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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

High Paying Jobs in Singapore during the Economic Downturn


With Singapore being regarded as the booming hub for highly skilled talents and business growth in Asean, we take a look at the Top 10 High Paying Jobs that you can work to obtain during an economic slowdown in the region. Special thanks to the original source of the article which i stumbled upon at community.jobcentral.com.sg. which provided us with a comprehensive look at the 10 Best Paying Jobs in Singapore. 



Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Top Paying Jobs in America for High School Graduates 2012

Obtaining a degree may pose a challenge to some especially during the times of economic uncertainty today. So people have asked if there are job opportunities for the moment for high school graduates in America? Well, we stumbled upon a website which listed down the High Paying Jobs in 2012 for Americans with High School certifications or graduates. 



Monday, April 23, 2012

High Paying Jobs for New Zealand Graduates

With the job market becoming more competitive, it is vital for graduates to understand, and to be able to foresee seeking placements in industries that would offer them the best compensation for their years of struggling through university. 




Being one of the smallest country in the world, in terms of population, New Zealand with a population size of 4 million people may not be considered as a big enough market for larger companies or businesses to set up shop. Hence this would have impacted the job opportunities available locally as well. 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 10 (Finale)

Ultimately, talents and graduates line up to work with the companies and employers of the year, and the Google brand name is always prominent in the internet business. For any company or employer to be attractive towards drawing top talents, perhaps its time to focus on building the intangible value of your brand, like how Avinash Kaushik would explain with his experience of working with Google in this Series Finale. 
# 1: The brand.
My son Chirag will be four in a couple months. The first word he could spell without looking at it was G O O G L E. I think he was two and half.
I don't wear too many Google shirts, I don't have too much Google stuff. He had visited Google a couple of times, he loves walking around, looking at stuff etc. As a result he has this deeply favorable view of the Google "brand".
I was impressed. Remember this is a little kid (he can spell more things now!).
The interesting thing is that the Google brand has the same effect on people of all ages. There is a thriving cottage industry in sub optimal google thoughts, but for the most part people have a wonderful positive response when you tell them you work for Google (even as a consultant!).
My friend Blaire was telling me how she gets stopped and asked nice things when she is wearing the Google "girl power" t-shirt. That's branding.
google doodles
People have a positive opinion of Google and it transfers to your sense of pride in your company. Goes to show if you just produce a good product it can translate into something remarkable (something worth remarking).

Monday, April 16, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 9

Talents, especially the Gen-Y graduates are looking for a work place which puts emphasis on work life balance. For Google, it isn't a weird environment to have their employees enjoying themselves with cuisines from all around the world, or in this case, as Avinash Kaushik would explain, playing netball, exercising and playing sports within the company's compounds. 
# 2: It's a happening place. The energy, the vibe, the passion.
Cool projects + empowerment + size of impact = A energetic fun happening place.
Google employees are a passionate bunch, the have a energy to themselves regardless of how big or small their project is, and they are passionate. People work hard (and I might stress play hard, see below), and you feed off their energy.
volleyball googleplex
There is this constant sense that you are doing something to change the world, there is very positive vibe.
A great example is Testing On The Toilet.
Yes you heard it right.
I can only speak for the mens restroom of course. As you stand (or sit :) you can't fail to notice that in front of you a page that teaches the importance of testing. Each week a new "episode". Techie stuff, python and sawzall and bigtable and loops and so on and so forth.
That would be inconsequential (just like the sign that says "wash your hands after using the bathroom"). But the amazing thing is that these docs, deeply technical as they are, are written with a great sense of humor. Often subtle, usually techie, always entertaining.
It is not unusual for even someone like me to just stand there and read the whole thing (sadly blocking traffic!). I don't understand everything they teach but I am consistently struck by how well written it is, and the passion of the people who take writing better code so seriously.
It's just a example of the energy that you'll see, passionate people trying to do the right thing with a smile.
As Martha would say "That's a good thing."

