Cyber Venting: Healthy Therapy?

What is it about the Internet that lets us think we have the world as our therapist? It used to be the half-hour breakfast griping sessions or the huddle at the office pantry. Now workers are finding new ways to vent their frustrations or air their opinions about their employers and careers.

Cyber venting has arisen. Akin to a Catholic confessional booth, simple message boards on Yahoo to more dedicated wailing walls in the likes of www.workingwounded.com represent the forum for this catharsis. Here employees find a safe haven amongst the other like-minded disgruntled to vent and share their anonymous emotional upheavals and professional disappointments to sympathetic listeners.
"I have been passed up for my due promotion for the 3rd time at work. Is my boss just blind or plain discriminatory to my gender?!""Management is useless, poor and simple. Why don't they pay me USD100,000 to collect information? No, instead they would rather hire a vulture of a consultant. Great job, guys."

The messages range from discontent with management to more serious instances of flagrant rage. Whatever the message may be, it is raising public relations headaches and managerial nightmares for employers. Because such messages are hard to be accounted for or traced, employers can never be sure if the post is being authored by an employee or if the source is a saboteur wanting to bring the competition down. The impact can be great on the company, particularly if it is sending the message of impending layoffs or poor financial performance. Whilst some companies have gone to the extent of suing for libel, cyber laws in the region are still in their infancy, and the question of who's to blame and who has the right-to-say-what are still hanging in the air.

But perhaps, management should take a more proactive approach. There is much that management can do to quell dissent and address the issue. Companies have begun to set up their own anonymous intranets that allow their employees to vent within corporate walls, without fear or favour. Further, certain strains of management have begun skulking public message boards such as www.icered.com to listen in on what their employees are saying. On www.vault.com, CEOs and senior management have been known to break silence and come forth with statements of their own.

Senior management are beginning to take the initiative to use such focus groups to gain a better understanding of the people on the ground. Rather than trying to spin-doctor their way through the negative vibes, employers need to take advantage of the information culture and use the medium to tell the truth, to clear misstatements and to be honest. The savvy workforce today can smell a lie a byte away. Advice to managers is to hide nothing and gain respect from employees through upfront honesty. They may not like you, but they will at least respect you. And that is a rarity in this corporate day. Who knows how else the corporate grapevine will “metamorphosise” in the coming years? Perhaps I'll pop in on www.icered.com and find out for myself? See you there!

How to Prepare for Involuntary Separation

Nobody wants to be laid off, but who’s to say if you’re not going to be next. You might as well be ready when the axe falls on you. Here’s how to prepare for this eventuality. Over the years, I have separated hundreds of employees involuntarily. It is a very difficult task to do as an HR professional. And no matter how many times you have done it, you will never get used to it. For it always leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Invariably, one can’t avoid talking to these employees just before, or even long after, their employment ends. My formal and informal talks with them always lead to any one of these questions: a) What could I have done differently to prevent me from getting laid off? b) What should I have done to ensure that I could easily find another job after being laid off? c) What could I have done that would have allowed me to survive involuntary separation?

Once, we had to force into retirement a junior manager of our company. He was in his late 40s and had been with the firm for almost 20 years. He was not a bad performer, but neither was he outstanding. He had been merely happy to coast along. When the company was doing well, his contribution was considered adequate. However, when crunch time hit and jobs had to be cut, his performance was deemed way below that of his peers. Thus, the axe fell on him.

During the exit interview, he admitted to me that there was no one to blame but himself. He had been content just to coast along-getting his assignments done on time, but never going the extra mile. He had seldom, if ever, taken the initiative. He also never exerted much effort to develop himself professionally. Many of the managers who were hired at about the same time as he had overtaken him - they were already senior managers or executives while he was still a junior executive.

I remember another organisation I worked for, which, when acquired by another company, had to let go many of the executives and managers. Only three of us were retained. More than a year later, the former president of the company invited all of us to a get-together at her place. After exchanging the normal greetings, everyone gave updates on how they were doing. From the contributions, I was able to draw a few conclusions.

