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Snippets: Pondering a Counter Offer

This is part of a series of articles to make your jobseeking experience more meaningful with JobStreet.com.

If you’re ready to leave your present job, but your employer makes a counter offer to persuade you to stay on, it’s worth considering carefully if it’s worthwhile to take it up. If you choose to stay on and accept a pay rise, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. In the first place, if you’re leaving the company because the culture doesn’t agree with you, or if you have problems with the employer, a pay rise might not be the magic bullet that will solve all these issues. Also, once you’ve made your initial decision to resign, and then take it back on account of the counter offer, your real loyalty to the company might be called into question. Therefore, it’s always advisable to take all matters into consideration before accepting the counter offer.

Snippets: Bringing a Pen and Notebook

This is part of a series of articles to make your jobseeking experience more meaningful with JobStreet.com

This might seem to be a trivial matter to some, but it’s always good to bring along a pen and notebook to the interview. There are two very valid reasons for doing this: you might be provided with useful information about the position and the company that will prove valuable, and also, you might want to make notes after the interview as a reminder of what you have said, in preparation for a second interview. A seemingly simple step like this can make all the difference in the world as whether you get that job you have always wanted!

Snippets: Preparing for the Interview

This is part of a series of articles to make your jobseeking experience more meaningful with JobStreet.com

It’s perfectly normal to feel some anxiety before you attend a job interview of any sort, but what can you do to make the interview a more manageable experience? Here are a few key pointers to remember: everything you say and do during an interview is observed, so choose your answers properly, and be on your best behaviour. Be prepared to answer unpredictable questions, since one never knows what kind of issues that will be covered. And above all, try to overcome the inevitable nervous feelings that will crop up, as nervousness will impair your otherwise sound ability to communicate in an articulate manner.

Snippets: The Functional Resume

This is part of a series of articles to make your jobseeking experience more meaningful with JobStreet.com.

If you’ve been out of working life for a while, and would like to rejoin the workforce, you might want to consider reformatting your resume from a traditional chronological overview to what is known as a functional resume. A functional resume comprises several key sections, including a Summary of Qualifications (a summary of your skills and experiences), an Areas of Strength section (a list of things that you are good at), a Professional Experience section (a list of jobs and duties), and an Additional Experience section (a list of skills you gained during your time off from the workforce). For this last section, think of useful tasks you might have done, including community work, freelance assignments, continuing education, and others, which will help to bolster your overall resume.

More Filipinos interested in working abroad

Filipino jobseekers have said that they are interested in working abroad, if given an opportunity to do so, according to a recent survey done by JobStreet.com. An overwhelming 82% have said that they want to work abroad if given the chance, in contrast to just 7% who expressed no interest in doing so.

When asked about how serious they are in working abroad, 39% said they are actively looking for such opportunities, while another 22% said they are passively seeking such opportunities. Another 27% said they are still contemplating the pros and cons of doing so, while another 12% said they are not serious, or not interested at all in doing so. 

Of those who are not interested in working abroad, 48% cited family as the primary reason for not wanting to work abroad, while another 22% said that there are good career prospects here. Another 11% mentioned that they prefer to remain in their comfort zones, and 13% mentioned other factors.

On the other hand, of those who want to work abroad, 60% mentioned better financial remuneration as the main driving factor, while 15% cited career growth. Another 10% would do so for the sake of their children’s education, 8% said that the chance to travel as an influential factor, and only 1% would do so because they want to follow their spouses to that particular country.

When queried about which country of preference they want to work in, 23% have indicated that they want to work in America, 21% chose Canada as their main destination, and 18% prefer Australia. Another 9% opted for Britain, while 7% wanted to go to New Zealand.

On another matter, about 48% of jobseekers surveyed said that they will look for jobs abroad through recruitment firms or headhunting agencies, while another 22% would do so through newspaper or online advertisements. Another 19% said they would look for such jobs through referrals.

About 500 managers, senior executives and executives in the Philippines participated in the survey in May 2011.

Most Singaporeans prefer to work abroad

Singaporean jobseekers have indicated that they are interested in working abroad, if given a chance to do so, according to a recent survey done by JobStreet.com. An overwhelming 85% have said that they want to work abroad if given the chance, in contrast to just 5% who expressed no interest in doing so.

When asked about their level of seriousness in working abroad, 33% said they are passively looking for such opportunities, while another 32% said they are actively seeking such opportunities. Another 29% said they are still considering the pros and cons of doing so, while only 6% said they are not serious, or not interested at all in doing so.

Of those who have expressed disinterest in working abroad, 65% cited family as the primary reason for not wanting to work abroad, while another 11% mentioned that they prefer to remain in their comfort zones. Another 6% said that there are good career prospects here, and 17% mentioned other factors.

On the other hand, of those who want to work abroad, 38% cited career growth as the main driving factor, while 24% mentioned better financial remuneration. Another 19% said that the chance to travel as the compelling factor, 5% would do so for the sake of their children’s education, and 2% would do so because they want to follow their spouses to that particular country.

When queried about which country of preference they want to work in, 23% have indicated that they prefer to work in China, Japan or Korea, as opposed to 22% who want to work in Australia. Another 14% favor America, while 9% want to make a living in Britain. 

