New “House” for My_1st_Path

Hi everyone, we’re glad to announce our new home for My1stPath blog, finally we got our DotCom, isn’t it cool?

Well, definitely we’ve got a long list of people to thank to, here we go…

Thanks to Cheng Soon from GetFound.com.my for his professional consultancy and his effort and time. Mostly he did the migration stuff which none of us know-how. If I’m not mistaken he had to export from WordPress.com manually, article by article… And not to forget the header part! Yea it was me who get the graphic done initially, but without his Firework to add on some effect it won’t be as lively as we have now. Cheng Soon will be helping us a lot in the future in My1stPath, for a kind young man and talented as him in SEO and internet marketing, I’d say we should really keep an eye on him. Oh yes, he is still single and available, you may get his contact from me.

Then MyPath as the mother of My1stPath! Yes, without the support behind, we won’t get most our contributors to come in and contribute, I believe they preferred to remain anonymous here (oops), anyway, this won’t happen without all of you.

And we have our article contributors, An Tien, Antonia, Teresa, PK, SH and Shanie (and many more to come, including YOU!) and last but not least, WordPress.com (haha). Thank you and looking forward for your continuous support for good articles.

Let’s look forward for more articles to come in, and we will keep improving from time to time, so stay with us at My1stPath New Home!

Revamp Your Career Life! (1 of 3)

Been dragging your feet lately when it comes to work? Many people think that signals the time to move on but before you make the huge leap think things over. A lot of times, the solution doesn’t really lie on getting a new job because a career makeover might just be the thing you need!

Your work life is very much similar with your love life; once the mundane sets in and the novelty flies out of the window people just tend to just do what’s expected of them. Gone are the enthusiasms or the new ideas that you used to have and the robotic mode takes over. So, before you take that big leap and hand in that resignation letter take a look at the practical tips below that might serve as a reminder of why you used to feel so passionate about your job in the first place.

Countering Boredom [Method One]

Given time even the most interesting job can become a ho-hum mundane. A number of well-managed organizations understand that boredom and complacency will set in when employees are designated to the same job scope for a long period of time. Without movement either in the form of promotion or more responsibilities, it’s easy to become demotivated. Tania Regis, a career columnist advices, “if your manager or organization is inclined towards job rotation, then opt to change your job function and try finding something that you will like to do or learn to do.” You will be surprised how many managers are receptive to these ideas. So, set aside a suitable time to speak with your manager but avoid plonking yourself at her table and blurt out your decision about going to another department.

Countering Boredom [Method Two]

However, if that’s not possible try reminding yourself what attracted you to the job in the first place. Has the methodical workings or the culture of the organization derives you from the joy of your job? Carrie Lim a writer confesses, “I love to write but I noticed tight deadlines is a kill joy for me. Over time, I even dreaded writing! I realized this and spoke to my editor and we worked on more realistic deadlines. Now, I have more time and my editor happier because my articles are better written and better researched.” Find out what’s bothering you about your work. Like Carrie it could be overloading but for you it might be the lack of challenge. Do you find that you could perform your duties half asleep? Then ask for more job responsibilities or perhaps speak to your boss about taking more responsibilities. Many solutions are possible once you become aware of the problem and care to take some action.

Change can be painful but always undeniably important. What do you think?

Article source: Jusco Pearl, page 42-43, Issue 37, July 2007.

Picture source: Internet

Interviewing Fresh Graduates

Hi!

My name is SH, a recruitment consultant with one of the local firm in Penang. I was invited to My1stPath to share about my experience on interviewing of fresh graduates. I have never written blogs before and this is my 1st time, so, if my blog is boring, please pardon me. I was reluctant at first to write but somehow I felt strongly and wanted to help more fresh graduates on starting right with their 1st job.

I am not going to paint a picture in my sharing as I felt you need to know the truth about the real world not the “ideal world” of employment.