Those who landed good jobs immediately had a great deal of exposure outside the company. They networked in their chosen profession a lot and were active in their professional organizations. They also knew many people, some of whom served as impressive references. A few of them got their jobs through friends and contacts, others through headhunting agencies. Those who were forced to take “undesirable” jobs, or who were still jobless at the time, had limited or no social contacts outside the company. They were very good performers, mind you. Some were even better than those who immediately landed new jobs. During their employment with the company, however, they were either too focused on their job or did not develop outside contacts. Thus, they were virtually unknown outside the company. Early on in my career, I joined a textile company that eventually folded up. While working in that company, I was with a group known as the Poker Club. We were all senior managers who would meet twice a month to play poker. When the company closed, we also went our separate ways.

I moved down south to work in a start-up company. After three years, I moved back to work for another company. I visited the members of the Poker Club one by one and found out that different fates had befallen them. One of them had moved to another company and was doing all right. Two others went into business and were doing badly. One was into construction subcontracting and could barely meet his payroll needs. The other was into the poultry business and was hardly making both ends meet. However, two others became very rich. One had a large auto parts and accessories store, an auto repair shop, a bakery, and a restaurant. The other had a prestigious elementary school in the village where he and his family lived.

What was the difference between those who were doing well and those who were not? The latter only started their business ventures after they left the company. The one who went into subcontracting did not have enough contacts to land big contracts (which he could have cultivated even while he was still gainfully employed, since he already knew the business then). The one who went into poultry farming thought it was easy running this kind of business even if he knew nothing about it. The successful ones, on the other hand, already had ongoing concerns when they went full-time into their businesses. The guy who eventually ventured into the auto supply business started with a repair shop. When he got unemployed, he used his separation pay to start up the auto parts and accessories store. His customers in the repair shop were already a captive market, who would benefit from a one-stop shop and his very competitive prices. It wasn’t long before his clientele grew. His wife was already operating the bakery when he was laid off. She soon branched out into the restaurant business after her husband was terminated, using his separation pay as capital. The one who had an elementary school already had a preschool, which was being run by his wife, when he lost his job. He used his separation pay to extend the school facilities and expand the preschool to include elementary. When I visited him again a couple of years back, he had just graduated his first batch of high school students and had started expanding to include college courses. These real-life stories teach us valuable lessons which, when applied, would minimise our chances of being involuntarily separated or, assuming the inevitable happens, help ensure that we would easily find another job or succeed in other ventures outside of employment. First, do not be complacent in your job. Strive to excel so that the company will find it difficult to let you go. Second, open yourself to the world. Do not just limit your life to your work-join professional organisations, develop external contacts and make yourself known in your chosen field. Third, do not depend completely on your job. If possible, start a business even while you’re still employed. It does not have to be a large one. You can start small. If you are too busy in your work, have your spouse or someone else you can trust run it. If it succeeds, you may even leave your job so you can make it grow further. As a saying goes, “Wise is he who learns from his own experience. But wiser is he who learns from other people’s experience.” In other words, do not wait for something to happen before you act. Do it now!

Journey To self-Discovery

I commute by LRT to my workplace five days a week. I meet people everywhere, jostling to catch the train to reach their destination for the day’s work. Imagine spending almost half your life working an average of 40 hours a week to earn a living to provide sustenance to yourself and family.

Have you ever felt your working life is stifled at some point and you are confined to the routines? At times, you sense a small voice calling you toward something unknown and risky, yet more congruent with your own truth. Have you ever embarked on a journey of self-discovery? So many of us listen to what others tell us to do when we were growing up. Be a doctor. Law is good. Or why don’t you be an engineer. Such recommendations are given with all good intentions because these vocations are respected and pay well. We may compromise and even grow to accept it and thrive to make a living out of it. But deep inside, if you do not have the passion for the work, there would seem to be a hollow feeling of unfulfilled dreams and aspirations.

A famous quote ‘Let Your Life Speak’ holds such profound meaning to me because it’s important to know that I am living my life as I am meant to be in my lifetime. Anything which falls out of this purpose just isn’t good enough.

How Long Is Too long In One Job?

This question was posed in an international survey by global recruitment firm Robert Walters to 6,000 people from 14 countries. In Australia, 40 per cent said that more than five years was too long to stay in a job, 32 per cent said more than 10 years was too long, 20 per cent more than three years, six per cent believed more than two years, and two per cent more than one year. This compared to the global average of 30 per cent for over 10 years, 42 per cent for over five years, 20 per cent for over three years, six per cent for more than 2 years, and two per cent for more than one year.

