Races and Raises

 With the upcoming Formula One race in the country, it is befitting to talk about careers as a race, where there are winners, runner-ups, and drivers who need to practice with cars that need overhauls. Imagine yourself as a professional race driver, and your current job position as your car. Do you think you are equipped well enough to win the race of your career? Do you complement your car, and does your car complement you? Here are some reflections on career advancement.

The car chooses the driver 

If you often find yourself stressed and burned out because of work, even if you do not work overtime, then maybe you do not like your job. A lot of professionals stick to an industry just because it’s where the money is. However, someone in a manager job will not entirely be accomplished if there is not enough drive and motivation to work. Although a robust compensation package may give you fuel for the first lap, it may not be enough to sustain you through the whole race.

What type of task do you enjoy doing? Where are you most comfortable? What sort of thing do you want to spend time on? The answers to these questions will give you an idea of what you really want to do as a professional. Your chosen vehicle to success will suit you well, and it will be much of an ease to drive than when you are in the wrong career car.

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The Interview Black Book

 There are two types of interviewees – those who are veterans and those who feel retired. The veterans are the ones who jump from one job to another, meeting several employers every job season, and knowing how to handle interviewers. The executives who have been in a single company for almost their entire career life may find it hard to handle an interview.

However different these two types of professionals are from each other, they are both prone to interview blunders. The veterans may underestimate definitive questions. Understandably, job seekers who have long been in a single job may be uncomfortable with the whole process. Top executives, as much as they are in demand in their chosen industry, may also lose a job offer just because of an interview.

The idea is this: You have built your reputation, your skills and your strengths through years of hard work and experience in the corporate world. Imagine being evaluated as unfit for a sales job just because you were not able to impress an interviewer. Should 15 to 30 minutes worth of conversation break your chance at a dream job or at career advancement? Of course not!

That is why it is highly valuable for professionals in manager jobs to prepare well for job interviews. Even though you are not actively searching for a job at this stage of your career, you may be presented with an opportunity, such as when a headhunter calls you for an interview. 

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An Optimised LinkedIn Profile

The term Search Engine Optimisation, SEO for the well-versed, pertains to the whole process of making sure a website hits number 1 on online search engines. Although it is a fairly new expertise, it has turned into an exponentially growing industry that attracts professionals and businesses. If your website turns up at the top spot in Google or Yahoo, you have a higher chance of getting a new customer than everybody else.

What has that got to do with your LinkedIn profile? A lot. If your professional profile in LinkedIn is optimised, your name and account will turn up more times than your competition. This gives you more chances of getting new opportunities for career development and ultimately, for success, as you conduct your job search in Singapore. So what does it mean to have an optimised LinkedIn profile?

Keywords

Similar to how web search engines work, keywords are highly important in creating your LinkedIn profile. When do you want your name to show up in search? If you are a writer, include keywords such as content writing, editor or copyediting. You would not want to be contacted when the word underwriter is searched, so be as specific as possible.

Experiences

So what if you are highly searchable? Your profile should represent you well. Think about all the things you would want to showcase to prove that you are the best fit for a job. Enumerate them all. List all your experiences and be as detailed as possible. Headhunters and employers mean serious business, so they need to see as much information as possible. Save them the trouble of guesswork by listing all your experiences. Remember to include keywords to enrich your profile and to make it more optimised.

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First Steps to Building your LinkedIn Profile

We’ll see how you can get started with this social media website for professionals and executives like you. We will discuss it step by step, including tips and explanations on important details.

Signing up

First, click Join Today. Obviously. As you start on the signup process, you may be worried about disclosing information. If you are a social media newbie, you may be uncomfortable with the idea of putting your name and information on the Web. Don’t worry though. As long as you do not include your complete home address and your credit card number, you’re safe in the Internet.

Creating your profile

Fill in information fields on your profile. You might get overwhelmed with the amount of blank field you would have to fill in. Simply fill in the important blanks: all. Do not stop until you hit 100% percent on the bar shown on the right side of your profile. Unlike a resume that you can specialize and customize for every employer, LinkedIn should be able to showcase all you can do and more.

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Fashion and Finance Parallels

Perhaps the high price tags for the best of the best in both industries prove that these two fields of expertise are both rewarding and demanding. And although the two fields seem worlds apart, there are fashion parallelisms that finance executives can take as jumping boards for career strategies they can take. Bring out the glam and learn a thing or two from the stylistas.

