JobStreet.com Career Congress for Student Leaders

JobStreet.com Career Congress for Student Leaders

Following the great success of the JobStreet.com Career Congress for School Administrators on 30th July 2008 at AIM Convention Center in Makati, Philippines, JobStreet.com Philippines has brought in another first in Philippines. You can browse our post on 8 Aug 2008 (080808) for the write-up!

In one of the largest gathering of student leaders in Philippines (if not the largest), JobStreet.com brought in 1,467 student leaders from 122 universities and colleges in Philippines to attend JobStreet.com Career Congress for Student Leaders.

Looking at the photo, you can see the huge crowd, with no empty seats. It is fascinating to see so many student leaders jump at the opportunities to attend a conference of such nature, to learn and upgrade themselves.

The photo shows a speaker addressing the audience.

There were a total of 17 top-notch speakers addressing the audience.

1. Atty Bernie G. Fondevilla - Chief of Staff of OPAJC (on behalf of Sec. Arthur Yap) for Opening Remarks.

2. Mr. Engelbert Camasura - AFPM Director, Personnel Management Association of the Philippines on Employment Overview and Trends.

3. Ms. Patricia Villanueva - Head of Customer Knowledge of Ayala Land, Inc. on Career Pathing (Overview on Sales & Marketing Specialization)

4. Mr. Park Quilling - Senior Recruitment Officer, Oracle Philippines on Career Pathing (Overview on Information Technology Industry)

5. Mr. Geodicio T. Sison - Director, Center for Industry, Productivity and Competitiveness on Career Pathing (Overview on Training Industry)

6. Mr. Gregorio S. Navarro - Managing Partner & CEO, Punongbayan Araullo on Career Pathing (Overview on Accounting & Finance Industry)

7. Mr. Alexander M. Genil - Vice President/Head of Human Resources for Technical Division & Corporate Recruitment, Nestle Philippines, Inc. on Career Pathing (Overview on Engineering Industry)

8. Mr. Jojo Uligan - Executive Director, Call Center Association of the Philippines on Career Pathing (Overview on Call Center/Customer Service Industry)

9. Mr. Gerboy Ortega - Vice President for Human Resources, Shell Philippines on Maximizing your Opportunities and the Role of Internship in Starting your Career

10. Ms. Chit Concepcion - Placement Director, Ateneo de Malina University on Maximizing your Opportunities and the Role of Internship in Starting your Career

11. Ms. Elvie Tarrobal - Head, Assessment Center & Talent Acquisition Services Profiles Asia on How to Find the Right Company

12. Mr. Rolando Martinez - Vice President, General Administrations Canon Information Technologies Inc. on Tips on Resume Writing

13. Ms. Katrina Dy - Fashion Editor, Summit Media, Inc. on Tips in Power Dressing

14. Ms. Arlyn Fausto - Recruitment Regional Director, NCO Group on Acing the Interview

15. Ms. Serely Alcaraz - Head, ITD Consulting Group on How to Top Your First 90 Days at Work

16. Mr. Ricky Espiritu - Asst. Vice President, Citibank Savings Inc. on How to Bank for Your Future and Manage Your Expenses

17. Mr. Rafael Maramag - Country Sales Manager, JobStreet.com Philippines on Introduction to Job Hunting/Recruitment/JobStreet.com Career Guide Interactive CD

If you are interested to get to know such event in the future, do sign up at JobStreet.com.

JOBSTREET.COM’S “JOBSolutely Cool!!!” AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS

JOBSTREET.COM’S “JOBSolutely Cool!!!” AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS

After a triumphant run in Cebu, JobStreet.com continued its successful streak with JOBSolutely Cool!!! – Glorietta. Held at the Glorietta Activity Center last July 3 and 4, the event was attended by more than 5,000 jobseekers from Mega Manila. Nineteen companies offered a wide variety of job opportunities and numerous career possibilities.

The JOBSolutely Cool!!! series of career fairs is part of JobStreet.com’s efforts to bring great job opportunities to more jobseekers. By combining face-to-face interaction of a physical job fair with the convenience of online applications, these pioneering events ease the way for qualified applicants to present themselves to their target employers.

The Glorietta leg was held in partnership with The Philippine Star Career Guide and was co-presented by Citigroup BPS and eTelecare. Other companies who participated in the event were Lexmark R&D, Starbucks Coffee, Accenture, Verizon Business, Ascend Asia, Emerson Electric Asia, Philippine AXA Life Insurance, Axis Global Technologies, Concentrix, the NCO Group, Telus, PeopleSupport, Logica, Teleperformance, Searchers and Staffers, Staff Alliance, and Primesoft.

Attendees were also showered with product samples from Great Taste Trio, Purefoods Mom’s Kitchen and Magnolia Real Good Noodles, as well as style and beauty makeovers from HBC and gift items from Friendster. The lucky first hire of each day was also awarded with a prepaid phone kit.

Watch out for the next leg of JOBSolutely Cool!!! on August 29-30 at the Festival Supermall in Alabang!

JobStreet.com Establishes Online Community for BPO Employees

JobStreet.com recently launched BPO Avenue Forum, a new online discussion board for people currently employed or seeking employment in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry. The BPO Avenue Forum, the latest feature on JobStreet.com’s BPO Avenue portal, provides its members with the latest news and information on events and also serves as a venue for exchange of ideas, comments, feedback, and insider information in BPO employment.

“As the BPO industry provides its workers with a different work scope and environment, its workers are also subject to a different set of anxieties and uncertainties.” says Grace Colet, Country Manager of JobStreet.com Philippines. “BPO Avenue Forum enables BPO workers to get timely advice from sources they could trust – the people who went through the same set of experiences as they did.”

Current JobStreet.com users may register to the BPO Avenue Forum (http://bpoforum.jobstreet.com) using their JobStreet.com ID and password. Non-users can easily signup at www.jobstreet.com and register to the BPO Avenue Forum immediately. Once registered, BPO Avenue Forum users may start to post, read, and reply to any topic and even send private messages to other members.

The BPO Avenue Forum features topics that help BPO workers cope with the unique circumstances of their work such as Work, Career and Stress which provides tips to banish pressures on the job, Fashion at Work which gives tips on how to develop a style suited to the workplace, and Safety Warnings which gives advice to BPO employees on security since most of them go to work late at night. Members can also benefit from the best call center practices shared by their peers such as staff motivation techniques and management tips.

Since its launch, the forum has received positive feedback from its community members. “I see the BPO Forum as an avenue for us BPO and Call Center employees to be heard. Great job on this JobStreet!” posts member Cubey, while member 86ing shares “I'm sure this would be a great forum. I'm up for this.”
Member Jennakish says that the BPO Forum is “a very good site wherein you can get many information about our life at the BPO industry.” Another member, --KRiS--, enthuses, “I love this! Great minds meet and are having fun!” After a stressful day at work, member Binchee chills out at the BPO Avenue Forum. He says, “Definitely a good venue to relax and look for the right job at the same time.”

BPO Avenue Forum is part of JobStreet.com’s continuing efforts to help both the prospective and current BPO employees to understand the BPO industry better. It is one of the fastest growing sectors in recent years and is among the biggest employers in the country. Employing just about 2,400 people in 2001, the industry has grown to about 120 companies with 200,000 people in 2006. By 2010, Philippine BPO companies are forecasted to earn US$11 billion and employ 900,000 people.