Robert Walters Melbourne director David Chancellor said organisations should realise that people like to move around: "Organisations that allow their employees to move on a regular basis internally and prefer to promote from within are the ones where people will stay for a long time. No time is too long in a company if you are constantly being presented with new challenges."

Reason For Integrity

1. Lack of Discipline

Honesty is the best virtue and we should start with ourselves. That is why early parental guidance in the development of a child is essential to nurture him to be a disciplined person who will grow up to be responsible in his dealings with his friends, colleagues or superior in the corporate world. Learning to set priorities is an important part of dealing with integrity. If not, we will find ourselves becoming a ‘people pleaser’ and constantly shying away from making a stand for our beliefs. " You don’t have to remember a truth, but you always have to work doubly hard to remember a lie in case you are found out later - whom you lied to, what you lied about, when you created the lie - and this will always affect your integrity."

2.Power & Control

Gossiping in the office is an art that you either love to master or hate to indulge in. In a way, gossiping is a way of avoiding confrontation with the person or issue at hand and most of the time, it has no benefit to the company or the gossiper. It only breaks the integrity of the gossiper. If gossiping about others makes you feel powerful, perhaps you should look at yourself and ask why you are still powerless. Be impeccable with your words. Speak with integrity and you will be respected for it.

3.Greed

Infringement of corporate governance in the name of creating a flourishing picture of earnings and questionable accounting practices, to name a few, would perhaps have been instigated by greed and lack of judgment in exercising integrity. When the interest of shareholders and the public at large is being compromised, the trust factor will be affected. The loss of investors’ confidence, unfortunately, cannot be reversed instantly once it is damaged. Always go back to the benchmarks that you have set before yourself when making decisions that question your integrity personally and seek a way to share your thoughts with your close associates. Let your conscience be the guiding force to your action. We may have rules and regulations pasted on the notice boards or circulated within the office, but how can we make it workable?

4.Job Orientation

Awareness of the work culture of an organisation is a good starting point to orientate a new staff from the start of his career with the company on the values and working standards that are expected from him. The superior has the role to talk to his new staff about the work culture, job expectation etc. Creating a rapport with the new staff would help to reduce any sense of suspicion between both parties in terms of work expectation and the ‘dos and don’ts’.

5.Transparency

The codes of conduct of the Board of Directors, for example, help the directors to be aware of their responsibilities to the company as a whole. Shareholders should take the opportunity to read the Annual Report of the company and take an interest in the management of the company. So, honestly, do the right thing. If I tell you that I have not lied before in my life, I would be the biggest liar of all. Do nothing that needs a cover-up. Seek the truth and the truth shall set you free.

Integrity At Work

Integrity. We deal with this underlying moral issue in our everyday life. Most of our parents would have taught us during our growing up years that we must inculcate this virtue because it is the right thing to do. What is integrity? It means honesty - keeping to one’s word even if it costs us dearly to do so. If you pledge to ‘love, honour and cherish your spouse until death do you part’, you must honour that promise. If you agree to do a task, you must do it.

Sadly, there are just too many news to exemplify our compromises on the issue of integrity in the corporate world and it has somehow, become a norm and an ‘acceptable’ fashion at work. A deceitful lie may start out as something trivial, like lying to your mother that you did not eat the chocolate but you did or you call in your office for sick leave when you are actually not sick. Though a white lie is small and relatively harmless, it can become a bigger issue in life, for example, in the scandal of the Enron Corp case which has indeed eroded investors’ confidence to a low due to dishonest representation of corporate earnings. The end result is always not promising - you may get scolded by your mother, your boss may find you unreliable and a broken confidence of the investors which will take some time to build up again.

Why do we compromise our integrity? Every once in a while, we lie to our parents, friends, boss or clients as a form of denial of the facts or as a protection to ourselves from confrontation - so what is the big deal, you may ask? Well, lack of integrity only compounds a problem.

Tips to Help You Avoid Becoming a VIictim

I want to give you tips to help you avoid becoming a victim of downsizing and increase your career advancement potential.

1.Survival is to realise it can happen to you.

It is amazing how many people just sit back and wait for the ax to fall. They didn’t see it coming and did not have time to prepare for change. Many people assume it’s never going to happen to them because of their long service and value to the company. Make sure you don’t fall into the trap of thinking it could never happen to you or you could end up being unprepared to survive economically or professionally. Remember, no matter how much your boss may like your, ultimately what matters is the bottom line.

