Career 01 (Sep 08 - Mar 10)

[HengHeng]

I always think and relate to stocks or any investments since a boss's job is to find the right investments for the job.


1. If the job is too easy for you to complete before time , probably you are undervalued... you should be given more recognition and more work and pay

2. IF you can't get your work done in time , probably you are over-valued for your pay and work<-- time to cut your work load or your pay

3. If you can still increase the value of your work by improving the quality of work and still do it in time and still get a fair amount of pay , probably you are rightly valued.

[kennynah]

Interesting thread

Never had the opportunity to work for others. But i have a sinking feeling i'll be one of the ones who will leave at 5pm and kena backstabbed. I'll feel highly uncomfortable having to pretend to work after I've done mine. My gf always say I'm not a corporate rat, hoho!

well...u know...some people, like yourself, are meant to work for yourself....rather than to work for others and receive a salary.... some like it...some dont.... hence, the world is an oyster for you, me and others....

[financecaptain]

Depending on what kind of work and your seniority.
If you are doing a pure sales job, then your sales number at the end of year will prevail. Does not matter whether you work until 5 or overtime. If you miss budget you are no good. If you exceed and even if you do not come to work, you are a good guy.
If your performance yard stick is unmeasureable, then you are at the mercy of your boss; unless you become your own boss or find a boss that shares your value. Only your boss' value system counts not yours.

Then again, if you hold an executive position, even if you are junior, you will always be expected to put extra hour in your work. This is because you are stated for managerial position. Even if your job is complete within the office hour, do a lot of reading, learning and maybe networking for an additiional 1-2 hour. Only a clerk or machine operator is expected to leave work on time. Even when you are in schoool, you do extra reading and work to get distinctions, why would the work place be different ?

Say you work for yourself or become an entrepreneur; Guess what, you would probably work around the clock. No such thing as office hour. Get real ! Unless of course it is your father's business....

[iam802]

If you miss budget you are no good. If you exceed and even if you do not come to work, you are a good guy.

It is never an absolute.

I have seen people who delivers and is still being ask to go.

In life, there is always relationships. Exceed expectations but make sure the boss approved of the other 'fringe benefits' eg. coming in late for work, taking time off for this-n-that.

Boss also want 'face'. Must show some respect.

[kennynah]

802 : i agree.... PR (aka politicking) has become a corporate norm...i know of squatters in very very large MNCs, who are unknown by other BUs....and yet these people survive...becos their back mountains are very influential...

[winston]

A Surefire Way Not to Get Hired By Suzanne Richardson

Jobs are hard to come by these days. So when my friend "Carly" was offered an interview a few weeks ago, I was really pulling for her. She's smart and seemed perfect for the position - but ended up not getting the job. I believe it was mainly due to a common interviewing mistake she made. But you can boost your chances of getting any position just by learning from Carly's failure.

When Carly called me after the interview, she sounded bummed. "I didn't get it," she told me.

When I asked what went wrong, she said, "When the hiring manager asked me to go into details about what I liked about the company, I couldn't answer him. I hadn't really looked into it that much."

The fact is, the more you know about the job you're applying for, the better. A Robert Half International poll of executives, reported in MSN Careers, found that most job applicants "display at least some knowledge of the company or industry."

Doing background research before your interview will not only show the folks who are doing the hiring that you're interested in the job... it will also help you determine, specifically, how you can contribute to the company's success. (And, trust me, knowing that will come in very handy during the interview.)

If you can't find any info about the business online, do what Carly should have done: Call up the company and set up an "informational interview" with the head of the department you want to join. You can ask questions - and show interest - without the pressure of a traditional job interview. And then, when you're ready to apply, you'll be a much stronger candidate.

[millionairemind]

Body Language and the Interview
By Joe Turner, Career Coach

The job market has tightened, the economy is down and you've got to find a job, now. You have a job interview coming up and you need every possible advantage to win that job. What do you do?

Recent studies have shown that employers will form an opinion of you within the first 10 minutes of the interview.

But here's the kicker: It's not always based on what you actually say, but on something we term "body language." For instance, 85 percent of what you communicate is not with words. It's through the tone of your voice, the way you sit and a wealth of other messages that your body involuntarily sends. This is according to Greg Hartley, a body language expert who earned his chops with 20 years as an interrogator in the Army.

