tips to jobhunt

8/14/2019 Tips to JobHunt

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Welcome to the JobStreet.com StreetSmart Guideto Job Hunting, your handy resource in starting yourcareer.

You will nd lots of tips and advices which are meant toguide you on how to launch your job hunting in the rightdirection. As this is not the ultimate advice provider, weencourage you to read more resources on job huntingout there. Start by logging on to www.jobstreet.com toknow more about nding your dream career.

Last but not least, we wish you all the best!

Table of ContentsStart Your Job Hunt Now! 3

How To Survive And LookFor A Job In Tough Times? 6

How Do I Write My Resume? Do It To Your Strengths 8

Resume Writing Tips 11

What Is The Right Job Choose Your Best Fit 17Take Your Best Pick

Weigh Your Job Options 20

How To Handle Interviews Impress The Interviewer! 22

It Doesnt End There Remind Them Of You! 26

Wheel & Deal Negotiate Your Package 29

MSC Malaysia Knowledge

Workers DevelopmentInitiatives Nurturing Talent for High Tech,

Enhancing Skills for High Touch 33

ModeratorSimon Si

Project ManagerRaymond Chuah

EditorialRaymond Chuah

Graphic DesignerDu Kiat Siong

[email protected]

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www.jobstreet.com

DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

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in any form without prior permission from

JobStreet.com. Although every care

has been taken to ensure our contents

accuracy, JobStreet.com assumes no

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do not necessarily reect the views of

JobStreet.com.

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Clothes

Start Your Job Hunt Now !A new chapter in your lie beckons. You need to work or move on in your career but

are you adequately prepared ? Well, here is a checklist o job hunting necessities:

Dress ormally or interviews.

For males, the expected dress code would be a long-sleeved light

coloured shirt with a dark tie, dark slacks, dark socks and darkworking shoes.

Females are expected to be in a white shirt with a dark coat, dark

skirt or pants and dark shoes when attending interviews.

Your rst impression to employers could potentially determine

whether you look right or the job or otherwise, so it is crucial

to comply with the standards expected o you in your personal

appearance.

Contact

Always be reachable. Mobile phones with pre-paid plans have

become rather aordable, so getting one would be advisable asyou can be contacted wherever you are.

Other points o contact that you may want to include are your

email address, home address and home telephone number. It is

ideal to have an email address i you are applying or a position

in the IT industry or similar, as it would look odd i you claim to

have knowledge in IT but do not even have an email address. An

email account is easily available on the web and you can obtain

one or ree. Be ready to be contacted and constantly check youremails !

Contact

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Ater having worked hard all these years to get your qualications,now is the time to show them o. Have your certicates, transcripts,

qualications and testimonials well presented in an appropriateashion, e.g. neatly tucked in a clear older that is easily readable.Documents should be presented in reverse order, so place themost recently obtained document rst. Make photocopies o yourdocuments i possible, just in case your prospective employersrequest to retain a copy. It pays to be prepared.

Documents

Unless you live within walking distance to your potentialworkplace, you will need some orm o transport getting there.Familiarize yoursel with the modes o transport available to youand get the timing right so as not to be late or appointments.Whatever you may choose to use to get to your interview,make sure you walk through the door looking prim and proper,regardless o whether you just took a helmet o or braved astorm to get there. Plan your journey ahead. You may encounter

the unexpected during your journey, so try to improvise whereyou can.

Transport

Your mindsetThe most important necessity o your job hunt. Tune your mindinto ocusing on your objectives. Bear in mind that it is you whoare looking or a job, not the other way round.

Condition yoursel to:- Be polite- Be humble- Be condent- Be interested in your eorts- Learn more about the industry you are getting yoursel into

- Always look at the bright side

Arm yoursel with a positive attitude. It is within you to makeyoursel appealing to your prospective employers. Rememberthat i you do not brand yoursel well, there are many morecompeting with you or that one job application who will. Makeyoursel the chosen one !

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Research your options: Does your industry

or line of work offer little promise of employment

in the coming months? If so, now is a good

time to step back to identify the projected top

performing industries and jobs. The best place

to nd this information in the Web is through

a Google or Yahoo search. Start with best

industries work recession or recession jobs2008 to uncover articles describing some of

the more recession-proof sectors to target.

