All posts tagged: job

Is A Degree A Must In This Time And Age?

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Originally posted on MiddleMe:
Recently, my husband panicked over the rising cost of university education in Singapore. Partly because he has been reading unsolicited advice by insurance companies, trying to scare him into parting a portion of his salary to invest in some kind of long-term investment plan. Partly because he loves our 1-year-old daughter and want to be able to provide the best education for her. Not uncommon that parents will want the best for their child. But I disagree in scaring yourself silly for something that is unknown in future. Sure, I would want her to arm herself with the best but what if, the best for her is not through a paper qualification? There seem to be too many examples of people who are successful and happy are those not pursuing a degree. David Geffen of Geffen Records and Dreamworks is one of the many, not to mention Steve Jobs, Richard Branson and Bill Gates. Closer to home, we have Creative’s Sim Wong Hoo, Royston Tan, Lawrence Leow of Crescendas Group and…

Should Companies Have Counseling Services For Their Employees?

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What do YOU think? Should you have someone to turn to when shit hits the fan? Or are you afraid of approaching anyone at your workplace for fear of misplacing your trust and jeopardising your career?   These questions have been on my mind for a long time, swirling and whirling in my mind ever since I re-joined the rat race in the corporate world. While it isn’t my first job, nor will it be my last, I still feel a little disconnected. I have been facing some work-based difficulties at the office. I find it hard to gel with my coworkers. I find it hard to deliver deadlines. I have fallen behind in my tasks. I have lost precious sleep thinking constantly about the impending training demonstration that I’m supposed to deliver. I have even refused to keep my manager updated on my work progress for fear of disappointing her. I keep to myself most of the time at the office, only opening myself up to one or two colleagues whom I can bring …

What Happens When You Have Been Unemployed for Too Long

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The last time I was unemployed and looking for a job was in January of 2016. The project I was working on in 2015 had closed down and the whole team designated for the project was forced to look for work elsewhere. It took me four months to get a decent job, and even that was a three-month contract at a startup company doing SEO writing. Three months later, I was back out in the unemployment market. Of course, the good news was that a month after my short-term employment ended, another company was kind enough to offer me a job offer, that time a permanent one with growth potential and possibly a brighter future for me. But what if I didn’t get the short-term contract? I’d have been out of a job for almost six months and that would have been a questionable scenario for employers during my interviews. There wouldn’t be an interview. It would have been a full-blown crime-scene investigation and interrogation. I would come under scrutiny for not having found a job, or worse, accused of being …

Salute to Pregnant Working Ladies Out there

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Originally posted on MiddleMe:
As I waddle my way into the third trimester, I really wish I can give each and every pregnant career woman a huge hug! Not that if you are pregnant and not working, you are not as important but I’m amazed how someone can be miraculously creating a baby inside her, wakes up at 6 or 7am in the morning, be immaculately dressed and dolled up, be in office on time, participants endless boring meetings and still make it home in one piece after an hour commute in the subway, under the jostling of tired folks in suits. That is one amazing feat! Not to mention if she has more than one child, she still has to juggle another hyperactive toddler while trying to put dinner together and clean up last night’s dinner. I wake up every day at 8am, sorry to correct that, I rolled off the bed at 8am in the morning to prep for breakfast for my family otherwise, I’ll get hell (of meows) from my cats. Then…

Battle of the Sexes: Male Managers vs. Female Managers

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On our way home from lunch earlier today, I was telling my husband about my new job and then I realised that in all my past and current employments (I have been working for about 3 years now), the only managers I’ve reported to, served under, and worked with have all been females. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t have a beef with reporting to a female manager but I’ve never reported to and worked for a male manager, hence I have no idea what it feels like (though I get some friends telling me that working for a male manager doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better either!). But I know exactly what it feels like to work for a female manager. Women are women, and they have their follies. Some would be menopausal and cry at the tiniest bit of dissent. Some will rule you like an iron lady. Some prefer male managers because they are less emotional and more rational, while others prefer to work for female managers because they are more compassionate and understanding. Females Over Males According …

Different Types of Annoying Male Co-workers

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We’ve been working for at least five years now. There are so many personalities we’ve encountered. Although we live across the country from one another, it seems like we have a lot of similar co-worker experiences. So we’ve compiled a list with a few warnings attached. The general list was posted a few weeks back. We decided to add a few more to the list, and to add some helpful descriptions.

The Reality of Freelance Writing

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I guess I’m living the dream right now. After I left my boring office job four months ago,  I’ve been spending my time travelling the world. I’ve been to Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Mexico and Amsterdam and am currently planning a trip to Romania and another trip from New York to California. This is what I have wanted to do ever since I can remember, and I now have the perfect job to go alongside it. I don’t have to choose between this job and travelling because I can work whilst travelling.

The Pros and Cons of Event Work

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Last week I worked 12 hours as a bar staff worker for a festival in North London. I got the job through an events agency, which typically post events throughout the year (mostly in Summer) that you can sign up and work. You get paid minimum wage, work long hours on your feet, have to deal with difficult and often irate drunk people and if you’re lucky you’ll get two fifteen minute breaks. But on the plus side, you will make around £80-90, you will make friends, you will gain experience and you’ll be forced to be physically active. If you want to make a bit of extra cash or your employment history is noticeably blank and you’re willing to try anything, here is my list of pros and cons to consider before you attempt this line of work.