to earn a higher income.
You have always thought of being an entrepreneur, but without deep pockets, you wondered how you could ever do it.

Can one start a business with no capital and no client base? Yes, it is possible if you are in the business of providing services. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Set up a Soho (Small office, home office)
Look into your skills set to determine if you are able to translate it into services that people would pay for, such as consulting services in accounting, marketing, public relations, copywriting, and graphic design. For such services, you will be able to use your home as your office under the Home Office Scheme.

All you need is a computer, printer and a telephone and you are ready to be in business.

Expand your network
Attend networking events which focus on the industry you are in, or where you will meet your target clients.
Many networking events include a talk or seminar by a keynote speaker who is prominent in the industry. Such events help you get to know more people, and you can share business tips. Always take sufficient business cards with you. If you have yet to set up your business, and have no business cards, print personal name cards which show your contact details and describe the services that you offer.

Forge strategic alliances
Strategic alliances are important for a new entrepreneur. It opens up opportunities for cross-referral as well as provides the ability to serve bigger clients if a one-person business set-up is insufficient.
When looking for strategic alliance partners, think lateral — which other services do your clients need but you do not offer?
For example, if you offer graphic design services, you could have strategic alliances with a printing company, a copywriter and a public relations company.
This way, you are able to expand your client base through cross-referral of business and carry out tasks for the client with service providers whom you are already familiar with.
Go for trade exhibitions
Trade exhibitions are a great way to get to know new clients from local and international markets. You can meet many clients in a short period of time, compared with the time taken to secure appointments followed by face-to-face meetings.
Keep your business cards, brochures and your portfolio of work handy, so that if anyone is keen on your services, you can give a presentation on the spot. For other prospective clients, exchange business cards with them and follow up with them later.

Attend courses
As an entrepreneur, it is important to always keep learning. It is through expanding your mind that you will get new ideas or spot business opportunities.
Think about the courses that you have always wanted to pursue. It could be taking up a new language, a business course or a soft skills course on improving your emotional quotient (EQ). All these help to boost your confidence, equip you with new skills and even provide you with a new business network to tap into.

As an entrepreneur, you are solely responsible for your income and business survival. So keep healthy, exercise and keep your spirits high.

You may not be able to close a deal in the first week or month of being an entrepreneur, but stay focused, continue your networking and forge strategic alliances. That way, you will get closer to entrepreneurial success with each passing day.

Dare to dream, think positive and expand your mind to bring out the entrepreneur in you!

Hitting Great Goals

2009-03-29T11:14:00.004+08:00

The difference between a great goal and a good goal lies in how you define your relationship with your target which, in turn, decides how committed you will be to it, motivational coach Kelly Poulos tells Evelyn Yap

Greatness and goodness are not means, but ends. So said poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
But the quality of the relationship you have with your goals is what separates what’s great from what’s good, according to international management consultant and performance coach Kelly Poulos.

"Everybody reaches goals at some level," said Ms Poulos, who is the senior executive coach and consultant to AsiaWorks, a leading experiential training and consulting company in the region.
"But the distinction between someone who is really good and someone who is great is not the maintenance of goals or status quo or running 'to do' lists,” she said. It's not even about competencies or skills.

Rather, "it's the way you view your goal — that you have a relationship with it".
The relationship metaphor comes from over 30 years of personnel and professional experience.
Her take: People form a bond with everything, including people, money, success, failure, health and kids.

"The quality of the relationship you have with your goal defines your mood and dictates your actions," she said.

She defines three classes of connections — great, good and "everything else":
• Great: "I’m in and fully committed."• Good: "I’m in."• Everything else: These range from apathetic ("I don’t care whether it happens or not") to victimised ("It’s not my fault"), to resistant ("I’m unwilling") and so on.
In addition, there are four steps in managing the rapport you have with your goal:
1. Define your goal, whether it’s home, health, work or a project.

2. Ask where you are in your relationship with that goal: Do you say "I’m in and fully committed" (great), "I’m in" (good), or do you feel apathetic or resistant (everything else)?

3. Find a reason to care about that relationship, be it your family, kids or success.

4. The minimum you should aim for is a "good" relationship. The best: A great relationship. Commit to substituting "the" goal for "my" goal. Work at the bond.
To illustrate, Ms Poulos cited her own ties with her health. "I didn’t exercise and smoked two packets of cigarettes a day. The first thing I did in the morning was get coffee and reach for my cigarettes. I was coughing all day," recalled the 60-year-old, whose bad health habits began from the age of 18.

In managing her ties with her goal to have better health, step number two found her admitting, through a letter that her goal "wrote" to her, that she was having a “destructive” relationship with her health.

In steps three and four: A wonderful family (husband and children) plus not wanting to be a “weak, sick old woman” became her reasons to care. These days, the resident of Sausalito, in San Francisco Bay, draws in fresh sea breezes rather than nicotine.

The minimum requirement, she stressed, is an "I’m in", or good, relationship. At this level, you’re enthusiastic about achieving a goal and will go all out to do it. But with "conditions", she added.
"You’re intellectually committed but emotionally protective —what people see or think of you if you fail matters to you."

However, in a great relationship, you are "bound emotionally" as well, she said. "You’ll do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to get it done. This is not 'the' goal but 'my' goal. It’s the difference between renting a house and owning one."

Citing her own experience, she recalled her first assignment to open AsiaWorks’ Taiwan market and to be a consultant to its new manager, Ms Emily Loo. The goal: To grow the market from start-up to stability in three years.

Over-eager, she rattled off her own list of plans and scenarios. The next day, an ashen-faced Ms Loo quit as she felt she was "not the one to do the job". Ms Poulos changed tack: She discussed Ms Loo’s goals and her relationship to them instead.

The result was "exponential growth" and Ms Loo became AsiaWork’s first Asian vice-president and board member.

To be sure, there were lots of bad days on their way to success. But that only fuelled their personal commitment to their goals, Ms Poulos said.

"The journey was a blast. The highs are higher and the lows are lower but you are alive."

Goal management
1. Define your goal, whether it’s home, health, work or a project.

2. Ask where you are in your relationship with that goal: Do you say, "I’m in and fully committed" (great), "I’m in" (good), or do you feel apathetic or resistant (everything else)?

3. Find a reason to care about that relationship, be it with your family, kids or success.

4. The minimum you should aim for is a “good” relationship. The best: A great relationship. Commit to substituting “the” goal for "my" goal. Work at the bond.

Don't know where our work life is going ?

2009-03-29T11:08:00.001+08:00

A career, like any journey, has a beginning, an end and a direction for you to go from one to the other.
For many people, their current career direction is probably not entirely the result of their own choices.

If, for some reason, you are not happy with where your career is headed, there is a way out:

Take charge of your career and change its direction.

Know yourselfHave you ever looked desperately for something, such as your keys, only to find it eventually in your pocket or drawer?

That’s exactly the case with finding a new career direction. People usually try to search for a new career direction by looking at all the hot jobs, emerging fields, prestigious companies, a friend’s career, what is safe and so on. Ironically, they fail to look for the answer where it actually lies — inside.

The secret of finding the right career direction is not to look without but within. Know yourself and you will automatically know the right direction for your career.
Most people define themselves in terms of what they write in their resumés. That is just the tip of the iceberg. To know yourself, dig deeper and uncover your strengths, personality, values and interests.

• Strengths

Your strength is what you do well at and enjoy doing. People admire strengths in top athletes, painters, writers, leaders but fail to ask themselves: “What is my strength?”
Strengths have a solid connection with a person’s career. According to Peter Drucker, a person can only perform from his strengths and mediocrity is guaranteed if he fails to use them. So know what your strengths are and get into a career that allows you to use your strengths to the maximum.

Discover your strengths by asking: What am I good at and enjoy doing? What makes me feel energised? What comes naturally and easily to me?

• Personality

Personality is the sum total of a person’s behavioural, temperamental and emotional traits. For example, some people are extroverts and enjoy meeting other people. But others are introverts and feel more comfortable when left alone.
Studies show a direct link between a person’s personality and his career. If you are an extrovert, you would perform well in sales, marketing and public relations. But an introvert would be better off in roles that do not require any public dealings.

• Values

Values are what you consider important and hold in high regard. Values differ from person to person and can involve a range of things like money, prestige and power to more subtle things like respect, harmony and independence.

Your values hint at the kind of work that will suit you. For example, if you value “achievement”, you would perform well whenever you face challenges. Then, there are those who may value “helping others” and would therefore do well in jobs that provide an opportunity to serve others. To know your values, ask yourself what is important to you, make a list and prioritise the items.
• InterestsShould you pursue work that only interests you? Why not? History is full of examples of people who pursued their interests and became great achievers.

Mr Akio Morita avoided joining his family business of sake brewing to pursue his interest: An electronics start-up. He founded Sony. Doing the work that interests you can have a lasting impact on your career. To uncover your interests, find out what fascinates you and draws your attention.

Knowing what your strengths, personality, values and interests are is like having a compass with its needle pointing towards the right direction for your career.

2009-03-21T17:44:00.003+08:00

AN ITALIAN proverb goes: "Tell me a fact and I'll learn. Tell me a truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever." A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to an object or an action to which it is not literally applicable, in order to suggest a resemblance, for example, "He is a lion in battle". A metaphor carries more richness in meaning than a description. The word "metaphor" comes from the Greek word metaphora, which means "to carry across". It gives you another perspective of an event or a type of behaviour. Metaphors can be used for communication, problem-solving and creative thinking. There are several advantages to using metaphors in your communication. They simplify a lengthy description. They give you a mental picture that can be easily understood. By using metaphors, you use colourful descriptions that stimulate the mind. You can also get inspiration from reading about, or listening to, how ordinary people achieve extraordinary goals. These are powerful tools that provide you with motivation and direction. Metaphors and anecdotes can have a tremendous impact on your life. They can reframe and bring about change in your monotonous life. You can forget theories and concepts easily but you can remember stories for a long time because the events in them form pictures in your mind which you can recall easily. Listening to and telling stories inspire both your audience and yourself, especially those "rags to riches" stories, which can access the five senses and generate emotions. When you listen or tell stories, your mind conjures up images, sounds and feelings. It makes the stories come alive, giving them a resonance and relevance to your own life. Here is an anecdote from fast food giant McDonald's: At 16, Mr Ray Kroc quit school and became an ambulance driver. When the war ended, he worked as a haberdashery salesman. After his marriage, he took on a more stable job by selling paper cups. By 7am each day, he was already on the road calling on customers. From 5pm, he worked as a pianist at a radio station till 2am. He sold paper cups for 17 years. One of his customers was Mr Earl Prince who ran a chain of ice-cream parlours called Prince Castle. When Mr Castle asked Mr Kroc to be his partner, Mr Kroc jumped at the deal. Mr Castle developed a "multi-mixer" that could be used to make six milkshakes simultaneously. He would manufacture the mixer while Mr Kroc would sell it. Two of Mr Kroc's clients were the McDonald brothers in Los Angeles. They ordered eight multi-mixers, a record at that time. Surprised at the record order, Mr Kroc took the trouble to visit them. He was impressed with the large crowd, the high volume of sales and the cleanliness of the brothers' store. He talked to the McDonald brothers and became their agent to sell franchises. He figured that if there were more franchises, he would be able to sell more multi-mixers. Although his friends laughed at the idea of selling cheap hamburgers, Mr Kroc built the first McDonald's restaurant. One year later, three other franchised outlets opened. Mr Kroc realised that to become a millionaire, he had to buy the business from the McDonald brothers. So, he did just that. He worked until his death, spending a major part of his life scouting for good locations for future restaurants. By 1960, he had sold over 220 franchises and was a multi-billionaire. What you can learn from this anecdote is Ray Kroc's criteria for success: diligence, perseverance, persistence, a knack for spotting business opportunities, taking risks and a refusal to retire. If you want to change your life story, learn how to put some of these "elements of success" into practice.