Hmm… Where should I start? There is a long list to share… most of my experience of interviewing fresh graduates honestly is very disappointing. When we called them up for screening, we noted that majority of these candidates do not know what jobs they are applying. When they are called by a recruiter, they will pause and then said I did not apply to the job but then the recruiter actually shortlisted them through the advertisement they have posted. This will indeed give a very negative 1st impression. My advice is if you’re applying for a job, write it down in a note i.e. which company you have applied to in order not to loose the 1st chance for interview. Recruitment agencies will give you a chance but for employers, they will reject your application instantly. Worst still, I have come across some candidates who actually wrote in to my email through advertisements which I put up in Jobstreet. They wrote directly to me and after 5 days I called them up and the relpies I received shocked me as they said they did not apply for the said job. So, I had to refresh them on the date/time they sent the applications to me. For me, I will reject these candidates’ applications, as it seemed that these candidates are not really serious in getting into a real job. They just hit the “send” button with their resumes and hope that someone will call them up for interview appointments.

From my past experience, most of the candidates that I interviewed, I realized that most of these jobseekers are quite ignorant about the importance of resume. The job market is very competitive and recruiters from companies have many  resumes to screen and shortlist and who do you think they will shortlist?

Do you know that a good resume/write-up will provide you with an opportunity to employment? At least, you will be shortlisted for the 1st interview with the employer. How do I define a good resume? Jobstreet has a standard format and I am sure most of you have already registered with them. My advice is, spend some time planning and drafting your resume as this is the first crucial step.

Bear in mind that when you write your resume, keep it short and precise. Use effective and powerful words and if you are a fresh graduate, always remember to emphasize on the university/college and school activities that you have participated. Also, state the projects that you have participated and also your role in these projects. If you have internship, do state it down and also if you have done any part-time/casual job or volunteer work. Always remember to state clearly your responsibilities, roles and your achievements/what you have learned during your varsity/college days.

Getting testimony from your supervisor during your internship will be very helpful as it will immediately increase your chance for hiring consideration.

What you must not do. Do not copy your friends resume and send it to an  employer. I have interviewed candidates before with almost the same content in their resume. Yes, the world is that small. Always remember, lies will be spotted easily but truth will touch people’s hearts.

We have bridged candidates who are not excellent in their academic but have good attitude. Bottom-line is, it doesn’t matter how good or bad your grade is, as long as you have good attitude and willingness to learn, you will be HIRED for the job. This is what employers are looking for NOW.

Be prepared that when you applied for a job, note down which company and position you applied for and always do your research before attending the interview. If you do this, you will at least be sure to be called for 1st interview.

Well, hope this sharing helps… all the best to you.

Cheers

 

Article contributed by SH

Picture source: Internet

Face of the Clock

 

 

If Life is made up of hours and days on the clock, then here’s something to deliberate on..

NOT TOO LONG AGO our forebears knew life in ways quite unlike how we relate to it now.

For them to work was to bring home bread for the table, there was simplicity in the way the hours are allocated and the associated modes of behavior.

 

The Face of the Clock

Neither have we lost touch with the face of the clock, our hours are appropriated too by the stacks and portions. In fact we are better at it by virtue of the social system we live in. This is largely true for urban folks.

Who knows TIME better than we do? With the hours neatly packed and trimmed for unused fats, these days the exercise drills right down to the precious minutes and seconds. We are more adept than ever in watching out for the jot and title that make up the 24hour cycle in a day.

I am convinced this myself, being once an employee at a company that operated on a 5day week, work began daily without fail on the dot at 8am. The bulk of the 8~9hours spent were regimented activities all blurred into oblivion now, and most employees would be glad to be out of scrutiny by 545pm at the scan-out clock.

For me, the morning rush hour was actually a mere 45minutes on motorbike spanning a distance of 30km from urban North to the outskirt. Simple routine and numbers to live by, but they had to be exact or ‘the System will punish you’.

I knew the motorbike ahead of me on the same stretch at the particular moment during the 110km/hr ride along the North-South highway. But we would never have met each other long enough to exchange a familiar glance. I was always overtaking him on the side lane, and he probably knew me only by the L-license plate on the rear.

If I am this disciplined about the exactness of the hours and minutes, it isn’t my choice but the result of company rules and policies on punctuality and work hours. Work has altered my lifestyle behavior; I had to give up my nocturnal habits and turned myself into a (reluctant) morning person.

