Category Archives: Career Management

Do you believe in Unicorns?

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https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/find-your-unicorn-joyce-k-p-tan/?trackingId=OWmka%2BlPRR2yTzTC%2FJaAjw%3D%3D

My acquaintance with my unicorn was brokered through my children.

My 3-year old asked me, “Mummy, do you believe in Unicorns?” while I was reading to her and her elder sister one day, in 2008. I paused to think. Instead of my usual hasty answer that it’s just a fictitious creature from our imagination, I pondered about Unicorns.

The Unicorn. What is it symbolic of? I thought about the time when I made a bold decision to embark upon career transition to devote more time to my children. I thought about the moments where I’d not know what is to come, but I know that I will face whatever will come with courage and positive thoughts that will guide me through the darkest paths.

The Unicorn. Is confident. Is courageous. Is creative. Is adventurous. Is unconventional. The Unicorn is the result of our imagination. The Unicorn gives us the reason to be different.

Finding my unicorn has empowered me to appreciate and believe in myself. It was time to re-assess myself, and to re-examine all avenues in my life that consumed my time and energy. Life is too short to be spent on matters that didn’t matter to me at all!

I compiled a list of my values and beliefs. Then I evaluated my passion my strengths and my skills. Finally I charted my experiences and the paths I’ve taken. I thought about where I was (at 2008) and where I’d like to be. With myself, and with my children, and with people who mattered around me. I construed a path I’d like to be taking from then on, taking into account of my priorities, and my personal goals.

Many deviations and slight detours have happened on this path since I started walking on it. Many obstacles have also made it necessary for me change my path’s direction slightly. 6 years along, I’m still finding fulfillment, contentment, and encouragement in every undertaking that I’ve made on this new path. Challenges are my opportunities. Weaknesses are my new strengths.

Once unleashed, my unicorn is relentless. It pushed me to the limits of my resourcefulness and imaginations. It brought out of me strengths and traits I’d never dreamed that I’d have possessed. It also bestowed upon me foresight, and the ability to contemplate things in unconventional perspectives thus enabling me to create opportunities for myself, and for the clients I coach, in many refreshing ways.

Likewise, your unicorn will urge you on in your professional challenges, your unicorn will inspire you to view your pursuits creatively, your unicorn will ride with you through your adventures.

I believe in Unicorns.

A New Year, A New Beginning?

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With the countdown on New Year’s Eve, we’re always filled with the excitement and hopes for the new year. What it brings us. The new adventures that await us. It is as if, with each year, we renew ourselves, we replenish our motivation, we recreate our dreams.

The New Year is always a good start. It is clean. It is clear. It is powerful. And it is resolute. Whatever we could not achieve last year, we will attempt it in the New Year. This time with the ammunition of new energy, new strategy, new plan!

How many of us have thought last year that our life needs a change. Our careers need a change. The way we live needs a change.

If yes, what have we done to achieve these goals? We’re now in the second week of the year, how far are we in bringing us closer to what we’d tried to achieve last year?

In fact, a new year is a metaphor of a new beginning. The surge in hope and energy levels is intangible, and is purely esoteric. Nevertheless, I feel we should still let this wave of optimism that comes around every year, especially during the first two weeks of the new year, and possibly all the way into the second month of the new year, to focus our energy, our intentions, our goals.

The Migrant Crisis and your career

Career Management, Volunteering, , , ,

The migrant crisis in Europe is a humanitarian showcase for all to start thinking about the kind of person we have let ourselves become. Seeing the photo of little Aylan lying face down on a beach, sends shivers down my spine. The toddler deserved better.

In the midst of all these humanitarian crisis, some of us are busy looking for a new job. Worrying about the new salary. Is it going to be as much as the last one? Will I be as high-flying as the last one. Looking at Aylan, it made me think harder – everything is transcient. Everything can be lost in just a moment.

Perhaps its time to rethink our job-search strategy. What kind of world do I want to live in? How am I contributing towards the kind of world I would like to live in? What can I do to make the world we live in sustainable?

Volunteering doesn’t have to mean that my resume suffers. After all, I am doing something meaningful, through contributing my skills. How can something constructive be destructive to my resume?

