BLOGStreet, from JobStreet.com

Snippets: Volunteer work

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

If your heart is set on remaining with your organization, it makes good sense to volunteer yourself for social committees where you can build your reputation as a solid, passionate person, dedicated to the industry and the company itself. More than that, should your objectives change later, this experience always looks good on a resume.

Do check back on 30 Oct 2009 for more tips!

JECI poll, Sep 2009

This is the summary of job seekers' confidence in the job market in this region in Sep 2009:

• In Malaysia, the upward trend in the JobStreet ECI was checked as it dipped slightly from 50.2 points in August to 48.7 points in September. However, we do not consider this to be any cause for concern for the moment as the general trend shown since February this year has been a steady growth.
• The JobStreet ECI for Singapore, which had been relatively stable in the past three months, improved by 1.3 point to 44.6 in September as job seekes continued to show increase confidence in the Singaporean job market.
• Growth in the JobStreet ECI for the Philippines remained unchanged where the September index ended at 56.7 points which was a wee bit lower than the 56.9 points of the previous month.
• In Indonesia, the JobStreet ECI also took a short breather as it trended slightly lower by 0.6 points from August to end the month at 52.2 points. 
• The India JobStreet ECI was stable with their index increasing slightly to 57.7 points in September, up by 0.5 points from the August index level.

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The JobStreet.com Employment Confidence Index (ECI) is a measure of job seeker confidence in finding a job in the countries where we hold our monthly polls.

Law of the garbage truck

Here is a pearl of wisdom that I read today, and thought that it is worth sharing with everyone. Have a nice day, and don't spread the garbage around!

One day, I hopped into the taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally.

Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...

Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't. Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

Have a blessed, garbage-free day!

Preparation and research

Through a local recruiting firm, Cindy (not her real name) had landed a meeting with the chief financial officer of a retail company that she hoped to work for. After exchanging small talk, the CFO asked her: "So, what do you think of our stores?"

The candidate replied honestly that she'd never been in one.

Oops. Needless to say, she didn't get the position.

Preparation and research are always important when trying to land a job, and this is even truer in today's competitive market.

Employers have long commented that today's interviewees simply do not do their homework before they turn up for interviews. "We like people who knows a little of what we do, even though their knowledge may be very basic," one employer said. "Anything you can learn about the company is going to give you a leg up in the interview process. It helps you understand the business, know if it's a good fit and shows that you've taken the extra time and effort that every employer wants to see."

So where do you start? The Internet is a great tool, and a simple Google search and visit to the employer's website is a logical place to start.

At the very least, go to the company's website. If it's a consumer products company, find out what they make. If they're a financial services company, learn about types of services they offer. If it's a retailer, see what products they sell and where their stores are, and and make sure you go to one.

A Google search can turn up news coverage about the company, along with information that might be useful to know. If the company is publicly listed on the local stock exchange, there's usually a wealth of information available.

Common questions for the influenza A(H1N1)

How have you been reacting to the spread of the Influenza A(H1N1) virus? It is quite clear that as the number of infections spiral all over the world and in tandem with that, the number of deaths, so too has the level of concern among the general public.

A(H1N1) is still largely untreatable as there's still no vaccine. The common seasonal flu vaccine may or may not help people against the A(H1N1). China, however, seemed to have reported a few days ago that they have developed a vaccine but it still remains untested and there are doubts about its widespread availability.

Here are some common questions and answers that we have heard lately. Thought that we'd share it with you:

What are the symptoms of the influenza A(H1N1)?
The symptoms are similar to those of regular flu:

• Fever
• Lethargy
• Runny nose
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Lack of appetite
• Vomiting and diarrhoea in some cases.

Are you a contact?
You can contract the influenza A (H1N1) virus by being in close contact with an infected person or if you are caring for someone with the virus.

What should you do if you or your child is a contact?

1. You are not required to quarantine yourself.
2. Avoid close contact with the person who is ill.
3. Refrain your child from playing with others.
4. Monitor your health closely for at least seven days, especially if you or your child belong to the high risk groups below:

• Children below five years of age;
• Pregnant women;
• Have underlying medical conditions such as asthma, chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease
• On dialysis
• On immunosuppressants
• Undergoing cancer treatment
• On long term aspirin therapy
• Persons aged 65 years or older

How long is someone with the A(H1N1) flu considered contagious?
People with the A (H1N1) influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic; possibly for up to seven days following the onset of the illness. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

What can I do to protect myself from the A (H1N1) flu?

• There is no vaccine available right now to protect against the A (H1N1) flu. However, you can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by:
• Covering your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or handkerchief when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the waste basket after you use it.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also helpful
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people. - If you get sick with influenza, stay at home and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Consult your nearest healthcare facility if you think you have any of the symptoms.