2.Keep your eyes and ears open.
Be aware of what’s happening in your company. Hiring freezes, early retirements and other signs of what is called managed attrition are indications that your company is extremely serious about head count. Look for other warning signs. How are the company shares doing? Remember, while downsizing may be a bad word for workers, investors like it as it show the management is cutting costs. Also keep up with possible mergers involving your company. Look for when a merger is going to happen. When a merger happens, it is good news for the company and bad news for half the employees.

3. Should always be looking for new opportunities.
Never just sit still. You are in charge of your own career. Regardless of how secure you maybe in your job, you always need to be prepared to look for work in a volatile business climate. Even when you are working, you should stay abreast of the job market. Now is the perfect time to do some research. Keep reading the wanted ads in your field. Look for jobs in your field and see if the requirements listed are skills you possess. Take time to network and take on some informational interviews, if you hear of any. Make contacts with headhunters. Better still, sign up for online services that will keep you informed of new job opportunities, at no cost at all.

4. Always to keep your resume ready and fresh.
Always document your work and achievements because you’ll forget how significant most of your work is. Have them both in hard and soft-copy. Many online job sites, in fact, will allow you to store, edit and forward your resume to prospective employers.

5. To keep on learning and updating your skills.
L. Thurow, a well-known professor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), says only three things matter in the New Economy: Skills, Skills and Skills! The skills you have today may not be needed in a few years-or even a few months-so start now to learn new ones. Take advantage of your company’s training programs or the many programmes funded by government agencies. For example, in Malaysia, the Ministry of Human Resource has a career centre called CareerLink@MOHR that can help you choose the right skills. The most popular programme right now is Graduate Training Scheme.

Work Today, Gone Tomorrow?

Some 30,000 workers are expected to lose their jobs in Malaysia this year. So far, 30,000 are on shorter workweeks. Companies are freezing wages and stopping recruitment. All signs point to an increasingly bleak economic outlook in the coming months. The fact is that, slowdown or not, companies have to keep on shedding lower-skilled staff as they restructure up the value chain to be competitive. Facing a layoff is fast becoming more and more a real prospect for many Malaysians. In this new and unpredictable job market, job security has gone the way of the dodo. To keep your job, you need to work smart. Do whatever it takes to make sure you're crucial to your company. But also have a plan, in case somebody thinks you're not so crucial.

If the worse happens, and you do lose your job in a retrenchment exercise, one of the first things you need to do is to examine your financial situation. Look at your resources and expenses. Check your contract to make sure you get your benefits. To know more about what your rights of employment or termination are, you can refer Human Resource Department (Jabatan Tenaga Kerja Malaysia) will answer your questions on workplace problems.

Then remember, life goes on. There are still many jobs out there, and more jobs being created everyday. Believe it or not, losing a job can actually offer an opportunity, as there is always a better one out there for you.

Reduce Stress - Write away your worries

Writing freely is also an effective way to get rid of negative thoughts and worries. It works as follows:
a. Whenever you feel too worried, simply go to your computer or pick up a pen and a notebook and start writing whatever comes to your mind. If you are worried about a problem, write about it. If you are confused, write so. If you suddenly remember a conversation from the previous day, write that. In short, write anything that comes to your mind.
b. Don't stop to think. Flow with your thoughts. Do not worry about spellings, grammar, etc. Just write!
c. Write without a break for about 15 minutes (or longer, if you feel like).

As you outpour yourself, you will start to feel lighter and even empowered. If you try out the above techniques, you will discover an oasis of peace and harmony. Ultimately, you will feel more powerful, determined and hopeful in the face of all the challenges that you are facing.

Reduce Job Stress - Meditation

Meditation is one of the most effective and easy-to-learn techniques to calm down the mind and feel relaxed. Originally attributed to Eastern tradition, the benefits of mediation are now scientifically proven. More and more people all over the world, from schools to hospitals to government offices to law firms, are embracing mediation to avoid worries and stress. The best thing about meditation is that it doesn't require a shift in beliefs, affiliation to any organization or equipment. You can get started now! Here is how you can start with the simplest type of meditation:
a. Sit in a quiet place. Be comfortable whether you sit on a chair or on the floor.
b. Close your eyes.
c. Slowly start taking deep breaths and focus your attention on your breathing.
d. If your attention wanders off here and there, that's okay. Gently bring it back to the breathing.
e. Keep yourself in the above mode for about 20 minutes.
Do it twice a day, preferably in the morning and evening. You may find meditation an immensely rewarding experience.