It's All About SPEED

JobStreet.com has entered into a partnership with A1 Team Malaysia to feature the JobStreet.com branch on the rear wing of the team’s car in the final two races of this season's A1GP World Cup of Motorsport events in Shanghai, China and Brands Hatch, UK. In return, we'll be featuring the racing team's banner advertisement on our web portal.

"JobStreet.com is all about the speed to recruit and hire," said JobStreet.com chairman Datuk Ali Kadir, adding: "Our association with A1 Team Malaysia mirrors well the proposition of the JobStreet.com name."

The JobStreet.com logo on the rear of the Malaysian car means it has already been noticed prominently on global television coverage of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport events in Shanghai, China earlier this month (5-6 Apr 2008). The next opportunity will be at Brands Hatch in the UK on 2-4 May 2008, which attracts around seven million viewers as well as it being seen by thousands trackside.

In the meantime, please look out for the A1 Team Malaysia's clickable banner on the JobStreet.com Malaysia home page. If you sign up to be a member of the team’s fan club, Fanzone, you will receive a specially designed A1 Team Malaysia cap. Once a member of the Fanzone, you will also be able to take advantage of the regular offers and competitions featured there. JobStreet.com as we plan for the next A1GP season."

Press release: A1 Team Malaysia links with JobStreet.com for joint promotion

Originally posted by blogadmin at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Searching for Jobs by Job Title

We've just introduced a little enhancement to our jobseeker services and you may want to try it out and see how it works.

Job seekers normally use keywords to search for jobs in our JobStreet.com website. Previously, when a search is made, this process will look through the entire job advertisement (requirement, skills, company name, etc) and return the results you want. But we've also found that many searches are made with specific job titles in the jobseeker's mind: job titles that cater to their specific needs.

So in this enhancement, whenever you make a search with keywords, you now have two options:

1) Continue searching within the entire job advertisement; or

2) This is the new part: search for the job title only.

Note: This is only a graphic (To try it out for yourself and see how it actually works, please click on the links below).

To try the new search feature now, click here!

We hope you will find this neat improvement useful to help you find your desired jobs faster and easier!

Originally posted by blogadmin on Thursday, 17 April 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Glam Jobs: Angel of the Airwaves

She makes work look like play, but Dylan is quick to note that her job as multi-tasking bi-media host is not always as easy at it seems. Still, her job much-coveted, no matter how unglamorous she says it is. Not your typical nine-to-five, her day job can quickly turn into an all-nighter, if demand calls for it, but she’s not complaining. Here’s how she snagged gig after gig, after gig, after gig…

What was your dream job as a kid?
I wanted to be a rock star. Didn’t everybody?

What job title/titles do you hold now?
Radio jock, TV host, events host, sometime writer, full-time dreamer, and frustrated musician. I spent roughly three years in radioland before I got into the mad world of TV.

How did you land your radio gig and how did it lead to you hosting a show on Jack TV?
It was one foggy night in Mayric’s and I was pleasantly tipsy and somehow charmed my way into one of the senior jock’s conciousness with my impressive stories. Mostly untrue, I think but my delivery sealed the deal. He asked me to audition and I got the job. Once I got into radio, I started hosting events mostly gigs and rock concerts. Producers of the show on Jack TV seeked me out, after catching one of the shows I hosted, thinking I had the exact personality they were looking for to host their new show.

Do you think your job is glamorous?
If you call taking the bus-fx-tricycle combo going to the studio in Antipolo glamorous, then I guess so.

What is your typical workday like?
On the busiest of my days: Shoot in Antipolo studio at 10am. Then, run to the NU studios at 3pm to do DJ work until 6pm. Then, head off to a hosting gig that usually lasts until the wee hours of the morning.

What are the most common misconceptions people have about your job?
That it’s all fun and free food. Well, it is mostly fun and free food. Just not all the time.

Looking back, what’s the best thing or decision you’ve ever made, career-wise?
On the day I was hired to be a copywriter for a really big ad agency, NU107 called me up to say I got the job as a jock. I had to choose overnight between the two evils. I went with the DJ job. This is what I’d tell anyone who’d ask: When faced with a difficult choice, always go with what your heart tells you.

What is the best perk of your job?
For radio, it’s being able to come to work in comfy slippers. For TV, it’s the free stuff. I have to admit, it’s always the free stuff.

What are the three biggest challenges of your job that you’ve learned to overcome?
1) Not being able to broadcast your true emotions. I’ve had a friend commit suicide and minutes after I just heard the news, I had to go onboard and carry on with my radio show like nothing happened. Your listeners expect you to always be on top of things no matter what. 2) The getting up and going to work. I used to be really tardy for work and had numerous absences. Only when I started showing up for work everyday and on time did I reap numerous benefits. There’s nothing like going to bed at night knowing you have accomplished another hard day’s work. It’s quite empowering, really. 3) The haters. It took me some time to figure out the old cliché that you can’t please all the people all the time and now I treat praise and criticism the same way – not too seriously.

What is your dream job now?
To host an international show. Maybe Amazing Race although I’m not buff enough for that yet.

What other hobbies would you like to pursue?
Scuba diving has always been a temptation.

What would people find surprising about you?
I hate wearing make up. I take the bus everyday. I’m your average bear.

About your job?
With TV: That sometimes, it would take hundreds of takes to get that one perfect little shot. It’s a lot of hard work. A lot of waiting, sweating, and more waiting, but once the episode comes out and looks great, then you know it’s all worth it.

What’s your advice for those who want a job like yours?
While nothing beats the good ol’ combination of prayer, hard work and a chock full of discipline, I think loving your job, having loads of fun and most importantly, marching to your own beat and staying true to yourself are all precious tidbits of advice, too.

(This article by Chonx Tibajia first appeared in The Philippine STAR's CAREER GUIDE, a weekly jobs section powered by JobStreet.com)

(Picture used with Dylan's permission)

Watch Your Way to Success

Once in awhile there comes a time when a person suddenly lacks motivation in one’s work. This can be due to a myriad of reasons like – a horrible boss, unfair company policies, catty coworkers or just the plain old “stuck in a rut” syndrome, but one should never let such negativity cloud their enthusiasm to work hard and become successful. In case you’re one of those unfortunate few who are stuck in career limbo and are completely clueless on what to do, relax, sit back and check out these movies. Hopefully these will give you ideas on how to make your job seem more enjoyable and worthwhile.

If you feel your resume doesn’t look impressive:
The Pursuit of Happyness – Believing in one’s self can change your whole life for the better. This movie is based on the true story of Chris Gardner, a single father and bone density scanner salesman whose incredible determination to succeed against all odds made him the Wall Street legend he is now.

The Story: Chris Gardner (Will Smith) is a simple man, living a very hard life. He chooses to raise his 5-year-old son by himself when his wife suddenly leaves him and desperately tries to make ends meet by selling bone density scanners that he’s invested his life savings in. By and by, Chris is scrambling to get money to pay the bills and he and his son eventually have to rely on homeless shelters just to have a place to stay in for the night. He finds his saving grace in a possible internship at a stock brokerage firm where he does his best to land one of the much coveted slots. As luck would have it, the company is only offering an internship and a job to the best intern of the batch. But in spite of the odds, Chris chooses to stick with the internship and performs to the best of his abilities. Through pure dedication and his incredible skills in sales and marketing, Chris lands the job that he wants in spite of being only a high school graduate.

