On job hunting & career building: FOCUS on your POTENTIAL.

We're not used to negativity on this blog... come on, as if we've just made a revelation there. It's our goal: to come up with an informative as well as encouraging product always...everyday. We've got enough resources to do so after all. Plus the fact that you guys never fail to support our endeavors; we always feel the need to return.

In a turbulent job market, how can you stay positive? We've been asked this question a dozen times. We've always been open about our belief that the news is a great career resource... we're not wondering why. And as a branch of a known public service website, its our job to not be confusing to our readers. We've been consistent with our answer, of course: FOCUS on what you CAN do to beat its turbulence. Yes, in career, the NEWS is GOOD. But though, it's important that you keep up with the news, don't let its negative sides hinder you from reaching your full potential. USE the news to know the tempo, not as your sole basis for movement. Because if you do that, well, you'll be giving yourself a reason to quit the fight altogether. Sort of beats the purpose, right?

Yes, frustration is toxic. Especially for job hunters who've been trying so hard to find a place in the work world but to little avail, this is the worse. Frustration is more manageable on the part of working professionals, but it's always good to be free from it. We hope you're already getting the idea...where we're leading at. Whatever is your current status in the work world, whether you're a job hunter or an employee, it's your POTENTIAL that you should keep track of, not the job market's drama of downs or what. Keeping up with the latest goings on is imperative in career building, but there's a big difference between reading the news every day to know what's happening around and overdoing it. Again, USE the news as a TOOL, not as BASIS -- a tool to find good alternatives if your choice of trade isn't as accommodating, if you're a job hunter or something to help you pinpoint the right time to ask for additional benefits such as salary increase, training opportunities, vacations, and the likes, if you're already working. That's the idea.

Of course, we're not going to end this without tips. We've opened the discussion; it's also our duty to give you ideas on "HOW." What do we always say about career building? That it's a continuous process. And that learning is imperative to the goal. Use the news to find out the most in demand skills in your field, for instance. Then, look for career seminars and other training opportunities to be able to hone yourself in that department or if you're new to it, learn. Allow us to give an example scenario: A number of large scale projects have resulted in demand for strong technical candidates, particularly within the banking, telecom and energy sectors, according to the July – September Hays Quarterly Report. The keywords to note here are technical skills. How'd you rate yourself in that department? Good? Average? Regardless of your rating, you might want to consider attending these computer courses from JobsDB.com Singapore's training and development arm, LearningDB.com.

Several times a month, LearningDB.com offers courses on Microsoft Office Programs and Adobe. From Microsoft Introduction to Microsoft Access and Flash CS3 to Photoshop CS4, these courses are sure to equip you with the right knowledge. For more information, please contact LearningDB.com at 6861 1000 or email to learning@jobsdb.com.sg.


We're going to make use of the HR career path as a sample scenario for arts people. Joanne Chua, Manager at Robert Walters has shared with us when we've interviewed her for Career Advice that the industry of HR is all about people development and soft skills. It goes without saying, the candidates with the best experience (whether actual or through seminars) on these are the advantaged ones. What does JobsDB.com Singapore has to offer for you in case you're cruising this boat? For this month, Career Events' is offering EQ and You, a seminar on the significance of Emotional Intelligence in one's personal and professional life. For more information, please call Pei Yan or Linc at 6861 1000 or email us at marketinginfo@jobsdb.com.sg. We've also developed a page for it on Facebook: www.facebook.com/JobsDB.com.sg?v=app_7146470109. The following are upcoming LearningDB.com events on personal development:

Emotional Intelligence at Work -- Leslie Choudhury -- Sep 17
People Management Skills -- Pang Li Kin -- Sep 14-15
Making Great Connections -- Shirley Taylor & Alison Lester -- Oct 21

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For career tips, we recommend Career Advice. From job hunting tips to career development guidelines, get advice from experts @ www.jobsdb.com.sg/SG/en/Resources/JobSeekerIndex.