With this in mind, here are six dos and don'ts on the art of non-verbal communication to give you a winning advantage in a job interview.

1. Be real from the start

When you greet your interviewer, smile a real smile that engages your eyes, and offer a firm handshake. Say something like, "I'm pleased to meet you" to provide a positive anchor.

Janine Driver, a body language expert also known on the Internet as the "Lyin' Tamer," states that maintaining good eye contact shows respect and interest. She advises that in the U.S., 60% eye contact is ideal. She suggests focusing on the upper triangle of the face from the left eyebrow across the bridge of the nose to the right eyebrow. Avoid staring at the other person's forehead, lips and mouth.

2. Watch the excess energy

The more energy you have, the more will need to be vented. This often results in mannerisms Hartley terms "adapters." What this means is that excess energy gets dissipated into fidgeting, a definite sign that you're nervous or ill at ease. While it's easy to say, "Watch the fidgeting," Driver suggests you never touch your face, throat, mouth or ears during an interview. The interviewer may think that you're holding something back, typically, the truth. Although this is a false assumption, to try to establish credibility, it's necessary to avoid touching your face.

3. What to do with those hands and arms

Driver says that clasped hands are a signal that you are closed off. A palm-to-palm gesture with one thumb over the other thumb sends the signal that you need the interviewer's reassurance.

To come across as confident, receptive and unguarded, have your hands open and relaxed on the table. When your body is open, you project trustworthiness.

Avoid crossing your arms over your chest. When you do, you signal that you are close-minded, defensive or bored and disinterested.

4. Crossing those legs

Don't cross your legs. According to Driver, this posture creates a wall between you and your interviewer. It can also become a distraction when you keep crossing your legs back and forth. Crossed ankles are a "no-no" because you are signaling that you want to be elsewhere.

5. Posture

A straight posture is imperative during an interview. Pull your shoulders back and sit up straight. You'll give yourself a burst of confidence and allow for good breathing. This can help you to avoid, or at least reduce, feelings of nervousness and discomfort.

6. Finger gestures

Bet you never thought you had to worry about your fingers during an interview. Driver suggests that steepling your fingers makes you look arrogant. She also says to never point your index fingers like gun barrels. These are the types of aggressive messages you want to avoid sending.

[kennynah]

i will add.....

the best way to find a job....is to be skillful....in your area of trade....

no one owes u a living to hire and train you....it is in fact, your job to learn as much and as quickly as one can...and offer your services to your employer....

if you are 30 - 35..... dont be an ass and try to be manager....instead.. be humble to learn first to be a good follower....when the time is right...u will become a leader..and that manager post will come by...

[winston]

Listen For the "We"
By Paul Lawrence

Do your employees feel like they're part of the team? Those who do are likely to make a vastly superior effort. The problem is, it's not always easy to tell how people genuinely feel. But there is a very effective technique that can give you valuable insight.

In general, people reveal their feelings by the way they express themselves. So what you do is observe their choice of words.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about: My assistant was telling me about the new orders that came in, and I was very pleased with the way she expressed it. What she said was, "We just got a huge bunch of new orders last night." My last assistant would have said, "You have some new orders."

Of course, it's unfair to make a judgment about someone based on one word. But it's been my experience that employees who use "we" instead of "you" reveal positive feelings about their relationship to you, your company, and the work they're doing.

[millionairemind]

Published November 21, 2008

Career tip - you need to have a Plan B
Many people are great with plans for their companies, yet neglect to make one for themselves
By PAUL HENG

THE last time job losses and the dreaded 'R' word were the flavour of the year was during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Then, the impact of job losses was felt mainly in Asian countries. In my entire working life of over two decades, I've never experienced or read about what we are currently experiencing and will continue to experience for some time to come.

Writing on the wall: Given the turbulent times of massive job losses and prospects of more layoffs looming over the horizon, perhaps it is time to revisit the need to proactively manage our careers and be prepared for the day when our bosses give us marching orders

This time, the impact of financial and economic challenges is on a global scale - caused mainly by what former US Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan describes as a 'credit tsunami'.

There are always different perspectives, different lessons to learn from any one event. One of the lessons, at least for me, during the Asian financial crisis was that it jolted many of us, especially Generation Y executives, into realising that life is not always a bed of roses.

