Manage Online Business

Building your own online business is awesome and doing it gives you a tremendous sense of accomplishment. It affords you many benefits including the obvious monetary gains. It allows you the freedom to work as and when you please.

When you are settled on the actual area of online or home business to go into, there are a couple of things that you can do to make your daily tasks much easier.

One thing to take a look at is your working space. Do you feel as though your office or working area gives you the "right feel" and does it provide an atmosphere that promotes work, rather than relaxation? If not, consider keeping a desk that has the necessary papers and tools available within easy reach so that you do not have to waste time looking for things. Recommendations are: a blotter with dates, a stapler, a filing system with trays or with folders, pens, CD discs, a phone, a scanner and printer. You can have a mailing station set up on another table if you do a lot of mailing packages, tapes, or cds. Have all the accessories you need such as mailing envelopes, tape, address labels, zip code directory, etc. available and within easy reach. Keep your main desk clean and use space so that there is a feeling of "productivity" when you sit at your computer.

Do not have schedules of the kids and other things in your life imposing on your work environment. When you are at your desk, spend the time contemplating your work and what you want to accomplish for that time because it is so very easy to wake up and find you have spent two hours reading email and checking out links.

Make a check list the night before to keep on track of your next day's activities. This is great for helping you to accomplish more. Every time you cross something off your list it instils a sense of accomplishment and pride. This builds up momentum and carries you through all of the coming tasks that need done both in the immediate outset and the long term. Keeping the list in priority status also keeps you on track and gets the most accomplished for the day.

A benefit of the home environment is the ability to set the environment to a standard that keeps you in a good frame of mind. You could try just having nice background music playing while you work.
It is also a good idea to get up and stretch once in a while. Go to the refrigerator for a water or get an apple to eat while you contemplate the computer screen and your work. Remember, you are your own boss, so there is no one to tell you that you cannot eat at your desk! However, there is also no one to tell you that you should not spend working time playing games online, either, so you have to make yourself do what is on your schedule and your priority list to grow your business. It is just a matter of learning the appropriate methods to enable you to work in the manner that seems best and most efficient for you.

Once you are serious about your work and your workday, you will find a tremendous sense of confidence and pride and will know that your abilities are more than enough to fulfil your life's dream and ambition.

Looking for business for sale in Singapore, check out the "business for sale" page under opportunities at dougleschan.com

History of Business Models

The concept and type of business models have constantly evolved throughout the years and have had a long history that dates back to several years. A very basic and popular model, since ancient times, has been the "shopkeeper model", which involves establishing one's store in such a location that is most likely to fetch potential customers and that makes it easier to advertise the products or services being offered.

The "bait-and-hook business model", also known as the "tied-products business model" and the "razor-and-blades business model", emerged in the first half of the 20th century. This model often involves presenting a common good at an extremely low price that in fact puts the seller at loss (bait), and then asking for compensatory recurring sums for associated products, services, or refills (hook).An interesting example of such a model is offering the software developer along with a free word processor reader and charging hundreds of dollars for the word processor writer.

In the decade from 1950 to 1960, revolutionary business models were introduced by Toyota and McDonald's Restaurants. Following these, in 1960s, Hypermarkets and Wal-Mart came up with another set of interesting models. In the 1970s, Toys R Us and FedEx were the innovators. The 1980s saw new models from Home Depot, Dell Computer, Intel, and Blockbuster; and 1990s from Netflix, Amazon.com, Starbucks, and Blockbuster. Poorly designed and inadequately thought out models constituted a major problem for many dot-coms.

Today, the emerging types of models depend largely on what new technology is being invented and how it is being used. For instance, nowadays, entrepreneurs operating over the Internet are also creating entirely new business models that depend completely on the emergent or existing technology. By using such technology to create models, businesses have a better scope to reach large audiences within minimal costs.

Looking to buy an existing recruitment agency? Check out the recruitment business for sale listing at www.dougleschan.com

Cover Letters and LinkedIn

What do Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook have in common with job hunting and your resume cover letters? All three of these social networking sites can create initial contacts for getting job interviews. By using social networking job search methods you can find out about job openings before they are ever advertised or posted. Your resume cover letters are about marketing and making connections with employers or individuals at companies. Social networking for job hunting is the same.

LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a one of the many social networking sites available online. Similar to Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn allows people to connect with those they may have lost touch with or those they share similar interests with; unlike other sites, though, the largest group is businesses, who use this resource for many reasons, including advertising and job recruitment. This site is one of the fastest growing networking sites on the web with estimates of over 80 million members, is available in six languages and accessible in almost every country imaginable; there is no charge to set up a basic account, but there are some upgrades that you can purchase for your page.

The job market today, as well as the increasingly global nature of business, has led employers and job-seekers alike to try new and different methods of hiring employees or finding a job. Social networking sites are rapidly becoming the place where more and more people involving in the job market in some way or another are able to connect to people worldwide and exchange information quickly. Though not quite ready to replace online job-hunting sites or other job positing sites, social networking sites can be invaluable in both the hiring process and the job-hunting process; by not knowing about these sites, you run the risk that you may miss out on that "perfect" job simply because you did not know where to look.

Just as with any other social networking sites, LinkedIn has some unwritten (and written) rules of how one should conduct themselves on the site. One of those unwritten rules is that you should not contact anyone that you don't know personally. As with any rule, of course, there are exceptions; for example, sending a connection request to a friend of a friend who is the hiring manager for your dream company isn't considered to be "bad" etiquette, especially if that friend is one of the references listed in your profile. However, if you are sending connection requests to people you don't know on a regular basis, the site may identify you as a "spammer" and block all of your future requests, if not close your account completely. These types of connection requests are initial contacts much like job hunting cover letters.

There are two types of connections which are first and second degree connections. A first degree connection is someone you know and who knows you such as a friend, associate, former teacher or boss, and so on. A second degree connection are friend of friends, recommendations, or someone with which you have a mutual friend or associate. Connections often have information about job openings or know someone who does.

View your professional initial contacts as resume cover letters. You want to explain why you are contacting the individual, briefly describe your skills and situation, and refer them to more information such as your profile and website or publications you have written or about you. Then decide what action you want them to take. Requesting a referral person within their company to whom you might forward a resume or of they know of anyone looking for your particular skills.

Your Profile
Because this networking site is aimed at the business sector rather than personal socializing, keep your profile professional. Bad language, spelling and grammar are a big turn-off; keep your postings grammatically correct and free of punctuation mistakes.
You can also use the job search function for employers with openings. You can refine your search by location, country, or the world. In this case you commonly do not send a connection request to the company. Look for a link to the company's website or hiring page where you can complete an online application or submit your cover letters and resumes.

Want to help people find a job,do something meaningful and make a difference in other peoples life by starting your own recruitment business? Check out Dougles Chan inspirational recruitment stories.

Teens - Career Counseling for Teens

Having been a headhunter and thus a career counselor for more than 20 years, I have come to the conclusion from my observations that if proper career counseling is done successfully in high school, job loss or career change in the future would not be as traumatic as it has become for either teens or experienced executives.

Like everything else in life, if you want to do something the right way, you have to have the basics to succeed. You can't add 1,000 + 1,000 until you know that 1+1=2. The same goes for finding your first high school job. You must have the basics.

If you have a high school program that is dedicated to providing you with career counseling for teens then you are one step ahead of everyone else who doesn't. A good high school career counseling program should provide hands-on training where the student is required to create a resume and cover letter from scratch and learn the importance of building a networking file. They must also be taught how to dress for success and how to respond in an interview. All of these things are important, but the most important key to success is the network they being to build while in high school.

Networking is a natural part of life. When you go to a movie and you tell your friend how great it was, your friend goes to see it based on your recommendation. After your friend sees the movie and likes it, your friend tells another friend and so on. You now have several people who have "networked" with each other. They have "spread the word" about a great movie and have gotten lots of their friends to go see it too. That is a very simple explanation of what networking is. When you attempt to find your first job, career networking will be your first source to call on.

When providing career counseling for teens it is critical that you help the high school student develop this important skill. Networking can begin simply as writing down the name and phone number of the first person that you interviewed with when you are applying for a job. If you don't get the job, you still have the person's name as a point of contact for the future. If you do get the job, you now have a valuable source who may be able to lead you to other people or positions that may be beneficial to you in the future.

There is so much more on the subject of networking that is important in career counseling for teens. You will want to read more about this subject by reading career advice for teens. A great place to start is with Job Search 101. You can find out more about career counseling for teens by visiting this webpage full of teen job search advice. Click here.