If you feel your boss doesn’t appreciate your hard work:
The Devil Wears Prada – So the book version wasn’t so good, this movie adaptation starring Anne Hathaway as the extremely overworked Andy Sachs and Merryl Streep as the infamous boss from hell, Miranda Priestly, is actually a fun, feel good movie. Aside from all the fun fashions, this movie inspires greenhorns that dedication and hard work does pay off in the end.

The Story: Fresh out of college, Andy lands an interview at Runway – a hip fashion magazine for women. In spite of her lack of interest in the topic and being completely clueless about the fashion industry, editor in chief Miranda Priestly surprisingly hires her. She then becomes the second assistant to the EIC who works 24/7 with a low salary and zero respect from her boss – until she starts to prove her capabilities. From being able to memorize all the names of the who’s who in New York high society to being able to produce a copy of an unpublished manuscript of the latest Harry Potter book, Andy has gone to great lengths to give anything that Miranda asks for. By and by she gets sucked in the fashion industry and starts to realize that in spite of all the glitz and glamour that it promises, her sense of self and integrity are still way more important. She leaves Runway not just with an expansive experience in the fashion industry but also with Miranda Priestly’s work recommendation – that assures of guaranteed acceptance in any job she applies for in the future.

If you’re still confused on what you really want to do:
The Nanny Diaries – Another chick flick, this is best for those who are still not sure of what career they really want to focus on and extremely pressured by his or her parents to do well. Scarlett Johansson plays Annie Braddock, another fresh graduate with a seemingly bright future until she suddenly gets a nervous breakdown and loses her focus.

The Story: Right after college, Annie is scheduled for an interview with one of the top companies in New York City. As one of the brightest in her class, Annie is confident that the job is in the bag until she gets a nervous breakdown during the interview and ends up working as a nanny for a rich Uptown family. She reassures her best friend, that her nanny gig is just temporary until she finds what she truly wants. Annie eventually finds herself loving her job in spite of the many hardships she encounters and basically just being a big pain in the a**. But before she gets sucked in to being a nanny forever, her experiences with the “X” family helped her realize that what she really wants to do is to go back to school and take up a graduate program in anthropology. It might have took her some time to pursue what she really wants but what’s more important is that she’s now happy with the career path that she’s taking.

If you feel your life’s totally hopeless:
Waitress – This movie inspires people to not let themselves be forever bound to the unpleasant situations that they’re in and to always be nice to others – who knows, your connections might just be your ticket to “salvation”.

The Story: As a waitress in a small town diner, Jenna (Keri Russell) devotes her time to coming up with incredible pie concoctions and being a battered wife to her loser of a husband (Jeremy Sisto). While she gets along with everybody at work, Jenna still desperately wants to leave town just to get away from her husband and start a new life. Unfortunately, being always incredibly suspicious of her, Earl finds out about the money she stashed away as well as her being pregnant. Completely hopeless about her future, Jenna is resigned to continue living her hell of a life until she meets a quirky doctor whom she has an affair with. While he might seem to be the knight in shining armor that she so desperately needs, Jenna realizes that she can leave Earl, raise the baby, and make a living – all on her own. As luck would have it, one the diner’s regular customers whom Jenna has always be patient with, leaves her with a hefty check – more than enough for her to start a new life, and own a diner of her own.

If you slept with your boss – and regret it:
Bridget Jones’s Diary - While there are a lot of office rules that one must be able to adhere to even if it sounds totally silly, there are of course some that are completely out of the question. Having a crush on your boss is one thing but taking it to the next level is tricky, very tricky especially when you break up. So before you start thinking of engaging in a crazy shenanigan with your boss watch how Renee Zellweger’s Bridget Jones dealt with this sticky ordeal.

The Story: Bridget Jones works as an assistant at a publishing house led by the irresistible ladies’ man Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant). After flirting through the office IM, Bridget and Daniel end up doing the big nasty – over and over again. While Bridget seems to be in relationship bliss, she’s too much of a lovesick fool to realize that Daniel’s not serious about her. After all hell breaks loose, she decides to quit her job and sets her sights on the broadcasting industry where she lands a job for her candidness. In spite of an awkward and incredibly humiliating start, she finally gets her groove on with the help of her friend Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). Realizing that it’s in gaining your confidence back and truly loving your job, you will get rewarded, Bridget finally gets her act together.

(This article by Abby Rebong first appeared in The Philippine STAR's CAREER GUIDE, a weekly jobs section powered by JobStreet.com)

Look Who’s Hiring: Dealing with New Employer Attitudes

The workforce is getting younger – age and attitude-wise. Not only are the new hires of two years ago taking faster to get to managerial and supervisory levels, the “big bosses” are also making an effort to be more in-the-know of the latest trends, gadgets, fashion, etc. All these are making a subtle, but significant impact on the way employers hire. Here’s what you need to know about bosses young and young at heart, and making minor adjustments in various aspects of the job hunt.

Making yourself easy to find.
Self-promotion is still the name of the game. But don’t get stuck in job-hunting past – with so many dynamic avenues left to our disposal – think MySpace, Facebook, Blogger, etc. – it’s easier to share select information about yourself and career objectives.

Create an online portfolio that showcases your previous and current projects, achievements and related interests. You can even blog about your job search and share all the challenges you’ve overcome. It’s an effective, subtle way of promoting your professional aptitude and personality traits.

However, you have to be careful about what you publish on your sites. Keep your professional site formal, presentable, and straightforward.

You can still go the traditional route, thought, and distribute printouts of your résumé. Give it out only to selected companies that you find interesting, even if they don’t seem to have any openings. If you qualify, it’s likely that they’ll keep your résumé for future reference. Don’t forget to enclose a cover letter.

Piquing curiosity.
In the information age, interest can only last so long, so don’t divulge everything about yourself all at once, whether in your cover letter, blog, or professional site. Avoid talking about your personal life in full detail, but it would help to offer some information to give your audience an idea of what you’re all about (e.g. single, master of five languages, amateur photographer – bits of personal trivia that suggest that you are a well-rounded person living a full-life).

Employers today, being effective multi-taskers, are likely to believe in “having it all”. Show them that you, too, have a healthy balance of work and fun in your life.

Looking good on paper.
We all know that résumés carry 2x2 photos, but what needs to be stressed right now is how this image serves as THE first impression. It may sound a little shallow, but employers look at your photos, too. They don’t judge by them, but they certainly consider them.

Taking your headshot: Make sure you look tidy and composed, wearing proper attire and minimal make-up. Look at the camera straight on and smile conservatively. Avoid over accessorizing, awkward poses, and inappropriate backgrounds.

Looking even better in person.
It’s all about walking into a room and owning it. Look and be even more impressive than your, just try not to overdo it. Many employers appreciate fashion, whether or not they’re into it themselves. So come in your best work attire.

Move in the same circle.
It’s true: word of mouth is still the most effective way to advertise. If you’re a designer, think of your skills as products – creativity, resourcefulness, innovation, craftsmanship, and attention to detail are all more talked about by satisfied clients than the finished design itself.

Go out and meet people from the industry, offer to assist or if even ask if you could apprentice. Employers are more likely to trust referrals, or applicants who are friends of friends. The challenge has shifted from getting the attention of employers to getting the attention of their friends.