Change your focus: Start asking yourself

the question Whats in it for them? as

opposed to Whats in it for me? Especially in

an economic downturn, you will want to stay

focused on what you can accomplish for your

next employer. Show them that you understand

the macroeconomic bigger picture of the

role you play in moving the company forward.

Sell results, not skills: Leave behind that old mindset that your job-

related skills or length of service are selling factors. The new mindset is to

think of yourself as a mini prot-and-loss centre rather than just an employee.Employers today buy results and are less impressed with candidates

promoting a long laundry list of skills. You will want to dene the many ways

your past and present job performance is an asset to your next employer.

Start talking money: The downturn has made the private sector

economy even more bottom-line-oriented than ever. Hiring managers

categorize employees into one of two distinct groups: a) those who help

make money, and b) those who help save money. Which one are you?

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Rethink your current or past job to understand your position in the biggercorporate picture. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

- How did my work improve the performance of my department or company?

- How many roles did I perform that saved the company the expense of added

employees or contractors?

- How has my work made the work of others (employees and managers) easier,

faster and more effective?

Collect specic examples of the benet that your company gained from the work

youve already performed. Clarify the specic benets your company received

by making money or saving money, and write them down.

Add achievements to your resume: Employers do not hire employees,they hire problem-solvers. Your new resume should be a hard-hitting sales tool

designed to accomplish one goal: get the interview. To demonstrate this, add a

specic list of achievements to your resume. Take the list that you developed

in the previous section and hone it down to your biggest and most notable

accomplishments. Now, describe the benet that your employer gained from

each example. This will put you several steps ahead of your job-seeking

competitors. Plus, you will now have some talking points ready for that next

phone interview.


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After that self-assessment, it is time to go into action that is, to plunk yourself

before the computer and compose a power resume. Any job hunter worth hissalt knows a good resume is the key to an interview invitation and ultimately,to employment. Aside from a summary of your abilities, work experience andeducation, a resume should reveal your unique selling point to entice a potentialemployer to buy you.

The secret to an irresistible resume is to address the specic needs of a specicjob. A tailored resume has innitely more impact than a one-size-ts-all. To craftsuch a resume, you need to rstly organize information under specic headingssuch as education, academic achievements, work experience (if any), skills andactivities. When you have them all on paper, decide on the proper format to playup outstanding qualities that t into the jobs requirements. Here are severalkinds of resumes for your perusal.

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME is the most conventional as it emphasizes onan itemized employment history. Career milestones are presented in reversechronological order, starting with the current position held. Each positioncontains a description of relevant responsibilities and accomplishments. Idealfor candidates with solid experience and progressive job history in a eld or

industry, and want to continue along a similar career path. Most employersprefer this style as it is based on facts and easily digestible.

Do It To Your Strengths

How Do I Write My Resume ?

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FUNCTIONAL RESUME organizes work history into sections that highlightskills and accomplishments deemed most appropriate for the position. Job hop-

pers, career changers and fresh graduates may use this type to make sense ofseemingly disconnected experiences and display transferable skills and relatedachievements. It could raise concerns that it is being used to cover informationgaps and a spotty employment record. Employers might also encounter difcul-ties matching skills and accomplishments to actual job titles, dates and respon-sibilities. To avoid this, include the company name in the bulleted description ofyour accomplishments. Do not omit at least a brief chronological listing of yourwork experience.

COMBINATION RESUME tries to merge the best features of the chronologi-cal and functional types incorporating both a chronological work history and askills and achievements section. In this format, skills and accomplishments gettop billing followed by employment history. The combination resume may notsit well with some employers who may nd these longer resumes particularlyrepetitious and confusing. This format can be a good tool, however, for some-one with strong editing skills.

CURRICULUM VITAE is sometimes used interchangeably with resume but

by formal denition, a curriculum vitae refers to a detailed, lengthy and struc-tured outline of educational background, publications, projects, awards andwork history. It can run up to 20 pages and usually employed by educators andscientists boasting extensive academic and professional credentials and seekingpositions in education or research.

ELECTRONIC RESUME is one that can be sent by email or viewed on theInternet and specially formatted for scanning and searching by optical scanningsystems. This format is frequently used when sending resumes to electronicresume banks and job sites. It is becoming an increasingly popular choice as itis fast, effective and convenient. It can come in different le formats but expertsrecommend using the ASCII text le formats as they are universally recognizedby computer systems.