Searching for reputable headhunter in Singapore,do visit the list at The Recruitment Guru @ dougleschan.com.

How To Efficiently Manage Your Business Accounts Receivables

Accounts receivables are the amount of money that a consumer owes a company for a service or product obtained on credit. Accounts receivables are therefore a company's sales that have not yet been paid in cash. While accounts receivables are considered as currents assets, it remains difficult to consider a product or a service as sold or purchased unless it has been paid in cash. If your company regularly makes a sale on credit and you do not implement and maintain an efficient accounts receivable system, the cash flow in your company will be negatively affected.

This can have unwanted implications in the operation of your business. It is therefore crucial that a company observes proper and efficient account receivable management. The following are valuable tips and guidelines to help you efficiently manage your business' accounts receivables:

Make a background check on your client before you establish a credit account. It will be to your advantage that before you allow a client to purchase goods and services from your company on credit, you make a detailed background check on the client. Among the things that you need to know are the demographic and credit information of your client. Making a background check is most helpful for you to avoid clients who you will have a hard time collecting bills in the future. The social security number of a person, for example, can be a very helpful determinant in knowing whether a client will be dependable enough to have a credit account in your company. This will save you from the hassles of spending time and money collecting unpaid balances from hard paying clients.

Enter into a signed agreement. It will be helpful if your client and you get into a signed agreement regarding your company's terms on accounts receivables. It will be best if you include in your agreement the payments terms and conditions which will help expedite the collection of dues. Identifying the collection cost reimbursement will also be advantageous relative to your client's past due accounts.

Maintain communication. Communication is crucial in any business transaction. It is therefore advised that you maintain communication with clients who have credit accounts in your company.
This means that you have to contact your client to ensure prompt payments and to identify reasons that have caused payment delays. Communication will not only build rapport between you and your client but will also ensure a more efficient collection of accounts receivables.
It is crucial that your business efficiently manages its accounts receivables. You can implement this by making a background check on your client before you establish a credit account; entering into signed contracts and agreement; and maintaining communication with your client.

Seeking for businesses for sale Singapore, check out the "business for sale" page under opportunities at http://www.dougleschan.com

Moving to a Customer Centric Business Model

Organizations are increasingly finding the futility of continuing with a product centric business model. The days of mass marketing to push a product to many customers are coming to an end. Customers have started demanding products that fulfill the different needs.

Take an example of mobile phone. The basic need of communication has just become basic.

Customers want to play games, do office work, manage appointment, entertain themselves, share updates with family and friends and what not. Is it possible to fulfill all these needs by one company or enterprise? The answer is NO. But what organizations can create is an eco-system where everybody has can contribute to development of products or services that fulfill these needs. Apple iTunes or Android Marketplace is the perfect example of these eco-systems in the mobile space.

How about other domains - Automobiles, FMCG, Retail, IT Services? What can companies do in these domains to create a similar ecosystem? How can the companies can adopt customer centric model and be able to forecast and meet plethora of demands from the customer?

The organizations need to adopt the following measures to successfully move and engage the customer

"Only when the customer is successful, that I will be successful" - What does that mean for my organization? It means the organization needs to make customer as the core focus of all strategies.

Everything needs to be measured in customer terms. It is no longer about brand equity; it's about customer equity, not about sales but customer lifetime value.

How can you make customer the center of the organization?

· Start from the customer facing functions. Departments like R&D, Market Research, CRM collect lot of information about customers. What all customer insights does this data provide?
· Are my products over-engineered? Does my market research take into account the needs of customers?

· Am I using customers to help decipher their needs and using their vision to design new products.
Till you focus on the customer, you will never be able to achieve long lasting success.

Looking to acquire an existing manpower agency? Check out the recruitment business for sale listing at www.dougleschan.com

Why Build a Business Strategy?

Yogi Berra once said that "if you don't know where you are going, you will likely end up somewhere else." The same is true in business. Unless you have a carefully crafted business strategy, you are essentially flying blind.

Former U.S. President and military commander, Dwight D. Eisenhower, remarked that "a finished plan is generally worthless, but careful planning is absolutely essential." In other words, while a given plan may change based on what happens with your business, taking the time to thoroughly examine where your firm is now and where it is headed gives you the information to make course changes intelligently, against the backdrop of a clear business strategy.

Kmart, a leader in the discount retailing industry in the late 70's, had close to 1900 stores and average revenues of well over $7 million per store. Wal-Mart, on the other hand, was a much smaller retailer with just over 200 stores and average revenues per store only half those of Kmart. But just ten years later, Wal-Mart had become the largest and highest profit retailer in the country with an annual growth rate at 25% per year with a 32% return on equity.

What happened? Kmart's response to business challenges was to try to seal off and defend its markets, a common tactic years ago when the industry was characterized by defined markets, stable customer needs and clearly defined competitors. Wal-Mart found competitive advantage by realizing that success would not come from capturing and holding a market but by being nimble and responsive to changing market conditions. It built business processes and core competencies in such areas as transportation and information sharing which allowed it to respond to rapidly changing conditions and move inventory quickly to serve store-by-store customer demand.

Kmart's inability to respond to changing market conditions and to continue to ride a dead strategy eventually led to its reorganization under Chapter 11. It's a fact that those organizations that adapt to changing conditions thrive and grow. Those that remain unaware or misjudge these challenges and opportunities and fail to develop a new business strategy eventually die.

Why Build a Strategic Plan? In a word, the answer to this question is focus. Strategy creates context for operating decisions. It establishes the playing field and provides guidance for decision-making about the types of experience and skills needed by employees, how marketing and advertising should be positioned, the priority of initiatives, how to structure the organization, and a host of other issues. A plan is necessary to guide decision-making, channel resources and define direction. Because of that, building a strategic plan should be well worth the time it will take to develop it, debate it and secure agreement on its direction.

Strategy is the way in which an organization meets the challenges and opportunities of its environment. It is often an overused and misunderstood concept. Strategic thinking does not necessarily imply long term. In some industries, long term is less than one year. It is not tactics, though strategy needs to be supported through tactics. It doesn't necessarily imply something big. The decision to move across town may have more human impact than the decision to do business in another city.

Strategy is a set of choices that defines the nature, direction and value system of an organization. It is not a document. It is a mindset which should be understood by every person in the organization and used to guide all decision-making within the organization. In developing strategy, leaders make conscious and informed choices about who they are and what they stand for:
* What are our core values and beliefs?

* What markets and customer groups will we serve?

* What products or services will, or will we not, deliver?

* What competitive advantages will cause us to succeed?

* What core competencies must we have to fuel our growth?

* What infrastructure, core processes and resources must we have to succeed?

* What financial results will we achieve?

* What should be our planning horizon?

* What is the quality-of-life contribution we want to make to our customers, our employees or the places in which we operate?

Next, and the hardest part, is plan implementation. In the United States, the average firm only achieves about 63% of its strategic plan. Studies also show that 90% of strategies that fail do so because of lack of execution. Research in the last several years has pinpointed many reasons why business plans fail, including the following:

1. Poorly understood strategy -- most organizations have a strategy but, according to one study, fewer than 5% of their employees know what the strategy is.

2. Weak strategy execution -- Studies show that up to 90% of strategies fail due to execution.

3. Inability to adapt to change -- Once a business makes plans, the chaos of everything changing around it may gradually erodes those plans unless the organization can adapt. Many cannot.

4. Lack of a systematic approach - When an organization reaches a certain size, lack of alignment between different people or departments who handle different functions may hamper success.

5. People are not engaged - An engaged worker is one who is personally committed to the goals of the company. Unfortunately, 90% of the time what passes for commitment is compliance. If you cannot get people engaged, no improvement will last.

6. A gap between knowing what to do, and doing it. Many things can get in the way including substituting talk for action, employee fear or mistrust of management, using the firm's history instead of sound judgment to dictate action, and badly designed or complex measures.

In the end, a solid business strategy and implementation plan may not solve all of your problems but those firms that do plan enjoy a much brighter track record. Plan well and beware of the pitfalls in implementation and you can enjoy your best year yet.

Looking for companies for sale in Singapore? Do check out www.dougleschan.com.

New Job Blues

I started a new position last week as a headhunter. I've marketed people practically my whole career and have gotten people jobs but never was employed by a recruiting firm. I've thought about it for the past 5 years and also interviewed with several companies but never found a good fit until recently.

We are meeting people who are in our training class who are located in other offices around the country. There are 80 offices nationwide so the people are all over the country and also have many different backgrounds, experience and are working many different industries.

