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Saturday 26 January 2013
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Do what you love
YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER& TALENT RESOURCEDo what you love
NO SHORTCUTSto building leaders -it takes long terminvestment
Pg 5
DON’T FEELGUILTYabout taking breaksfrom work
Pg 11
MONEY, MONEY,MONEYis not such adirty word
Pg 13
AFIGHTER’SFISTPeter Davis talksabout his life as aMixed Martial Artsfighter.
Pg 3
take a cueFrom Spider-man
careerleSSonS Fromthe webbedSuperheropaGeS 7-10
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013�
l Editorial | [email protected] l Advertising | [email protected]
EDITORIALEditorRoshan ThiRan
Contributing EditorsLiLy CheahevaChRisTodouLouPRemaJayaBaLan
Sub EditorLee KaR yeanLayout, Art & DesignTung eng hwa
mohd izudin ismaiLzuLhaimi BahaRuddinahmad fadzuLadznam saBRi
mohd KhaiRuLmuhd hafeezRazziahshawn ng
Lisanne yeohLennise ngWriters & ContributorsJeRmaine Bee
zaid mohamadRadhiKa CheLLiahJames LeeRiCK ngu
Raina RadzaifSales ManagerimRan hashim
Acouple weeks ago, I was sitting in the office of JohanMerican, CEO of TalentCorp and I noticed a few movieposters in his room. He had a number of Star Wars rel-ics and then I spotted a poster he had of Spider-Man. Ilooked up and said “the greatest super-hero of all time
surely”. I am not sure if Johan agreed with me but I am convincedthat Spidey aka Peter Parker is the all-time greatest super-heroin both the Marvel Universe and the DC universe (for those whodon’t know there are only two great super-hero universes - DChouses Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman whilst Marvelhas the more exciting Spider-Man, X-Men and Avengers.)
I know many of you will shrug your head and want to debatewith me about the merits of Spider-Man being the greatestsuperhero but here are three reasons why he surely must be thebest:
1 He is the funniest superhero of all – every time I read aSpider-Man comic book, I never fail to snort or snigger in
glee at the atrociously ridiculous comments that Parker makes.Even when he is faced with the most fearsome enemy that isabout to tear him to shreds, dear old Spidey has the audacity tostutter some comical lines that bring a smile on my face. Surely,just for his sheer comic demeanour he wins hands down.
2 He is the most awesome super hero. He has super powers,spider senses, can leap tall buildings, is super-strong and
yet the kindest and most gentle of humans. Having a kind soulwho helps and serves, yet can still look at a bad guy in the eye andwhip the crap out of him, is just awesome.
3 He married a supermodel. Sure Lois Lane looked prettygood (at least in the Super-Man comic strip) but she was
no super model. Only Spider-Man managed to convince theworld’s greatest supermodel Mary-Jane Watson to marry him.And she married Parker not Spider-Man. You have to admit that asuper hero who manages to have a normal life (and a supermodelwife), is funny and has a kind soul is the best! Seriously, who canbeat that?
So, eat your heart out Superman, Batman and Mr Ego Ironman.You are not as worthy of the crown as Parker is. Now that we haveestablished that Spider-Man is truly the king of the super heroes,there must surely be some lessons Parker can teach us on leader-ship and having a great career. And so this week, we journey intothe life of Parker and try to dig out nuggets of wisdom on leader-ship and career management from him. Our feature story thisweek on pages 7 to 11, dives into leadership and career secrets ofSpider-Man.
As you know, Parker became Spider-Man as a teenager. In fact,most great leaders began their leadership journey at a young age.This week, we explore where leadership begins in our Be A Leaderseries (page 5). In it, we look at how communities build leadersand why it is key to begin one’s leadership journey as early as pos-sible.
As always, enjoy our career guide. We hope it will continueto inspire you to keep learning and growing. We have filled thisissue with ideas and resources to help you grow your career. Keepleveraging our amazing videos and other resources which can beaccessed online at www.leaderonomics.tv or at our main homesite www.leaderonomics.com.
We wish you all the best in your career journey! We hope youhave as much fun with this pullout as myself and my team atLeaderonomics have had putting it all together. If you have anyfeedback on the pullout, feel free to email me and my team [email protected]. We love all feedback (we believeit’s a gift from you to us regardless of the nature of the comment!)so do send us your thoughts, ideas and aspirations for the pullout.Have a super weekend!
Warm regards,Roshan ThiRanEditor, myStarjob.com & CEO, Leaderonomics
Career Tips
“WiTh greaT poWer Comes greaT responsibiliTy” This is probably the most iconicline in the entire legacy of Spider-Man. This concept also holds water at the workplace, where people withhigher positions and more power shoulder greater responsibility. So when you are eyeing that promotion,bear in mind the responsibility that comes with it.
mary Jane says, “go geT ’em, Tiger” Every superhero needs a personal cheerleaderto bring out the best in themselves. A supportive, nurturing environment in the workplace will motivateemployees to do their very best and impress.
aunT may says, “everyone has a hero inside of him” There is so much potentialin everybody waiting to be unlocked. It is vital to recognise that each and every employee has a unique talentor special skill that just needs to be unleashed. Develop your forte to achieve your career dreams.
peTer parker Tells J. Jonah Jameson, “you don’T TrusT anyone,ThaT’s your problem” In any organisation, there needs to be a sense of trust among employeesacross all levels. If there is suspicion arising between bosses and employees, productivity and efficiency canbe compromised. Create an organisational culture of trust and faith because no one is capable of doingeverything on his own.
The mask of empoWermenT Peter Parker gives a mask to a child in trouble and tells him thatthe mask will make him stronger. This shows the power of building confidence and heroism in a person.Empower your employees and encourage them to soar to greater heights. Build confidence by encouragingthem to go to the next level.
no overnnightleadersBuilding leaders requiresthe commitment of acommunity. Pg 5
Boohoo to yeehahHow to utilise emotions andconvert them to emotionalintelligence. Pg 6
TOP 10superheroadvice10 things forwork fromSpider-Man.Pg 7
Two to tangoMake full use of bothyour brains. Pg 11
iT’sspidey
Powerful punchModel Peter Davisshares how he finds hisway to MMA fighting.Pg 3
Take a breakStressful workingparents are a dangerto their children andthemselves. Pg 11
Time
roshan says
Time
to fight what it takes to bean MMa fighter
By PREMA [email protected]
“AS a child, I was very much intocomputer games like Nintendoand Mario Brothers. I was notup for martial arts classes oranything like that. As an adult,
I got interested in mountain biking and I likedthat very much. My friends and I used to do thisactivity and then, one fine day, we decided togive martial arts a try.”
This was the response I got from the famous,Malaysian Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighterPeter Davis when I asked him about his involve-ment in this sport. For those who are new toMMA, it is a full-contact combat sport thatallows the use of both striking and grapplingtechniques, both standing and on the ground,combining a variety of other combat sports.
This handsome and tough fighter has adiverse and unusual background unlike anyother fighters. Davis is also a well-knownMalaysian actor, best known for his role asEric Tan in the award winning 2008 movie SellOut! He is also renowned in the internationalworld of modelling. Many were cynical as towhether this skill set would help in MMA butDavis shocked the world with a ruthless defeatof Singaporean Kim Hock at ONE FC: Destiny ofWarriors, overcoming him within the first fewseconds with a stunning back kick.
Davis, who is of English and Chinese parent-age, grew up in the UK. When he was 20, hetook up an obscure form of Chinese Kung Fuknown as Wu Ji Chuan under a Malaysian mas-ter and today, at 31, he is an expert in this self-defence technique and teaches it as well.
Davis was an amateur MMA fighter for threeyears before becoming professional at 26. Whatstarted as a hobby soon turned into a passionand he started to take to it more seriously. Hemade his mixed martial arts debut againstMasaya Doi and won by knockout after just 59seconds at the UKMMAC in 2004. Throughouthis career as a fighter, Davis has won five out ofthe six matches he participated in.
“Well, I was happy that I had won my firstever match but I felt that it ended too soon. Forme it was a very short fight and I wanted more.I felt that I trained strenuously for long dura-tions and the outcome was a very quick one”,reminisces Davis when asked about his first everfight.
For Davis, his typical day begins at 9.45am whenhe leaves his home to head to the Muayfit MMAStudio in Petaling Jaya right after a breakfast ofoats, protein meal and flax seed. He is at the studioby 10.30am where his daily regime starts.
“We start off with some warm-up exerciseswhich are essential prior to training. After that,we do a series of training such as sparring, MuayThai training, sprinting and circuit training. Wehave to be careful while training because some-times we incur more injuries during trainingthan the match itself. Some of the guys here arereally fit and very good fighters.”
At noon, Davis goes for lunch. The mealcomprises chicken breast, half-boiled eggs andsalads. Davis has to be on a strict protein dietwhich is low on carbs. He has to strictly watch
his weight as he fights in the lightweight divi-sion and he can’t weigh more than what is set inthis division.
After lunch, Davis takes a break in the studiowhile catching up with other fighters. At 4pm,training resumes. This time, it is MMA sparring,Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and American style wrestling.These fights are performed with partners. It isusually one-on-one but there are also fights thatinvolve one person fighting four people in a row.This tiring and labourious regime goes on until7pm.
“Once my training in the studio ends, I headto Kuala Lumpur where I teachgroup of students. This class takes place twice aweek from 8pm to 10pm. I find this very fulfill-ing as I get to impart the knowledge I have towilling students who want to learn theright form of this art”.