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 8

Consumers like to think that they are contributing their cash to responsible companies. The same with talents, where they expect to work with companies with a social conscious to give back to society. They want to ensure that they are helping the world, while helping the company to make money. Avinash Kaushik blogs about his 'Green' experience in Google.
# 3: Doing Good: Green & .org
This might not resonate with everyone but it is very important to me. One of the reasons Intuit was so nice, they did so many good and charitable things.
I am a Northern California person, I am green, I buy everything in An Inconvenient Truth! :)
Google has lots and lots of green initiatives. From the solar panels on the car ports that are around the buildings. . . .
solary array car port google
to initiatives like the greener cars (I know green car is a oxymoron) like the plugin hybrid. . . .
recharge it car google
to the cup of juice that I pick up at breakfast. . . .
biocompostable cup google
In small and big ways you'll see around the offices Google takes green seriously in a very real and meaningful way.
They also support great causes, like the matching program for OLPC (one laptop per child) when you could buy one laptop and one would be given free to a child in the third world. Google's match meant two laptops would be given out for the one you bought.
google.org is a very ambitious initiative to to make a immense difference in the world that we live in. Lots of companies are lucky to be blessed with great wealth. I am always biased in favor of companies that don't wait to make a difference, they take action right way. Be it google.org or WalMart and their CFL initiative or the, most ambitious of it all, efforts of the Gates Foundation.
At a personal level it feels good to be a part of a company that tries to make a difference (and some day Google will even lick the problem of how much power web servers consume!!).

Friday, April 13, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 7


Google takes pride of its employees' ideas and the scalability of their ideas when implemented as projects within the company. It is interesting to note that for experienced professionals or employees, they would prefer to have a platform for them to test their ideas out. For them its self-fulfillment and gives them new meaning to their work. 
# 4: The scale of your impact.
This one is my personal favorite.
Google is not quite as big as many companies out there, but in its space it has a huge user base for most of its applications (search and beyond). Anything you analytics menu googlework on will probably touch hundreds of thousands of people – if not multiple times that.
It is such a awesome thrill when you see your work in the hands of so many folks on this planet.
I think of a small idea and collaborate with the team and bam (!) they make it a reality.
In a few days something that was just in your brain is now in the hands of hundreds of thousands of people!
I open the app and there is such a deep sense of gratification when I see parts of it that helped with ("mine! that's mine!").

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 6


There is a belief that big companies can still act small within, at least with their employees. With Google's very democratic, free and open culture, it is a proof that such an environment stimulates employees to experiment with new possibilities with the company. A normal scenario where employees are discouraged to take risks, Google tackles the issue otherwise by empowering them. 
Source: Avinash Kaushik
# 5: Empowerment (The big small company).
If you are good at something, have passion to do it then you'll get empowered to go do it.
I know that sounds basic. It is not.
You could be just out of college and if want to then you'll get to solve some of the most complex challenges you would ever find. At other companies you'll get put into a hierarchy with layers and controls were for the first four years you might learn where all the files are.
I am being a bit dramatic, but not all that much.
In my second week there I was walking over to lunch with a young man and he was describing his work to me. He had been at Google for less than a year, straight from college and had completely rewritten one of the most challenging "code" during the last few months and his work had yielded dramatic results for Google.
He is good at what he does but I was simply struck by how a company this size would let someone so young and "untested" the task for solving such a complex challenge. And how awesome must it feel to know that you did that!
That's what I mean by empowerment.
legos google nyc 1
[Google NYC campus building made out of legos, above.]

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 5


Surround Yourself with Brilliant People and a Supportive Workplace and you are bound to discover your talents for your company. In this case for Google, Avinash Kaushik explores the relevance of Google employees being mentored and to work with equally brilliant talents as a way to enhance their motivation to work for the internet giant and also to learn.
# 6: The sheer amount of brilliant Google employees.
There is a myth that everyone who works at Google is smart / brilliant / genius / replace your own term here. That is not true. Not everyone.
You'll still be astounded at the hit rate of truly brilliant google employees to the sub brilliant ones (see Mom, I can be diplomatic!).
It really does not matter who you are and what you have done before. You could be the greatest at your own field, I assure you in your meetings and as you walk around you'll see and work with people who you think are genius.
It will keep you humble, and that is a good thing. :)
Here's an example. . .
This, as you'll surely recognize, is Hans Rosling. . . .
hans rosling web analytics an hour a day google
To people who have anything to do with data he is pretty much as good as it gets. His cube is ten meters from where I sit. When I see him I am as giddy as a school girl who has just seen Brad Pitt.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Highest Paying Job in America with a Professional Degree


With speculations that our world is rushing towards another economic downturn with the happenings in the Euro zone, many are pondering about degrees or professional qualifications to take to get their dream job with the highest paying salary. Well, we have listed down the top jobs in America, where for this category, it would require you to invest your time to obtain at least a degree in the designated professions. 