Today one of the women confided in me that she was struggling. She's young and hasn't done any type of sales before. She also didn't feel like she was getting the job and fitting in at the office.

I was able to share with her that she really needed to give herself a year before she felt whether or not she was cut out for the job. Also, she's in a sales environment and sales professionals most often are naturally competitive human beings, and aren't going to nurture their competitors that much. You have to be an independent sort to want to be in sales in the first place.

I told her that her feelings are NORMAL and even though I've worked in a very similar industry, that there were many things that were new to me. I've coached people, recruited people and promoted people, but even if I had done this EXACT job in this EXACT industry, taking a new job is going to be an adjustment.

Think about it! There is a new commute. There are new people greeting you in the morning and that you see all day long. You have to learn a new computer system, new phones and learn a whole new job. If you've switched industries, there are new things to learn about that. And for lunch? You now have new places to choose from!

Starting a new job takes guts, courage and patience. It's not going to be super easy from the get go. It's going to take time before you feel 100% comfortable. That's going to be the same for a receptionist of the CEO of the company.

Hopefully, you'll remember how you feel now or felt then, and when someone else jumps on board, you'll be able to be a support to them so they'll feel a bit more comfortable than you did when you started.

After sharing my thoughts of encouragement with her, she thanked me and seemed to understand it's just going to take some time. I'm hoping that I convinced her of that anyway.

And now, time to get ready and do it all again tomorrow.

Searching for best headhunter executive search,do visit the list at The Recruitment Guru @ dougleschan.com.

The Successful Partnership Consulting Business Model

The overall mission of a professional firm and the mission of each partner is to grow the firm (revenue) and maximize partner compensation by selling new work, expanding current projects and effectively managing those projects. Labor is the largest cost component in a professional firm. One of the major challenges in a consulting environment is to maximize the utilization percentages (billable time/available time) of staff. With most professional firms, the project profile and the nature of the clients require a consultant to work on several clients to attain full utilization. Inherently, they have a lot of time related to start/stop situations which proves to be very costly and inefficient. This profile also make scheduling difficult and reduced the consultant's ability to maximize their billable hours.

The solution is to enhance the delivery model and migrate away from smaller projects to larger projects that enabled staff to work complete days or even weeks on a single client. A defined and implemented strategy of pursuing large scale application development projects is a must. This would minimize weaknesses in the model, enable more efficient use of resources and generate additional revenue.

The proven results from this model change are outstanding. A commission based sales structure, that focused on large clients/large projects will further ignite such an initiative. This will provide significant growth and make a substantial contribution to improved financial performance. Additionally, these items will assist in propagating this change:

• Standardize product offerings


• Lead the development of standard methodologies to optimize delivery model.


• Put procedures in place to effectively manage risks.


• Develop standard rate structure and client contracts.

To reinforce this business model, an incentive compensation system that motivated staff consultants to maximize their individual utilization should be implemented. This incentive program should be based on a combination of performance with regard to chargeable hours as well as client profitability.

Looking to buy an existing recruitment agency? Check out the recruitment company for sale listing at www.dougleschan.com

Digital Marketing Skills Are Requisite for Marketing Jobs, Find Out Why!

Today, the marketing landscape has changed drastically. If we talk about the present scenario, digital marketing is the booming industry that is expected to create 1.5 lakh jobs in the next five years. There is a huge demand of digital marketers, but still there is paucity of talent and professionals. Below listed are the five compelling reasons as why a marketing aspirant needs to have skills in online advertising.

Digital marketing is the future of marketing
There have been ample surveys and reports which claim that online marketing would be the future of marketing. This is a digital age. The tech savvy present age generation and the ever-growing internet population has the paved the path of digital marketing.

The rising popularity of Smartphone's, tablets, smart TVs and so on have compelled the businesses to target and engage their potential audience through these digital channels.

Digital marketing skills are high in demand
Online marketing has been recognized as the top five careers to look out for. The hiring managers are readily looking for marketing candidates with the knowledge and skills in digital marketing. Be it real estate, hospitality, B2B businesses, retail, consultancy, manufacturing, export-import and many other industries are keen on hiring professionals with relevant skills in this domain.

Better pay in digital marketing jobs
Online advertising is indeed a lucrative career domain. I will tell you how. In online advertising, you can directly connect with your prospective client/customer and generate leads and sales in real-time. Since, professionals in this industry are involved in revenue generation, they are paid handsome salaries.

Wide variety of jobs in digital marketing
The prominent areas of employment include search engine optimization, social media marketing search engine marketing, content writing and so on.
So if you wish to land in your dream marketing job, make sure that you're armed with digital marketing skills as it will give you an edge over your competitors. On a conclusive note, it would be good to say that a job in booming online marketing field will help you to carve a niche career.

Searching for a job in Singapore, you can always check out the updated jobs in Singapore job bank WDA where thousands of jobs are available.

Seeking A New Job While Currently Employed : Tiptoeing Through theMinefield

So, you currently have a job but you are looking for something a little better. You are getting tired, uptight, and maybe just a little stressed out. This is a dangerous time - the time when job seekers can turn into wing nuts and make key mistakes. So, how do you avoid tripping over those pesky landmines, you know - your current boss, workmates, and customers - and still carry out an effective job search?

Here are some of the risky situations you are going to want to tip toe around so as to not have your job search blow up in your face:

Landmine #1: Oops, I did it again! Ready, fire, THEN aim that email

You've done all the right things: Tailored a cover letter, crafted a killer resume, and found the right contact, Bill Smithers at "The Best Company In The World, Inc." Now all you have to do is hit Send.

So you do, hit send that is. So far so good. OK, next target. Ms. Jane Topboss at "Dream Company Corporation." Let's see...type in email address...browse...attach file...and...send. Oops! I think I sent the Bill Smithers cover letter and resume to Jane Topboss.

Avoid this landmine by taking the necessary time and making sure you have reviewed and attached the correct file(s) to the correct email. One sure way to blow up your job search is to get in a hurry and mistakenly send the right email to the wrong person or the wrong email to the right person. Do not send ANY job search-related emails from your current place of work. Send all such email outside of work. Take the necessary time to make sure the right email is going to the right person, THEN hit the send button.

Landmine #2: Having potential employers call you at your current workplace

Jennifer Jobseeker had it all figured out. Since she was at work during work hours, it only made sense to list her work number as her contact number for potential employers. "Why burn my cell minutes and have to keep checking my home machine," she thought. Ah, poor innocent Jennifer, totally unaware of the dangerous trip wire she was about to trigger with the brand new patent leather Woodberry loafers she had just purchased as part of her job interviewing outfit. "After all, I can just grab all incoming calls, screen them and if it's an interview call just cross that bridge when I come to it." Then something went terribly wrong. Jennifer took a 15 minute break and that's when Mr. Murphy the hiring manager called. A coworker took the call, asked if he could take a message, and was surprised to learn that Jennifer had an interview scheduled for 11:00 am the following day. Take a guess at what the coworker did with this info...you've got it: The news spread around the office faster than Simon humiliating someone on American Idol and Jane was knocked completely out of her brand new loafers (metaphorically) and her current job (literally.)

Use common sense when giving out your contact info to potential employers. Never, ever, ever, ever, EVER use your current work phone number as the point of contact. Pass your cell or home number along to potential hiring folks and just let them know that if they get your voice mail, you will call them back as soon as you are able - they will understand. Two other things to keep in mind here: 1) Make sure your voice mail message is professional and not too cutesy, rude, or profane; 2) Never, ever, ever, ever, EVER call them back from your office number - if you do you will suffer Jennifer's fate.

Landmine #3: Using your current company's intranet or internet access for job seeking and interviewing

This should be a no-brainer. In most companies, every key stroke you make on your company computer is recorded and can potentially be tracked. Many IT departments now flag certain key words and phrases and automatically create reports detailing who is doing what with their laptops and desktops. These reports are then passed to management for review. Odds are you probably signed a computer use policy when you joined the company. And guess what? In addition to mandating that you can't play games, view any inappropriate sites, or conduct business outside of what your company is doing, there is likely a clause about using company property for private purposes or gain. And unless you are going to include your current company in the job search with you, you definitely do not want to violate this clause.

Landmine #4: Don't slack off at your current job

Even though you might have S.T.A (short timer's attitude) it's a good idea to not let it show. Keep doing the best job you can. Yes, it will be hard. Yes, it will seem pointless; after all you are searching for a new place to work. And yes, you will need to continue to support what you may think are mundane tasks and soon-to-be former coworkers and customers. But be aware that you are being watched. Cubicles and hard walls alike have both ears and eyes and they see and hear everything. If you change your behavior even slightly, your coworkers and your boss will likely notice. It's important to remember something here. Most bosses don't get to be bosses because they are dumb.