After the class, Davis headshome. By the time he isback, he is exhaustedand has justenough energyto climb ontobed. This is thedaily routinefor Davis twomonths prior toa match. His nextONE FC match takes place next month.
“The most challenging part of being anMMA fighter is that it tests you as an indi-vidual. The practices and trainings are noeasy feat at all. You get beaten up prettybad at times. You get punched, developmuscle aches and some bad bruises. It isreally a tough competition as there aremany good fighters that you spar withduring your trainings,” says Davis.
Nevertheless, Davis likes what he isdoing because he believes that he isgood at it. Winning fights shows thathe can fight well and is a boost to himto pursue this sport further. However,he does not intend to be a fighter for-ever. He plans to retire at 36.
“Fighting can bring some seriousdamage to the human body and I donot want to put that strain on mine. Iwant to enjoy life with a healthy andable body. I do, however, plan to goon teaching martial arts. It gives megreat pleasure to take my studentsfor a competition and see them wina fight”.
For those aspiring to become fighters,Davis wants them to always rememberthat it is not an easy task. It requires alot of hard work and dedication.
“Be prepared to give your best anddon’t let the glory of winning go toyour head. Have respect for otherfighters”.
With two ONE FC wins underhis belt, this Malaysian fighter hasshown that he is more than just apretty face. His unorthodoxFu-based striking style makes him afearsome challenge to anyone in theONE FC Lightweight division.
To view this video, visitwww.leaderonomics.tv/adil
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013 �
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and American style wrestling.These fights are performed with partners. It isusually one-on-one but there are also fights thatinvolve one person fighting four people in a row.This tiring and labourious regime goes on until
“Once my training in the studio ends, I headto Kuala Lumpur where I teach Wu Ji Chuan to agroup of students. This class takes place twice aweek from 8pm to 10pm. I find this very fulfill-ing as I get to impart the knowledge I have towilling students who want to learn theright form of this art”.
After the class, Davis headshome. By the time he isback, he is exhausted
a match. His nextONE FC match takes place next month.
“The most challenging part of being anMMA fighter is that it tests you as an indi-vidual. The practices and trainings are noeasy feat at all. You get beaten up prettybad at times. You get punched, developmuscle aches and some bad bruises. It isreally a tough competition as there aremany good fighters that you spar withduring your trainings,” says Davis.
Nevertheless, Davis likes what he isdoing because he believes that he isgood at it. Winning fights shows thathe can fight well and is a boost to himto pursue this sport further. However,he does not intend to be a fighter for-ever. He plans to retire at 36.
“Fighting can bring some seriousdamage to the human body and I donot want to put that strain on mine. Iwant to enjoy life with a healthy andable body. I do, however, plan to goon teaching martial arts. It gives megreat pleasure to take my studentsfor a competition and see them win
For those aspiring to become fighters,Davis wants them to always rememberthat it is not an easy task. It requires alot of hard work and dedication.
“Be prepared to give your best anddon’t let the glory of winning go toyour head. Have respect for other
With two ONE FC wins underhis belt, this Malaysian fighter hasshown that he is more than just apretty face. His unorthodox Kung
-based striking style makes him afearsome challenge to anyone in theONE FC Lightweight division.
iSnap mefor a videohttp://thestar.com.my/isnap
be prepared to give your best anddon’t let the glory of winning goto your head. have respect forother fighters.
Fighting can bring some seriousdamage to the human body andI do not want to put that strainon mine. I want to enjoy lifewith a healthy and able body.
priMed
ALeader IsRelentlessNelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison before
he was freed. In spite of his long incarceration,
Mandela stayed true to his cause. His relentless
pursuit of the vision of an Apartheid-free and
united South Africa, saw his dream finally realised.
Great leaders have inspiring visions and persistently
focus on achieving their goals. Aung San Suu Kyi,
Bill Gates, and Henry Ford concentrated their
efforts on dreams of a better tomorrow — Freeing
Myanmar, changing the world through software
and making cars affordable for everyone.
Leaders are not born. These leaders are not that
much different to the rest of us. It is their single-
minded approach and passion towards their vision
of a better tomorrow that sets them apart.
Be A Leader.
We can help your organisation develop leaders. Write in to: [email protected] or call 6012.343.7716
www.leaderonomics.com
myStarjob.com, Saturday 26 January 20134
IT TAKES A
COMMUNITYTO BUILD A LEADERLEADERShIp STARTS fROM YOUNg
By ROSHAN [email protected]
When Maradonaproudly liftedthe World Cupfor Argentina in1986, I watched
and was inspired to play football.Unfortunately, at that point in time,I was a wretched football player – Icouldn’t pass the ball, let alone makemy class team. But I aspired to repre-sent my school one day.
My friends laughed at my goal as Iwore thick spectacles and was a totalgeek. But I spent the holidays prac-tising day and night. Within a year,I ended up playing for my class andlater getting into a special training bythe legendary Mokhtar Dahari.
Mokhtar was brought into my almamater, Methodist Boys’ School KualaLumpur, to conduct a seven-weektraining programme. At every session,I always felt Mokhtar picked on me.Being the least“gifted” there,he subjectedme to runningmore laps,doing morepush-upsand pun-ished me
more than anyone else. Rubbingsalt to the wound, I was always theunused substitute during games.
At one game, since I was probablynot going to be selected, I did notbother to change. But Mokhtar tookthe loudspeaker and yelled my name.My classmates immediately pointedme out and I sheepishly said “sorry”and dressed up. The game ended withan MBS victory but I did not play a sin-gle minute of the game, compoundingmy embarrassment.
Surprisingly, during the next game,Mokhtar used me as a substitute. Butafter the game, Mokhtar pulled measide, looked me in the eye and said,“Roshan, I know I have been very hardon you and have forced you to workharder than any of the other players.I did it for your own good because Ithink you are going to be special. Workand play hard and keep pushing your-self to the limit. You will become MBScaptain one day!”
Soon after, Mokhtar was taken ill andI never saw him again. He later passedaway. Yet, his words inspired me toalways pursue my dreams regardlessof how impossible the circumstances.Since that conversation, the “geek”went on to represent the school andthe state level and he always knew thatanything was possible.
Like myself, most leaders weresearched started their leadershipjourney early on in their lives. SirRichard Branson’s mother kick-start-ed his leadership journey at the ageof five by leaving him a few milesaway from home and instructinghim to find his own way home.
A 2005 DDI study by a humanresource research company found
that 90% of chief executives andboard-level directors had at least twoleadership roles as head student, pre-fect or sports captain in their schoolyears.
An Institute of LeadershipManagement (ILM) study concluded
that many future leaders markedthemselves out from an early age.
Kim Parish, CEO of ILM, said: “Thisstudy shows that people learn lead-ership at a very early age. Activities,such as scouts, guides or playing ona school team actually furnish youngpeople with skills like team ethos,ambition, goal setting and other quali-ties we associate with good leader-ship.”
The poll concluded that holding aposition of responsibility at schoolwas the most important indicator ofa good future leader – and that aca-demic qualification was overrated.
A study by the Journal of Researchon Adolescence found that youths whoparticipated in service and communityactivities perceive themselves as bet-ter leaders.
Leadership lessons learnt duringchildhood helped sow the first seedsof leadership ambition. Parents andteachers provide the earliest influenceon children. By modelling leadershipin their own lives, parents profoundlyaffect the leaders their childrenbecome.
But training children to be leaderstakes time and commitment fromthe community. And sometimes witha million things on everyone’s plate,leadership development is an agendalost in the “busy-ness” of life.
Tiger Woods, when interviewed byFortune on his journey to greatness,told this story. “When I was young, I’dplay golf with my Pop. My dad wouldsay, ‘Okay, where do you want to hitthe ball?’ I’d pick a spot and say I wantto hit it there. He’d shrug and say,‘Fine, then figure out how to do it.’He didn’t position my arm, adjust my
feet, or change my thinking. He justsaid go ahead and hit the darn ball.My dad’s advice to me was to simplify.
“He knew that at my age I couldn’tdigest all of golf’s intricacies. He keptit simple: If you want to hit the ball toa particular spot, figure out a way todo it. Even today, when I’m strugglingwith my game, I can still hear him say,‘Pick a spot and just hit it.’ WithoutPop’s guidance, I would be nobodytoday.”
After interviewing more than 500well-known leaders, Pat Williamsconcluded that effective leaders aren’tborn but made, and that leadershiptraining really begins at home, and inschools. Harvard professors MarshallGoldsmith and Howard Morgan stud-ied over 86,000 participants and foundconclusive evidence that leadership islearnt.
I have always been astounded byEverton football club’s youth academy.They have a tendency of producingworld-class 16-year-olds on an annualbasis – Wayne Rooney and morerecently, Jack Rodwell being examples.
I had the opportunity to spenda day with Rooney’s former coachand head of Everton’s Academy, ToshFarrell, and asked him how they man-aged to produce such a long stringof stars. And his answer was simple:“Just bring them in and give them theopportunity to practise, play, practise,play.”
He went on to show me at eachage group, from a four-year-old to a16-year-old, the skills, attitudes andattributes that required masteringbefore each kid moved up a level. Andby forcing Rooney, Rodwell and oth-ers through this process, they readied
premiership players by 16. It was justlike manufacturing, only in this case,it was manufacturing Premier Leagueplayers.
B.F. Skinner, a behaviourist said,“Give me a child at birth and I canmake him into anything you want.”Everton’s Academy believes it canmake any kid premiership quality aslong as he is willing to learn, workhard and grow.
At Leaderonomics, our core missionis to build leaders and to do that westart as early as possible via our campsand youth interaction. And we believethat everyone should play a part in theprocess as Mokhtar did for me.
