INFocus October: Part-Time Hospitality, Food & Beverage and Retail

Find part-time job opportunities that are just right for you inside jobsDB's INFocus October where hundreds of available part-time jobs in Hospitality, F&B and Retail await your application.

We also bring you useful tips that can assist you in finding the part-time job that you want as well as handy career advice on how to fare better in your part-time job.

There's better out there. Here's where you find it.

Click here to visit INFocus October now!

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The Right Way to Interview Job Candidates

Whether the candidate you’re about to interview is an established professional or a young job seeker, you need to impress upon him that your company follows high standards of professionalism. Whatever favorable impression you made through your job posting on one of the leading newspapers and job portals in Singapore, you have to build on when you conduct your interview.


Be on time
Keeping an interviewee waiting for more than a few minutes is a sure way to create a bad first impression for your company. If he makes an effort to arrive on time, he has a right to expect the same from his prospective employer. Be on time, and you get his respect right off the bat.

To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/1fxDEef

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Different Approaches to Resolve Office Conflict

Your job search in Singapore has finally landed you the job of your dreams. You’ve successfully moved from being a job seeker to a professional and you’re now leading a team of hardworking career-driven workers. Then, it happens. A conflict between team members threatens to disrupt harmony and workflow. How do you get the two warring parties to reconcile and get back on track? There are many different approaches to resolving conflicts. Here are a few that should prove helpful.

To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/1cDSwIp

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Take Team Building to the Skies

In just about any job advertisement Singapore newspapers and job portals carry, you’ll find words like “team,” “coordinate,” and “work with.” This only goes to show how just about every employee, no matter what his job, has to perform a role in a group of other employees. In other words, everybody is part of a team, and for that team to succeed, its members have to work together well.

In their effort to make their teams perform as cohesive units, managers are constantly looking for novel team-building programs. These include company outings, games during parties and other activities that mix fun with the objective of improving teamwork.

To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/17rarfV

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Announcing jobsDB Singapore’s new partnership with Yahoo!

SINGAPORE, 13 AUGUST 2013 – Leading online job portal, jobsDB Singapore, had commenced its partnership with Yahoo! on August 1st to create even more opportunities for job seekers in Singapore to find jobs. The strategic alliance gives Yahoo! Singapore’s 5.5 million monthly unique visitors direct access to jobsDB Singapore’s website via a new dedicated icon on the Yahoo! Singapore homepage. This new partnership significantly broadens jobsDB’s reach, benefitting both job seekers and employers alike as Yahoo! is one of the most popular online destinations here.

Furthermore, the partnership will also allow jobsDB’s 22,000+ available jobs – from temporary vacancies to full-time jobs – to be viewed by Yahoo! visitors. This further establishes the job site as a preferred place for employers to reach the widest breadth of potential employment candidates in Singapore.


To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/1ecINdM

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Traits and Skills of Successful Salesmen

Sales jobs may vary in many ways, but the skill set that makes for good salesmanship remains constant across all industries. Sales professionals who have honed these skills are the ones most likely to move up to sales manager and sales executive.

It doesn't take natural talent to be an effective salesperson. It takes the following traits that can be developed and skills that can be learned.


Confidence
This is by far the most important trait of the successful salesperson. You must believe in yourself and your product for your prospects to believe in you. When you project an aura of confidence, you convince others that that you are a person they'll want to deal with. Speak with authority and answer questions without hesitation, and you're halfway towards making the sale.



To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/1a4XkFQ

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jobsDB’s MD, Angeli Beltran, Talks to Marketing Magazine About Our Refreshing Brand Revamp

Angeli is pictured on the cover of Marketing Magazine's July '13 issue
with TBWA\'s Creative Director for our account, Eddie Azadi.

jobsDB’s Managing Director, Angeli Beltran, was featured on Marketing Magazine’s July ’13 edition in their cover story of jobsDB’s massive brand revamp. The cover story on Asia Pacific’s highest circulating publication for advertising and marketing professionals further establishes jobsDB as a leading jobs portal and thought leader for Singapore job seekers.