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RESUME WRITING TIPS

AVOID SPELLING BOO BOOS. Errors such as simple typo blunders re-

ect poorly on you. Prooread separately until your resume is perect.

STREAMLINE. Remove personal pronouns like I and articles like

a, an and the to create punchy phrases and maximize space.

USE POWER VERBS. Action words add oomph to your writing andenable you to describe clearly what you did and how well you did it.

USE PERSONAL DETAILS SPARINGLY. Leave out extraneous inorma-

tion to ree up limited space. This includes names, parents occupations,

birthplace, etc. Reserve these details when asked during the interview.

BE CONCISE. Resumes are oten screened in 10 seconds or less.Be brie and to the point. Use bullet points to underscore im-

portant information. Employ paragraph breaks, lines and num-

bers. Your resume should not be more than two pages, or i

you have extensive proessional experience, three pages long.

MAKE IT AN EASY READ. Your resume should be visually appealing.

A carelessly printed, sloppily designed resume is a challenge to most

recruiters. Use a ont size o at least 10, and at the most two conser-

vative type styles. Underlined and bold text should be used spar-

ingly and only to highlight signicant data or indicate section breaks.

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DAVID LOWBlk 223, Bukit Pertama, #07-210

75450 Kuala Lumpur.(03) [email protected]

OBJECTIVE

A challenging sales and marketing position with an IT or Internet company

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2007 Present Sales Manager, Data Solutions Sdn Bhd. Top Salesperson for 2007.

Promoted to Manager within one year of joining company. Developed new client relationships for company resulting in in-creased sales revenue of 25% since assuming management ofsales force in 1998.

In charge of managing and motivating sales force of 15 Developed quality control measures for customer service

1994 1996 Assistant Sales Manager, Seven Seas Import Co. Sdn Bhd Top Salesperson 1994 1996 Made cold-calls and follow-up visits to vendors and retail outlets

for products. Observations made during client contacts helped to strategically

broaden product range offered by company resulting in new highprot margin product line.

1990 1993 P/T Sales Representative, Hygeia Health Products Sdn Bhd. Developed sales leads through personal contacts and referrals. Achieved highest commission bracket despite working part-time.

EDUCATION

2000 Present Stanstead Business School, Kuala Lumpur.Working towards a Bachelor of Business Administration Night classes inData Management, Marketing and Cust. Relations.

1991 1993 Nanling Polytechnic, Kuala Lumpur.Diploma in Business Management

1987 1990 SMK Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

OTHER

IT Skills : MS Ofce (Word, Excel, Power Point, Publisher, Access)Languages Spoken : Chinese (Mandarin, Hokkien, Teochew), Bahasa Melayu, and English

REFERENCES

Mr. Andrew Lim General Manager, System Resources Inc.

Mr. Alan Tong CEO, Seven Seas Import Sdn BhdDr. Judith Prahba Professor of Marketing, Stanstead Business School

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME SAMPLE

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AMY CHAN27 Jalan Bunga Raya,73520 Kuala Lumpur.(03) 3325874(hp) [email protected]

OBJECTIVE

Seeking a position in public relations with a regional or multinational company.

RELEVANT SKILLS & ACHIEVEMENTS

Public Relations As a summer intern with a national software company, wrote press releases

and coordinated with public relations for a major product launch. Class spokesperson on student-faculty campus council for three successive

years at university. Selected and serves as one of Singapores national student representatives

for the International Cultural Festival, 1994.

Writing Assistant editor of student-run weekly current events paper at university. Published three guest editorials in the local Mesa Chronicle. Wrote and co-directed several publicly performed plays in high school and JC.

Managing

Planned and coordinated cultural awareness festival at university thatinvolved over a dozen organizations and was attended by 2,500 students.

Directed a university volunteer program for local Adopt-a-Sister program, involving twenty-ve felame students.

