Work-Life Balance

Balancing between career and personal life poses a constant challenge to everyone, which involves juggling work with the daily pressure of family, friends and individual. Our everyday life and work performance will be impacted if the scale between career and personal life is not balanced.

When employees have control and ownership over their own lives, they tend to have better relationships with management and able to segregate work and home issues. Employees that achieved this balance tends to feel more motivated and less stressed at work, which will increase work productivity and reduce conflicts with co-workers and management, thus promoting this work-life balance is beneficial to the company and individuals.

Companies that are known for their work-life balance is becoming very attractive to workers and draw in a valuable pool of candidates for job openings. These companies also tend to have higher employee retention rates, which leads to spending less time and resources for onboarding new employees. Here are some tips that you can start implementing to attain a healthy work-life balance.

Your health is a priority: You should place more emphasis on your overall health, which consists of the physical, mental and emotional aspects of health. There are bound to be days where you will fall sick, so do not worry about calling in sick even on rough working days. Overworking yourself doesn’t bring any benefits to you, and it may cause you to take unnecessary days off in the future. Just remember that work can never be finished.

Accepting there is no such thing as a “perfect” work-life balance: Don’t strive for “the perfect schedule” but a realistic one instead. Life is unpredictable whereby there are days you are required to focus more on work while other days you can spend more time and energy to pursue your hobbies or with your loved ones. The key to finding balance is to allow yourself to remain open into redirecting, assessing your daily needs and drawing the line between work and personal life. 

Find a job that excites you: If you hate doing something, of course you will be unhappy. It is very unrealistic to love every aspect of your job, but it needs to be exciting enough that you won’t feel dreaded getting out of your bed and dragging your feet to work every morning. It may be due to a toxic environment, toxic person or doing a job that you genuinely do not like. So, figure out what is the root cause of your issue and if it the case of doing something that you genuinely do not like, then the recommended solution is to start searching for a job that you genuinely like or interest you. Make sure that you have obtained the skillset for the job.

 

Unplug from work: Try to form this mental switch to switch off your mind from work or by means necessary taking time off for a vacation to physically and mentally recharge yourself. With proper planning and management, you can take time away from work without worrying about burdening your colleagues or potentially face a massive workload after your trip. Avoid thinking about upcoming projects or answering non-emergency calls and emails when you left the office. One suggestion is having a separate computer and phone for work so you can shut it off when you are done for the day.

Set Your Boundaries: Set fair and realistic boundaries for yourself and your colleagues to avoid burnout from work. Develop a mental on-off switch between work and home, as it helps to establish a transitional activity between the two realms. The truth is there is no nobility in not taking well-deserved breaks away from work; the benefits of taking a day off far outweigh the downsides.

When working from home, it is critical to know when to draw the line between work and life, if not your working hours might be extended late at night, during vacations or even weekends. Communicate clearly with your colleagues and your superiors on your boundaries which you are not accessible due to personal activities and inform them that you will only entertain emergency emails or calls after working hours. This transparency helps to ensure your colleagues and superiors understand and respect your work limits and expectations.

 

Voice out your concerns: Don’t suffer in silence if you are feeling stress due to workload. Although work is an expected societal norm, your career should not be restraining. You can arrange a time and explain your situation to your boss or supervisor, which usually can be alleviated easily as it takes some assertiveness on your part as well. However, if you are still feeling stress despite talking to your superiors, try engaging to a professional such as a counsellor. Each individual must find their way of combining career, relationships and personal care into an integrated whole. Work-life balance means different things to different people due to different life commitment. Balance is a very personal thing and only you can decide the lifestyle that suit you best.

Taking ownership of your work-life balance: No doubt that the job is essential, but your life should not entirely focus on it. Despite how hectic your schedule might be, you are the one that has full control over your time and energy. You can start by marking dates on your calendar for romance, family bonding and hobbies and stick to them. Your perception on the importance of your job doesn't matter; the company will still move on even you are gone as everyone is replaceable. 

 

8 tips to ace your first day of work

Congratulation on landing a new job! So now how are you preparing for your first day in your new workplace? Majority of us are focusing too much on securing the position that rarely spends much time considering the plan afterwards. Instead of worrying about what can possibly go wrong, here are 8 tips to help you handle your first day of work better at your new workplace! 