The magazine interview chronicled the development of jobsDB’s brand revamp: from the intense pitching process in which TBWA\ won, to the crazy deadlines that both the agency and our marketing team had to meet for the entire campaign to be completed within one week.

Read the whole article here.

This article is either written or edited by jobsDB SG. If you would like to publish or link it on your website or publication, you have to write to marketinginfo@jobsdb.com.sg for permission. We reserve the right to take legal action if we find copyright infringement.

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How Talent Management Can Drive Business Growth

Talent management is one of the critical tasks every company has to undertake in order to keep their best employees, regardless of the state of the economy. Under favorable economic conditions, employees find it easy to conduct a job search in Singapore, mostly through job finder websites, in the hopes of landing a better job. This makes it necessary for companies to devise ways to retain their best talents. During difficult times, companies have to show their determination to keep their best employees, to prevent them from leaving once the economy gets better.

An ACCA report titled “Talent Management in 2010: Foundations for Growth” discussed the importance of talent management, as well as the effectiveness of current strategies, and the challenges involved in planning and implementing talent management programs. The report contains the findings of a survey on talent management practices in the finance profession, conducted among 1400 individuals from 105 countries.

The Importance of Talent Management
The ACCA report states that “good talent management practices lay the foundation for business growth, and are at the heart of value creation in the knowledge economy.” Finance professionals, it was found, recognize the benefits and importance of well-implemented talent management programs. They see these programs as critical to the development of high-potential individuals, the identification of future leaders, and the planning of succession.

To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/1ecJ8gp

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High Potential Programs: Boosting Retention and Maximizing Talent

The science of finding the right talent has evolved considerably from the usual practice of visiting every job website Singapore has to offer, consulting career centers, and interviewing qualified job seekers. More and more employers are looking to High Potential Programs to build employee capability, retain the best talents, and drive business goals.

According to the latest Hudson Report, 65.3% of employers currently utilize High Potential Programs. This serves as testimony to the fact that these programs are a sound business decision.

Tony Pownall, General Manager of Hudson Hong Kong, shares: “The war for talent is still very much on, so it is now more important than ever for employers to reframe their approach to talent management, re-evaluating the skills and capabilities required within their teams and build a talent pipeline that will assist in meeting the challenge of current and future talent shortages.”

“As a result, we’re seeing a higher incidence of employers using High Potential Programs to boost engagement and retain staff which is key to driving efficiency, productivity and minimising business disruption.” 

To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/13bkXut

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Eight Ways to Keep Your Best People

You never know when one of your key people will come up to you to express his intention to join another company. When you least expect it, you have to visit a Singapore job portal to look for a job seeker who can replace a departing employee.

There’s never any guarantee that you can keep this from happening, but there are ways to increase your chances of successful retention.

1. Communicate Employees always appreciate transparency. If you keep them in the loop about what is going on within the organisation, both good news and bad, you make them feel important, and that is key to employee satisfaction.

2. Educate It’s important for your people to know that you’re willing to invest in their future. Provide them with training programs and opportunities for career advancement, and you earn loyalty points with them.

To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/15rsAKI

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What to Consider Before You Make a Counter Offer

A key member of your team has expressed his intention to resign, and you don’t want to lose him. Should you visit a job portal or one of those job search engines to look for a replacement, or should you make a counter offer? If you feel less inclined to take the job posting route, there are steps you have to take before making that counter offer.

Talk to the resigning employee
This serves a dual purpose: to express your regret over his decision, and to find out his reasons for resigning. What are his views on the job, his coworkers, and the company? These bits of information will help you move on to the next step.

Identify his concerns
After talking to the employee, you’ll have a clear idea of his reasons for resigning. Study these carefully: do they have to do with money, career growth opportunities, the workplace environment, work relationships, or personal matters?

To read the rest of this article, visit http://bit.ly/14WKEzX

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Secure the Top Talent in Sales and Business Development

Among the Singapore jobs vacancies, spots for sales agents in particular are proving harder and harder to fill, as the war for talent reaches boiling point. People with sales experience and business development skills in information technology (IT), fast moving consumer goods (FMCG), life sciences and banking are highly sought after by employers looking to boost profits and maintain a competitive edge.