Most bosses get to be bosses because they are continually observing events around them and seeking ways to keep things running smoothly. Your boss will know something is up if you are slacking off. Whether you like and respect your current boss or not, you are obligated to serve him or her, the company, your coworkers and your customers as long as you are on the payroll. And it's the right thing to do. You will feel better in the long run if you do the right thing.

Commit to yourself to keep putting in the necessary time and effort that you are getting paid for. Remember, you are the one looking for work so it's up to you to figure out how to balance your current work situation with your job search efforts.

Landmine #5: Attending a job or career fair that includes a booth for your current company

Let's face it, you can often find excellent job leads through a job or career fair. These events attract a large and diverse group of employers who are looking for qualified candidates just like you. So, being the go-getter that you are, you schedule a vacation day in advance (very classy) so that you can attend the job/career fair guilt free. You polish up your shoes, dust off that business suit, brush your teeth, comb your hair, go over a few interview questions in your mind, print up a dozen or so resumes and head to the event. You are prepared, you are confident, and you are going to find that next best job! After all, you don't call yourself Cory the Career Conqueror for nothing.

Imagine your surprise, accompanied by that "I've-just-been-punched-in-the-gut" feeling, when the first booth inside the door is YOUR company's booth staffed by a couple of well known coworkers and a person or two from your Human Resources department. "Why Cory, what are you doing here?" the admin assistant from HR asks, as four pairs of eyes bore into to you like some evil demon guarding the secret passage in the latest Play Station game.

Career and job fairs are great, just make sure to learn what companies are going to be represented there, and if yours is, you may want to rethink attending.

Landmine #6: Listing your current boss or coworkers as references while conducting a stealth job seeking campaign

Consider the following from the movie script "Nightmare on Just Lost My Job Street":

Scene 1: Christina is having a terrible nightmare (dissolve...fade to dream sequence...phone rings...)

"Hi Mr. Jones. My name is Megan Hiringpro at XYZ, Inc. Just a quick question if you don't mind. Do you have a Christina CareerChanger working for you?"

"Why yes I do Ms. Hiringpro. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, you don't know? Christina has listed you as one of her references and we are thinking of bringing her in for an interview but would like to get some feedback from you first."

Christina wakens in a cold sweat and realizes she has dozed off at her desk. "Whew, thank goodness it was only a dream" she thinks with relief. (Fade out...)

Scene 2: As Christina slips a Cool Mint Thin Strip into her mouth, her boss, Mr. Jones, stops by her cube (close up of Christina as Mr. Jones asks)

"Christina, may I see you in my office for a moment."

Christina, now realizing it was not a dream after all, resigns herself to her fate and trudges slowly towards Mr. Jones' office.

"What was I thinking?!" she screams silently to herself.

Scene Ends (and so does Christina's current job.)

This is a tough one. On the one hand, the people you are currently working for and with are in the best position to speak about your qualifications. On the other hand, if you are conducting a stealth job seeking campaign, you can't really let on that you are doing so.

There are only 2 ways to handle this situation and each carries its own degree of risk:

1. Reveal to your current boss that you are looking for other job opportunities
2. Keep your job seeking under wraps and find other references you can use

As Christina learned, you really can't have it both ways. It is just a matter of time before your references will be contacted. It is important to have your strategy in place and all the bases covered so that you are not taken by surprise.

Conducting a stealth job seeking campaign carries risk. If it is not possible or appropriate for you to discuss your job seeking with your current employer, you owe it to yourself to take the necessary time and effort to avoid landmines you know exist on the path to your new job.

The best way to avoid landmines is to plan your job search strategically, continually scan the path ahead, and use as much patience and persistence necessary to arrive safely and intact in your new job.

Want to help people find a job,do something meaningful and make a difference in other peoples life by starting your own recruitment company? Check out Dougles Chan inspirational recruitment stories.

How to Use LinkedIn to Get Recruited

LinkedIn.com is one of the fastest growing recruiting tools currently used by Headhunters and Professionals alike. If you are used to networking and taking advantage of business meet and greets, then you can expand your networks and your professional name by using LinkedIn. If you are still coming to grips with how to network or even what it is - then LinkedIn provides a great base on which you can build for your "offline" world. If you become savvy at using LinkedIn as a professional advancement tool then your opportunities are exponential.

Why use LinkedIn to get recruited?
Headhunters are now using LinkedIn as one of their primary tools to source new talent for Employers. Business Owners and Employers have also become aware of just how useful LinkedIn is to search for talented professionals to fill positions - cutting out the middle man and major advertising costs. Over 130,000 recruitment agents including representatives from all of the Fortune 500 Companies are using LinkedIn to source their future employees and contractors.

Professionals who have developed their LinkedIn Profiles and are working on their connections report on receiving at least a contact a week from either Headhunters or Employers who have found them through LinkedIn. This is a great tool to advertise your skills to a much larger audience and also provides opportunities for networking yourself into your Company of choice. As you familiarize yourself with LinkedIn you will start to realize how this site and your connections can provide a personal introduction to the right person at the right time.

How does LinkedIn work?
Heard of six degrees of separation? LinkedIn works on the principle that by you inviting your contacts to join you on LinkedIn, you also gain access to their contacts and so on and so forth. Firstly, this builds up membership as a lightening pace (over 25 million users currently). Secondly, this creates a huge community of people who can professionally assist each other. LinkedIn is a professional driven social networking site, so no video uploads of late night opinions or family pics - just professionals linking in to each other.

How do I get started using LinkedIn for Professional Advancement?
A Basic Membership on LinkedIn.com is free. You just need to join and fill in your profile. If you're serious about using LinkedIn to get recruited, and then take the time to set up your profile properly, in the same vain you would offer your CV to a Recruitment Agent.

The next step is to start connecting! LinkedIn operates interactive tools that can upload your address book from various email programs including Outlook and web based mail programs. These tools automatically identify any members of your address book that are already LinkedIn members. Go through and carefully choose who you want to invite to become a connection.

Note: Your Connections will be visible to the rest of your connections.

You can also reconnect with old classmates and colleagues by using the Colleague Reconnect and Classmate Reconnect tools. This is a great way to expand your connections and you never know who may be working for what potential employer. Profiles with over 20 connections have an increased chance of success.

TIP: Don't just enter someone's email address or business card into your contact manager - see if they are also on LinkedIn. A few minutes a month can provide you a huge network of connections that can access your profile.

How can I use LinkedIn to get recruited?
Here are a few fast tips on how to optimize your chances for being recruited through LinkedIn. They are relevant to both individuals who want professional advancement, freelancing or consulting professionals and business owners who want to expand their reach:

1. Don't just sit on your profile - work your colleagues, former employers, clients and professional contacts for recommendations. Having recommendations on your LinkedIn profile is gold in terms of recruitment. You can also use your LinkedIn profile as a central repository for recommendations rather than having to re-contact your referees each time you apply for a job. Business can also use this as a tool to centralize their testimonials for prospective clients. You can then refer potential employers to your LinkedIn profile to view recommendations.

2. Use keywords when you are preparing your Profile, take advantage of search engine optimization wherever possible, while still ensuring your profile looks professional. For example systems analyst familiar with business intelligence software - work at getting the attention of your target audience. If you are running a professional or promotional blog, you can connect your blogs URL to your LinkedIn profile. Again - keywords - professional. You can also personalize your LinkedIn profile by customizing the URL to reflect your name and ensure you allow your full profile to be viewed by public users. LinkedIn is a friend of the major search engines - giving you the chance of a higher return on search results.

3. You can download the JobInsider toolbar from LinkedIn. If you are searching for open positions on many of the known jobsites, then the JobInsider toolbar gives you an inside track. When you view a listing, JobInsider will search for your inside connections in the prospective company. Using your connections you can gain inside information, advice and maybe even a helping recommendation.

4. Join relevant groups - you can join professional, alumni, industry and corporate alumni groups listed on LinkedIn. This is a great way to exhibit your profile and increase your connections. You can also create groups - bringing together your own major network of liked minded professionals.

5. People have had amazing results from just simply asking and answering questions using the Q & A tool on LinkedIn. Try for credibility rather than self promotion.

6. Take the few milliseconds to keep an eye on the LinkedIn notices that come into your inbox. It's useful insider intelligence to watch who's connecting to whom and what your friends, colleagues and former bosses are doing. Pretty soon with a large enough network you can start to build your connections in the right direction.