Just as it takes a village to raise achild, it takes a community to build aleader. Parents need to instil leader-ship in their children. Schools andteachers need to be cognisant thatthey are not only bastions of academicachievements but builders of leaders.And companies need to play their partby supporting and championing form-ative leadership development for kids.So, whether you are a parent, teacheror a corporate leader, you need to getinvolved. Tiger Woods, Jack Welchand Branson were sown the seedsof greatness by their parents. HelenKeller and many of us benefited fromour teachers who helped develop ourleadership.
And legends like Mokhtar playedtheir part too. But everyone needsto be a Mokhtar Dahari and helpMalaysia become the land of leaders.It’s simple – all it takes is for you tostart helping young people becomeleaders that will change tomorrow.
n Roshan Thiran is CEO ofLeaderonomics, a social enterprise pas-sionate about transforming the nationstarting with our youths. Are youinvolved in programmes to inspire andhelp young people become leaders oftomorrow? Login to www.leaderonom-ics.com or email [email protected] for more details on how youcan be involved in invoking leadershipdesire among the young.
The dreambegins with aperson whobelieves inyou, who tugsand pushesand leads youto the nextplateau,sometimespoking youwith a sharpstick called“truth”.Dan Rather
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013 �
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013�
WOMEN &EMOTIONS
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To view this video, visit www.leaderonomics.tv/womenandcareers
TraNSfOrMINgEMOTIONS INTOEMOTIONalINTEllIgENcE
By JERMAINE [email protected]
EMOTIONS are part of our lives ashuman beings, and they play a roleeven at our work places.
When the going gets tough, thetruth is, the tough doesn’t get going;
instead, the norm is to break down and haveemotional outbursts – be it tears, anger orfrustration. The ideal of a non-emotionalworkplace becomes unrealistic when expecta-tions are high and resources remain low .
Although it is perceived as vital to putemotions aside at work, Anne Kreamer, theauthor of the book It’s Always Personal saysan emotion-free workplace is not healthy forbusinesses.
Even so, what is acceptable behaviour andwhat is considered as being too emotional?This matter seems to be more of an issue forwomen, with stereotypes about them beingmore emotional as compared with men result-ing in them being called “weak” and “unpro-fessional” individuals at work.
How true is that stereotype and is beingemotional a bad habit to cultivate after all?
Big girls Do CryAs much as emotions are part of being
human, they are predominantly a woman’saffliction. Women have been stereotypicallydefined as emotional creatures because inpopular understanding, women are portrayedas being more “emotionally unstable”, per-ceived to be often going into fits of anger,sadness, despair or jealousy more frequentlythan men.
Women have been blamed for being“unreasonably moody” or “exceptionally emo-tional during the time of the month” and as aresult, often sidelined for promotions.
This is proven by Today’s Workplace whichindicates that “women still hold a very smallpercentage of top-level professional positions”due to this gender stereotype.
It is undeniable that women have the ten-dency to be more emotional than men and itis also true that some women do end up in asudden outpour of emotions which may bedue to dissatisfaction at work, frustration withclients, envy of colleagues and other domesticissues.
Women overreact easily to issues as theytake them very personally compared with menwho will leave their feelings aside, especiallywhen it comes to work.
Also, women get more emotional and crynearly four times as often as men becausethey are simply wired differently. Scientifically,Kreamer adds that women have six times theamount of prolactin (the hormone which con-trols tears) than men.
In addition, women tend to be moreemotional because we live in a society thatfavours women that are nurturers and feelerswhereas men are expected to be thinkers anddoers.
Having said that, it does not mean that menare not emotional; they just tend to channeltheir emotions to anger instead of sadness.
Emotions ArE gooDAs much as society dictates that people
should put on a mask at work, having emo-tions at work is not necessarily a setback.Dan Hill, author of Emotionomics: LeveragingEmotions For Business Success said that “emo-tions are signals that something meaningful ishappening.
To ban them from the workplace is justOrwellian (which also means destructive tothe welfare of a free and open society).” Thetrick is really to understand our emotions andto harness and manage them appropriately.
Learning to differentiate between emotion,fact and professionalism will create strengthin the workplace.
Emotions from women can be seen as nega-tive only when emotional situations are nothandled properly. It’s not about hiding ouremotions but being careful so as not to becompletely emotionless.
Being cold is an attribute that will bringabout negative consequences as women areexpected to be caring, sensitive and empa-thetic.
trAnsforming Emotions toEmotionAl intElligEnCE
Women are emotional beings but that isalso an added advantage in the workplace ifthe emotions are well-managed.
Despite the daunting stereotypes ofemotions as weaknesses in the workplace,emotions can be turned into emotional intel-ligence, which is crucial for business success.
For instance, women are quick to react toemotions and that means they have to abilityto detect their clients’ and colleagues’ unhap-piness very quickly and take remedial steps tosave the day.
Also, when it comes to trusting and respect-ing professional relationships, women tend tobe the ones sent for building networks as they
are generally people-oriented compared withmen who may be more task-driven.
Being compassionate and having empathyalso enable women to deal with people better,hence the reason why there are more womenin the Human Resources and CustomerRelationships departments.
As much as women are stereotyped asemotional creatures, they are also relationshipbuilders and this is certainly a positive traitbecause in the workplace, relationships play avital role in getting the work done.
The attributes of women being more car-ing and sensitive become the edge to win-ning people over – it’s not all about logic forwomen, it’s about touching people’s heartsbefore the minds.
Therefore, we can discard the notion thatall emotions are disruptive and illogical andshould be removed from the workplace.
Having said that, it’s important thatwomen comprehend emotions to avoid beingviewed as fluffy, irrational, illogical and unrea-sonable.
For example, since women tend to getpersonal with situations at work, a better wayfor them to mitigate the problem is to avoidthinking too much about the issue or dwell ontheir feelings.
Instead, they should ask questions toregain in control of the situation – “What doI need to do about this?” and, “What is moreimportant?” Focusing on both the short-termadvantage and the long-term outcome will bea better solution.
In reality, every decision made is affected byfeelings. This is also a good thing because withemotion comes passion. With confidence thereis success, and having pride in the work willbring about accomplishments.
The only issue which women often get intotrouble with is when they become unsureabout how to handle emotional situationsbecause tears, uncontrolled anger or emotions
at work will eventually be a disadvantage forwomen in their career.
Women, as emotional beings, do shed theoccasional tears.
This is simply because women are knownto be caring and gentle compared with menwho may be given more leeway to anger andoutburst at work.
Hence, women should learn to understandthat emotions that can be perceived as vul-nerability and weakness should be saved forprivate occasions.
Instead of exhibiting a meltdown at work,a better way would be to step away and takea breather before getting back to the issue.Imagine women and men having a “depres-sion tank” but the women invariably having asmaller tank compared with the men.
With every challenge, the tank slowly fillsup until it is time to cry it all out.
Once that is done, they are ready to do itall over again.
So having a “macho and robotic work cul-ture” is not encouraged for long-term busi-ness success.
It is important that emotions are implicitlytranslated into good feelings and there is aneed to practise positive emotions which willbe conducive to the organisational.
When emotional intelligence is practised,it will bring about rapid career growth as it isa precursor of success in the workplace and,in our lives.
So, in conclusion, emotions shouldn’t beshunned but seen as an advantage. It’s allabout knowing how to use them.
n Jermaine Bee is a manager for theLearning team at Leaderonomics. She believesthat women will one day rule the world, ifonly they are able to learn the mastery of man-aging emotions. For more information on greattraining programmes, you can contact her [email protected]
Being compassionate and having empathy alsoenable women to deal with people better, hence thereason why there are more women compared withmen in the Human Resources and CustomerRelationships departments.
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013 7
Multi-tasking does not
necessarily work
In Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker had
trouble juggling work, studies, his
social life and being Spider-Man. There
are times when you have to sacrifice
one aspect of your life to ensure the
other parts thrive. Learn to prioritise.
disregard what others think ofyou; just do what you believe inSpider-Man faces criticism every day thanks to J. JonahJameson, but that didn’t stop him from doing what hebelieves is right. Never let criticism overcome your abilityto work and do what you believe is right.
have a Motto or MissionstateMent to live by“With great powers comes greatresponsibility”. It is not just a phrase; itis a motto Spider-Man lives by, and hisactions are based on this. Havinga motto can guide you throughyour work place and life andhelp you stay focused onwhat you should bedoing.
seek help
when you need it
There will be obstacles that
can’t be overcome by one
person. When that happens,
seek help fromother people.
Spider-Man always asked
for help when a particular
villain was too big for him
to handle.people canchangeSpider-Man shows thatpeople can change. PeterParker changed from beinga nerd in high school, to aconfident superhero. Givingpeople the right “power”can make them grow. Sogive your employees aradioactive bite/project andsee where they take it.
spider-Manbelieves in the best
of people, evenhis eneMy
In Spider-Man 2, he managed tochange Doctor Octopus’ mind to
be the man he was before. There isalways some good in people, eventhe grouchy ones. If you are able to
look past the bad, you mayfind that colleague has
something moreto offer.
05
0708
10
10tips for work fromspider-man
for help when a particular
villain was too big for him
for work fromspider-man
06
04
03
use your spider
sense – be
aware of your
surroundings
and act
accordingly
Always be mindful of
the things that happen
around you as there are
always opportunities and
dangers that you can
either utilise or avoid.
choose who you wantto be with. get people tosupport youAs they say, behind a great man, there is
a great woman. In Peter Parker’s casethere are two, Mary Jane and Aunt
May. They are the pillars of strengthfor him. Surrounding yourself with
people that bring you up ratherthan those that bring you down
is one of the secrets to be asgreat as Spider-Man.