In line with broader labour market trends, mobility in sales and business development roles is high. A general employee lifecycle is between 18 and 24 months. For generation Y, it can be as short as 12, or even 6 months. Hence, one of the biggest challenges that employers of sales and business development professionals face is talent attraction and retention.

Here are some tips to help ensure employers can secure the best talent.

1. Acknowledge the talent shortage
Some senior managers maintain the perception that there are many jobseekers to choose from and it is an employers’ market. However, with 1.9 percent unemployment in Singapore, this is not the case. For some companies, sales and business development roles can remain vacant for up to six months. Once this is realised, the need to have a tailored talent attraction and retention strategy in place becomes obvious.

2. Focus on the key skills
In this talent-tight market, employers must keep an open mind when considering new hires for the company. Look deeper into the experience of a candidate, rather than rejecting them straight away because they do not match all of the required skills sets. Industry experience and inititiative play a big part. Also, while some candidates might not have years of experience, they might be enthusiastic and willing to learn. Once they are given the opportunity to learn and grow, they will succeed in their roles fast.

The most successful sales professionals usually possess a positive “can-do” attitude and well-versed communication skills. This means that they listen to customers closely, provide the right solutions, and are able to articulate the benefits of the products to the customers. They also need to have a high level of energy and be able to think strategically. If a jobseeker does not have relevant experience, but has these qualities, he might just be the next sales star.

3. Act fast
Interviews and approval procedures can take time. It’s important to bear in mind that if you take a while to get back to a good candidate, you run the risk that they might have accepted another offer and moved on. The lesson is: once you identify a talented individual, act fast and secure them immediately.

4. Nurture the talent you have
Once a new member joins the team, it is important for employers to bring them up to speed as soon as possible. Give them clear targets and strategies, and let them know the expectations from the onset. It will be good to give them break-down targets in first, third and sixth months and reward them once they meet these targets. This helps to keep them motivated and engaged.

Jobseekers in Singapore do not only focus on a competitive remuneration package, but also the training and career advancement opportunities provided. Business leaders need to think strategically and make sure they attract and retain the best talent to propel their business forward.

Secure the Top Talent in Sales and Business Development Article by: Richard Farmer, Director of Professionals, Randstad

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KEEPING OFFICE COMPETITION HEALTHY

Office competition can be a double-edged sword. Handled properly, it can be an effective motivator and deliver outstanding results. Approached ruthlessly, it can be a source of demoralization and disgruntlement. An admin assistant may resort to devious means to outdo her peer. A finance analyst may try to inflate figures just to beat the others in his department. Even those who have held temporary jobs in Singapore have probably experienced office competitions getting out of hand.

When your boss decides to hold a competition among you and your peers, it’s important that you approach the exercise with an open mind and a positive attitude. This means not just bringing your “A” game, but also giving importance to the value of fair play.

Compete against yourself, not the others.
Don’t think of office competition as a “me-against-them” affair. Don’t try to second-guess what the others are cooking up. Just go out and do your best. Recall your biggest accomplishment, and use that as the yardstick against which you should measure your effort. This is what being your own biggest competition is about. You try to outdo yourself, not your opponents.

Keep the competition friendly.
Stay cordial with your officemates throughout the competition. Enjoy lunch and coffee with them as you always do. You can talk about the competition if you like, and even engage in friendly trash talking, but be sure to keep it just that, friendly. Good-natured jibes can actually create a more relaxed atmosphere and keep the competition in its proper perspective.

Win or lose, be gracious.
When the outcome of an office competition is a matter of judgment (as opposed to something quantifiable like sales figures), there’s bound to be some grumbling when the winner is announced. Don’t allow yourself to be part of that. If you lose, accept the decision graciously. Congratulate the winner and learn from the experience. If you win, stay humble and acknowledge the work that everyone else put in.

Remember that you’re still on the same team.
Unlike competition with other companies, competitions within a company are by nature temporary. You have to keep in mind that whatever the outcome, you’re still teammates. If you lose, give your full support to the winner. Let him know that whatever additional work has to be done, you’ll be ready to help. If you win, let your teammates know that you’ll welcome any ideas that will enhance your work. This will tell them that you want them to take part in your success.