There are many organisations who would require my skills, but cannot afford them on a commercial basis. Its time to explore them. Its time to collaborate. Its time to develop a sustainable world based on humanity.

How you would add value

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Do you recall being asked during job interviews, “Why should we hire you?” Its another way of asking you, “Why are you good for us?”.

Determining your value proposition for your potential employer is important. What makes you different from the other candidates who are also vying for that job? To be able to answer that question, first you must ask yourself, why do you want to fill that role? If your answer is, because I need a job, or because I need to stay employed, or because its a good company for my CV, none of these answers will empower you to take possession of the role.

You need to ask yourself – what value will I bring to the role? What’re my USPs? To be able to answer these questions about yourself you need to be able to answer these questions about yourself:

  • what were my top three key achievements in my past roles?
  • what are the top three key transferable skills that keep recurring in these different roles?
  • what motivates me most at work?
  • what are my key values towards work?
  • what are the three key areas of improvements I feel I really need to make further progress on myself professionally

Once you have the answers to the questions, you’d be able to visualise more clearly, what kind of roles or organisation will match your strengths and values. When you fill a role which utilizes your strengths, and which coincides with your personal values, and which engages and motivates you, you will find that adding value for that organisation comes easily. Without making a great deal of effort.

This is the epitome of a win-win situation in career development.

The Half Year Review

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The year has gone by quickly! Many things have happened that led me to re-think the paths I chose and the decisions I made. My daughter’s best friend passed away as she was one of the Earthquake Victim on Mount Kinabalu in June. My beloved pet cat died of a freak accident through a negligent foreign domestic helper. We moved out of our first ever owned property that we called our home for the past five years.

But through it all, I’m constantly thankful for my daughters, my family, my partner, my best friends. And of all, my health.

For without health, everything else is secondary. No matter how rich or how successful one is in his/her career, without health, all becomes meaningless.

My half-year resolution : health, positive thoughts, gratitude.

What colour best describes you?

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Of all interviews I’ve been through, this is one question that has always stuck to my mind. The lady who interviewed me asked, “what color best describes you?” I’ve been prepared for questions like, “tell us about yourself”, “why do you think you’re suitable for this role”, “what are your career plans”…but this question just threw me off my chair (it was a video-conference interview, hence I was indeed sitting on a chair).

I thought hard. What colour. I believe I’m a red – fiery and gregarious. I also feel like a sky blue – soft, light, soothing. I’m green too – always looking towards growth and new opportunities. I’m a purple – an eclectic mix of tones, creative and resourceful. In short. I’m not just one colour. What will my response be to that question?

I answered slowly as I formulated my supporting speech at the same time, “I’m a rainbow!” Perhaps my lady interview had not anticipated that answer, as she looked surprised for a moment, before proceeding to ask the well-anticipated question, “why do you say that?”

Carefully, I chose my words. The rainbow is colorful, like my personality. I can be courageous, yet shy. I am experimental, yet cautious. I’m bold, yet respectful. Its because of this amalgamation of colours that I’m able to achieve what I have attained thus far, and developed that personality that I’m confidently comfortable with. “And who I think fits well with your team!” I simply had to add that last statement.

The lady interview smiled. I was offered the job. I’ve convinced the lady as well as myself that I’m indeed a rainbow.

A New Year, a New Beginning!

Career Management, ,

Businesses conduct annual audits. Employers review their teams’ performances. When do we actually look at ourselves, what we’ve done and say, “Hey, I think its time I did a me-review!”

Why is a “Me-Review” important?

We often make resolutions for the new year. But, do we ever look back at the resolutions we made last year, and review them, to understand why the respective resolutions have been or have not been achieved?

Often, we hear frustrated remarks such as “I do not make new year resolutions anymore, because I never keep them.” And why, have the new year’s resolutions not been adhered to?

Its our own fault. We often spend alot of time reviewing, criticising, judging everyone and everything around us. But we often neglect the need to review ourselves.

What do I want to achieve over the next 12 months? Have I set goals for myself?  How will I measure the success of my story if I did not have results to show from goals achieved (or not)?

Its a New Year! Its not too late! Make your resolutions today! What are the 5 things you want to see yourself achieve in 2015?