Guideline in Job Search

Originally Posted by JeffLKS

Do you just apply to whatever jobs which you're qualified in or only on those that you're interested in?

Why am I asking? I had graduated 1 year ago with only temp jobs experiences under my belt, and have been on looking for job coming 2 months now. I know the industry I am interested in but seem that the openings are rather few.

My friend recommended that the best method is to apply to any jobs which you're eligible for, so you can then choose to take in any opportunities when you're being considered and hired. In the same time, I could also solidify my interview skills.

So I hope to hear from you guys for opinions and comments. Hopefully everyone who are jobless like me could achieve their dream job soon.

Ideally yes, you should only apply for jobs you really want.

But let’s be practical about this, I assume your CV isn’t stellar and just normal grad degree since you work temp for 1 year already. The average ratio of applicant to fresh grad job is about 80 : 1 in Singapore.

This means that assuming all things equal with an average cert, you will need to apply about 80 jobs before getting 1 offer. If you start being picky about what job to apply, you can imagine you could be really out of job for years. And also employers don’t like people with long unemployment period, the more you wait the harder it gets.

If you can continue to live off your parents indefinitely, by all means go ahead and wait, otherwise you just have to take the 1st offer that comes along. Companies usually give 3 – 5 days for you to revert, so very unlikely you will get a few offers simultaneously to compare and choose.

[JeffLKS]

Originally Posted by miwashi

Exactly. That's why I'm trying to capitalize on all the related experience from my first 2 jobs, since my current one doesn't give me any ammo to use at interviews. In fact, when I go for interviews and they ask me about my current job, they can still laugh at what I'm doing and ask me 'how I ended up doing this kind of work'. It may sound elitist but I also note that if some people look at my job this way, especially directors in ministries, there are definitely many others who feel the same.

Anyway editorial work is not about teaching english. Many people think it is. They think editorial work is checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, and so on. It's much more than that. Deciding your audience, medium, tone, what content to deliver, what not to deliver, showing how it relates to them, and so on. Unfortunately during 15 minute interviews it's hard to give interviewers examples of this, so I have to show printouts of work I produced more than 6 years ago... but hopefully by June this year my new article will be out in Scientometrics. But these are not really editorial skills, more like typography skills. Editorial skills are all about being an expert in a field and knowing what is newsworthy, and making your articles fit the trend. That's why so many science editors are professors in their parent institutions, rather than english teachers.

There's also a world of difference between an editor for Her World magazine and an editor for Nature.




anyway this is really going off tangent from the TS's topic.

It's absolutely okay. By the way, do you guys think that customer service line will be given a good career prospect along the way?

Originally Posted by JeffLKS

It's absolutely okay. By the way, do you guys think that customer service line will be given a good career prospect along the way?

Nope, you'll be competing with pinoys.

Originally Posted by miwashi

Exactly. That's why I'm trying to capitalize on all the related experience from my first 2 jobs, since my current one doesn't give me any ammo to use at interviews. In fact, when I go for interviews and they ask me about my current job, they can still laugh at what I'm doing and ask me 'how I ended up doing this kind of work'. It may sound elitist but I also note that if some people look at my job this way, especially directors in ministries, there are definitely many others who feel the same.

Anyway editorial work is not about teaching english. Many people think it is. They think editorial work is checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, and so on. It's much more than that. Deciding your audience, medium, tone, what content to deliver, what not to deliver, showing how it relates to them, and so on. Unfortunately during 15 minute interviews it's hard to give interviewers examples of this, so I have to show printouts of work I produced more than 6 years ago... but hopefully by June this year my new article will be out in Scientometrics. But these are not really editorial skills, more like typography skills. Editorial skills are all about being an expert in a field and knowing what is newsworthy, and making your articles fit the trend. That's why so many science editors are professors in their parent institutions, rather than english teachers.

There's also a world of difference between an editor for Her World magazine and an editor for Nature.




anyway this is really going off tangent from the TS's topic.

I think it's easier to start your own journal / magazine / blog than to look for the ideal editorial job.

[miwashi]

haha. I ran 3 websites over the last 10 years, only 1 remains now because work takes up too much time.

If you want to do customer service you should have high tolerance for people who always think they're right. My job is also about customer service, I remember having to endure daily complaints about grass too long, grass not green enough, or listening to aunties in neighbourhoods talking to me for 1 hour about how the plants in her garden are the cure to H5N1 and if you drink tea made from them you'll never get H5N1 or any disease that's in the news and being unable to correct them because they'd say you're rude. Coming from a science background this sort of thing really got to me.

Originally Posted by miwashi

haha. I ran 3 websites over the last 10 years, only 1 remains now because work takes up too much time.

If you want to do customer service you should have high tolerance for people who always think they're right. My job is also about customer service, I remember having to endure daily complaints about grass too long, grass not green enough, or listening to aunties in neighbourhoods talking to me for 1 hour about how the plants in her garden are the cure to H5N1 and if you drink tea made from them you'll never get H5N1 or any disease that's in the news and being unable to correct them because they'd say you're rude. Coming from a science background this sort of thing really got to me.

Actually, I think you should try to be an MP.

Originally Posted by JeffLKS

It's absolutely okay. By the way, do you guys think that customer service line will be given a good career prospect along the way?

If you want to go down along customer service, best is to go customer service management, i.e. dealing with policies and management of customer service and its related parts (e.g. CRM systems). That at least you will have prospect.

[JeffLKS]

Guys, I'm really miserable right now. Actually my desired career is to venture in Aviation industry and Airport Operation, but I find it difficult to land on any with my Engineering Diploma. My resume is pretty much screwed up too, with little temporary administration experiences here and there with unemployment time gap. In addition, I had been graduated for 1 year now.

I really need guidance in this one. I don't know how I should go on unemployed like this. I don't wish to just land on any jobs with no passion and interest.

Originally Posted by JeffLKS

Guys, I'm really miserable right now. Actually my desired career is to venture in Aviation industry and Airport Operation, but I find it difficult to land on any with my Engineering Diploma. My resume is pretty much screwed up too, with little temporary administration experiences here and there with unemployment time gap. In addition, I had been graduated for 1 year now.

I really need guidance in this one. I don't know how I should go on unemployed like this. I don't wish to just land on any jobs with no passion and interest.

If you're desperate enough, bite the bullet and get ANY job you can. Then build your "passion" in that job and build up your career. Dreams don't feed you.

Originally Posted by JeffLKS

Guys, I'm really miserable right now. Actually my desired career is to venture in Aviation industry and Airport Operation, but I find it difficult to land on any with my Engineering Diploma.

have you checked out the job vacancies at CAAS and changi airport?
they seem to always be taking up full page ads on ST recruit.