Trend-setting. It takes a mind of a true fashion maverick to be able to discern what the next big thing is. As a finance executive, do you have the keen foresight of a confident industry expert? If you get it right, you will enjoy the perks and benefits of being the first person in the new trend, giving you opportunities and breaks to land the manager job you have been eyeing. Knowing the ins and outs of the industry will give you the skills you need to judge whether or not an investment is worth it, much like a fashion editor knowing if leopard prints are the next big thing in fashion.

Confidence. The ability to set a fashion trend comes from a high self-esteem, something that finance professionals can take from fashion gurus. Do you have enough confidence in yourself to tread new waters when it comes to market moves and investment strategies? Can a client put their trust in you? A wealthy individual who needs a consultant regarding his riches will not put his trust on you if you do not exude confidence. Yes, the very confidence required of models, fashion icons and style gurus will set you apart in your director job, as much as it will in being a model. Sure, you may know the technicalities and complicated details the rich laymen do not. But can you communicate to others that you are the expert to turn to?

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Time Management Tips for the Executive

You do it all – meetings, reports, analysis – and you are always at the beck and call of most everybody in the office. It can get frustrating to have a lot of things to do with very little time. Worse, it can affect your performance overall. What you really need is to take 30 minutes of your already cramped schedule to read through the following tips and think how you can apply them to your work style. Hopefully, the time you invest in devising a time management plan will have high returns in productivity and in excellence both. Let’s talk numbers.

•    5: Get up at 5am and start doing things. The problem with waking up thirty minutes before work is that you might end up doing morning rituals in the office – answering personal emails, eating breakfast, putting on your tie.
•    1: Down a litre of water upon waking up. This will energize you and will help you maximize your day in the office. Health is wealth, so they say, and this applies to every profession, from a sales job that involves going to and from different meeting places, to IT jobs that mostly involve interaction with a stubborn computer program. Do yourself a favour and give it top priority. Start small with this practice.
•    30: minutes of exercise you should have every day. Complement your water-drinking habit with this energizing activity to feel more keyed up at the office. It is high time you use your executive gym privileges in the office.

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Talent Retention May Become a Challenge amid Economic Gloom

As the United States and Europe cut jobs in the recent weeks, the Singapore job market remains steadfast, with banks such as Citibank and     HSBC hiring to bolster their business performance. Companies in the country have to be cautious though, and should give forethought in every  spending, from supply choices to manpower and communication costs. Because we are not as affected as the other side of the world does not  mean that firms can let their guard down.How do HR executives strike a balance between cost efficiency and talent retention? 

Simply put, they put a premium on indispensable talent,  giving them unmatchable compensation and opportunities for growth. For top executives who command high salaries, it is either a safe zone or a  significantly shaky one. Are you a key player or someone who can easily be replaced? If push comes to shove, it may be much easier for a  company to let go a single non-performing employee with a high salary than to cut back several performing employees at the lower levels. 

Now more than ever, performing well and beyond expectations is important, for not only is it grounds for promotion, but it is also the very thing  that will help you survive in the cut-throat economy of today. Capitalize on all resources you can get a hold of – your time, access to training and  mentorship, money. Because Singapore is on a safer position than most countries, there is a risk for foreign professionals to seek employment in  the country. This increases the level of competition in all tiers as Singapore recruitment braces for possible difficulties.

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Lateral Move for Career Advancement

While it is true that the country is experiencing consistent economic growth, it cannot be denied that a number of firms are still prudent about promoting their staff, especially in the executive level where salaries and compensation packages are significantly high. As an answer to this situation, professionals opt to move sideways – laterally – to a different department or company under the same title or position. What’s in it for employees?

Growth

Although the move is not upwards, transferring to another department or company can become an avenue for career development. New working environments, new methods used and new responsibilities all contribute to progress. Professionals in the people-centric field of sales may want to shift to marketing, where both people skills and analytical capabilities matter. Challenges and changes should be welcomed if they will give a new arsenal of skills and knowledge.

Another aspect of career growth lies in the structure of the current company and the one where an executive decides to transfer to. If the current company has a flat organizational structure and promotion seems only possible when those at the top resign, then waiting is a poor choice. A proactive professional should conduct a job search among companies where there are rapid growth and promotion. Start-ups require executives to do much of the dirty hands-on work, but as the pioneer, they automatically anchor themselves at the top.

Compensation and Benefits

Top executives would not need so much to assert themselves and demand for a higher salary. Just the opportunity for a company to hire someone who is already experienced will be enough for them to give a higher offer. If the previous company really values a professional, they would give a counter offer. This brings the decision to the employee. Is the move needed because of the lack of career growth, or is it an issue with pay and benefits?


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