Thanks for retrenching me

2009-03-21T17:30:00.001+08:00

Laid off twice, this former engineer turns his plight into a picture-perfect ending
FOR someone who was retrenched twice, Mr Hameed Maricar is unexpectedly cheery.
By Tan May Ping
25 January 2006
FOR someone who was retrenched twice, Mr Hameed Maricar is unexpectedly cheery.
He is actually thankful for the lay-offs.
After the second retrenchment in 2002, Mr Hameed, 50, was able to focus on his passion for photography.
He is now a full-time photographer and runs his thriving business from home. He declined to say how much he earns now, but said his family covers almost 400 jobs a year. Each job costs from $500 to a few thousand dollars.
Mr Hameed also spends a lot more time with his family as his wife and three of his four children help out with the business. (See report on facing page.)
They take photos at weddings and other functions, as well as graduation shots and portraits. They have captured the happy moments of politicians, celebrities, commoners and even a princess.
Their customers are mainly Malays. Many of them are repeat customers and referrals, said Mr Hameed.
The close-knit family operate from their 3-storey house along Lorong 104, off Changi Road, which has a 70 sq m studio and four high-end computers for post-production work.
Mr Hameed has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment, but feels it is all worth it.
His love for photography started when he was a teenager.
'I liked photographs. But since I couldn't afford a camera, I used to borrow from my friends,' he said.
He picked up his skills through trial and error and by reading books on the subject which he borrowed from the library. At gatherings and weddings of friends and relatives, he would snap away.
It was at the wedding of his best friend that he met his future wife, Madam Fatimah Bee Hassan. She was the elder sister of the bride.
Madam Fatimah, 48, also shared his passion for photography. She was then working at Rollei, a maker of cameras, as a quality controller.
Said Madam Fatimah, who is the third of 11 children: 'Every few months, the company allowed us to borrow a camera. I would borrow one to take photos of my younger sisters.'
She quit her job in 1979 when they got married. In the same year, Mr Hameed bought his first camera, a Pentax, for about $500 from his earnings as a technician with the then Public Works Department.
In 1982, he graduated with a diploma in civil engineering from Singapore Polytechnic and joined an MNC as engineer for about $6,000 a month.
He continued to volunteer to take photos for friends and families during the weekends for free.
But during the recession in 1986, he was retrenched and began to take his freelance job more seriously. He started accepting payments.
Two months later, he found another job as an engineer with a local company earning $4,000.
But he was busy and often had to work late. So he got his wife involved in his photography work.
She said: 'I was very happy when he asked me to back him up. I really liked taking photos, but before that he wouldn't even let me touch his camera because he said it was expensive.'
In 1987, they started their company, Fatimah Hameed Studio.
When they moved into their Bedok South executive flat in the early '90s, they started studio photography as there weren't many people offering this service in the Malay community.
They had a makeshift studio in their flat. Soon, they needed a bigger place to accommodate their burgeoning business.
Madam Fatimah estimated she looked at more than 50 houses before settling on the current 7-room 367 sq m house, roughly the size of three 5-room flats.
They moved into the $1.2 million house in 1999, which they paid for from savings, profits from their business and the sale of their flat.
But in 2002, Mr Hameed was retrenched again.
'I was upset for a short while. I was used to a regular income and had worked there for over 15 years.'
So he plunged full-time into the family business.
The busiest periods for the family are around graduation and public holidays. They have also tied up with 12 bridal houses to provide photography services.
For wedding shoots, he said many parents still prefer the traditional way where the couple wears traditional clothing and have their photos taken at home.
In the past, 20 changes of clothes were not uncommon. Once, a shoot lasted four days as the couple went through 29 costume changes.
Said Mr Hameed: 'It took one hour for the bride to change into each costume. When it was over, I fell sick.'
However, young couples increasingly prefer to have theirs taken in the studio with only one or two costume changes. They also like more candid shots taken outdoors.
And then there are the unexpected surprises like when their eldest son went for an engagement in 2002.
They only realised later that he was taking photos of former SIA stewardess, Julita Aishah Abdul Latif, who was engaged to Pahang prince Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah, at her Yishun flat. Her photo is among those on display in their house.
Mr Hameed said he never thought that he would make a business out of his passion.
'When I was an engineer, I hardly had time with my family. I'm very happy now as I get to see them very often,' he said.
Kids interested in business
ALL four children share their parents' interest in photography.
The couple's eldest son, Mr Mohamed Murthada, 26, has even made it his full-time job.
He started tagging along with his mother when he was 16. Soon he was confident enough to handle assignments on his own.
'I started playing around with the equipment when I was 10. I was curious why my parents found it so interesting,' he said.
Mr Murthada said people were always a little surprised at his age when he turned up for jobs.
'I've tried other jobs but I still prefer working with my parents. At least I can negotiate with them,' he said in jest.
His younger brother, Mr Mohamed Shafig, started accompanying him when he turned 16. The brothers started working as a team, with one handling the camera and the other, the video camera.
Although Mr Shafig, 24, is now a primary school teacher, he still helps out on a part-time basis.
Their younger sister, Miss Humairah, 18, is helping her parents as she awaits her A-Level results.
Said Miss Humairah, who picked up photography three years ago: 'I wanted to learn how to take photos properly.'
Their youngest sister, Najlaa, 14, has also begun to show interest.
Said Mr Hameed: 'I've got all the equipment and knowledge... at least it's not wasted.'

do not count on LUCK !

2009-02-21T23:39:00.001+08:00

IN BUSINESS, there are critical situations that sooner or later face every executive - failure to meet sales objectives, the sudden appearance of a competitor, new product failure, key employee defection and so on. These problems may affect the quality of your customer service. Once a customer has a bad experience and switches to a competitor, it is unlikely that he will return to you. The customer may also share with your competitor all that he knows about your business process, revealing your weaknesses to your competitors. So how do you prevent something like this happening in the first place? Hoping that you will get lucky and that a difficult situation will resolve itself will not work. The better alternative is preparation, which involves gathering knowledge, looking at other options and putting these into practice. Knowledge begins with a thorough understanding of the most likely situations you will encounter. Banking on luck to get through difficult situations is like hoping to get rich by winning lotteries. What most gamblers forget is that the success of the gambling industry is based on the overwhelming majority of losers, who supply rewards for the small number of big winners. The only way to enhance your success as a manager is to seize each opportunity to learn as much you can about everything that is new. Your best opportunities will come from combining your experience with what is revolutionary. The four key work habits of effective managers are:
Industry: Working productively and conscientiously at whatever job is assigned to them. The industrious manager becomes uncomfortable if he is not productively engaged.
Perseverance: Pressing on in an activity in the face of obstacles, until the objective is achieved.
Self-reliance: Standing on their own feet and solving their problems despite difficulties and opposition.
Orderliness: Assigning an order, plan or system to their work. Effective managers neither cling to the status quo nor are afraid to grow and encourage others to do the same. A maintenance mode is reactive and defensive and does not lead an individual or company to greatness. Management is about leadership, competence, courage, confidence and communication. There are things you have to do that are painful in the short run for your employees so that there are benefits in the long run. Effective managers do not:
Flee the scene ;
Deny a problem;
Give ambiguous answers;
Delay action indefinitely;
Look for stock answers; or
Pass the buck to the boss (upward delegation of responsibility). In this day of declining loyalties and innumerable choices for goods and services, it takes a huge effort to build a customer base. It is particularly painful when a loyal customer leaves because you cannot compete on service. Unfortunately, some managers are distracted by their daily successes and do not spend enough time looking for the warning signs. They make mistakes more because of a lack of preparedness than to bad real-time decisions. As an effective manager, you must be prepared and be proactive. Remember, if you have to play the same instrument for a significant part of your life, learn new songs and change the tempo.

HOLDING ONTO YOUR JOBS IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

2009-01-02T23:21:00.001+08:00

Are you concerned about the daily gloom and doom news on the regional economies? Are you apprehensive of whether the next wave of corporate restructuring or “rightsizing” might mean the loss of more jobs – possibly yours?

Take the following constructive steps towards keeping your job, suggests Sandra Bhupi Sandu, Regional HR Director of CTC Network Asia Pacific P/L

“Focus on employability, do not expect life long employment.

Few organizations, if any can guarantee life long employment. Even this time-treasured Japanese corporate practice of life-long employment is battling to stay relevant in the wake of recent events.

What should employees do to enhance their skills level?

Cross train and diversify so that even if they lose their jobs, they could still be versatile, adaptable and flexible enough to find suitable alternative employment.

Individuals should take responsibility and ownership for their own careers and not wait for continued handouts from their employers. Forward-looking employees will invest time, effort and resources on upgrading themselves. Such employees will not just acquire the functional skills to perform their present jobs effectively and also acquire the competencies required to perform tasks required for new technologies, changing work environments and for continued employability.

An average employee will focus on acquiring the skills, attitudes and competencies required to maintain his present job. Proactive employees who wish to tide through any possible economic downturn will acquire the skills, attitudes and competencies in related and cross-functional areas so that a lateral transfer or employment is possible in a job loss eventuality.

