TURN JOB SEARCH BLUES TO JOBSEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

TURN JOB SEARCH BLUES TO JOBSEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Year-end and Christmas holidays are just round the corner. Normally, this period is filled with joy, parties, feasting and gift-giving. And if you are feeling miserable about your current job, being under-employed or worst still, unemployed, these festivities may mean little or nothing to you. You may also have been bypassed for a promotion due to you or did not get that bonus that you were looking

forward to.

When you are in the jobsearch queue, it can be quite depressing and gloomy at this time of the year.Don’t feel discouraged! It’s not the end of the world yet. The sun still rises, rain still pours from the sky in the late afternoon and your family, workmates and friends are still around, laughing with and smiling at you. Don’t hoist that white flag just yet. Turn your jobsearch blues to opportunities! Here’s how to do just that.
1.       Companies and Government Organisations Are Still Hiring

Many believe that orgnisations/employers stop hiring or slow down the pace of hiring during the year-end festival period. This is a myth. The close of the year can actually bring increased urgency to hiring. Many employers do want to fill their vacancies and get their staff ready before the year ends.

2.       Great Opportunities for Networking

Those endless Christmas parties, year-end company functions, potlucks and get-togethers are great and wonderful opportunities to network. Seek out events and meetings organised by your professional/trade associations, neighbourhood clubs as well as gatherings with family, friends, workmates and even school/university alumni. Feel free to pass your name cards around and don’t be shy about your career move/plan. However, please pay attention to your social behaviour and etiquette. People [and these can be your future “bosses”] are watching.

3.       Jobsearch is a Learning Journey and Opportunity

It is very difficult to see and understand that unemployment, layoffs and even firings can be a good thing. It can be a blessing, too. “How can it be?” you may ask. There can be no growth without change, including painful change. Always look forward. The grass is greener over the other side. Getting fired can ignite the fire within a person to pursue one’s passions and chase that dream.

Job hunting can be a time where you can take stock of yourself and focus on your real worth – make an inventory of your best qualities. You may realise that you need to upgrade your job skills, polish up your resume, and have a personal image make-over.

4.       You Are Not Alone in Your Jobsearch Journey

Job search or job hunting has become part and parcel of one’s work life. On an average, a person changes jobs five times during one’s work life.

Many resources are easily and readily available to job seekers, both online and in person such as the Jobs Bank, employers’ and recruiters’ websites, job boards, professional career advisors and resume writing specialists, and employment strategy consultants. Colleagues both current and former, family and friends, school/university chums and even your Member of Parliament [MP] will lend a helping hand when approached.

5.       Be Proactive in your Community and on Social Media  

Now is the perfect time to offer help as well as ask for it. Volunteer yourself at community events and professional/trade associations and such proactive volunteerism can earn you good testimonials and new achievements on your resume. Be active and contribute professionally on social media especially Linkedin and Facebook. Research studies have shown that such activities can reduce stress, improve your health and increase your self-esteem.

Sound like it is a win-win for everyone.

For more information, visit www.successfulresumessingapore.com

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES HIGHEST AMONG YOUNGER WORKERS

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore released these statistics last week:
1, for residents in late 20s: 5.8%
2. for residents under 24: 8.8%
These unemployment rates are by far the highest amongst the younger workers since 2009. However, employment experts assure us that this is not a worrying trend as there are more than 58 000 jobs up for grabs in the Jobs Bank.
But why aren't the young unemployeds biting? Possible reasons include:
1. more selective, choosy
2. not willing to compromise on personal interests
3. lack of relevant skills or training
4. refusal of work syndrome
5. work aversion syndrome

Talk to us today if you need assistance: www.successfulresumessingapore.com

RESUME: SHARPEN IT TO ATTRACT, POWER IT TO SURPRISE, POWER IT TO REWARD

ENSURE that you have these in your RESUME to prove that you are NOT HOPELESS:

1. Competency skillsets expected by targeted/chosen employers
2. Skills and knowledge meet future needs of the job market
3. Diversified inter-disciplinary work experience
4. Your commendable achievements
5. Your contact details

Learn more ... www.successfulresumessingapore.com

RESUME FOR CAREER CHANGE: OWNING AND MANAGING YOUR OWN BUSINESS

Resume for Career Change: Owning and Managing Your Own Business

 

Have you ever wondered why some 16 200 new businesses were founded in Singapore during the first quarter of 2014? Of these, 35.2% were sole proprietorships and 48.4% were private limited companies. On average more than 56 000 new businesses are registered each year in Singapore.

More and more working professionals are facing and experiencing greater challenges and career volatility in their work places. Job security seems elusive and, to put it bluntly, doesn't exist anymore. Hence, more and more salaried professionals with entrepreneurial acumen are switching and turning to owning and managing their own businesses instead of working for their ‘bosses’. Is this a better alternative? Bear in mind, it’s your future and your financial security that you have to be mindful of. Your decision has tremendous ramifications and impact on your life.

Years ago, when I wanted to leave a cushy, corporate career with a publishing conglomerate and was scouting for a similar role elsewhere, my closest confidant and printing shop owner pulled me aside and told me straight in the face, “Larry, I know you earn a good salary but it doesn’t matter because you’ll never build real wealth from it.” That sent me thinking real hard, consulted my family and realised that the answer to creating and building real wealth is “OWNING AND MANAGING MY OWN BUSINESS”. I did just that and never turned back.