01
09there is alw
ays
a solution to a
difficult probleM
Thinking outside the box was one of
Spider-Man’s stre
ngths. When the Green
Goblinthreatened to kill Mary Jane and
a group of kids in the first movie, instead
of saving one, Spider-Man found a way
to save them all. When standing against
impossible odds, thinking creatively
can be the way to overcome
them.
laugh in the face
of danger - face
challenges in life with
a little huMour
Like Spider-Man, making jokes in
the face of his enemies, having
a positive outlook on difficult
situations helps to elevate the spirits
and alleviate tension and stress.
02
10tips for work fromspider-man
01
what is yourwhat is yourmission?
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013� mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013 �
SPIDER-MAN is a comic book superhero published by MarvelComics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist SteveDitko, he first appeared in Amazing Fantasy No.15 (August1962). Lee and Ditko conceived the character as an orphanbeing raised by his Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and as a teenager,having to deal with the normal struggles of adolescence
addition to those of a costumed crime fighter. Spider-Man’screators gave him super strength and agility, the ability to clingto most surfaces, shoot spider-webs using devices of his owninvention which he called “web-shooters”, and react to dangerquickly with his “spider-sense”, enabling him to combat his
foes.When Spider-Man first appeared in the early 1960s,
teenagers in superhero comic books were usuallyrelegated to the role of sidekick to the protagonist.The Spider-Man series broke ground by featuringPeter Parker, a teenage high school student and
person behind Spider-Man’s secret identity to whose“self-obsessions with rejection, inadequacy, andloneliness” young readers could relate. Spider-Mandid not benefit from being the protégé of anyadult superhero mentors like Captain America and
Batman, and thus had to learn for himself that“with great power there must also come greatresponsibility” – a line included in a text box in thefinal panel of the first Spider-Man story, but laterretroactively attributed to his guardian, the late
Uncle Ben.Marvel has featured Spider-Man in several
comic book series, the first and longest-lasting of which is titled The AmazingSpider-Man. Over the years, the Peter
Parker character has developed froma shy, nerdy high school student totroubled but outgoing college student,to married high school teacher, to,in the late 2000s, a single freelance
photographer – his most typical adultrole. As of 2011, he is additionally amember of the Avengers and theFantastic Four, Marvel’s flagshipsuperhero teams. In the comics,
Spider-Man is often referred to as“Spidey”, “web-slinger”, “wall-crawler”, or “web-head”.
LESSONSFROM SPIDER-MAN
AbOut SPIDER-MAN
By ROSHAN [email protected]
As a boy, my parents would tell me itwas lights out and time to sleep. Iwould quickly then grab a torch-lightand sneak under the blanket to startreading my favourite super-hero com-
ics – The Amazing Spider-Man. I loved reading mySpider-Man comics. The stories were so interest-ing and Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man) was oneof the most human super heroes I have everencountered.
As a young man, Parker went through atumultuous time. He was a grade A “geek” ofthe highest order. He was skinny, weak andconstantly bullied by his high school “star” FlashThompson. He was an extremely anti-social boy,with inferiority complex, and a massive fear ofwomen (well, most teenage boys would proba-bly fit into that category including myself, hencethe love of Spider-Man comics!).
Even after Parker is bitten by a radioactive spi-der and gets super powers, he still struggles. HisUncle Ben dies due partly to his lack of “respon-sibility” to stop a crime. Because of this attitudealso, his girlfriend Gwen Stacy’s father – New
background.As I recall the many Spider-Man comics that I
have read, I remember how this introverted boybecame a young man who married the world’sgreatest supermodel and became the greatestever superhero in the history of comics (at leastto me!). That takes some doing.
And so, I decided to list seven leadership les-sons that I learnt from Parker. Here goes my list:
1. Be human at alltimes. Be yourself
Many leaders believe that just because theyhave big titles and are leaders, they need to actdifferently and try to avoid human emotions.Parker struggled at many occasions having tobehave like a “hero” and not himself. In fact,it caused significant issues with his marriageto Mary Jane. He was reminded by CaptainAmerica, who had similarly learnt about theneed to not wear masks and be oneself, advis-ing him that “the mask is supposed to hide yourface. Don’t let it hide your heart!” Parker tookthat advice to heart and always remained trueto himself and his personality. As leaders, weshould never wear masks, especially when deal-ing with relationships and matters of the heart.
repeated throughout your department or organi-sation. Even as parents, our children bestow on ussignificant power.
Do we truly understand the power we hold inour hands and do we, like Spider-Man, take fullresponsibility of this power? Or are we ignorantof the power we have?
3. always smileSpider-Man is always smiling (well, he is in his
suit) in spite of the horrible burden he carriesand the pain in his life. Losing the love of his life,his parents, his uncle and finally his aunt, hav-ing his wife kidnapped and facing death daily.He still retains a sense of humour and keepssmiling. It takes some doing to be the “friendlyneighbourhood Spider-Man.” Yet almost all greatleaders wear a smile on their face constantly.
I met Nobel Prize winner Mohamad Yunus,who was going through some painful times withhis government. Yet we met over breakfast, hesmiled throughout the meeting. Great leadersgo through tremendous moments of pain andsuffering just like all of us do. Yet, they realise thepower of the smile and have that on their faces.Do you smile often? Do you express your grati-tude often? If Spidey can do it, so can you. Keep
5. keep perseveringNever let adversity and pain deter you. Spider-
Man has a torrid life with things never workingout. Yet, he never let that be an excuse to giveup. He was never taken hostage by the complexissues that surrounded him. Most people wouldgive up on helping others especially if it meantlosing their loved ones. Spider-Man lost his greatlove Gwen Stacy because of his love for helpingothers.
He lost his best friend Harry Osborn and manyothers. In fact, after losing Stacy, he thought hewould never find love again. Yet, he kept goingand never gave in to the doubt that crept intohis mind.
He finally found the amazing Mary Janewho loved him as deeply. Perseverance pays offwhether you are building a business or growingyour career. You have to keep going and goingand things will ultimately go your way.
6. leadership doesnot come free
Many leaders forget the cost of leadership.Being a leader requires you to sacrifice time,money, efforts and endure struggles and pain.We always talk about the benefits of leadership,but we fail to count the cost of it. Spider-Manunderstood the cost of being a superhero. Helost many things including his privacy and family.As leaders, have we counted the cost of leader-ship? Just as there is cost associated with any-thing of value, leadership does not come free.
We need to sacrifice a lot of time. Do we countthe cost of leadership? Are we aware of whatit truly entails? Spider-Man teaches us to countthe cost but still choose to be a leader. But if wedon’t take time to understand the cost of ourleadership, we will give up the moment crisisand issues arise.
7. you don’t needto lead all the time
Spidey is the type who is not a natural leader.Yet in times of crisis or when he is required tolead, he steps up and leads. During the Titanussaga Spider-Man led the likes of Wolverine, the
Hulk, Nova, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk and oth-ers to battle against the alien Titanus.In many occasions, Spider-Man letsothers lead. He seamlessly movesfrom being a loyal and dedicatedfollower to being a decisive andrespected leader.
We all can learn to playdifferent roles at differentstages in our organisation.Do we let others lead?And do we know whenwe need to step in andresume leadership?
final thoughtsThere are many more
lessons that you canlearn from Spider-Man.But the most importantthing about lessons isto internalise them andleverage them in ourlives. May Parker, Spider-Man’s aunt, makes thisstatement, “I believethere’s a hero in all of us,that keeps us honest, givesus strength, makes us noble,and finally allows us to diewith pride.”
Truly, deep down inside us,Spider-Man lingers. We can alllearn from Spidey and becomegreat leaders and heroes in theorganisation we work with and thefamilies that we lead. So, keep learn-ing and smiling. I wish you a “spidey”career and a wonderful leadership jour-ney ahead.
n Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics, asocial enterprise passionate about transform-ing the nation through leadership development.Check out Leaderonomics new beta TV site atwww.leaderonomics.tv for more great tid-bits ofwisdom for 2013.
also, his girlfriend Gwen Stacy’s father – New York City police detective captain George Stacy – was killed during a battle between Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus (Issue No.90, November 1970). Stacy, the love of his life and the one person he truly loves soon dies too, when the Green Goblin throws her off the tower of a bridge (Issue No.121 June 1973). What is even more painful for Parker is that the autopsy of her death concluded that, “the whiplash effect she underwent when Spider-Man’s webbing stopped her so suddenly was, in fact, what killed her”.
Parker was a man constantly in pain. Yet, in spite of the constant pain and suf-fering that he had to undergo throughout his life, he had never let that pain ever distract him from his mission and goal in life – helping all people regardless of age, sex and
ing with relationships and matters of the heart.
2. take responsiBilityGreat leaders take responsibility for their
actions – especially the mistakes and failures. Spider-Man leads by example and he not
only owns up to his shortcomings and failures, he never blamed
others. As his Uncle Ben reminded him “with great power comes great respon-sibility.” Many leaders don’t realise how much power they hold in their hands. Your employees look up to you. As leaders, every word
muttered is ana-lysed and
tude often? If Spidey can do it, so can you. Keep being funny and smile.
4. keep serving others – thatis the essence of leadership
Service of others always yields benefits. In the latest Amazing Spider-Man movie, we see how the web-crawler needs the help of a number of crane operators. The help came to him in the moment of need as the crane foreman was the father of a boy Spider-Man had rescued earlier in the movie. It is far more blessed to serve and to give than to receive.