(This article by Chonx Tibajia first appeared in The Philippine STAR's CAREER GUIDE, a weekly jobs section powered by JobStreet.com)

Soft Skills for the Go-Getter

Talk big in your résumé, because what it says may get you into your favored company. But it’s the little things you do that help employers determine whether or not they should keep you there. On paper, it’s all about making a big, positive first impression. Everyday life however, demands for subtler, seemingly unimportant habits and gestures – those that tell people about who you are, more than about what you do. Here are a few skills that you might want to consider taking up:

The art of small talk
If you’ve ever been at a lunch meeting with a major client – all of whom you are with know each other very well, then you know what it’s like to feel out of place. As a professional, however, it’s your job to always make that you are never so. Small talk will easily get you out of that quiet corner and into the center of talk, but it is not always so simple.

Steer clear of obvious attempts like talking about the weather. Start with a compliment to get your subject interested – but make sure you’re sincere! You can also talk about industry events that you might both have attended, or asking about his or her work. Of course, you already know that religion, politics, and internal gossip, are topics that should be avoided.

Feel free to stay out of personal conversations, those that involve private jokes, or those that do not involve your self. But since it is after all a business meeting, you have every right to interject, in a polite manner, questions that relate to the nature of your meeting in order to keep your contemporaries from digressing further.

Take charge of the conversation and make sure that after every, introduction or meeting, you have accomplished your objective.

Appreciation for the Internet
It is no longer acceptable to know nothing about the Internet – especially for a professional. Even if accessing the Web doesn’t interest you in the least bit, consider it a necessary partner towards an easier life. Not only does the Net, through email, instant messaging, and other connectivity tools like Skype, allow you to multitask and touch base with your contacts without ever leaving your cushy office chair; the Net is also a big help for those who are looking to expand their network of clients, suppliers, resources, etc.

There are individuals, though, who still prefer to go by the old-fashioned way of doing things – faxing, doing daily rounds, sending packages via mail. If you are one of them, try studying the ins and outs of the World Wide Web first, for fun, out of curiosity, or even just for the heck of it. Then, see where your newfound knowledge will take you.

The tactful-aggressive
While being able to assert yourself – that is, express your opinions, whether enthusiasm or objection, is a powerful weapon, knowing how to wield it with finesse can be even more compelling. It’s not always easy to hold back your emotions or keep your voice down when you’re getting excited over something, but it’s worth a try. If you have been tasked to tell a team member that his or her suggestions are no good, try suggesting that he come up with “more ideas to choose from” instead. The truth hurts enough as it is – a little sugar may help make harsh realities a lot easier to swallow.

Primping on-the-go
Go-getters are always running around, meeting people, prospects and deadlines. Primping while running up a flight of stairs, in between meetings, or while stuck in traffic is a valuable skill that one can only master in time, and with a lot of practice. Do not be afraid to check your appearance on reflective surfaces on occasion – everybody does it. Learn the art of applying makeup in moving vehicles. (Tip: Use products that are meant for “smudging” like soufflé foundations, lipgloss, and fat eye crayons. Avoid using products that say “loose” or “liquid” on the label, lest you want any stains on your suit.)

Know your place
Never overestimate or worse, underestimate yourself or your abilities. It’s like dressing up – over time, you get the hang of striking a balance between being overdressed and underdressed by observing your peers. Look at your contemporaries. Examine their skills and what they bring to the table, and take it from there. If caught in a potentially awkward situation, go stag – sit by yourself or mingle with people you are comfortable with until you are invited to approach the top dogs. Keep a low profile, but at the same time remember to make your accomplishments known.

(This article by Chonx Tibajia first appeared in The Philippine STAR's CAREER GUIDE, a weekly jobs section powered by JobStreet.com)

24 Hours to the Perfect Interview

One’s disposition and wellbeing is reflected during conversation as much as intellect and upbringing. During one of the seminars conducted by the American English Skills Development Center at the Career Guide Job Fair 2008, the art of interview was discussed. Jobseekers were taught proper enunciation, response and body language. No amount of practice, however, can hide stress, lack of sleep, and anxiety, which is why it’s important to invest in a period of quiet before any important activity – and what could be more important than an interview that could change your life?

PREPARING THE BODY
You want to be a breath of fresh air when you walk into the office or interview room. Keep in mind that the company wants someone new, someone who can bring something original and creative to the table – that’s why they’re hiring instead of just promoting someone from inside. The best way to present your self in the most refreshing and engaging way possible is to make it seem like it’s coming from within. Here’s what you can do to achieve physical wellbeing 24 hours before your interview:

Eat fiber-enriched foods. As a precautionary measure, steer clear of dishes that may interfere with digestion or make you feel bloated, like too much meat. Refrain from trying food that you’re not used to eating – now is not the time to experiment. Instead, snack on fiber-enriched foods that you know suit you. Try an orange, which doesn’t only aid in digestion but also invigorates the senses.

Get moving. Exercise, but do so just enough to wake your body up and get your energy level going. Stick to your usual routine and avoid overexertion. Exercising improves blood circulation, carrying uplifting oxygen throughout your system. This will give you a healthy glow.

Get a facial. It doesn’t matter if you avail of the basic cleansing facial or a soothing aromatherapy treatment. This will relax your face, clear pores and give you an extra shot of confidence. Avoid invasive treatments, too vigorous scrubbing, or extraction, as these leave the skin red and tender for at least a couple of days.

Groom, groom, groom. Parts that will need extra grooming are the eyebrows, lips, hands and fingernails. Pluck stray brows, but if you’ve never plucked or had them groomed before, a simple swipe of clear mascara should keep your natural brows in place. Chapped lips could distract the interviewer, as would overly plump and glossy ones. Hydrate your lips overnight with a medicated lip balm or simple petroleum jelly. Finally get a professional manicure for clean, professional-looking nails. Go for muted pinks, beiges or plain gloss.

PREPARING THE MIND
Do the 3pm stretch – at 3pm and right before your leave home for the interview. The 3PM stretch is yoga-inspired pose that well help carry oxygen to the brain, invigorate the senses, and make you more alert and receptive to information. Stand with your back flat against the wall. Stretch your arms above your head. Bend down slowly to reach your toes. Hold for 10 deep breaths. Slowly return to upright position. Repeat three times.

Review your notes. Nothing makes us feel more relaxed than knowing that we’ve got it all covered and under control. For the interview, prepare by thinking of answers ahead of time to FAQs, such as tell me about yourself, or what is your weakness? Think and review with bullet points so you don’t sound rehearsed during the interview itself. Research about the company and the position you’re applying for. List some thoughtful questions to ask your interviewer.

Do something fun and productive. The afternoon before the interview, do something fun and familiar to calm your nerves, but make sure it’s productive as well to keep you within the creative frame of mind. Read a lighthearted novel, make a scrapbook, or update your blog. Be inspired and relish the results.

Sleep early. You’re excited and anxious at the same time, but don’t let this get in the way of a good night’s rest. Begin a calming ritual at 8pm. Sip on some chamomile tea or warm milk. Slather on a soothing lotion. Dim the lights and turn off your cell phone and TV.

ON THE BIG DAY
Get up early. Don’t let yourself hit the snooze button or you’ll be rushing through your routine. Have a heavy breakfast and don’t over think it – the interviewer is only human and perhaps just as concerned about asking the saying and doing the right things as you are. The important thing is to be yourself and connect with your interviewer as yourself.

