So you're in the market for a job? We hope this page can help you along the way. We have assembled a list of hints for Job Seekers that our consultants and advisers have collected over several years. We have also included some links to places on the Internet that can help with anything from job search to research on companies. This guide is designed for managers and professionals in Asia, but it may also be useful for others as well. We hope to update this regularly, so please let us know if you have suggestions for improvement or links to add or if you find any of these links are dead!
Develop a career plan This process can be as simple as drawing a line on a piece of paper and then with "First Job" on the left and "Retirement" on the right. Divide the line up into sections of 5 years. Then you can start mapping what jobs you have had up till now and then what positions you want to aim for in the future. Unless you plan your career you will not know when you are going off track. Research has shown that people with a clear career plan have a much better chance of reaching their goals.
Consider your values What are you looking for in a job? Is it prestige, money, social aspects? A researcher called Robert Pryor in Australia developed an instrument called the Work Aspect Preference Scale that measures 13 work values. One way to start is to rank the aspects of work that you value most. Some of these aspects are:
Considering your values is integral to career success. While many in Asia feel that money and prestige is the answer, ask your colleagues in the mature stages of their career. They will often say that the satisfaction that really counted came from values in the above list separate from financial ones. In Singapore, for example, more and more people are questioning the real value of the 3 Singapore C's (Condo, Condominium and Club). See the news item here.
- Money
- Security
- Prestige
- Achievement
- Creativity
- Individuality
- Altruism
- Detachment
- Social
- Personal Development
Job Search
There are many ways to search for a job. But the most successful is your own network. Let people know you are on the job market and attend as many professional and community social meetings that you can. Professional associations are always good places to expand your contacts. Getting involved in an official position in these groups also extends your contacts even further. Your own extended family is an excellent source. Employers feel there is less risk in employing somebody who is known already to one of their staff. Browse this list and make sure you are using all these methods:
- Personal Networks
- Advertisements in Local Papers
Straits Times, New Straits Times, Bangkok Post, Nation, Sun, Malay Mail,- Advertisements in the Trade Press
- Recruitment Agencies
Many keep databases of people on the job market, although many will forget about them unless your application makes a unique impression or they are looking for somebody like you for a current client. You can deposit your resume with Orient Pacific Century for management positions in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand here. You can view current vacancies here. Several other recruitment groups keep databases as well.If you are interested in working in China, try the China Center for International Experts Exchange. Li Lingsong advises us that the centre places 70,000 foreign experts to work in China annually. The greatest call at the moment is for English teachers, but many other professional areas are listed.
- On-line newspaper jobs classifieds
There are many good places on the Internet to search job advertisements. Many newspapers place their classified advertisements on line. Visit our News Page for links to daily newspapers in your country.- On-line resume deposit and retrieval databases
One area in which the Web has attracted entrepreneurs is in Job Search. These sites differ from those provided by recruitment agencies in that generally, the providers provide the Internet service but are generally are not looking to fill specific positions. A popular model is to allow people to post their resumes for free and ask companies to pay to search their databases. Accordingly there are a lot of resumes available but companies are usually slow to pay to browse them. Sometimes these databases are out of date. The IPA site is an exception in that it is run on behalf of recruitment professionals. Here are some to get you started. More services appear weekly.
- Visiting the Companies themselves
Keep up to date with the employment market Networking is again the answer. Talk to others at your club or at meetings about industries you are particularly interested in. The Asia Pacific Management News posts regular news items about these the moment they happen. Present items include data on Comparative Salary Growth, and the market for executives and managers in Asia.
If you do not belong to the appropriate professional association in your profession and industry make sure you do. Newletters and trade journals are great sources of information about opportunities as well.
Research Prospective Companies The best way to find information about a company is by writing to them and asking for information about employment opportunities. The Internet is an excellent resource for company information however. You can find both official information about a company like their scope, and if they are a registered company you can find detailed information about them from such sources as the Bloomberg News. Many people do not realise this information is available. You can also find more informal information about companies by searching news databases and even Usenet postings.
To get started, a great place is The Infoseek Guide. When you go to the site, type in the company name and you will then see links listed which refer to the company. If they have a home page on the Web, you will be able to find that. Next, go to the "Timely News" database and see if there is any recent news about the company. If the company is US based you can also get official information about a companies performance.
Now for the interesting stuff. Change the database to the Usenet section and see what people have been saying about the company informally. You will probably find job postings, and also a lot of information that is not useful. But you can do all this without leaving your desk.
Again, ask people you know who work for the company already or who may be able to direct you to the company.
This is excellent preparation for an interview. The more you know about a company, the easier it will be to talk about the company and you will get extra points for having done your research. It also prevents many nasty shocks once you have joined a company.
Know the Latest Techniques
Perhaps the best place to start here is the Asia Pacific Management Forum which is the Internet's major networking and resource centre for managers and professionals in Asia. (Maybe we are a little bit biased but see for yourself). The Asia Pacific Management Forum provides commentary on the latest news that affects professionals in the region, advice about business travel from a band of offbeat columnists, and links to major regional newspapers and Asia-Pacific Management sites. You can also get involved in various discussion groups and network with similarly minded colleagues.
The unique contribution of the Forum is that it is also backed by the resources of MCB University Press, which is the worlds major specialist publisher of management and professional journals. Because of this you can retrieve on-line articles about management theory and practice, search the summaries of articles, and see the practical research that is going on in the area of Asian management.
A visit to the Asia Pacific Management Forum weekly will keep you up to date with the major issues in Asian management and organisational development and expand your on-line contacts.
Asia-Pacific Global-minded employers expect professionals and managers to be completely up to data with latest developments in their field, especially as it effects their own industry and region. These employers also expect their managers especially to have well thought out views on management style and direction. Many in the region feel that a unique management style needs to be developed for Asia, which combines our cultures and traditions with the realities of globalisation. This is the mission of the Asia Pacific Management Forum.
Interview Presentation
Be ready to answer the following questions that we have found are regularly asked by interviewers in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand:
- Always look your best. Dress much better than you would normally expect to in the job. Interviewers expect this.
- Always allow plenty of time for being stuck in traffic. If possible know exactly where the interview office is so you don't spend time looking for it when you get there.
- Have a copy of your resume and qualifications ready as well as a passport sized photograph.
- If possible bring examples of your work.
- Be ready to ask the following questions if not asked at the interview, salary and benefits, who you would report to, when you will be advised of the decision, ask for any other information on the company
- Be prepared to be asked if you have any further questions. Have a few up your sleeve. If you are suited for the job, the longer you keep the interviewers interest the better
- Write to the company immediately after interview, on your impressions of the interview, showing your enthusiasm, reinforcing your unique qualifications for the job and letting them know your contact details and what times they can contact you.
- What is your career goal?
- How do you explain gaps in your career history?
- Why do you want to work here?
- Why do you want to leave your present job?
- What do you know about us?
- How much notice do you need to give at your present job?
- What salary and benefits are you looking for?
- Why do you think you are suited for this job?
- What characteristics do you think a successful holder of this job would have?
- Tell me about your family