You will reap rewards for your giving at an important stage of your life. It is the same in my life. At a crucial stage of my leadership when I needed some form of help, it suddenly appears. Later, I realise that the help came because I had previously helped that person. Good karma will always return to you if you invest in helping oth-ers. Are you serving while leading?
We always talk about the benefits of leadership, but we fail to count the cost of it. Spider-Man understood the cost of being a superhero. He lost many things including his privacy and family. As leaders, have we counted the cost of leader-ship? Just as there is cost associated with any-thing of value, leadership does not come free.
We need to sacrifice a lot of time. Do we count the cost of leadership? Are we aware of what it truly entails? Spider-Man teaches us to count the cost but still choose to be a leader. But if we don’t take time to understand the cost of our leadership, we will give up the moment crisis and issues arise.
7. you don’t needto lead all the time
Spidey is the type who is not a natural leader. Yet in times of crisis or when he is required to lead, he steps up and leads. During the Titanus saga Spider-Man led the likes of Wolverine, the
GROWING up in NewYork City, high schoolstudent Peter Parker isa science-whiz orphanliving with his Uncle Benand Aunt May. As depictedin Amazing Fantasy No.15(August 1962), he is bittenby a radioactive spider at ascience exhibit and “acquiresthe agility and proportionatestrength of an arachnid.” Alongwith super strength, he gains theability to adhere to walls and ceil-ings. Through his native knack forscience, he develops a gadget thatlets him fire adhesive webbing ofhis own design through small, wrist-mounted barrels. Initially seeking tocapitalise on his new abilities, he dons acostume and, as “Spider-Man”, becomesa novelty television star. However, “heblithely ignores the chance to stop a fleeing thief, (and) his indif-ference ironically catches up with him when the same criminallater robs and kills Uncle Ben.” Spider-Man tracks and subdues thekiller and learns, in the story’s next-to-last caption, “With greatpower there must also come – great responsibility!”
Despite his superpowers, Parker struggles to help his widowedaunt pay rent, was taunted by his peers and constantly incurredthe editorial wrath of newspaper publisher J. Jonah Jameson. Ashe battles his enemies for the first time, Parker finds juggling hispersonal life and costumed adventures difficult. In time, Parkergraduates from high school, and enrols at Empire State University(a fictional institution evoking the real-life Columbia University
and New York University), where he meets roommate andbest friend Harry Osborn, and girlfriend Gwen Stacy, and AuntMay introduces him to Mary Jane Watson. As Parker deals withOsborn’s drug problems, and Osborn’s father is revealed to beSpider-Man’s nemesis the Green Goblin, Parker even attempts to
give up his costumed identity for a while. During the course ofhis adventures Spider-Man has made a wide variety of friendsand contacts within the superhero community, who oftencome to his aid when he faces problems that he cannot solveon his own.
Working through his grief after the death of his loveStacy, who died when Green Goblin throws her off abridge, Parker eventually devel-ops tentative feelings towardWatson, and the two “become
confidants rather than lovers”.Parker graduates from collegein issue No.185, and becomesinvolved with the shy DebraWhitman and the extroverted,
flirtatious costumed thiefFelicia Hardy, the Black Cat,
whom he meets in issue No.194 (July 1979).From 1984 to 1988, Spider-Man wore a black
costume with a white spider design on his chest.The new costume originated from an alien planetwhere Spider-Man participates in a battle betweenEarth’s major superheroes and villains. He contin-ues wearing the costume when he returns fromthe Secret Wars, starting in The Amazing Spider-ManNo.252. Not unexpectedly, the change to a longstand-ing character’s iconic design met with controversy, “withmany hardcore comics fans decrying it as tantamount tosacrilege. Spider-Man’s traditional red and blue costume
was iconic, they argued, on par withthose of his DC rivals Superman andBatman.” The creators then revealed thecostume was an alien symbiote whichSpider-Man is able to reject after a diffi-cult struggle, though the symbiote returnsseveral times as Venom for revenge.
Parker proposes to Watson in The AmazingSpider-Man No.290 (July 1987), and sheaccepts two issues later, with the weddingtaking place in The Amazing Spider-Man AnnualNo.21 (1987) – promoted with a real-life mock
wedding using actors at SheaStadium, with Stan Lee officiating,
on June 5, 1987.Spider-Man is one of the most
popular and commercially suc-cessful superheroes. As Marvel’sflagship character and company
mascot, he has appeared in manyforms of media, including severalanimated and live-action televisionshows, syndicated newspaper comicstrips, and a series of films starring
Tobey Maguire as the “friendlyneighbourhood” hero in the firstthree movies. Andrew Garfield hastaken over the role of Spider-Man ina reboot of the films. Reeve Carney
stars as Spider-Man in the 2010Broadway musical Spider-Man: TurnOff the Dark. Spider-Man placedthird on IGN’s Top 100 Comic BookHeroes of All Time in 2011.
SPIDE
R-MA
N’SLIF
E
LEADERSHIP
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 201310
By PREMA [email protected]
SPIDER-MAN, one of the most celebratedsuperhero characters, was first createdin the early 1960s by comic book artistSteve Ditko, and writer Stan Lee. Everysuperhero has an origin story, a way in
which the ordinary person somehow becomesextraordinary. Spider-Man is no exemption.Peter Parker, a socially awkward, shy high schoolstudent gets bitten by a radioactive spider thatcauses his blood to get affected. The outcome...he becomes Spider-Man.
Spidey has always been an interesting andintriguing character that evoked mystery. Movingfrom building to building with his never-end-ing supply of web and appearing when leastexpected, he is always there for anyone who isin need of help. It can’t be denied that since hisfirst appearance in 1962, he has been one of themore famous superheroes. As an iconic personal-ity who is worth looking up to, here are some les-sons from Spider-Man which can be incorporatedinto your work life.
1. AlwAys give importAnceto personAl brAnding
What would become of Spider-Man withouthis red and blue body suit and mask? Or withoutthe trust and love of the people of New York?Spidey is defined by these elements, as such,they form part of his personal brand. In orderto be in the minds of top guns in the workingworld, ensure that your name carries positiveconnotations. If you are looking to move forwardin your field of expertise and gain kudos for theexcellent work that you are producing, peopleneed to know and recognise your name.
Moreover in this era, Google is an avenueused by all, especially potential employers togain information about you through your socialnetworks and blogs. With such easy access,there is no hiding any negative remarks from theInternet. Thus, always ensure that your namecarries only positive and good details.
2. discover your nicheOnce Peter Parker realises that he has
special powers, he tracks down the thiefwho murdered his uncle. This goes on untila giant, blood-thirsty lizard appears onBrooklyn Bridge and terrorises the people.At that moment, Spider-Man realises that heobtained his powers for a greater reason. He ismeant to be a saviour who protects people fromharm and danger. This is his calling.
Another excelling instance of discovering yourniche could be the story behind how writer Leecreated the character Spider-Man in the firstplace. He wanted to create a superhero out ofthe norm. Instead of the muscle bound, confi-dent and know-it-all character, he worked Spider-Man around a socially inept, geeky teenagerstruggling to balance heroism with homework.Spider-Man struck a chord with the public, andwent on to become one of Marvel Comics’ mosticonic characters.
Do not try to copy others and do exactlywhat they are doing. Figure out what sets you
apart from others and work on these traits toget ahead in your field of expertise. Leverage onyour strengths and create a name for yourself toobtain success in your field. This can be your call-ing and here is your niche discovered.
3. be AwAre of whAt youcAn offer other people
In The Amazing Spider-Manstarted using his newly-acquired powers totrack criminals based on a personal vendetta. Ittook him a while to realise that his super pow-ers could actually be used to help people andhe goes about doing just that. His good deeddoes not go unappreciated as in the climax ofthe film, the people whom Spider-Man helped,unite to enable him defeat the villain. A touch-ing ending.
Similarly, when you want to build a profes-sional network consisting of intellectual, smart,genuine and honest people, you need to figureout a way to cultivate and strengthen theserelationships. Come up with ways to offeryour assistance and help without expectinganything in return. Invest in these people bygetting them acquainted with others whomthey might find important or interesting. Helpthem out in their projects or offer to give theminformation with matters pertaining to theirneeds and interests. Ultimately, when you needhelp, you will find people from your network
that it is absolutely normal to ask for advice andhelp. More often than not, some people make awrong assumption that they will look incompe-tent if they ask for help. Given a choice, would
you want to be the one who did not ask forhelp and messed up big time or would
you want to be the one who is givenpraises for a fantastic job because ofthe advice given by a colleague? Take
5. don’t ever give upIn the midst of risking his life to
save the citizens of New York, Spider-Man would have thought, “Oh, how
I wish I was home watching TV rightnow. This is so darn difficult.” However,
there are lives at stake and Spideyhas to get the job done. It does
not reflect well on you if you donot complete a task.
Likewise, you will face sucha situation in yourcareer as well. Therewill be times whenyou find it extremely
hard to succeed.Your boss may pileup tasks that mayseem impossibleto complete. You
may be faced withunfamiliar projects
and assignments. Youmay find yourself constantly
working but the job is never done.It becomes daunting and all youwant to do is to shout “I quit.” Butremember, never, ever give upwithout trying to find a solution.If you have not made any efforts,you will never succeed. Every
problem has a solution. It is allabout finding it.