EMPLOYMENT/EXPERIENCE

Cheyenne Software Corp. Public Relations Intern Summer 2000Mesa St. Journal Assistant Editor 1997 1999

EDUCATION

Mesa St. University Mesa, California

B.S. Public Relations 1995 1999Honours (3.5/4.0)

Joaquim Junior College Singapore

REFERENCES

Furnished Upon Request

FUNCTIONAL RESUME SAMPLE

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How Best To Seek Jobs

On-line recruitment is another avenue for you. In fact, on-line recruitment is fastgrowing in popularity with jobseekers looking for jobs and employers looking tohire. The underlying reasons behind its growth in popularity are:

Its ConvenientLook for jobs from the comfort of your own home or wherever you have accessto the Internet. You do not have to sift through pages upon pages of newspaperadvertisements, buy stamps, stick them on envelopes and send your applicationsout. You are able to apply, monitor all your applications and check their statusall at once from where you are seated.

Its QuickThere are snail mails and then there are emails. Given an option, you obviouslywould not prefer sending applications through the postal service because you

will be wondering if they had actually reached the intended recipients or whetherthey would take days or weeks to arrive. With on-line recruitment, you canapply with a click of a button and you can be sure the application is submittedimmediately. The speed of email ensures you get a reply in a timely manner.

Its AccurateGet alerted only on vacancies that interest you. On-line systems allow veryspecialized job alerts where you can look only at the vacancies you want toapply for or be notied of any vacancy that matches your qualications andinterests. With that, you only will lter through appropriate jobs and need notbe frustrated with discovering that you are engaging yourself with irrelevant job

functions.

You get more out of itJob hunting aside, you are able to nd many other resources to enhance yourpersonal development. You will be able to nd most of what this Guide offersyou and perhaps even more to help you progress in your career. Visit www.

jobstreet.com and take some time to explore the website to discover what arereadily available to you.

So you see, the evolution in job hunting has brought on-line recruitment to the

fore in preference and effectiveness. Looking for a job is tedious enough. Wouldyou not rather relieve yourself of the cumbersome routine of conventional jobhunting methods? Give on-line recruitment a try! Visit www.jobstreet.com.

Where Do I Look ?There are many ways to seek your rst job. Traditionally, youcan ask your relatives, look through the newspapers, go toemployment agencies or attend walk-in interviews.

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What Is The Right Job ?

Choose Your Best FitAs you prepare to launch your job search, it is important to start o on the right oot

and waste less time on the trial. More than anything else, here is where planning,

preparation and research are crucial. It is equally critical that you have a solid idea

o where you want to go. To point you at the right direction, ask yoursel these our

questions beore you take the plunge.

1. WHAT CAREER WILL SUIT MY LIFESTYLE?

Your work is only one aspect of your life. So, look for work that will t your life, not the

other way around. By envisioning the lie you want, you narrow your choices to those

careers that complement that vision.

Would you preer working in a big company and managing a large sta count, or

running your own small business with a couple o assistants? Which would make you

happier: being ofce-bound or doing eld work all day? Are you at your perorming

best surrounded by ofce colleagues or do you yearn or a exible arrangement that

allows you to work partly rom home?

2. WHAT ARE MY TALENTS AND SKILLS?

Look or a job that you eel can make ull use o your skills set and abilities. Do you

have the git o the gab and can sell just about anything? Or are you creative with a

air or words or an eye or design? Are you good in a particular sport? Or can you

cook like a pro or have a green thumb?

3. WHAT DO I LIKE DOING?

It does not seem like work when you enjoy what you are doing. Find out what catchesyour interest or stirs your passion. Do you like the idea o teaching little children and

moulding their young minds? Or are you more attracted to a lie o public service?

Is creative work your cup o tea? Or are you more at home in the realm o cold logic

and hard acts?

4. WHAT DO I DISLIKE ABOUT WORK?

Asking yoursel what you cannot stand doing what bores you to death will help

you ocus. Are you uncomortable striking up a conversation with strangers? Does

anything technical make you yawn? Do you abhor the limelight? Do you hate the

unexpected?

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Ater writing down the answers, go over them and see how they t together like the

pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. They should give you a mental picture o who you are

your ideal lie, your perceived skills set, and your work turn-ons and turn-os.

Then look outward or validation. Read or sur the Internet or careers that might

suit your liestyle. Approach riends, proessionals and acquaintances who hold jobs

you nd interesting. Request i you can do ormal inormational interviews (ask them

about particulars o their work) or shadow them (observe them in action at work).