This is the list of the Highest Paid job in the USA, as listed by Careerbuilder.com . Perhaps, this is a great guide for you, or your children to decide on their next professional degree or qualification. 

Monday, April 9, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 4

Google works to develop its employees so that they too can innovate to produce ground-breaking products for the internet giant. It is this empowerment concept that had made Google an attraction for people to work with them. 
# 7: Brain expansion opportunities.
For some reason this one surprised me. I don't know why.
This is not a uncommon sight as you walk into Google buildings. . . .
author at google announcements
On any given day at Google there are brilliant people visiting and giving talks and lectures. Politicians, authors (even niche ones: me!), professors, bright young folks (me, long ago!), environmentalists, journalists, dignitaries, monks, Nobel prize winners, venture capitalists and so on and so forth.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 3


Google takes pride in letting its employees experience with the little things and hatch their ideas in a supportive and innovative environment. As Avinash Kaushik would explain his 'Micro Efficiencies' experience working for the internet giant, Google.
Source and Pictures : Avinash Kaushik 
# 9: "Micro Efficiencies".
Google has all these "micro efficiencies" that are very clever and well thought out. Each in a small way makes life easy for someone working at Google, but taken in aggregate, in my opinion, add up to a big advantage for the company.
Here's a tiny example. . . .
wires conf room google
All conference rooms are wired for everything you need to make your life easy. In my prior companies I had to reserve a projector, and mostly forgot, and carry my power bricks and my ethernet cables etc. At Google all the power adapters you need are in the conf room, Apple or ThinkPads, and there are two projectors in every conf room (and most have high bandwidth video conferencing) and did you see the dvi – vga converters? This makes my life easier in a small but significant way.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 2


Avinash Kaushik recalls his experience of working with Google. He is now listing down the 10 Perks for working with the internet giant. From food, to employee facilities to flexibility, he has done an amazing work in sharing all that with us. So, this time he is going to talk about the food served in Google. 

Source and Pictures: Avinash Kaushik 
# 10: The amazingly fantastic food and impressive digs.
I am sure you have heard about the food, everything you have heard is true (and it probably understates the story).
slice cafe google
Brett had always said one of the reasons I should work at Google was the food. My reply was "My level of gourmet is Taco Bell". :)

Monday, April 2, 2012

Working with Internet Giant, Google - Part 1

Thanks to Avinash Kaushik who had the opportunity to work in Google in Silicon Valley and he has written a detailed blogspot on his experiences and the perks of working with the internet business giant. This will be a 4 parts series towards Avinash's experiences with Google. 
It will soon be a year of working at Google and milestones are always a good time for introspection.
I have a lot on my mind but there was one thing in particular that I wanted to share with you all:
What it is has been like working at Google.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

6 Tips to Win Your Dream Job at an Interview



If only you knew about what or how to prepare for an interview of your dream job. Well, below are 6 practical tips of things that you can prepare today, to give your prospective employers a good impression on what you can potentially bring to the company. 

Source: SimplyHired Blog
  • Why is this position open? (Find out why the previous person left or if it’s a new role in a growing company)
  • What traits or experience would a person need to be successful in this role?
  • What are the top goals for the person you hire in this role?
  • What's your management style (or the management style of the hiring manager)?
  • What would you change about… the company, culture, department, etc.?
  • What are the next steps in this process?

Having A Degree Doesn't Guarantee a Well Paying Job Anymore


In this posting, the case study takes us to Singapore where a featured article shares about the reality that having a degree or professional qualification no longer guarantees one for a stable job or in fact a well paying one too. The competition with foreigners because of the rise of developing economies like China and India, are paving the way for my employers to outsource their assignments overseas for a cheaper rate. So, how does one remain competitive and relevant to the job market?

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Malaysian Education System Not Producing Thinking Graduates?