Competition, they say, can bring out the best and the worst in us. When you push out the negative and let your office competition bring out the best in you, you’ll earn the respect of both your boss and your peers. That’s definitely the best prize you can win.

Image source: 
http://www.123rf.com/photo_1592941_business-team-in-a-competition-in-the-office--focus-is-on-the-face-of-the-second-guy-from-right-to-l.html

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SEVEN GREAT WAYS TO BEAT STRESS

The interior design plan you presented was disapproved, and you have to come up with a new one in two days. The materials you ordered for your event management project are running late, and your client is breathing down your neck. The finance analyst tells you the budget you proposed is not feasible. The software you’ve been working on for a whole week suddenly develops a bug.

Stress. It can weigh heavily on you, and make you want to give up. Don’t let stress get the better of you. Try these proven stress busters.

Emphasize the positive. Focus on the good things that happened during the day, no matter how small, and use the emotion that came with these to get you through. This will lift your mood and make it easier for you to tackle the problems you’re facing.

Phone a friend or loved one. Studies reveal that talking to a good friend or loved one boosts the production of oxytocin, a feel-good hormone that relaxes the mind and body. Spend a few minutes talking about anything you like, not necessarily your stressful situation. When you’re done, you’ll find that your mind is clearer.

Have a good laugh. It’s been said a million times, laughter is the best medicine. One of the many ailments it cures is stress. Share a joke with officemates, look up a funny page on the internet, or read the comics section in the newspaper. Sometimes, even just recalling a good joke you heard long ago will do the trick. Laughing eases bodily tension, so you’ll feel more relaxed when you go back to work.

List down your tasks. If the sheer volume of work is the source of your stress, make a list of the things you have to do. Decide in what order you intend to work on these, and if possible, how you plan to go about each one. Organizing your tasks in a neat to-do list makes it easier for you to focus on each one. Keep the list where you’ll easily see it. With each completed task, cross out the corresponding item in the list. This action alone gives you a feeling of accomplishment, which in turn leaves you feeling more stress-free.

Listen to your favourite relaxing music. While at your desk, plug in your headphones and enjoy the melodies of your favourite composers. Be sure to listen to soothing music. It tends to relax the muscles and cut off the production of the stress hormone cortisol. De-clutter your desk. The mere sight of a desk that’s cluttered with documents can be enough to cause stress. Clear your desk and you clear your mind.

Organise your documents so that those that are relevant to a particular task are bunched together. Place these in a drawer or shelf for quick retrieval when you’ll need them. Throw out anything that you won’t need.

Take a walk. Getting away from your desk can do wonders in clearing your mind. Go out and take a relaxing stroll around the block. Don’t think about the problem that’s causing you stress. Look at the people around you, the foliage, the cafes, anything that will get your mind off the stressful situation. Spend about 15 to 20 minutes just walking around. You’ll find that when you get back to your desk, both your mind and your body are more relaxed.

You may have noticed that these stress busters involve stopping work temporarily. That’s exactly the point. The secret to beating stress is not in confronting it, but in freeing yourself from it. When you’ve experienced that liberation of mind and body, you’ll feel that nothing can stop you from achieving what you have to.

Image source: http://coodet.com/chair-work-for-relaxation-by-lay-flat/chair-work-for-relaxation-by-lay-flat-5/

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OFFICE FRIENDSHIPS: FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

Let’s say your job search lands you in a company where you find yourself getting along with one or two particular officemates more than any of the others. You may enjoy the finance analyst’s company, or you may share common interests with the admin assistant. You find yourself spending lunch breaks, coffee breaks and off hours together. Your relationship goes beyond professional. 

Now, you may wonder, is there anything wrong with being friends with officemates? For the most part, no, there’s nothing wrong, but you have to understand that there are limits to what you can share, and there are pros and cons to office friendships.

