Tag: Career

Just because you’re out of job, it doesn’t give you the right or an excuse for selling yourself short.

So far, I’ve been lucky enough to have had 4 interview opportunities. To be shortlisted from a pool of how many applications, it’s a good recognition.

One question I got asked over and over again is: What are your salary expectations? This premature question often makes me uncomfortable but I can see the logic behind it. My answer has always been a standard one: I gave the number in line with my last role as Office Manager, plus I said if they can’t meet my expectations, I’m willing to negotiate for a mutually accepted number within their budgeted range or can review it in 3 months. So, you can see there’s a room for everyone to come to an agreement.

Somehow, my salary expectations must’ve scared them off. They decided to chicken out or avoid me altogether. Well, if they prefer to hire someone cheap, fine by me but just not me.

Anyway, I’ve come up with a good tactic of tackling this type of questions going forward. Won’t say too much here but I’ll let you know how it went at a later day.

So, Office Manager, almost every company has one. It sounds like a fancy title, but till you do the job, you realize it’s one of the most under-rated or least-appreciated roles in the office. Ready to get your hands dirty? A faulty light tube, a leak in the toilet, a dishwasher problem, a swipe card not working, the front door not opening, the lift not working, here and there etc. All these represent only a small fraction of what I used to do in my last role. But I did it anyway. Because I regarded myself as a problem solver and I got paid (enough) to do the job.

Now, I’ll swift gear a bit. Since I posted a long note about my redundancy news a few days back, I got to learn that a friend has also suffered the same fate recently. Everyone deals with their own personal issues differently. We should respect that 100%. For me, an issue like this, I’m very open and transparent about it. There’s no shame. Zero. Of course, I thought for a while before posting it but I’m glad I did. An outpouring of support from friends, colleagues and family has been amazing.

I remember back in January, I had a candid, heartfelt one on one conversation with my reporting manager – the CFO. In our meeting, he complimented me on my ability to handle the bad news – the grace and the dignity that I’ve conducted myself with during the difficult time. He even said: Ted, this is something I can learn from you. I was flattered of course, at the same time, I knew he meant it. He’s not someone known for giving compliments freely.

I said to him: the reason why I’m not worried about life after redundancy is this:

Let’s look at the evidence: None of my ex colleagues or friends (I’m talking about a big number of people from different companies and sectors) including myself who were made redundant or became jobless for that matter continue to be jobless forever. None. Everyone landed a job at the end, unless they decided to retire or not to work for a while. As long as you don’t give up, there’ll be an opening door for you.

This is the same sentiment that I’ve been carrying with me from day one since I heard the “bad” news. I know it sucks, but it’s not all that bad. A couple of days before I left the company for good, I had a chance to speak with someone high up from the head office. Already had 3 experiences under her belt, she said being made redundant is one of the best things that has ever happened to her. I knew she wasn’t exaggerating.

Having said that, not everyone is coping. One of my former colleagues said on the email that his anxiety or depression from the teenage days has resurfaced as a result of it. Amid the uncertainty ahead, he decided to open up and share his vulnerability with us. And? None of us was judgmental about his mental status, we all lent our support to him in our own private way.

One important thing I’ve learned from this journey is: Do not assume.

Do not assume there’s no use going on. The truth is quite the opposite. There’s plenty of use going on and on and on. Just because you don’t see the result you want straight away, it doesn’t mean your effort of doing it has been wasted. It’s just stored somewhere for improvement next time.

Do not assume people don’t care. The truth is: Yes, some don’t give a shit but most do. Choose to be around those who do care, stay away from those who don’t. But bear in mind, those who don’t care perhaps it’s not usually their fault. They may have enough shits to deal with in their life already. Your problem is probably something too small to care about compared to their own.

That’s all from me today. Before I started to write this post, I’d sent off one application. So I’m using this writing thing as a reward. I think I deserve giving myself a pat on the back. Till next time, watch this space…

2020, my first month of the year was busy and productive. What about you?

Friday, the 31st of January, the last time I set foot in this place that had been the centre of my corporate life in the past 4 years. I packed up all personal belongings (not that I had a lot), said goodbye to my colleagues, and left my swipe card for good. I took one last look before heading down to the lifts. This is it. The door is closed. I’ve moved on, no hasta la vista baby. I won’t be back.

In the wake of my departure, last night, I wrote a long post on Facebook saying that I’ve been made redundant. Since then, I’ve received an outpouring of support from friends and colleagues. It’s made me realize that I’m not alone in this journey, now and in the future.
My original idea was to wait until I’ve landed a job, and then I can start bragging about it. But I changed the plan. Unexpectedly, the responses have been overwhelming (in a pleasant way).

That’s the thing. We live in a result-oriented, outcome-driven society. Often what makes the cut, what makes the cover story is a gloss finish we see. In between, we don’t get to see the by-products or the unsexy side of the process that comes along with it. Perhaps we all have been conditioned to believe that only a happy ending is Facebook-worthy, others aren’t.

I’m glad I broke the theory, the stigma around the bad, and the ugly. I don’t need to over-state the good and the beautiful. We’ve seen enough of it on social media already. What should be trending now is: People can feel free to talk about their vulnerability and be completely OK with it. It’s your platform, play hard, but most of all, play real.

I don’t wish to dwell on the redundancy that’s now truly behind me. It’s a history. Right now, it’s all about my next move. But before I can make a move, I’ll need to recharge my batteries.

It’s important to note that it’s only the job that was taken away from me. The ability to rebuild my career has not, conversely, neither the ability to sabotage myself.