Dress Appropriately

For dress code, check with the HR department on the dress code policy before your first day of work, but there is this saying “always better to be overdressed than underdressed”. So, to be on the “safer” side, just put on a smart outfit on your first day. Instead of pulling out outfits that you had recently bought, just stick to the old usual work outfits as you will be working for long hours and wearing something comfortable will give you a sense of comfort and make you feel confident as well. So, start planning your outfit in advanced and prepare them before you sleep.

Packing Of Office Essentials

Think about what are some essential items you will need in your new workspace? Essentials items can be a water bottle, Post-It notes, tissues and writing materials like pen and notepad. List them out and pack them into your bag the night before you sleep.

Sleep

The first day on your new job can be intimidating, but no one will expect you to be an absolute pro on your first day or even first month of work. So, don’t think so much and try to go to bed earlier than usual to get plenty of rest as your first day of work can be mentally draining. Reading or listening to soothing music can help to relax your mind and probably induce you to sleep. Before heading to bed, remember to set your alarm to a time that gives you sufficient time to prepare and commute to your new workplace.

Breakfast

Get up early and have a nutritious breakfast, even if you don’t feel like it. Having a low Glycemic Index (GI) foods for breakfast is important as these foods provides high energy but has a slow release rate, so it makes sure that you are not crashing halfway in the morning. Such food can be oatmeal, eggs and low-fat yoghurt.

Arrive Early; Don’t Be Late.

Take note: Never be late on your first day of work. Showing up late on your first day of work is one of the worst things you can do as a new hire as lateness is often perceived as unreliable. It is important to give a good impression to your new boss and colleagues so plan out your commute time. Try commuting to your new workplace before your first day to get a rough idea on the commute time during the morning  Give some time allowance in your commute as you never know if you might unexpectedly bump into any sticky situations that can impact your commute time.

Be Sociable

Stepping into your new workplace, try to smile and be sociable to your new colleagues. It may seem to be a daunting task, but you will be working closely with them. So, step out of your comfort zone and take the initiative to introduce yourself to your new colleagues. Being a new hire, there will be many things you will be curious about your new company, so this can be an initiative topic for you to break the ice between you and your new colleagues. Your new colleagues will definitely be curious about you as well. Hence, there is a possibility that you will be invited to join them for lunch, so accept their offer as this is a good opportunity to bond with your new colleagues. But be mindful of the conversation and never speak ill of your previous colleagues or employers to your new colleagues.

Ask Questions

Stepping into a new working environment, I’m sure that there are many questions to be asked. So, don’t feel embarrassed when seeking assistance as it is just part of the course in any new job. Take notes wherever possible and just ask again if something is still not clear. Making mistakes in a new workplace during your first day is just part and parcel of the learning experience, so don’t be too strict on yourself!

Express Gratitude

Before heading home, you should thank your new boss for allowing you to join the team. Aside from your boss, you should acknowledge your new colleagues that you have ended work for the day and thank them for guiding you through your first day.

Have you heard about our upcoming career fair that is happening at the end of this year?

This November, SNEF and FindSGJobs are co-organising a small-scale career fair for PMETs!

Well, unlike any other career fairs, we are focusing more towards our professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMET). 

We are looking into roles such as Operations Manager, Senior Logistics Officers, Senior Finance and Accounts Executives, Administrative Executives, Engineering Technicians, Product Sales Managers, IT Officers and many more... (Stay tuned for confirmed jobs listings in the link below.)

Event Details:

Happening, 7 Nov 2019 (Thursday) from 10am to 5pm (Last onsite registration closes at 4.30pm) at 531A Upper Cross St, #03-121, Hong Lim Complex, Singapore 051531 (Located directly above hawker centre).

Note: Open to Singaporeans and Singaporean PRs. Please bring your resume. 

How to participate:

You may visit here to pre-register for this event here https://www.findsgjobs.com/event-details/15/PMET-Career-Fair-@-Hong-Lim-Complex---7-Nov-2019 

(Jobs listings will be updated by latest 28 Oct 2019)

See you at the event!

As we heard the news, our big Merlion, located in Sentosa, is leaving. Meaning to say Mr Merlion has been terminated, retrenched or he just simply quit. It’s sad to see our big employee leave but it may be for the best.

