Tag: Career

I haven’t gone back to my blog to write stuff for 9 days. Not that I’ve been lazy but I’ve been busy preparing for job interviews. Yes, job interviews. Lucky me!

It’s OK if you are not ready, as long as you are prepared.

Every time I go preparing for an interview, I often come up with something new I can talk about. It goes to show you can never be sure that you are ready for it. I’ve found that having a good preparation such as writing a few drafts beforehand, coupled with a simple breathing exercise or meditation practice, keeps my mind at ease. The rest, I’ll just leave it up to fate. Why fate? Too many factors are way outside my control.

Talking about control, the last thing you want is distractions. You never know what’s around the corner. Say if you’re selected to have a telephone interview tomorrow, what if one of your neighbours starts to mow the lawn or operate machinery or play loud music right when you’re speaking with an interviewer? Tough luck! Or if you’re having a video interview which has become increasingly popular these days, you may run into some annoying issue as mentioned above. Worst yet, if your internet cuts out or some unexpected event disrupts at the last minute. Your best bet is to shut all the doors and windows hoping you’ll have some peace and quiet moment.

This job I applied for 3 weeks ago, I was competing against other 200 plus candidates. Statistically, my chances of landing the job are less than 0.5%. Very slim indeed! Well, I was lucky enough to get shortlisted for the first round and the second round of interviews. What can I say? It’s been quite a journey! Words aren’t enough to describe it. The best way to put it is: It’s been an emotional roller coaster. Yes? No? Yes? No? Now, let the waiting game begin again!

If I can share with you one good tip about job searching, that is, working on a cover letter. Let’s face it, all resumes/CV’s are kind of boring to read. So, your cover letter is your way to showcasing “the other side of you” and adding your personal touch to your skills, experience and personality.

So far, my chances of getting a positive response are 1 in 8 in the past 2 months alone. I’m actually quite pleased with the results. Considering the job market, the unemployment rate and the economic climate affected by the coronavirus pandemic, I still got calls from companies wanting to have an interview with me, I can’t complain.

I guess I could wait till I’ve landed a job and start to rave about my success. But that’s not who I am and that’s not what success is all about. For me, each small win is a success in itself and by all means worth celebrating. For example, sending a job application is a small win, getting shortlisted for an interview is a small win. When you’ve accumulated enough small wins, you get to cross the finish line and arrive at the destination.

What now? I shall find out next week if I’ve been shortlisted for the final round of interview. I’m counting my blessings. It’s nice to see lots of my friends keep their fingers crossed for me. Whatever the outcome is, I will give myself a pat on the back for having come this far. I know if not this one, it’ll be the next one and the next one.

Don’t assume and don’t give up…

Thanks to the lockdown, it’s helped slow the spread of the coronavirus in the community. Together, we’ve saved lives. As the curve has flattened in many parts of the world, Australia for example have begun to ease restrictions imposed during the peak of the pandemic. Now those words on every politician’s lips are “It’s time to save the economy!”

We don’t need to be reminded that the unemployment rate is on the rise, it’s right in our faces.

Lat night I heard on the news that Australia has officially entered recession. It didn’t surprise me.

In the past two months, I’ve sent out a few more job applications, roughly about one per week on average, as opposed to one per day when I first started back in January. Not that I’ve become lazier. A scarcity of job openings in the market means job seekers like me are faced with more fierce competition among others.

The job I applied for last week, up till now, there are 249 applicants in total as indicated on LinkedIn. I’ll keep it simple and round it down to 200. So, statistically speaking, if they’re going to take 10 people in the first round, my chances of being shortlisted are super slim – just 5 percent, that’s only 5 people in every 100 applicants. And to make things worse, to be the finalist, the final winner to get the job, the number looks sickeningly skinny, just 0.5 percent. As you can see, I’ve done the math. Odds are against every job seeker out there.

But luckily, job hunting is not like winning the lottery. We don’t need to reply on pure luck alone. The more jobs we apply for, the more we learn how to do better the next time. It’s not rocket science. It’s really no big deal when you think about it. All it takes is practice, practice and practice.

Looking back, the job I landed in March this year, the company decided to take down the ad once the number of applicants had hit 60, regardless the closing date. Of course, in the process I had no idea who I was up against. All I knew was, I got the call, sat for 2 interviews, passed the reference check and the police check. At the end, I ticked all the boxes and took home the one and only trophy. It was a small win. But a win is a win, now I use it as a confidence booster and a benchmark for next job search success.