7. There are also mega connection boosting sites such as http://www.toplinked.com. Offering to help you expand your connections exponentially as long as you agree to some basic conditions, such as never declining an invitation to connect to someone referred by the site. Remember the more connections, the better opportunities for professional advancement and likelihood of getting recruited.

8. Get to know your "network statistics" under the People section of your LinkedIn profile. This will give you a summary of the industries your connections are related to. By clicking on an industry of interest, you can view the connections and how many degrees of separation there are between you and them. Using your common connections as a base, you can introduce yourself to relevant people.

9. You can also choose to upgrade your account to Premium at a cost. This offers further features for recruitment on LinkedIn.
Note: if you downgrade later on, you will lose all of your connections and profile and need to start again.

10. Last word on profiles - it's not just about who you're currently working for or what you are currently doing. Each time you update your profile with a former Employer or Qualification, LinkedIn will automatically search for other people who worked or went to classes during the same time period. Your ancient history could open up the door to tomorrow's dream job!

Looking for reputable professional headhunter,do visit the list at The Recruitment Guru @ dougleschan.com.

Job Search For Professionals - 5 Key Points

Job search for professionals is in many ways more difficult than for mainstream jobs because there are far fewer jobs at the right level. Professionals, such as Accountants, Architects, Chartered Engineers, Lawyers and Quantity Surveyors may also have expectations that are higher and be confident that a new job will be forthcoming very quickly. After all you have had a good number of years when your future employment prospects felt entirely certain, so why shouldn't you feel confident about your next job?

Unfortunately, a new economic era means that more of you with your professional background and qualifications, are feeling the same cold wind of unemployment and whilst you may be able to weather the immediate financial effects, you will need to replace that lost income before too long.
My job search for professionals ideas are based on long experience of working as career counselor and outplacement consultant to public and private organizations and the ideas are my way of helping you to deal with the consequences of unexpected unemployment.

First of all: do not spend all your time scouring the papers and signing up for online email alerts for advertised vacancies. My own experience confirms that less than one third of appropriate vacancies for you will be advertised in the press or online. So sign up for one or two such as executivesontheweb.com and take a couple of hours once a week with the best newspaper i.e. the Guardian or the Telegraph for public sector or private companies jobs.

Second: do not spend lots of time trying to find all the different recruitment consultants and employment agencies that may be able to help; you could easily spend days when it is more cost effective to invest in a targeted mailing to all the relevant headhunters by using a service such as CVtrumpet, which is the leader in professional, targeted executive and management CV distribution. With this professional service you can distribute your CV to up to 3,200+ recruiters in the UK, targeted by job function, salary level, employment level, industry and location.

Thirdly: although you are a professional with your own field of expertise, you will still have to demonstrate to a potential new employer that you will add value to the new organization, which means that you cannot sit back and expect your qualifications to impress, or your past work to speak for itself sufficiently to secure a new position.

Fourth: more jobs are filled by personal contacts than through any other means and in these times, companies would much prefer to save the recruitment fees and act on recommendations from people they trust, so whether you like it or not job-search for professionals will inevitable involve networking with known and newly-introduced contacts in person. My own guide to networking and finding unadvertised jobs will give you step by step instructions in how to to do this effectively.

Fifth: the most important facet of any job search for professionals is to remember that organizations hire people.

That means that you have to create the right impression of you both as a person and as a professional, and the first impression is most often created by how you appear on paper. Which simply put means that your CV and your covering letters have to be the very best possible. I would also add that neither one is more important than the other.

The cover letter must be customized to each individual application and worded to achieve the desired effect - that is to get you the interview. The cover letter is your sales letter and must radiate your interest, enthusiasm and confidence in being the best candidate for the position. On my website, I have prepared some cover letter examples for you to use as a template for your own letters.

Your CV on the other hand, must be informative and interesting to read, and show clearly what you have achieved that will be relevant to your success in the new role. Employers want people who can contribute and add value to the whole, so listing your duties and responsibilities, just will not do it.
The key to successful job search for professionals is to be seen as the right type of person, someone who will fit in and someone with demonstrable results that can be interpreted as a reliable indication of future success in the role.

Looking for a Singapore job, you can always check out the latest jobs in Singapore job bank WDA where thousands of jobs are available.

10 Ways to Use LinkedIn to Find a Job

LinkedIn brands itself as the social network for professionals and a lot of people do use it successfully for sharing information and news about their companies or discussing key issues in their industry. But what can LinkedIn do for the jobseeking professional? Many of us are not as clued in to all of LinkedIn's different features as we might be. However, it's worth getting to know this social network better as it has a surprising number of tools for helping your job search. Here are ten ways in which we can use LinkedIn in our pursuit for the right career.

Check out the jobs section
LinkedIn does actually have a dedicated jobs section. Employers post vacancies in the hope that a savvy jobseeker like you will come across them and turn out to be the ideal candidate. Click on the Jobs tab at the top of the homepage and you'll be taken to a keyword search box as well as a list of suggested vacancies based on what your profile says.

Complete your profile
The more complete your LinkedIn profile is, the more jobs LinkedIn will be able to suggest for you. A complete profile obviously also appeals to people viewing it, as the reason they're looking at it is to find out as much as they can about you. When a potential employer looks at your profile, they'll be forming an opinion based on your tag line, summary box, and specialities. Your experience and education will most probably be important to them too, but you have more freedom in how you word those first three fields mentioned, so make the most of them. Also, right at the bottom there's a field where you can put what you're 'interested in'. This basically means you get to say what you're on LinkedIn for and what people can approach you with. If you're on LinkedIn to boost your job search, don't be shy, select 'career opportunities'!

Join Groups
You'll get more traffic to your profile if people know you exist. One of the best ways to maintain a visible presence on LinkedIn is to join groups and take part in their discussions. If you join several groups in your chosen career field, chances are you will keep coming across a few people who are also in all those groups. People build up a rapport by contributing to one another's discussions in their shared groups. You can even start discussions asking for advice related to your job search, such as recommendations for good vocational courses.

Get Connected
Once you're more familiar with people who share your interests or specialities, you'll find yourself with more 'Connections'. Connections are to LinkedIn what Friends are to Facebook and Followers are to Twitter. You can invite people to become a Connection and be invited yourself. Don't wait to be invited though-if you believe someone could be beneficial to you, would genuinely like to connect with them on a deeper level, or just find them really interesting, send that invitation out. A major advantage of being connected to someone is that you can message them for free instead of having to pay for an upgrade to 'InMail'.

Get the Messages out
Why is the ability to send messages so important? Many LinkedIn Members don't have their email addresses on their public profile, so unless you know someone personally anyway, you have no way to contact them privately other than through the Messages function. Whether you message Connections to ask outright if they know of any job openings, to tap them for information on their organisation, or to arrange a voluntary/shadow placement, do it in the right way. Be clear about why you're contacting them and what you're asking for. Ask them if there's anything *they* need help with. I've contacted several Connections in this way and they've been all too happy to help me every time.

Take part in the Q&A
Another function that helps you meet people and turn them into Connections is the Q&A. Here you can ask the whole LinkedIn community questions on almost anything, provided the topic loosely fits in with one of the designated categories. Again, asking questions is useful for getting information and advice on a particular job role, organisation or industry. It's not the quantity of answers that you get but the quality. I've asked questions and only gotten one answer, but because that answer was useful to me, I went away happy. Just as important is answering questions. It's another way of drawing people's attention to you and your profile. And if you answer questions on your chosen specialties, potential employers get to see your knowledge and experience in action.

Share updates
Yes, LinkedIn, like every other social network, has the dreaded status update feature. Use it to your advantage by keeping your Connections up to date with your voluntary work, skills building or networking activities. This lets employers know that you're being active and creative in your job search-showing them your enthusiasm and commitment in targeting the right role.

Recommendations
People don't just have to take your word for it, though. The Recommendations feature allows people who've worked together in an organisation or on a project to endorse one another. Each recommendation only has to be 2 or 3 lines: sometimes 'Ms. Jobseeker is a very competent accountant and very easy to work with. She went out of her way to assist me' is enough to help a potential employer or client build up their picture of you. How do you get Recommendations? Ask! On your profile page, click on the 'Get Recommended' link and fill in the form it takes you to. Again, don't be shy-if the feature's there, you might as well use it!