Confidence - Frame The Concept

Changing the meaning of what we associate to any situation can dramatically change the results we get. Fashioning new associations into habits helps to set the foundation for a spontaneous confidence-a confidence that develops unconsciously as we continue to implement our tactics, until one day it is part of us. One example from the personal archives of my past was an episode in High School where I was, in the eyes of my peers, a nerd. And the first female I ever asked on a date, laughed at me. Needless to say, I was devastated, rejection was synonymous with humiliation and any trace of confidence was crushed by this unforgettable mental image of laughter. A few years later however, I realized that the lack of confidence I had about women was not a healthy one, and it would rob me of future romance and connection that I believed would enrich my life. So I decided to change.

Firstly I asked myself what rejection really meant in this case. I decided it signified that if I was rejected, the relationship was never meant to be. And if it wasn’t meant to be, I would be saving time and money by circumventing an unnecessary date.

Second, I thought about what success was in this instance, and decided that it was not in getting the date (that became a benefit of the process), but in assertively and confidently asking for the date. Soon, every time I was rejected, I was empowered with my success in asking, and in saving time and money. In each case I gained more confidence, and as time went on, I was rejected less and less (roughly guessing, from about 4% success to over 59% success). I had overcome my obstacle by repositioning the meanings of what I was taught by society, and the actions that offered me this empowerment and confidence quickly became second nature. I couldn’t lose.

Will Confidence - Ask The Right Questions

When we evaluate any situation, we will ask ourselves a question. The feelings we create, and the actions we take (or don’t) are determined by the answers we come up with. The more control we exercise over these questions we ask, the more control we have over our state, and thus our potential. Why is this true? Because our brain will focus on where we direct it. For example evaluating an interview or presentation, we might ask, “Why do I get nervous?” or “Why can’t I consolidate my thoughts properly?” In this case, our brain in all its grandeur will find all the reasons you get nervous or can’t consolidate your thoughts, even if there are no legitimate reasons, our brain is so magnificent it will make something up. This can be quite disempowering, alternatively, if we purposefully direct our questions to empower, we will find ourselves asking, “Why was I so confident when I …” or “How can I organize my thinking to better communicate?” and our brain will once again give us the answers.

Fellow speaker and finance expert Maznah Hamid gave me an example of how he developed the confidence to speak in front of large audiences. He stated, “The first workshop I delivered, I did not perform up to my expectations. Yet instead of asking myself, “Why did you mess up?” or “Why don’t you just quit?” I asked myself, “What should I improve on? How can I perform even better?” By asking the right questions, my subconscious delivered some healthy, constructive advice, and I have used this technique ever since. The power of questions has definitely been one of the most important tools in gaining confidence and realizing my success.” Maznah is now one of the most sought after speakers on the subject of how to deliver impactful financial presentations.

How do we get confidence

So how do we get confidence in the areas that we may be lacking?

The Body

The first and most important technique is the use of our body. Everything that comes into our mind gets filtered through our body. Notice how we breathe when we are happy, where our shoulders are when we feel powerful, and how relaxed our muscles are when we are depressed. Each is distinctive to its own emotional state. For example, if we are happy, our breathing is usually fast and deep; yet if we are depressed, it’s usually slow and shallow. These are human recipes called "Condition Formulas" and every emotional state has its own. Consider the last time you felt confident, how were you breathing, was your body tense or relaxed, was your head up or down, where were your eyes, were your movements fast or slow, were you standing or sitting? The answers to these questions depict your physical Condition Formula for confidence. So the first step toward confidence is the implementation of this formula.

A study was done at Malaya University with patients suffering from manic-depression. When the patients were winding down from their manic state, in place of drugs (the usual treatment for this condition to balance emotions), they were asked to simply smile consistently. The results were astonishing. Nearly 80% overcame the depressive state without drugs and were able to maintain emotional stability. And all they did was smile. The study proved the direct correlation between the body and the way we feel. So the first step, remember your Condition Formula for confidence, and implement all the elements of the formula (i.e. breath, posture, movement, etc.) into your current body state.