First, set the limits. When talking about personal matters with your officemate friends, these are the things you should keep to yourself:
• Your salary, and other matters having to do with money
• Your health concerns
• Problems that have to do with your family
• Details of your job performance reports or reviews

Remember that you’re officemates first, friends second. You have to know where to draw the line when talking about your personal life (and certain aspects of your professional life).

Once you’ve defined these limits, you can enjoy the benefits of your office friendships:

Work becomes more pleasant. You actually look forward to going to the office, because you know you’ll be with people who appreciate you.

Communication is better. Friends have a way of understanding each other more than ordinary officemates. This makes miscommunications and misunderstandings less likely to happen.

You have an outlet to vent your emotions. A friend is one who listens. When you have someone you can turn to when you feel angry, frustrated, depressed, annoyed, or any such emotion that needs venting, it becomes much easier for you to get over the negative feelings and get back on track.

You’re able to express yourself more freely. During work-related discussions, being with friends gives you a feeling of freedom to express your opinion without fear of disapproval or ridicule. You become more relaxed, and consequently more open.

On the other hand, there are certain things you have to aware of to make sure that your office friendships don’t get in the way of your work.

Your professionalism may be affected. Too much small talk or joking around will take away from your focus on your job. Place a limit on extracurricular activities and don’t lose sight of your responsibilities.

Others may resent you. When you stand up for each other more than for other officemates, your actions can be interpreted as political maneuverings. Treat all your coworkers equally, friend or not.

You might get too close. As you get closer to your officemate friends, you might get to the point of being too open for your own sake. Keep in mind the list of things you shouldn’t reveal about yourself.

As you can see, these issues are things that are well within your control. From this, we can safely conclude that the benefits of office friendships far outweigh the drawbacks. It’s just a matter of knowing how to manage your office friendships and bearing in mind that no matter what, professionalism should always come first.

Image source: http://voices.yahoo.com/image/1087946/index.html?cat=41

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HOW TO RESOLVE WORKPLACE CONFLICTS

In the list of tasks that most managers would rather not do but have to, it’s a safe bet that resolving conflicts ranks quite high. After all, the manager’s primary task is to see to it that his team remains productive, and fights between team members are the last thing he would want to manage. 

But conflicts are for the most part inevitable. When you have a group of diverse personalities working together, there are bound to be clashes. This is especially true in departments where team members have to work closely together, such as those in marketing, event management, finance, and project management jobs. 

When such conflicts arise within your team, you have to accept the fact that the fixing job is yours, not the HR Manager’s and certainly not the admin assistant’s. Your have to try to get the involved parties to reconcile their differences, or, at the very least, see to it that the conflict won’t affect the team’s productivity. It’s a matter of taking the right steps. 

1. Get both sides. 
Your first order of business is to talk to the concerned employees separately. You want to get to the root of the problem, and part of that process is hearing both versions. Make mental notes of what each has to say. Your purpose here is not to decide which employee is right and which one is wrong, but simply to hear them out. They’ll both appreciate your taking time to listen to them. 

2. Step back. 
Assess the situation. You need to determine if the conflict is personal or professional. This can be quite tricky, because it’s not unusual for the personal and the professional to overlap in the workplace. Recall the points that each employee made, and base your decision on these. Once you’ve made the determination, you’re left with two options: leave it to them, or mediate. 

3. Leave it up to them. 
If you find out that the conflict is of a personal nature – meaning that the two simply don’t like each other – it would be best for you to stay out of it. You’re a manager, not a parent-figure. You should, however, talk to them separately and make it clear to them that even though they don’t get along, they have to respect each other, be professional and work together. Also, let them know that you won’t tolerate factionalizing. It’s bad enough when there are two in conflict within the team. If each of them tries to get others to take his side, this would only worsen what’s already a bad situation. 

4. Mediate. 
This is the route you take when you find out that the conflict is purely professional. You have to sit down with the two, and try to come up with a resolution. What’s important here is that both see the importance of good teamwork. 

Throughout the entire process, ensure that you remain objective, cool, and respectful to both parties. You have to set a good example. Taking sides, losing your temper, and not showing the proper respect will only drag you into the same problem – conflict – which you’re trying to fix in the first place. 

