Jorbb gets Jobs for You! Bringing Employers and Job Seekers updates on Singapore Employment News. Productivity related Tech Toys & Web 2.0 Sites will also be covered. Singapore's 1st freelance / casual / part time / contract job blog. Visit http://www.jorbb.com to join today!
There are a lot of people all over the world who would like to take a big step and make a career in a different land. Singapore which is job paradise for foreigners especially to Asian people would probably have seen million advertisements of businesses looking for skilled workers.
In a recent asiaone business news report, an online advertisement for a hotel sales executive excluded Filipinos from their manpower hunt. Specifically put in "Filipinos need not apply." Some reacted and even wrote in to clarify what’s going on.
The company who posted the advertisement said it was a "genuine oversight," though their spokesman declined to comment about it. After two days, that clause from the ad was changed to "Position open to Singaporeans and Singapore PRs only."
Now the question arises: Are there any legal guidelines for a fair employment?
Last 2006, Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices was built to promote fair employment in Singapore. The council stated that employers should "recruit and choose workers on the basis of merit like experiences and their skills or abilities to perform the given profession and regardless of their race, religion, disability or age."
In other online job portals like JobStreet.com, they filter advertisements according to job requirements such as educational attainments.
But the guidelines are there only to guide employers on how to attract applicants. In whatever medium of advertisement they choose, they still have the ownership on what to put and whats not to put on their ads.
We've been keeping it low for a while, but we have exciting news.
Final site testing is being conducted right now (this is our 4th round - and we keep adding features to Jorbb.com). We are hoping to wrap up middle next week and launch by the last weekend of July.
Thanks for your patience and don't forget to register your email for the lucky draw :p
Pssst, during the opening week, we're going to give away a "newly launched lifestyle companion" and a couple of PSP slims to some lucky registered users. More details later as the mystery product is not in the shops yet.
That's a comment from an expatriate on GeoExpat.com when discussing living in Singapore versus Hong Kong and many Singaporeans apparently agree. According to AsiaOne, they are being lured to work in Hong Kong by higher salaries, livelier business action and "grittiness". Singapore feels sterile to some.
10,000 Singaporeans live and work in Hong Kong in all business areas, feeling that more high-level business transactions take place there, allowing them to add more impressive projects to their CV. One of the reasons that Hong Kong is seen as more impressive place to work is it's proximity to China where business growth has been unprecendented.
Hong Kong's salaries are higher as well. Foreign workers from places like the US and UK seem to agree, although acknowledge that Singapore is a friendlier, safer place to live. They do note, however, that it is much more expensive to live in Singapore. Singaporeans from all different business sectors work in HK, including financial and IT and find they have more responsibility in HK than in Singapore. Singapore businesses, particularly in banking, are attempting sucessfully to close the salary gap between the two destinations.
Newsweek's recent article on Singapore's education system explored the government's new plan to incorporate more of a creativity and technology focus in education. Though Singaporeans are admired world-wide for their work ethic and strong educational emphasis, the traditional structure of S'pore's system may prevent growth in new industries like biotechnology or entertainment unless new steps are considered.
Singapore has notoriously high university entrance standards that may need to be relaxed in order to attract a broader variety of students. It's historically been so difficult to get into good schools that students have had to spend an enormous amount of time studying versus innovating, creating new businesses or engaging in the arts. Some of the city/state's traditional values will have to become more relaxed to encourage an entrepreneurial mindset among young people, encouraging more rebellious, creative thinking while still maintaining S'pore's strong ethical values.
Singapore's Education Minister recently spoke about some of the upcoming reforms in the university system and the government's desire to stay competitive when luring foreign students or trying to retain it's own citizens. S'pore's universities are in the top 100 in the world so maintaining this standard will be imperative. It is encouraging to see that the government realises that they need to maintain open thinking and groom innovative ideas to maintain Singapore's financial growth and world status in the years to come.
The Gallup organization has developed an educational program called StrengthsQuest to help identify and foster student's strengths versus shoring up their weaknesses. The program, and the accompanying book, provide resources for educators including seminars, curriculum outlines, guidebooks and Web forums.
