It’s All In The Planning!

Be yourself when you are at interviews. The least you should do is to pretend. Be sincere. Be genuine. Show interest in the job that you are applying for. Your qualifications may not meet their requirements but employers are also looking for people who have the right attitude and passion to do things. Skills can [...]

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Garry Kasparov’s book gives food for thought. A FEW weeks ago, I came across this book by Garry Kasparov, world chess champion from 1984 to 2000. Kasparov, possibly the greatest chess player we’ll ever know, has retired from the professional chess circuit. He no longer plays competitively since 2005 and restricts his chess activities to [...]

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What can you do to make yourself more marketable to prospective employers? Here are a few tips to consider: Take a little time off to get your head together. A week or two, maybe longer. Then, tackle it head-on. It is a numbers game. The more contacts you make, the better chance you have of [...]

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Many of us travel overseas as part of our work and sometimes, these travels take up a lot of time and separates us from our families. Our emotional disconnection from our families and loved ones can often affect us in many ways. Here are some helpful hints to stay connected with your home while you [...]

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I was forwarded a copy of this spurious Job Offer Letter recently and could not believe how people can still be gullible enough to fall for it either out of ignorance, naivety or sheer greed. Of course, I have no comment to make on the above hypothetical reasons. But seriously, wouldn’t anyone’s suspicions be raised [...]

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Just before the Dato’ Arthur Tan Malaysia Open (DATMO) chess tournament concluded last August, I had cornered Mok Tze Meng, 41, to ask him how he felt before the final round started.   Pretty nervous, he admitted. As he looked a bundle of nerves, I tried to be helpful and told him not think about [...]

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What to avoid when you go for job interviews: rambling on and on and on. Employers have a hearty dislike for those who over-talk during the interview. They get the impression that you are either too disorganized in your thoughts, stalling for time or glossing over some inadequacy. The solution? Practice your answers – preferably [...]

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This is not a new incident but we’ve been reading – and hence, here we are to remind you – that there are always online predators who target unsuspecting job seekers with emails that look like genuine employment opportunities. An email from an unknown or unreliable source that offers a good job or business opportunity could [...]

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An excellent story on Job Search scams during the recession. This article by BabaraKiviat first appeared on TIME’s online version on 8 Oct 2009. Like I said, it makes excellent reading. Do be careful of job scams. Job-Search Scams on the Rise in the Recession By Barbara Kiviat Thursday, Oct. 08, 2009 For years, Richard [...]

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The first knock-out match of the Malaysian Masters was an interesting one, with about 300 rating points separating the two contenders. IT’S time to wrap up the coverage of the first round of knock-out matches in the Malaysian Masters tournament. Last month, we witnessed an interesting struggle between two of our former national champions, Lim [...]

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