Image source: 
http://www.bwell.ie/bwell/Main/Corporate-ConflictResoution.htm

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THE GRACEFUL EXIT

You’ve come to that point where you’re not happy anymore in your present company. The job doesn’t offer enough challenges. You’ve grown tired of the routine, the sight of your desk, and even the office’s interior design. You decide to check out the job vacancies in Singapore, and you find what you think is the position that’s better suited to your career objective. You apply, and you get accepted. So the time has come for you to part ways with your employer.

Whatever your reasons for wanting to pack your bags and go, you owe it to yourself to make sure you leave on good terms. No bad blood, no ill will, only a good legacy. Here are a few tips to help you make your exit a graceful one.

Tell your boss face-to-face.

This is the first thing you should do as soon as you’ve made up your mind that you’re resigning. Don’t tell anyone else within the company. Your boss should be the first to know, and he should hear it from you. Do not print out your resignation letter and hand it to him, or tell him by email or text. This will come across as an FYI that will deny him the opportunity to ask you about your plans. Ask for a few minutes of his time, then go direct to the point and tell him about your intention to leave. Timing is of the essence here. You have to ask to see him when he’s not harassed or stressed. A good time would be the end of the day, when things have slowed down a bit in the office. 

Maintain your professionalism.

If you’re leaving the company because you have certain grievances – about your boss, your coworkers, or the way things are run – it would be best for you to keep these to yourself. Just keep your focus on your present job and go about your business quietly. Continue putting in an honest day’s work each day. Work overtime if you have to, and don’t grumble. Ensure a smooth transition by properly turning over your projects. Finish everything you have to before you make your exit.

Refrain from talking about your new job.

You’ll likely be excited about what’s waiting for you at the company you’ll be moving to – the higher salary you’ll be getting, the new responsibilities you’ll be taking on, the perks that will come with your new job, etc. But being excited is not a good reason to go telling everyone in sight about it. Your colleagues want to see you working, not bragging. Talk about your new job only to your family and close friends outside the company.

Don’t betray your employer’s trust.

If your new employer competes directly with your present employer, you have to make it clear to your new boss that you will not compromise your professional ethics. Whatever company secrets your present employer has entrusted to you, you must honor that trust. When you make this clear to your new boss, you will earn his respect. If he knows someone in your present company, he might even give him a call and put in some words of praise for your professionalism.

At the end of the day (your last day at the office, to be specific), you have to be able to leave with your reputation intact. Shake hands with each of your coworkers, wish them well, and they’ll do the same for you. Forget about whatever grievances you may have had, move on graciously, and you’ll be remembered in a positive light.

Image source:

http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/resign-job-big-company-6992.html

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HONING YOUR PRESENTATION SKILLS

In the world of business, good salesmanship isn’t the exclusive domain of sales professionals. Employees of various departments and specialists in numerous industries routinely have to do selling jobs of their own. The finance analyst has to sell budget plans to management. The marketing consultant has to sell marketing/PR/advertising plans to his clients. The recruitment consultant has to sell his talents to companies.

Whether within the company or outside of it, effective selling requires solid presentation skills, because no matter how well thought out your material is, whether it’s an advertising/PR campaign, an interior design plan, a budget proposal, or a sales initiative, you still have to do a good job of selling it. The following tips will help you make a good, impactful presentation.

Rehearse your pitch.
A good presenter knows exactly what he’s going to say without memorizing. It’s important that you know the main points of your presentation and present them convincingly. If you memorize your pitch like a script, it will show in your delivery. You have to come across as someone who knows what he’s talking about, and can talk about it spontaneously.

Check the venue beforehand.
If you’re going to make your presentation at a venue outside your office, ask if it’s possible to see the room about 30 minutes before the presentation. Get a good feel of the place. If you’re going to use PowerPoint, note the position of the screen, and where you’ll stand. If you’re going to use a flip chart, find the spot where it will get maximum visibility. Define the area you’ll be working with and plan your movements accordingly.

Give a clear intro spiel.
When it’s time for your presentation, start by stating your purpose. In doing so, state the overall immediate benefit that’s relevant to your audience. Be concise and straight to the point.