Focus

Our brain can only truly concentrate on one thing at any given time, we cannot read this article and watch the news at the same time. So as you continue to read, you process the information according to your own experience and values; then, YOU determine whether the information is true or false, good or bad, implementable or not. We do this with every occurrence, every situation and every action. Like a diamond, every circumstance has many sides, some are shiny, some are brilliant, some are dull some are flawed, and when we look at one, that’s all we see. We often see situations that cross our paths, from the perspective of the dull or flawed and hence destructive sides and thus fail to see the brilliant or shiny constructive sides. But it is a choice, and we must make a conscious effort to decide which side to look at.

A haunting testament to this summons the memory of the first time I gave a presentation. It was in front of a group of attorneys. Before the speech I kept reflecting on how much more experience these individuals had than I did, and thinking to myself “What can I tell these people that they already don’t know?”, I was focusing on the fact that they were older than I was and how their age equated to knowledge. I failed miserably at delivering the information I was to present. Why? Not because of a lack of knowledge, not because of lack of preparation, but because I focused on all the reasons needed to consume my confidence - reasons that translated to loss of ideas, stuttering, and just plain poor delivery. In retrospect, if I had thought about the reality of the situation in the first place, my confidence level as well as the outcome of the presentation would have been drastically improved. They were attending the presentation because they believed they could learn from me, and the fact was, that I was speaking on a specialized topic that the average lawyer was only generally familiar with. I had more experience on this topic than any of the people in the room regardless of age. But at the time, it was easier to focus on the why not, giving me an excuse to fail. I set myself up and I did a disservice to the people that came to see me. It would have only taken a few moments to ponder the other side, to focus on the reasons why I was qualified, why I could speak well, and why I had a great deal to offer my audience. Confidence in any situation is a product of our body and then our focus. Both require a conscious decision to alter, and both make a huge difference in the outcome of our efforts. The next two steps are the tools to establish confidence as a basic element in our subconscious. To program oneself for a spontaneous confidence that just happens in any required situation. Learn what these tools are and how to use them in

Confidence: Foundation for Success

I once interviewed a gentleman from the most prestigious school in Malaysia (IPTA/IPTS) for a any position. While his credentials were flawless, his answers were credible and his appearance was professional, he lacked something. He lacked the ability to convince me he was capable. After 3 interviews, I gave the job to an individual with fewer credentials than this seemly-accomplished candidate.

The former’s downfall was as follows:
· First, body language - the hunched over posture and hands between his knees, the facial innuendos when he answered the proposed questions and the way he seldom looked at me when speaking. The conflicting messages between what came from his mouth, and what his body showed were clearly beyond any cultural difference.
· Second, the tone of his voice - the drawn-out pauses and the yielding softness of uncertainty, the lack of conviction or passion for his accomplishments or his future, and the deficit of assertiveness in his pitch. The signs all pointed in one direction. All his credentials and fancy clothes could not make up for the most fundamental quality a senior employee must have - confidence.

How can anyone have confidence in a person who does not have confidence in himself? Think About this question.

What is the S-Factor?

• Goal-setting: Success does not come merely by wishful thinking. We have to determine our goals and put them down in writing to help us spearhead our time and energy in achieving what we want out of life. In this way, we will able to wake up every morning with a sense of purpose and hence, cultivate a continual working attitude towards the realisation of that goal. The goal must be measurable to enable us to check on the progress from time to time. Such assessment is important in enabling us to set higher goals later.

• Unlock your potential: Nowadays, educational programmes for children - which explore the early development of a child - have revolutionised immensely in much sophisticated ways. It is quite obvious that children are getting smarter compared to our earlier generations. Perhaps all this while, human beings have not tapped into their full potential. In fact, only about 10 per cent of our potential is used in our daily lives. Quoting Ed Engstrom, success is tapping into the available potential that we have and making the best use of it. Imagine the greatness that we can achieve if we are able to explore and discover our full potential.

