Looking for job while employed? What you need to know..

Whether you are looking for a career move or change of environment while employed, you need to know that your tactic, strategy or approach isn't like those days you were applying as a fresh graduate.

If you don't already know, here are a few pointers for you to consider before applying for the next job.

You Need to Read This Book...

A good job search guidebook is hard to come by. I have flipped through numerous job search books and most of it is very brief and serves more as a motivational book rather than a strategic guidebook. This "Teach Yourself" series on Job Hunting is a result of a team from a recruitment background.

10 Gift Ideas for Colleagues & Gifting Tips

It is the countdown of advent calendar. Which means, Christmas is near. And we will think of gifts and thanksgiving whenever we say Christmas. Truly, Christmas is the ideal time of the year to give your colleagues small gifts as a token of appreciation to what they've helped you so far.


Just some heads up, giving presents might be an innocent act for you. But for some toxic people, they might interpret this as bribery or favoritism. Here are some of the ways you can avoid undesirable events from happening:

1. Give everyone the same thing of the same value
2. Do not pick your favourites only, give it to the entire team
3. Personalize name tags for each person so that everyone will feel special


As a newbie, you might not be earning a lot to buy expensive presents for everyone in your team. So, I have picked some gift ideas that are affordable for someone who earns below RM3000 per month. Plus, some of the stuff are also DIY-able.

Why recruiters prefer not to hire fresh graduates

"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur" - Red Adair

We all understand that it is not easy (or almost impossible) for fresh graduates to land on a job these days. There are a lot of factors that cause this nightmare to fresh graduates, mainly because academic education itself is not enough to equip them in the real working life.

How to send effective work emails

At school, we have been trained to write in a standard form - every piece of writing must contain introduction, body and conclusion. This is one of the knowledge you should return to your teacher. In real working life, time is precious and there is no time for introduction (well, most of the time).


Here is a simple email structure in getting your message across at work:

Read This Before You Visit A Career Fair

It is the time of the year again. Expect to see a lot of career fair coming up soon. If you are in the quest of searching for a job, be prepared. Thousands of job applicants will be competing for the same job with you.

Should I Put Photo In My Resume?

Have you ever given a thought whether you should or should not include your photo in your resume?There are two schools of thoughts on this topic:

How to make effective phone calls at work

There is a huge difference between making a personal phone call and making a work-related phone call. Phone calls can be annoying to some because it interrupts their working time and especially if the phone call drags on with no purpose. 

You will be surprised how many newbies out there who don't know how to make an effective phone call. What is important to you, may not be important to the other person.

Avoid wasting your time and look more professional by practicing these simple guides:

What you need to know before dive into a Start-Up

Few years ago, the term “startup” referred to novel tech business, but today the term is widely used as a verb for starting up business. Survey shows that the younger generation opt for building startups these days because they believe in their own ideas, however some put their foot in with the wrong mindset.

To set things straight building startup is as difficult as building a business back in the 1970’s. There is no highway to success except for those who truly keep the right attitude. 

Questions you need to ask during job interview

A job interview should be a two-way communication, remember that it is not an interrogation session. The employer needs to find out about your background and you need to find out more about the job you are applying. Therefore, you shouldn't be shy to ask questions. Asking questions will not make you look bossy. Instead, it reflects your interest in the job you are applying.


Below are some of the questions you should ask during your first interview:

How to act more professionally at work

Communication is important at work, regardless whether it is work-related or not. You can't run away from communicating with your co-worker, bosses or client. How do you present yourself to look more professional so you don't get yourself too relax in your communication?

How to deal with toxic people at work

Toxic people are everywhere and extremely dangerous at workplace. Their existence will drag your mood down and if not treated well, they might affect your work performance as well. It takes a long time to learn how to deal with toxic people. And below are some of the suggestions you can consider when dealing with one.

Quick stress relieve at work

The phone rings every minute. You have a stack of pending documents to attend to. Every email is marked as "urgent". And you feel like doing a table flip. However, being a reasonable person, you know you won't do that. So, what do you do?

You can never run away from work stress. But you certainly can control your emotions to handle the stress better. After all, good stress is good for your health. Here are some quick tips on how to relieve your stress without leaving your work cubicle.

Get connected with people of the industry via About.me

Here's a new thing that you should explore - about.me. About.me is more than another social networking site. It is a social networking site which allows you to connect with people of the industry, just like LinkedIn but with much more features.

Who Should You Put as Reference in Your Resume

So you have your resume all drafted and now you are preparing the last part of the entire sheet - the references. Many people do not think this is an important part, some even leave out the entire section. Putting your professional reference can be a long topic by itself. There is an etiquette to referencing.


Who should you include in your reference?

5 things you need to do before age 25

Time wasted cannot be gained. Statistics show that most of the spare time young people spent are on playing games, shopping, partying and social media. During the early stage of your career (we assume at the age of 25), you will need to prepare yourself for a long journey ahead (we're talking 30-40 years ahead). 

Before you reach 35 and telling yourself "I should have done (insert your guilt here) in my 20's", here are some heads up.

How to decorate your home office

More and more company opt for working-from-home culture to save cost and increase staff's productivity. Some company even allocate allowances for their staff to renovate/decorate their home office.

Office is a personal space. Consider that most of your time will be spent at your desk, making important decision at that particular place and maybe receiving guests, you need to design your office based on your working style.

Below are some suggestions where you can improve the interior of your home office.

Favourite questions during interview & how to provide a desirable answer

I am about to give a cheat sheet on answering interview questions. More often than not, interviewers have a set of questions that they love to ask. Some questions have been paraphrased, but they still mean the same. And these are the tricked questions where interviewers can assess your attitude at work:

How to apply for an internship effectively

A large number of people start their career with an internship. Do not underestimate the importance of internship, it is not about parking yourself with a company and get yourself pass through your examination. Not knowing what to do and with very little guidance, some people stumble at this point. If you think throwing resumes to the front door of every company you can find is going to land you an intern placement, you've never been so wrong. It doesn't work this way. There are some preparation to be made and a little research will help you a lot.

Follow these steps for an effective internship application. It will not guarantee you an intern placement, but surely, it will put above other applicants.

When is the right time to apply for your first job?

To begin, the definition of "first job" in this article referring to an actual job where you will be paid for full-time employment and not part-time, internship or freelance job.

If I could turn back time, this is what I would advise myself:

What you should consider when writing a resume

A resume (or curriculum vitea) is the very first point to impress your potential employer. It should entice the reader (be it the HR or hiring manager) to invite you further for a job interview. Most people often underestimate the importance to write a good resume. 

Below are some of the pointers to get you started:

How Safeguard Yourself From Office Bullying

"If people are trying to bring you down, it only means that you are above them" 

Just like in school, there are bullies at workplace as well. However, unlike schools, the bullies are more professional, where physical abuse is no longer their activity. Bullying at workplace can be so refined that, as a victim, you might not even aware that you are being bullied.


To avoid yourself from being bullied, first you have to recognize the act of bullying itself. There are are several acts that are obvious, where you can recognize it immediately:

Malaysia's Salary Guide 2016 for Entry, Mid and Senior Level

We have come to the end of first quarter in 2016. What have you achieved so far? Are you planning on a career change, or in contemplation of asking a pay raise? Whatever you career plan is (if it involves salary), the salary guide below compiled by Career Builder would be the most useful tool for your research.