(This article by Chonx Tibajia first appeared in The Philippine STAR's CAREER GUIDE, a weekly jobs section powered by JobStreet.com)

Be Work Ready While You Study

It’s a almost an unwritten rule that when you’re in college, you’re supposed to have the best time of your life – this is when you do things you can’t while you were still in high school, and this is your last chance to goof around before taking on real responsibilities. Although this period is definitely a rite of passage for most young adults, students must keep in mind that fun always has its limits – or else you’ll end up with no direction and no opportunities. So while expanding your social circle, gimmik on weekends, and whatever stuff that college people do these days, here are a few reminders in the midst of all the madness during college life.

Paying attention can have its rewards – This is one of the most useful, albeit overrated advice parents and teachers give to students. But still, imagine meeting someone in your office who remembers how to apply the basics of algebra, rules of tenses, and the who’s and when’s of western civilization. Surely, your boss would be more impressed with that person not just for his memory but for listening and using the things he learned from school and giving the impression that he’s well educated.
Gaining independence – It’s natural for students to divide in clicks during the first two years of college and stay with that group until they graduate. If you are in a group, don’t ignore the fact that one day, you have to let your barkada go and search for opportunities on your own. One major example is your projects and thesis. Do not insist on working on a project with your best friends and treat it as an opportunity to have a sleepover. In the real world, you’ll most likely end up working with someone you barely know or even someone difficult. You need to learn how to deal with people while it’s still early so adjustment during the first few months of your job isn’t as stressful.

Internship of your choice – Just because your friends decide to have their internship program together at a radio station that doesn’t mean that you have to join them – especially when you have a different place in mind. Don’t ever think that you would feel left out if you choose your own path because it’s better to learn things from your company of choice than learn stuff that you won’t be able to use after you graduate. Sure you may be alone and forced to make friends in a strange new office but you’ll surely find yourself in the process – and that is rewarding enough.

Organization is key – Working with organization is always a must. Knowing where to start and what to do next is crucial in the real world. Most successful men and women in different industries tend to be obsessive-compulsive and most of all, hardworking. So while it’s still early, develop the habit of keeping things in order, organizing your schedule, analyzing your work load.

Be professional – Factors like time, self-presentation, ethics, and manners are very important when trying to be professional. Always be on time (even earlier) when you arrive for appointments even if it’s just a get together with your friends. If you develop your punctuality, you’ll most likely bring that habit to your career. Also, make sure that you always look presentable when you meet with people because this creates a lasting impression. Last but not the least, don’t forget your manners when dealing with people.

Strive for perfection – The “bahala na” attitude is something that most students should drop before moving on to real life. In order to stand out in a company, you must always make sure that your projects, presentations, reports, etc. are impressive. In any industry being the best you can be always counts. Even if you’re still in school, always give your 100 percent in assignments, tests, projects, and activities.

(This article by Karen Choa Sy first appeared in The Philippine STAR's CAREER GUIDE, a weekly jobs section powered by JobStreet.com)

JobStreet.com Powers SM CHOICE

JobStreet.com powers SM CHOICE (Challenging Opportunities in an Industry Committed to Excellence), SM Department Store's annual search for top level management to help the retail giant boost its roster of company leaders. The first of three such upscale events scheduled for the year will be held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex on March 14-15, 2008.

Senior managers with three to five years of extensive experience in management, marketing, retail merchandising, finance or information technology were pre-selected from JobStreet.com's database of over 1.5 million registered jobseekers. These candidates were then invited to apply online through the event’s microsite, accessible at www.jobstreet.com. In the site, applicants are asked to answer a short questionnaire which will facilitate the assessment of their qualifications for the position they are applying for.

Using JobStreet.com's SiVA online resume management facility to automatically sort, screen and rank the online applications, SM's Recruitment Department will contact the top-ranked candidates to attend the event proper for a series of interviews to further assess the applicants' suitability for the positions.

"With this partnership, JobStreet.com and SM CHOICE are innovating on how leadership recruitment is done," says Ritchie Ramos, JobStreet.com's marketing manager. "Employers now have the option to stage upscale hiring activities for prime positions while pinpointing the right people to invite."

How Should I Dress for an Interview?

Jeannie Ng remembers the day well. It was a few years ago and as a newbie applicant fresh out of college, she was making her way to various job interviews dressed in black pants and a black blazer, sweating under the sun and wondering if there was a more comfortable way to go about job hunting.

She wasn't alone. Fresh graduates, used to the college dress code of jeans and T-shirts, get apprehensive taking on a more corporate look.

"I went to an interview dressed in cargo jeans and a shirt,” Jeannie, a marketing graduate from a Malaysian university, revealed. "The company is in media and I thought that they had a relaxed dress code. The hiring manager took one look at me and I could tell she was annoyed. The interview didn’t even last 15 minutes and, needless to say, I didn’t get a call for another interview.”

Should Jeannie have come in corporate attire? And would she appear overdressed? Not so. According to hiring managers, one should dress appropriately when they attend interviews. It would just be like selling yourself to employers. Generally, one’s attire would reveal some of his character traits such as neatness, being organized, etc.

"I usually expect my interviewees to come in corporate attire, even though our office is in a residential community,” shares Melle Roxas-Pitalgo of iDnet Consulting, Inc. “In selling yourself and your expertise, what you wear – how you present yourself – is part of the package.”

Dressing in corporate attire communicates to the interviewer that you are serious about the job. It will be to your benefit to do some research first. Some companies adopt a more casual dress code but applicants can’t always be sure if the companies they are applying to subscribe to that dress code.

The rule of thumb is to dress one or two levels higher than the job are applying for. Remember, it’s not so much that you’re trying to get hired because of what you wear, but it’s more a matter of not getting yourself eliminated from consideration because of how you present yourself.

Posted by blogadmin on Friday, 07 March 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Social Networking Sites: Boon and Bane of Job Seekers

Are you a member of any social networking website like Facebook or Friendster? We have seen them undergo unprecedented growth in recent years as they provide web users with an avenue for self-expression and social interaction.

Social networking websites work by asking you to create a profile by filling in basic information (gender, location, etc.) and personality indicators (favorite movies, favorite books, interests, etc.) and adding people you know to your “Friends" list. These profiles are generally quite open and it's possible for anyone to view your profile and that of the people in your extended network.

However, as with other public spaces on the Internet, there is no way to guarantee that the persons viewing your profile are the persons you want to see it.

Job seeker Marie shares her experience: “I was looking forward to working with this company. I reached the second interview – the one with the hiring manager – and everything seemed fine. Then, I didn't receive any call to come back for the final interview. My friend in the company said it might be because the hiring manager saw some stuff on my online profile and it turned her off. Should companies spy on future employees on social networking sites? Isn't that supposed to be just for social networking and not to be mixed with our professional lives?”

Apparently, not so. According to HR managers, you should think seriously about what you have in your social networking account.

Bong Austero of PNB says: “You have to remove the stuff that you don't want your parents to see or those that imply you consider work as evil. It's not called "spying" because they are public spaces. Anyone can have access to them and use the data for their own purposes. There is no such thing as separation between personal and professional anymore.”

“It is still the prerogative of the hiring manager to conduct reference and background checks on the applicant in whatever means or ways that is available and accessible,” adds Beth Miranda of Sandstone Technology. “Browsing through a job applicant's online profile is okay as long as it matches the preliminary attitudinal evaluation on the applicant’s character because I think anyone reading those profiles should not automatically believe what he or she was reading unless he or she has personally met the person."