For the first time in their adult lives, many of these executives witnessed how one parent, and sometimes both parents, lost the very jobs they had held for many, many years.

For once, they experienced how the tightening of the proverbial belt feels.

For once, they saw with their own eyes the pain and agony their parents went through as each was shown the 'exit' door, and having to leave companies they had spend almost their entire lives working in.

For once, they saw their usually confident father slowly, but surely, lose his sense of self-esteem and self-confidence as he could not secure alternative employment at the same level of seniority and pay.

To me, this was the most significant and positive lesson arising from that particular crisis.

Fast forward to 2008 - and deja vu - it looks like many of our fellow citizens will be going through rough times again. The only difference is that it is probably going to be worse this time. Have Singaporeans learnt to react to involuntary job losses better, compared to a decade or so ago? Yes, and no.

Yes, we have all learnt that there may not be such a thing as corporate loyalty these days. We all have to manage our own careers, and be prepared for the day when our bosses give us our marching orders.

But because the economy bounced back and pay rises and bonuses headed northwards again, some of us forgot the lesson, and conveniently overlooked the need to manage our careers. Back to square one!

Here's the reality - so long as you are on the payroll, and not the majority shareholder of the company, there is always the possibility of losing your job, even if you had been the one who had been instrumental in appointing the very set of board members who decided to fire you, as one prominent US CEO found out some years ago.

Given such turbulent times, and with prospects of job losses looming over the horizon, perhaps it is time again to revisit the need to proactively manage our careers. Among other important things, besides maintaining your network, and having a camera-ready resume, is the need to have a Plan B. A Plan B is a plan that you activate when Plan A expires, that is when you are fired from your current job.

It never amazes me how business leaders do such a great job in putting together three and five-year plans for their companies but they forget, or perhaps choose to ignore, the need to plan for their own careers. Of course, like most things in life, there will always be the exceptions, and I can easily name several prominent business leaders who chose to 'retire' when they were at the peak of their careers. Many of them are now comfortably sitting on business boards, and chairing voluntary/ community-focused bodies. Incidentally, many of them happen to be women.

While you are busy wiping away the dust on your work-in-progress-from-the-Asian financial crisis - Plan B, or starting off on a clean new page, do focus also on the following key strategies to stay afloat and sane, and sleep much better at night.

Continue to do a great job, and whenever possible, take on additional responsibilities. The idea is to make your boss as reliant on you as possible. During challenging times, even your bosses worry about their ability to keep their own jobs. So, if you can make them look good by continuing great work for the team, there is always a better chance that your name will not be on the list. Be audible, as well as visible, to the right people, at the right time, and at the right place.

Upgrade your skills and knowledge. Companies are almost always quick on cutting training budgets during tough years. Be prepared to invest in your own training and development (T&D). If you are not already doing so, set aside a sum of money each month for your T&D fund. Go for that MBA that you have always wanted to do but could not because of your heavy travel schedule, and the prospects of having to miss classes. Well, now that travel budgets have been curtailed, go sign yourself up. You will not regret it.

Continue to build your network of contacts, both within and outside your company. This is a 'must-do' that you have to invest in, both in terms of time and financial resources. Networking does not happen by accident but by careful planning.

It is easy to know how to react during good times when the headhunter calls. But what do you do should they call now - do you go listen to what they have to say, and potentially change employers, or do you try to play safe, and not rock the boat for now?

My advice is that your reaction should not be any different in good times or bad. Go listen to what the headhunter has to say, and discern if the opportunity is one that you should or should not pursue. Forget about the often-misguided approach about going forward only if the potential employer is 'stable' - what is that? Which company is stable? Century-old institutions like Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch?

Instead, focus on issues such as whether you will be learning new things, acquiring new experiences and making new contacts in the new opportunity. If so, move forward another step.

If the offer comes in eventually, consider it, independent of what is going on in the world - you should have enough confidence in your own capabilities to reassure yourself that you will succeed in your new job/company.

Stay healthy. Remember to watch your diet too. Focus on activities that will make you feel good about yourself, and have adequate rest and sleep.

In general, focus on those issues where you have a fair chance of influencing the outcome. As for the rest of the world's bigger problems where you have limited chance of making a difference, do whatever you can but leave it to the experts to resolve them.

The author is founder and career coach at NeXT Career Consulting Group, Asia