Why, the official dictates at work place has simply decided my bed time to be 10.30pm, the duration of travel and the hour to reach home before school closed and the kids would be crying in the dark.

Everything else I call private to my life has to be back tracked accordingly to suit the official tagline, such is the impact/influence we live in and have to live with. Ruled and reigned in, re-alignment is inevitable.

This was my weekly routine rehearsed to perfection. It was not just rat race up the corporate ladder; it was encroachment of Work into my Life.

I did not feel robbed, I just adapted like many do unwittingly. Why, my protest is feeble and would be in vain. Besides, who is not time-conscious and subservient to it? I would be crying out to nobody and appear foolish.

In contrast, my retired mother knows no difference between Monday and Sunday. While I can feel the glitch between the highlights of an eventful weekend and the monotony by Monday morning, she does not share the same excitement we get from anticipating a planned event. Her life has never been structured, organized nor planned as a housewife and a businesswoman. In fact, she never grew up having her life that much bounded with the time piece like we do. In comparison, she’s free.

For her time blends without demarcation of zones or differentiation of behaviors. She knows nothing about Monday Blue, Weekend Hangovers, Happy Hour by the weekend, etc. It surprises me whenever she asks me what day of the week it is.

For an office workers that would have been gross sin not knowing the work from his right hand to his left. Knowing and living by the hands of the clock is fundamental to life as we know it. So much about ‘Doing the Right thing at the Right time’.

The obsession and entanglement we’re in is a generality unique to our era.

 

The point of it

I am not decrying the hard facts of life; I am only highlighting something so overlooked for its simplicity & apparent ordinariness.

While we are collectively riding this massive wheel of change called Civilization, let’s not forget there was once a separation between Work and Live.

‘Living for Work and Working to Live’ are two paths heading different directions.

I would defend the sanctity of humanity, even if we have to languish in the sea of rules & regulations by the face of the Clock; we ought to stay clear against blurring the borders where Life and Work rule, respectively.

Birds don’t stop chirping just because the haze is on. It does justice to humanity once a while to highlight the obvious, to sing in the right tune.

 

Article Contributed by PK Tan
Picture from Internet

 

Rubik’s Cube [2] – Money and You

One of the most prevalent misconceptions concerning money relates to its importance. For example, how many times have you heard people say in conversation, “money isn’t everything”, or “money isn’t important” or “I don’t care about money”. Well, the people who say these things might not care about money, but I’ll bet their car dealer cares about it, the person who holds their mortgage cares about it and etc. In truth, there can be no denial of the fact that money is important to any person living in a civilized society. Therefore, to argue that it is not as important as this, or that, is absurd. For nothing can take the place of money in the arena in which it is used!

Many people like to accept about money is that it only comes as a result of “luck” or “good fortune”. For instance, whenever people gather to talk about someone they know who has been financially successful, there is always someone among them who will say, “He was just lucky”, or “He was just in the right place at the right time”. In no uncertain terms, that although “luck” obviously plays some part in financial success, it is never sufficient in and of itself, because while “good fortune” is a factor in financial success, it must always be coupled with effort and hard work!

How much money you want? For answer this question, it would probably be a good idea for you to decide what you want the money for. But to simply say “I want the money to live on”, is not good enough. You should probably say “I want to live better than that”, how much better? Let list down the things or activities that you plan to spend money on over the course of the next year. For example: food, clothes, car, vacation, recreation, insurance, savings and etc. There are just a few of the many possibilities. You do not fill in the mounts you are now spending. Rather, you take each item on the list, visualize how you want to live, and then fill in the amount of money it will cost you to do so. For example, you might go out to a nice restaurant to dine on very special occasions, but you might visualize yourself spending a very enjoyable evening out for dinner once a week, where the service is excellent, the food is even better, and the environment is fit for royalty. How much would that cost? That is a figure we’re looking for. We do not have a contract to live forever, this is our life, and we should be enjoying it to the fullest extent humanly possible! Therefore, we should have the amount of money we need, to provide the things we want, to live the way you choose to live.

 

Article contributed by Teh An Tien
Picture from internet