An interesting write-up on the Malaysian education system as an example for not producing 'Thinking Graduates', hence may have resulted in the decline of successful job applicants in the past few years. 

Friday, March 30, 2012

Getting A Job via Twitter


Stumbled upon this article about getting noticed and getting a job via Twitter. Perhaps social media channels should not be viewed as a distraction anymore, but more-over being used in the most productive manner and in this case, landing a job. 

Life Working in Facebook

One would like to imagine the life, working in Facebook. Well, TheNextWeb takes a look at some of the key employees behind the social media giant and how they claim to be working for the most innovative and fastest-changing company in the world. 

Malaysian graduates need to speak good English and be able to write the language well in order to land high paying jobs. This can be seen as a demand by both local and global companies as Malaysia looks to become a fully developed nation by year 2020. Reality checks in now for graduates and there are options available. 

Thursday, March 29, 2012

How to Land a Job at Apple Inc.



A dream job for many would be to work in a company where the legendary Steve Jobs had founded and had grew to become the cultural behemoth that it is today. The article explores the tips on how to land a Job in Apple Inc. 

What Employers Should Know When Hiring Gen Y or the Now Graduates


Came across this slide from slideshare and saw how this author had summarized the traits that Gen Y graduates or employees are looking for among their employers. In the year where traditional employers find it harder and more challenging to retain great talents, this may serve as a good reminder of their employment guide.

Source: Slideshare

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Graduates Not Getting Paid Well Enough Deter Job Hunting

Tis all about the money

Source: The Star

Many young people have responded to our columnist’s last article. Due to the lack of space, we have decided to publish only the letter below, but it reflects the sentiments of those who have joined the work force in recent years.

I AM like one of the “young people”, you referred to in your previous article. I am 25-years old and have had four jobs so far.

The first two positions were short-term contracts, the second of which was with a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

The third position was with a training company while the fourth, which has so far been my longest is with a multinational media agency as a media planner.

I am an executive here servicing one of the biggest clients in the beverage industry, but I get peanuts!

I am expected to handle my client and be at their beck and call. My company charges them US$200 (RM611) an hour, while I get between RM10 -15 an hour! Many young people like me are overworked and underpaid.

How does that make me feel? We both know that labour is supposed to cost the company an average 48% of the company’s gross profits, but RM15 or even RM 20 isn’t even close to 48%.

Granted, 48% probably accounts for the whole team’s work ... but does this mean that there is such a vast income gap between upper management and executives?

When you mentioned in your article about talent recruitment/retainment, it is all just talk, don’t you think?

You see, while employers may complain about the standard of graduates these days, let’s get one thing straight — if you pay peanuts, what do you expect?

So, Mr Kam, I really doubt it is just about doing what you like and communicating that to your manager.

I believe it has a lot to do with the miserable salaries we get as entry-level executives.

If any employer wants long-term commitment, please show me the money.

ANGRY YOUNG MAN

Our columnist Paul Kam replies:

“In my last article “Commitment Anxiety” I talked about the things a young employee can do to find his place in the company before he decides to move on. I talked extensively about being noticed for their worth and how to get motivated when the goings get tough.

I must have hit the nail on the head as many readers could relate to most of what I said.

One of them wrote: “I am part of it - young, sometimes frustrated and restless but very motivated to find what’s best fitting to me. I am still on the search.” I believe you need to find out the source of your frustration and take it from there. The fact that you know you are very motivated is a good sign and you may need to find different roles within your company that can help you expend your energy.

This person feels he’s overlooked; “ I am also in the same boat but a victim of unrecognised talent. Jumping from one place to another in search of recognition for my pure hard work.” You should go through my article closely as I have made my recommendations of needing to market yourself. Be noticed, be creative and be communicative about your feelings towards work.

Another reader needs to understand why it’s monkey business; “I am an executive handling one of the biggest clients in the beverage industry but I get peanuts. Truth be told, many young ones are disdainful at the fact that we are overworked and underpaid.” Let me give you another perspective. Most organisations feel they do not know if they are hiring monkeys until the worker proves otherwise. The fact that you are still there should say a lot. Sometimes it serves to work for peanuts for a while and know that the experience will be the gems in your resume.