So job seekers should always remember that the impression your social networking profile generates depends on the context of the viewer’s relationship with you. A picture of you looking intoxicated in a party may seem cool to a friend but irresponsible to a potential employer. Minimize the chances of that happening by removing content which you would not want any potential employer from accessing.

Posted by blogadmin on Tuesday, 04 March 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Power-up Your Resume with JobStreet Select

Many of you will soon graduate or perhaps some are contemplating to shift careers. You might be asking: How do I get the job I want? This is the question asked by fresh graduates and career shifters.

Hiring Officers are usually busy people. Hence, a powerful resume is one that provides both an overview of qualifications and the corresponding details to support it. Your resume is a tool to advertise yourself and be noticed from the rest of the qualified applicants. Remember, your resume is your ticket to get you a job interview--which would hopefully lead to a job offer.

The leading recruitment partner of JobStreet.com – JobStreet Select – shares some tips to construct a professional and impressive resume that will help you land the job you want.

• Prepare a job objective. State briefly the kind of job you seek so that the employer will know if you are a match. Be specific and direct to the point. Never write obscure statements.
• Include the years of work experience. This gives a hint on your level of expertise (finance, sales and marketing etc.) and proficiency (supervisory, managerial) in terms of business operations and people management if there's any.
• Type of industries or organizations joined (eg. MNC/Local, manufacturing, semicon, IT or school organizations etc.). This gives the would-be employer a hint if you can easily adapt to their business.
• Areas of competency. Hiring is about finding the right match between the person's competency qualifications and the company's needs. Providing a short list of your competencies will lighten the Hiring Officer's job in finding the 'right match' for you.

Please take note that an overview should take only one half to a page at the most. Most employers usually browse resumes for 30 seconds only, so be direct to the point.

Supporting details provide substantial data about the individual's career history, educational and training background and achievements. If possible, keep it only up to three or four pages. It should include the following:

• Work Experience – job title, company name and duration of employment. If there is more than one job assumed in the same company, summarize the duration and job title. Include only important job functions. Too many details are boring. Cite important achievements.
• Education - start from the most recent degree obtained, school, duration, achievements, significant activities.
• Relevant Trainings and Seminars attended.
• Personal Details - address, marital status, no. of children, age, gender and contact details. If physical attributes are necessary to the position being applied for, include weight and height.

Under the Philippine recruitment practices, it is better to include details such as age, gender and address. Inclusion of those details shortens screening time. Not to include them may give the impression that the individual is not keen on details. On the other hand, you may exclude these factors when applying to foreign companies that exercise equal employment opportunity.

It is suggested that a photo be excluded when submitting your resume except if required by the hiring company. If you decide to include a copy of your photo, make sure that you look professional in it.

Different companies would have different competency requirements. It is best to customize the highlights of your resume in accordance to their needs and what you can offer best.

Be brief, concise and proofread your work. Check out for typos and grammatical boo-boos. Double-check dates and facts. Ensure punctuation marks are correct and in their proper places.

Be inviting. Your resume must look attractive to be read. Use conservative fonts like Times New Roman or Arial, at least 10 in size. Include ample white space. Organize items under section headings to give the eyes a break. Print on crisp, white paper. A crowded, cluttered, error-laden resume is a big turnoff.

JobStreet Select is the leading recruitment partner of JobStreet.com. It provides premium Executive Search and Staffing Services. It combines speed and efficiency of online recruitment, with the expertise of our highly qualified recruitment consultants. JobStreet Select accepts walk-in applicants for staffing positions for major BPO companies from Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm. So, whether you are starting to build a career or looking into making a shift – JobStreet SELECT will be more than happy to be your Preferred Career Partner! For more information, please call 6891109 and 8138797 or email melai@jobstreet.com and earl@jobstreet.com

Pancakes, anyone, for supper?

Here's a contribution to BlogStreet by Paul Vincent of the BPO Forum:

Waking up to the smell of pancakes for breakfast is truly one of the better things one gets to enjoy in life. Luckily, for those of us who work in a call center, those of us who don't get to wake up for breakfast, there's lunch, dinner and all sorts of edible stuff you can get from the friendly convenience store around the block.

The call center industry has indeed - for lack of a more unique term - boomed to exponential proportions with all those foreign multinational corporations setting up their sites here and there. It had opened up a lot of opportunities for people to explore their potential and become a contributor to society without having to be confined to the limitations of one's educational attainment.

So how does a typical Juan dela Cruz (he has since changed his name to John once he got signed by one of the top call centers in the Philippines) spend his day? He wakes up at around 7pm (he hit the sack at around 11am earlier), eats a hasty meal and prepares to go to work. By 7:30pm he's saying goodbye to his wife and kid; then he's off to work. He gets to the office at around 8:40pm and has just enough time to enjoy a stick of cigarette before logging in. He enters the office at 9:01pm and is late by one minute.

He gets his first call as soon as he logs in to the phones. Its a sup call. The customer is so irate about the product or service that he purchased, so naturally John tries to calm the customer down while holding back his own unrelenting fury. He checks the time and he can't believe its just 11pm. To him it felt like he'd been wearing that headset for days. The hours dragged on.

Finally his day mercifully ends. He logs out of the phone as soon as his last irate customer hung up at around 6:45am. He goes down the elevator and walks amongst executives and businessmen, except that he goes the other way. Their day's just beginning. For John, he's glad to be going home. He gets home at around 8:30am. His wife makes breakfast (pancakes), and his two-year old son wants to play. He spends almost the entire morning with his family and finally gets to sleep at around 11:15am while trying to block out all the noise outside. The following week his shift schedule was changed and he barely had time to see his family awake before going to work.

Now I know this does not typically apply to everyone. Some don't get to do the things John did in the previous example. If anything, working in a call center has made me realize the value of things that I normally took for granted - sleeping, eating right, and spending time with the family. Pancakes anyone?

Fatter Postmen for Australia?

Would you know that in Australia, there is a maximum weight limit to their postmen and women? According to present regulations, these people who deliver letters - the Aussies call them posties - cannot be more than 90kg or otherwise it would be dangerous for them to ride on their 110cc motorcycles. The letters that the posties carry can weigh as much as 40kg.

But Australia Post is now in the process of reviewing their weight regulation to allow heavier postmen and women on these motorcycles. They'll be upping the weight scale from 90kg to 105kg while at the same time, compensate by reducing the workload they carry from 40kg to only 25kg.

The union representing the postmen and women said the 90 kg limit had caused recruitment headaches for the Australian postal services. By allowing heavier posties on the motorcycles, more people may be attracted to this type of work.

An Australia Post spokesperson was quoted as saying that they had talked with the motorcycle manufacturer and their tests showed that a rider weighing up to the maximum 105 kgs would not significantly affect the stability, handling or safety of their 110 cc motorcycle.

So there you are ... if you have previously failed in your ambition to be an Aussie postie because you are kilogram-challenged, here's the chance for you to reapply.!

Originally posted by blogadmin on Thursday at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Don't Keep Your Ambitions to Yourself

How do you see yourself 10 years from now? Do you often dream of being the Top Dog in whatever career you're in? For example, one day, you are looking at being the chief graphic designer or head of the legal department.

But don't make a mistake of not letting your manager or your bosses in on your ambition. After all, when you are working yourself up in your career, you'd want to make it pretty clear to people that you have the ambition to grow.