Find events to go to
As useful as social networking can be, you don't have to deprive yourself of offline networking. In fact, LinkedIn can even help you find events to attend, as that's yet another thing Members are able to post about. On the home page, roll your pointer over the More tab and select Events from the drop down menu. In Events Home, you can then see which events your Connections are attending or interested in and you can also view the most popular events on the whole of LinkedIn. Click on the 'Find Events' tab for a keyword search filtered by date, location and type. It's a very handy way to quickly find local events connected to your specialities or chosen industry.

Explore the other applications

There are even more LinkedIn applications that could be of use to you. By getting to the Applications Directory through the 'More' drop down menu, you'll see that you can connect your blog and Twitter updates to LinkedIn; share a personalised Amazon reading list; content and presentations; and create polls. Put simply, these are all ways to inform people about yourself and/or gather information for your job search.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the ways a jobseeker can use LinkedIn. As with all online platforms, it's both fun and helpful to play around with it for a bit, using these tips to lay the foundations. Once you've found other ways to make LinkedIn work for you, be sure to let us all in on the secret!

Want to help people find a job,do something meaningful and make a difference in other peoples life by starting your own recruitment business? Check out Dougles Chan inspirational recruitment stories.

10 Reasons Why You Should Manage Your Business Ethically

Why are ethics in business so important? Isn't it enough to comply with the letter of the law and the rules of society? What's in it for the business enterprise?

These are all interesting questions. Many business owners feel that maximizing profits is the chief obligation of the firm. Other owners feel that operating a business in a transparent, ethical manner is also important. Both business management and business ethics are about making the right decisions. Does one have to exist to the exclusion of the other?

I think not, and here are the reasons why managing a business ethically is important:

1. It sends the right message to customers and clients. With all the choices available nowadays, who wants to do business with a shady, ethically-challenged company?

2. It sets the right example for the firm's employees. The temptation to cut corners or behave illegally, immorally, or unethically is reduced if employees are familiar with the firm's code of ethical conduct and the certainty of its enforcement.

3. It can make the firm a desirable place to work. Recruiting, and then keeping, high-quality employees is far less costly than managing a turnstile where people come and go in bulk quantities.

4. It establishes a prism through which a company views not just normal business dealings, but the handling of extraordinary events or crises. When all options have been considered, asking "What is the right thing to do?" ultimately becomes the basis for action.

5. It provides a clearer focus for the firm. That clear focus is found not just in the tactical day-to-day operations, but in the firm's strategic planning, as well.

6. It helps protect the interests of the firm. Ethical behavior doesn't always insulate a firm from lawsuits, bad publicity, or other such negative and costly conditions, but it can certainly reduce the probabilities or mitigate the damage.

7. It helps protect the interests of everyone with whom the firm comes into contact. Will suppliers become more reliable if they know they will get paid on time? Will regulatory agencies be more helpful and accommodating? Will clients be more trusting? There is an obvious higher likelihood of the foregoing answers becoming "Yes" with a company who is seen as highly ethical, than with one who is not.

8. It promotes mutual respect and integrity. This can happen both within the company and from those whom the company deals with.

9. It promotes accountability. This can occur not just within the ranks of the employees, but with the top executives and owners, as well.

10. It can yield a reputation in the marketplace that can be beneficial and sustaining. Isn't this a desirable condition for any company? If it isn't, it certainly should be.

Seeking for business for sale in Singapore, check out the "business for sale" page under opportunities at dougleschan.com

How to Manage a Poor Recruiter - How to Use a Recruiter

Networking is amazing. You never know where a connection will lead. Levi mentioned to his personal trainer he was looking for a new job as an engineering executive. She immediately offered to introduce him to her friend, a new recruiter at a local search firm. Savvy Levi took her up on her offer because he knows all leads are good leads if you know what you want.

The recruiter, Linda, didn't ask to meet in person. "Just send me your resume for now. When something comes up, I will call you." Levi sent the resume with the understanding she would not share his credentials with anyone without his permission; an important safeguard to having his resume "shopped."

Imagine his surprise three weeks later when she emailed him about an opportunity with a reputable local company. Linda sent Levi the job description and told him to look it over before he interviewed, thus revealing her junior status as a recruiter. She didn't require a face to face and appeared to be "throwing" a resume at the opening. While Levi is smart enough not to tell her how to do her job, if he wants to be considered seriously for the position, he has to exert some control over the process.

He learned Linda's firm had the search because the hiring company had no luck filling it on their own after three months. This is a red flag because their locale is filled with highly qualified technology executives. Why haven't they:

1.) Attracted a qualified candidate
2.) Hired someone. First question suggests the gossip mill in town knows something about the job or company that keeps great candidates away. The second implies the company has impossible to meet requirements. Their reluctance to hire may also indicate lack of consensus within the company about the tasks for the position, the sphere of influence or mission.

Because Linda is young in her career, it is incumbent on Levi to manage the relationships and learn details on his own. Time for him to consult linkedin.com to see who he knows who can shed light on the company and the opportunity. Better still, he can contact his favorite recruiter and ask him what he knows about the company and job. There are few secrets among Headhunters in the local search community when a job has been unfilled for so long. Levi needs to discover what the hiring company's priority is and why they have had little success on their own in a town filled with probable candidates.

MY ADVICE: Talk to Linda face to face if possible. Tell her you want to make her look good so the more information you have when you meet her client, the better. Is there anything about the corporate culture or team she can share


Don't ask: Do you know their biggest priority?
Ask: What did they say to you to communicate their biggest priority?

Don't ask: Why haven't they filled the job?
Ask: What do they have to see to fill this position based on their past attempts. What did they say was missing?

Ask: When you spoke with the person to whom I would report, what impression do you have about his/her style? Their energy level? This assumption gives her the opportunity to reveal the level of her contact which you need to know.

If Linda does not have direct contact with the actual hiring authority, she may invent answers or repeat the canned comments from HR. Keep in mind, if HR had the right fix on the priorities, the job would be filled by now. That's why your own research is imperative. You can't rely on Linda's answers for what you need to know to conduct a great interview.

Ask: Is there something HR said more than once when they talked about their difficulty finding someone on their own?

Ask: What did you see in my background that told you I was a good fit?

Ask: I want to make sure we are talking from the same play book. What do you have in mind as the most important part of my background to get them interested in me as a candidate?

Ask: What if anything did they actually say to you that would suggest my experience managing teams in a variety of countries is of value? Use this approach for any characteristic you feel she needs to accentuate when she makes your appointment

Ask: I always send email thank-you notes to people with whom I interview. Is there any reason you'd be uncomfortable with my contacting them directly? Once Linda says, "No, go right ahead," you can follow up as need be in the future. Don't go around her, always copy her on emails and always let her know if you have contacted or otherwise spoken to the company on your own.

Linda may be inexperienced and even unprofessional, but she is still a gatekeeper and her client is still depending on her to fill the position. One negative word from her and you may be removed from consideration. Ask the Recruiter the right questions in the right way. Don't be dismissive as she learns her role, but don't be handicapped by her ineptitude.

Want to help people find a job,do something meaningful and make a difference in other peoples life by starting your own recruitment company? Check out Dougles Chan inspirational recruitment stories.

5 Steps to Successful Job Search Networking

Whether you are unemployed or seeking a job change, networking is a critical part of the search. This is especially true in the current job market. Beginning a job search requires serious planning. Would you decide to take a vacation without research, plans and reservations? Hopefully, you would not.

There are five steps to a successful job search by networking:

1) Develop a plan for your job search. Give some thought to your skills, interests and experience. Start a list with this information. Determine how much time you will devote to this search. If you are unemployed, you need to dedicate the same number of hours you previously worked. Job searching is now your new job.

2) Develop a current resume. If you have skills, experience or education applicable to more than one industry, you need a resume for each industry. If you need some guidance with the resume preparation, there are books and software programs available to assist you.

When you have finished the groundwork by developing a plan and preparing a resume, you are ready to begin the networking process.

3) Set up a system to organize your networking endeavor. This step is extremely important to your networking success. Without organization, this process will not succeed. You can set up a spreadsheet on the computer or use the old-fashioned spiral notebook. Who should be included in your network? Include friends, family, co-workers or previous co-workers as a starting point. Write down names, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses and a date column to track communications. You also need space to write comments and notes after each contact.

Now, add to your network names of church members, your hairdresser and neighbors. You may have a conversation in a doctor's waiting room that leads to a job possibility. Add former employers and former classmates because anyone may be a source of information that results in a job. Once the initial network has been set up, go online and visit job boards.

4) You now have your plan, your current resume and your initial network has been set up. Begin contacting the network by phone, email or mail. Let everyone know that you are looking for a job. You may be asked for a copy of your resume; be sure to send it right away.