Next, employees should spend their time to develop realistic career goals for themselves of where they are and where they want to be in the foreseeable 2-3 years. Goal setting motivates employees to look ahead with optimism and stay positive. This is turn motivates employees to perform at higher levels of efficiency.

End fruitless office gossip and speculation on the uncertainties of the economy and corporations which will drain the morale and spirit of staff. Tough times don’t last, tough people do.

Finally, prove your worth. High growth periods have seen employers endure high staff mobility. In tough trying periods, employees should send positive signals and be committed to their jobs by contributing their talents and expertise to the fullest.

Focus on helping your organization improve its performance, productivity and bottom line. Employees who are multi-skilled, versatile, adaptable, flexible and committed to their organizations would always be employable no matter what the economic climate.

Meaningful Career

2008-12-29T20:59:00.003+08:00

As the work world changes and becomes more dynamic, Singaporeans need to be clear about their career goals and be nimble to remain employable

Those who have read Charles Handy’s The Age of Paradox may realise that by the mid-90s, he had offered the most expansive and hopeful new concept of a career.
He defined it as the pursuit of meaning in one’s role at work. He explained meaning in one’s work as the need to develop a personal sense of direction, continuity and connection in their work.
Yet, many Singaporeans fail to recognise the wisdom offered by Charles Handy, especially in the light of the changing world of work.

The old definition of what constitutes a career has given way to radically new ones. There can be no climb up the corporate ladder as the ladder is broken and career paths have been covered by the sandstorms of right sizing, retrenchments and outsourcing.

Singaporeans need to take responsibility for their careers. How can they take responsibility? Understand Handy’s definitions of direction, continuity and connection.
Career direction is a feeling that you are supporting a worthy cause. Continuity in your career is defined by work that you believe will have a future long after you stop serving your chosen role. Connection in your career requires your participation in a community that you can identify with and help build.

Singaporeans can learn a lesson from the transportation industry of how opportunities can be the basis of career success.
For many years, there had been a demand for cheap inexpensive travel. The arrival of the budget carriers broke the monopoly of the scheduled carriers in the region and allowed airfares to go into free fall.

Consequently, the entire airline industry in the region is re-inventing itself. Industry players have realised that they need to change the way they price airfares to attract air travellers to ensure business survival and continuity. In the process, they are identifying themselves with the community they serve by making air travel affordable for many more people.

Regretfully, many working Singaporeans fail to capture Handy’s subtle message — “the pursuit of meaning” in their work. A meaningful career must not just support you financially but it must also provide mental challenge and stimulation, emotional engagement, meaning and belonging, and an element of continuous lifelong learning and employability. It can then enable you to take the fork in the road when you perceive an opportunity.

People therefore need to be predisposed towards learning new concepts and skills, and engaging in career exploration. Singaporeans need to be less materially driven, and recognise that job security comes with creative and innovative careers. They need to know that doing something different and new is a valued trait, and be more adventurous in exploring new career opportunities. This may need courage, risk-taking, time and patience.
Very broadly, there are four models of careers in the new world of work. Each requires courage, risk-taking, time and patience in varying quantities. They are:

• The expert: Defined by his knowledge and what he knows, he builds his career by offering his expertise in specific areas. An expert needs to continually refresh his inventory of expertise as the half-life of knowledge and know-how is declining at an unprecedented rate.
Enterprising experts will need life-long learning and will often return to the learning environment on short sabbaticals to update themselves. They may even combine sabbaticals to take up temporary lecturing, research appointments or engage in casual work to support their lifestyle.

• The traditionalist: Commonly known as the middle manager, he has to provide increasing value-add services. He needs to work faster, be more astute, have a better understanding of people dynamics and be more politically savvy if he is to survive.
The traditionalist is more likely to be replaced by a much younger and more ambitious candidate who is seeking generalist skills on the way to one of the other career models.
It will be a career model that will disappear progressively or be taken by contingent professionals commonly known as “temps”. Many of the tasks of the traditionalist will be automated, robotised, computerised, “electronic-ised” or outsourced.

• The portfolio professional: This will increasingly become the career model of the 21st century. Such an individual pursues a life voyage that includes a variety of work experiences, skills and accomplishments.

Portfolio managers will work for different companies, in different vocations and in different countries at each stage of their career. The more adventurous portfolio manager may even work for different companies and different tasks concurrently. The more successful portfolio manager will have a high sense of personal confidence and optimism in his abilities and future prospects.
Tenure at different companies could vary from a month to several years depending on the task or project assignment.

• The entrepreneur: This career model will define people who would work in medium- to large-sized organisations for some time, with an eye towards using the skills and competencies they develop there to start their own businesses, often in a related industry. They may eventually work as sole proprietors or in partnership with like-minded individuals.

Alternatively, some may become consultants to their former employers working on contract terms. They will be the mainstay of the community and often will operate many neighbourhood and regional services. This creates employment for those who are unwilling to be courageous, brave and willing to “experiment” with new models of work.

Mid-Career Change ?

2008-11-16T19:12:00.002+08:00

I'm sure that at one point or another, most of us would have contemplated changing careers. Toying with the idea doesn't require much effort, but seeing it through is a different matter. People usually arrive at a career crossroads when they are in a new phase in their personal lives like marriage, having children, being utterly miserable in their current job, or when a loved one has a terminal illness. Be honest with your reasons for wanting a change when making a decision about your job. Know what motivates youAre you able to identify what triggered off this chain of action? The motives must be compelling enough and you must be personally convinced that you will be better off after the change. Having your family's support will make the transition easier for you. Do research in your chosen fieldThe next thing you should do is start with some fact-finding about your chosen course of work. Gather any sort of information from newspapers, trade magazines, websites or talk to people you know working in that field. That way, you don't enter the new industry blindly. Start networkingTalk to anyone and everyone about your interest in switching careers. You never know when an opportunity might present itself. Do volunteer workDepending on your chosen field, you might be able to gain an insight into it by being a volunteer in a relevant organisation. That should give you a good idea of the skills needed and what a typical workday is like. Identify your transferable skillsEven as a new entrant, you will probably have some generic skills that can be used in any industry. Highlight useful ones like effective communication, attention to detail, organisation and people management, which are all portable. Prepare for a drop in incomeYou have to make a financial sacrifice - your future salary may not match what you're currently earning as you go in at entry-level. And if you have to go back to school full-time to fulfil your new goal, can you afford it? Get the necessary qualificationsRetraining for your new career will give you the credibility to make the switch. You will have the chance to acquire the right skills, build contacts and even meet prospective employers. Talk to your bossBefore you decide to quit, talk to your boss. Companies that have flexible HR practices recognise that motivated employees are an asset and may even come up with alternative positions once they know about your intended change in career path.

Find a job that fits

2008-09-27T21:37:00.004+08:00

Find a job that fits Taking stock of your personality and preferences can help you pick the career that really suits you. Try the following out for size.
You look through the advertisements and find an interesting position. You apply and soon, a call comes inviting you for an interview. You go for the interview and a job offer comes some days later.
A few weeks into your new job, though, you start to have second thoughts. You feel that what you are doing does not make sense. You ask yourself questions such as: “Is it the job, the people, the environment, my boss or me?”
It may be a case of a mismatch between you and the job you are in. Many people do find themselves in this position. To get a better career fit, try out the following assessments.
Self-assessment
Take stock of your personal inventory. This could help you find a better match to the job. You may want to examine what your personality type is. Use the following as a guide.
First, analyse your doing self.
Are you a person who:
1. Likes to meet people? Do people give you energy and motivation to continue through your day?2. Likes numbers, which create this thinking energy in you?3. Likes setting targets and meeting deadlines?4. Likes leading people?5. Likes writing or designing?6. Likes making things?7. Likes trouble-shooting and fixing things?
Next, carry out a Personality Assets Inventory on your inner self. Are you:
1. Self-motivated?2. A patient person?3. Easygoing?4. Warm and empathetic?5. Jovial?6. Diplomatic?7. Talkative?
Knowing your personality will allow you to have a greater job match. For example, if there is a front-line customer service position, but you do not like to meet or interact with people, would you still apply for that job?
If you have problems identifying who you are, seek help from friends, family members or relatives who know you well. Ask them for their feedback about you. Or you may consider seeking help from a career development coach who has the tools to help you discover yourself.
Job assessment
No two jobs are alike even if they have the same job title. For example, the job of a secretary in one company may be different in another. One employer may only require you to serve him alone. The duties are very basic and offer no challenge. However, for another employer, a secretary is required to handle some human resource issues, travel overseas and handle projects on behalf of the boss.
So do not rely on job titles alone to give you all the information you need. Understand what the job has to offer and then evaluate if you have the keen interest to handle it. Sometimes we may not have all the skills and capabilities to fill a particular position. The fact is, we all come in different shapes and sizes and we do not have a 100 per cent fit to all jobs. There will be competency gaps in some areas. However, this does not mean that you should opt yourself out of the game.
If you have keen interest in that field of work, do something about it. Express to your future employer your interest and the plans to get yourself there. There are some employers who look for positive attitudes and behaviour and are willing to train if you are willing to learn.
There are tools in the market that will help you assess your career or job fit. However, tools are just mechanisms that can help you identify what is suitable for you. It is your intention that drives you to get that job you want or that is suitable for you.
Environment assessment
There was a human resource practitioner who worked in the healthcare industry for some years. One day, he decided to move to the human resource division of a company within the sales and marketing sector.
It was not long before he discovered that the environment was not suitable for him and he went back to the healthcare industry. Today, he is happy where he is. Why is this so? How could the working environment affect people?
People are motivated in different environments. Some work better when there are caring people like nurses, while others would prefer environments that are challenging and demanding as this would bring out the best in them. There are others who prefer to work in environments that are generally slow or quiet while others would like to work in religious organisations. There are those who prefer to be on the move all the time.
Do you know which environment you prefer to work in? There can be a closer gap between your job and how you feel about it if you know your personality, understand the type of job that suits you and the ideal environment that gives you the energy to work. If you can get a job that fits you 60 per cent to 80 per cent, consider yourself blessed. As for the 20 to 40 per cent dissatisfaction that you feel about the job, the key is flexing. Flexing is adapting yourself to the task, role or environment that may not be suitable or areas that de-motivate you.
The fact is, we cannot have the best of everything. The environment changes and businesses must change in order to remain competitive. Therefore, job roles will change accordingly. If you can have the closest possible fit with your job, half the battle is won. Remember the saying: We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails.

Is your Job At Risk ?

