Career 01 (Sep 08 - Mar 10)

[millionairemind]

"It is often too late for children to start thinking about this at 14 when they are influenced from when they are seven, eight and nine," he said.

i dont mind sharing here that when i was 11, i decided to get into university....

what about you?

Same here ... actually I decided it when I was 12

The parent's language and expectations are often key (even if the parents are illiterate, like mine are).

I read a few years ago that 2nd generation Asian kids living in America often do much better than their Black/Hispanic counterparts in the %tage of the race attending university. The main difference is the parent's choice of language.

The Asian parents will use " WHEN you get to university, you will...." (read YOU ARE EXPECTED TO GO TO UNIVERSITY)

The Hispanic/Black parents will use "IF you get to university, you will..." (read IF YOU CAN MAKE IT, IF NOT, ITS OK)

The main difference here is the use of WHEN vs IF (expected vs possibly)

I started using WHEN with my son when he was four. So now if you ask him, he says he is going to university

[winston]

Make a Strong Impression by Being Last By Michael Masterson

When you are going to be interviewed for a job, try to be the last one they see.

Studies show, and my experience confirms, that the people who do best in multiple interviews are those who are first or last. And that's regardless of how good they actually are.

First is good. But last is better. If you are scheduled somewhere in the middle of the pack, give a reason for getting the earliest or latest slot instead. It doesn't hurt to ask.

Source: ETR

[kennynah]

it doesnt matter whether one is first or last to be interviewed.... what matters is if you have the experience and skills that the employer is looking for...

[boonchuan]

Delete

[kennynah]

have "liao" means have "liao"....being interviewed 1st or last... makes no difference in the end... all these anchored expectations lah... benchmarking lah.... lunc time / tea break syndrome lah.... pantyless sharon stone technique lah... all are only some MBA Behavourial Science terms used to make people who paid lots of money feel good that they've learnt something...

of cos, ultimately, one unknown factor is crucial.... interviewer's chemistry with the candidate...

what is more cynical is that some interviewers' will hire to extend their immediate organisation power and sometimes choose someone lesser qualified so as not to feel threatened...

so... 1001 fucking reasons for people to hire...very little to do with whether you are seen first or last... least of concerns..

[millionairemind]

Nov 2, 2009
Beware the 'sweat debt'
By Esther Teo


THE sacrifices made by workers to help their companies through the economic downturn might have created a 'sweat debt' which may make for a 'dangerous recovery', said global management consultancy Hay Group.

This insidious debt arose from tightening measures such as wage cuts and freezes to help firms weather the slowdown. Workers who have stretched themselves through the tough times might be feeling frustrated now.

A poll by Hay Group shows that 29 per cent of employees in Singapore feel frustrated in their jobs while 35 per cent feel detached. Only 16 per cent feel effective.

'Companies may soon face a talent exodus as soon as the economy strengthens, if nothing is done to reward and recognise the sweat debt that employees have accumulated over the last year,' he warned.

The poll also shows that workers here can expect a modest salary increases of 2.3 per cent this year and a 3 per cent rise next year. Variable bonuses for 2009 remain modest at 1.8 months and is expected to decline marginally to 1.5 months in 2010.

The results were based on over 265 local and foreign-owned Singapore-based companies from both the private and public sectors polled in October for their business sentiments, salary increases and pay projections for the next 12 months.

[winston]

Letters of Reference

Whenever you change jobs, always try to get a good Letter of Reference from your boss. It will come in handy later.

[winston]

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Column By Mark Victor Hansen
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Focus on Your Primary Aim

As we go through life we have many goals we wish to accomplish. Sometimes our wants are so numerous they seem to overwhelm us -- we don't know how to do them all at once.

The solution? Focus on our goals one at a time until we accomplish them all. Carry a list of your goals with you everywhere. Individuals will be on your path, who - when you
show them your goals - may be able to help you achieve them.

Action Step:

To see our dreams come true we need to discover the natural talents we were born with. Think about the things that you love to do, things that make you feel like a million bucks, things that you really don't have to try too hard at to be successful.

For example, when I stand in front of an auditorium filled with thousands of people, and speak to them about fulfilling their dreams, my mind and body are filled with energy -- so
much that I'm practically buzzing all over.

When I'm speaking to people I'm so excited I can hardly stand still. Speaking and writing are my right livelihood. I love it and it loves me.

To discover your strengths, ask yourself a few questions, like:

1. What are some activities that I excel at without a lot of effort, study or preparation?

2. What do I do well that most people find difficult?

3. What skills do I have that makes people make "wow!" comments and compliments?

4. If I had all the money I could ever spend -- meaning money is not a concern -- what would I do?

Take this list of activities and on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 being what you feel you're most talented at) rank these activities. Your biggest rewards will come from the activities you've ranked 7 and higher.

Once you have your top activities -- you should have 5 or fewer -- choose the one you love to do the most, because that is your primary aim. Over a lifetime, a well-chosen
primary aim tends to extend itself into many possibilities.

_____________

Mark Victor Hansen - Co-Author of the Chicken Soup For The Soul series of books.

Source: getmotivation.com

[winston]

The 4 Stages of Learning a New Skill by Michael Masterson

Stage 1. Unconscious Incompetence. This is when you don't know how to do it, and you don't even know that you don't know.

Stage 2. Conscious Incompetence. This is when you know what you don't know, and you begin to work on learning it.

Stage 3. Conscious Competence. This is when you know what you need to know -- and you can do it. But it takes all of your concentration.

Stage 4. Unconscious Competence. This is when you can perform the skill without even thinking about it. It's now a habit.

Source: ETR

[winston]

Impress Your Boss With Your Superstar Talent By Michael Masterson

Always set two deadlines for every project you agree to handle. One "official" deadline that you give to the outside world. Then another "real" deadline -- maybe a week earlier -- that you give to yourself and your team.

When the earlier deadline is met, resist the urge to deliver immediately. (The idea is to impress your boss by delivering only one or two days early. Don't make him wonder if you are grossly under-challenged.)

Instead, "sleep on it" for a few days. This will give you time to fine-tune and tweak. Maybe even fix errors you missed on the first go-around.

Source: ETR