Your objective is to orm a clearer image o what they really do and assess whether

you will like to be in their place. From your ndings, you can begin a more inormed

search or your dream career. Your career choice should depend on your perceived

happiness on the job, the potential rewards and your chances o success.

http://my.jobstreet.com/career/premium/career_prole.htm

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CHOOSING THE RIGHT COMPANY

Well, it elt like you had gone through the wringer grueling tests, screenings, brutal

interviews, even dry runs and group simulations to see you in an actual work milieu

and you passed them all! The potential employers are suitably impressed and give

you anticipated oers. Now you face a dierent kind of pressure to decide which to

accept. For many candidates, the choice seems obvious enough: the oer with the

attest paycheck. But experts advise caution in signing an employment contract on

the mere basis o an irresistible pay oer. They point to the need to rst consider allrelevant actors beore you decide.

Points to consider:COMPANY VISION.Look or an employer that knows its business, where it isgoing and how it will get there.

LONG-TERM ORIENTATION.Pick an organization that intends to stay orthe long haul, i.e. has a long-term orientation plan, invests heavily in acilities and

people, and makes decisions with ar-reaching signicance and benchmarks with

the best industry practices.

PEOPLE ORIENTATION. A good company regards its people as its most im-portant assets. It should have values such as development programmes, a demo-

cratic system o communication and consultation, career and succession planning. It

should have clear and just policies, a proessional yet amilial atmosphere, a sense o

pride and belonging among the employees.

EXCELLENCE.Organizational excellence does not happen overnight. It rests ona delicate balance between culture and strategy. A company needs culture to help

implement strategy. Without strategy, the company will just be one big, happy but

unproductive amily.

COMPENSATION.Good compensation questions to ask yourself include: Doesthe company provide annual salary reviews? How do they make compensation com-

petitive with the market, industry or business community? Will extraordinary peror-

mance be recognized and compensated through a merit system or a perormancebonus scheme?

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MASTERING INTERVIEW SKILLS

The interview is a crucial area. It is not enough to show up for themeeting and hope that inspiration will hit you. While a well-craftedresume will denitely help carry you to rst base, it is the interviewthat will ultimately bring you to home base or lead you to a strikeout.Therefore, knowing how to play the interview cat-and-mouse gamecannot be overemphasized. There are different forms of the interviewbut the basic principles of good interviewing remain the same.

Dig up all you can about the hiring company and prepare ahead oftime by anticipating questions and having ready answers in your head.During the interview, extend a warm handshake, show condenceand enthusiasm and ash your pearly whites. After the interview,do not forget to thank the interviewer and to inquire about what willhappen next. Back home, draft and send a Thank You letter to theinterviewer immediately.

A serious jobseeker should not leave this crucial stage of the search

process to chance or luck. Here are 10 rules of thumb for a winninginterview performance:

1. COME PREPARED. Research beforehand on the companysservices, products and operations. Get details from their annual reportsor websites. This way, you will be able to discuss intelligently howyour talents, skills and experience can help reach their organizationalgoals. Bring along additional materials for a successful presentation,

such as an extra resume and work samples.

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2. ARRIVE EARLY. The horrendous trafc is no excuse to be latefor your appointment and thus earn debit points from the start. Leavefor the interview at least one hour earlier than necessary to cope with

any contingencies such as motor breakdown, at tyre, trafc jamsand poor weather.

3. DRESS SMART. Remember what they say about rst impres-sions? You may be tempted in this casual-dress age to dress down,but be warned that conservative dress codes still rule the hiring day.Formal clothes show you consider the interview important enough tohave taken pains to dress up.

4. REPLY CALMLY. Due to over-eagerness or nervousness, somecandidates blurt out their response even before the question sinks in,thus giving half-baked answers. Listen carefully and organize yourthoughts before answering. If you have done your homework, youwill have ready answers for some of the standard questions thrownyour way.

5. DONT SHOOT YOUR EX-BOSS. It is amazing how some can-

didates think they can win sympathy points from the interviewer byranting against a previous employer. On the contrary, this will markyou as a potential troublemaker and raise serious doubts about thereal reason you left your job. Concentrate on elaborating your ownaccomplishments and squash any impulse to gripe.

6. FOCUS ON THE COMPANYS INTEREST. Of course, we alllove a dream job offer that is bundled with a fantastic pay packagebut you must not say that. Do not go to the interview intent on ex-tracting information from the interviewer about what the rm cangive you. Remember that you are marketing yourself, so strive toconvince the employer that you are their best bet.