2008-09-06T11:05:00.003+08:00

Downsizing.Outsourcing.Cost-cutting.Retrenchment.Underperformance.Change in direction. Whatever the reasons, job security is no longer guaranteed in today's competitive work environment. Most people who are asked to go (eventually) can see it coming.

Here are some clues that you should be updating your resume very soon:

Lost in communication

You're no longer in the information loop.

Updates and reports are mysteriously lost en route to you and your opinions don't matter any more.

Your input is less frequently needed on projects and in meetings. Even on the social front, your co-workers avoid you and the last conversation you had with your boss was about the weather. Unwanted extra attentionIf your boss starts scrutinising your work and questioning every small detail, you can be sure he or she no longer trusts you.

You are the only one asked to do a time sheet.

Poor performance reviewYour annual review was far from satisfactory and you received a warning. You felt your supervisor was being biased but you were not given a chance to tell your side of the story. Silent treatmentInstead of face-to-face interaction, your boss starts communicating to you via e-mails or written memos.

You make a request to speak to him personally, but get turned down.

Dead endYour new duties are in a dead-end department or you are given impossible tasks with unrealistic deadlines. Every one else has been sent for retraining except you. You're not asked to do your usual long-term planning.

Should you be doing anything if you think you're a candidate for redundancy? Yes! Don't wait until you receive the fateful letter to swing into action. Make a back-upMake a personal copy of things that are important, like a portfolio of your work and contacts and keep the copies at home, but leave the confidential stuff alone. In a retrenchment situation, you may not have access to such information. Create a personal email accountDon't scramble at the last minute to get this done. This is useful for transferring back-up files and allows your contacts to keep in touch with you. Touch base with contactsKeep in contact with your clients and contemporaries. This will keep your name fresh in their minds when job opportunities arise or when you need their help in your job search. Secure refereesAsk trusted colleagues or supervisors if they are willing to act as references in your future job search.

Why do you do what you do?

2008-08-16T21:31:00.001+08:00

As the work world changes and becomes more dynamic, Singaporeans need to be clear about their career goals and be nimble to remain employable
Those who have read Charles Handy’s The Age of Paradox may realise that by the mid-90s, he had offered the most expansive and hopeful new concept of a career.
He defined it as the pursuit of meaning in one’s role at work. He explained meaning in one’s work as the need to develop a personal sense of direction, continuity and connection in their work.
Yet, many Singaporeans fail to recognise the wisdom offered by Charles Handy, especially in the light of the changing world of work.
The old definition of what constitutes a career has given way to radically new ones. There can be no climb up the corporate ladder as the ladder is broken and career paths have been covered by the sandstorms of right sizing, retrenchments and outsourcing.
Singaporeans need to take responsibility for their careers. How can they take responsibility? Understand Handy’s definitions of direction, continuity and connection.
Career direction is a feeling that you are supporting a worthy cause. Continuity in your career is defined by work that you believe will have a future long after you stop serving your chosen role. Connection in your career requires your participation in a community that you can identify with and help build.
Singaporeans can learn a lesson from the transportation industry of how opportunities can be the basis of career success.
For many years, there had been a demand for cheap inexpensive travel. The arrival of the budget carriers broke the monopoly of the scheduled carriers in the region and allowed airfares to go into free fall.
Consequently, the entire airline industry in the region is re-inventing itself. Industry players have realised that they need to change the way they price airfares to attract air travellers to ensure business survival and continuity. In the process, they are identifying themselves with the community they serve by making air travel affordable for many more people.
Regretfully, many working Singaporeans fail to capture Handy’s subtle message — “the pursuit of meaning” in their work. A meaningful career must not just support you financially but it must also provide mental challenge and stimulation, emotional engagement, meaning and belonging, and an element of continuous lifelong learning and employability. It can then enable you to take the fork in the road when you perceive an opportunity.
People therefore need to be predisposed towards learning new concepts and skills, and engaging in career exploration. Singaporeans need to be less materially driven, and recognise that job security comes with creative and innovative careers. They need to know that doing something different and new is a valued trait, and be more adventurous in exploring new career opportunities. This may need courage, risk-taking, time and patience.
Very broadly, there are four models of careers in the new world of work. Each requires courage, risk-taking, time and patience in varying quantities. They are:
• The expert: Defined by his knowledge and what he knows, he builds his career by offering his expertise in specific areas. An expert needs to continually refresh his inventory of expertise as the half-life of knowledge and know-how is declining at an unprecedented rate.
Enterprising experts will need life-long learning and will often return to the learning environment on short sabbaticals to update themselves. They may even combine sabbaticals to take up temporary lecturing, research appointments or engage in casual work to support their lifestyle.
• The traditionalist: Commonly known as the middle manager, he has to provide increasing value-add services. He needs to work faster, be more astute, have a better understanding of people dynamics and be more politically savvy if he is to survive.
The traditionalist is more likely to be replaced by a much younger and more ambitious candidate who is seeking generalist skills on the way to one of the other career models.
It will be a career model that will disappear progressively or be taken by contingent professionals commonly known as “temps”. Many of the tasks of the traditionalist will be automated, robotised, computerised, “electronic-ised” or outsourced.
• The portfolio professional: This will increasingly become the career model of the 21st century. Such an individual pursues a life voyage that includes a variety of work experiences, skills and accomplishments.
Portfolio managers will work for different companies, in different vocations and in different countries at each stage of their career. The more adventurous portfolio manager may even work for different companies and different tasks concurrently. The more successful portfolio manager will have a high sense of personal confidence and optimism in his abilities and future prospects.
Tenure at different companies could vary from a month to several years depending on the task or project assignment.
• The entrepreneur: This career model will define people who would work in medium- to large-sized organisations for some time, with an eye towards using the skills and competencies they develop there to start their own businesses, often in a related industry. They may eventually work as sole proprietors or in partnership with like-minded individuals.
Alternatively, some may become consultants to their former employers working on contract terms. They will be the mainstay of the community and often will operate many neighbourhood and regional services. This creates employment for those who are unwilling to be courageous, brave and willing to “experiment” with new models of work.

Plan to Succeed

2008-08-08T23:17:00.002+08:00

Nurturing your career is like raising a baby. Begin with the end product in mind, and you will see the need for strategies you have to take early on, says a career coach
Have you ever made plans in your career but never fulfilled them? Or have you fulfilled a plan but found that you have gone in the wrong direction? Life is full of choices which involve risk. And as we become older, we are more fearful of making such decisions.
Making that career decision
If you are looking for a career that is most suitable for you, you will need to take time to understand what you do best. What are the job tasks you find most energising and what are those that drain you at the end of the day?
Knowing what you love to do is just one part of the equation. Analysing your personality profile helps you to understand yourself and how you would relate to your work environment. For example, if you are good at what you do, but do not know how to work well with others, it is going to be difficult to have a successful career especially if your have to work in a team. Teamwork is the key ingredient to good working relationship. If you can get the support of others, you are likely to be more successful.
On the other hand, if you know your personality but do not know what tasks or jobs are suitable for you, you will find yourself job-hopping or feeling that your job does not bring you fulfillment or value.
To find out more about your personality, you can get feedback from friends, relatives, colleagues or even your career coach.
Don’t get your feedback blindly. Find out specifics such as on which occasion you were highly motivated and what was the cause. Or why certain behaviour was deemed undesirable and when it took place.
Act on your plan
In his book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey states that one of his key principles is to begin with the end in mind.
When you have identified what you want to do, draw out a road map on how you would like to get there. Plan out the milestones and celebrate each success.
Share your milestones with a supportive friend or relative who will provide support and celebrate those winning moments with you.
Create objectives for yourself. This means understanding what must be achieved and by when. Also, list down those who can help you support your plans. Find out where to get your resources and who you can get advice from whenever you have a problem.
The most difficult part of the exercise is staying on course. No job is 100 per cent fulfilling, and in life you will meet peculiar people and jobs that do not really appeal to you. However, at the end of the day, if you come out smiling, you would have met most of your basic criteria.
Invest in yourself
Nothing comes for free. In whatever you do, three main resources you need to invest in are money, effort and time.
If you are unwilling to work on any of these three resources, you may find it difficult to get to where you want to go.
So be prepared for the long haul. Persevere in whatever you do. Once you finish the race, you know you have made an achievement in life. By then you will be prepared for greater challenges.

Mid-Life Career Change

2008-08-02T22:53:00.002+08:00

When it comes to employment, the reality these days is that there is no iron rice bowl. Very rarely will a person stay in one company for the rest of his career. The trend is for companies to stay lean and competitive by continually trimming fat and choosing cheaper labour sources like foreign talent or outsourcing to other countries.

All this means that having to look for another job is a distinct possibility. And it can become harder as you grow older. Maybe the last time you job-hunted, you were in your twenties, right out of school, bright-eyed and eager. You had fewer responsibilities. Most certainly your identity wasn’t tied to a profession.

But now you’re over thirty-five. You’ve gained some stature. You’ve become used to your job. You probably have no other commercially-valuable skills other than the ones you now possess. You’ve got children, aging parents, housing and car loans. Then, unexpectedly, you find yourself being retrenched.

The midlife career change journey can be hard to venture. But it doesn’t have to be miserable.

Career change takes time, energy and financial resources. So get a temporary job. You may be lowly-ranked and suffer a pay cut, but remember, it’s only transitory. Think of birds perching on a wire when they migrate south for the winter: a place to rest till you can start moving to your real destination.

Once you’ve covered your basic needs, take time to explore each career option in greater depth. Even within each field you'll find major differences. A social worker for instance, can have a private practice, work in a hospital, or work for agency, public and private.

Talk to at least six people who are employed (happily or otherwise) in each field. Ask how they started. Don’t ask for advice: ask for experience.

Finally, if finances are tight, investigate low-cost career change resources in your area. Some nonprofit agencies offer counseling. And if you find yourself getting seriously depressed, your first priority should be a visit to a qualified, licensed mental health provider.

Yes, you can find a new, satisfying career – not overnight, but sooner than you think. Start the journey in an optimistic and informed way.

Networking

2008-07-21T21:26:00.002+08:00

Networking is an essential part of working life. It's about how you get information, make contacts and build professional relationships with people. Some recruitment experts believe that certain positions are filled not through advertisements, but through personal networks. So how do you get started? It is as simple as letting friends, relatives and business acquaintances know that you are on the lookout for a new job.