The curriculum is currently in use at many schools including Texas Tech where survey information from 2007 and 2008 showed that most students agreed that the program was helpful in the following ways:
Booking a taxi will be a breeze from next Monday (July 21, 2008). Taxi commuters will just need to call one common number - 6342 5222 - or 6-DIAL CAB. The number will be routed to 3 companies, in a relay, if one does not pickup, it will try the next one, and then the next.
Update: MoFuse has stopped charging for Pro account so all accounts now get these features - Use a custom domain name for your mobile site Use your logo in your SMS widget Create up to 5 mobile sites (increased from 3) Receive 50 free SMS messages a month to promote your mobile site (increased from 10) - HOORAY!
Point your phone browser to http://m.jorbb.com and you can see that we've just enabled a mobile / iPhone version of Jorbb.com/blog.
This was done with a superb service MoFuse. As Mashable described, moFuse is an interface that’s designed rapidly deploy existing web apps as mobile applications. It will take your RSS feeds and compose it into a mobile / iPhone friendly layout.
It only took us 5 mins to get our mobile version up and running, try it on your own blog. They also have methods to monetize your mobile blog and they'll take 50% cut from your revenue.
Give our mobile blog and try and let us know what you think.
If you have an iPhone, send us a photo on how our site turned up on it.
There are many theories in the art of persuasion, particularly when it comes to sales. Consulative selling involves persuasive sales and there are some easy techniques to persuade someone to say "yes" to what it being offered.
1. Make sure you are exploring their real needs or desires. Don't just list features of a product or service. Find out what your customer is looking for so you can tailor the discussion around that.
2. Use the right questions. Build the discussion asking "what" or "how" questions (i.e. "what are you looking for in a new refrigerator" or "how do you think sales coaching will help you?")
3. Use stories or analogies to make the experience personal.
4. Use real testimonials. Tell them about the neighbor down the block who had a similar issue with insects, used your pest control service and had great (be specific) results. If you have a celebrity testimonial, even better!
5. Be sincere. Really try to help the customer find a solution. Don't just make the sale...build a relationship. Even if you lose this particular sale, if you are sincere and really attempt to help, the likelihood that the customer will seek out you, or at minimum, your company when they do have a genuine need (or pass the info on elsewhere) will improve dramatically.
"Experienced MIT Grad For Hire!" read 48-year-old Joshua Persky's advertisement as he paraded around midtown Manhattan, a key location for commercial banks and investment houses.
The Gazette reported that he has been out of work for six months and desperate to find a job, one innovative New Yorker donned his new power suit - a sandwich board - and hit the streets of Manhattan to lure potential employers.
The new Contact Singapore program, a joint venture between the Ministry of Manpower and Economic Development Board, is intended to raise awareness about all Singapore has to offer for investors and workers. This will hopefully attract new business to Singapore. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Mr Wong Kan Seng has noted that one of the things that has fueled Singapore's economic growth is it's exceptional talent pool of candidates.
The new Contact Singapore site features business news, information about relocating to Singapore, s talent spotlight and events calendar. The site is user-friendly and has some additional tools like e-cards, blogs, neighborhood highlights and more.
A 16-month study by women's rights group Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) on workplace sexual harassment in Singapore, has revealed that over half of 500 people surveyed say they had been sexually harassed at the workplace.
One in five was a man - some were harassed by other men.
Just what constitutes sexual harassment differs from society to society, but Aware said it is universally accepted that it is an unwanted and unwelcome act, distinct from flirting. Often, it happens repeatedly.
Harassment can be physical, verbal or visual, and can include unwelcome jokes, e-mail or text messages of a sexually explicit nature, being touched in a discomforting way and, in extreme cases, rape and assault.
On the lack of laws for sexual harassment here, the Government has said, while it is not an offence, victims may file reports with the Ministry of Manpower and the police. Offenders can still be nailed under the Penal Code for the more extreme forms of harassment, such as when they use criminal force.
Despite world economic concerns, Singapore's real estate market has been strong and, thus far, that continues to be true. It's estimated that housing prices will rise 5-10 per cent this year. Singapore has virtually no unemployment to speak of (2%) and for most of the real estate markets, this is contributing to stability. But luxury housing is an area of concern.