7. DONT TALK MONEY TOO SOON. Making salary inquiriesduring the rst interview is a big no-no. It gives the interviewer an in-kling into what your utmost consideration is. Do not broach the topicuntil you receive a denite offer. And nd out beforehand what the

salary scale is for the position to negotiate effectively.

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8. ASK AWAY. If the recruiter inquires, Do you have any ques-tions? take him up on it. Good questions to pose include those on thecompanys directions, plans, culture, the specics and expectations ofthe job and those along a similar vein to underline your keen interestin the rm and the position.

9. DONT ACT DESPERATE OR APOLOGETIC. Jobs are hard tond, it is true, but have some pride. Do not reveal over-eagerness toplease or an over-willingness to accept everything. Maintain a goodposture, extend a rm handshake, ash friendly teeth, and strive foran alert and condent attitude.

10. OBSERVE PROPER ETIQUETTE. An interview requires thatyou follow certain practices such as maintaining eye contact and wear-ing formal clothing. But more than that, sending a Thank You letterafter the interview shows basic courtesy and proof of your sincereinterest in the position.

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Cuscapi Berhad is a trusted and innovative industry specialist with more than 29

years of experience in offering worldclass solutions to the F&B industry. Today our

clients consist of well-known international restaurant chains as well as the biggest

fast food chain in Malaysia. Cuscapi currently has business presence in more than

23 countries worldwide.

For us, being a great organisation in which to work is our top priority. Our people are

steadfast believes of customer capital, rmly focused on delivery excellence. That is

why we are looking for talented, creative and dedicated individuals to join us.

As part of the Cuscapi family, you will discover an open, energetic and exciting

environment that inspires excellence, creativity, team spirit and zeal.

So if you think you have what it takes, send us your detailed resume today.

www.cuscapi.com/frame-career or login to www.jobstreet.com.my

> keywords type in Cuscapi for current positions available


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If the interviewer tells you the position has been lled,remaincalm and respectful. You may yet salvage something outof the situation. If you feel you have established rapport

with the interviewer, you could:

Request that your application be considered for futureopenings.

Ask for referrals to other hiring employers.

Solicit feedback on your weak areas so you can improve.

If your emails or phone calls are not being returned threeweeks after your interview, it is safe to assume you werenot chosen . But do not be crestfallen a better offerwill surely come your way. Just remember that practicemakes perfect. Reect on the interview and extract lessonsof improvement to prepare for the next interview.

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SAVVY SALARY BARGAINING TIPS

1. PRE-BARGAINING STAGE

The salary negotiation process starts even before the actual interviewtakes place with an assessment of your nancial needs and situation.

The goal is to nd out the acceptable initial salary scale for you. Hereis how you do it:

Calculate the amount you will need to support your lifestyle.Factor in your monthly expenses such as transportation,work, clothes, food expenses, etc.

Assess your value. Describe your skills, abilities, talents andknowledge on paper and be prepared to show your future

employer the benets you can bring to their company.

Do a comparative research on prevailing salary trends. Thisis so you do not underprice or overprice yourself. How do youconduct a salary survey? Ask your friends, contacts, profes-sional associations and other job seekers. You might also tryyour school career centre, trade publications and on-line re-sources.

Conduct a discreet study of the hiring company. Ask from in-side sources if you have them, visit its website or gathercompany brochures or proles.

The secret is to come up with three gures: the minimum, mid-level andmaximum acceptable salary. When asked your desired compensationduring the interview, articulate a salary gure between the mid-levelto maximum, never the minimum pay which should only be a guide

on the absolute bottom line offer you are willing to entertain.

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You should be able to draw from your preliminary research here. Ifyou have learned the companys benet and compensation package,you can pick up clues when pushing your luck. Remember that youare negotiating for the upper end, not squeezing the company dry,

which is a strategy that is likely to boomerang.

TIP: DONT BE ASHAMED TO NEGOTIATE. Potential employers lookfavourably on aspirants who are not afraid to negotiate, since it showsthe job seeker knows current market rates and puts a high premiumon himself or herself surely positive qualities of awareness and self-condence.

4. THE JOB OFFER

If the company states the offer is nal, nd out if they can offer non-monetary perks instead, such as allowances, bonuses, performanceraises, stock options and prot sharing. Or you can ask for a promiseof a raise which should be given in writing. Or if the offer is reallyhard to swallow, ask if they will consider other work arrangementsincluding part-time or consultancy work.