Job4frens

If you have a job and you happen to be reading this, count yourself lucky because according to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, more than 450,000 people (in the first quarter of this year) were still unemployed. Well, JobStreet.com is introducing our Job4frens programme where you get a free delicious tuna croissant from Delifrance (worth RM10.23 including tax) when you introduce your friends to any of the 13,000 jobs on JobStreet.com! The programme runs from 17 Aug to 16 Nov 2009 and is limited to 10,000 tuna croissants only!

Here's what you can do to earn that free tuna croissant:



Step 1: Click on the job you would like to refer

Step 2: Browse down the job advertisement and click on the “Email to Friends” button

Step 3: Fill up the referral form and your friends' email addresses.

Step 4: Wait for an SMS mobile voucher from us, show this mobile voucher at the nearest participating Delifrance outlet and collect your free tuna croissant.

(Note: please provide us the same email address you used to sign up with JobStreet.com. You must also be a JobStreet.com member with a valid mobile number in your profile. * We suggest that you check and update the number in your resume)

Terms & Conditions

1. For a limited time only, JobStreet.com is running the Job4frens programme for our members. This programme applies to JobStreet.com members in the Klang Valley only. (*)
2. Each registered member who recommends a job to a minimum of three friends will get a Delifrance tuna croissant for free via a MyStyle SMS mobile voucher.
3. Please ensure that your email address given in the form above is the same as the email address you used in your JobStreet.com account. You must also make sure that you update your resume with your latest mobile number so that the MyStyle SMS mobile voucher can reach you.
4. The redemption of the Delifrance tuna croissant is via a valid SMS mobile voucher at any participating Delifrance outlet in Klang Valley. By clicking “send”, you are allowing us to send the MyStyle SMS mobile voucher to your mobile number.
5. You need to present the mobile voucher with its expiry date and serial number to the Delifrance outlet supervisor upon redemption.
6. You will have seven days to redeem the free tuna croissant from the day that the mobile voucher is sent to your mobile phone.
7. All expired mobile vouchers will NOT be entertained.
8. JobStreet.com will send the mobile vouchers to all eligible JobStreet.com members in two batches weekly. The first batch of mobile vouchers will be sent on 20 Aug 2009. Similarly, the second batch of mobile vouchers will be sent on the following week, and so on, until the end of this programme.
9. Each JobStreet.com member is only entitled to redeem one Delifrance tuna croissant under this Job4Frens programme.
10. JobStreet.com reserves to right to amend the programme’s Terms & Conditions at any time. 
11. For a list of participating outlets, please click here

(*) while stocks last

Online scams that target job seekers

This is not a new incident but we've been reading - and hence, here we are to remind you - that there are always online predators who target unsuspecting job seekers with emails that look like genuine employment opportunities.

An email from an unknown or unreliable source that offers a good job or business opportunity could be a scam that takes over your computer and leads to a stolen identity. Email and data security firms are now warning job seekers of these emails that have started to flood inboxes.

Just be careful if an email asks you for confirmation or for personal information, or carry enticing attachments that actually contain destructive computer viruses. The viruses look for your bank account numbers and passwords, or log-ins for social networking sites. Enough personal information can then be collected to steal someone's identity.

Job seekers can protect themselves by not giving out personal or financial information over the Internet. It's also important to research a potential employer and not making any upfront payments to job placement firms.

Oh, by the way, there's also this advice I once picked up quite a while ago:

"How do you tell the bogus job ads from the real ones? Sometimes it’s easy. Ads from Nigerian businessmen wanting you to collect money for them are obviously bogus–but they’re not all that transparent. It may look real, but if the hiring company isn’t listed, then that’s the first red flag. The second red flag is vague job descriptions that don’t give details, or promise high wages for jobs that require no education or experience. And once they get on on the hook, watch out for what type of information they request. Naturally, if you get a job offer, you’ll have to give your new employer your social security number, and even your bank account number if you want direct deposit of your paycheck. But if they’re asking for that information before you’ve even come into the office for an interview, then it’s a pretty good bet that it’s a scam."

Wanted: a witch of a job, expected salary £50,000

The tourist attraction of Wookey Hole Caves, near Wells, in Somerset, has advertised for someone to teach visitors about witchcraft and magic after its previous employee, Jane Brenner (pictured) retired. The job advertisement, which appeared earlier this month in local newspapers and job centres, states that the successful applicant "must be able to cackle" and "must not be allergic to cats".

Wookey Hole said it has since sent out 2,319 applications and have received 23 letters of complaint from church or religious groups.

Legend has it that the caves were home to the Wookey Witch who was turned to stone by Father Bernard who had been appointed by the Abbott of Glastonbury to rid villagers of her curse.

Auditions for the role are being held in front of a panel of judges who will assess the applicants costume and character as well as the ability to perform witch tests.