Where to startBut first, you have to make contact with the right crowd. Any meeting or gathering, professional or social, is a good place to start. If you are a member of a professional body, take part in its activities and get to know other members. When you attend a course, whether company-sponsored or self-paid, make use of the opportunity to network with course mates. Your alumni association is also a good place for networking.

How to startKnowing how to network is a skill that can be acquired. Here are some suggestions for doing it well:

Make the first moveDon't be shy about mixing with other participants. They might be just as nervous as you are, so break the ice by introducing yourself to the friendliest-looking face. Have a list of possible conversation topics in mind to get things going.

Carry enough business cardsKeep a stock of name cards in a convenient place so that you can easily hand them out. Men can easily put the cards in their trouser pockets. Ladies could wear a jacket with pockets or carry a handbag to stash the name cards in. Separate other people's cards from yours so that you don't mix them up. Handing out the wrong card is embarrassing.

Use proper business card etiquetteIt is only polite to ask for a card in return when you give out your name card. Study the card after you receive it to look for something in common or a possible conversation topic. After the meeting, make a note of the date, place and any points of interest discussed on the card to help you remember the meeting should you need to follow up later. If you're currently not working, invest in a box of personal name cards bearing your contact information and professional qualifications.

Treat everyone with courtesyNever discount anyone you meet as unimportant. You never know when an acquaintance might turn out to be a future colleague or boss. You don't want to be remembered for being rude to him.

Share informationNetworking is about giving and receiving information. Just as someone may help you, return the favour and pass the good deed around by sharing your contacts and information to help others.

Driving Your Career

2008-07-06T20:41:00.003+08:00

Are you in control of your career or is it just a job to you?

Over the last 50 years, the metaphors to describe career dynamics have changed from that of a

train ride (the 1950s) to riding a bus (the 1970s) to driving a sports vehicle today.

The sports vehicle is flexible and fast. It does not require transit schedules or even paved roads. Routes can be changed or modified anytime. And the individual is in the driver's seat.

Careers in the 21st century will not be steady and fixed. While we cannot predict the specific jobs that will emerge, what we do know is that they will be acquired and mastered by the employees who have learned to drive their own careers.

It is important for everyone to take control of their careers and move towards attaining personal satisfaction. Here are three important distinctions of career management to observe:

The concept of a static "job" in the new economy is changing. The security of a person's career rests not in the job description but in the skills that he brings to the organisation. An individual with good communication skills and a love for developing others can move on to become a teacher, a trainer, a consultant, public relations officer or a team leader.

When you think in terms of a job title, you limit yourself to applying for jobs which put you into a box of similar resumés. Administrative executives will keep getting jobs as administrative executives. But if you can see yourself as an expert in "organisation operations", a whole new world of opportunities opens up before you.

People need to constantly review their career plans vis-à-vis their organisation's unmet needs, and consciously align these plans to help achieve the organisation's goals.

In designing your own career plan, understand that just like any chief operating officer of a company, your plan must be sound and relevant. A business plan, no matter how it is written, needs to address the important issue and that is, are the organisation's products satisfying the unmet needs of customers?

Because of constant changes around us, there will always be unmet needs generated by these changes in the organisation, marketplace and in society.

Remember the fate of many bank tellers who were replaced by machines, or of insurance agents who are slowly being replaced by professional financial planners. Or the managers who experienced past professional successes through their independent, controlling and dominating managerial style but now find it difficult to switch to a managerial style which is empowering, inspiring and collaborative.

Changes and learning in the workplace are designed to help individuals increase their self-reliance and prepare them for future possibilities.

Think of your career as a story. However, instead of telling your story as a factual account - for example, "I work as an engineer because I was educated and trained as one" - reframe your career life as an interpretation and not just a collection of facts.

Don't use the past as a reference. Consider the future and as you write, modify and change the script of your career.

The body of your story can either be exciting, boring or worse, a non-event. And while you cannot control the outcome (success or failure) of the story, you can influence the ending by determining the plot, pace and pathways.

It is not so much that we are afraid of change, but the transitional phase we fear. The irony is that the same up-in-the-air feeling is the same reason that you become more creative.

The people who deal best with this in-between state are those who find ways to establish the following:
1 Control. Are you doing what you can to recover control in what feels like an out-of-control situation?
2 Understanding. Do you understand the new rules, which the changes bring forth, each time you find yourself being affected?
3 Support. People in the transitional phase need to realise that they are not alone. It is just that you are ahead of the curve. You are experiencing the effects and impact of the changes on your life, while others are still grappling with the effects and attempting to understand them.
4 Purpose. Change makes irrelevant many of the purposes that once motivated you and gave meaning to what you did. Are you flexible enough to consider the many options and opportunities available to you?
Life is our greatest teacher. The external details of change may be confusing but the real transitional task is always the same: to let go of some reality or strategy or personal identity that characterised the previous leg of our journey. The question is: "What is it time for you to say good bye to?"

Don not count yor Luck

2008-07-06T20:34:00.001+08:00

there are critical situations that sooner or later face every executive - failure to meet sales objectives, the sudden appearance of a competitor, new product failure, key employee defection and so on. These problems may affect the quality of your customer service. Once a customer has a bad experience and switches to a competitor, it is unlikely that he will return to you. The customer may also share with your competitor all that he knows about your business process, revealing your weaknesses to your competitors. So how do you prevent something like this happening in the first place? Hoping that you will get lucky and that a difficult situation will resolve itself will not work. The better alternative is preparation, which involves gathering knowledge, looking at other options and putting these into practice. Knowledge begins with a thorough understanding of the most likely situations you will encounter. Banking on luck to get through difficult situations is like hoping to get rich by winning lotteries. What most gamblers forget is that the success of the gambling industry is based on the overwhelming majority of losers, who supply rewards for the small number of big winners. The only way to enhance your success as a manager is to seize each opportunity to learn as much you can about everything that is new. Your best opportunities will come from combining your experience with what is revolutionary. The four key work habits of effective managers are:
Industry: Working productively and conscientiously at whatever job is assigned to them. The industrious manager becomes uncomfortable if he is not productively engaged.
Perseverance: Pressing on in an activity in the face of obstacles, until the objective is achieved.
Self-reliance: Standing on their own feet and solving their problems despite difficulties and opposition.
Orderliness: Assigning an order, plan or system to their work. Effective managers neither cling to the status quo nor are afraid to grow and encourage others to do the same. A maintenance mode is reactive and defensive and does not lead an individual or company to greatness. Management is about leadership, competence, courage, confidence and communication. There are things you have to do that are painful in the short run for your employees so that there are benefits in the long run. Effective managers do not:
Flee the scene ;
Deny a problem;
Give ambiguous answers;
Delay action indefinitely;
Look for stock answers; or
Pass the buck to the boss (upward delegation of responsibility). In this day of declining loyalties and innumerable choices for goods and services, it takes a huge effort to build a customer base. It is particularly painful when a loyal customer leaves because you cannot compete on service. Unfortunately, some managers are distracted by their daily successes and do not spend enough time looking for the warning signs. They make mistakes more because of a lack of preparedness than to bad real-time decisions. As an effective manager, you must be prepared and be proactive. Remember, if you have to play the same instrument for a significant part of your life, learn new songs and change the tempo. Chances are, you will have a more enthusiastic and loyal audience.

What Do You Want To Do With Your Life?

2008-06-19T00:23:00.003+08:00

Do you notice how many of us are suffering from some form of mid-life crisis in our late twenties and early thirties? Traditionally, this mid-life crisis is only supposed to hit men in their forties and early fifties. But for women these days, it can strike anytime.
We know friends who drift aimlessly from one career to another - PR executive to Head Hunter to Marriage Counsellor and Tour Guide. We’re not just switching jobs for a mere increment, we’re looking for the IT Job - the job that we fall passionately in love with for the rest of our lives, and hopefully, it pays well too! Or friends who swear that they hate men, and next thing you know, you receive an invitation to their weddings?
We agonize about so many things: whether to marry or remain single, who we should marry, to have children or not, and how many children to have, do we take a second loan on a new home or not, to leave our job, and strike out on our own, to pass on that new job or promotion which is great for your career, but requires you to fly frequently and that means time away from your family … and so forth. These are the choices we have to make more and more frequently. We’re faced with the same career dilemma that men used to face, on top of the problems which are exclusively female-related! It’s not easy.
Those who’re married and either have young children or are planning to have children, suffer from a different kind of dilemma. Do you continue working full-time and enjoy the benefits and CPF contributions, at the expense of leaving your child with your parents, in-laws, or hired help? Or do you shift to part-time or freelance work to stay home and look after your children, but that means no more CPF contribution and a lower pay? Some of us are contemplating not to have children altogether. Why? It takes too much of our time away from work. And we need to focus on our career. We can’t afford not to work. And on top of that, we have to stay fit and healthy, do some form of exercise three times a week, oh yes, and not forgetting, we have to look good too. It’s important to invest in our looks, brains, and our health. Be a nice loving, patient mother and devoted wife - who has the time or the energy these days?
A cousin who has been working at a bank for over 10 years recently opted to work three days a week - Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Her mother can’t keep up with her two children who had recently discovered their stunt-performing talents. She had to take a 40% salary reduction, which was proportional to the two week days she wasn’t working. Asked if she had time for herself, she laughed as though I asked her something really ridiculous like if she ever considered being a man. Her reply was, Running after these two all day is so exhausting. I don’t have time to do anything else.
At the end of the day, what’s important is to find out what we want, and what we hope to achieve with our lives. But we frequently moan, But I don’t know what I’m good at. I don’t know what I want to do with my life.
So here are some tips given by a couple of women who went through such a crisis, and have emerged victorious and glamorous.
1. Ask your friends to take out a piece of paper and write three words which they think best describes you.
2. Based on all the feedback you’ve received from your friends, do an overall score chart to see which word pops up most frequently. That would be the most common perception that people have of you. Think about the results of your survey. Do they tally with what you think of yourself? If not, why?
3. Write a positioning statement of yourself. Imagine yourself as a Company. What’s your brand? Just like Oprah, Martha Stewart and Cindy Crawford treated themselves like a Company, a brand, and marketed themselves effectively.
4. Invest in yourself. If you’re afraid of speaking in public, join one of those public speaking workshops like Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie. It does wonders to build your self-confidence and self-esteem, to make you not tremble like a weed blowing in the wind when you stand in front of a crowd to speak. If you feel like you need to further your education in order to further your career, go ahead and do it. Do not give yourself excuses for putting it off.
5. What’s Your Niche? Market yourself. Most of us lack self-confidence and self-esteem. In fact, most of us underestimate our own worth.
6. Spend time to think about what you want to do, and don’t be afraid to go all out to achieve that dream. As a colleague of mine bellowed recently during a speech, Dare to Dream! And I must add one more: don’t follow up on that statement with the usual But I can’t…. You know what I mean.
7. Every year, make it a point to learn one exciting new thing you haven’t done before, such as mountain climbing, wake boarding, scuba diving, bungee jumping, ballroom dancing, anything that you think you will enjoy doing. It could even be cooking classes or taking up taiqi lessons. It’s important to have something to look forward to. Plan a holiday trip to some unusual place.
8. Don’t be envious of others. Each person is different. I used to envy this friend of mine. She seemed to have everything - good looks, fantastic figure, a fabulously wealthy boyfriend, a glamorous job, and just about everything. Then you wonder, what happened to me? When you do that, you’ll be too preoccupied with envying someone else, and whining about what you don’t have instead of doing something constructive like working out your own personal assets and liabilities.
9. What are your personal assets? Work that out:
Your Inner Strengths (not just work, but personality as well)
Your Talents - both hidden and obvious
Your Passions - what do you enjoy doing (put money aside for the moment)
See if you can work all that into a dream job. If there’s none out there which requires such talents, then maybe it’s time to consider creating one. You know, just like all those famous women who overcame personal and social hurdles to achieve their dreams. We could be like that too, if we wanted it badly enough.
10. Be patient. This is something we all need to learn. It takes time to build something. Sometimes, when we’re very close to giving up, don’t! Step away from it for a while. Go take a break, and when you feel better, return to it again. Anything worth doing is never easy. Surround yourself with good friends, and form your own personal support group, people you can talk to when you are really frustrated, or at the verge of giving up and really need to just let off steam.
Remember: you’re the one who has to find out what’s special about yourself. Don’t expect someone else to do the thinking for you. If you can’t figure out what you want for yourself, no one else can. Everyone else is too preoccupied with his or her own problems. By the way, marrying a tycoon and becoming a tai-tai is not an option to be considered. This exercise is meant to teach you to be independent and rely on your personal resources. Also, it’s a journey for you to discover your own self- worth.