The Merlion stood tall since 1995 and has served many people as a tourism point. Some may even consider him to be the eighth wonders of the world.

It is usually sad to see our friend leave the grounds. Everyone cherished good times together. Always being the centre of attention.

Although, its best to see it in a different light. Better things and opportunity will come. Expecting greater things to happen in the future.

The Sentosa Merlion will continue to stay in our hearts.

Similarly, to our friends and colleagues who left the company, it's difficult to say goodbyes as they have contributed much in the company and left to remember their legacy.

We should remember the good and instead, end it with a good note and be happy that another company is lucky to have someone like them in the company.  

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Visit www.findsgjobs.com for job opportunities near you!

In recent news (see here), there’s a 20-year-old PMD rider who collided with an elderly woman, who was riding on a bicycle, at Bedok area. The rider was arrested for the act while the victim got admitted to an Intensive Care Unit with aggravated injuries. Unfortunately, did not make it through.

In another news (see here), various in-home fires broke out and much more related to PMDs as its battery left overcharged and exploded, causing a fire to spread in home.

Now, a surge of petitions to ban PMDs is surfacing. Due to negligence and irresponsible owners. But does banning PMDs solve the recent negative happenings or does it take away jobs to those people who use PMDs to do odd jobs and deliveries?

Instead of banning PMDs in helping to reduce dangers in pavements, we can also see that it will not be helpful to jobs at all. I mean might as well ban cars since there are almost a lot more incidents every week due to careless drivers.

Some may argue, “but if no PMDs, then use a bicycle or motorcycle to do the deliveries then!”

Sure, but how many people can own a motorcycle? How many people have a decent bicycle or are they using PMDs because they have leg mobility issues that are why they chose to do this? PMD is such a big word as it also includes E-scooters, seated PMDs for elderly, and motorised wheelchairs etc.

With PMDs, may be beneficial to odd job workers. I know some poor folks got themselves a PMD, more specifically an E-scooter, to work for grab food as it’s an easy job to have a good salary. Others benefit by having a good side income as a food delivery personnel.

Not just food delivery, we can look into the neighbourhood postal services which packages are delivered by odd job workers can benefit from PMDs.

Elderly people or those who have motor issues with their legs can benefit from PMDs to travel short distances with ease.

Not just those who use PMDs, starting companies who sell PMDs brings out more job options to retailers to sell the product and technicians to fix the devices. As Singapore would be moving to a smarter nation, we can see PMDs as a new way of life of fast-paced and in-demand services towards logistics, deliveries and engineering.

Who else can benefit from using PMDs? As for now, options are yet to be explored.

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Visit www.findsgjobs.com for more job opportunities!

Do you find yourself lacking in productivity? Especially when you are at work or at home? Does something bother you in doing something that you are passionate about?

Usually, the lack of productivity does lie in how many hours you have your rest or sleep. Even for those who slept in early to wake up a bit later will still feel unproductive.

Your emotion and state of mind will still cause you some bad effects during your work as the chemical in your brain will not allow you to be productive, that is because you are not happy in what you do. Your passion died.

As for now, we truly focus on making your life better, so you feel a bit more comfortable in working in your company. Be it the boss or the employee. Being productive means to move your company forward and progress through.

How to be productive at work?

Before we continue, I ask you. What makes you feel good? What makes you feel rewarded in what you do? If you know what makes you feel happy then that’s one step of finding your own productivity.

People vary from what makes them feel happy at work. Time would feel less draggy at work. Most important thing is, to feel more motivated and passionate.

To be productive at work, you must train yourself to be happy and to find happiness easily. My director finds happiness in looking forward to his daughter after work. The sense of achievement in waiting for long hours and rushing on events and schedules and to feel accomplished after once it’s done.

For me, I find happiness by looking through my phone now and then, reading my conversation that I had last night with my soul partner.

Some others find happiness through relaxation. Taking a breather, smoke break and toilet break, eating junk food and walking around the office or down the office building.

I know some people goes to the gym on their lunch break, so the feeling of achievement after a hard workout would be very satisfying. During lunch hours is usually the best time to find solace and reflect on yourself.

All I can say is that to find the peak of productivity of yourself, you must know what makes you feel happy.

