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. 

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. 

Source: Avinash Kaushik 

# 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.

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).

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. 

Source: Avinash Kaushik

# 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.

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."

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.

Source: Avinash Kaushik 

# 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. . . .

to initiatives like the greener cars (I know green car is a oxymoron) like the plugin hybrid. . . .

to the cup of juice that I pick up at breakfast. . . .

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!!).

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. 

Source: Avinash Kaushik

# 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 work 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!").

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.

[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.

Source: Avinash Kaushik 

# 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. . . .

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.

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?

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. 

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. 

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.