Internships to Improve Employ ability of Malaysian Graduates

Undergrads urged to use internships to gain skills

By ZAZALI MUSA
zaza@thestar.com.my

Source: The Star

JOHOR BARU: Undergraduates are advised to fully utilise their internship training programmes at companies and industries to gain as much knowledge and skills as possible.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said apart from universities, they could also gain knowledge from outside their campuses to prepare them for the working world.

He said while the practical programmes attended by the graduates might only last for only few months, this should not be an excuse for them not to gain something useful for them.

Skills training: Students at the The Pasir Gudang Industrial Training Institute (ILP) operating machine as part of their training.

“Pick up a thing or two from your mentors or experienced workers while you are doing your practical training at these companies or industries,” said Mohamed Khaled.

He said this in a press conference at the ground breaking ceremony of the 25-storey service residence condominium at Bandar Uda Utama near here recently.

Mohamed Khaled said while a university was a place for undergraduates to take up disciplines or courses to suit them for a working world, the process stopped there.

He added the working environment was totally different from the university days and what they learnt in university might not what they expect when they started working.

“Universities and industries should collaborate to produce human capital which will help to transform Malaysia into a high income nation,” added Mohamed Khaled.

He said industries and companies must be willing to share their expertise and knowledge with undergraduates while they undergo internship programme at the respective places.

Mohamed Khaled said the Government’s objective was to produce all rounder graduates who did not solely depending on jobs from the public and private sectors but those with entrepreneurial skills.

“We want to see our graduates to become job providers upon leaving their universities and create job for others instead of becoming job seekers,” he said.

High Demands from Local Graduates Deter Job Opportunities

Graduates too picky on jobs

By ZAZALI MUSA, MARCH 2012

Source: The Star

JOHOR BARU: Jobs are plenty in the country but many fresh graduates are not realistic and remain choosy when it comes to seeking employment.

Hiring agent JobStreet.com chief executive officer Mark Chang said one of the most prevalent issues among them are high expectations on drawing good salary.

He added that others factors include a mismatch between the industries and the universities where many graduates are not marketable.

“Parents also play a part where they would rather have their children working closely to their hometown and not willing to part with them,” he said.

Seeking the best: Many unemployed graduates are out there looking for jobs, and some are choosy and bidding their time to find the right job.

Chang commented on this at a lecture called ‘Starting a Company: the JobStreet Story’ at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai recently.

The lecture series is part of the UTM’s programme to encourage its undergraduates to become entrepreneurs and job providers upon completing their studies.

He said that on the average, there were about 30,000 new jobs that were being offered on online job portals monthly in the country with many of the vacancies in the sales and marketing, IT, construction and manufacturing activities.

Chang said on-line jobs applications are getting popular in the region among job seekers and companies as it reduced certain work such as processing application papers.

“Applying online is just the first round of the job application process and it does not guarantee that employers will hire you immediately,” he stressed.

On whether a job seeker is able to secure employment, Chang said this depended entirely on the second round of the interviewing process.

He also advised the undergraduates to polish up their soft skills while studying as it would help prepare them for job interviews.

Malaysian Graduates Need Soft Skills to be Hired

Undergrads need to develop soft skills, says Khaled, Minister of Higher Education

MARCH, 2010 - The Star

SKUDAI: Undergraduates need to develop their soft skills while in university as preparation to enter the competitive job market.

Employers were no longer looking for graduates armed only with good grades, but were seeking those with effective soft skills such as the ability to communicate well and work in a team, said Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin.

The main role played by universities was to impart knowledge and it was up to undergraduates to acquire the soft skills, he said at the Career Day 2010.

It was jointly organised by the Institution of Surveyors Malaysia, Johor Education Department and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for Form Four and Five students.

Khaled also called on undergraduates to enrich their campus life with studies and extra-curricular activities, such as participating in sports events, joining societies and doing volunteer work.

He added companies or employers did not necessarily hire graduates who passed with flying colours, adding those with average academic qualification but better soft skills had a better chance of being hired.

Separately, Khaled called on parents to also change their mindset and not only limit their children’s education courses to medicine, engineering or architecture only.

Too many students were applying to study these popular courses in universities, although the chances of getting in were slim due to limited space available.