Unless you’re stressed, well, that will be another topic: How to lose stress at work.

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For more job opportunties, visit www.findsgjobs.com

What do we mean by a high-performance employee? How does one look like? What makes you think they are better than the rest?

There's various definition out there when you google an employee that is performing to your expectations but we lay down to the most conclusive detail for what most employers including us lookout for when it comes to looking out for our staff that deserves a spot as the employee of the month!


1 - Everything is under control even when in difficult situations

You do not need to remind them that the dateline is near, they know that it's near, they will finish what they do and meet most of the criteria. Asking on their progress seems too not needed as they are autonomous, and you can trust them to put their thoughts in the game.

Sometimes, we are in a pinch if a client gives us an impossible dateline to finish a job. Our 'friend' will always find the best way to streamline the workflow to come to a closure of the project. Without any compromises.

2 - Thirst to learn and to question and upgrade themselves to improve their knowledge

Sometimes, during life everyone hits a wall, they will do what is necessary to overcome the wall by looking for answers with those who are more knowledgeable, they will bring questions to the table to discuss with the co-workers to overcome obstacles. Under no circumstances, they will stop looking for new knowledge to apply in their work.

To move forward, our thinking should always be forward-thinking, questioning ourselves how and why. Why did it work? Why didn't it work? How to get to the conclusion? How to avoid such missteps.

3 - Not a leader but still leading together

They are willing to slow down to help their co-workers to catch up to their speed. We may go too fast in terms of work, an employee who pauses just to see and teach their co-workers to match up to his speed and lead together to push the boundary in the organisation. They show compassion and will leave no man behind.

4 - They take initiative and takes on leadership opportunities

When there’s a problem arises in the company, they would be the first to step in without creating any politics, rather, avoiding it and taking in a leadership role to lead the team. They will jump into any possible opportunities to leap the companies forward, improving the system.

5 - They take feedbacks positively

We may not like the feedback given even if it's negative. For Singaporeans, this will break their ego and for a high potential employee, they are willing to take a hit and learn from mistakes to improve on the productivity and adapt to open a new window to opportunities.

6 - They recognise their weakness and do a workaround to compensate it

The smartest people always have a way to overcome their weakness, such weakness like mine is that I would miss out small details and overlook spelling errors. I would have people to help me check the details of the artwork, so at least it's confirmed with 2 eyes watching. It's always a game of helping each other in return for a good reward.

Large quantity of thick smoke spreads from Sumatera and blanketing Singapore and our neighbour, Malaysia, with high PSI levels gradually increasing every hour making our visibility on the roads and horizon dense than ever.

Close to 1000 school closures in Malaysia for the safety of their wellbeing. Hospitals stacking up numbers with people seeking treatment for their breathing problems, because of haze.

Large number of restaurants with outdoor dining are declining in numbers, private hire drivers having problems in road visibility and pretty much cleaning the dust off the cars.

With the haze now reaching a dangerous level in Singapore, we best prepare ourselves with measures to prevent any more damage to our health and prevent the drop-in our productivity in work.

Staffs working indoors with air-conditioned offices are less at risk than of those working outside in construction areas.

As for now, we must wait till the haze clears after the forest fires are lesser or when the weather starts to rain to clear the harmful dust and particles in the air.

As my own advice, you may still get the facemask when walking outdoors. The cheaper mask is still as good, if not, better than the thicker N95 mask because it's breathable and the dust particles will not go through the masks.

The usage of the N95 masks are meant for those viral particles from spreading as the viral particles are smaller. And it is not advisable for anyone with breathing problems and panic attacks.

Employees working and starting to feel sick, are advised to seek medical attention and drink as much water. As an increase medical cases related to breathing and eye irritation/dryness are surfacing.

Boost your immunity to prevent the drop in your working productivity by eating immune-boosting foods such as kiwi, oranges and pineapples OR vitamin supplements. 

AND DON’T FORGET TO DRINK AS MUCH PLAIN WATER!

Stay safe during this haze-y period.

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Visit www.findsgjobs.com for more Singapore job opportunities

Let us start with a scenario. 

You just received a call for an interview at the company you just applied a few days ago. They are scheduling your interview this evening! 