Nuggets of
careerwisdom
connotations. If you are looking to move forwardin your field of expertise and gain kudos for the
gain information about you through your social
there is no hiding any negative remarks from the
obtained his powers for a greater reason. He ismeant to be a saviour who protects people from
Another excelling instance of discovering yourniche could be the story behind how writer Lee
dent and know-it-all character, he worked Spider-
struggling to balance heroism with homework.Spider-Man struck a chord with the public, andwent on to become one of Marvel Comics’ most
help, you will find people from your networkat your beck and call. They will also bringin business opportunities and inter-esting ventures as they know thatyou are an honest, reliable andtrustworthy person.
4. Ask for helpAt the right time
If you think about it, atthe end of the day, Parker isjust another ordinary per-son. Most people getoverwhelmedwhen they find
you want to be the one who did not ask forhelp and messed up big time or would
you want to be the one who is givenpraises for a fantastic job because ofthe advice given by a colleague? Takeyour pick.
5. don’t ever give upIn the midst of risking his life to
save the citizens of New York, Spider-Man would have thought, “Oh, how
I wish I was home watching TV rightnow. This is so darn difficult.” However,
there are lives at stake and Spideyhas to get the job done. It does
not reflect well on you if you donot complete a task.
Likewise, you will face sucha situation in yourcareer as well. Therewill be times whenyou find it extremely
hard to succeed.
may be faced withunfamiliar projects
and assignments. Youmay find yourself constantly
working but the job is never done.It becomes daunting and all youwant to do is to shout “I quit.” Butremember, never, ever give upwithout trying to find a solution.If you have not made any efforts,you will never succeed. Every
problem has a solution. It is allabout finding it.
apart from others and work on these traits toget ahead in your field of expertise. Leverage onyour strengths and create a name for yourself toobtain success in your field. This can be your call-ing and here is your niche discovered.
3. be AwAre of whAt youcAn offer other people
The Amazing Spider-Man, Parker initiallystarted using his newly-acquired powers totrack criminals based on a personal vendetta. Ittook him a while to realise that his super pow-ers could actually be used to help people andhe goes about doing just that. His good deeddoes not go unappreciated as in the climax ofthe film, the people whom Spider-Man helped,unite to enable him defeat the villain. A touch-
Similarly, when you want to build a profes-sional network consisting of intellectual, smart,genuine and honest people, you need to figureout a way to cultivate and strengthen theserelationships. Come up with ways to offeryour assistance and help without expectinganything in return. Invest in these people bygetting them acquainted with others whomthey might find important or interesting. Help
themselves beingembroiled in scary situa-tions over and over again.Eventually, they willneed help from otherpeople. Even theamazing Spider-Mancannot be at twoplaces simultane-ously. Thus, whenin dire need, herequests the assistanceof the delightful Gwen Stacywho is also a science chick andhis lady love to assist him informulating an antidote that willdefeat the genetically-mutated vil-lain. Without the intervention fromStacy, the day could never have beensaved.
This same scenario can take place in yourorganisation. There may come a time in yourprofessional life when you can’t do everythingby yourself. There might even come a time whenyou won’t know how to do it all by yourself.When you are faced with this situation, realisethat it is absolutely normal to ask for advice and
careeriNsights froma superhero
spidey has alwaysbeeN aN iNterestiNgaNd iNtriguiNgcharacter thatevoked mystery.moviNg frombuildiNg tobuildiNg with hisNever-eNdiNgsupply of web aNdappeariNg wheNleast expected, heis always there foraNyoNe who is iNNeed of help.
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013 11
IS YOUR BRAIN STUCK?
STReSSed OUT?PLAN A FAMILY vACATION
By TERRY [email protected]
YOU don’t have a brain. You have twobrains!
A left brain and a right brain. Left cor-tex. Right cortex. They are different andthey are connected by a band of 300million nerve fibres called the corpuscallosum. Your left brain is language,math, writing, concrete, organisation,detail, sequence, etc. Your right brain
is imagination, creativity, big picture,visualisation, drawing, role-playing, etc.
Want proof of yourtwo brains? Try this:
1 While sitting at your desk, lift your rightfoot off the floor and make clockwise
circles with it.
2 Now, while doing this, draw the number“six” in the air with your right hand.
Your foot will change direction! There isnothing you can do about it.
3 Repeat the process, but this time onesmall change... draw the number “six”
with your left hand. Hmmmm...Have you ever noticed that sometimes
your brain seems “stuck”? And other timesit seems OK. On those times when it seemsthat your brain is stuck, there’s a reason. It’sstuck!
Let me introduce you to something calledthe Left/Right Dominant Cycle of the Brain.At any given time one brain is up doing mostof the work and the other brain is havinga “rest”. This is because normal hormonalfluctuations trigger stronger blood flows todifferent sides of the brain during the day.Every 90 minutes they switch. It’s like having
two people spell each other off on a job.This is important. If you have some writ-ing or planning to do and your left brain isdown... you have a problem. If your rightbrain is down and you have to be creativeand witty... you have a problem. But thereis a way to “unstick” your brain. In thenext Brain Bulletin I will tell you what it is.
In the next Brain Bulletin you will learnhow to double the capacity of your learn-ing brain!
RemembeR: “You are a genius”.
n Terry Small is a brain expert who residesin Canada and believes that “Anyone canlearn how to learn easier, better, faster, andthat learning to learn is the most impor-tant skill a person can acquire.”To interactwith Terry, email [email protected]
YOU CAN BeThe BeSTPAReNTSTO YOURChILdReNANd TheBeSTeMPLOYeeSIN The OFFICe
By ZAID [email protected]
MORE and moremarried couples areentering the work-force. Some are doing itby choice in their pursuit
of their dream careers, but many coupleshave to supplement the family income. Inaddition, the amount of job-related stress isalso on the increase. This is not good news toany family.
Stressful parents are a “danger” to their chil-dren. They can be irrational and highly-emotionalin dealing with the demands at home. Feelingshave been hurt and trust has been broken. Thesehighly-stressed parents face the challenge ofcontrolling their anger towards their children.Many cases of child and spousal abuses can beattributed to job-related stress.
Therefore, something must be done to preventsuch cases. Incidents like harsh reprimands andconflicts with your loved ones are bound to hap-pen. Before we blame the job, the traffic conges-tion, the weather or other people, let’s examineourselves. Here are some solutions to manageyour moods in the long-term.
Plan For aScheduled BreakI’m talking about utilising your
leave entitlement for a great cause– your family.Many people I know are “afraid” to
go for a holiday, especially extendedones for fear of being labelled as “lazy,
not motivated or not working hardenough.” I think these reasons exist only
in this part of the world because in the West, anemployee’s salary may get deducted if he or sheis not taking any leave of absence.
Vacations are created for a good reason. Noone can work non-stop and still expect highproductivity. Even machines need downtimeand maintenance. If you are a working parent,you owe it to your family to spend some unin-terrupted time to recharge and bond with yourfamily members.
Taking a vacation is arguably the best way toachieve those objectives. I am a firm believer intaking a vacation at least twice a year. I am alsoa believer in planning ahead for such vacations.From experience, half of the fun is actually in the
anticipation of the holidays. By taking a break, Ireally mean leaving work behind. My former bossused to say, “The best vacation is the one whereyou totally forget about work, and even youroffice PC’s passwords!” I love that guy!
If vacations are too far in between, you shouldschedule other activities with the family. Thekey word is schedule; don’t leave it to chancebecause there will always be other pressing mat-ters to attend to. You can schedule a weekenddinner, a family game, a day out or a short driveto a nearby beach.
Whatever it is, chances are you will be smilingas you start counting the days. The stress andpressures will also melt away.
See It In a new PerSPectIveIf you can’t change your job, change the way
you look at it. If you work in a customer servicecounter, the endless stream of people can quicklyget to you. By noon, your mood and energy arealready low as you attend to their problems.
It’s time to liberate yourself by looking at yourjob from a different perspective.
Instead of considering your customers as aburden, take the opportunity to make themhappy. Imagine a happy customer going home to
his family and bringing cheer to his children. Beproud that you contributed to that. Aim to serveevery customer with cheerfulness.
Be the BeStWhether at home or in the office, aim to be
the best that you can be. This is a powerful moti-vator to overcome any barriers.
When the going gets tough, the tough getsgoing. You will not be easily swayed by distrac-tions as you embark on a long journey to attainthe best.
Believe and prove it to yourself that you arethe best parents to your children and the bestemployees in the office. If you can do this, youwill derive immense satisfaction from yourefforts.
So, the next time you are feeling the pressure,turn to a trusted colleague and say, “I don’t needthis job, but the job needs me, because I can do itbetter than anybody else!”
n Zaid Mohamad is a father of four, former seniorleader in an MNC, and he is a certified parentalcoach and best-selling author of two books, SmartParents, Brighter Kids and Smart Parents, RicherKids. For details of his work, please visit www.SmartParents.com.my or write to him at [email protected]
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 201312
‘An ideA thAt is not dAngerous is unworthyof being cAlled An ideA At All.’- oscAr wilde
By RAINA [email protected]
IMAGINE winning the jackpot and hav-ing all the money in the world – youcan do what you wish, buy everythingyou have ever wanted, lie under thesun at the beach and relax until the
end of your days.But imagine you’ve done that and it’s
been a while since you’ve been lying onthe beach and you are getting bored andrestless now. You start to think, “What isthe next great, exciting or interesting thingto do?”
Do you want to teach, coach, entertain,inspire people, explore, manage, plan, sell,pioneer or lead? Your answer to this ques-tion will be one of your core values – whatreally is important to you.
The good news is that you can win thejackpot in life without having to buy aticket. Of course, winning the jackpot willinstantly allow you to do what you reallywant to do. But, think about the odds ofwinning (one in 49,836,032) and the factthat you can do this now without waitingfor the jackpot.
