The Candid Workforce Practitioner Blog

CAREER EVENTS

Posted by saifi in Uncategorized on 02 19th, 2008

Career Fair 2008 is to be held on the 28, 29 February and 1st March 2008 at KLCC. Come and visit us at our booth No. 47. Our consultants will be there for you to talk to them on your career plans. Don’t forget to be scanned at our booth. Also bring along a softcopy of your latest resume so that it can be uploaded into our system.

At our booth, you will be able to seek your dream jobs. You will also be able to look through the many job vacancies that is available. So now you know where you will be on the 28, 29 February and 1st March 2008.

See you there….and bring along all your family and friends.

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WHAT YOU OUGHT TO DO AT A CAREER FAIR?

Posted by Sam in Job Tips on 02 9th, 2008

There is an upcoming Career Fair at PWTC on the 28, 29 February and the 1 March 2008. Make your way to this fair and please prepare yourself for this event. According to the people who are hosting this event, it will be something a little different.

Well, this will be the first career event where participating companies will just have to “scan job seekers”! Job seekers will have to be registered and each one will be given a bar-coded identification. As they visit any booth, all they need to do is to scan through a scanner which will be made available at all booth. Cool!

Anyway, I would always like to play safe, so I would suggest job seekers to also bring along their copies of resumes and also have them ready in softcopy format. If you think you would like to leave your resumes at any booth, you may do so.

At one of the fairs that I had been, apparently, there was a “malfuction” of even the internet access system!! It actually did not make sense, as there were participating companies that were registering job seekers online. Anyway, the internet access was finally retored at noon on the 2nd day of the event!

Whatever sytems or styles an event organiser may be applying it does not matter really. Job seekers may prepare themselves by bringing along their Resumes CVs and also prepare for what to ask when you are at a particular booth. Some of the things you may want to ask are (please remember you may have only a few minutes with your potential employer):-

1. Ask them if they like working in their company and what the benefits are?

2. Ask how many staff they have?

3. What are their primary business?

4. Ask the what kind of career advancement opportunities they would provide?

5. Who can you contact if you have any further questions?

6. Ask them what kind of people are they looking for?

7. What employment experience do they require?

8. What kind of qualification do they require?

9. Do they require any extra skills like language or computer skills, travelling required or others?

10. When do they require people, immediately or in a few months time?

Always create good conversation and be friendly, stay focus on what information you require from them. Above all speak with confidence and clearly, ok.

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WHY DO I STILL GET THESE KINDA REACTIONS?

Posted by Sam in Job Tips on 01 30th, 2008

I have been around to numerous functions, jobs career fairs, talks at varsities, even in any casual conversation with young as well as experienced workforce people and even companies alike, well they just simply think from their small minds that recruitment companies are categorized or specialises in certain areas or fields.

Well I can agree with that if what they mean are these recruitment companies specialises in providing certain specialty skills, like IT staffing or corporate head-hunting services. But what I was so surprised was that they would asked me whether a particular recruitment company was serving only for the Bumiputras!! Or then again, they would tell me, that recruitment company is only for the Chinese or Indian or whatelse do we have?????

From their understanding, information that they got from their friends or God knows where, tell them that they, being of a different race cannot seek for jobs from this company. They think that priority is given to only one race!

After all these years that we have been living in this country, we still have people who thinks that race is the issue. Not everything guys, and coming from you supposedly educated people, I am so ashamed of your attitude!

I have not seen or will never see any recruitment companies that advertised their services are only for certain races. Please come alive and get hold of the real situation we have in the working world. For your information, we do have many many companies out there who require employees from all sorts of background and race should not be the factor. If there are companies who may require their employee from certain race, then we have the right to ask the, why shouldn’t you be employed?

Most recruitment companies would specialises in areas or fields of skllis or industries, like the oil & gas, manufacturing, IT industries. Yes that would be ok. They may have more expertise in these areas.

If you come across any recruitment companies practising otherwise, let the authorities know (the kementerian sumber manusia). Anyone advertising jobs that relates to race, I believe you should not bother these companies at all.

Talking to some huge companies, their usual answer would be, “if you have these kinda people why not, we are willing to hire. The most important issue would be, whether they have what it takes to do the work, period!” I won’t deny that there may be companies who might submit to recruitment companies, job orders that may be too tall an order to fulfill!!

Orders like must be malay, lady (without tudung), is sociable…..blah….blah….blah….is so difficult to please the clients. For recruitment companies, they may be different. Successfully placing candidates of any race or creed, in companies is what they all want and thats their ultimate goal. To match their clients whimps and fancies is another ball game.

So guys, give these recruitment companies a fair chance to get you a job. What I’ve always advised job seekers is that the service to them is free. It is also their responsibility to knock on company doors and apply for their dream jobs, but at the same time. while they do all that, get hold of recruitment companies to help you get the job too!!!! What’s so difficult with that.

Yes I say this because, in the last few job fairs, job seekers are so “scared” to part with ther Resumes or CVs, despite these recruitment companies having only one thing in their minds………GET YOU A JOB ASAP!!!

I suggest, if you are not comfortable, do some research before going to these fairs. Get online and type recruitment companies or agencies, Malaysia!

One more thing, if you go these fairs, bring along both hard copies and softcopies of your Resumes or CVs. ok

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IS YOUR BOSS A GOOD MATCH FOR YOU & YOUR CAREER?

Posted by Sam in Job Tips on 01 13th, 2008

Well still on bosses, I would think that this is quiet an important thing to consider. It will determine your career path is well executed with the right organization, the right bosses, the right job (this is if you have decided on the type of job you want to do).

