pages 8-9 find out what employers and employees can do to
TRANSCRIPT
Saturday 15 december 2012
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Do what you love
YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER& TALENT RESOURCE
PrOductIVItyPaGeS 8-9
Failure is the step to successRead all about how James Dyson used his failings as a lesson and a motivation to succeed in life without giving up.
Pg 3
SIX SIGMA DETAILS
Did you know that the new Six Sigma generation is a combination of both the Lean and Six Sigma?
Pg 10
drIVINGFINd Out WHat emPLOyerS aNd emPLOyeeS caN dO tO INcreaSe PrOductIVIty at WOrK
AFTER-SCHOOLCHOICESJessica Ong unveils the options to choose from after SPM in What’s After SPM
Pg 11
WORK-LIFEBALANCELearn how to set boundaries so that work does not take over your entire life
Pg 12
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012� mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012�
IN my first job as a financial analyst at General Electric (GE), I was pulled aside by my boss and lectured on the importance of being productive. He advised me on the significance of delivering more output than expected if I wanted to have a successful career. Each time I submitted work to him for
review, if the work furnished met his expectations, he would shake his head and look me in the eyes and say, “This is OK but you can do better. Wow me! Amaze me.” I would then go into protestation on not having enough time to produce work that would bowl him over. He would shake his head again and say, “You find time. Do things faster, quicker and better. Then you will have lots of time.”
Wanting to impress my boss, I would then concoct “devious” ways to quicken my work to enable me to have more time to work on impressing him. I started influencing some of my peers to help me complete some of the non-value added work. I started eliminating work that had no impact to the final product. I even started working on macros and automating a lot of my work so that I never had to repeat recurring work. I soon became an expert at eliminating work and soon I had loads of time to focus on impressing my boss on my final outputs. Even while working on the final outputs, I learnt new shortcut keys in the computer and also new tools to “beautify” my work. True enough, not only was my boss impressed, the CEO of the organisation soon became aware of the superstar talent in his midst.
As I moved into my next role in a different business unit, the need to constantly eliminate work was ingrained into my DNA. In fact, I became a productivity junkie. I started noticing that many of the accountants in this business were very slow in responding to my requests. I consolidated the entire business financials and was highly dependent on these accountants sending me their final output. My frustrations started to boil but regardless of how many times I called them or pushed them, their output never arrived faster.
As many of these accountants had worked in their roles for more than 20 years and had deep accounting expertise (and I was a foreigner working in the United States), I resisted my urge to scream and yell at them for being so “slow”. Instead, I started to befriend them, including one elderly man named Pedro. Pedro had years of accounting experience and was knowledgeable about numerous aspects of the business. As I became friends with him, I suggested that maybe I could help him automate some of his accounting using Lotus 123 (this was the pre-cursor spreadsheet software to Excel). He agreed and I soon helped him in automating his work. By the end of the week, we had created macros (back in those days, we actually had to programme mac-ros so it took awhile). Soon, what took him a week to complete was done in a day. And I got my reports from him faster!
Word spread around that a young “geek” had helped save Pedro four days of work and soon there were requests from eve-ryone to help them improve their own work productivity. I helped many others and soon everyone had more time to focus on get-ting me great analysis and helping grow the business.
A year later, I signed up to become a Six Sigma Black Belt and went through an intensive programme with tools to help me drive productivity in my work to even greater heights. I realised, the more I increased my personal productivity, the more time I had to do things that really mattered – impress the boss, exercise, find time for friendships and still do a super job at work.
Productivity matters. It can help you win in your career. Many people work really hard yet don’t realise that they can work smart by learning ways to increase their yield and output. This issue of the career guide helps you look at how you can drive your per-sonal productivity.
We hope this issue of the career guide inspires you to keep learning and provides you the tools and resources to increase your yield and output. Do leverage our videos and other resources which can be accessed online. As always, you can download our amazing Top 10 and other videos from www.leaderonomics.tv and we wish you all the best in your career journey! Have fun driving productivity! All the best to you!
Warm regards,Roshan ThiranEditor, myStarjob.com & CEO, Leaderonomics
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EditorialEditorRoshan ThiRan
ContributingEditorsLiLy CheahevangeLia ChRisTodouLouPRema JayaBaLan
SubEditorLee KaR yeanLayout,Art&DesignTung eng hwa
mohd izudin ismaiLzuLhaimi BahaRuddinhassan BahRiadznam saBRi
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Lisanne yeohWriters&Contributorsangie ngJames Lee
RiCK nguReshan PiLLaiJessiCa ongJosePh Tan
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driving produCTiviTyeliminaTe disTraCTions Lock your door, put a sign up, turn off your phone, texts, instant messaging, and get off social media sites. In fact, if you know you may sneak a peek at any of these, set your devices to offline mode. After these distractions have been eliminated, focus on completing the tasks that you have set out to complete for the day.
BalanCe your Workload Different tasks require different levels of concentration, which you can use to your advantage. Start off by identifying and placing the tasks you have into two categories: weeds and intensive work. Weeds are small, manageable things such as handling emails, phone calls, and minor organisational tasks. Intensive work is anything that requires a heightened level of concentration, such as management tasks, preparing presentations, writing and editing. Balance your workload by splitting up long sessions of intensive work with regular 15-20 minute intervals of “weed pulling”. This can up your productivity level.
make iT a poinT To Take Breaks Constant working is not synonymous with being productive, unless your brain is functioning at its maximum level at all times. Try to take a break before you reach the bottom of your “mental barrel”. Symptoms of needing a break include daydreaming and drifting. Taking breaks is like hitting the reset button. It helps you empty out your “brain cache” so you have time to refill it. Taking a five to 10 minute break in between intensive work sessions can boost overall productivity and help to keep you on track.
make mindful food ChoiCes You are what you eat, and having a heavy mid-day meal will often result in you feeling lethargic for the rest of the afternoon. Heavy meals can make you feel sluggish because they require more energy to digest. According to Kari Kooi, corporate wellness dietitian at The Methodist Hospital, the key is to keep your blood sugar levels steady throughout the day. He recommends three light meals and two snacks at regular intervals and going for foods that are rich in protein like chicken and fish and to consume more fiber-rich carbohydrates such as water-rich veggies.
keep an effiCienT To – do lisT While to-do lists can be helpful, simply having them does not mean you will be any more productive. In fact, it may be wasting time to create lists if the intended activities are not getting done or they end up creating feelings of being overwhelmed or guilt. Be specific when listing tasks and break them down into realistic steps with a definable beginning and end time. Also, be sure to have a to-do list in a format that works best for you and set realistic time frames for each item. Efficient to-do lists can help you accomplish tasks and increase productivity in the workplace.
An Innovative Inventor
James Dyson shares on his eventful career
journey that led him towards success. Pg3
Leadership Is Crucial For Success Success depends on leadership engagement, culture and structures, says Roshan Thiran. Pg5
Give Priority To Your Health
Practice a healthy lifestyle amidst
your hectic working schedule. Pg11
Secrets Of A Smart StudentFind out all about how to excel in school. Pg13
DiD You Know?Driving ProductivityRead all about the facts and figures on productivity. Pg14
Pre-University OptionsGet enlightened on the choices you can make upon completing your SPM examination. Pg11
By ANGIE [email protected]
THERE is no shame in failing but it would be a shame not to learn from it. Inventor and founder of UK-based Dyson Ltd, James Dyson knows this only too well. In fact he “relishes” in failures
and regard them as “fuel” to fire his dogged determination and fighting spirit to be the suc-cessful industrialist he is today.
It started more than 30 years ago when Dyson almost bankrupted himself inventing the world’s first bagless vacuum cleaner using cyclone tech-nology which only himself was convinced would work. By the mid-80s Dyson was heavily in debt but he doggedly continued on his mission.
Luckily for Dyson, frustration has proved the mother of invention. That’s why he came to invent the first bagless vacuum cleaner, ball bar-row, sea truck and trolley ball. He also developed a wheelchair and even a roller for flattening grass!
The story of the Dyson company started in 1979, when Dyson bought a top of the range vacuum cleaner, and was frustrated with how it instantly clogged and began to lose suction. James emptied the bag to try and get it going but this had no effect. The engineer’s instinct kicked in. He ripped open the bag and noticed a layer of dust inside, clogging the pores. A fun-damental flaw with vacuum technology, unde-tected and unchallenged for almost 100 years! Dyson became determined to develop a better vacuum cleaner that worked properly.
During a chance visit to a local sawmill, Dyson noticed how the sawdust was removed from the air by large industrial cyclones. Could that princi-ple work on a smaller scale, in a vacuum cleaner?
It took 5,127 prototypes over 15 years for him to turn up the one which worked. After much frustration, headaches and the seemingly end-less failures, his perseverance triumphed and in 1993 he finally launched the Dyson DC01 vacuum cleaner - famed for its bagless and no-loss-of-suction features.
However, “giving birth” to the world’s first vacuum cleaner without a bag was not the end of Dyson’s problem. In fact it was just the begin-ning of his battle!
None of the major manufacturers at the time was interested in his invention.
James figured they were making too much money selling replacement bags and were more interested in defending their own product; mak-ing handsome profit from the lucrative vacuum bag market.
So he had to go it alone. The venture could have gone either way but Dyson’s conviction and
persistence won the day and things took off.Despite being a new-comer in an industry dom-
inated by big players, Dyson shook up the vacuum cleaner industry. Within 22 months it became the best-selling vacuum cleaner in the UK.