Out of Comfort Zone

2008-05-10T11:46:00.005+08:00

Change is a complex psychological event that impacts people differently. Managers need to use different approaches to help staff deal with new challenges.

Technology has brought about change in practically all aspects of human activity, the ability to manage change effectively in both our social and work lives has become an important skill for every individual and organisation to acquire.
Managing Change

Effecting Change
While processes, methodologies and systems may give us the essential tools to implement and experience change, such technology is inadequate in that they do not address the very core of the change process, which is the effectiveness of change.
An individual, excited about the prospect of achieving higher goals and results, uses the latest time management technique to work smarter and faster.
An organisation embarks on a state-of-the-art knowledge management system to facilitate greater dissemination and exchange of crucial information through all levels of the company, thus encouraging a quicker response to customers' needs. This would, in turn, give it an edge over its competitors.
While all these "cut and paste" technology is good for everyone, the fact remains that not everyone responds to change in the same way.
Accepting the Difference
Change impacts each person differently and management must accept the individual nature of change.
In fact, organisational change can result in people feeling a lack of identity, involvement, direction and commitment.
It is not surprising that most people feel threatened and disoriented by change. Emotions - from uncertainty to frustration or fear - are common reactions.
It is understandable, therefore, that people often adopt a defensive, and often negative, attitude, and are resistant to change.
Change has been described by experts such as Mr R D Elliot in his study of organisational behaviour, as a complex, psychological event. The power of change needs to be respected - and managed.
Managing change effectively requires the person to learn, respond and live with the challenge or experience.

Are You A Career Person ?

2008-05-01T11:10:00.002+08:00

Despite good indications of an economic turnaround, an increasing number of my clients still consult me about negativity and feelings of job insecurity. For many of them, the effects of a recovering economy have not trickled down to their organisations. For others, the “false starts” experienced in the recent past have undermined their confidence. And yet there are others who are just simply fearful.
Their anxieties, concerns and fears emerge from a battle in their minds about changing their mindsets, attitudes and approach to their careers, as well as making career transitions and adjustments to meet vastly changing opportunities that await Singaporeans.
For close to 40 years, Singaporeans have had the benefit of nurturing leaders who did the thinking and made painful or difficult decisions when the need arose. Effectively there was a safety net of sorts.
In a vastly changing world, Singaporeans have to take ownership of managing their lives and careers. Singaporeans need to think a lot more strategically when it comes to their careers. They need to plan and develop their careers and preparedness to meet workplace opportunities. Here are some pointers to take note of.
Language and culture
Many students who had difficulty coping with Mandarin were delighted to hear that grades for the mother tongue subject need not be included in the score for university admission.
My caution to them: Even if all the 1.3 billion Chinese people learnt English in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, casual workplace conversation will oscillate occasion-ally into a unique blend of Mandarin and English.
How do I know? Look at India and the diasporas of Indians including the FBIs (foreign-born Indians). They speak a unique language called Hinglish, a cocktail of Hindi and English that can sometimes switch into immaculate and grammatically pukka (solid) English and then drift into Hindi with culturally and ethnically-sensitive “embedded messages”.
Learning languages and cultures need not be dictated by governmental direction and initiatives. Individuals need to take personal ownership for its acquisition as it is integral to career success and exploitation of job opportunities.
Arts and literature
At a recent networking event, I met a group of Asian professionals and managers in their 30s living and working in Singapore who were enjoying good career success.
In the course of the conversation, it became evident that among their leisure pursuits was not only an appreciation of finer points of Asian arts including painting and music, but also an understanding of Asian literature. It was also obvious from the ensuing conversation that this appreciation of the arts and literature had been integral in contributing to their career progression at work and their ability to network with their bosses, associates and friends.
Networking for them was not just with their subordinates and peers.
It had taken on a strategic dimension with blending of interests that enabled connectivity with the “right” people.
School of hard knocks
An emergent trend among upwardly mobile recent graduands, of both genders, is a willingness to travel to where the job opportunities are.
Admittedly, some of them are not exactly preferred destinations. But as one young female client put it, a hardship posting can be a growing-up experience. This particucar client had learnt to be creative and innovative and now understands why “necessity” is called the mother of invention.
In her own words, she is now a “professionally mature and sophisticated senior manager”. She portrays a sense of confidence and exudes senior leadership potential at only 29.
Many young people now realise the inadequacy of a university education by itself. As one university graduate put it, half-jokingly, a first-class honours degree only opened doors; it is was his experience and network gained from a practical attachment and non-paying job in his uncle’s sundry store that ignited an interest in the interviewer and resulted in an immediate job offer.
Two years later, he still thinks that the carryover effect from the school of hard knocks is still influencing his career progression and rapid promotion to a managerial level.
Succeeding in a Singapore that is rapidly transforming requires a completely new way of seeing things. Industries are experiencing transformations at unprecedented rates.
A vivid illustration is the arrival of no-frills airlines that has impacted not just the aviation industry, but also ground handling staff, airport terminal management, air cargo sales, logistics and hotel industries, just to name a few.
They require a new kind of professional and manager who is savvy enough to respond with chameleon-like qualities and speed to take in all the economic, technological, business process, social, cultural and political changes. Have you the career competencies to meet the new challenges and surprises that await the Singaporean in future?

Add Value To Your Life

2008-05-01T11:01:00.001+08:00

"Most of the time when I get up in the morning, I wish I were brimming with energy and drive. But even on the rare occasions that I am raring to go, the enthusiasm dwindles gradually throughout the day."
Sounds familiar? Many people do wake up feeling neutral or slightly negative about the day ahead. How can one put the drive back in one’s life? A good place to start is to consider the situations that motivate people in general:
Endorsement: We all want to be loved and appreciated. The need for approval is an essential human drive, but the trouble with this motivation is that most people don’t realise they have it. We live our lives eager to win the approval of others while denying steadfastly that we need it at all. This delusion can make our lives ultimately unsatisfying.
Anger: Anger is a very destructive emotion, and its primary target is the person who harbours it. Resentment always hurts you more than it does the person you resent. While the offender has already forgotten the incident and gone on with his life, you continue to stew in your pain, perpetuating the past. The secret to releasing yourself from the chains of anger is to realise that the moment you forgive and forget, the pain will go away. The only thing you have control over is your future. Don’t waste it on the past.
Fear: Like anger, fear drives us to limit or even damage our future. Fearing failure prevents us from attempting success. Fearing rejection keeps us from finding companionship. Fearing truth leaves us self-
deluded. Fearing death makes us reluctant to embrace life. You cannot ignore your fears. You can only push through them.
Guilt: A surprising number of people are stricken by guilt. They spend their lives feeling ashamed of what they have done and are afraid of doing further wrong. Guilt-driven people like to punish themselves, often by denying themselves the success they have been seeking. The worst thing about being driven by guilt is how strong a hold the past has over you. It often makes it difficult, if not impossible, to move forward.
Money and materialism: The desire for material comforts is natural. But when the drive to acquire things begins to dominate your life, you lose the ability to experience the pleasures that you thought material benefits would provide.
Research has found that in the long run, none of these drives can be satisfying. If you want long-term, in-depth peace and happiness in your life, you need to be purpose-driven. Your purpose in life has many benefits: It simplifies, focuses, motivates and gives meaning to your life.
What then makes for a satisfying life? A good life is one that is engaged in good work. And good work is work that you value.
We cannot expect to fully rid ourselves of our fears, anger, the desire for material benefits and the need for approval. But in thinking about how we want to live, we can create an overall life plan that is based on some worthy purpose, rather than on any of these temporary and often self-destructive drives.
That purpose can be anything — setting up a business, making art, pottery or even making more friends. It does not really matter what it is, just as long as it is something you truly believe has value.
Think about what you are going to be doing today. Ask yourself: “Is this something I care about?”
If it isn’t, take some time to imagine what other things you could be doing. Ask yourself: “If money didn’t matter, what would I like to spend my time on?”
Once you have figured that out, you will have found your purpose. And life will once again have meaning, and the zest and drive will propel you ahead.