On a final note, about 56% of jobseekers surveyed said that they will look for jobs abroad through recruitment firms or headhunting agencies, while another 20% would do so through referrals. Another 16% said they would look for such jobs through newspaper or online advertisements.

About 600 managers, senior executives and executives in Singapore participated in the survey in May 2011.

Indonesian working women value family above career

Indonesian working women have said that they put more importance on their families rather than their careers, according to a recent survey done by JobStreet.com. About 54% of respondents said their career objectives will change when they have children, as opposed to 35% who said their professional goals will remain unchanged.

About 56% of respondents said that flexible working hours is the main priority after they have children, while 25% said that a higher salary is most desired. Elsewhere, about 53% said that they will remain working as usual after having children, as opposed to 26% who said that they will resume work on a part-time or freelance basis.

When asked about how long they plan to stop working, about 49% said that they will stop working for less than a year, while 26% said that they will stop working for one to two years. About 54% of respondents said they wanted to continue their career climb, when asked about why they resumed working, while 28% said that they enjoyed their jobs.

Elsewhere, around 54% of respondents said that their companies do not provide flexible or part-time working hours for mothers, with only 22% saying that their companies do provide such flexibility. About 32% said that their companies are not sensitive to the needs of working mothers, with another 43% saying that their companies are considerate to working mothers.

On a final note, about 91% of working women surveyed said that their companies do not provide childcare facilities, in contrast to only 2% who said their companies do provide such facilities.

About 430 working women in Indonesia participated in the survey in April 2011.

Filipino working women prioritize family over career

Filipino working women have indicated that they place more importance on their families rather than their careers, according to a recent survey done by JobStreet.com. About 73% opined that their career objectives will change when they have children, in contrast with a mere 18% who said their professional goals will remain unchanged.

About 48% of respondents said that flexible working hours is the main priority after they have children, while 36% said that higher salaries are most preferred. Elsewhere, about 47% said that they will remain working as usual after having children, as opposed to 29% who said that they will resume later after a brief period of non-work.

When asked about how long their non-work period is, about 50% said that they will stop working for less than a year, while 21% said that they will stop working for one to two years. About 40% of respondents said they cannot afford to stop working, when asked about why they resumed working, while only 15% cited the continuation of their career climb as their reason.

On another note, about 68% of respondents said that their companies do not provide flexible or part-time working hours for mothers, with only 24% saying that their companies do provide such flexibility. About 36% said that their companies are not sensitive to the needs of working mothers, but an optimistic 40% saying that their companies are considerate to working mothers.

On a final note, about 65% of working women surveyed opined that their companies should be thoughtful enough to provide childcare facilities, in contrast to only 22% who do not think so.

About 300 working women in the Philippines participated in the survey in April 2011.

Singaporean working women value family over career

Singaporean working women have indicated that they place more emphasis on their families rather than their careers, according to a recent survey done by JobStreet.com. About 65% opined that their career objectives will change when they have children, in contrast with about 20% who said their professional goals will remain unchanged.

About 55% of respondents said that flexible working hours is the main priority after they have children, while 26% said that shorter and more stable working hours are most desired. Elsewhere, about 51% said that they will remain working as usual after having children, as opposed to 26% who said that they will resume later after a brief period of non-work.

When asked about how long their non-work period is, about 31% said that they will stop working for less than a year, while 27% said that they will stop working for one to two years. About 54% of respondents said they cannot afford to stop working, when asked about why they resumed working, while only 11% cited the continuation of their career climb as their reason.

On another note, about 67% of respondents said that their companies do not provide flexible or part-time working hours for mothers, with only 19% saying that their companies do provide such flexibility. About 39% said that their companies are not sensitive to the needs of working mothers, with only 22% saying that their companies are considerate to working mothers.

On a final note, about 59% of working women surveyed opined that their companies should be thoughtful enough to provide childcare facilities, in contrast to only 21% who do not think so.

About 500 working women in Singapore participated in the survey in April 2011.

Malaysian women willing to forego career for children

Most working women today place more emphasis on their family lives once they have children, according to a survey conducted by JobStreet.com.  About 64% expect their career goals to change after having children. When asked what their career priority would be if it changes, over 61% cite more flexible working hours as their top priority. Another 16% want shorter and fixed working hours while 7% want less traveling. The remaining 15% list a higher salary as a goal.

According to the rest of the survey, Malaysian women are going back to time honoured, homemaker values. About 44% plan to stop working after having children.The most popular options are working part time, flexible hours or freelance, and taking a break from the workforce before resuming again later.  When asked for the ideal duration if they were to stop working, 38% said less than one year is sufficient. Based on the survey results, Malaysian mothers’ employment trend is expected to shift in the future towards more flexible jobs.

But of the married women with children polled, over 80% did not quit their jobs after having kids. Almost half of the respondents cite not being able to afford to stop working whileonly 20% cite continuing career climb as the reason to continue working. This shows a conflict between what mothers aspire for and what they can actually have.

When it comes to their employers, there is also a gap between what employers provide and what women want. 51% felt that their employers is not sensitive to working mothers’ needs and 74% noted that their employers do not provide flexible or part time working hours option. Finally, 66% of the women polled think their company should provide childcare facilities.

About 550 women participated in the survey, of which 42% are single and 41% are married with children. Of this, 76% are between 18 and 35. The survey was carried out in April 2011 to seek the view of women on work after motherhood.