Today, Dyson’s annual turnover is over £1bil and the Dyson vacuum cleaner is available in over 50 countries.
RUNNING THE DISTANCELooking back, Dyson considered the many
prototypes he had to do not only his biggest fail-ure, but also a “good failure” that offered much insights for him to learn from.
“Each one taught me an important lesson. Each one got me a step closer to getting it right,” he shares with myStarjob.com.
“I wanted to give up almost every day. But one of the things I did when I was young was long distance running, from a mile up to 10 miles. They wouldn’t let me run more than 10 miles at school - in those days they thought you’d drop dead or something! And I was quite good at it, not because I was physically good, but because I had more determination. I learned determina-tion from it,” he recalls.
He laments that a lot of people gave up when the world seems to be against them, “but that’s the point when you should push a little harder.”
“I use the analogy of running a race. It seems as though you can’t carry on, but if you just get through the pain barrier, you’ll see the end and be okay. Often, just around the corner is where the solution will happen,” he advises.
He believes if it was not for the disinterest of the big names in his invention then, Dyson would never have existed!
The man has always shown an obstinate streak - the sole volunteer to play the bassoon in the school orchestra, the long distance runner with the determination to do things differently.
“When I was at school I liked running and I played the bassoon. I was not interested in just doing what others enjoyed. And it helps as an inventor, because you will come up against many who do not believe in your idea.
“Today, my interest is in problem solving – inventing and building things that fix problems. I wanted to make things which were functional.”
Trained in industrial design at the Royal College of Art in London, Dyson adopted an Edisonian approach to design; making prototype after prototype until he got it just right.
As the chief engineer at Dyson today, he con-tinues to work alongside his team of engineers and scientists, developing new technologies to overcome everyday frustrations. Dyson spends £1.5mil a week on research, design and devel-opment and employs over 750 engineers in
Wiltshire, England.James encourages his team of Dyson engi-
neers “to try the ridiculous.”He says although most of the time their
attempts end in failure, he prodded them on as “failure sparks thinking and the extraordinary.”
He says Dyson engineers still make a lot of prototypes - quickly getting a feel for things and uncovering subtle design flaws not experienced in a computer screen.
Dyson is inspired by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the engineer who built many of Britain’s railways, tunnels and bridges in the 19th century.
“And it was Jeremy Fry that gave me my first break. I was in my final year at university and he asked me to work on a project to design a flat hulled boat capable of carrying a car at high speeds.
“He taught me the Edisonian approach to designing. Making small changes bit by bit until you get it right. He also got me straight into the field – testing my theories away from the draw-ing board. And that is still my motivation. Solving problems and turning an idea into something tangible,” he enthuses.
INDOMITABLE SPIRITAnd the one big lesson that he has learnt is to
protect his ideas. Dyson says he has learned this the hard way. ”It is our lifeblood. I learned the importance of intellectual property the hard way. One of my early inventions before the vacuum cleaner was the ballbarrow. Conventional wheel-barrows have a thin wheel that sinks into mud. The ballbarrow uses a ball instead to spread the load and is also more manoeuvrable.
“Unfortunately, I did not patent it in my own name. So when I left the business a few years later, I lost the rights to my idea. It was a tough lesson,” he recalls.
Malaysia has benefited from Dyson’s farsight-edness and success too.
To address the high production cost in the UK, Dyson decided to shift the company’s manufac-turing facility from its Malmesbury, Wiltshire facility in the UK to Senai, Johor, in 2002. The company’s headquarters and research facilities remain in Malmesbury.
Dyson has been manufacturing all their machines in Johor since then. Today, Dyson makes machines across four different categories – vacuum cleaners, bladeless fans, heaters and hand dryers.
Although it was a controversial decision back then considering the loss of jobs in the UK, this is a move which Dyson can now defend; the com-pany is doing much better than before, a lot of it
attributed to this brave move.In Malaysia, Dyson employs over 600 people
in research, design and development; two-thirds are engineers.
“Using contract manufacturers in the region means indirectly, we have 12,000 people working for us. Which makes for a rather big impact in Johor,” Dyson says.
Despite his runaway success, Dyson is still very much an inventor at heart.
According to Wikipedia, Forbes estimated the fortune of the 65-year-old Dyson at £1bil.
“I tend not to reflect on past achievements. Every time we launch a new machine, I am already thinking about the next challenge. I like to look forward rather than back.”
In the pipeline are dozens of new inventions that have yet to see the light of day.
“Dyson has a pipeline of technology reaching more than 10 years into the future. And more than 1,400 engineers are working behind closed doors on them!” beams Dyson.
Every bit an inventor, he believes young peo-ple should take risks, make plenty of mistakes, learn from their failures, and persevere when get knocked back.
To support design and engineering education, he set up the James Dyson Foundation in 2002. It is aimed at inspiring young people to study engineering and become engineers by thinking differently and to make mistakes. The foundation particularly supports schools in Wiltshire as well as medical and scientific research in partnership with charities.
Another way the foundation inspires young minds is with the James Dyson Award. This is an international design award that “celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers”. The international design com-petition is open to engineering, industrial design and product design students and also recent graduates.
In Malaysia, bursaries are awarded to students at UTM and the University of Nottingham who show a passion for engineering, and not just good grades.
Given his burning passion and fighting spirit, he and his Dyson team may yet spring many more surprises in the days to come.
BY FAILURESUNDAUNTED
It took James Dyson 5,127 prototypes before he got the
design of the bagless vacuum cleaner right to launch the
Dyson DC01 vacuum cleaner.
JAMES DYSON UNLEASHES WINNING STREAK AFTER SPATE OF FAILINGS
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012 �
This week, mystarjob.com introduces a
new column called “Dare to Fail”. In this
column, we talk to great leaders on their failures and how they
learnt and overcame those failures. This
week, we start with James Dyson.
DID YOU KNOW MALAYSIA IS HOME TO DYSON’S MANUFAcTURING cENTRE?Whether it’s the Dyson air multiplier, vacuum cleaner or hand dryer, all are made in Johor by Malaysian engineers and technicians.
myStarjob.com, Saturday 15 december 2012�
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012 �
MARY Kay Ash, a famous American business leader once said, “There are three types of people in this world: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.”
She is absolutely right. The folks that make things happen understand that there are a number of triggers involved in ensuring your success. It follows the same model as why initiatives and campaigns fail. They fail because once there is a programme, there is now real follow-through and engagement.
Just sending a resume and waiting won’t get you a job. There is need to follow-through and make calls, get experiences and remain upbeat and positive. By engagement with the community and others, your chances of getting a job increase significantly. By developing personal processes (i.e waking up early, learning to write well, practising your public speaking and following up quickly on job opportunities) you set up yourself for success.
Making your career Happen
SucceSS dependS on leaderSHip engageMent, culture and StructureS –
not juSt initiativeS and prograMMeSBy ROSHAN [email protected]
IN 2005, the Government embarked on a National Clean Toilet campaign to ensure clean public toilets everywhere. The Housing and Local Government deputy minister then outlined his strategy on how this was to be
achieved: introduce toilet education, implement good toilet design, and instil good maintenance with mandatory inspection and rating.
Seven years on, we can hardly say the cam-paign was a “flushing” success. Why did that campaign fail? In fact, a few years earlier, the state of Johor tried to fine people RM1,000 for failure to flush public toilets in a drive for cleaner toilets. That didn’t work either.
We have witnessed leaders introducing new initiatives ever so often. After the initial sizzle and spark, they usually never materialise into anything remotely successful. Yet companies rit-ually set up yearly initiatives or campaigns much to the dismay of their employees. Much effort is spent in coming up with great slogans – Bersih, Cekap, Amanah, Cinta IT, Sayang IT – and the list goes on. Yet, they do not have much effect in achieving the goals of the initiative.
For example, investment in customer relation-ship management (CRM) initiatives is US$1.5bil per quarter. Yet most CEOs claim there is no improvement in customer service. Gartner’s research found that 42% of the companies that purchased CRM technology were not even using the applications. Huge efforts and investments are thrown into information technology initia-tives, change programmes and productivity campaigns. Yet we see relatively low success. A Concours Group study had the failure rate of business initiatives at 85%. Why is this so?
Campaign slogans and programme invest-ments are not enough. From my research, the key to driving successful initiatives is to build a supporting eco-system by focusing on four key areas equally: programmes, systems and struc-tures, leadership engagement and culture.
Each element is to be addressed if you are serious about sustainable initiative success. Much of my time is spent on helping multina-tionals drive talent management initiatives. Most talent programmes fail due to leadership focus being only on talent initiatives, and fore-going the other three important areas. Equal focus is needed.
Leadership engagementSteve Job’s personal commitment ensured
the success of various campaigns at Apple. Sir Richard Branson gets involved in all Virgin’s key initiatives from day one. While he was CEO of MAS, Datuk Seri Idris Jala spent a significant amount of time with his talents, teaching and developing them - bahaviour that became con-tagious and role-modeled by others. Jack Welch spent at least 20 days a year teaching initiatives he was championing. The best leaders don’t only set-up programmes and initiatives, they lead by being role-models of these initiatives.
If you ask many business leaders in Asia if they could dedicate time to communicate and role-model key initiatives they are championing, the most likely response would be a friendly stare. How could a busy CEO spend time on initiatives? – there are deals to close and opera-tions to run.