Of course, time is different now, it’s going to get harder and harder. Job creation just can’t keep up with the pace of unemployment. OK, but that’s nothing new. Since job is never easy to come by anyway, there’s no reason to get worked up about statistics. Let’s be strategic about it instead.

For me, no matter how scarce the jobs are, no matter how scary those figures look like, before I can get my foot in the door, I will always follow one timeless formula: You’ve got to be in it to win it.

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…

So, it’s over. We’re through. This is it. I’ve been made redundant. My last day with the company was the 31st of January 2020.

Two days before that, I had a photo taken in the office. It was me sitting on my chair smiling. What was I smiling about? Money? Maybe not.

That’s the thing. What I’ve learned about life is: You either laugh or cry. You can’t do both at the same time. At least you can’t do it without switching from one emotion to another.

So, the question of to laugh or to cry? I chose to smile.

Being made redundant is never easy, but trust me it does get easier. How do I know for sure? Because this is my bloody 3rd time! I won’t be surprised if it isn’t my last. No hard feelings. I’m not putting on a brave face. Don’t believe me? Let’s do a reality check.

None of us has a career trajectory that is a smooth straight line like an airport runway. Well, we don’t call it a trajectory if it’s completely flat, do we? Everyone is bound to have some ups and downs in their career path – it may be a winding road leading you to somewhere flourishing, it may lead you to no where – a dead end. It’s an uncomfortable truth when our career takes an unexpected turn – a downturn. But trail and error – it’s only a normal process.

Job job job. It’s not always fun and games. Here we are. We have this free market promising opportunities for profit making. Unless you run a charity, every company will want to have a piece of the pie. Of course, not all end up making money. Some will win, some will lose. The winner takes it all. And the loser? Bears it all!

When a company is going through a process of restructuring due to profit loss, inevitably, staff cutting (along with cost cutting) is often on the card. Assuming it’s done ethically and legally, anyone who’s got laid off, should receive an amount of payout based on their years of service and unused annual leave etc.

Since it’s written in a contract and agreed by both parties, they (an employer) have the same right as you (an employee) to terminate the employment under some prescribed circumstances. It’s the same in my case, no point of getting too upset or too uptight about being made redundant. Think about it, there’s no such a thing as life term employment anymore.

Laugh or cry, after all is said and done, where do I go from here? Wouldn’t it be nice to have another job lining up somewhere and know exactly where I’ll be heading? Not quit! This time, I’m going to embrace uncertainty and be totally OK with it.

My reason for waking up in the morning before and after the redundancy hasn’t changed, except, I’ll take more time to feel what I feel, take it slow, look after my health, get some decent sleep going forward.

You can see it’s important to stop and smell the roses, but that’s not all for me. I want to remind myself, don’t forget to be grateful for: Those before you who planted the roses…

There’s a 3 week gap between this post and the last on my blog. It’s the biggest gap by far. During this period, I’ve mainly focused on doing my last job (it sounds weird to say my last job) and the handover stuff as well as job hunting. It’s taken the bulk of my time and energy, leaving me with no spare moment to sit down and write.

I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you to a small number of readers. I’m glad you’ve kept coming back to check my latest blog post. I don’t know who you are but your loyalty hasn’t gone unnoticed. Well, since I’m going to have so much time on my hands now, I’ll have no excuse but start to write more regularly.

Lastly, as I said to my colleagues in the farewell message: Till our paths cross again, watch this space! Good luck and all the best…

Keep smiling!

I get it. Looking for a job is never an easy process, it’s a treadmill or it wouldn’t be called a work.

I’ve written a few posts in the past about job hunting, so what exactly makes this one different? The quick answer is: Nothing. The reason why I’m writing about this topic again is because I need to make sure I’m always prepared.

To all job hunters including myself, what can I say? The only certainty is uncertainty. It may sound like a cold comfort but knowing what you’re up against – the unknown, can put your mind at ease. It’s very important to set this record straight. So you know uncertainty is part of baggage we all have to carry sometimes.

I cannot stress this enough. Job hunting starts with the mindset. The skillset comes second. Before you put yourself out there, you mind is already playing a trick on you: Do these self-talks sound familiar to you?

• No, I can’t.
• No, I don’t think I qualify to do that.
• No, I don’t have enough experience.
• No, I don’t think I have right skills

No this No that. Your brain is hacking you with all sorts of impossibilities. By the time you sit down and begin your first application, you are already exhausted from a series of negative thoughts and self-sabotage.