• How do you unlock your potential?
o Search inside your heart and do an inventory list of your likes and dislikes, skills, talents, wishes and even your idiosyncrasies. This information will help you narrow down your preferred job scopes. Look for a mentor in the field that you wish to work in and learn about the secrets to becoming like that person. Spending time with your mentor will challenge you to work harder and smarter in order to tap into your hidden potential.

o Be willing to learn and work hard to achieve your goals. A lot of times, we have to go extra miles to perfect a task. Success stories do not happen overnight and in order to reach your full potential, you must be ready to give up all that we are to receive what we can become.
o Face challenges at work as an opportunity for development of character, for example, perseverance. “Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

o Make your plan: Now, you can chart your course and make plans to achieve your goals. Setting timelines would help you to ensure that you do not deviate from meeting your goals and cause unnecessary delays.

o Commitment to stick it out: When you are faced with a problem and you find that you are not getting anywhere or making any progress, reassess your goals or plans. Consult your mentor or your reliable contacts for wisdom or advice. Successful people are not quitters. It’s not a matter of losing face but if you are passionate about your work, it means that you will have the will power and determination to stand firm on your commitment because you want it to work badly.

How do you define success?

From the common viewpoint, a person who is successful is one who has the power to afford all the luxuries in life or the power to rule and command without breaking the laws in acquiring whatever one demands in life. He may be the richest man in the world. It is not uncommon for people to associate one’s education, credentials, intelligence and good look as factors to define ‘success’.

On the other hand, I like the other version of the definition of success. It is more than the accumulation of wealth for oneself but putting your effort into an arena of action that inspires you and working towards your personal calling. If you have read the real life stories of successful people on earth, for example, Bill Gates, you will find that there’s a golden thread that join them together in the same league, and that is, the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and find a way to offer it to others as a form of service. It takes a lot of hard work too but I guess if you work on your passion, everything will fall into place and your work will be a joy. Of course, the fame and fortune that you acquire along the way would be nice too.

Tips Mencari Kerja

1.Ketahui jenis kerja yang ditawarkan di pasaran.
2. Mempunyai sikap yang positif.
3. Pastikan jenis pekerjaan yang diminati.
4. Buat perancangan untuk mencari kerja.
5. Kumpul dan susun mklumat mengenai diri sendiri.

Dimana mencari kerja?
1.Iklan di akhbar utama.
2.Jabatan Tenaga Kerja.
3.Rakan dan saudara-mara.
4.Sekolah,
5.Agensi pekerjaan.
6.Iklan di radio dan televisyen.
7.Iklan sendiri seperti papan notis 7-eleven.
8.Papan kenyataan.

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Menulis surat permohonan- biasanya melalui surat permohonan dan biodata lengkap.

Cara menyediakan surat permohonan
Tidak ramai yang tahu menyediakan surat permohonan kerjaya yang betul. Cara yang professional menyediakan surat permohonan kerjaya tidak hanya menyediakan biodata lengkap. Surat permohonan hendaklah:
1.Tepat dan ringkas.
2.Menggunakan kertas putih kosong saiz A4.
3.Menyatakan kemahiran yang dimilki.
4.Menyatakan sebab anda calon yang sesuai.
5.Menjelaskan kenapa anda yakin jawatan itu sesuai untuk anda.
6.Akhiri surat dengan “ Yang Benar”

Lampirkan juga biodata diri dengan semua maklumat ini:
1.Nama, alamat, no. telefon, tarikh lahir dan no. kad pengenalan.
Maklumat pendidikan, kelulusan, bidang pengajian dan universiti/kolej/sekolah terakhir.
2.Maklumat pekerjaan, pengalaman kerja atau latihan kerjaya.
3.Kemahiaran: beri keterangan lanjut mengenai kemahiran anda.
4.Sumber rujukan: berikan maklumat pihak yang boleh dirujuk untuk mengesahkan maklumat anda. Ingat “ anda menjual diri untuk dibeli” . Tunjukkan kebolehan anda.
Maklumat lanjut sila rujuk artikel cover letter dan resume. Semoga Berjaya

Habis Belajar – Nak Buat Apa?

Pasti masalah memilih kerjaya menjadi topic penting buat pelajar sebaik sahaja menamatkan pengajiannya di IPTA/IPTS. Bukan sahaja keliru bidang kerjaya yang sesuai dengan kelulusan dan kemahiran malah ada yang tak tau kerjaya apa yang sesuai untuk diceburi.