But without your leaders championing the cause, you are just wasting your time. Many lead-ers mouth words of change, but are never com-mitted to the change themselves. Lip service from your leaders, when they call for behaviour change but don’t walk the talk, is a sure way to fail.
effortS failWHydo our
systems and structureEven with leaders rallying behind your cause,
without proper systems and structures, these ini-tiatives won’t fly. I remember Welch yelling and commanding everyone to drive Six Sigma into every part of GE at every opportunity.
At that point, I was working at NBC, its media arm, and Six Sigma had no relevance to these media folks who looked at it as a manufactur-ing process. But to calm Welch down, the NBC team launched a big grand all-employee Six Sigma party with Jay Leno and other stars crack-ing jokes and with T-shirts and caps given out. After the party, there was limited mention of Six Sigma at NBC for the rest of the year. Six Sigma failed to initially take off at NBC even with an enraged Welch championing it.
Welch quickly learnt and announced a new process change in GE where no one could be promoted unless they had green Belt certifica-tion. Immediately, lots of people signed up for Six Sigma. Welch cleverly leveraged the new policy to support Six Sigma. When you drive an initiative, you need to revise processes and structures to be consistently aligned with your initiative and to measure and monitor progress and effectiveness.
cuLtureThe hardest part in ensuring your initiative does
not become a fad or a “flavour of the month” is to ensure that it becomes part of the organisational DNA. It requires cultural alignment.
According to Schwartz and Davis: “Organisational culture is capable of blunting or significantly altering the intended impact of even well-thought-out initiatives in an organisa-tion.” People and organisations are creatures of habit, and changing habits is harder than chang-ing structures or systems.
Organisations, like people, have personalities, and to ignore it will be fatal to your efforts. You need to be aware of your cultural impediments and address them. They may include:n Lack of trust or accountability between groups, including turf issues or internal competitiveness;n An “observer-critic” culture that kills new ideas or a culture reluctant to accept new ideas; andn Groups formed under the protection of a politically connected individual which distance
themselves from your initiative.A few years ago, I was leading a global initia-
tive to drive e-learning usage. We built pro-grammes, got leaders championing the cause and built processes to support e-learning.
Yet, the take-up rate of e-learning was abys-mal. Until we realised that culturally e-learning was not the accepted norm. People preferred to go for actual training classes where they got away from their offices, had coffee breaks and lunches provided and even got a certificate which they could showcase on their desk. When on e-learning programmes, participants were often disturbed mid-session by operational issues and never got about completing the learn-ing.
To address these cultural issues, we issued Starbucks Coffee vouchers for e-learning classes (in lieu of coffee breaks), we built big signboards which hung by the participants’ desks reading “Student on e-learning – do not disturb me”, and we even started issuing e-learning certifi-cates and special gifts for those with high e-learning usage. Within months, e-learning took off in a big way. A corporation’s culture can be its greatest strength or its greatest enemy. Harness the power of culture for your initiative.
programmesFinally, programmes. This is the easy stuff
as there are thousands of programmes for any given initiative. “Copy and paste” works fine for programmes. But not with culture, systems and leadership. Having the best programmes in the world do not necessarily mean you will have the best results. Instead of just focusing on programmes, spend equal time on all elements, and your chances of seeing your initiative being successful goes up significantly. Who knows, we may just have clean toilets in Malaysia one day.
n Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, a social enterprise focused on inspiring people to leadership greatness. He is hoping to inspire more leaders to focus on leadership engagement, cul-ture and processes in the hope of seeing a great nation (with clean toilets!). For more information on Leaderonomics exciting experiential learning programmes, email [email protected]
culture
Values & shared visionNorms & behavioursCompany credoLeadership philosophyLearning organisationEmployee reactionsOrganisational beliefs & habits
prograMMeSTalent programmes
Quality initiativesSlogans & tag-lines
Training programmesChange management
Any initiative or campaign
SySteM & StructureSOrganisational policy & processesOperational calendarMetrics & measurementKPI’s, operating plansDashboard & trackersQuaterly, monthly, weekly reviewsBalanced score card
leadeerSHip coMMitMent
Walk the talkTrusted leaderChampion of the initiativesRole models’ new behaviourTeaches employees on initiativesConstanly communicates
Apple or Samsung?
ipad or Tablet? Use cloud computing,
Dropbox and Squirrel.Which is more fashionable?
Zappos, Zalora and the lack of zzzz?Are they familiar or foreign? It really
depends on who you are. If you are a techie, you are probably reading
this in The Star Online on your ipad. If you are wondering what is fashionable about Zappos or Zalora then you are probably reading this in the Saturday edition of The Star Classified.
like it or not, ICT has taken over our lives and how we live today. Underlying this change in ICT consumption and lifestyle is the game changing MSC Initiative. Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), presided at the policy making core whilst working closely with pikom, the national ICT association rep-resenting over 1,500 companies, to sow the seeds of the ICT Age.
Today, Malaysia has become home to more than 250 world-class ICT companies in ICT manufacturing and ICT services. The liberalisa-tion of the telco industry which led to a boom in broadband use and ownership of smart gadgets has created a rapid growing e-com-merce industry. A slew of ICT-related indus-tries thrive and give rise to more employment opportunities for ICT graduates and profes-sionals.
According to Woon Tai Hai, pikom’s chair-man, “the demand for ICTjobs remains high.”
“It is projected to grow by leaps and bounds with increasing ICT phenomena such as cloud computing, provision of e-services, e-com-merce, big data analytics, broadband services, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), platform as a Service (paaS), Content as a Service (CaaS), computer games, IT forensics, and Internet of Things,” Woon explained.
Muhammad Imran Kunalan, general man-ager of MDeC talent division, echoed similar sentiments. In the past, MDeC would train ICT talents when the demand for certain speciali-sation such as SAp developers were needed.
“Now we plan development of talents in a more sustainable manner,” he shared. “We work with the Higher education Ministry and the Human Resources Ministry to carry out strategic studies on supply and demand for ICT talents.”
“So far, we have done two studies in 2009 and 2011 to capture the market outlook for ICT talents. In the latest study, we found that there is a demand of about 27% for ICT talents from 2010 to 2013.”
Imran said the development of talents for the ICT industry which started four years ago is a sustainable programme as it is targeted at different segments of the population. MDeC has started an awareness programme on ICT Career Choices, starting at tertiary level and last year, the road shows were taken to sec-ondary schools nationwide.
According to Imran, one of MDeC’s strate-gies to produce the next generation of talents for digital transformation is to work with ICT partner companies to do show-and-tell road shows.
“The kids got really excited when they met creators of Upin & Ipin,” Imran recalled. “Many have seen the cartoons and the road shows, which have created enthusiasm and a sense of wanting to pursue a career in movie-mak-ing.”
Education mattErs! According to Woon, institutes of higher
learning (IHls) must keep up with new tech-nological changes and revise curricular on a regular basis to be aligned with industry’s needs. IHls must produce ICT graduates with degrees reflecting the right technical knowledge and skills, so as to ensure a good fit between ICT graduates and the industry expectations. Over the years salaries certainly have increased to reflect this growing demand for ICT talents. As reported by pikom, salary for ICT talents “has risen from RM5,626 in 2010 to RM6,280 in 2011, a rise of 10.9%.”
emphas will be put on creation of high-value jobs in services sub-sectors like Creative Multimedia Content, Shared Services Outsourcing and Information Technology. efforts like Tele-health, Smart Schools, e-Government, Cloud Computing and e-Commerce are already creating more opportu-nities for ICT graduates to be innovative.
Woon also stressed that whilst ICT jobs were still highly sought after in many sectors, soft skills such as communication skills were just as important in delivering a technical job”
it EvErywhErE …Fastest Growing Industries Utilizing IT!n Oil & Gas, petroleum-related jobsn Telecommunications n Wholesale, Retail & Trading n Manufacturingn Banking
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012�
A glimpse into iCt
2.7 miLLion visitors
to online banking sites in Malaysia in January 2011, a growth of 16%
year-on year!
Sour
ce: c
omSc
ore
Med
ia M
atrix
Mal
aysi
a
Muhammad Imran Kunalan, general
manager of Talent Division, MDeC
Source: MDec ICT Outlook for Malaysia 2012
cLoud computing …gives rise to new ways to manage and share data! 15% of total digital data will be stored on cloud by 2020!
n intEL software development
n iBmConsultancy & application development
n agiLEntInstrumentand testing
n rhythm & huEs movie animation
n codEmastErs studio pS3 games
n LEs’ copaquE production Upin & Ipin
Woon Tai Hai, Pikom’s chairman
NETBOOK
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012 �
Name
Education
Role
Company
Years in IT
“I have been promoted twice, first to consult-ant and then, to manager, my current role,” Pei Ni shared. “I am responsible for leading teams and managing projects to ensure outcomes com-mitted to clients are delivered. I also provide career guidance to counselees who are assigned to me and participate in recruitment. I am now more specialised in the domain of IT Strategy & Transformation.”
Pei Ni who joined Accenture as an entry-level analyst shared she was expected to pick up new skills very quickly, be it technical or soft skills like communicating effectively, during her seven years with this global consultancy firm.
According to her, IT consulting is dynamic and each project is different and offers a new set of challenges. She said she thrives on challenges, be it building relationships with new individuals, both clients and Accenture teammates, a different client’s organisation culture to adapt to, a different industry to familiarise with or a new set of client business challenges to help address.