Whether you are a new hired employee or someone who just got transfered to another department, or you were promoted to a new task, you will most likely have a new boss. So don’t waste time, get cracking at it. Most likely you will be scared to death in situations where you might have already heard of this person’s style and attitude!

Whenever this happens, you need to develop a new professional relationship with this person whom you will have to rely on for advice & direction. This person will be the one you will be seeing every morning, whom you would seek for guidance in your career advancement plan.

So how can we tell if this boss is a good match for you?

1. Does your boss treat everyone in your department fairly & equally? - this is so easy to notice but a word of caution, you must meet this boss and ask him what his criteria in assessing performance

2. Does he showcase your work to co-workers and the management alike? - does not take credit for himself. Always telling the management on the accomplishments of his staff. Also giving opportunities to his good employees to be incharge of projects.

3. Always willing to teach employees, taking time to coach them.

4. Having been working with your boss for a period of time, you do not feel stressed when approaching to discuss any issues.

5. Does your boss resolve problems related to your work as well as things that are related to outside issues that directly affect your performance?

6. Does your boss know your skills and trust you to carry out tasks? - most bosses are not aware of business processes that are related to their departments. Most would depend on their staff 100% which may lead to problems when things go wrong, and the finger pointing would start!!

7. Very important, does your boss listen to your comments serious enough to offer any resolutions?

8. Most employee thinks that their bosses are stupid or someone who knows little, is your boss one of them? - well maybe they are only acting stupid but they are actually smart!!

There are many more but I believe the hallmark of good bosses are someone who has strong listening skills, definitely a problem-solver (well that’s the no. 1 reason why they are hired - to solve problems and not be one or creator the problems) and also ability to trust people and create opportunities to employees to develop.

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BOSSES ARE TO BE BLAMED FOR….

Posted by Sam in Job Tips on 01 10th, 2008

No doubt, the no. 1 reason employee choose to stay longer in a company is because they have good bosses. Bosses that have everything in their deparment under control, bosses who are cool and level headed when times are difficult, those that would support their employee well and of course those who manages by using tons of tact, loads of consideration and heaven knows these are “god-send” people who just have the human touch.

Usually these bosses runs their division well enough that and there are very very few upheavels or serious problems within their division. Their division would have employees who are working in a so called conducive environment.

I know of many bosses who tells me that, the only way to getting employees to listen to them is by showing who is THE BOSS! Throwing their weight around and are purposely becoming like dictator themselves!

With their stupid ethics, they cause a lot of misery and tensions to the employees. Employees suffer from all their crazy behavior. Bosses who just do not care about the well-being of their staff, are hurting them mentally.

Bosses are responsible in making a fairly good place to work in, into a toxic place to be in. Sometimes no matter how hard the employees try to do all the right things at work, the job they do is actually hurting them more rather than helping them.There are may be many reason behind this.

Maybe the job is becoming difficult due to lacking in tools and these maybe tools that they require, maybe the industry gives the employee anxiety about whether there is ever an end to all the problems faced or simply maybe salary are still low after so many years of giving to the company which may cause stress-inducing effect on the employee.

Thease maybes are all real and an incompetent, self-centered, untrained and egoistic bosses just turn a blind eye to these problems.

So if you find yourself in this spot, you have to assess whether your work place is a poisonous and toxic for you to be working in. If it is, formulate an exit plan. Everything you want to do with your future needs well thought-of plan.

Its simply not worth staying if your own bosses are the main causes of your stress that can negatively impact your health, relationship and of course peace of mind.

Leave and let all these people who supposed to be responsible, take reponsibility, for once in their entire lives….take a good look of themselves in the mirror and what I hope they would see is this person that have made many of our lives miserable!!

BUT if you decide to stay for any apparent reason, you can take some of the following proactive self-care measures to protect your well-being, as you focus on the chllenges ahead.

1. Speak up - talk to your boss (if he / she is not the problem, of course) and engage in a solution-oriented dialogue. well you may not be able to change the whole company, but you might be able to make your department a much more pleasant place to work in.

2. Move your Limbs - make sure you have some streatching exercises you can do to relieve yourself of stress and do this consciously and not on a ad hoc basis.

3. Go back home or go anywhere except staying back at the office - don’t stay in a toxic workplace any longer than absolutely necessary. Don’t bring any toxic things home with you. When 6.00pm rolls around, LEAVE!!

4. Take a Break - be smart and take a “mental leave” every now and then. Don’t worry about the office, always needs you to be around and that without you, they won’t function. Taking this healthy and well recommended “mental leave” is essential for to get your life and work in balance.

5. Think green and make your workplace green - plants have a positive energy effect on us, get your place decorated with them, even if they are the small ones that dorne your tables.

6. Fresh Air - most of the time, the air in our office can be unhealthy. If you cannot bring in fresh air into your space, go outside once inawhile to breath in air in the openess.

In fact putting some of these tips (there are many more ways to de-stress) into practice may help you survive the crazy environment. Yes it may be important that you earn a living but it is no good if you are dead, right?

So take care, lastly, if you cannot speak to you boss, try writing an email to him. If that does not work, you know what you have to plan for your own sake.

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The Candid Workforce Practitioner Blog

CAREER EVENTS

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO DO AT A CAREER FAIR?

WHY DO I STILL GET THESE KINDA REACTIONS?

IS YOUR BOSS A GOOD MATCH FOR YOU & YOUR CAREER?

BOSSES ARE TO BE BLAMED FOR….

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