It may take some adjustments to movetowards your ideal life, but regardless, youcan start today by recognising your top corevalues and then creating a project that willfulfil that value.
That could mean taking part in volun-teering activities in a field related to yourvalues, travelling to discover new things tobroadening your horizons, taking classes tolearn something new and interesting, start-ing a value-based project, writing a blog ortaking acting classes.
IdentIfy your naturalabIlItIes/talent
The first step towards discovering yourcore values is identifying your natural abili-ties/talent. Understand yourself better byasking those around you – your friends,family and mentors – these questions:
l What are my greatest strength/strongpoints?
l What is my biggest weakness?Remember that you are on an informationgathering process, so ask for constructivecomments and take notes.
l What do you think my unique talentsor gifts are? What comes naturally or effort-lessly for me? Remember natural talent
can be a part of you that it is like breathingand you don’t even notice it. So it is usefulto ask others what they perceive as uniqueabout you.
l If someone were to write an articleabout me, what would the article be andwhere would it appear?
IdentIfy your PassIonsUsing the Envy Method, list down the
people you envy and what is it about themthat you want to emulate. Take the fol-lowing examples: (i) Sir Richard Branson– Enterprising; (ii) Oprah Winfrey – Wealthand influence; (iii) Margaret Thatcher– Assertive; or (iv) Steve Jobs - Innovative.
Then, list down three to five of yourpotential careers. To give you some headsup, answer the following questions:
l What do you like to do in your freetime?
l What books do you enjoy reading?l What naturally motivates you/comes
off naturally to you?l What activities (e.g. games) did you
enjoy as a child?l If you were given the freedom to
choose, what would you rather do?l What will your legacy be?The answers will shed some light on
your inclinations and provide enough leadsto get you to do more of what you loveimmediately, whether it is career-related orotherwise.
IdentIfy your ValuesThe activities above will help you to
identify your core values, which can be inthe form of the following keywords (theseare sample values to be used as guidance.A simple Google search on “personal corevalues” will provide more examples):
l Achievement, Leadership,Advancement, Loyalty, Adventure,Challenging Problems, Meaningful Work,Change and Variety, Money, Create, Nature,Honest, Cooperation, Order, Facilitate,Community, Influencing Others, Pleasure,Creativity, Invent, Travel, Adventure, Peace,Explore, Pioneer, Devise, Experiment, Plan,Customer Service, Privacy, Decisiveness,
Public Service, Persistence, Contribute, Self-Motivation, Knowledge, Humour, Dance,Aid, Assist, Relationships, Recognition,Coach, Ethical Practice, Wisdom, WorkUnder Pressure, Integrity, Involvement,Working Alone, Expertise, Design, Stability,Security, Excellence, Excitement, Serenity,Physical Challenge, Competition, PersonalDevelopment, Independence, Status,Freedom, Supervising Others, Teamwork,Growth, Time Freedom, Helping Society,Truth, Wealth.
orIentate your lIfearound your Core Values
To create a happy and satisfying career,your future career goals should be in align-ment with your core values to the closestextent possible. Do your best to match yourcareer goals to one of your top core valuesor passions in life, and:
l Start expressing your top core valuesin every way possible, however trivial. Ifyour core value is creativity and you enjoywriting, start contributing articles to yourschool/local club’s newsletter, considerblogging or other platforms.
l Identify and seek the relevant toolsto achieving your goals/career. An exam-ple would be enrolling in a class/study asubject that aligns with one of your topcore values, or reading at least three booksin your area of interest to understand thetopic better.
l Do volunteering work in the field thatmatches your values.
l Kick-start a value-based project, i.e.something that is in alignment with yourcore values. Experiment with it in your freetime. Give the best hour of the day to yourproject.
l Set up a powerful structure for sup-port. For example, having a personal sup-port team is a solid structure for supporttowards attaining your career goal; joininga club that shares your core values is astructure for support to ensure that youmove beyond your comfort zone and inter-act with people with similar values. Focuson developing a solid structure that willhelp you flourish.
There is always something that you can dotoday that will allow you to live one of yourvalues. The closer your life is in alignmentwith your core values, the more fulfilledand satisfied you will be. The key reminderis to always ask yourself, “What will yourlegacy be?”
By EVA [email protected]
OSCAR Wilde is one of my favourite writers. Hiselaborate hypothesising and straightforward cyni-cism cannot be matched by others. Writing aheadof his times, a revolutionary in spirit for his period,Wilde has given us many lessons that often testthe boundaries of morality and immorality. Perhapshis most well-known quote is this: “An idea that isnot dangerous is unworthy of being called an ideaat all.” Now, how does this transcend the centuriesand how does it relate to us and our career? It isone of those ideas, that if read with the correctmindset, can lead people to do amazing things.
What is the point of sticking to things that havebeen tried and tested for many years and we knowdo not lead to substantial benefit? What is thepoint of following safe old ways of undertaking atask? What good will that bring? How can we seedevelopment, evolution?
If you look at the most important discoveriesmade by mankind, you will realise the power of thisquote – What if Galileo decided never to mentionanything on his belief in heliocentrism since all hiscontemporaries subscribed to either geocentrism orthe Tychonic system? What if Archimedes hesitatedto share with the rest his discovery that, if a bodyis immersed in a fluid it experiences a buoyantforce equal to the weight of the fluid it displaces?
They both had much to lose – much more than justreputation; remember, they lived in a time thattheir life could be in danger for expressing an ideaso much against conventional wisdom of the time.What I want to say is – dare to explore an idea thatmay seem to endanger your career – just be sure tothink it through well first. Courage and determina-tion can take you very far, so be valiant enough totry out new things and take a risk, in order to getsomething bigger in the end.
n Eva hopes that everyone will find the courage topush for their ideas, no matter how revolutionarythey seem to be – you may be surprised on the out-come they may bring for your career.
it mAy tAke some Adjustmentsto move towArds your ideAl
life, but regArdless, you cAnstArt todAy by recognising
your top core vAlues Andthen creAting A project thAt
will fulfil thAt vAlue.
whAt willyour legAcy be?
“A legAcy isetched intothe minds ofothers And thestories they shAreAbout you.“– shAnnon l. Alder
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013 13
MUST!MAKE!MORE!MONEY!
By VICTOR [email protected]
AT the end of 2012, I posted aresolution for the coming yearon my Facebook page: “My 4MResolution for 2013: MUST!MAKE! MORE! MONEY!” It was
a personal battle cry that was not meantto elicit any feedback, but the enthusiasmwith which friends responded took me bysurprise! Many wrote and PM-ed me tosay how much they liked it, to commiser-ate, lament or simply to cheer me on.
Clearly, it was a subject that resonatedwith a lot of people. Now, I know a lot ofpeople are uncomfortable talking about“making money” – ironic consideringhow necessary it is – but I ask you toplease keep an open mind. Hold off anyjudgment that you may have. Yes, this isabout money not greed.
Let’s take a Look atM nuMber one: Must
Must for me is a word that personifiesdetermination and emphasises a deepneed to make it at all cost. To claim you“must” achieve something is to be willingto put yourself on the line to see it hap-pen. It means giving yourself no otherchoice but to succeed.
At 65, a broke Colonel Sanders cashedin his US$99 social security cheque andtravelled across the United States to sellhis special 11 herbs and spices fried chick-en recipe to restaurants. He was rejected1,009 times before someone finally said“yes”. Today KFC is one of the world’s larg-est fast food restaurants and arguably themost beloved fried chicken.
Another favourite of mine is the storyof Estee Lauder, founder of the multi-bil-lion dollar beauty empire. In my bookUpsides in a Downturn, I cited Lauder as aclassic tale of finding opportunity in themidst of challenging times. She startedher business during the Great Depressionwith just four skincare products she ped-dled from door-to-door to beauty salonsand hotels. She often reminded her salesforce, “I didn’t get there by wishing for itor hoping for it, but by working for it.”
Underlying these amazing stories isa “do-or-die”, “sink-or-swim” attitude.They could have called it quits at so manypoints! How easy do you think it was for a60-over former military man like ColonelSanders to be turned down more than1,000 times?
Too many people give up on theirambitions too easily. But success is nota measure of where we start nor howmany times we flounder during thejourney but how we ultimately end. If
like the good Colonel you refuse any otheroption but success, you will be surprisedby what you can achieve and how far youcan go.
Don’t get me wrong; determination isnot a guarantee of success. You can haveit in bucket loads and still fail. But if youare not even willing to make the journeyand persist against the odds then you arenot even giving yourself a sliver of chanceto succeed.
next coMes thehard part: to Make
A function of effort and action, it isthe thing that most people strugglewith. How often have you lamentedabout the pains of not having enough orcomplained about how hard it is to getrich? How many brilliant ideas have youspouted in the last few years? And whathave you done? For the majority, it is sim-ply easier to do nothing (except complainor talk) than to get started on something.
Effort and action are only one side ofthe coin, of course. Making serious moneycalls for creativity and ingenuity too.Some of the most exciting businessesand brands in the last decade or two havebeen results of creating something out ofnothing or making more out of little.
Tell me, how does Google make itsmoney? Almost everything is free:search, email, videos, blogs, maps,and so on. It may seem like it makesmoney from AdSense (advertisedsites), but if you think a level deeper,the search giant actually sells yoursearch habits, which implies a certainprofile. Google then shares withadvertisers so they can target youaccording to your interests. Thisis the classic paradoxical “free”business model, which ChrisAnderson documents so well inhis book of the same name.