“I thrive on the challenges and enjoy having the learning opportunities,” she said. “I take the initia-tive to continuously self-improve and develop.”
SkillS needed to Succeed…Versatility “I took part in an Accenture corporate citi-
zenship programme (Accenture Development Partnerships) where I took a cut in salary and worked as a consultant with a non-profit organisa-tion headquartered in the United States for six months,” she recalled.
Ability to think of the big picture
Pei Ni explains that working long hours is some-times needed when the team must meet a client’s deadline and as professionals, “we strive to meet commitments to the clients and whenever it is required, it has to be done.” She was “rewarded with an early promotion to manager after a very challenging project.”
“I go out with my team to make sales calls every day,” Jocelyne Mak said. “I do a lot of coaching and mentoring when I’m out with them but some-times, roles are reversed and I sit back and observe my sales team.”
This newly-appointed general manager in charge of the general business division at IBM Malaysia is a pure IT techie. Yet, Mak who goes by nickname Joey has an easy charm about him which suggests a people person! Indeed, he switches between both personas with ease.
Trust, Mak said, besides being IBM’s first core value, must be built amongst colleagues and between bosses and subordinates. He shared it is a key element in his coaching process.
Armed with diploma in E&E engineering, Mak knows the nuts and bolts of computer mainframes down to stand-alone, point-of-sale machines to the core. Yet it is not his IT knowledge that brings success. It is his ability to build trust and credible relationships with colleagues and cli-ents that seal the deal.
He certainly has the depth and breadth in IT know-how to lead his sales people who are spe-cialised in one or two industries. He explained the need to specialise due to the vast number of prod-ucts IBM sells and importance to know the ins and outs of an industry as well as speak its lingo have changed the way sales staff interact with clients.
SkillS needed to Succeed Hone customer insightsIt is important to “be intimate with customers
to get customers’ insight.” He said “asking probing questions is a crucial communication skill to build trust with clients” and this goes a long way to enhance credibility with them.
be innovAtiveMak says being innovative works in IT engineer-
ing as well as selling IT. In IT engineering, “better and faster solutions at lower costs can help cus-tomers.” In sales, he and his team can offer better solutions to clients to ensure their success!
TrackingThe iT Professional PaTh
Zhong Yang
Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Hons)University of Warwick, UK
analyst
Accenture
1 year
“The sheer breadth of IT projects which Accenture undertakes, from strategy and systems implementation to server tuning and desktop roll-out, means there is never a dull moment on the job, said Zhong Yang.“This also means being taken out of your comfort zone to understand a different business and a different aspect of IT.”
Zhong Yang said the role of IT is as “an enabler for a company’s business operations and aspira-tions.”
This Malacca-born techie said as an analyst, he has a chance “to participate and sometimes, drive discussions, consolidate and analyse data collected from the client, conduct research on current mar-ket trends and best practices as well as assist in preparing presentation decks.”
In his current role, Zhong Yang is focused on IT Strategy and Transformation (ITST) within the Financial Services industry. It is exciting times to be in Financial Services as Malaysian banks are undergoing their digital transformation to com-pete regionally.
To develop his soft skills, Zhong Yang leads the committee which organises community events for entry-level analysts where they engage with higher management team members.
SkillS needed to Succeed…Learn to ask and ask intelligent questions. Zhong Yang said, “As the new kid on the block,
we are not expected to know everything but I would recommend reading through project documents first before pestering somebody for information which might be readily available somewhere.”
leArn continuouSly.With no technical background, Zhong Yang
improves his IT knowledge and understanding of financial services industry using the company’s online courses.
Zhong Yang highlighted the benefits of mentor-ing which Accenture managers do continuously to instill in him managerial skills.
At entry-level (yeAr 1 to 4)Name
Education
Role
Company
Years in IT
At Mid MAnAger role (yeAr 5 to 9)Pei Ni
Bachelor of IT, majoring in Data CommunicationsQueensland University of Technology, Australia
manager, IT Strategy and Transformation
Accenture
7 years
Jocelyne (Joey) Leonard Mak
Diploma in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
general manager, General Business
IBM Malaysia
20+ years
Name
Education
Role
Company
Years in IT
generAl MAnAger - coded for SucceSS!
Tracking The non-iT Profesional PaTh...in iT comPanyWorking for Google Malaysia evokes many impres-sions and perceptions. Google’s founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are like IT Jedi masters presiding over the world of search to make the experience faster and the search more accurate. Their mantra “don’t be evil” is legendary; almost like a call to resist temptation to fall to the dark side like Anakin. This sets expectations high, which Lim Huey Chin explained, comes with working for Google.
Lim, account strategist and a non-IT person work-ing in Google Malaysia, said the mantra “focus on user” trickles down to every staff in every country.
Impacts from the mantra and high expectations from clients are immediate and game chang-ing. People working in Google are likened to Jedi Sentinels who use various tools and techniques plus mental conditioning to get their jobs done and withstand attacks.
Lim, whose preparation was in law and account-ancy, certainly has the tools and mental condition-ing to educate clients on promoting their businesses
on Google. She illustrated how fast technology changes the
advertising game, even in Malaysia.“It is true there is always something new and dif-
ferent happening in an IT company every day,” she said. “I have a client who wanted to capture data retrospectively and asked if we could do it for them and I had to say no.
“Five days after the client asked, at the beginning of a week, I read the latest updates from Google and found the tool has been created by somewhere within the company. It was so exciting. I went straight to the client and the tool is now imple-mented to help them.”
Lim’s journey to Google illustrates how a non-IT person can become an asset in a truly IT company. Her mastery of Google tools and the IT industry will continue, just like a Jedi Sentinel. The outcome is more power to small businesses as they compete with the big boys for the more tightly held ringgit.
700,000smes in malaysia;only 100,000
Malaysia has more than 18 million Internet users. Sixty per cent search online. Google Malaysia works with three premier partners to help SMEs go online – Yellow Pages by TM InfoMedia; PanPages by CBSA Online and Media Activa.
are online.Name
Education
Role
Company
Years in IT
Lim Huey Chin
LLB (Hons), University of Warwick, UKACA, ICAS
account strategist
Google Malaysia
1 yearInformation courtesy of TalentCorp
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012� mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012 �
For many organisations, Six Sigma is a measure of quality that is supposed to be almost perfect. It is a data-driven approach that eradicates defects in any level; from manufacturing up to transactional and from product to service. This same methodology can be applied to spot workforce-related waste that could be hindering a company from increasing its productivity. For example:
Manufacturing workforce management which enables you to precisely calculate the times spent by employees on direct
and indirect activities. Having this data can help you gauge the root causes of low productivity. It can also help in quantifying the impact of high overtime and absence in productivity. Combined, these capabilities give you an avenue to boost productive time in your establishment.
Use Overall Labour Effectiveness (OLE) to monitor the impact of labour on profitable output by gauging the
interdependencies of quality, availability and performance. This method actually displays on how employees and assets combine to drive the ultimate results and it also gives you the true insight on how to take action at all levels in an organisation. Executing the action upon this conclusion will result in driving more productivity in the organisation and the elimination of aspects which could be slowing it.
DRIVING PRODUCTIVITY IN THE WORKFORCE
EmPlOYERs AND EmPlOYEEs ARE KEY PlAYERs IN INCREAsING PRODUCTIVITY IN AN ORGANIsATION
By PREMA [email protected]
PRODUCTIVITY is the essence which elevates a country to become a high-income economy. A solid growth in productivity increases the
economic status of a country whilst establishing it on the world pedestal. Over the years, Malaysia has seen an increase in productivity. However, it still has to travel through a very long journey in order to reach a significant level of growth.
According to Malaysia Productivity Corp (MPC), Malaysia needs to have a productivity level of at least US$28,140, alongside a per capita income of US$15,000 by 2020 to achieve the status of a country generating high rev-enue through its economy.
Why is it taking us so long when we are known to be one of the countries that work long hours? According to the 2012 Vacation Deprivation Survey done by Expedia, Malaysia ranks fourth when it comes to having the most dedicated workforce, with 90% of employees working even when they are on a vacation. Based on this finding, why is Malaysia’s productivity level considered to be quite low?
On average, Malaysians clock in
about 40 hours a week at work which is equivalent to eight hours a day, based on a five-day work week. On top of that, it is a norm in Malaysia for employees to stay back after office hours and clock out later than their working hours. They even come in to work over the weekends. This amount of time is deemed to be more than sufficient to produce good potency in generating income for the country. Why is Malaysia’s productivity level still considered to be quite low?
Well, when a person works for long hours, it does not necessarily mean that the person is doing work the whole time. The culture of taking long lunch hours, taking frequent breaks, surfing the internet, chatting with col-leagues, “Facebook-ing”, chatting with friends on Google chat and talking on the phone could take up a large chunk of working hours. This could be the reason as to why employees leave the office late. Tasks which could not be completed due to procrastination are attended to after office hours.
According to Leaderonomics CEO Roshan Thiran, the productivity of the workforce in our country is still low. He believes that ways should be found to increase productivity by doing the same amount of work but in a lesser amount of time. One should optimise the time given at work to produce
quality results. This can best be executed by driv-
ing productivity in the workforce. An increase in the capacity of produc-tion will indeed sustain a relatively strong economic growth and further increase it. In order to get the best out of employees, it is essential to admin-ister certain methods which drive productivity.