Bloomberg.com's Andy Mukherjee reports that the issue is counting on investors who usually seek out premium or "iconic" properties to invest in. Prices are down in this market and foreign investors are reducing the number of units they are buying. Additionally, rental yields are down which, again, inhibits investors from putting as much of their money into real estate in Singapore. There is concern that the need for foreign workers may stall which will directly impact rental returns.
The good news is that Singapore is still an attractive, vibrant place to live and invest in real estate. Loan rates are low, job opportunities high and as long as developers continue to build affordable housing, a real crisis can probably be averted.
So as part of a blog entry competition (good of Samsung to step onto the social media advertising bandwagon), here are my thoughts on the SamsungOmnia.
I visited CommunicAsia last month, and it was just after the iPhone 3G was announced by Jobs. Obviously, any new phones launched during CommunicAsia would be compared to the iPhone 3G.
Samsung, HTC and LG all displayed their latest phones in a big way. Having tested 3 phones, I would say the Omnia SH-i900 is getting very close to the iPhone BUT with its own character.
What stood out for me are: 1. Haptic Feedback - most iPhone users complain that it felt un-natural to press the touchscreen without any feedback. The Omnia slightly vibrates when a button is pressed. 2. Samsung Today screen which looks so much better than the default Windows Mobile Today screen. 3. Auto-rotate feature (I believe it uses the camera instead of an accelerometer), which auto-rotates your images etc when you rotate the phone. 4. It has every connectivity option you would need - 3G, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth, WiFi, GSM, EDGE. 5. Battery Life - Cnet Asia reviewed that their Omnia phone lasted 3 days under normal usage. Wow! 6. Suite of applications which make "working on the go" seamless - MS Office Compatibility, Push Email.
Being a "PDA" phone, it will easily integrate with your desktop/notebook multimedia files (videos, mp3 etc) and since it's running on Windows Mobile, syncing your existing Outlook contacts / emails / calendar / notes etc will be "one touch" and a breeze.
The Launch event video covers what the phone has to offer, as an alternative to the iPhone 3G.
For the past 2 years, the economy has been on the rise and there were many jobs created, benefiting both foreign and local workers in Singapore. A flourishing 236,000 jobs were created; lowering the overall unemployment rate to a 10-year low of 2.1 percent. However, the job market will be at moderate this year and the government may not be able to generate as many jobs as last year. But Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong is certain that there will still be jobs created for Singaporeans.
After hitting the highest record last year, they need to look at the quality of jobs being created and therefore will find alternative ways to produce new and better opportunities for Singaporeans. The bottom line is, they just need to maintain the momentum in order to lower and lessen the unemployment in Singapore.
During Mr. Gan’s interview with The Strait Times, he mentioned his manpower master plan:
First is to have a 'responsive and flexible' labour market. Since there are a lot of foreign workers in Singapore, the companies can access the skills that they need from the present local talents as well as foreign professionals. Therefore, minimizing job loss in bad times.
Second is to form a 'dynamic and forward-looking' environment. This emphasizes the skills training and upgrading of workforce.
Third is to build a ‘progressive and inclusive’ workforce. This incorporates enhancing the well-being of workers. Addressing and evaluating issues regarding health, safety as well as retirement income.
Apart from these, issues like retraing older workers, considering giving the low-income earners wage increase, and balance between foreign and local workers are also being addressed.
Virtual Assisting is a hot new "work from home" opportunity, promoted heavily by Tim Ferris' bestselling 4-Hour Work Week, the subject of a new e-book by Diana Ennen "Virtual Assistant: The Series" and one of the 15 Hottest Businesses for 2008, according to Entrepreneur magazine.
To be a great Virtual Assistant you need to:
Have a plan of action before you begin: write a business plan that covers things like advertising, pricing, business hours, equipment and supplies you'll need.
Choose an appealing and appropriate business name.
Invest in a great Web site, business cards and marketing materials to be taken seriously.
Be sure your computer equipment is properly upgraded.
Check into appropriate business licensing for your area.