What should you do and prepare for this interview?

Understand the universal interview dress code

Notice those who are working in many companies, hospitals, schools, restaurants, events and others. If you are selected for an interview, you might try to research what you should wear for this interview. 

You can ask the interview who called you earlier on what you should wear. 

But honestly, the best way is that you just wear as formally as you can! 

Arrive early, but never late!

Know where you will be going for the interview. Some companies are spread across the nation, but your interviewer forgot to give you the address to the location. Call the person again. 

If the caller did not pick up, research where is the location of the interview via Google Map or the Singapore Directory Map.

Best to leave your current location 1-2 hours earlier. Public transport to the area can be a nuisance. 

Plus, you may have to go through some security at the interviewing location, another minute for you to worry about.

Best to arrive 15mins early. Because you might be asked to fill an application form and it would take you sometime before the interview. 

Keeping a POSITIVE facial expression

When you enter a room or reception centre, you keep your head up, showing a smile and saying hello. It is important to make a positive impression according to career status and brand development. 

Showing professionalism is to be showing positivity despite hardships.

Reach out your hand before the interviewer

Show signs of readiness and welcome. While greeting to the interviewer, shake hands with them with a firm grip. 

You may want to study the posture of handshakes.

Avoid giving bad remarks to your referees or your previous employers

When the interviewer asks you the questions about why you left the company or ask about the previous employers, try not to give out a bad image of your previous employers.

This is a human psyche where if you gave bad remarks about your previous employers, the interviewer might think you'd do the same to them in the future.

Act a passion in career

Make it look like you are eager to work in the organization and wonder if you can pursue your application of the certain job position. The interviewer will be interested in you and will try to place your talent to fit in the right position.

Make a short and concise conversation

A short and sweet reply is what you would want to give to your employers. If there are no other candidates, you would still want to make your conversation compact and end with a good note. 

Avoid talking about politics, religion defamation or any unnecessary topics. 

Knowing your enemy is half the battle won, you would also need to know yourself.

Research on the company beforehand to understand what they do and what they sell. If you have any friends in the company, ask them about their work ethics. 

Imagine how you would better fit in the company when you apply for the job. Know what you can offer them instead of them offering you.

Imagine being the most presentable worker out there, how would you reflect?

• To prevent embarrassment and distraction, please go to the restroom before the interview starts.
• Comb your hair neatly. Wear make-up if you could.
• Turn your mobile in silent mode.
• Spray a cologne which is not too overwhelming.
• Check your bearings, zip your pants, tuck in your shirt, all buttons are buttoned.

What to bring to the interview?

• Your hard copy resume and certifications
• Mouthwash or body deodourant
• A pen

Why? Just in case if the interviewer needs the candidates' resume. Best to give them the hard copy. 

Mouthwash because who knows you were smoking before the interview or your mouth smells bad. 

A pen, because to show that you are well equipped.

Ever wondered how recruiters do well in finding the right candidates in various platforms?

In Singapore, it's tough selecting the proper candidate for your workforce, they may be good in one thing but bad for another. No matter how or where we find candidates to be part of our staff, things seem so unnatural, indifferent, because you may be looking in the wrong direction.

We would be honoured to share you the basic fundamentals of selecting the right candidate. We call this the Golden Triangle of Getting the Right Candidate!

A 3-step candidate recruiting process that its simple to follow.

Step 1 -  Recruitment

Whenever manpower search is required, the Recruiter or Human Resource manager can use social media platforms or arrange the Career Job Fair events to advertise more jobs for the job seekers. We can see face-to-face interviews with the applicants after they fill in the application forms. The candidate feedback process can help the interviewers’ reputation as a social positive organization that values recruitment and selections culture and diversity for the best engagement rate.

Step 2 -  Selection

In the volume of recruitment, the PMET, Executives, Managers and Team Leaders are applying for one job position or multiple job appointments. After the interviews, the employers will decide to select the most prospective candidate to hold the right job title within one or two weeks.

Step 3 - Orientation

Orientation provides new employees with some informations about work routine – working hours, break, leave, facilities, transport, during normal or extra hours. It also conveys informations about the organization, its mission, values, objectives, services, departments in a comfortable, effective and cultural work environment. It can remove anxiety from a mind of new employee.