Key rules when considering job offers include: Once you receive a job offer, never accept or reject it on the

spot.

Ask about their other fringe benets.

Then ask for at least 24 hours to think it over and requestanother meeting to nalize discussions.

Be enthusiastic but non-committal.

Offers made over the phone, in particular, should not beaccepted.

Insist on a face-to-face meeting to discuss details.

When deciding, consider all factors including opportunities forgrowth, promotion, training and skills enhancement; thecompanys stability and management style; advice from your

mentors, family and friends; the total pay and benetpackage.

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MSC Malaysia Knowledge Workers Development Initiatives Nurturing Talent for High Tech,Enhancing Skills for High Touch

Malaysia is being primed as a global ICT and multimedia hub, where the MSC Malaysiawould be a preferred destination for all ICT needs.

New technologies demand new skills. In the emerging knowledge-based economy, thewealth of a nation is generated by knowledge workers. Thus, it is crucial to raisethe level of ICT prociency and competency among our workforce so that Malaysiacan continue to attract ICT investors and maintain its advantage as an ICT solutionsprovider. However, attracting and retaining the right quantity and quality of talent isnaturally a concern for both established and startup ICT companies.

One way of increasing the talent pool within the ICT industry is to increase the prestigeof the industry in the eyes of the youth making career choices, says MultimediaDevelopment Corporation (MDeC) Capacity Development Division Vice President NgWan Peng. Her division is tasked with monitoring the supply and demand of k-workersand coming out with strategies to ensure that Malaysia has good supply of talent tomeet the demands of ICT companies.

The creation of talent also remains a critical success factor for MSC Malaysia Ecosystemacross the board, and one which we hope to address by opening the minds of youngtalents so that they can see that the ICT industry holds promise and prestige. Throughthis, we should see more entrants into our local ICT talent pool she says.

Developing Talent Capital to Strengthen Malaysias ICT FutureAccording to statistics provided by the MSC Malaysia, the country has about 200,000workers categorised as ICT personnel to date. Over the next four to ve years, thenumber of ICT jobs is forecasted to grow by 50 per cent to 300,000.

Many of these additional 100,000 vacancies will be created with the establishment of

2,500 MSC Malaysia-status companies by 2010.

JobSteet.com in their recent press release has published the top 10 work specialisationsin demand by employers.

Candidates with skills in Information Technology/Computing are in greatest demandby employers advertizing on JobStreet.com, with jobs requiring these skills making upabout 14 per cent of all jobs advertized on the website during the Second Quarter of2008.The demand has been increasing over the past year and exceeds the increase in thetalent pool. Overall, IT jobs grew by 66 percent in Q2 2008 when compared with Q22007.


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The number of jobs advertised for network and database administration skills inJobStreet Malaysia increased by 69 percent in Q2 2008 compared to Q2 2007. Peoplewith software development skills are also in big demand. In Q2 2008, jobs for thisgroup of candidates rose 62 percent on a year-to-year basis.

As you can clearly work out, there is an urgent need to educate and train knowledgeworkers to keep pace with the dynamism of ICT, says Ng.

Ng says that with the establishment of MSC Malaysia K-Workers Development Initiatives(KDI) in 2006, MDeC has been given the mandate to implement initiatives and providestrategic advice in ensuring that policies with regards to the countrys ICT developmentare in sync with the needs of industry.

MSC Malaysia KDI is an initiative of MSC Malaysia. It plays a pivotal role in promotingand positioning Malaysia as a regional hub for ICT talents.

Collaborative Effort to Enhance Talent Capital DevelopmentMSC Malaysia KDI offers numerous industry-based training and advancementprogrammes for undergraduates, graduates and available k-workers. It leverages onthe existing physical infrastructures in various Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs)and the industry, and places talents into the right training programme.

The programmes are divided into these categories:

MSC Malaysia Undergraduates Skills Programme (USP) - equips soon-to-begraduates with industry-relevant skills to improve their employability

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MSC Malaysia Undergraduate Apprenticeship & DevelopmentProgramme (U-GRAD) provides undergraduates with industry-relevant skill sets and valuable industry exposure during

the industrial attachment period

MSC Malaysia Graduate Trainee Programme (GTP) assists freshgraduates gain employment opportunities in MSC Malaysia

MSC Malaysia Job Camp (JC) develops skills of available k-workers(unemployed, in-between jobs and those changing their eld ofwork) to meet existing and immediate vacancies in MSC Malaysiastatus companies

MSC Malaysia Industry-Academia Collaboration develops the Universitiesas anchor suppliers to cater to the demands of the companies that

have large employment opportunities for fresh graduates.