Don't underprice your services! Take into account things like self-employment taxes, business expenses like paper and ink, association dues and time off. VA's in the United States typically charge up to $35/hr.
Try to find a niche market based on your interests and experience: medical, advertising/design, financial and gear your offerings to this group.
Stay current with business trends and continue to hone your skills and offerings.
Virtual Assistants are also called Virtual Professionals and are more in-demand than ever. With skyrocketing gas prices, work/life balance issues and the trend towards outsourcing, it can be a great career field if you lay the proper groundwork and deliver exceptional work!
In case you still have not registered, Unconference Singapore 2008 is on this Saturday at Biopolis, 1130am to 6pm. "Look out for cool new start-ups at the expo area, pitching sessions, an awesome keynote by Microsoft, break-out sessions and of course excessive networking!".
Here's the cool part - "A common event Tee unites the attendees; shows that you been to the event, with the coolness factor of the event tagged to the shirt itself.
This time we decided to take it up a notch, throw in that special personalized factor to the Tee, something that is “Un”common, probably done before but not during a Conference-styled event. We wanted to insert the “user generated” factor into every aspect of the unconference - from the breakout sessions all the way down to the freebie Tee-shirt you get! The post it you see on the back is basically your canvas. Feel free to vandalise. :)
It will be a blast seeing people actually using the Tee the way they should, and even more fascinating to see people doing it the way they shouldn’t! So come early, the Amazing Unconference Tee is not stocked in Amazing numbers!"
See you there. I'll be marking Jorbb.com on my Tshirt :p
App Store has just launched at around 6pm SG Time.
Steve Jobs told USA Today that the Apple App Store will launch with "more than 500" applications Thursday night for the iPhone and iPod touch. Of these, 25% will be free and 90% (of those for sale) will cost $9.99 or less. "This is the biggest launch of my career," said Jobs.
Analyst Tim Bajarin at Creative Strategies said, "When IBM introduced the PC, it was good, but it didn't take off until people started discovering the software." It's these apps then, he adds, that will "dramatically differentiates the iPhone" from Treos and BlackBerrys.
Indeed, while consumers are focused on the launch of the iPhone 3G device, it's the App Store which has analysts in such a tizzy.
@BrainOpera summarises - More than 500 iPhone applications at launch. 34% games (~160), 25% applications (~125) will be free, while 90% apps at $9.99 or less.
A Robert Half study indicates that Australia is not actively recruiting overseas and that Asian countries, including Singapore, are taking international recruiting more seriously. This despite the fact that more people are considering Australia as a potential relocation destination.
50 per cent of Singapore and Hong Kong businesses actively recruit overseas, compared to Australia's 23 per cent. The reasons for Australia lagging behind include a lack of understanding of the legal issues involved, lack of networking among industries, and difficulty obtaining the necessary work visas for workers.
However, there is realization that to continue economic growth, Australia will have to follow Asia's lead and start heavily recruiting globally. There are not enough qualified workers within the continent to meet hiring needs, especially for financial and accounting professionals and skilled tradespeople.
Despite 82% of companies having policies prohibiting personal Internet usage, a recent study shows that everyone, from executives to entry-level employees, is doing it. There is speculation that this is an attempt at work/life balance and many personal issues that employees don't have time to manage at home are being managed at work, though no specific studies have been done to this effect.
A study by Websense shows that 60% of companies have reprimanded employees for surfing the 'net at work, and more than 30% have fired employees for it. However, many of today's workers, accustomed to the Internet being a tool in their daily lives, consider access an employee perk and would risk employee engagement and satisfaction. Image Source Business Opportunities Follow Jorbb on Twitter, Friendfeed and Facebook Group.
Lim Swee Say, the Secretary General of Singapore’s National Union, mentioned that if other countries will open its door to foreign workers it wouldn’t only fill the gaps in employment but it will also structure their countries economic stability especially in the business community.
He compared Singapore to Denmark, wherein both are nearing full employment but Singapore still hires workers from abroad, and that made the economy grew by 7.5 percent last year compared to Denmark’s 1.3 percent.
Hiring foreign workers is a big help whether it’s skilled or professionals because they can add up to those talented people that the country already has.