Career Crashes

2008-04-25T22:49:00.001+08:00

CAREER crashes have become a predictable crisis for many people in Asia. The definition of job and career are changing fast. There is no such thing as "business as usual" any more. In some cases, when certain jobs are phased out because they are part of a sunset industry, things will never be the same again. Changes will continue to take place at an ever-increasing rate. It is hard for many people to accept that what they know and are familiar with will no longer work in the future. The issue is not how to stop change, but how to acquire the knowledge and skills to equip yourself to operate successfully in this new world. The workplace is filling up with people who graduated long after you did and who have acquired newer and more efficient skills. These youngsters are eager and hungry to show their skills to your employer and they do not care whether they move you down the road. If you are retrenched, it is a great way to prove to yourself and others that you are capable of bouncing back after a setback. It is time for you to enhance what you already know and pick up new skills. Learning is really a lifelong process, not just a short course you do for the first 10 to 12 years of your life. The need to gather knowledge and realise the meaning of sound principles has probably never been greater than it is now. Developing and maintaining core skills is not an optional investment. You cannot let your skills maintenance slip for any period of time. In the past, many people considered formal education and learning beyond 40 years of age of little value to one's career advancement. But today, you must accept and take responsibility for constantly upgrading, improving upon and adding new skills to your resumé. Learning is certainly a key attribute of today's employee, and falls into two categories - learning that enhances core skills and learning that improves general skills. What employers look for in today's employees are adaptable or portable skills. You will have to be a specialist and a generalist at the same time. Apart from functional skills specialisation, you have to master a broad range of skills that is required of a generalist. You must accept that employment security resides in yourself, rather than the position you are holding. Whatever your age or circumstances, remember that it is never too late to be in better control of your life. Life today is a constant juggling act between your time and commitments, caring for family and friends, and making space and finding the energy for learning. There is a lot going on, but with planning and commitment, you can continue your lifelong learning wherever you are. Here are some suggestions as you take your first step towards upgrading your skills:
Believe in yourself, especially in a time of unpredictable change.
Do not think of yourself as a victim of circumstances. This focuses on negative thoughts and is a recipe for failure.
Three basic skills are required of every one of us: To be literate, numerate and computer-smart. Without these basic skills, you cannot even continue to learn.
Ask yourself:a) In which areas do I have strong interests to learn and grow?b) What do I do that makes me feel best?
Constantly refine your specialist skills, and update your knowledge base.
Do not let age be a barrier to learning anything new.
Learn to apply your skills in a multitude of ways.
Consider going back to school to pick up new skills. Back-to-schoolers have an advantage over their younger classmates - years of experience.
Do not be embarrassed to ask for help.
Remember that continuous learning is vital to keeping a job. As an adult learner, you can make up for speed with your experience and knowledge. It is worth remembering that you can either continue to learn throughout your life or allow your skills and knowledge to slide into obsolescence.

Get the job you want

2008-04-21T08:18:00.001+08:00

Getting a job is more than preparing a CV, writing letters in answer to advertisements, and going for interview. In my last article I dealt with the importance of getting your Career Plan absolutely clear before attempting to seek a job. Now we need to put together your CV. Here are some basic rules about this all-important document.

1. Avoid flowery, technical, generalised and exaggerated language. What you are selling is too important to be muddled up with hyperbole. Your reader wants information and he wants it fast. Your CV is an advertisement, but not for a cosmetic product. It is an advertisement for you. You are a serious subject.

2. Remember that the order of your CV will be changed around to suit the company you are sending it to. The layout must therefore be flexible rather than dramatic.

3. Do not put a photograph into your CV (unless you are a model or an actor). Photographs, especially of the passport genre, seldom do justice to a personality and may well work against you.

4. Do not put expected pay and conditions into your CV. You are not a sack of rice to be priced regardless of what is expected of you. If asked specifically at the interview what you expect to earn, say that you would prefer to discuss your value to the company in the job they may be going to offer you when you know more about it. Bear in mind that dead-end jobs are worth more money (since you will not progress from them) than jobs with considerable opportunities.

5. Cut out all unnecessary words. Don't even say "CV" or "Resume" at the top of it. The quicker your reader gets to the facts he needs, the better he will think of you.

6. Never put information in "boxes" or, worse, in Powerpoint slides. People hate reading across boxes and so often don't bother. They loathe fancy slides in a CV, even if they may reluctantly accept them in a presentation. The easiest information to absorb is that presented in the straightforward form of a nicely laid out, well spaced text in a simple Arial or Times New Roman font. The latter has been proved to be the easiest font in the world to read, even if you may think it slightly old-fashioned.

Now to the CV itself
A. Start your CV with your name, address, contact details ('in this order: phone, e-mail, pager) date of birth. Also (in caps) say: PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL.
B. Next write a summary of absolutely not more than ten main achievements you think will be appropriate for the company you are writing to. This section will have to be re-written each time you send out your CV. To make this section look good it is wise to indent it.
C. Now list the jobs you have had in reverse order - that is starting with the most recent or current job. If you have not yet entered the job market you can list any work experience or vacation jobs you have had.
Give the basic facts about the company, your job title and who you reported or still report to. Do not include your pay and terms.
Next show what you have actually achieved. Be as specific as you can. Statements like "Responsible for international communications" and "achieved world-wide recognition" are more suitable for Bill Clinton than the rest of us. Coming from you or I they make a bad impression. Your reader will be much more influenced by a statement such as "Handled the public relations for the launch of Such-and-such a new Givenchy perfume" or "Sold 800,000 units of So-and-so product in Papua New Guinea in three months".
D. When you have listed all the jobs you did, give your education and qualifications. You may ask why I don't recommend that you put this at the beginning. There are three reasons:
(i) Your education and qualifications are only as good as what you have done with them. That's why your work achievements are more important.
(ii) Even if your qualifications are not the absolute tops, if you have a good work record that will operate in your favour. Better to present the achievements first.
(iii) It is something the reader wants to know. Let him read the other parts before he gets to it.
E. Close your CV with the names of two (or at the most, three) referees and state clearly whether they may be approached immediately or whether your permission must be obtained first. The better known these referees are the more they will impress your reader. Always check with your referees that they are willing to give you references - and do this before you send out your CV.
F. Put the date of your CV at the end of the last page.
There is one more point I should make about your CV. It is YOURS, not mine. I have been firm about the do's and don’ts of the CV because I believe them to be right. But that shouldn't prevent you from making your CV a more personal document if you wish to and if the sort of job you are applying for merits it. But please don't let your personalisation become intrusive and distracting. The objective is to get the job, not to demonstrate your ability with computer graphics.
Having got your CV together (and remembering that it must always be flexible) it is now time to consider to whom you will send it. I shall deal with this, and with the interview itself, on 14 Feb.

career planning

2008-04-19T14:20:00.000+08:00

The quest for satisfaction in worklife is far from new. Yet to arrive at a point where the unique characteristics of a person are comfortably matched with a particular occupation is a complex aspect of one's journey through life.
As we grow older and change in our physical abilities, personal circumstances and maturity so do our wants, needs and preferences change in terms of what we like doing in our work tasks. Our environment also is far from static. The supply and demand for certain sets of skills and experiences fluctuates. Occupations disappear and new ones emerge as economies and technology influences the manner in which work is carried out.

Lack of career targeting
Unfortunately, many career moves tend to be a haphazard process. They are often precipitated by negative events such as loss of employment, failure to achieve promotion, health deterioration, divorce or death of a loved one. These can cloud the issues and make thoughtful consideration of the next career-related action difficult without trained assistance.
It is easy to convince ourselves that our career situation is either unalterable or can only be changed through some very difficult process. Especially depressing can be thoughts that we are inadequate in some way or that the route to a happier worklife depends on luck. Or that the actions of others are necessary to transport us magically into an alternative worklife situation in which happiness will be found.

To undertake career planning requires no exceptional level of intelligence or education. We can all revise and accelerate our career well-being at any time of our lives. It is never too late. We must guard against the immobilising beliefs that keep many tied to unsatisfactory jobs.
Reducing career planning risks

The first step must be self-reflection carried out in a structured analytical way. If you don't find out who you are today, where you have been and where you want to go, any steps you make will be blind and precarious. You need to discover by rational analysis what you like and don't like, where and how you want to work, who you want to please.

It is essential to analyse your past. Build on both the good and the not so good, ensuring that bad experiences are not pushed under the carpet. The present is the next stage of analysis. You must find out who you really are today before taking charge of where you will be tomorrow.
You need to gather information in considerable detail. To skimp on this task may jeopardise satisfactory outcomes. A thorough exploration of your life experiences will help you identify skills, preferences and capabilities that have been lost in the crowded detail of your past but which are critical in terms of future worklife contentment.

You need to establish the type of work which really suits you, the level of work for which you should aim and the kind of organisation in which you are likely to be at your most productive.
You need to know the areas of worklife in which you can be most satisfied. If you don't, you won't make the right choices. Once you know your strongest 'satisfiers', you can make self-fulfilling choices rather than self-defeating ones.

The task is to examine yourself in the most thorough way possible: to identify all your skills; select those you most enjoy using; and identify an occupation, career path and work environment in which there is the greatest likelihood of self-fulfilment. The quest then is to establish new goals and preferred working conditions, to reassess your values and interests - in essence to re-plan your worklife - then to set out to persuade others to transfer, promote or employ you where these can be realised.

The excitement of career planning
The search for an inventory of all our skills and capabilities can be an exciting and morale-building process. It is an essential part of improving both the management of our career and satisfaction with our worklife.
As we consider each identified skill, a check must be made that our self-perception is correct. Proof that we really have these skills needs to be found by collecting evidence from our current and past activities. In this way, we can verify that the skill does indeed represent a capability, before endeavouring to convince another person - whether our current boss or an alternative employer.

A personal search for all our skills is not only of benefit in the appraisal and selection of alternative career strategies. As our inventory of skills expands, we become more able to describe who we really are in worklife terms, what we merit and why. As many career management actions require that other people be convinced of our merits, this increased ability to communicate the basis of our claims for consideration is an important bonus.

A further benefit is the growth in self-confidence as the search process reveals that our skills are much more extensive than previously thought. The wonder of this personal search is how the data which is revealed can be used in a wide variety of worklife situations - different job tasks, different occupations, different employers, different types of organisations, different locations, different ways of living in the world of work. The transferability of this information about one's self is limited only by the efforts you are prepared to put into this activity and the exploration of the variety of combinations in which the data can be used.

Career planning aids
There are several workbooks commercially available to help you to conduct personal analysis and skills exploration. Such workbooks provide exercises and questionnaires which require that you examine your personal values, career preferences, life satisfactions and work-related strengths and under-developed capabilities. Their theme is to assist readers to learn effectively from their worklife experiences and guide them in how to use their new learning from such insights in the development of career plans and strategies. They demand not simply passive reading but action. I have contributed a number of publications to this expanding range of self-help resources.