HOW TO DRIVE PRODUCTIVITY?
As An employer:
1 ImPROVE WORk PROCEssEs anD sTYlEs
With the current era of modern inno-vations, employers must take time to look into the day-to-day tasks of employees and cut down on outdated processes which are irrelevant. For example, a reduction in the size of a sales report will enable the sales and marketing force to have more time to focus on its main aim and the usage of the latest software for finance will make it easier for accountants to per-form their tasks. An employer can’t stick to the traditional way of doing things as this will lower productivity. Changes need to be made according to the current situation in order to stay abreast with the world.
2 ExPREss gRaTITUDEEmployees should be given rec-
ognition and acknowledged for their contributions towards the success of the company. It is the human nature to naturally feel energised and want to perform better when they are appreciated for what they have done. Furthermore, when this appreciation comes from an employer, it creates a stronger bond between the employer and employee. An employee who is appreciated will go all the way to increase productivity even though it requires longer working hours for the same amount of pay. Gratitude can be expressed through various ways that include performance and year-end bonuses, company retreats, staff awards and even a simple word of thanks via email for milestones achieved in work.
3 CREaTE a COnDUCIVE anD EnjOYablE
WORkIng aTmOsPHEREProductivity in the workforce can eas-ily be enhanced when an organisation has staff that can’t wait to come to work, every morning. Having a set of employees who are excited and enjoy being at work, will definitely drive productivity. A working culture which is fun and interactive is the way to go. An example of this is Zappos where the company believes in an open door policy. Almost all employees, including the CEO, work in cubicles on the office floor. Some of the call centre supervis-ers even remove the walls between
their cubicles for more interaction. At Zappos, employees have their mail delivered to the company and have complete access to the company shuttles. Employees are provided a nap room for some shut-eye time and there is even free lunch at the cafeteria.
As An employee:
1 lEaRn HOW TO PRIORITIsE
Plan your assignments and tasks well. This will help you tackle all of your important work first and help you multi-task for the others. You will save time and be more efficient and ulti-mately produce better quality of work. Getting ahead with the most impor-tant task first thing in the morning will also increase productivity whilst getting you a good start of the day. Keep track of your daily work by hav-ing a to-do list. This will ensure that all needs are attended to. Make sure meetings don’t drag on and stay on track when it comes to time. A meet-ing that drags on unnecessarily will deter work from getting completed and affect productivity. Lastly, always stick to deadlines when it comes to delivering work.
2 DOn’T TakE aDVanTagE Of sOCIal
mEDIa aT WORk.Social media is taking the nation by storm. Almost everyone is on sites such as Facebook. When at work,
make sure you optimise fully on your working hours by actually doing only office work. Be disciplined and avoid spending large parts of your day surf-ing the net and chatting with your friends. If the time spent on these activities is put into work, then a lot of tasks can be accomplished within a short time frame thus increasing productivity. Many companies are moving towards banning Facebook in the office, as it is becoming a drain on the workday. If you have access to Facebook, then use it only as a break for a few minutes.
3 PRaCTIsE PROPER COmmUnICaTIOn
It is vital to have a good working atmosphere in order to give your very best. More often than not, we blame others when the workplace environment is bad, but have we ever thought that we could be a contribut-
ing factor as well? In order to enjoy your working environment, practise good communication methods. Be interactive with your employer, col-leagues and staff. If you have issues, make sure you interact and discuss it with your employer instead of keep-ing it to yourself. By talking things out, issues will be brought out in the open and solutions can be found. This puts the mind at ease and will not affect one’s work. Have a healthy and friendly relationship with subor-dinates and this will generate better teamwork which produces better results in work and subsequently increase productivity.
Two colleagues
playing around in the office
HaPPY PEOPlE WORk WEll WITH OTHERs.A happy person is well-liked by others and are fun to be with. They perform well when it comes to teamwork and engage well with their employees and their manag-ers. They are also adored by their clients and stakeholders.
HaPPY PEOPlE aRE alWaYs EmanaTIng OPTImIsm.These people are always motivated and see the positive side of things. When there is a crisis or problem, they do not sit and agonise over it. They are the ones who find solutions on how to fix the situation.
HaPPY PEOPlE aRE naTURallY EnERgETICA happy person has got more energy and zest than the rest. These aspects contribute a lot towards being more efficient while performing any task.
HaPPY PEOPlE DO nOT sUCCUmb TO IllnEss EasIlYFalling sick is a productivity killer and can affect your career as well. A happy person hardly falls sick as he/she loves what they are doing and this keeps work stress and burnout at bay.
WHY H
APPIN
Ess A
T WOR
K Pl
AYs A
mAj
OR RO
lE As
A PR
ODUC
TIVITY
bOOs
TER?
THIs CAN bEsT bE ExECUTED bY DRIVING
PRODUCTIVITY IN THE WORKFORCE.
AN INCREAsE IN THE CAPACITY OF PRODUCTION
WIll INDEED sUsTAIN A RElATIVElY sTRONG
ECONOmIC GROWTH AND FURTHER INCREAsE IT.
AND DRIVING PRODUCTIVITY
sIGmA
ON AVERAGE, mAlAYsIANs ClOCK IN AbOUT
Portrait of a group of business
executives in an office
WHICH Is EqUIVAlENT TO40 HOURs A WEEK
AT WORK
8 HOURsA FIVE-DAY WORK WEEK
A DAY, bAsED ON
By DR. ARUL [email protected]
What is Lean six sigma?
THE Lean and Six Sigma combination is the new Six Sigma generation. This new methodology is the offspring of two very essential components of business process improvement that complement and reinforce one another.
Lean aims to create value through the elimination of waste and non value-added activities. Six Sigma on the other hand, is the measure of quality and meeting the customer’s needs. Lean on its own cannot bring a process under statistical control to achieve quality targets, whilst Six Sigma alone cannot significantly improve process speed or reduce waste that can improve operational cost and capital.
Lean Six Sigma is a methodology driven by the need to change, to continuously improve and eliminate complexities, and to meet the goals of the business and shareholders through a single crucial element – the Voice of the Employee, or simply put, organisational effectiveness.
e3 Your Career With Lean six sigma
Dynamic business environments require an organisation to develop the ability to adopt change and continuously improve. The inability to change exposes the organisation to risks associated with failing to know and understand the Voice of Customer, the Voice of Business and the Voice of Employee.
To change, an organisation requires a clearly defined and articulated “burning platform”. The “burning platform” creates an internal drive to focus on results which becomes the foundation of a continuous improvement culture. Organisations that embark on change by identifying the “burning platform” and integrating it into its vision, strategy and execution, can then seek enterprise wide leadership engagement. This has been demonstrated by successful Lean Six Sigma organisations like GE Capital, Xerox and Alcan.
Changing a business into a performance oriented organisation is a challenge and the transition for change requires perseverance. As management envisions its corporate goals, it will realise that a unified strategy and execution are vital prerequisites. The business then begins to experience its ability to meet objectives and critical business needs. Hence the E3 of continuous improvement.
The question now is, how do you – maybe a fresh graduate, an executive or an engineer with a few years of experience or even a senior manager decide if a career in Lean Six Sigma is the right choice for you and where it could lead you to in an organisation?
A typical question that one seems to ask at this juncture is “What’s in it for me and what’s in it for the organisation that I work for?”
What’s in it For YouFirstly it is a development program that begins with you undergoing
anywhere from a 1 day awareness workshop up to a specialised 6 month training program. In other words, from being exposed to the basics of change management and process excellence to a skills development course that teaches you on the use and applications of various logical and statistical toolsets such as Value Analysis, Value Stream Mapping, Analysis of Variance, Design of Experiments, Control Charts and Dashboards to name a few.
One will be exposed to initiate problem solving at various levels of the organisation, be it the Sales Department, the Printing Department, the Finance Department or even from a strategic perspective that looks at organisation wide continuous improvements initiative to improve business performance, quality and customer satisfaction. Excitingly, all these efforts are structured under a sound and robust framework known as DMIAC – Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control.
The real question that one should ask prior to embarking into the world of Lean Six Sigma is – “Can you effectively and consistently eliminate the problems that form the daily and routine issues that affect business performance?”
The first step of a career in Lean Six Sigma in fact begins with one’s desire to achieve and drive business performance. Personally, from that point onwards one begins an exciting journey in uncharted waters.
The DMAIC methodology brings a rigour to the organisation and individual that embarks on Lean Six Sigma. It provides the roadmap on how to resolve problems that affect quality and productivity. The methodology encourages empowerment and furnishes a Lean Six Sigma talent with a vast array of toolsets. Through this, one is able to generate results that would be consistent in terms of output. Thus, the individual will begin to contribute to an organisation in a consistent method while addressing the Voice of the Customer, Voice of the Business and Voice of the Employee - the elements that drive business results. This makes Lean Six Sigma an enabler that drives a continuous improvement culture.
Every employee in an organisation becomes a driver of results. Organisations that adopt Lean Six Sigma will have companywide drivers of results aligned to its vision and strategy.
What’s in it for you? With Lean Six Sigma and the DMAIC framework and tools you become the DNA of your organisation and the future leader that aligns employee mindset to business strategy and customer needs.