You can be your best ally. You can also be your own worst enemy. Since no one can hold two thoughts at the same time, it’s a choice you need to make. Both are hungry wolves. One will power you up, and the other will eat you up. If you believe what I’ve just said makes sense, then you’d agree that before you can bounce back, you’ll have to acknowledge the ball is in your court.

Well into February, the new year seems already like a distant memory. Day one, I’m making no plan A, let alone Plan B. I won’t say I’m unemployed. I’ll say I’m between jobs. See the difference? Living in the moment is an art and truly a lifelong subject. I’m happy to just do simple things in life – playing it by ear, doing some writing, enjoying this little haven of mine, and it’s OK not to know what the next avenue is…

Till next time, keep exploring and watch this space…

Gone are the days when businesses could afford to sit and wait for customers to arrive at their doorstep and buy their stuff. These days you need to go out there and get them. If an opportunity doesn’t present itself sooner enough, what do you to? You go and create one yourself.

Don’t expect it to be an easy ride. Why not? There’re many good sales people around, and they all want the same thing – a big piece of the pie, more customers and more profits. If you’re a sales person, you may think you have a brilliant idea, fantastic products and services. And next? How do you stand out from the crowd? How do you find your customers?

If advertising and marketing campaigns don’t do you justice, you may want to try out something more direct and proactive – cold calling (telemarketing) or door knocking (door-to-door sales). That’s not a bad idea. But, beware! What you’ll likely face is a big Great Wall of China in front of you – gatekeepers! Who are they? They can be someone who answers your phone call or the door first. You surely want to please these people and make good lasting impressions when you turn up abruptly; however, you don’t want to appear too eager or desperate in your approach, or you’ll scare them off and end up having your call hung up or the door slammed right in your face. All in all, you are a sale person but you don’t want to sound like a sales person too much, or your sales pitch will soon fall on deaf ears, be forgotten in no time.

In my day job, I get to wear different hats. On any given day, I’m one of those gatekeepers who screens unsolicited phone calls and strangers/visitors in the office. My position as office manager is to decide who gets the opportunities and who doesn’t. It’s not all fun and games but someone has to do it.

It’s no surprise that over the years the number of offers I’ve turned down outweighs the number of offers I’ve accepted. After all I’m here to protect my company interest. Not all invitations are welcome unfortunately. From my perspectives, those who didn’t get the nod from me were someone who:

• Were very ambiguous about the nature of the call when asked.
• Called from overseas and weren’t familiar with our industry or geography.
• Didn’t introduce themselves properly, their name, the company they were representing.
• Were very persistent and overbearing in their approach, didn’t take No for an answer. Even sounded rude or behaved aggressively when I said I’m not interested.
• Products and services weren’t relevant to our industry or suited our needs at that time.

On a positive note, one person that got the nod from me was a sales executive from an office supplies company. Here’s the reason why:

• He was polite and professional to deal with. On his first visit, he took time to explain his products and services well and how they could save us time and money. Before I closed the door, he left me with their product catalogue and his business card for the future reference. I remember I said No to him on two occasions. But on his third visit, it also came a time when I was sick and tired of getting office supplies (including reams of copy paper) myself from downstairs, so I decided to give him a try and order online. Since then, he’d come back visiting me in person, bringing along their new product catalogues or some free samples to try. It wasn’t always about business, sometimes we’d just have a quick catch up over coffee talking about life in general. He not only won my business but also friendship.

There you go, a confession of a gatekeeper – no more Mr Nice guy or Yes man. At the end of the day, it’s all about knowing what makes gatekeepers tick, before you have a chance to get your foot in the door. Agree?

Good luck!

I guess I was a lucky one. After I was made redundant in October 2011, I continued to land one job after another. Although not in a close succession I still consider myself lucky. They say on average it takes about 5 months to find a job, it’s also very true in my case.

Bear in mind that getting a job is one thing, staying in a job is another. It’s a two-way street for both an employee and an employer. When it comes to assessing the long-term career prospects, it’s a whole new ballgame. So, after I was given a four month notice by Fairfax Media, a company I’d worked for more than 11 years, there was no time to waste and no time to rest, I went straight into a job hunting process. Believe or not, back then I didn’t even have a computer at home, no internet connection and no phone line. So, to get the ball rolling, I had to get these done in a flash.

In a matter of 18 months, I was fortunate enough to be hired by three different employers. However, as said, getting a job is one thing, staying in a job is another. At the end, I decided to walk away from them all. I remember when I told my mum that I’ve resigned from the first company, she was very worried. Why? Because I was living on my own, still paying home mortgage and all the utilities that came along with it. Then I got another job, but a few months later, I told her I left the second company, she thought I was crazy. Then I got another job, several months passed, I told her I left the third company, this time she was speechless.

Leaving a job while nothing else lining up is never easy. In fact, it’s brutally hard. Of course, I did it for a number of reasons. I even said I wouldn’t have done it any other ways had I been in a similar situation again. Looking back, it proved the pain was worth bearing and the risks were worth taking. Only in hindsight I’m able to see what I didn’t to see. You just can’t hurry time, that’s what life has taught me.

To put together the important lessons that I’ve learned after walking away from three steady jobs, here’s my summary:

1. When one door closes, you need to get up and open another. It’s not an automatic door.
2. Money is never a good motivator to stay in a job nor to leave a job. Money talks but it doesn’t walk.
3. It’s perfectly OK not to know what the next avenue is. Knowing the current path is not a right path for you is perfectly enough.
4. When you try, it leaves clues. When you think, it leaves plenty of question marks.

I guess the list can go on but that’s all I could come up with so far. If there’re more things that may pop up at a later stage, I can always come back and update it.

In the meantime, in case you are wondering, Yes, I did find my niche after resigning from those three reputable companies… and it’s nice I should also say…