Speak with confidence.
As you make your presentation, speak slowly enough that your audience can absorb what you’re saying, but continuously enough that you project confidence. Pause only occasionally to emphasize important points.

Maintain eye contact.
Let your eyes travel to every person in the room as you speak. Don’t favour any particular individual. You have to let your audience know that each of them is important to you. Don’t make the mistake of looking at the wall behind the audience.

Tell stories to illustrate your points.
It always helps to share anecdotes to get your point across. Stories based on actual experience help concretize the theoretical, and make your presentation more interesting.
The accounting department of one company I serviced once experienced a major program crash. In a matter of seconds, they lost two gigabytes of data they had compiled over three days. With our new system, this sort of thing will never happen to you.

Emphasize the benefits.
Every time you highlight a feature of the product or service you’re selling, be sure to follow this with its corresponding benefit. Remember, your audience will want to know what’s in it for them. Don’t be too product-centric.

Our software is backward-compatible with the old version. This means you won’t have to reformat your old files to make them compatible with this updated version. You’ll have no trouble opening these files with the new software, so the transition will be seamless.

Answer all questions to the best of your ability.
When it’s time for the question-and-answer session, continue speaking with confidence. If you’re able to answer questions without hesitation, your audience will see you as one who knows what he’s talking about. As you gain more experience with presentation, you’ll be able to put together an FAQ list that will help keep you prepared.

Some additional tips:
When you’re at the supermarket or department store, observe the product demonstrators as they make their pitch. Be critical. Make mental notes of what works and what doesn’t.
Watch PowerPoint presentations on YouTube. The late Steve Jobs was a master presenter. He was one of the few who understood that his presentation software was meant to aid, and not be the focal point, of his presentation.

Understand that there are different types of audiences. The way you conduct yourself in front of a group of clients would be different from the way you present to your peers in the office. Know when you have to be formal, when you can be more laid back and casual, and even when you can spice up your presentation with a few jokes here and there.

Learn from your seasoned colleagues. Every office has its share of good presenters. Watch them in action, and see what makes their presentations click.

Never stop looking for new ways to make your presentation interesting. This is especially relevant if your job requires you to do a lot of presenting. Try not to establish a predictable “style.” Come up with something new each time. The element of surprise can be a powerful tool in salesmanship.

Image source:
http://thetiquetteschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Winning-Presentation-Skills.jpg

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A CLOSE LOOK AT JOB AD SCAMS

 

There’s no doubt that conducting your job search online is faster, easier, and more convenient than the old, conventional methods. Unfortunately, cyberspace dealings have a drawback: job offer scammers are out there, waiting for you to fall into their carefully laid out traps and mess up your career objective. Scammers create bogus job vacancies in Singapore, all designed to separate you from your money. Some scams are so obvious that they’re not likely to succeed in fooling you. Others, though, are more subtle, and you would do well to be wary of these. Don’t fall victim to online swindlers. Put these practical safety tips into practice. Don’t submit personal and account information. No legitimate employer would require applicants to submit information like bank account number, social security number, and taxpayer’s identification number online. Information of this nature is normally asked only after you’ve gotten the job. When an ad asks you to provide these at the application stage, it’s almost sure to be a scam. Also, when you see a job ad that requires you to download software to fill up a form, don’t click on the link. This is likely to be malware that will give the scammer access to sensitive information stored in your computer’s hard drive. 

Don’t entertain job offers that require you to pay a fee. Some job scammers require applicants to pay what they call an “application processing fee.” They typically instruct the applicant to pay via money transfer, online credit card payment, or bank deposit. When you see this requirement, let this serve as a warning. There’s no such thing as an application processing fee. 

Don’t entertain companies that require you to buy products or avail of services beforehand. This type of requirement can be legitimate for companies in sales, merchandising, or franchising, but not during the job application process. If you’re asked to shell out money for products or services as a prerequisite for employment, stop right there. Don’t proceed with your application.

Don’t accept a job that’s given to you without so much as an interview. Any legitimate employer will tell you that the interview is a vital step in the hiring process. If a company expresses interest in employing you with unusual haste, skipping this very basic step, there’s good reason to be suspicious. 