During interviews, people are often asked how you would see themselves in their careers in 10 year's time. That's an indication that the company wants people who can be motivated to do the best job possible. It also means that you have signalled to the company that you are a candidate to train to take the place of others as they move up.

So you see, these are good reasons why you should always be thinking of your career growth, how you want your career to progress and then tell your bosses about your vision of your career path. Of course, all talk and no activity will not get you anywhere. You'll have to make sure too that you put your plans into action.

Originally posted by blogadmin on Monday, 18 February 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

BPO Forum

Get to know the ins-and-outs of the BPO industry, the latest personal technology trends, and a whole lot more with JobStreet.com’s BPO Avenue Forum.

The BPO Avenue Forum is the latest feature on the JobStreet.com website created specially for you the BPO/call center professionals.

Engage your colleagues in lively discussions. Share what you know or learn from what others have shared. Meet new friends and make new acquaintances.

Sign-up now at BPO Avenue!

http://bpoforum.jobstreet.com

The eXpat

After an much anticipation, the eXpat will finally air on Sunday!

See how 14 applicants get down and dirty in a battle of wit, strategy and business instincts. 1 Hour. 13 Episodes. 14 Filipinos. 1 Chance of a lifetime. Sundays starting Feb 17, 10:15PM on Studio 23! JobStreet.com and Chasing Cars Creatives proudly present the most prestigious and the most challenging job interview on Philippine TV-"THE EXPAT".

JOBSolutely Cool!

Join the hippest and coolest job fair this year. JobStreet.com is pleased to bring you JOBSolutely Cool!!! Go Full Speed to a New Career.

This cool, fun and hip event will feature 20 top corporations in the Philippines. The event will be a venue for employers seeking to hire the brightest talents in Visayas and Mindanao areas. JOBSolutely Cool!!! will include the following features: Employers and Jobseekers Segment, a Fashion Show and so much more.

So, what are you waiting for. Join now and be hired in the fastest, easiest and most cost-effective way!

March 28-29, 2008

SM City Cebu Trade Hall

MEDIA PARTNERS:

Tell your Friends about It!

Employment Outlook in the Year of the Rat

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

The Chinese New Year ushers in new hope for job seekers. It signifies a fresh start as a new cycle of the Chinese Zodiac begins with the Year of the Earth Rat. As the story goes, when Buddha summoned the twelve animals to cross the celestial sea, the rat rode on the ox’s back and jumped ahead of the others when they reached the other side. Also, the Rat has traditionally been held as the messenger and protector of material prosperity.

Indeed, job growth and employment prospects for 2008 are very promising. Based on a survey conducted recently by JobStreet.com, majority (61%) of the respondents, composed mostly of direct employers and HR professionals from the manufacturing, trade, business services, IT, and finance industries, foresee much better employment prospects for the first half of the year than the first half of 2007. Job seekers will find more jobs available as the majority of the respondents have indicated that they are looking to hire more people than they did in the same period last year.

The survey also asked what specializations will these employers require this year. Computers/IT (Software), Sales and Marketing, Cost/General Accounting, Human Resources, and Business Development, in order, are their top hiring priorities. However, jobs in Customer Service, Computers/IT (Hardware), Clerical & Administration, Mechanical & Electical Engineering will also be in demand.

Prospects are not only for jobseekers but for those currently employed as well. The respondents said that their companies will give out an average of 5.5% salary increases. Twenty-four percent (the majority group) said their companies will give out 7-10% increases. The next biggest group said their employees will get 3-5% increases. Only 4% have indicated less than one percent increases.

With this optimism in the job market, the unemployment rate in the Philippines looks likely to go down further from the 6.3% recorded in October last year. And with JobStreet.com -- the No. 1 Job Site in the Philippines -- as your career partner, getting the job you want has never been easier.

Working for Yourself? It's Rewarding but May Not be Easy!

Ever thought about working for yourself? It's not going to be easy, you know, because the boss you will be working for may well turn out to be the toughest boss you've ever had.

Yes, the boss will be you and as your own employee, you've got to be pretty sure that you fit well into his shoes. There won't be any easy sick days off work and no long lunches.

But there will be perpetual worries about balancing the budget and keeping your clients happy. Deadlines? Of course! You'll have lots of unpaid overtime work - in the evenings and possibly the weekends as well. And at times, you'll be living on plain bread and butter because you cannot afford the caviar.

But though it will be tough and often tiring, there are benefits and rewards as well. You can take risks (but make sure they are calculated risks), implement new systems or attempt innovations without having to convince a short-sighted boss. And when a project is done just right and the cash till rings, it's time for a well deserved celebration.

Originally posted by blogadmin on Thursday, 31 January 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

This Brand That's Called YOU

Several years ago when I started out giving talks to the public and college students on how resumes should be written, I never failed to start off by telling my audience that whether they like it or not, everyone of us is in sales and marketing, and their resume should be that document that would sell or market the writer.

You should have seen the jolt of realisation in their eyes whenever I mentioned it. Nobody had thought of themselves in that way. To them, the resume is just a piece of necessary evil that they had to write and send to employers when they search for jobs.

But no, I've been telling them. The resume is much more than that. Aren't you attempting to get the employer to read about your skills and qualification? Aren't you trying to persuade the employer to call you for an interview? Isn't all these an effort to market yourself favourably in the employer's eyes?

Once this realisation sets in, my audience would become more receptive to the reasons why a resume should be properly written to highlight the job seeker's strengths, abilities and how his skills and qualifications can be matched closely to the employer's needs and requirements.

Let me take this concept of selling and marketing oneself one step further by borrowing a term: personal branding. Personal branding is how you build your reputation and image. Branding yourself well so that you become marketable.

To quote Tom Peters, a big Guru of personal branding, this is the Age of the Individual where you have to be your own brand. He says all of us are the CEOs of our own companies, Me Inc. Whatever business you do, your most important job is to be the head marketer of the brand that's call YOU.

But branding yourself successfully cannot be an overnight phenomenon. Building a positive personal brand takes time and the sooner you can start with this, the quicker you have a head start in your career and professional life.

Likewise, when you are searching for a job or looking for opportunities, you have to create and reinforce your positive personal career brand. Let it be known to employers or business partners that your personal career brand is in tune and in sync with their business objectives.

So you have to build your own reputation and build your own image. Personal career branding starts from the minute that you write your resume and it continues right through the interview process and your eventual employment. It doesn't stop. If you want prospective employers to look at you favourably, you must retain this positive image in their minds and never let any issue cloud their pre-judgment of you. That's how important personal career branding is today.

Related Article:
Pre-interview communication

Originally posted by SS Quah on Wednesday, 23 January 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Alexa: JobStreet.com is the No.1 Job Site in the Philippines

According to Alexa.com, JobStreet.com is the only job portal in the top 100 most popular web sites in the Philippines, making it the leading job site in the country in terms of popularity. Currently ranked 33rd among the country’s top web sites, it is joined by social networking sites like Friendster, Multiply and Facebook, search engines Yahoo and Google, e-commerce sites Ebay.ph and Amazon.com, online media outlets Inquirer.net, GMANewsTV and PhilStar.com, as well as gaming sites LevelUpGames and E-games. Information sites such as Wikipedia and Internet Movie Database as well as image and video publishing sites like Photobucket and YouTube also continue to be popular among Filipinos. Filipinos mainly visit web sites to be entertained or to socialize, but when they look for jobs, their online destination is JobStreet.com.