As Anne Mulcahy, CEO and Chairman of Xerox Corporation noted:
Your career in Lean Six Sigma will begin with you envisioning a career path of driving change through continuous improvement and process excellence. Your development will take you through structured programs that include training, coaching and mentoring to enable you to execute the continuous improvement efforts and apply the toolsets for problem solving and process excellence. The knowledge gained from these efforts and your ability to work through improvements at all levels of the organisation finally gives you the insight and the experience that will propel you towards leadership in an organisation.
“It’s all about finding best practices, adapting them, and continually improving them. When you do that right, new product and service ideas, new processes, and opportunities for growth start to pop out everywhere and actually become the norm,” says a Lean Six Sigma Executive Champion.
This is exactly what happened at GE under Jack Welch’s leadership. Companies successfully adopting Lean Six Sigma continuously look at ways to keep it alive and evolving. New ways, tools and techniques are developed and integrated into the organisation.
n Dr. Aruleswaran is the founder and director of LSS Academy, an MSC Status Company and is accredited by Carnegie Mellon University (CMMI - L3) and Peoplecert (LSS Programs). For further information, contact [email protected]
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 201210
practitionerSiXa career aS a
“Six Sigma is better than a trip to the dentist” – Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric
enViSion:Identification of opportunities for improving productivity, quality, service levels and customer satisfaction.
Improving perfomances in terms of people, process and knowledge
Transformation of ‘AS-IS’ process to future state based on efficiency effectiveness
Achieving step change in productivity, quality and creating a culture of continuous improvement
e3
“Lean Six Sigma is not tools...it’s the infrastructure and discipline in place to make business improvement an imperative. It will be painful, we will select and train our best people, those we can least afford to reassign, our future leaders, to enable a cultural change.”
CrITICAL ENABLErSl Opportunity identification & project selection
l Project sponsorshipl Tollgate reviews
DeFine the opportunitY From both business anD Customer perspeCtives
unDerstanD the proCess anD its perFomanCe
searCh the keY FaCtors (CritiCaL x’s) that have the biggest
impaCt on proCess perFomanCe anD Determine the root Causes
DeveLop improvement soLutions For the
CritiCaL x’s
impLement the soLution anD
ControL oF pLan
DMiac
KNOWLEDGE WORKER’SPERSONALITY TRAITS
> ability to noticeabnormalperformance andprocesses
Problem Recognition
> having the natureto identify root
causes andeliminate themand not to live
with them
Intolerance
> able to takecharge to solveproblems andcontinuouslyimprove
Responsibility
> having the desireto investigate
Curiosity
> the drive to finda solution andeliminate a problem
Persistence
> ability to moveaway from the
comfort zone tothe courage zone
Open mindedness
> finding simplesolutions that areeasily acceptedand implemented
Practicality
> knows that thereis light at the
end of the tunnel
Optimism
SiGMa
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012 11
Work hard but StaY healthYBy EVA CHRISTODOULOUEmail: [email protected]
WE often get so caught up at work that we rarely have time to spend with our families and friends. What is even more alarming is that, we often do not even find time to take care of ourselves in terms of our health and well being. The technologies that are meant to help us with our work tasks have made it impossible for us to disconnect from work and pursue our personal responsibilities and needs. We often end up starting work as soon as we wake up
– by looking at our smart phones and getting caught up in answering emails and ending the day the same way we started – checking our smart phones again.
But all this, together with family commitments, leaves so little time for us to consider our health. Do we notice what we are eating, or do we just gulp what is served in front of us in a desperate attempt to just nourish our body and go on with our work? Do we find the time to exercise, meditate, or even just relax, to keep our body healthy? Unfortunately these are activities that are often not prioritised in our busy schedules. So, here’s a thought for the
week: Keep track and find a way to improve your eat-ing habits, as well as exercise. After all, for how long do you think you can keep going without a healthy body? Make sure you find the time to keep your body healthy. And, as a pleasant side effect, apart from a much healthier you, you’ll also see your work pro-ductivity increasing!
n Eva Christodoulou wishes that all Malaysians understand the value of health and spend some time to keep their body and mind in good shape.
By JESSICA ONG
FOR many in Malaysia, the end of sec-ondary school is marked by the comple-tion of the SPM examination. Students are then faced with one of the biggest questions yet – what’s next? For those
of you intending to further your studies, choos-ing a good pre-university course is vital in terms of providing a strong foundation for your chosen academic pursuit. To help you with this formidable decision, we have listed out some of the most common pre-university options. Whatever your choice, we wish you the best in your future endeavours.
Sijil Tinggi PerSekolahan MalaySia (STPM)
GradinG: From 2012, 20%-40% coursework and 60%-80% examinations.duration: 24 months.awardinG Body: Malaysian Examinations Council.SuBjectS: Accounting, Business Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Chinese Language, Economics, General Studies, Geography, History, Islamic Law, Literature in English, Malay Language, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Tamil Language.Style: Has changed from exam-oriented learn-ing to an outcome based education. Overall STPM results will be on a cumulative basis over three exam terms. Coursework also contributes to results - projects or assignments, laboratory work and field research. All subjects are taken simultaneously, requiring consistent learning and in-depth understanding.
CaMbridge a levelS (Cal)
GradinG: 100% external examination. duration: 18 months.awardinG Body: University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE).SuBjectS: Accounting, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computing, Economics, Law, Literature, Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, Sociology.Style: Completely examination oriented. Exams are conducted in two phases – AS Level and A2 Level. Subjects are taken simul-taneously and students will be examined on cumulative work. Committed dedication to learning and in-depth understanding is required.
SouTh auSTralian MaTriCulaTion (SaM)
GradinG: 70% continuous assessments and 30% final examination.duration: Ranges from eight to 16 months.awardinG Body: SACE Board of South Australia.SuBjectS: Accounting, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English Studies, Information Technology, Legal Studies, Literature, Malay, Mathematical Studies, Physics, Psychology, Research Project.Style: Assessment tasks that include projects, assignments and laboratory work are assigned throughout the year. Students should be pre-pared for examinations that include multiple-choice questions, short-answer questions and essay questions. Time management is key in order to juggle both coursework and prepara-tion for examinations.
Canadian Pre-univerSiTy (CPu)
GradinG: 70% continuous assessments and 30% final examination.duration: 12 months.awardinG Body: Ministry of Education, Ontario, Canada.SuBjectS: Analysing Current Economic Issues, Biology, Business Leadership, Canadian and World Politics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Financial Accounting Principles, Functions, International Business Fundamentals, Literacy Skills, Physics.Style: Focus is on performance-based skills. continuous assessments, varied assignments and class presentations encourage students to develop as well-rounded individuals. To develop
community awareness, there is a 10-hour compulsory community service.
inTernaTional baCCalaureaTe
diPloMa PrograMMe (ibdP)
GradinG: 80% final examination and 20% con-tinuous assessments including tests and project work.duration: 24 months.awardinG Body: International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO).SuBjectS: Accounting, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computing, Design Technology, Economics, Exercise and Health, Film, Geography, Latin, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Psychology, Theatre, Visual Arts.Style: Required to take six subjects, one from each of the subject groups listed below and either one from The Arts or a permitted substi-tute. Divided into six subject groups – Language A1, Second Language, Individuals and Societies, Experimental Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, and The Arts. Designed to provide a balanced and academically challeng-ing programme of education.
aMeriCan degree TranSfer PrograM (adTP)
GradinG: 70% continuous assessments and 30% final examination.duration: One year (one+four option) or two years (two+two option).awardinG Body: Credit transfer programmeSuBjectS: Accounting, Advertising, Biological Science, Computer Programming, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Economics,
Effective Public Communication, Acting, General Chemistry, Physics for Science and Engineering, Psychology, World Religion.Style: The ADTP is a credit-transfer programme - students complete about half the degree requirements locally and complete the other half in the United States. Suitable for students that are still exploring as majors only need to be decided in the second year of studies. The liberal arts education philosophy ensures that students are exposed to both the Sciences and the Arts.
auSTralian MaTriCulaTion
PrograMMe (auSMaT)GradinG: 50% continuous assessments, 50% external examination.duration: Ranges from eight to 16 months.awardinG Body: The Curriculum Council of Western Australia.SuBjectS: Accounting & Finance, Biological Sciences, Business Management and Enterprise, Career & Enterprise, Chemistry, Computer Studies, Economics, English, German, Mathematics, Physics, Politics and Law, Psychology.Style: Generally, does not restrict students to any particular subject combination which allows students to pursue different areas of interests. Focused on developing student holis-tically through a balanced approach of exams and coursework.
Pre-univerSitY oPtionS
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 201212
By LILY [email protected]
I’M not sure what it’s like for you, but work follows me home. Now with a smartphone, work not only follows me home, it sleeps next to me. We are never far from each other, separated just by a simple swipe and
a click of a button. My ears prick up when I hear the beep of an email coming through and there is a compulsive need to check what it is. Then the “swoosh” as my reply gets dispatched. You know the sound I mean.
How did we get here? Technology. Yes, it’s all technology’s fault, because it has undoubt-edly been the principal force in upheaving the wall between physical presence and functional capacity. Physical spaces do not matter as much anymore. England, the United States, Australia, Japan are all within a button’s reach. While this opens up numerous possibilities for collaboration and innovation, it also means that people are constantly available for communication. Emails, instant messaging, WhatsApp, Viber can all set alight at the same time and bombard us with numerous interruptions in our daily lives.
Sherry Turkle, Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT, calls it a culture of distraction. The demands of digital communi-cation have risen to such an extent that people have lost the ability and opportunity to have uninterrupted moments of thought. Similarly in the work context, work demands are perpetually knocking at our door for attention, spelling less than ideal consequences on the other facets of our lives.