Many of these bogus job ads come with very enticing offers, like high salaries, unusually generous commission packages, and get-rich-quick schemes. The cardinal rule in avoiding being scammed is, if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your better judgment. Stay vigilant, keep your guard up, and no scammer will be able to take advantage of you.

Image source: 
http://www.wordspin.dk/2011/08/11/does-nothing-matter-in-danish/

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THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY TO YOUR BOSS

Any good manager likes an employee who speaks his mind. Having the courage to say things that need to be said is generally considered a good quality. But what to say and how to say it are two very different things. You need to practice good diplomacy. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a full timer with a clearly defined long-term career objective or a part-timer in one of those temporary jobs in Singapore. You have to know how to say what you need to say without offending your boss. 

To maintain a good working relationship with your boss, here’s a list of the things you should never, ever tell him.

“I can’t do that; it’s not possible.” No manager likes being told “no.” When you tell him that what he’s asking for isn’t possible, you are in effect rejecting the job he’s assigning to you. Don’t do that. Find a way. Of course, there will be times when what you’re being tasked to do is really not humanly possible. For example: you work in an event management, and your boss wants you to have 200 invitations ready for mailing in five days, If you’re convinced you can’t possibly deliver on this, don’t say it can’t be done. First, discuss the possible alternatives with your boss. Ask him if he can move the deadline a few days. If he says no, ask him if it’s all right to email the invitations instead of sending out hard copies. If this isn’t feasible either, discuss with him the possibility of getting help from other members of the team, and even other departments, to get the job done. Get all the help you need. Whatever you do, don’t tell your boss it’s not possible.

“That’s not my job.” When your boss asks you to do something that’s not in your job description, understand first of all that he already knows all about your job description. After all, he is your boss. But it’s not unusual for managers to now and then ask their people to take on certain tasks that go beyond their job descriptions. It may be that the department that’s better able to do the job is overloaded or understaffed at the moment. Also, keep in mind that your boss wouldn’t ask you to do something outside your job description if he didn’t think you were capable. Show your boss that you’re willing to go that extra mile. Stay positive, and do what has to be done.

“I’ll try.” This implies that there’s the possibility of failure. You can dress up the statement all you like, saying things like “I’ll give it my best shot,” or “I’ll do what I can,” but your boss will see right through the disguise. These “I’ll try” responses are actually an admission that the task at hand is a daunting one, and you don’t want to make any commitments. In other words, “I’ll try” is too safe. Your boss doesn’t want to hear any non-committal, safe answers. What he wants to hear is, “I’ll do it,” and he wants to hear this said with conviction. Think of it this way: taking on challenges not only puts you in a good light with your boss, it also helps you grow professionally.

“I stayed up late working on this.” Here’s a simple rule to keep in mind: you do NOT talk about how passionate you are about your job, or how hard you work. You show it. Your boss doesn’t want to hear you rambling on about how much effort you put into this project or that requirement. He just wants to see the results. Other statements that fall under this category: “I sacrificed my weekend to finish this job on time.” “I worked at home, using my own computer, to meet the deadline.” These proclamations are a double-edged sword: they come across as a combination of bragging and griping. Your boss’s immediate reaction (spoken or unspoken): Spare me. And you know what? He’s right. You have to let your actions, not your words, speak for you.

“I don’t agree with you.” These are words no manager wants to hear from a subordinate. It’s not only tactless, it’s downright disrespectful. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking one-on-one or in a group meeting (though the latter would certainly be worse). You just don’t say this. Your view may once in a while differ from that of your boss, but you don’t have to be so blunt about it. While he may welcome a different perspective, there’s a proper way to express your view. When you find yourself disagreeing with your boss, say instead, “The way I see it…” or “My thinking is…” Note that there is no word in these phrases that indicates disagreement. What is indicated is an expression of opinion, which any good manager welcomes.

Remember, if your words won’t achieve anything, don’t speak. But if you must speak, choose your words wisely. In both your work and your personal life, diplomacy goes a long way towards building good relationships.

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http://www.medicalpracticetrends.com/?attachment_id=401

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