In planning for and implementation of its programmes, KDI works closely with theMinistry of Human Resources and the Ministry of Higher Education. Apart from that,MSC Malaysia KDI also forms collaborative alliances with other relevant Governmentagencies such as the States Skills Development Centres, industry experts, companiesand academia.

The ability to anticipate, sense and respond to industry trends is important in todaysdynamic marketplace. MSC Malaysia KDI monitors the pulse of the ICT industry andtakes corrective measures to close the gap between demand and supply of k-workersin Malaysia, explains Ng.

Connect with MSC Malaysia KDI Your Partner for K-WorkersDevelopment & Training

Whether you are an undergraduate wanting to gain more skills and experience, agraduate looking for a job, a seasoned ICT talent wanting to progress in your career,or someone who wants to switch into the ICT world, consult the MSC Malaysia KDI formore information. They can be reached at:

MSC Malaysia Client Contact CentreE-mail: [email protected]

Tel: 1-800-88-8338 (within Malaysia)Tel: +6 03 8315 3000 (outside Malaysia)Fax: +03 8315 3115

MSC Malaysia Client Contact CentreE-mail: [email protected]: 1-800-88-8338 (within Malaysia)Tel: +6 03 8315 3000 (outside Malaysia)Fax: +03 8315 3115


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Technopreneur & Enterprise Development

Since 1996, one of the MSC Malaysias key strategic thrusts has been the developmentof ICT Entrepreneurs (Technopreneurs) and competitive Malaysia Small and Medium

Enterprises (SMEs) in the ICT industries.

In recognizing the need to further enhance the MSC Malaysias effort to developMalaysia SMEs in the ICT and other strategic high technology industries, the MalaysianGovernment had launched the MSC Malaysia Techopreneur & Enterprise Development(TED) to drive the creation of a viable and sustainable ICT industry in Malaysia.

The core objectives of the MSC Malaysia Technopreneur & Enterprise Developmentare:

To facilitate the development of ICT Entrepreneurs, Start-ups and existingICT companies.

To catalyze and nurture a cluster of ICT SMEs To assist and facilitate the growth of ICT SMEs into world-class companies.

Inherent to achieving its objectives, TED, through its active collaboration andengagement with the industry and stakeholders, seeks to create a vibrant ICTEntrepreneur community within which all the agents of TED interact dynamically tofuel innovation and drive venture development.

TED aims to facilitate and support the growth of ICT Entrepreneurs and ICT ventures atevery phase of the ICT SME Development Life Cycle through its key programs.

The MSC Malaysia Pre-Seed Fund Programme is initiated in the RMK9 to catalyze

the creation of new local Technopreneurs and K-SMEs towards growing the local ICTindustry. This programme addresses the funding gap at the Pre-Seed Stage (Idea),compliments other Government grants and its expected to boost the development ofcommercially viable ICT projects.

Open to two individuals, with an Idea across all sectors but with the ICT elements,and the idea has to be off business value, this is a great start to making your dreamsin becoming a Technopreneur. Maximum funding up to RM150,000.00 plus will all theservices and programs you could ever think of, from Business plan development andadvisory to Go-To-Market modeling. For more information please view the MSC Malaysiawebsite www.mscmalaysia.my

The other main service we offer is the MSC Malaysia Technology CommercialisationCentre. This is the MSC Malaysia status incubator that was set up as part of the MSCMalaysias Technopreneurs & Enterprise initiatives.

The incubator in Cyberjaya provides existing and budding technopreneurs with acomprehensive development programme to aid them in their journey towards becominga sustainable K-SMEs, encompassing the areas of technopreneur competency, product,technology and enterprise development. The technology labs available include Microsoft(. Net), JAVA (Jtrend), and Open Source Lab.

Interested in starting your own business, need to talk to someone on your idea, havean idea that you feel would be something that would change the world, come on by,

give us a call, or visit www.mscmalaysia.my

Lets make your dreams a reality

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