Of course the easy route is to pin the blame on technology for this state of affairs. “That’s just the way it is la” or “What to do? No choice…” However, that negates the capacity of individuals to be proactive beings and make the decisions we want.
An increAsed responsibilityOur power of decision-making has not been
extinguished by the advent of technology. Our choices have increased, and decision making is possibly harder as a result, but the responsibility to take charge of our lives and not be swept by the currents of our surroundings still exist. In this world of mass media and constant bombard-ment of information, a higher responsibility is placed upon us to set boundaries, and in our cur-rent discussion, boundaries on work.
Here are two big reasons wHy setting boundaries on work is a good idea:
1 There is more to life than work. This isn’t a novel thought, but it’s worth reminding
ourselves every so often of the other spheres of our lives that merit our time and effort: family, friends, even ourselves and our interests and hobbies. Instability or neglect of these areas will inevitably nag at us, and affect concentra-tion at work- whether through literal nagging or fatigue and restlessness. The opposite is also true. Spending time on things outside of work can actually boost productivity and performance at work. A 2008 paper in Psychological Science by Berman, Jonides and Kaplan says spending time in nature, for instance, improves our ability to focus our attention and deal with distractions.
2 You cannot be in two places at once. Whilst some people are very proud of
their ability to multi-task, multi-tasking is not quite doing five things at the same time, rather choosing to do five things together in a specific time frame, randomly jumping from one task to the next. Just like we cannot cough and swallow at the same time (try it), we cannot really sit at the dinner table and talk to our family members and reply an email at the same time. You’re there, but you’re not really there. They will notice that while you are physically there, mentally, you are elsewhere. With your work.
Allowing life to take us along its natural tide and to “go with the flow” can lead to a state of near insanity with demands pulling us in 10 dif-
ferent directions. We have to think about limits to impose in our lives and what walls to build to ensure that pockets of our lives can function with a degree of freedom and trust that will not be pulled away by some work task. Admittedly, everyone’s life is different and the specific details of the boundaries we choose to impose in our lives will be dependent on our values and beliefs. However, in setting those necessary boundaries, here are some thoughts on how to set limits on work so that it doesn’t take over your entire life:
1 Understand the issue. One thing to avoid doing, is to feel obligated to spend more
time at home or with friends out of guilt. With condemnation as a motivation, we will rarely achieve the desired result of having thriving rela-tionships or interests outside of the work setting. If your life partner, family, children or friends are complaining about never seeing you, understand what it is that they actually want and crave, instead of spitefully and mind-lessly just doing what they ask and only that. Understanding of the issue at hand will also give necessary con-text to impose limits that you believe in, and take the initiative to do more than what they ask.
2 Learn to say no. This one is easier in theory than in practice. Whilst
building a career, a can-do attitude and a willingness to learn is valuable. However, saying yes to absolutely everything will also wear you down, especially when you are constantly accessible on your phone. Tight deadlines and urgent projects will inevitably occur in the Malaysian working landscape and responsible employees will ensure that deliverables are completed on time. However, that should be exceptions rather than the norm. If it is an email that can be dealt with the next day instead of at 9.30pm while you are spending time with a
loved one, park it until the next day. Impose a time after which you will not reply emails. Set invisible boundaries and communicate these boundaries to the people around you. Don’t cre-ate an image for yourself that you are one who is “always working”. Diligence at work may be something to be proud of, but if that begins to erode relationships and spheres outside of work, it’s time to reconsider if that really is a “badge of honour” or a negative label.
3 Learn to say yes. Say no to work tasks once an agreed boundary has been
crossed (for example, no work calls on Sundays), but also say yes to something when it definitely can be done sooner rather than later. I’m talking here about avoiding the enemy that is procras-tination. If something can be done at the office quickly, do it there and then rather than letting it get urgent and you having to bring it home with you. Say yes also to mini breaks at work, because it will affect your mood when you get home at the end of the day. Whilst it’s great to optimise the hours at work to get the most done possible in the shortest amount of time, set a limit on it at least to have lunch and spend some time with col-leagues. It will give you the energy you need for the day, strengthen relation-ships and when you get off work, you are less likely to be grumpy and to give your family and friends the “leftovers” of what energy you have left.
4 Use technology to your advantage. Technology is not the enemy, as much
as it is an easy scapegoat. Phones now offer a myriad of applications that can actually help you stand by your boundaries. Examples include a Do Not Disturb function on mobile phones, or the ability to answer a telephone call with a message saying that you are not available.
It’s been said that life is a product of our daily decisions. With the pace of development in technology, a whole realm of opportunities and communication possibilities have been made available. That said, we are only at the stage of text and voice communication. Imagine a world where teleportation is possible. Face to face work meetings would be possible anytime anywhere. What a mess that could be. But let’s cross that bridge when we get there. For now, while we must embrace the strengths of technology, there is greater responsibility too, to impose necessary boundaries so that the people around us receive the attention and time they deserve.
Work FolloWs Me HoMesetting boundaries on Work in tHe borderless World
noW WitH a sMartpHone, Work not only FolloWs Me HoMe, it
sleeps next to Me
learn to say no to Work tasks once an agreed bound-ary Has been crossed (For exaMple, no Work calls on sundays), but also say yes to soMetHing WHen it deFi-nitely can be done sooner ratHer tHan later
By JOSEPH [email protected]
AS employees, it is easy to blame management when something goes wrong or when we feel that life is unfair. In fact, if you notice – the usual lunch time topic usually is about
bosses and the unfair treatment we receive.In this article, you will discover the NUMBER
ONE failure of employees. All other weaknesses actually link with this key failure and if you, as an employee, make the effort to overcome this fail-ure, you will definitely be an outstanding team member. This is because most employees are not aware of their condition and only outstanding individuals have the courage and humility to rec-ognise this weakness and do something about it.
Are you ready to discover the ONE THING that an employee cannot fail to do?
Are You A SeriAl CoMPlAiNer?There was once a CEO in my training class who commented that there was one thing which he could not tolerate – ungrateful employees – those who have forgotten the hand which fed them.
Here’s the reason why it is easy to be a complainer:
When I complain, I am actually making someone else look bad so that I can look good. Complaining provides a temporarily relief from responsibility and ownership. It transfers the “heat” to someone or something else. In other words, playing the blame-game shifts the negative attention to any sources other than… myself.
Here’s a “blame-detector” list for you to consider your cQ (complaining-Quotient):
n My favourite words when things go wrong is “who” and “why” i.e. who is to be blamed and why is this happening (rather than “what” can I do or “how” shall I solve it).
n I do not express thankfulness for what I already have. Instead I constantly compare and lament about what I do not have.
n I am helpless and there are so many factors outside of my control – what can one person do?
n I refuse to let others think lowly of me. Admitting my fault is a sign of weakness.
Herein lies tHe cHallenge: Complaining comes naturally. It is almost second-nature.
This is where the employee fails – when faced with the pressure to perform, he chooses the easier way of complaining about his circum-stances rather than challenging himself to rise above the circumstance. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Yes?
Here’S tHe oNe FAilureWhen under pressure, the employee chooses to be a Complainer rather than a Contributor.
How to Become a Serious CONTRIBUTOR
A CoNtributor iS AN eNergY-giver.
Every manager has one unspoken expectation of the employee – in addition to fulfilling your job description, I expect you to bring positive energy to the team.
A Contributor generates positive energy – he is usually caught doing the following:
l He is enthusiastic and displays a contagious smile.
l He looks for the good and is generous with complimenting others.
l He is grateful and expresses his thankful-ness.
l He is quick to apply what he has learnt.l He resolves conflicts and is an accepted
facilitator.l He does more than is required, looks for
ways to serve others.l He has a decent sense of humour!
As a Contributor, the employee takes it upon him-self to create energy rather than consume energy. Here are two extraordinary anti-complaining attitude which a Contributor possesses that sets him or her apart from the ordinary Complainer.
1. tHe AbilitY to See FroM Above
Let’s say you are complaining that your salary is insufficient – how do you transform this into a contribut-ing request? Instead of complaining about the high cost of living and industry benchmarks, examine how an increase in your salary actually helps your manager meet his goals.
In other words, how will the increase of your salary contribute to the increased fulfilment of your authority’s objectives.
Most employees know what they want but they are not attentive to what the boss wants. If you are able to link your requests to the actuali-sation of your boss’ goals, then you are creating positive energy.
2. tHe WilliNgNeSS to SACriFiCeMost employees would complain – period.
That is the starting point of being an energy taker. In addition to seeing the situation from your manager’s perspective, what are you will-ing to sacrifice in order for your request to be
fulfilled? For example, what are you willing to give up or do
extra in return for an increased salary? What are you willing to give before you qualify to receive? It is so easy to complain and let others know what you want – but it is the extraordinary employee who considers what he can do first.
Here’s the tip: Transform your reputation in the workplace by being an Energy-Giver (Contributor) rather than an Energy-Taker (Complainer).
n Joseph Tan is a trainer ... If you are interested in attending one of his courses, email [email protected]
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012 13
By TERRY [email protected]
GETTING into university is getting tougher. In Greater Vancouver, where I live, it now takes an 80% plus average. Knowing how to study has never been more important! In fact, having a study strategy in one of the greatest single predic-tors of student success. Below is a reprint from a recent article that appeared in The Vancouver Province newspaper on some of my ideas. Even if you are not a student you will find some good tips for life-long learn-ing.