Daniel Medley from Wookey Hole said: "Wookey Hole wants the appointee to go about her everyday business as a hag, so that people passing through the caves can get a sense of what the place was like in the Dark Ages. This was when an old woman lived in the caves with some goats and a dog, causing a variety of social ills including crop failures and disease. So the job is straightforward: live in the cave, be a witch, and do the things witches do.

"Wookey Hole is advertising nationally and hopes to attract a strong field of candidates, with the £50,000 salary serving as a major incentive. Interviews for the post will involve on-site assessment incorporating a range or standard tasks. Ambitious witches, looking for a key career move, should turn up dressed for work and bring any essential witch accoutrements. A limited range of potion ingredients will be available.

"We are witchless at the moment so we need to get the role filled as soon as possible. We are looking for someone who is friendly, a little mischievous and with lots of character. We are expecting hundreds of male, female and trans-gender witches all in full witchy regalia competing for the 50k job opportunity in a X-factor style audition. In one minute they have to convince a panel of three judges they are the right witch for the job using whatever props they can carry. The grand winner will be chosen on the day."

Pace of hiring indicates positivity on the way

The speed of the recruitment process is starting to once again increase, although most employers remain uncommitted to exactly when overall recruitment activity will resume, says specialist recruiter Hays.

“Sentiment seems to be improving slightly in the labour market, with a stabilising effect bringing some positivity to hiring plans,” said Chris Mead, General Manager of Hays in Singapore.

“While recruitment freezes are still in place in many businesses, a small improvement in the general outlook and new financial year budgets are allowing some recruitment to take place. Most employers are watching and waiting, but those few that are recruiting are doing so in a speedier manner than we’ve seen in recent months.

“Certainly employers remain cautious, but with the gentle increase in recruitment momentum and market stability, HR and line managers are considering their recruitment processes, which became drawn-out over recent months. They plan to start to quicken the process to secure the best candidates from the generous options available. 

“But while the speed of the recruitment process is starting to improve, companies will still approach their recruitment with prudence. The past year has made them far more cautious, so job seekers should still expect a very thorough screening and interview process,” advised Chris.

Employers are hiring – you just need to know where

The roller-coaster employment ride of the past year appears to be reaching more stable ground, with recruitment activity starting to rise and businesses recommencing – albeit with caution – their hiring plans, says a leading recruiter.

In its latest Hays Quarterly Report, recruiter Hays says employers have started to take a more positive approach towards their staffing needs. “Employers are approaching their recruitment with patient positivity,” said Chris Mead, General Manager of Hays in Singapore.

“Despite the economic downturn, stability is gradually returning to the market as companies plan for their future. They are now thinking about expansion and growth again. For example, we have witnessed a moderate increase in hiring activity at selected banks and in specific areas, which we expect to continue this quarter.  The construction sector has also become far more positive, with demand for staff driven predominantly by infrastructure work. Contract recruitment is expected to continue to increase this quarter as companies realise it offers a viable solution to headcount freezes. A temporary assignment can be extended, or converted to a permanent position once headcount approval is achieved. This measured increase of hiring activity will continue until quarter four, when a stronger injection of vacancies is expected,” said Chris.

Employers are most commonly hiring at present in the following areas:

• Cost accountants and costing managers: “Many companies seek to improve efficiency and the quality of financial reporting, and so require these specialist roles, but there are very few of these candidates currently available in Singapore.  Financial controllers and finance managers with experience in management reporting are also in demand.”
• Audit, compliance and controls within banking: “Increasing regulatory controls, a greater focus on valuations and the review of complex transactions has created this need. Market risk and project (migration and integration) candidates are also sought by banking employers.”
• Rail: “Demand continues within the construction sector for candidates with specialist experience on rail-related projects. This demand ranges from engineering to onsite construction professionals.”
• HR Executives and HR VPs and Directors: “These candidates are sought by the public sector, while the commercial sector is also refilling business critical HR positions, most commonly multi-skilled generalists and compensation and benefits experts.”
• Information Technology: “.NET, C# project managers, network operations managers and Siebel CRM candidates are in demand at present, and those with banking and telecoms industry experience are viewed particularly highly. Network operation engineers with experience in MPLS networks and TCP/IP are also sought.”
• Developers: “Risk projects are creating a need for hands-on development staff with hybrid business skills.”
• Sales professionals: “Those sales candidates with a very strong customer focus and an excellent record of delivery remain in high demand.  The IT, oil & gas and FMCG industries in particular are recruiting these skills.”
• Oil & gas professionals: “The project development space is starting to return in Asia and this is reflected in an upturn in demand for EPCM staff. A number of offshore construction projects have created a need for temporary staff. Business development specialists are also required to generate sales and strengthen relationships.”