5) Stay in contact with your network by following up at least once a week. Keep them informed of your progress and be sure to thank each one.

Do not underestimate the power of your network. It has been reported that at least 60% of all jobs are found by networking. Some career experts report that networking accounts for far more than 60% of jobs found. Once you have your new job, contact everyone in the network and share the good news.

Send everyone a thank you note for their time and effort on your behalf.

Searching for a Singapore job, you can always check out the latest jobs in Singapore WDA jobs bank where thousands of jobs are available.

Why Networking is the Most Effective Job Search Technique

When most people need to find a new job, they start with the online career sites, employment offices or local want ads. It seems obvious to look in the places where people are advertizing for jobs. Yet, studies consistently show networking to be the most effective way to find a job. Networking is the act of working with people you know to help you find the things that you want. Its efficacy is not surprising considering that when done properly, job seekers are making direct contact with hiring managers or people that can lead them to hiring managers. Further more, it provides a way to tap into the hidden job market.

The phrase "hidden job market" refers to all of those jobs that exist but are hidden from view, that is, they are not advertised. Hiring managers will often hold-off advertising a job until exhausting their own circle of contacts. Placing ads and sorting through potential candidates is costly and time consuming. It also involves the risk of hiring an unknown entity. It is easier, cheaper, and safer for the hiring manager to recruit from friends and/or professional contacts. You increase your chances of getting the job you want by tapping into that hidden job market.

 As evidence, here are some statistics from resumagic.com on how Americans find employment:

35% -- Found job through a friend, relative or other associate
30% -- Contacted an employer directly, without answering a classified ad
14% -- Answered a job classified advertisement
08% -- Found job through on-campus recruitment or job placement office
06% -- Employment agency or search firm
05% -- State-run unemployment office
02% -- Other

The above percentages indicate that 65% of people who are employed found a job that was never publicly advertised.

Case study
For many people, networking still feels like something that will only work for other people. I am proof that's wrong. While not unique or connected in any special way, with the exception of one position I found by cold calling, I networked my way into every other position as I worked my way up the corporate ladders in multiple industries. Here are some examples of how I worked with the people I knew to find the jobs I wanted.

Cast Iron Foundry: Just before graduation, I was talking with my faculty advisor about jobs. He gave me the name of a man at a trade association coincidentally near my home. I visited him on the way home from school. He, in turn, referred me to the Chief Metallurgist at a nearby company that fit exactly with what I wanted to do. They hired me. The job was never advertised.

R&D Consortium: A vendor salesman that used to call the company that I worked for went to work for the Consortium. He told me they were looking for engineers with business acumen and put me in touch with the hiring manger. I got the job. The job was not advertised. When I had gone as far as I could in that company, I sent out hundreds of resumes and answered dozens of advertisements to no avail. Finally I found my new job through networking.

Life Insurance Agent: I decided to work for myself. I researched companies in the life insurance industry and knew some agents. A personal friend who was also an agent led me to his company where I eventually landed my first position. They had an active recruiting program ongoing and the personal introduction paved the way, even though I had no obvious qualifications.

Large Pharmaceutical: Several years later when I decided to change careers again, I networked my way into a local, major pharmaceutical company doing business development. The job was not advertised.

Six years later, the company was restructuring to prepare for a spin off the division I was in. I was laid off and networked my way to a job as program manager within the same company. The job was not advertised until after I started only to fulfill HR requirements.

Three years later it was time for me to move on. I networked my way to find a manager job in yet another division. This job was advertised and I saw it on the job board, but I thought it was not a good fit. I networked my way into the vice president's office. She encouraged me to apply and asked me to meet with the hiring manger.

Why It Works
I am nothing special, nor is my history with networking. What is special is the power of networking. I have tried responding to ads and sending out hundreds of resumes, but like most people, my carefully worded documents and phone calls fell in to the black holes of human resource departments. Every time it proved to be a huge amount of effort without any payoff. Instead, the solution was talking to people- lots of them. Want more proof? Think about how you have found jobs, or ask your friends about their careers and how they found their jobs. I bet you will find that they knew someone who gave them an "in" or a critical heads-up. This is networking. It may not have been formal, or even intentional, but it was networking at its best.

In real life it plays out like this: a company may advertise an open position and receive 1,000 resumes. HR will receive those resumes and, after filtering the resumes based on their criteria, will narrow it down to maybe ten resumes. If the hiring manager gets an email from a trusted contact recommending a friend for the job and attaching a resume, that "friend" just leapfrogged to the front of the pack. The other ten candidates are complete unknowns beyond their resumes, but the friend comes with a trusted recommendation. The hiring manager eliminates much of the risk involved in bringing in a new employee. In order to be successful in your job search, you need to find those contacts that can get you in front of the hiring managers. Networking makes you a known quantity, allowing you to levitate to the top of a massive stack.

Conclusion
There are many ways to find a job, but studies prove that networking is the most effective way to find a job. The experience of my own career over 30 years made a believer out of me.

Search for a Singapore Jobs, you can always check out the latest jobs in Singapore job bank WDA where thousands of jobs are available.

The Job-Seeker's Toolkit

It's tough out there in the job market, and it's critical to be prepared with the right tools. Of course, you need an up-to-date resume and some interview attire, but that's not all. Here are ten things that every job seeker must have:

1) a grown-up, non-free email account. Nothing at hotmail or msn, and nothing with "sailinggirl" or "babytoasty" in it.

2) a voicemail system that you listen to regularly, with a message that's not too silly.

3) a job search business card - even if you are already employed and you have a company business card. Go to http://www.vistaprint.com and get the free business cards there (you have to pay for shipping) with your name, email address, phone number, and three bullet points on them. The bullet points should highlight the three most compelling points about you - for instance Marketing Research Professional; Agency and In-House Experience; and Fanatical About ROI.

4) membership in the online network WorldWIT (it's free: sign up at http://www.worldwit.org) - just join whichever chapter is closest to you.

5) membership in LinkedIn (it's also free: http://www.linkedin.com) and connections to as many former colleagues, friends and business contacts as you can manage.

6) a brisk, pithy resume of ONE PAGE in three formats: plain text (for inclusion in email messages), MS Word, and hardcopy.

7) a crisp, on-the-spot elevator speech about your background and your ideal next job. Practice in front of the mirror. When you're asked, for instance at a networking event, to talk about yourself, you don't want to stumble.

8) one killer outfit for the Very Special Interview, and one slightly less killer (meaning expensive) outfit for every other interview.

9) a headhunter in your pocket - just to advise you, whether you're headhunter material or not.

10) a computer with internet connection. If you don't have one, get familiar with your local Kinko's!
With the Job-Seeker's Toolkit assembled, you're ready to hit the ground running. One other item that might come in handy is a sense of humor: you're sure to see some very strange and amusing things once you hit the circuit. Keep your chin up! There's learning in all of it.

Want to help people find a job,do something meaningful and make a difference in other peoples life by starting your own recruitment business? Check out Dougles Chan inspirational recruitment stories.

Why Is LinkedIn So Important in Your Job Search?

If you're a job seeker who doesn't use LinkedIn in looking for job opportunities, you are not probably aware of the current tools being used by recruiters. Employers nowadays do not only review your resume. In fact, they are more interested in reading your LinkedIn profile to get more information about your qualifications. Aside from being a vital recruitment tool, you might wonder why LinkedIn plays an important role in your job search.

Read on to know the answers.

Why More Employers Choose LinkedIn Over Traditional Resumes

Recruiters and employers choose LinkedIn over traditional resumes for the following reasons:

1. Since a LinkedIn profile can be easily edited, the provided information is more updated and relevant in the context of one's industry.

2. A resume is often limited to a page or two while your LinkedIn profile could have unlimited information.

3. A LinkedIn profile is often considered more trustworthy since it's seen by the public. People are less likely to lie about their skills and experience as past and present colleagues could quickly point and call out exaggerations and fabrications.

Using LinkedIn in Your Job Search
There are 3 common ways for you to use LinkedIn to your advantage when you're looking for a job:
1. Use LinkedIn as a key to be found by hiring managers and prospective employers. Candidates who are found by recruiters via LinkedIn have more advantages than those who completely rely on the traditional resume.

The following LinkedIn strategies will increase your chances of being found by recruiting and outsourcing specialists:

-- Ensure that your profile is 100 percent complete. LinkedIn indicates how close you are to completing your profile.