Here’s the fact: No one matches 100%, point by point, word by word, exactly what the recruiters ask for in the ad. It’s up to you to convince the recruiters why you’re the best candidate among the rest.

We know the competition in the job market is fierce. It’s tough, no doubt about it. Companies like Google or LinkedIn often attract hundreds of applicants. The success rate is less than 1%. For every job opening, there can only be one winner, a gold medalist. No sliver, no bronze. It that cruel? You bet!

But don’t despair too quickly. Of course, let’s not play it down – that shitty feeling – Sure, it sucks. It’s a disappointment that you don’t get what you wanted. But… every time you send an application, get short listed, it’s an achievement. It is, think about it. Congratulate yourself. Seriously, it’s only a matter of days, weeks or months before you’ll be the one standing on the podium cheering.

Here’s my take on job hunting:

• Give full attention to your targeted jobs. Write a compelling, authentic application that recruiters can’t put it down.
• If you’ve sent the same type of resume and cover letters on 10 occasions but don’t even get one response back. You need to review and rewrite.
• Give yourself a good head start. Don’t wait till the job market starts to pick up. If not now, then when? Remember, someone out there wants the same job as much as you do. What do hungry wolves do? They go out and hunt their prey.
• Every time you lodge an application to a potential employer. It’s another step closer! If it’s going to take 100 applications to get there, now only 99 left.
• None of my ex colleagues became unemployed and stayed jobless forever. All of them landed a job at the end. So, unless you give yourself up, there’ll be opportunities, there’ll be opening doors.

For me, starting December, I’ve submitted 6 applications so far. And? I’ve already got one telephone interview. Since I also include this website on my resume, there could be some recruiters reading this. Given my blog is all about building life skills and becoming a stronger person, I hope they can see what I’m made of and what I’m capable of.

Finally, job hunting is a like an investment. No secrets. It’s sensible not to put all eggs in one basket. Obviously, recruiters don’t just interview one candidate, right? You shouldn’t put your life on hold for one company, either. If you get a bit sick and tired of the whole thing. It’s OK. Go and have a mini break, recharge your batteries. Come back and knock their socks off!

Good luck! As always, watch this space…

What’s your Plan B? What’s your fallback plan? This is a type of questions you need to ask yourself if you don’t want to fall victim to life’s ups and downs. Don’t have one yet? Maybe it’s time to consider having one.

We know the possible consequences of putting all eggs in one basket. You risk losing them all. From an investment point of view, you should never place yourself in that high-risk position.

Game on! Remember last time you were in a casino playing Roulette? With a handful of chips in your possession, you weighted up your chances of winning, carefully put them on the table. Were they spread across different numbers? Don’t tell me you had a pile of them all sitting on one number! Anyway, I guess this is a terrible example as I’m not a gambler myself and in no way I’m promoting it, but hey you get the point of what I’m trying to say.

The idea of side hustle came up the other day when I was listening to a radio program on internet and later a podcast on YouTube as well (Funny they all go hand in hand. When you find one thing, the next thing along the same lines then pops up magically). A side hustle as the name suggests, is a second job you do outside the main job. It allows you to earn a secondary income while you earn a regular income from the main job.

Why is a side hustle important? Because it’s like your backup system or safety net when things go wrong. If your “Plan A” goes pear shaped, a side hustle is like your Plan B. You won’t left high and dry, with nothing to spare.

What about you? Do you know someone who has a side hustle? How did they start from zero to one? Or even better how did they go from zero to hero? Share with me and my readers if you do. For now though, I’ll share with you someone I know first.

Ian is a colleague of mine working part time over three days a week from Wednesday to Friday. The other two days Monday and Tuesday or the weekend, you won’t see him sitting at home doing nothing. He’s got a gardening business to keep him busy. Of course, he also earns money from it.

So, how did his side hustle take off? To my surprise, it was Direct Mail Marketing he ran locally. He started by personally delivering his advertising materials into the letter boxes in the neighbourhood areas. Yes! As simple as that! The rest? Is history. It’s estimated 90% of business come from the nearby residents some blocks away. How good is that?! Even though Ian is 65, getting closer to an official retirement age, he’s still keeping his mind and body active, while remaining engaged in the community through his business. It’s a win win.

They say don’t give up your day job. I agree. In this day and age, when job security no longer exists, you just never know when your day job will become a thing of the past. A side hustle is like a second skill, a second hobby you develop, it may one day become your number 1 sidekick when you need it most…