Using your business skills
Like a business, a career requires management. Those who do make career plans during their working life realise the amount of control which is within their reach. Tasks such as setting objectives, identifying strengths and personal development needs, acquiring new skills, formulating and implementing worklife strategies - all these fundamental business skills must be brought into play.

Careers don't look after themselves. It is dangerous and unrealistic to surrender all career decisions and choices about our worklife to an employer.

The resolution to improve our worklife occurs in different ways for different people. The method by which we re-discover an enthusiasm for work and find a career suited to our unique characteristics differs from one to another. The process common to all is hard work, enthusiasm and a determination to feel more in charge of the direction of our lives.

Once started, the process inevitably leads to an increase in self-awareness and inner wisdom - in short, personal growth. We are responsible for everything we do. Managing our careers is part of this responsibility. There are always options available to us any time we are willing to take the responsibility and set out to change things.

People who are fulfilled in their occupation have achieved contentment by making choices. These have been based on an examination of where they are today and the learning experiences from their past and giving consideration to what directions would be best for them in the future. Those who have not reached a sense of inner well-being have usually spent time thinking but have made inappropriate decisions based on wrong or inadequate data about themselves.

Employer's role

Human resources are the main factor combatting a threat to organisational well-being whether it is loss of market share, technological change or government policy. These human resources have expectations about their employment life beyond the performance of their job tasks. In fact, the nature of these expectations have not fundamentally altered over the ages but they are now characterised by being expressed more assertively. Subjugation to power, submissive behaviour, working in unpleasant conditions, etc. are accepted no longer without protest or dysfunctional behaviours in the workplace. These more prominent expressions of people's expectations, such as preservation of their personal dignity at work, involvement in decisions which affect them and the desire to contribute wider than the restraints of current job are ignored unwisely by today's management. Career development has many facets which can facilitate these factors.

Effective employer-sponsored career planning dispels the 'up or out' view of a career and, instead, promotes other options such as lateral career moves and careers within specialised job areas or locations. An employee need not feel it necessary to be promoted to get ahead. And employees need not change jobs or employers to have career progress. If career planning focuses on personal development in the current job rather than on potential to be promoted and career mobility, it can help create more realistic career expectations and minimise dissatisfaction.

Helping people to manage their careers in contrast to just staffing jobs is becoming more important. Changing employee attitudes, equal employment opportunity legislation and pressures to improve productivity are requiring new measures which affect careers. Career planning assistance is a viable procedure for this purpose.

Whether employee initiated or employer facilitated, the foundation thinking for putting effort into career planning includes:
It is important for people to plan their futures.
Learning the skills of career development and self-management is an integral part of total personal development.

Self-knowledge is critical for successful decision making.
People need to have and maintain in the face of constant change an accurate knowledge of occupations suitable for their uniqueness.

If people are to derive satisfaction from their work they must have a sense of accomplishment. Among other things this implies that they need to be familiar with valid self-appraisal and goal-setting techniques. Without a clearly defined target, there will be no sense of accomplishment when it is reached. In fact, the person will not know they have reached it!

People need to develop the ability to overcome career-related setbacks. They should not hesitate to seek out guidance facilities when they experience job loss, career direction confusion or knowledge deficiencies. Pride may inhibit a person seeking such help on the premise that they may have been taught that they should solve such dilemmas themselves.

All will perceive some form of constraint to their career progress. These constraints are likely to include one or more of the following: poor health, wrong socio-economic origin, inadequate/inappropriate education, gender stereotyping, wrong age, excessive commitments to non-work circumstances, poor self-concept and geographical location restrictions.

Though the match between occupation and person may be accurate, the employment environment in which the job is carried out may not be so. Many will experience such negative job elements as feelings of being in a rut, undervalued or overstretched, apparently closed doors to advancement or uncongenial supervision and/or co-workers.

Though the match with occupation and the employment environment may be both accurate, the inability to incorporate lifestyle management needs in their total living may inhibit satisfaction with their career choice.

A Passive Job Seeker ?

2008-04-19T14:10:00.000+08:00

Think it's easy to be a passive job seeker? Think again. Descartes may have declared that his existence is simply a matter of "cogito ergo sum", but it certainly isn't as easy to find a new and better job. As any good consultant will testify, the first phase of a successful project invariably demands that one do "requirement gathering" (pardon the jargon).

Ask yourself: Why do you want to be a passive job seeker? What do you hope to achieve? Go ahead, ask yourself.Done? Here are the two "correct" answers: As a successful, passive job seeker, you're either trying to get a feel for the market, or taking your time to find that perfect job. If you're desperately seeking alternative employment, admit it already. You're an active job seeker. Now that we've weeded out the active pretenders, here's the good stuff. The two types of passive job seekers require different strategies: Market-feelerYou try to keep abreast of the latest salary offerings and opportunities available. In fact, you even find it fun. You're satisfied with your current job and change is not a priority. Sounds like you? These tips may be useful.
www.st701.comUse online job boards. They're easy to navigate and show you relevant listings fast. Postings are also updated quickly, especially at the more popular sites.

Sometimes you try, sometimes you don'tIf you meet most (but not all) of the criteria for a job posting you're interested in, try applying anyway. Most employers will consider candidates that fulfil crucial criteria, even if they lack other qualifications. But don't apply for everything. Word will quickly get round that you're not serious, and your job-search exploits will eventually reach your own HR department. Not pretty.

Careful, nowAvoid using office equipment to perform your job search. Internet use at work is usually monitored, and you may be violating conditions of acceptable use. At the very least, you could be sending out a smoke signal to your HR department - all the more tragic if you're not really looking to change jobs. Dream-chaserYour current job is fine, but it lacks that certain something. At times, you wonder if work would be more satisfying in your dream job. Guess what? It's not too late for change.

Knowledge is powerFirst you need to know what your perfect job is. Consider your ideal industry, career field, employer size and work location. Arrange informational interviews for, well, more information. Besides, these interviews provide a perfect opportunity for networking.
NetworkThe old adage advises that it's not what you know, but who you know. Make use of any formal or informal contacts you have, and they may lead you to that fantasy job.

Be aggressiveDid you know that 80 per cent of job openings are never advertised? Cold-call your dream company. Schedule informational interviews to establish contact. Research hard, and try to create job openings by suggesting organisational needs that you can fill. Remember, it's better to be the first applicant for a job that hasn't been advertised, than merely one of a hundred for an advertised vacancy. And it's actually all about…Your resume. As a passive job-seeker, you need a brilliant resume in order to stand out. You won't have to constantly revise it, either. Resume experts advise that an outstanding resume can be sent, cookie-cutter style, with almost every job application.

Insure your career

2008-04-19T14:05:00.001+08:00

Recently, I met up with my insurance adviser to have my insurance policies reviewed. During the meeting, I learnt that a working individual should have adequate insurance cover to protect his future earnings in the event of an uncertainty such as premature death, permanent disability or critical illnesses.

I agreed with him and bought another insurance policy to cover my shortfall.
While paying premiums to insure your future earnings, possession or health, it is also imperative to insure your career. There is no premium to be paid for the career insurance but the returns can be high. Here are suggestions on what you can do:

Record your achievements
As time goes by, you may forget your past achievements in previous jobs. It is good to create a folder to store every specific achievement, no matter how small it may seem. An e-folder would be ideal as you can cut and paste your achievements onto your resumé easily.
A prospective employer will look at how a potential employee can add value to his organisation and he is going to be impressed with a detailed record of your previous achievements.

Update your resumé regularly
It is important to update your resumé regularly even though you are presently employed. This serves as a contingency should you lose your job one day.
You will not have to spend time updating your resumé then and can begin sending it out immediately.

Polish your communication skills
Just as jewels need to be polished to retain their shine, you need to polish up your communication skills to enhance your working relationships with colleagues and business associates.

Studies have shown that employees who progress successfully in the organisation are those who are able to communicate effectively with people at all levels. In your communications, always think of how you can be of value or help to the other party.
Remember the saying: People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Enlarge your network
One of my clients told me that her network was very small. When I asked her how many personal contacts she had invited to her wedding dinner and she told me it was nearly 200, I told her that was the size of her network.
Like her, you probably have a sizeable network. All you need to do is to enlarge it and keep in touch with them through acts such as sending them greeting cards or an article you feel will be of interest to them.
No doubt it takes time to network. But the effort could prove invaluable as your network could be your next source of job leads. Most jobs are acquired through word-of-mouth recommendations.

Bullet-proof yourself
Jobs lost may not be available again in today’s competitive job market. Instead of biting the bullet, you can bullet-proof yourself.
Always be prepared to learn new skills as you never know when you will need them. Volunteer to embark on new challenges such as leading a project team or chairing a fund-raising event.
Do not be afraid to showcase your hidden talents. Your hidden talents are your marketable assets. Flaunt them!

Learn as you go
Your self-development and education are never-ending. Keep up with what is happening in your industry and profession. Continue to sharpen your skills and learn new ones.
If you need to attend a course to be more competent in your job, do it! As you gain more knowledge and skills over time, your chances of keeping your job are higher though not guaranteed. You can also transfer your knowledge and skills to a more challenging position.

Get your Plan B ready
One of the best ways to insure your career is to explore other career options. This is your Plan B, which will kick in when you find your present job does not advance you further.
You can draft your contingency plan yourself or with the help of a career coach. The coach will be able to help you know who you are so you can be sure of where you want to go or what you want to be at some defined point in the future.

Be modest
Be likeable, friendly and cooperative. These are vital traits that you should develop to the fullest. People with such traits tend to be hired first and fired last.
Just remember the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

10 career action options

2008-04-19T13:54:00.000+08:00

Remain in Current Role No content change - Recognition that your current role provides you with your desired level of challenge and development at the moment.

Enrichment Develop current job - Considering what job tasks you wish to do more and negotiating with others to take over those which no longer motivate you.

Vertical Seek promotion - Considering what would be the real gain for you in seeking increased responsibilities.

Exploration Test out options - Seeking project work or deputising in another job function to test out how you like it.

Lateral Sideways move - Moving to similar level of job task difficulty but with different job content.

Realignment Moving down - Downshifting to less responsibility for a short- or long-term period.
Relocation Change business unit - Deciding that work of a nature different from your current business unit is more appropriate for your career future.

Redirection Change career field - Changing the career stream or field of work with your current employer.

Proposal Create new job - Submitting a proposal for creating a new job which would meet the needs of your employer and you.

External Change employer - Deciding that work of a nature different from your current employer is more appropriate for your career future.