A similar trend is reflected by the increase of JobStreet.com’s registered user base and website hits. “We started 2007 with 1 Million registered users.” shares Ritchie Ramos, JobStreet.com’s Marketing Manager. “We ended the year with over 1.4 Million registered users and 12 Million average monthly page views. This clearly shows that more and more Filipinos are turning to the Internet for their job search.”

According to Ramos, JobStreet.com’s popularity can be credited to the quantity and quality of jobs that it features. Job postings on the site has numbered to over 12,000 and continues to grow. Featured employers include top companies such as Microsoft, Shell and Coca Cola, as well as Business Process Outsourcing Companies (BPO) such as Convergys, Accenture, Teletech and Telus.

JobStreet.com continues to build on its successes by introducing new services to its registered jobseekers. In August last year, it launched Career Blast, the first speed-hiring event patterned after speed-dating services. The event provided participating employers and jobseekers an opportunity to quickly find great potential matches. In November, it launched BPO Avenue, a comprehensive online career resource for jobseekers aiming to join the BPO industry.

Alexa.com is a website that provides information on the web traffic of other websites by collecting information from Internet users who installed the Alexa Toolbar. It computes the sites’ number of web users and page views over time to generate rankings.

Posted by blogadmin on Monday, 21 January 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Forbes: Turning Classifieds into cash

We have a story from Forbes.com which we'd like to share with you.

It traces the JobStreet.com story from our early days but essentially, it's a story about JobStreet.com founder and CEO, Mark Chang, as his steps are traced through the dot.com boom and bust period and the trials and tribulations he faced.

The Forbes article is both fascinating and absorbing. You can read it for yourself here. Fully recommended.

Originally posted by blogadmin on Friday, 18 January 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Pre-interview Communication

Everybody loves a new job, especially one that brings along extra benefits and perks. But landing a new job often requires a lot of preparation from the job seeker, one that starts with the job applications and ends with the job confirmation.

In between, there is always the job interview.

Many people think that they need to create a good image of themselves only at the job interviews. That's not totally correct. You can go one step better by creating a positive impression of yourself BEFORE the job interview.

How can you achieve this impression that will make your prospective employer more at ease or comfortable with you before an interview?

Simple. Maintain an on-going communication with the employers. Don't ever break this communication chain. Employers will always assume that you will attend their interview when they call you. After all, that's why you sent in your job application in the first place, right? They believe in your interest and they expect that you would want to turn up to be interviewed. So it should be only natural that we reciprocate the employer's belief in us. We'll turn up for the interview on the designated day and time.

But there may be times that we cannot be present. Reasons are many and varied but in such circumstances, what should we do to keep up our communication with the employer? Just phone and inform them sincerely that you cannot come. Perhaps there is another date that can be arranged.

It's this way that we maintain a good networking and professional relationship with the people around us. We make them trust us enough. Who knows, the next time around, should you still be interested in a position in that same company, they'll not think of you as rude. Or immature. Or lacking in communication skills. Often, they may yet keep their interview doors open for you.

That is what you should aim at.

Originally posted by SS Quah on Tuesday, 08 January 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Fancy Being a Chief Beer Officer?

I was surfing the Internet today and I came across a most unlikely position that you may find advertised: that of a Chief Beer Officer (CBO).

That's right, you didn't read it wrong. A Chief Beer Officer.

At the start of 2007, Sheraton's Four Points hotel chain had been looking for someone to fill this part-time position. An advertisement was placed in several United States newspapers but somehow, word got around on the Internet and the hotel received about 7,800 applications from people in at least 30 countries.

Applications were received from self-proclaimed beer snobs, certified beer judges, beer journalists and hundreds who have travelled the globe in search of the world's best brews.

Would you qualify as a CBO yourself? First, without question, the job would involve drinking plenty of beer. Then, for the successful CBO, he would be needed to be the "official beer ambassador at select microbrewery tours and national beer festivals, and on barstools across the country." A dream job for many pub crawlers.

I wouldn't mind applying for this job myself but sadly, it has already been filled.

A bloke named Scott Kerkmans beat me to it by 10 months. As CBO, his perks include free beer delivered to his door. "I think I've made a lot of people jealous" with this new job, Kerksman said. Lucky devil, you!

Originally posted by SS Quah on Thursday, 03 January 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com

How to Get Promoted: Nine Obvious and Not Often Practiced Tips

It would be safe to say that you would have probably entertained the question of how to get promoted even before you graduated or left school.

Long Yun Siang, the head of a department in a multinational advertising agency in Malaysia, says that he is often asked this question by juniors in his industry. These experiences pushed him to pen nine obvious but often not practised tips on how to get promoted.

He recommends making them part of your career plan and before you know it, you would have moved up to the next level. However, a main reason for people to ignore these obvious practices is because they seem very long term. But Long thinks otherwise. All you need to do is to consistently DO them.

To read about his tips, click here.

Originally posted by blogadmin on Friday, 04 January 2008 at 11:38 AM at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Get your next job match in Facebook!

You have probably caught the Facebook bug by now - the hugely popular and addictive social networking site.

We've just developed a couple of Facebook Applications - now you can get your perfect job matches (from LiNa - your personal job agent) or do a job-search right from your Facebook account.

Just type in "JobStreet" on the search box in Facebook - you'll see two Applications listed. Just click "Add Applications" as usual and tell your friends about it too!

Try it out and let us know what you think - tell us about your ideas on how to make it more useful!

Here's wishing everyone a rewarding and purposeful 2008 ahead.

Cheers from the JobStreet.com team.

Originally posted by Wee Khang Teoh on Monday, 31 December 2007 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

New Year Greetings from Us to You

Hi, welcome to 2008. Just a few short words to cap off Year 2007.

We'd like to thank you for your continued trust in JobStreet.com as your career partner. We are happy to share with you that we are now in eight countries, with Japan being the latest in our JobStreet.com family. We also got recognized by Forbes Asia in their list of 'Best Under a Billion companies'!

As we look forward to this year, we are inspired to work harder at Improving Lives Through Better Careers throughout the whole region. With more than 30,000 jobs posted regionally at any given time, we commit to giving you MORE CHOICES and BETTER CHANCES in your job hunting.

Again, thank you and we wish you a very Happy New Year! May 2008 be a very productive year for you and all of us!

Warmest wishes from LiNa and the staff at JobStreet.com

Posted by blogadmin on Tuesday, 01 January 2008 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/

Time to rev up your career in 2008

Hi. So how have your Christmas holidays been like? There's nothing like taking off at the end of the year for some seasonal revelry, enjoying the company of your loved ones and charging your batteries in the process before looking ahead to the new year.

But even as you wave off the old year and welcome in the new, it should be the time that you also think about how you can rev up your career next year.

Take some time off from your holidays - or your work - to look at your achievements in 2007. Have you done anything special that you can count on with pride? Saved some money for your company? Improved on some processes? Made life easier for your supervisors, peers or subordinates? Received a promotion or a commendation?

If you have, it is time that you should update your resume to show off these achievements. Don't leave them out from your resume. Update it now, while the achievements are still fresh in your mind. Treat it as a new year resolution that you will do just that, won't you?

Cheers!

Originally posted by SS Quah on Thursday, 27 December 2007 at http://blog.jobstreet.com/