How to succeed at school: It’s not how much you study but how you study that can make the difference
The Province Thursday, Aug 25, 2005,
Page: A46 Section: Back To School Byline: Andrea Woo Source: The Province
Terry Small, a skills spe-cialist from the Terry Small Learning Corporation, shares strategies that can help stu-dents excel, whether they’re in their first few years of school or beginning the final year before graduation.
grADeS 1-4 - Eat
breakfast every morn-ing. “Students who go to school without a good breakfast are at a major disadvantage,” says Small. “Research shows that they perform less well academi-cally.” – Spend time reading at home. Small says that reading can improve daily speech and writing skills. “It’s also a wonderful way to stimulate their imagination and creativity,” says Small. - Limit television to half an hour a day. “I think there’s a real negative correlation between television and academic achievement,” says Small. - Make sure you understand accumulative subjects like math. “Math really builds on the previ-ous day’s work,” says Small. “Missing a lot of stuff makes next year even harder. You start to spiral in the wrong direction.”
grADeS 5-7 - Schedule study time. “In our society, things that are important are scheduled,” says Small. “If you kind of fit homework in wherever, it becomes a B-priority.” - Take notes. “Studies indicate that when you write something down, you remember 50% more after 30 days,” says Small.
- Study out loud. “Retention goes up 400% when you study out loud as opposed to just saying it in your head,” said Small. - Take breaks. “Kids remember the first and last things they learned,” says Small, who suggests that kids should study in short bursts. “It’s like the woodcutter who wouldn’t stop chopping wood to sharpen the axe. You end up working harder.” - Use a four-coloured pen for notes. “The brain thinks in colour,” says Small. “A study
determined that when you use a second colour for your notes, you learn 13% more.”
grADeS 8-10 - Write your goals down. “If you’ve got your goals posted, and you see it enough, your behav-iour starts to direct and ori-ent itself to that of being a better student,” says Small. - Preview the next day’s work. “Rather than saying ‘no homework,’ maybe spend 15 minutes working on next day’s math,” suggests Small. “At the very minimum, they may realise that it’s hard and pay more attention the next day.” - Skip the soda. “The brain is 75% water and students don’t drink enough water,” says Small, who suggests 50ml of water for every 23kg of body weight. “That can make a huge dif-ference in a student’s ability to perform well.” - Review notes within 48 hours to aid retention. “If you wait more than 48 hours, it’s like learning it all over again,” says Small.
grADeS 11-12 - Always
start studying the hardest subject first. “If you really like English, it’ll be easier to do at nine o’clock when you’re tired than math.” - Always study for recall, not recognition. Though recognition is effective for multiple choice tests, recall is what’s needed for short answers or essays. “If you can recall something, you’ll always be able to recognise it,” says Small. - Use study cards – index cards with questions on one side and answers on the other. “A lot of teenagers have a pretty hectic schedule,” says Small. “Being able to study any-where, any time, any place is great.”
In the next Brain Bulletin you will learn a secret to make you brain happy on command.
n Terry Small is a brain expert who resides in Canada and believes that “Anyone can learn how to learn easier, better, faster,” and that learning to learn is the most important skill a person can acquire. To interact with Terry, email [email protected]
The Number ONe
Failure OF emplOyees
The s
ecre
Ts OF
smar
T sTu
deNT
s If you are now a Complainer, try following these difficult steps to become a Contributor:
Instead of talking ABOUT your boss, learn to talk TO your boss.
Find out what causes stress to your boss – what keeps him awake at night?
Be the first to volunteer whenever there is a job that nobody wants to do!
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 201214
A report by the Malaysian Employers Federation reveals that Hong Kong retained their
According to the Malaysian
Employers Federation,
Malaysia progressed
from
Malaysia’s productivity growth is high compared to other countries in the region but
According to the American Psychology Association,
ComPsych reports that
age and productivity
A study published in the Journal of Population Health Management states that
eating unhealthilyis linked to a
during work
66% increased risk in productivity loss.
DONE
Wiser Ways to Work report that there is a positive correlation between
as older workers waste less time at work and are more productive.
30% of employees said family and relationship issues
were the most likely cause for taking a
“mental health day,” defined as “taking a day off to recover and recharge”
productivity levels are lowas there is a mismatch between labour demand and supply, according to the Malaysian Employers Federation.
Computer World reported that
77%of employees who have a Facebook account
use it during working hours.
51% of employees say they were less productive
at work as a result of stress.
16 to 14in the International Competitiveness Index 2012.
No.1 spot from
2011 to 2012 in the International Competitiveness Index 2012.
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012 15
We have four experts on career management, HR and office issues who will address your questions weekly. We refer to them as Careernomers - experts in career matters who will help you in your career journey. So if you have any burning questions to ask, send it to [email protected] and we will get the panel to answer your questions.
This week, Bani Zainal, senior vice-president at Malakoff, and Elisa Dass Avin, senior talent assessment consultant at Leaderonomics answer June’s question.
Future OutlOOkDear June,It looks like your career is
reaching its crossroads and you are ready for a change at least in exploring potential alternatives. From the subjects and courses you mentioned, it appears you are inclined towards leadership and management track as far as your career preference goes. Hence, you are looking at moving into a gen-eralist role from your current func-tional expert role in accounting.
Before you make that call, I sug-gest that you take a Career Aptitude Test and thereafter meet a career counsellor who is available at uni-versities or colleges. The counsellor perhaps after reviewing the test results may guide you to a career which will suit your competencies and aptitude. You may be blinded by wanting to move out of your cur-rent role and may walk into another career which may not be your cup of tea. Entering a management track requires certain competen-cies and soft-skills and you must be certain that you positively possess before taking such role as you may find yourself not able to cope with it, especially in managing people.
A Masters or Graduate degree in my opinion is a complementary qualification and should only be considered when you are certain of your career track. This is due to the fact that there are also special-ties in a graduate programme, eg. Management, Finance, Human Resource Development, Business Science etc. Hence, unless you are sure which track to take it may not be so meaningful and effective to embark into a graduate programme right away.
Another option is for you to talk to people who are holding manage-ment roles. By doing that, you will be able to better understand the challenges and the competencies of the role. For example, a Finance Manager or an Accounting Manager will do less of the accounts consoli-dation, book keeping or closing and will rather do supervisory or review-ing of reports and managing of the Finance or Accounts Department staff. As such, by talking to people who are already in that role, you will be better able to manage your expectation.
Lastly, before you explore job opportunities beyond your current
company, it may be prudent for you to consider the possibility of taking a different role and func-tion in your current organisation. There may be a suitable position or a management position which the company has planned for you. By doing that, not only can you retain your contact with your colleagues, you will also be able learn more about the organisation and expand your functional capabilities which may be invaluable as you climb the corporate ladder. Apart from that, you can also ask for expanded responsibilities by participating in projects or short term assignments which may act as stretched targets in your current job which you thrive in. I wish you luck and all the best in exploring the endless possibilities which may be a great adventure for you in your career crossroad.
Bani Zainal
Hi June, The beauty about the areas that you are interested in is
that they are applicable across ALL industries! The good news is, if you
still have an interest in account-ing, you can stay on in this field of work and still be able to learn more about leadership, management and motivational skills. You can learn more about these life skills by attending workshops, reading articles/books/biographies and most importantly, practicing what you learnt. Experience coupled with intentional reflection and learning will be your best teacher. From there, once you have enough “success stories” to tell about your leadership and management style, you can start by offering to give talks in your company or to any other group of people managers. You can eventually move on to for-mulating one or two days training or workshops to impart your learnt skills in a more impactful manner. If such opportunities are not avail-able at your workplace, I suggest you approach universities who are active in their Career Services. If you find interest in being a trainer, participate in a “Train the Trainer” programme to be equipped for the job.
If you wish to have an educa-tional backing to supplement your
experiences, you can then consider Masters in Leadership or Masters in Management in our universities here such as Sunway University, University of Nottingham, Open University and local universities. As you research on the courses, look specifically at the modules and make sure they meet your learning expectations.
I must emphasise that although you can have a Masters/PhD in Leadership or Management or have read countless books on these top-ics, all these head knowledge and paper qualifications will not make a genuine expert in this area until you have personally mastered the skills through experience.
I strongly encourage you to be proactively practising and fine tun-ing your skills in the area of leader-ship, management and motivation at your current workplace, if you have not done so already.
All the best!
elisa Dass avin
n The opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of myStarjob.com
Hi,I have an accounting degree and been in
the accounting line for more than 10 years.
However, I am more interested in subjects such
as leadership skills, improving management
skills and motivational skills in the workplace. I would like to take
a course in these but do not know what and where is the right
place to start. Should I do a Masters? What are the possible career
avenues after completing the course? As I have no prior working
experience in this area, I will need to consider the future outlook
too. Hope you can share some advice.
Thank you. Regards,June
Coming up in next Saturday’s issue . . .
Also next week
mystarjob.com, saturday 15 December 2012
Prema Jayabalan writes on how a typical day of a lecturer takes place in A Day In The Life Of A Lecturer
Top 10 provides you with tips on how to show appreciation to your employees, this holiday season
It is never too early to start your resume says Ester Foo in Starting Young
Get enlightened on what rumours are all about and learn how to prevent and manage them
GRATITUDE DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON