By Yen Joon

August 17, 2015 0

Why Frequenting The Office Restroom Might Be Bad For You

Image credit: polkadotribbeaux.wordpress.com

What goes in, must come out. The restroom/Holy Grail/zen area – whichever way you call it, the time you spend in it is arguably one of the few times when you can have some privacy as well as the luxury of taking your time to do your business.

At work, it’s no different; we spend the majority of our time at work so it’s not unusual that we spend more time at the office restroom than the one at home. The only difference is that unlike the one at your house, you share it with more people.

However, if you happen to be one of those few people who spend more time in the restroom more than others at work, chances are you might get some unwanted attention:

Your colleagues might be fussy about it

You might have a bowel condition or a bladder problem and you can’t help it so that’s understandable, but you colleagues might not be able to relate to your condition and they’ll soon be conjuring several hypothesis about you and your close association with the restroom. They might complain about “holding it” a little longer because of the aroma that you’ve just so ever kindly left in the rest room after your little business. As a consequence, your relationship with your colleagues might be affected.

Your colleagues will be like "10 things I hate about you". (Image credit: onemetal.com" — Your colleagues be like “10 things I hate about you”. (Image credit: onemetal.com”

Your boss might think that you’re lazy

Your boss might likely be the first person who notices this peculiar behavior as well as the first person to voice out. He/she might think that you’re just using the restroom as an excuse for slacking off from work and that you’re not actually doing your business but sleeping or playing games on your mobile – which could tarnish your reputation.

The cleaner might not appreciate it

Unless if you’re a responsible person who cleans up your mess (and that’s a big if), some other unfortunate soul would have to clean up your abomination, which most likely the cleaner that comes in once a week. Say goodbye to making friends with him/her because your artistic artwork in the restroom will be a nightmare for him/her.

Can you guess why she's one of the most powerful woman in the world? (Image credit: voont.com) — Can you guess why she’s one of the most powerful woman in the world? (Image credit: voont.com)

Your truly have a condition

If you find the urge to visit the restroom frequently then you should seriously consult your doctor as it could be serious. If you feel the urge to pee frequently then it could be that you’ve some problems with your bladder or kidney.

For males, it could be a possible warning sign to prostrate problems. Likewise, bowel problems might reflect a poor digestive system, diet or lifestyle.

You’ll be an urban legend and have several pseudonyms

Your regular visits to the restroom will most likely the subject of gossip during breaks or gatherings. Your story will begin with “legend says that…”, stories about you (whether true or not) will suffice, your colleagues will formulate different hypothesis and theories about you and you’ll be a target for jokes. On top of that, you’ll be associated with pseudonyms like “crappy boy”, “the artist” and “A river runs through it” and get weird stares around at the office.

In the end, it’s nothing to be ashamed of

We’re all humans, so there would be a point in time where we need to go do our business, whatever the circumstances. But of course it’s not just strictly just for that purpose, we all use the restroom for different purposes, such as freshening up before heading for an important meeting, cleaning coffee stains on our pants, retouching makeups or even to making private phone calls.

If you happen to know someone who has a condition then you shouldn’t make fun of him/her because you’re not in the position to judge them because we’re not in their position. Besides, if you’re reading this at work then you’re already guilty as you should be working, not reading about weird articles!

By Yen Joon

August 11, 2015 0

What To Avoid In Your Professional Email

“The Internet’s not written in pencil, Mark, it’s written in ink.” – The Social Network

In this digital era, virtually everything that we’re doing resolved into digitization and your work place is not different. Emails have become the conventional form of communication so you must remember to remain professional at all times as it reflects you as a person,especially in the corporate world.

However, it’s still baffling that people tend to undermine and overlook certain fundamental aspects that are obvious mistakes in everyday emails. So without further ado, below are things to avoid in your professional Email:

Unprofessional and atrocious sounding Email address

Granted, you may be the biggest Pokémon fan out there and you’re proud of showing who you are, but in the working world, sam_thecharmander@xxxmail.com sounds downright unprofessional not to mention childish. You should also avoid using an Email address that is too confusing because you don’t want to confuse people when they need to send important documents to you. Revert instead to a clear and direct Email address. Your full name or your surname like johndoe@xxxmail.com or angelo_michael@xxxmail.com would be prime examples.

To laugh, or to cry? That is the question. (Image credit: fanpop.com)

Fonts that are too colorful or too ambiguous

Unless if it’s related to things like logo designing, you should probably avoid doing this because it’s just an atrocious idea not to mention it will look like you’re writing a proposal for a children’s playbook instead. And if you’re sending the same email to a number of people, then you’re just amplifying the damage done. Fonts should be simple and clear and most crucially, black in color.

Not proofreading for any grammar or spelling errors

I can’t emphasize enough the importance of checking for mistakes before sending them because it’s a manifestation of your image and personality as it will directly translate that you’re someone careless, lazy and neglectful among other negative things. These days emails come with AutoCorrect to assist you from misspelling words or that extra spacing but if you are still unclear, you could always Google. Remember you don’t want your important clients, your boss or the rest of your colleagues to notice that you incorrectly spelt certain words when you could’ve prevented that embarrassment in the first place.

Informal abbreviations, acronyms, slang, jargon and language

Even though it may be a simple Email, you should still avoid using the likes of LOL, ROFL, NVM, OMG, XOXO, U, RITE and BTW among others as you’re not writing this to send to your close friends or people that you know on your social media accounts. Use a language that sounds professional and that everyone understands like thanks and hello instead of yo, what’s up and lah.

An unprofessional photo

A picture is worth a thousand words as they say, so you don’t want those thousand words about you to be negative. Don’t use a photo of you that was taken at a bar, with your red, intoxicated face and sweat marks under your arms, a selfie photo with duck-lips expression or a photo that’s too small among others as it will send the wrong image of you. Instead use a photo that makes you look like you’re a professional and if your budget allow it, get a professional photographer to take a photo for you.

No duck lips. (Image credit: cdninstagram.com)

How your photo should look like. (Image credit: incomediary.com)

Tonality

If you’re upset and you’re expressing your anger and disappointment in words, then it’s advisable that you step away from your keyboard and take a breather. Venting your anger sounds unprofessional plus you will be painted as someone who’s short-tempered and irrational and you will only regret it later for not thinking it through. Try to put your thoughts into words that will clearly illustrate your points without offending someone because once you hit the send button, you can never change the contents of it.

By Yen Joon

August 10, 2015 0

Signs That You’re Unpopular At Work

Humans are by nature, social creatures – a fact that Socrates seems to agree. We work together as a society, divide our labor and acquire knowledge from other human beings.

On the other hand, not everyone is a social butterfly; some of us have difficulty in socializing with others as seamlessly, and that includes at the workplace. So without further ado, we present the signs that you’re the black sheep at work:

You have trouble having a conversation for even a few seconds

You’re in the pantry making a cup of coffee and in walks a colleague or superior of yours. The best thing that your brain can think of are: a) conjuring a forceful and confusing half-smile (that resembles more like you’re battling constipation) followed quickly by b) getting the heck out of there as soon as you can before those cliché and awkward “how was your weekend” or “how are you doing” conversations begins.

You also find yourself having robotic, one-dimensional and close-ended answers/questions and usually ends with an awkward “I would like to talk more about this, but I’ve gotta get back to work” closing or either one of you leaving gingerly.

Jane? Kimberly? Tim, Kumar….or is it Peter?

Getting someone’s name right is hugely pivotal as it makes us feel respected and significant because it acknowledges that at least that someone makes an effort to remember us, despite some of us may have names that are longer and sound more foreign than even the most complex chemical terms.

However, if nobody seems to remember your name or you’re often mistaken with the wrong person or have to constantly correct people because they’ve wrongly pronounced your name, then chances are you are without any reasonable doubt, probably irrelevant, especially when everyone can remember Jimmy the janitor but not yours.

And you’ve been there since like, in the 19th century.

You don’t join/get invited to company events

You don’t find yourself socializing or hanging out much with your colleagues and you don’t seem particularly interested to join company events as you rather spend your time playing Dungeons & Dragons or reading a book. Perhaps even more sadly for you, you don’t even get an invitation to company events – which means that you are so obsolete that your colleagues even forgot to include you in the list.

More crushingly for you, you see Jimmy the janitor tagged on Facebook in the group photo at a company event – posing with the others.

People either seem perplexed to see you or don’t seem to notice you

If you’re in the pantry making a cup of coffee and yet still manage to ignite a small talk for a few seconds or a couple of minutes, then you’re doing fine because at least you’re not invisible. But some of you might experience being ignored as if that you’re made out of thin air that they can walk through, or see the confused faces of colleagues as you enter the office as if you look like Chewbacca dressed in a Kimono.

You have lunch alone

You spend your lunch eating alone sitting on a bench at a park feeding pigeons. When you eat at the office it’s always at a secluded area when no other living soul could be seen.

Your invites to have lunch together are always almost rebuffed and your visits to a restaurant during lunch hours are usually greeted with “table for one sir/miss?” followed by a wry smile from the waiter.

Your opinions are not considered

You have a feasible solution for the problem that is currently at hand but no one seems to take your ideas seriously as there are always seen as superficial or not “in line with the company”. Your ideas are also always rejected more often than you can remember.

There are cricket sounds during coffee breaks

A coffee break with a group is a sacred practice that is usually a slot to socialize among fellow colleagues which usually leads to interesting conversations – even with people who you hardly speak to at work.

But if there’s an awkward silence during coffee breaks when you’re around and your fellow colleague prefers to play Angry Birds on their phone than starting a conversation, then you know that even that something as sacred as that doesn’t apply to you.

However, it’s okay to be different because not everyone can belong to a particular social group. If you happen to be different then you should be proud and learn to accept this because at least you’re different and original and not the archetypal or the exact template of people around you.

If you have confidence issues, then you could attend workshops to build your confidence or if that doesn’t work, you could always be a little honest to your colleagues and tell them how you feel. If they can’t accept that, then don’t be devastated either, don’t spread rumors about your colleagues and just be yourself because your unique personality will eventually attract others just like you.

By Yen Joon

August 7, 2015 0

6 Ways To Exceed Expectations In Your New Job

A new job, a new beginning as they say. But if you’re reading this then there are two likely possibilities: 1) this will your first job or 2) you’re starting a new job.

If you’re landing your first job then congratulations! you’re now officially a member of the workforce and we wish you a long and successful career in the corporate world.

If you’re starting your new job, then congratulations as well! you’ve left your old and mundane desk job from staring at the computer and sitting the whole day, to work in a new organization with a desk job that requires you to stare at the computer the whole day (yippee!).

Anyway, whether you’re a fresh graduate or if you’ve already had working experiences under your belt, chances are you’ll want to impress and repay the faith of your new bosses to vindicate their decision for selecting you instead of the other unfortunate candidates. So here are 6 ways for you to exceed expectations into your new job:

1. Prove that you’re independent and reliable

You were hired so that the company can rely on someone to get ease the work load and get the job done, if your presence only increases their workload instead of easing them then why would they spend considerable amount of resources and time to bring you in right? Be aware of your surroundings and attentive to your job, there’s always something that you can do even whether it’s improving something or something that needs improving.

Be confident and prove that you can handle things on your own. If a customer calls in and complains about something, you would want to prove that you can single-handedly handle the situation the right way without assistance. So do what you’re hired to do and convince you superiors that you’re the right person for the job.

2. Take the initiative to understand your job better

If you are tasked to write about farm animals but the only knowledge you have about farm animals are those who end up in your breakfast plate and in your stomach (in other words, you’re clueless), how could you possibly write about farm animals other than how to eat them? Here’s when our friend Google comes in handy. You’ll need to research assiduously about what you’ll need to do. Just don’t plagiarize as you don’t want to end up in a sticky situation.

Who what where? I swear I’ve never seen that article before!

Alternatively, you could also do your research from other sources other than the internet such as books or even just by asking around. Your ability to shine in your job largely depends on your desire and motivation to learn about the ins and outs of your job, how everything functions and what you can do to perform better.

At the end of the day, your initiative will illustrate that you take your job seriously and that you always give your best to understand your job – which will delight your superiors. If your knowledge about farm animals have become so profound to the point that you breathe farm animals, then good job lad, this one’s for you *raises glass*.

3. Do more than you’re expected to do

In this competitive age, specializing in one specific role is fast becoming extinct. These days, multi-tasking and diverging into different roles has become so significant that it is a norm, even for fresh graduates. What you would want to do therefore, is to show that you can handle different roles from time to time. If your quota is to write 5 articles a day, make it 6 or 7.

If your boss expects you to write a report, make it the best damn report that his or her eyes will ever lay on because this is your chance to impress them that you deserve this job. Just don’t overdo it as you’re not a robot. Even Superman can’t do everything every time.

Jesus H. Christ, what is it now? you want me to mail those kitty postcards? "help" you with the Anderson report? (Image credit: zimbio.com) — What is it now? you want me to mail more kitty postcards? “Help” you file the Anderson report? Please tell me you’re not asking me to hold hands and sing *Kumbaya* together (Image credit: zimbio.com)

4. Help out in the office

It’s not a requirement to do everything outside of your job scope but if you happen to see your department or your superiors with their hands full, don’t be crass and just leave them to their misery, instead try your best to help them whether it’s something simple like sending an email or giving them plausible suggestions to a problem that they’re stressing over as it would help them in some way even if it’s only marginally. They will likely be appreciative and thankful for your help, that way you’ll convince your boss that hiring you was the best decision he or she has ever made.

5. Don’t stop asking questions

You’re bound to be lost at the beginning of your job as no one expects you to know everything on your first few months let alone your first few days or weeks.

So in order to understand more about your job, environment and colleagues a little more, the best way to do it is through asking. Think about it, if we didn’t stop asking questions, how did we find the answer for our problems?

If primitive humans didn’t wondered how to communicate with a bunch of barnacle heads, you would’ve have trouble understanding this article let alone reading this because language wouldn’t have existed. If we never wondered “how can I get pizza without leaving the house?” societies would’ve never know the luxury of eating Domino’s Pizza in the comfort of their homes.

It’s okay to be asking questions when you need it and don’t be intimidated by it, because you’ll be surprised how greatly it’ll help everyone especially yourself, as your questions might help them solidify what they’ve already understand and you’ll spare yourself from potential embarrassment for wrongly calling Bill as John and calling John as Bill. Remember folks, learning never stops!

6. Be productive!

Fine, you’ve finished your work for the day and sure, it’s okay to check your social media accounts every now and then or read something interesting online to unwind, but don’t take advantage of this by spending 5 hours of your working time watching Game of Thrones, Grey’s Anatomy or Better Call Saul, instead use your spare time to learn something in areas that you feel that you lack in.

Unfamiliar with Excel or writing a proper email? Utilize this time to read or watch tutorial videos online. The point is that you should do something productive to keep yourself occupied because if you want to come to the office to watch PewDiePie videos, then you might as well stay at home to spare the rest of us in the office from your obnoxious laughter.

By Yen Joon

August 6, 2015 0

The Difference Between Working In A MNC And A SME

Whether if you’re a fresh graduate seeking your first job or if you’re someone who is seeking employment in an organization with a different structure, deciding among MNCs and SMEs would probably be one of the many choices that you will make in your life. There are clear distinct differences between SME’s and MNC and depending on what kind of experience that you are seeking, may just be alluring to you.

First off, what are SMEs and MNCs?

According to businessdictionary.com, a multinational corporation (MNC) is “an enterprise operating in several countries but managed in one (home) country.” A small and medium enterprise (SME) meanwhile, generally varies from country to country in terms of their classification. According to techgadget.com, a SME in the United States it is “a convenient term for segmenting business and other organization that are somewhere between the small office-home office (SOHO) size and the larger enterprise” , while it is defined by the European Union as “an independent company with no more than 500 employees”.

In Malaysia, a SME in the manufacturing sector “has a turnover sales not exceeding RM50 million or full time employees not exceeding 200 workers” while a business in the service and other sectors “must either have a sales turnover not exceeding than RM20 million or full-time employees not exceeding 75 workers.” A mouthful of definition I know, but in short, MNC’s are technically the well-established giant conglomerates that operate in more than two nations and have high turnover rates such as Toyota, Pepsi, Sony, Intel and Google while SME’s are often smaller with limited assets, smaller amount of employees and are more niche and centralized in local markets.

So now that we’ve got that clear, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty to see how they defer:

Salary

It’s a no brainer which type of organization will offer you better salary. MNC’s can offer you a good steady and lucrative income while SME’s might struggle to compete what MNC’s can offer you. No competition here.

Job scope and working standards

In a MNC, your job scope is much more clearly defined and concentrated. An individual who specializes in content will strictly focus in his or her particular area and a person who is responsible in coding will concentrate on coding, this way workloads are shared as everyone will perform their specific roles efficiently and effectively. You will be surrounded by top professionals to ensure top notch standards are meet. Also, because tons of employees are executing the same role as you, competition is much more vigorous.

In a SME on the other hand, you will be required to juggle between certain roles, have to multitask and you’ll have the opportunity to explore different roles. Because you’ll most likely need to be involved in different departments such as marketing and design, your workload will unequivocally increase. On the bright side, your skills set will without a doubt broaden as you’ll know a little bit of everything. Heck, you might even discover new skills that were previously unknown to you.

When it’s that time to work with Jane from the marketing department again. (Image credit: imgur.com)

Work Culture

MNCs have years and years of tried and tested operating procedures so they are already well structured and organized. Things are rationalized in black and white and justified in every manner. For example, there is a certain hierarchy of order where someone would be in charge of their respective departments and that person will also be who you’ll report to. However, because of its structure, office politics tend to be more prone.

SMEs have a more open work culture; things are not as pragmatic and certainly more informal, leading to a more close knit, cohesive and communicative group. Building interpersonal relationships in SMEs are also much easier to establish as you’ll work closely with the same team day in, day out.

Prestige

Working at a well-known and prestigious multinational corporation will most definitely make you proud. Their strong brand names are well known across the world and your position within the organization is the quintessential job of what millions aspire to be. Contrary to that, SMEs are more relatively unknown and understandably, has much lesser appeal.

Career opportunities and other perks

Your chances of being hired after spending some time working at MNCs are much higher as it will boost your portfolio and CV tremendously. Let’s put it this way, would you hire someone who has previously worked at Toshiba for years or would you rather take someone who has the same number of years of experience but works for a relatively unknown organization? It’s not rocket science who will get the nod ahead.

Being as large as it is, you will have a ton of benefits working at MNCs such as access to their facilities and employee benefits. For example, if you are an employee of Singapore Airlines, you will have discounted flight tickets, have access to their facilities and you get to stay in world-class hotels, all paid by the organization!

So this is what it feels like to have employee benefits at a MNC eh? (Image credit: nextimpulsesports.com)

So which is better, SME or MNC?

This differs greatly from each individual; if stability, remuneration, prestige, credibility and working purely in your field matters to you, then MNCs would be more appealing to you. However if you have the mentality to learn things that are beyond your department, you don’t mind your having your remuneration diluted and if you are fine in getting your hands involved in jobs that are not in your field then SMEs will definitely benefit you in the long run. At the end of the day, there is no right or wrong career path, it’s what kind of environment and tangible factors that interest you.

By Yen Joon

August 5, 2015 0

Is Mulling Over What To Wear At Work Important?

Let’s face it, the majority of us spend a considerably large amount of time mulling over what to wear to work because we want to dress to impress, we want to show who we are and most importantly, we want to feel comfortable in what we wear. Our fondness to look like celebrities has given us this insatiable hunger to look impeccable that we waste so much time and money on clothes that we don’t even need while at the same time, we allow our materialistic desire to overpower us and let ourselves be dictated by materials. Does it ultimately matter if you wore that expensive dress you’ve just bought with your hard-earned money instead of something more simplistic but less aesthetic?

If you’ve watched the Indian film 3 idiots, then you would most likely remember Viru “Virus” Sahastrabuddhe (played by Boman Irani) philosophies on life – striving for excellence, constantly competing for being no.1 in everything and more memorably, not wasting his energy in trivial matters such as shaving and wearing a tie (his tie has hooks to avoid time wasting and he has a personal assistant to specifically shave his beard during his afternoon naps). Furthermore, he is almost always wearing the same clothes over and over again, so that he can concentrate on important matters instead of sweating on what to wear.

Mark Zuckerberg – billionaire, Harvard dropout, genius, entrepreneur. But fashion icon? A distant no. Unless you live in a cave, he runs Facebook – the biggest social networking website in the world. His trademark outfit – hoodie with grey t-shirt and jeans, a style that has become synonymous with him, have always pondered people why one of the youngest billionaire in the world is not parading around in his expensive suits and custom-made designer clothes.

What do you mean whether if i change my clothes? Aren't we born with grey shirts? (Image credit: pedestrian.tv) — What do you mean whether if i ever change my clothes? Aren’t we born with grey shirts? (Image credit: pedestrian.tv)

Try to find a photo of the late Steve Jobs in anything but his trademark black turtleneck and jeans, and chances are that the probability of you winning a lottery ticket or getting struck by lightning is higher (which is 1 in 3 million by the way).

Yahooo!!! I'm rich! I'm never taking the subway again! (Image credit: bobmaconbusiness.com) — Yahooo!!! I’m rich! I’m never taking the LRT again! (Image credit: bobmaconbusiness.com)

The president of the most powerful country in the world, Barrack Obama is also always almost seen wearing either grey or blue suits that it might not be surprising if he was born with them.

So this begs the question, why don’t most successful people not waste too much time on stressing what to wear?

Because it interferes with their willpower in decision making, which is a valid psychological condition known as decision fatigue, according to social psychologist Roy Baumeister of Florida State University.

“Making decisions uses the very same willpower that you use to say no to doughnuts, drugs or illicit sex,” Baumeister says. “It’s the same willpower that you use to be polite or to wait your turn or to drag yourself out of bed or to hold off going to the bathroom. Your ability to make the right investment or hiring decision may be reduced simply because you expended some of your willpower earlier when you held your tongue in response to someone’s offensive remark or when you exerted yourself to get to the meeting on time.”

Zuckerberg’s reasoning on why he is always seen in the same clothes vindicates Baumeister’s explanation.

“I really want to clear my life to make it so that I have to make as few decisions as possible about anything except how to best serve this community,” Zuckerberg said, an answer that everyone can nod in agreement.

“I’m in this really lucky position, where I get to wake up every day and help serve more than a billion people. And I feel like I’m not doing my job if I spend any of my energy on things that are silly or frivolous about my life.”

Obama too, has a clear explanation to his attire, as he told Vanity Fair.

“You’ll see I wear only grey or blue suits” Obama said.

“I’m trying to pare down decisions. I don’t want to make decisions about what I’m eating or wearing. Because I have too many other decisions to make.”

Say tan suit again, I dare you, I double dare you barnacle heads, say tan suit one more time! (Image credit: talkingpointsmemo.com) — Say tan suit again, I dare you, I double dare you, you barnacle heads, say tan suit one more time! (Image credit: talkingpointsmemo.com)

Of course, it is inevitable that certain companies require you to dress smartly or at the very least, look presentable. True, it also depends on the nature of the job, such as an insurance agent or a doctor; but the point is that you shouldn’t waste time on deciding what to wear and harbor to look like an Italian model, but to take a more pragmatic approach because think about it, is it worth your time losing your hair over a simple situation on what choice of clothes to wear to work?

Workstation for the slipper fan club (Image credit: woman.thenest.com)

So the next time you find yourself stressing over what to wear for work, don’t sweat it. This writer is not implying that you should go out and order 20 sets of the same outfits, or that you should wear in flip-flops when meeting an important client, or show up in a Gap sweatshirt instead of a black robe to a court room, but that all that energy and time should be spent on being more productive and reserved for making important decisions instead of mulling what to wear at work every day because at the end of the day, it’s much more gratifying to get “a job well done” than having a few creeps at work with the kooky look on their faces staring at you.

By Yen Joon

August 5, 2015 0

5 Lessons We Can Learn From Tony Stark A.K.A Iron Man

It’s been 7 years since Iron Man was released in theaters, so in honor of the movie that reignited the passion and faith of nerds globally as well as a new breed of Marvel fan boys and girls (which mysteriously increased substantially), here are 5 things that we can learn from the self-proclaimed genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist himself:

Take whole responsibility for your mistakes and rectify them

Granted, he may be amusing, entertaining and even an inspiration to some, but not everyone is a member of the Tony Stark fan club. He’s a repulsive, narcissistic, egoistic and downright conceited person or superhuman, depending on how you define him.

However, one cannot disagree that he’s dead serious when it comes to taking full blame for his mistakes and equally responsible in taking measures to solve the problem (or problems) at hand to prevent collateral damage.

When he discovered that the weapons he built to protect his country against the bad guys were actually supplied and funded by Stark Industries (his company) to other countries as weapons of mass destruction, Tony Stark took the liberty of protecting people from his own weapons and his company.

How? Well only by building the coolest and toughest armored and combat suit in this planet, which uses renewable and clean energy from the mini arc reactor in his chest, thus ensuring that no one else can own or operate his technology, including the United States government.

How it is relevant: A good and responsible leader admits their mistakes and is willing to forgo their ego in order to be accountable and will look for a plausible solution instead of pointing the finger at others.

Have a plan B and C as well as contingency plans

In The Avengers, when the Hulk went rampage in the Helicarrier that consisted of hundreds of people on board – a subterfuge scheme by Loki, he nearly destroyed it from the inside out.

Realizing this threat, Tony Stark (with the help from the Hulk’s alter ego Bruce Banner) created the Hulkbuster armor to combat the hulk in the event that Hulk goes rampage to wreak havoc again. True enough, his investments and prediction came true and he had a backup plan to combat the threat of the Hulk when the time came in Age Of Ultron.

Although the both of them caused massive destruction and damages, the situation would’ve been much worse if an out of control Hulk was given free-reign to wreak havoc on helpless people and there was no Hulkbuster around to stop him.

How it is relevant: Plan, plan, plan. It’s not a safe route if you have no backup plan in case of emergency or when you are in a sticky situation, especially if you’re an entrepreneur or you if run a business of your own. Foreseeing what might happen in the future and having alternative steps is an incredible trait to have in a leader, it means that he or she has the foresight to look beyond, understands the patterns of the market, and is always planning for the future.

Set aside your differences to work together

It can be incredibly difficult to work in a team, especially in one made full of egos and big personalities. Tony Stark thought he was the thing. But when a bigger threat came to the horizon, he had to put aside his ego and conceited behavior to work together in a team that consisted of big personalities of different strengths and weaknesses such as Captain America, Thor and Scarlett Witch.

Though he initially did not get along well with some members of the team, in the end, he understood that if he did not lend them his cooperation, the situation would never be resolved and their constant arguments with each other will lead to a dead end. When they worked together, they were flawless and rocked as an unstoppable team, surprising even the titan being, Thanos.

How it is relevant: Putting aside differences and working together as a unit will accomplish incredible things instead of passively arguing and struggling for supremacy to decide who gets the bigger cheese. Working together is not as easy at seems because it means that you’ll need to accept that someone might be even better or worse than you at certain areas whether it may be creativity, experience, knowledge or idealism. What’s important though is what you can bring to the table, and what are you willing to do achieve the team’s goal.

Trust your guts and believe in yourself

“You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs

Tony excels at doing what he does best because he believes in what he does. Each of his suit is an improvement from the one before it. He never listened to skepticism even from those who are close to him, and never allowed anyone else pull him down.

He carried a nuclear warhead all by his own despite of the risk because he knew what he was doing, he didn’t adhere when he was told by various people including the government to hand over his technology. Instead he stood his ground because he knew the potential damage it would bring if his suits were to be weaponized.

How it is relevant: Self-confidence and self-belief can go a long way. If you don’t even believe in your own vision or ideals, you can’t expect others to believe in you.

Work with available resources, be adaptable

A metal arc reactor in his chest, held as a prisoner in a cave by terrorists and forced to build weapons of mass destruction. But that did not deter Tony’s endeavor and persistence to build a suit of armor to allow him and Yinsen (the doctor who saved him) to escape, and more remarkably, did all these with both limited time and available resources.

“Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave! With a box of scraps!” – Obadiah Stane to his scientist on his inability to replicate Stark’s technology

When his intention to save the world through the Ultron global defense program backfired horribly (which lead to the accidental creation of Ultron) what did he do? He reprogrammed and reconfigured the Vision as the solution to Ultron.

With only limited power supply and a heavily damaged armor, Tony managed to go against the odds against Obadiah Stane’s and his new powered armor by overwhelming and outsmarting him.

In Iron Man 3, he had to survive an attack by soldiers subjected with the Extremis virus as well as using common items to create weapons such as a nailgun and a taser to infiltrate The Mandarin’s house.

How it is relevant: adaptability is key when you need to survive. You need to work on your strengths as well as using your weaknesses to turn it into leverage.

By Yen Joon

August 5, 2015 0

7 Famous Career Changes

Oyster shucker to comedian, lawyer to singer.

Ever feel like you’re stuck in the wrong career and not living up to your full potential? Well you’re not alone. While leaving your job and all you know behind can be scary, but sometimes taking that risk can be worth it. And, sometimes you’ve just got to stick to your guns and go for it.

As it’s been said – you can either choose to build your dream or help someone else build theirs!

Key word to remember – ‘CHOOSE’

Always, always make a choice and follow through with dedication.

For your reading pleasure, we’re featuring 7 amazing personalities who’ve done just that!

7 Famous Career Changes

1.Ellen Degeneres
Well known all over the world for her daytime talk show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, Ellen started out as a paralegal and moved on to doing odd jobs including oyster shucking, house painting and bartending. She then started doing stand up at small clubs and coffee houses. She gained popularity and momentum from there and now she’s on everyone’s television screens.

2. Julia Child

This American chef, author and television personality had a very secret early life. Until the age of 36, Julia Child worked as a CIA intelligence officer. She started out as a research assistant during the second world war after finding out that she was too tall to be enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps (WACs). She always fondly recalled her first french meal which was when she realized her true calling. She went to culinary school afterwards to begin her delicious journey.

3. Andrea Bocelli

Andrea Bocelli is a world renowned classical tenor, recording artist and singer-songwriter. He became blind at the young age of 12 following a football accident and his history with glaucoma. After school, he went on to study law. To earn some money while studying, he performed at piano bars. He finished law school and spent one year as a court-appointed lawyer. After that, he quit his job to sing full-time.

4. Brad Pitt

Before he was Tyler Durden in Fight Club or Benjamin Button, this multi-award winning actor and producer started out as a mere limo driver for strippers in California. He also had to dress up as a giant chicken for an “El Pollo Loco” restaurant and wave at passing cars. He continued to work odd jobs while taking acting lessons. He started acting in small uncredited roles and eventually got his first leading role in 1988’s The Dark Side of the Sun followed by roles in True Romance, Interview With The Vampire, 12 Monkeys, Seven and the Ocean’s trilogy among others.

5. Elvis Presley

Over the years, Elvis has become a household name as one of the best-selling artists of all time, even after his death! However, in 1954 he got fired after just one performance. The manager who fired him told him that he was going nowhere with singing and should just go back to driving a truck.

6. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar

He is the richest Bumiputra corporate figure in Malaysia. According to Forbes, he has a net worth estimated to be US$3.30 billion, making him the 7th richest Malaysian. He started out helping his father breed cows. The cow breeding business crumbled after the foot and mouth disease. Still, he took over the business and started over by selling meats. He then moved on to rice trading. Slowly but surely, he expanded and diversified. Today his business empire has grown into areas which include transportation and logistics, plantations, property development, defense and armory as well as engineering and power generation.

7. Tan Sri Dato’ Loh Boon Siew

More affectionately known as Mr Honda, this Penangite tycoon became the first sole distributor of Honda motorcycles here in Malaysia. He went from shovelling pig dung to make fuel as a child to fixing cars as a teenager. He also washed buses at night for a mere 10 cents per bus. When he was only 18 years old, he bought 11 buses with his savings. He made quite a profit after reselling them. His money was confiscated by the Japanese during World War 2. After World War 2, he started selling bicycles, tires, and motorcycle accessories. He soon expanded his business to used cars, transports and buses, and property development (in the 50s). After the rise in popularity of the Honda Super Cub, he arranged for a meeting with its creator, Mr Soichiro Honda. Soon after, the first Malaysian Honda showroom was set up in Penang.

(This article was written by Jessica Divakaran)

By Yen Joon

August 5, 2015 0

Top 5 Don’ts At Work

So, now you’ve got that job you always wanted. Congratulations on acing the interview, but don’t stop there. Get ahead at your job by avoiding potential career sabotage and being a model employee. So to give you a headstart at that new job you landed or perhaps you just need a change at work, we present to you:

Top 5 Don’ts At Work:

1. Stealing

Sure, your office is full of office supplies that could never possibly run out. Nobody is going to miss this stack of printer paper, right? Wrong! Stealing is a big deal in the workplace, those supplies are there for work-related purposes and not as your own emergency stationery stash. If you’re still not worried about the ethics of stealing office supplies, remember stealing is illegal. Not only are you putting your job on the line, you could get charged. Are those ballpoint pens really worth it?

2. Doing your own thing

Everyone needs a timeout from work sometimes, be it a smoke break or a 5 minute scroll through Instagram. However, spending the entire day on personal phone calls is a definite faux-pas. Be responsible with your breaks! Don’t be that person whose phone buzzes the entire day. We know, the office has better internet connection but maybe you shouldn’t be downloading the last season of Game of Thrones when you’re supposed to be working on that report?

3. Bare minimum dressing

Every office has its own dress code. Loads of places now encourage dressing for comfort but that doesn’t mean you go all out and wear your dinosaur onesie to work. If your office is a “tee shirt and jeans” kind of place, smart casual works best. You’re dressing for work, not an eight hour Netflix binge session. Of course, if the dress code is formal, stick to formal! It’s always best to be overdressed than underdressed in situations like these.

4. Talking too much or too little

Saying good morning to your coworkers is good. Chatting their ears off throughout the day is not. You want to be friendly and approachable but you don’t want to be that guy or girl that just incessantly talks. DO smile and greet others, even if you’re having a bad day.

5. Giving excuses and blame shoving

So, you couldn’t meet your deadlines. Own up to it and give your superiors a more realistic deadline that you know you can meet. Do not bring in how your sick child was taking up all your time and the one girl from administration didn’t give you information when she said she would. Not only is this behavior extremely childish but it also shows that you lack professionalism and just illustrates that you can’t really handle the challenges of your job. Be an adult, own up to your mistakes and do better.

Hopefully with these tips, you’ll avoid some missteps while climbing that corporate ladder. Got any of your own tips or experiences to share with us? Leave us a comment!

(This article was written by Jessica Divakaran for referjobs.my)

By Yen Joon

August 5, 2015 0

How To Seal The Deal On Your Next Job Interview

It’s rare to find two words in the English Language that sound better than this (Image Credit: businessbecause.com)

It’s only natural to feel nervous before a job interview no matter how many times you’ve had to attend one. No matter how much of a fit for the company your resume and cover letter make it seem, you’re still going to have to go in for an interview to land that job.

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with our top 10 interview tips.

1. Research, research, research
Yep, that’s the magic word for getting that job. Ideally, you should have already done your research before applying for the job. You’d want to know what kind of company you’re applying to, right? Before your interview, remember to research what the company does, who their competitors are; you get the idea. Questions like these are bound to surface in the interview. If you know your stuff, you’ll definitely impress!

2. Dress for the job
Your research should tell you what kind of a company you’re going to. Pick out an appropriate outfit to wear to the interview. If you’re going to interview at a Fortune 500 equivalent company, don’t wear jeans and an old band shirt! If you can’t guess what kind of company it is, play it safe and go for formal or smart casual. This isn’t the time to experiment with your wardrobe.

3. Talk, but not too much
Be confident when you speak but don’t dominate the conversation. When you do speak, speak clearly and articulately. If you’re asked about something you don’t know, don’t pretend to know and lie about it. Chances are the interviewer will know and this will ruin the interview. Bonus: Don’t be too cocky or overconfident.

4. Practice!
Learn some interview questions that are frequently asked and make sure to have an answer ready for them so you don’t end up stuttering and stalling. Popular questions are “Tell us about yourself”, “Why do you want to work with us?”, and “What are some of your weaknesses?”.

5. Clean up your online presence
Just as you’re googling your potential employers, they are also googling you. Make sure your public online presence is something that won’t put them off. Sort through your various social medias and clean them up or get an app like Social Sweepster to do it for you. As fun as it was, you don’t want your potential employers to see a photo of you throwing up at Ibiza.

6. Be Punctual! (Duh!)
Be on time for your interview. We cannot stress this enough, being late for your job interview will set a bad tone for the entire interview. Leave early and leave some room for traffic jams or faulty public transport services. If you arrive earlier than you’re expected, find somewhere suitable you can hang out. Just remember to arrive around 10 minutes earlier.

7. Be sure where you’re going
Take down the address of your interview’s location, save it on your phone. Prior to the interview, look up the place so you know exactly where it is. Be proactive and look up extra things such as traffic conditions and where to park.

8. Ask Questions
You interviewer will usually ask you if you have any questions and you should have some. Prepare some questions beforehand, or make a mental note about questions during the interview. Ask more about the job scope and what is expected of you, ask about anything that wasn’t clear to you before, ask anything but please make sure they are relevant. Don’t ask your interviewer things like what they’re doing later that day.

9. The Elevator Pitch
The Elevator Pitch is the idea of marketing yourself (in this case) in the span of an elevator ride. Can you impress someone in less than a minute enough to want to hire you? Click here to read Forbes’ tips to perfect your elevator pitch.

10. Leave your desperation at the door
Yes, the job market is tough. However, your desperation is not going to help you. Be calm, confident and collected. Your potential employer wants to hire the best fit so don’t leave the impression that you’ll just about do anything and this is just another job interview.

This is a given but bring along printed copies of your certifications, resume and portfolio in case your interviewer forgot to print it out. Pay attention to your interviewer and don’t interrupt them.

Hopefully these tips help you on your next job interview. Just breathe, you’ve got this!

Psst! Having trouble landing an interview? Make sure you’re not making any of these mistakes!

(This article was written by Jessica Divakaran for referjobs.my)

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