Masalah ini sering dihadapi mereka yang kurang maklumat mengenai kerjaya, sekaligus bakal mengundang masalah bila me,ohon kerjaya kelak. Satu perkara yang harus dipastikan ialah merancang kerjaya sesuai sebelum mengambil keputusan lanjut memilih kerjaya yang paling sesuai.

Dibawah ini disenarikan beberapa panduan terbaik buat mereka yang tercari-cari ruang dan pilihan membuat keputusan memilih kerjaya.

1.Mengenali diri sendiri
- mengetahui personaliti.
- mengetahiu kebolehan.
- mengetahui minat serta kemampuan.

2.Mengetahui pekerjaan yang wujud
Ketika ini , dianggarkan wujud lebih 2,000 jenis pekerjaan yang ditawarkan kepada orang ramai mengikut pencapaian akademik dan pengalaman yang sesuai dalam sesuatu bidang. Ia dibahagikan kepada 2 kumpulan :
Perkhidmatan social – membantu orang lain yang mempunyai masalah.
Perkhidmatan am – memujuk , mengurus dan menunjuk ajar yang bertindak mempengaruhi orang ramai.

3. Dapatkan khidmat nasihat sebelum buat keputusan
Guru bimbingan kerjaya di sekolah atau institusi pengajian tinggi.
Pegawai pekerjaan di jabatan tenaga kerja.
Kaunselor di institut latihan atau institusi pengajian tinggi dan organisasi berkaitan,
Ibu bapa.

4. Bertindak sekarang – rancang kerjaya anda
Dapatkan latihan yang sesuai untuk tingkatkan kebolehan. Contohnya, kemahiran komputer, kemahiran berbahasa inggeris dan kelas menaip.
Dapatkan latihan kemahiran dalam bidang teknikal.
Berjumpa dengan pegawai di Jabatan Tenaga Kerja berhampiran jika memerlukan bimbingan.

Success But Fail?

Every sport games must be winner and loser. It is reality in the games. The winner is happy, the loser cannot frust and try the next time.
However we can look different between the winner and loser.
1. Racer A finish their 100 meter race but did not winning anything. Racer A happy because him finish their race.
2. Racer B success to finish their race but late 1 second from their competitor. Him get silver medal only.
3. Racer C finish their race 2 second before Racer A but late 10 second from Racer B.
4. Racer D win their race but fail to get finish good time to build new record .
5. Racer E did not join 100 meter race because him shoe was ripped. Him think got a winner if him race that games. He win 200 meter race after him get shoe placement.

This is situation we can adopt in life everyday. What is you opinion, whom is positive fail.

Holmberg – Juara Monsoon Cup

Kedudukan Keseluruhan Piala Monsun 2006
Jurumudi Pasukan Hadiah(RM)
1. Peter Holmberg(ISV) Alinghi 250,000.00
2. Mathieu Richard(PER) Saba Sailing 150,000.00
3.Ian Williams(GBR) Team Pindar 100,000.00
4.Peter Gilmore PST 90,000.00
5.Jesper Bank(DEN) United Internet 70,000.00
6.Bjorn Hansen(SWE) Team Apport.Net 60,000.00
7.Paolo Cian(ITA) Team Shosholoza 56,000.00
8.Sebatian Col(FRA) Areva Challenge 46,000.00
9.James Spithill(AUS) Luna Rossa Challenge 40,000.00
10.Adam Minoprio(NZL) Black Match Racing 35,000.00
11.Wearn Haw Tan(SIN) China Team 30,000.00
12.Tiffany Koo(MAL) Selangor Gapurna 28,000.00

Sekali imbas , penonton akan merasakan perlumbaan kapal layar kelihatan seperti sukan yang membosankan, Pemandangan bot ke hulu dan hilir diatas perairan, ditiup angin sepoi-sepoi bahasa ibarat bersiar-siar pada hujung minggu

Namun jangkaan anda meleset kerana ia sejenis sukan yang memerlukan kemahiaran dan tipu muslihat untuk memenangi perlumbaan.Contohnya, saingan penentuan juara antara Holmberg dan Mathieu. Mathieu berani ambil risiko dengan dikenakan penalti berpusing 360 darjah tepat pada boya terakhir dengan kelebihan 2 saat untuk menyamakan kedudukan 2-2 pada pusingan keempat. Ia berlansung sengit apabila berkesudahan Holmberg menang tipis 3-2.