The same rulesapply foremployees.
In fact, I think the window of opportu-nity for you to “make” is even narrowerbecause of competition, retirement,retrenchment and so on. You need toemploy every effort, action, creativity andingenuity in managing and selling thebrand that is you.
Here is a question I often pose atDreamJobs, a workshop for those in theworkforce: How come someone withthe same experience, qualification andskills as you can make 20% to 50% more?What is the difference? It is how well youposition yourself. You need to be able toappropriately communicate your values,expertise and potential in a way that’sclear and congruent with who you are,which is not the same as exaggerating orbragging.
More speaks of aMbitionAmbition requires you to move out
of your comfort zone, to get uneasy andeven struggle.
A man watched a butterfly struggle forhours, trying to force its way out througha small opening in its cocoon. Takingpity on the creature, he decided to snipa larger hole. The stuck butterfly slippedout easily but instead of a thing of beau-ty, it had a swollen body and shrivelled
wings. You see, the process of strug-gling is God’s way of forcing fluidfrom the butterfly’s body into itswings, preparing it for flight. Inhis kindness, the man had easedthe butterfly’s initial strugglebut condemned it to never real-
ise its destiny as winged creature.If you are not happy with your
current circumstances yet are notpushing yourself to change, then
you are going to be like that poorbutterfly. Life can be easy but whatgreat destiny are you missing outon?
In my sales training programmes, Inever accept “but I cannot sell” as anexcuse because it implies that either youdon’t want to sell or don’t know howto. The former is an attitude problem,which is difficult to overcome, because itis a self-fulfilling prophecy. But the lackof knowledge, the latter, should not bea reason to derail ambition. There arealways ways, programmes, coaches, men-tors, etc. In my experience as a trainer, noone with the right attitude and willing-ness to learn is beyond teaching.
You know the saying: nobody regretsthe things he did, only the ones he didn’tdo.
and now coMes the‘dirty’ word Money
It is ironic, laughable even, how shywe get about money matters consideringhow essential it is! As the old adage goes,‘money is a good servant but a bad mas-ter’. So the best way to approach it is tolearn how to make money so that it willalways be in your service.
The beauty about money-making isthat it is a skill that can be learned. Youdon’t have to be born with it like tal-ent, beauty or genius. You might haveheard of motivational guru Tony Robbins.Robbins is the best in the business. Buteven he learned his trade like everyoneelse.
He had no prior training or universityeducation in motivation speaking. Acollege dropout working as a janitor, hedid not even have the money to attendcourses. But he did what he could: read.He developed a voracious appetite forself-help and personal growth books,apparently reading over 700 books in afew short years. He eventually turnedhis knowledge into a proprietary moti-vational programme, the precursor tothe incredible success he enjoys today.
The difference between winnersand losers is simply that winners dothe things losers don’t like to do. Andwhat is it that losers don’t like to do?The same things winners don’t like todo! Except winners do not allow thesethings to stand in the way; they pushthemselves and do it anyway.
Take action today and be winners inlife!
n Victor Loh is a passionate advocatefor life skill education for youth andchildren. He is also a best-selling author,
award-winning marketer, corpo-rate trainer and entrepreneur. Ifyou would like to connect withhim, email him at [email protected]
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mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 201314
(Contest period : 20 January - 16 March 2013 )
Your high school degreewill increase your lifetime income by
50%-100%.Increasing high schoolgraduation rate bywill be worth US$1 trillionin benefits to
23%tax payers after 11 years.
By 2015, 60% of the newjobs will
possessed by onlyrequire skills20% of the workforce.
According to Jobvite.com,
70% of ninth graders in theUS today will get their
high school diploma.
86% of managersadmit that they
hire people they likecompared with those that matchthe job description’s requisites.
The first person to place a
follow-up call to a jobposting has a
95%chance to get the jobposition and those whocall the following day
only have a 1% chance.
Source: http://www.exponentialprograms.com/professional/blog/job-search-statistics/Source: Jobvite.com - http://www.fromheretocareer.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Job_Monogamy3.png
The averageresponse rate to an
online jobapplication is
less than 5%.
70% of Fortune 500 hiringprofessionals surveyed said resumes sent
electronically are preferred.
mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013 15
We have four experts oncareer management, HRand office issues whowill address your ques-tions weekly. We refer tothem as Careernomers- experts in career mat-ters who will help you inyour career journey. Soif you have any burningquestion to ask, send itto [email protected] andwe will get the panel toanswer your questions.
This week, Bani Zainal,senior vice-president atMalakoff, and Ang HuiMing, co-founder ofLeaderonomics, answerTisa’s question.
DearCareernomers,
First of all, I would like towish you a Happy New Year.There are not many chal-lenges in my current job.I’m working as a humanresources (HR) executive ina private healthcare compa-ny. I’m looking for a changein my present job. For thepast three years, I havebeen doing the same tasks.I’m interested in gettingwider exposure in industrialrelated matters. I’m plan-ning to take up a certificatein Industrial Relations (IR),but how do I gain the expe-rience? Employers wantexperienced HR personnelin IR matters. In the courseof my work, I had preparedshow cause and termina-tion letters. I have also givencounselling to employees.
Thank youTisa
Dear TisaThank you for sharing with us
your predicament and a Happy andProsperous New Year to you too.
While I am not sure of your cur-rent function in HR, reading fromthe text you do not find your cur-rent job as challenging enough andare looking for a change. There maybe many reasons why you find yourcurrent job not challenging enoughor other functions more interesting,in this case Industrial Relations (IR).
The job may be mundane oroperational and you do not get tolearn and develop your skills andknowledge in a more specialisedmanner. If this is the case, takingup a course or certification programin IR is one way you will acquireknowledge in this field. Not onlywill you learn the technical and aca-demic side of IR you will also be ableto exchange ideas and views on thesubject. Most of the students of theprogram are existing HR practition-ers hence, they will be able to sharetheir experience with you in dealingwith different cases and circum-stance of IR matters.
You should also look out for a
mentor who will be able to guideand coach you while you are attend-ing the course so that you canbounce of ideas and thoughts onthe subjects that you study. Whileyou are learning you should put intopractice, which you already doneto a certain extent from the soundof it, at work. The closest personwho can be a mentor perhaps isyour immediate superior. If that isso, ask for the opportunity to applyyour learning when IR related casesarises in your organisation and guid-ance when is required. This will pro-vide you the opportunity to acquirethe experience you need should youdecide to embark on a career in IRlater whether in your Company or ifyou decide to leave in other organi-sation.
There are many aspects of IR,from dealing with unions in collec-tive bargaining, managing employ-ee misconducts by conductinginvestigations and domestic inquir-ies to representing the company inarbitration at the IR Departmentor the IR Court. Executing all theserequires experience and know-howand by looking for opportunities for
exposure, you will acquire the nec-essary experience.
Be also aware that there areother interesting functions alsoin HR including Rewards andRecognition, Talent Management,Human Capital Development andRecruitment. They are all equallyinteresting if you learn new andprogressive ways of doing things.Look for opportunities to learn thesenew skills and seek to apply themin your current organisation. If youtry hard enough not only will you beable to complement your IR role, itwill also open up more options foryou in the HR arena.
I wish you all the best in explor-ing and embarking in the IR fieldand other HR functions which I amsure will be a fulfilling and satisfy-ing endeavour.
Bani Zainal
Dear Tisa,It is good to know that you
are looking for new challenges inyour job and that you have thedesire to deepen your knowledge
and expertise in the HR function.Your interest in Industrial Relationsis very specific and you must havedone some groundwork on this par-ticular area to know that you wantto actually specialise in IR.
You are quite right to say that alot of employers prefer candidateswith some experience in IR whenthey hire. This is because IR is a verychallenging and sensitive functionin any organisation which requiresextra care when choosing the rightperson for this job. The more experi-ence one has in handling IR issues,the higher the value of that person.On top of that, it’s not just qualifica-tion and experience employers arelooking for, but also the personality,character and aptitude of the candi-date that is critical in stepping intothe shoes of any IR role.
If you find yourself facing a road-block each time you try to apply foran IR role, don’t give up hope. Seekto improve yourself and deepenyour knowledge in the area of IR sothat it strengthens your resume andalso your confidence when goingfor interviews for any IR role. As youmentioned, you are considering get-
ting a certificate in IR, which I thinkis a good start. You can considerjust a Certificate in IR or considera Diploma in IR. Many of thesecourses are very practical in natureand involve a lot of industry expertsin the sharing of case studies andreal life situations. As you sign up toobtain your qualification in IR, youwill also be able to network with allthe IR corporate experts who deliveryour module. Many of the lecturersare practitioners themselves andthey might be a good source toseek jobs in the area of IR.
May I suggest that you lookup what Malaysian EmployersFederation (MEF) Academy has tooffer in terms of various certificatesand diploma in IR. Or you maycheck out any courses, trainingsand certification some colleges orUniversities offer.
Good luck!
ang Hui ming
n The opinions expressed are thoseof the authors and not necessarilythose of myStarjob.com
Qu
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on
Coming up in next Saturday’s issue . . .mystarjob.com, saturday 26 January 2013
Playing to win requires goodrisk assessment, a clear gameplan, and the ability toinspire. Read more inBe A Leader
Also next week
Group CEO of Stridec Creatives,sherman Foo talks about hisearly days’ struggles in Dare To Fail
The biggestmistakemanagersmake and how to fixit, in Consulting Corner
Top 10 shares howto break awayfrom the norm andstand outat work
backStabto
or not?and other properconductS in the office
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