There is no bed of roses for anyone who wants to take this route. The roots of the business tree are long and bitter but the fruit is absolutely sweet. There are opportunities and opportunities out there waiting for you. I am not talking about the Bill Gates, Steve Jobs or the next-generation-tech start-ups. They are not your average entrepreneur. Instead, consider resume writing, food and catering, hair-dressing, fashion design, private education, personal/human services, electrical and plumbing services and the list goes on.

Most, if not all, small business owners make their money by dramatically increasing their net worth on the path to the one-million-dollar mark. Once you hit this magic figure, you will find investors knocking on your door wanting to buy over your business. This is where the real wealth is.

Most recent sales of businesses in Singapore include: automobile dealership: S$300 million, tuition chain: S$300 million, coffee shop in Hougang: S$23.8 million, Chinese restaurant: S$15 million, roast meat joint: S$4 million

Owners of these businesses are now millionaires – enjoying real wealth! They were mere salaried professionals before. Can you see the difference now?

Article by Lim Larry, M Phil (Management), Chief Executive, Co-Founder and Consulting Principal, Successful Resumes Singapore

Learn more … www.successfulresumessingapore.com

YOUR RESUME: IS IT EFFECTIVE?

A simple truth that every job seeker has to know is: Is my resume effective? Answer this simple question honestly. Avoid self-pity and STOP blaming others for your predicament - not a single interview invite despite sending out hundred of resumes.

A great, effective resume is a TOOL with a specific purpose: to win that ALL-IMPORTANT  interview. A successful resume is also a MARKETING TOOL that sells that most important asset you have to offer - YOU, YOURSELF! A resume, in short, is simply an advertisement, a marketing brochure, nothing more, nothing less.

An effective resume is one that makes you STAND OUT from the crowd and on your OWN RESUME. It has to be different and be differentiated. If your resume is ordinary like every one else's, yours will remain ordinary.

Learn more ... www.successfulresumessingapore

ENDORSEMENT FROM A VALUED CLIENT

Successful Resumes Singapore frequently and consistently receives hundreds of testimonials and endorsements from our valued and satisfied clients. Amongst them is this one received yesterday.

"Hi Larry,
The resume and cover letter crafted by you were AMAZING and OUTSTANDING! Thank you for your prompt response. I had a glance through the degree certificate and it looks great. With regards to the cover page, I appreciate your honest feedback and thank you for following up with what I have requested.
Overall, I am very pleased with the timely response on the services that you and your team have provided. I am looking forward to receiving the Jobsearch Toolkit from you.
CCC.., my fiance, is very pleased with the resume you have crafted for me and she wants to choose YOU as her preferred partner in her carer management planning in the coming future." FR
Note: FR, a Malaysian and a Singapore PR, studied in the US and has held appointments in the US, Malaysia and Singapore.
Picture: Larry is pictured with John Little, Managing Director of Successful Resumes International. Larry and Successful Resumes Singapore are frequently featured in and quoted by newspapers, magazines, professional journals, books, national radio stations, Facebook and Linkedin.
Learn more ... www.successfulresumessingapore.com

ADVISORY FOR THE LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED

13 900 Singaporeans woke up this morning and found themselves nowhere to go to for work. The plight of long-term unemployment can be a very thorny issue confronting government leaders. Singapore included. The long-term unemployment rate in Singapore fell from 0.7% to 0.6% and there were some 13 900 residents who have been looking for work for at least 25 weeks as at June 2014.[Statistics: www.tradingeconomics.com]

What are some practical steps to take if you happen to be one of the 13 900?

                                 Maintain a Positive Mental Attitude

The longer one is out of employment, the more nervous, anxious, insecure and depressed one becomes. Avoid being caught up in negative self-talk.

Stay Connected
Get out of the unemployment "hermit-mind" trap.
Be calm and relaxed. Go out and connect with positive-minded and nurturing friends and relatives and share with them your feelings and concerns. Be active on social media. Join and play an active role in your professional association or neighbourhood club. It is good to get out of your house two or three times a week and catch up with friends or past associates for a meal or coffee. Participate actively in networking events. Remind yourself and the employment people that you are still around and ready to work.

Upgrade and Re-skill
Skills diminish the longer you are out of work. Industries you used to work for have undergone dramatic shifts. The jobs that you used to do have disappeared. This is often referred to as structural unemployment. Go, learn and get trained in new jobskills or study for a degree or diploma. There are hosts of government agencies out there offering these training opportunities and they can even provide training grants.

Re-examine Jobsearch Strategies and Tactics
How effective is your jobsearch and your resume? Is your resume up-to-date, marketing-centred and professionally-presented? It has to be ground-breaking, too. Do you spend at least 30 hours per week on jobsearch?

No Social Stigma
Job security is a thing of the past. Jobsearch is now part and parcel of one's working life. Our survey shows that on an average, a person changes jobs five times in one's work life.

It is good to know that unemployment rate remains low - at 2% in 2014 in Singapore. So there are jobs out there. You just have to be proactive and look for it.

Learn more ... www.successfulresumessingapore.com