-- Also, it's a good idea to include a keyword-rich and powerful headline to your profile. If you're not sure about your headline, try browsing profiles of people in the same industry as yours.

-- Include a professional and a smiling photograph in your profile.

-- Avoid being too vague with your skills and previous employment information. After listing your skills and former employers, be sure to talk about measurable results and unique accomplishments.

-- Join LinkedIn groups. Currently, the site allows each user to join 50 groups. Consider diversifying your groups --by skills sets, college alumni, geography, interests, or even previous employers.

2. Use LinkedIn to network and consequently find job opportunities. This networking site doesn't only allow you to market your qualifications to employers; it also provides an avenue for you to find a job that matches your qualifications. In the website's main menu, you can click on the "Jobs" section and filter jobs by date posted, industry, function, and organizational level through the Advanced Search feature. Further, each LinkedIn group has its own "Jobs" section that enumerates employment opportunities that are different from the ones posted on the main job board.

On the other hand, the LinkedIn Signal feature allows you to run a search amongst the status updates posted by members of your network. To look for job opportunities in your network, use the keywords "hiring" plus your "job title".

3. Utilize LinkedIn to keep yourself updated and obtain useful information in a wide variety of career topics. LinkedIn also provides news and original articles covering a wide variety of fields and industries. Company profiles are also featured.

Search for a Singapore job, you can always check out the latest jobs in Singapore WDA job bank where thousands of jobs are available.

Facebook Can Affect Your Job Search Success

I see students spending hours every day on Facebook. Now, let me by perfectly clear, Facebook is not a terrible thing. I even have a Facebook presence of my own. However, some days what I see on people's pages as I walk by suggests that they are not very discreet in what they share with the rest of the world. It is one thing to share photos of your antics at last night's pub crawl, but quite another if those same pix capture the attention of a job recruiter.

They might not be impressed and you could lose the opportunity for that all important interview. You see, what you post on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook is a reflection of your level of maturity and sense of discretion. Your lack of good judgment in what you post could be interrupted negatively by a potential employer.

So you are saying to yourself, "what employer or human resources consultant has the time the look me up on Facebook"? Well you might be surprised to know that in a survey done in 2006 by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 11% of those surveyed said they actually had gone online to check an applicant's online presence. And a survey by CareerBuilder found that 63% of hiring managers admit to not hiring someone based on the information they found about them online. So it is a real issue.

Your level of privacy is on the decline because of the internet and care must be taken with what we share about ourselves. We are not talking about stalkers or sexual predators here. We are talking about those employers you want the opportunity to impress in an interview. Don't lose the chance because of some foolish disclosure of personal information you never intended or imagined would be used in such a way.

And beware of blogs as well. There have been cases where applicants have posted less than complimentary comments about their bosses on their blogs. Such posts are intended to be read by others. What if one of those "others" is an employer whose vacate position you have applied to. Think he or she wants to take the chance of a similar rant being posted later about them? Another opportunity lost.

But the situation isn't as hopeless as you might imagine. Only share those very personal photos with your friends; remove the public designation and make them for a private group. Create a public profile that displays you in a positive light. And remove those caustic tirades concerning past bad experiences with people in authority, personality conflicts, negative co-workers or customers. A mature approach would be to spin these in a more positive way, describing what was learned from them and how they have made you a stronger, more productive employee. Use your social networking presence and blogging as an advertising tool for what it is about you that an employer would want in an employee. Build a professional online profile, one that promotes you and not restricts your opportunities.

You need to know that most of the job opportunities out there these days are never advertised on job boards or at employment centres. Use your Facebook and MySpace tools to network with potential employers. Turn that tool that could have hampered your job search success into one that raises your profile online and displays you as a good human resource investment for a company's future. Take every opportunity you encounter to network amongst those that may hold the key to your career success. The next person you talk to might be the one that recognizes you for what you have to give and how valuable an employee you will be in contributing to their future success.

For more assistance with writing cover letters and resumes, 

Looking for a job in Singapore, you can always check out the updated jobs in Singapore job bank WDA where thousands of jobs are available.

How to Use LinkedIn to Land Your Dream Job - Reviewing Your Profile

Learning how to use LinkedIn effectively is an important part of any modern day job search. The analogy goes that if Facebook is a student party and Twitter an office shindig, then LinkedIn is a high profile networking event.

Since its launch back in 2002 LinkedIn has proven itself to be the social network for professionals. It's used both by those actively seeking a new role and professionals looking to discuss key industry issues (and who may 'passively' find a new job opportunity along the way).

The problem is that most people don't know how to use LinkedIn effectively enough to land their perfect job. The most common issue is that job seekers set up a profile by adding their picture and filling in the obligatory education and employment details, which is great - but then they sit back and assume that this is enough to attract recruiters and subsequent job opportunities.

How to use LinkedIn - it all starts with the profile

The fact is your LinkedIn profile needs to really shine in order to stand out from every other job seeker on the site. Your profile alone can increase your chances of being seen by headhunters if it's well written and the right keywords are used.

If you're a professional writer and knowledgeable about what recruiters are looking for then you can write your own profile - but of course not everybody is, which is why a professional LinkedIn profile writing service is needed. It's not just all about the CV anymore and LinkedIn plays a huge part in that. Here's what you need to know if you're going it alone when writing your LinkedIn profile.

A good LinkedIn profile should:
• include a captivating pitch to grab the recruiter's attention

• be well-written and in the first person

• use search engine optimised keywords naturally to make it easy for recruiters to find you

• be free of all spelling and grammatical errors

• have a call to action so that recruiters are compelled to contact you

Your LinkedIn profile essentially needs to be a unique sales brochure of your accomplishments to date, and lots of jobseekers struggle to find the right balance between stating their skills and expressing their individual personality.

It's true that knowing how to use LinkedIn in terms of contributing to relevant group discussions and conversations is definitely key to getting noticed on this social network.

But it all begins with the profile.

Want to help people find a job,do something meaningful and make a difference in other peoples life by starting your own recruitment company? Check out Dougles Chan inspirational recruitment stories.

Using Craigslist to Find a Job Or Gig - Helpful Tips

Hands down, the best way to make money on Craigslist is to find a job or a gig. If you are in desperate need of money and more than just a few extra dollars, this is the approach you must take.

If you are unemployed, your goal is to find a full-time job. If you are just looking to make some extra cash, your goal is to find a part-time or a paid gig. You can find all of these on Craigslist, enabling to you to make money.

Craigslist Tip #1 - Post in the Services Offered
First and foremost, post a services offered listing in Craigslist's services section.

Even if you want a full-time job, this is a way to make some extra cash in the meantime. Any hobby or small amount of experience you have can be used to make money. Offer your lawn mowing services, your computer repair services, or your babysitting services.

But wait! Why do you need to do this AND search for a job or gig? Because some Craigslist users are lazy. Why spend time searching when all they can do is post an "I need a" ad and get many replies?

Craigslist Tip #2 - Search All of Craigslist
There are benefits to being able to search all of Craigslist when looking for a job or a paid gig. Many paid gigs (like freelance writing) are internet based, meaning you can work for someone clear across the country. As for a good job, you might be willing to relocate. Having the ability to search all of Craigslist gives you better results.

But wait! How can you search all of Craigslist? A number of websites and software programs enable you to search all of Craigslist and thousands of other websites at once. Download one of these programs or do a free search on a classified searching website.

Craigslist Tip #3 - Choosing Your Search Words or Phrases
There are three good ways to search for jobs on Craigslist. They include:

• Search with the job title: office manager, writer, secretary, construction worker, bartender, and so forth. This is your best option.

• Search with the job duties: typing, writing, remodeling, customer service, and so forth. This is less successful, but ideal when the hiring manager doesn't have a set title for the job.

• Search with the company name: Burger King, Microsoft, and so forth. This approach more hit or miss. Not many large companies use Craigslist, mostly the smaller businesses do. Moreover, many leave out the company name.

Craigslist Tip #4 - Do Not Headline Browse
Normally, I recommend headline browsing. After all, why click to see a size medium leather jacket when you need a size large? Jobs and gigs are different. Rarely does someone post the salary info in the job post at all, let alone in the headline. From that one line the job may look like crap, but it may turn out to be the best paying job you had in years! Click and then skim.

Seeking for a job in SG, you can search a list of available jobs at WDA jobsnet.

A recruitment article by Dougles Chan - A recruitment coach that speciliased in recruitment training and recruitment mentoring in Singapore and globally.

Contact Dougles Chan @ +(65) 9388 0851 or email to dc@dougleschan.com for your recruitment training and mentoring needs.