Monday, October 13, 2008

Why Google might be killing your job search

I have received a lot of inquiries regarding job or career opportunities in the UAE. As well as a lot of CVs sent by those who seek my assistance.

I would like to remind those who are interested to pursue new careers here that I am not an employment agency as well as I have limitations. I have developed a blog, Kerjadubai, as part of contributions to assist others. The rate of success is unknown but I know there are some success stories from those who are already in Dubai.

Most CVs that I have received so far are not up to the standard with too much unnecessary detail and information. Some CVs are written in very poor English. Some are written in mixed Bahasa Melayu and English (like project names).

Most tend to write their education starting from primary school (I sometimes make a joke about this...who cares about your primary education). Those from boarding schools tend to feel proud about their alma maters, again, in Dubai, who cares whether you are fom MCKK, MRSM, etc. It is not your glorious school that matters.

Leave your PMR/SRP results out even though you have all As and minimize your SPM result into a single line, passed with excellence.

University level is important but please exclude your participations in kelab tarian, ROTU etc. Just plain degree with honours or CGPA and year of graduation.

Take out your salary history. It may cost you a better package as generally Malaysia salaries are very much lower and with the cost of living here, do not play play with salary or package. Some had bad experience when they found out that the offered salaries were inadequate to live comfortably in the foreign land.

Normal job offers come with basic salary, housing allowance, travel allowance, children school allowance, medical benefits for family.

How much is enough? Depending on your jobs and experience or talents. Minimum for young couple could be AED25,000 per month.

Good CVs should have up to 3 pages only with highlights on achievements of previous employments, not scope of work. Who cares your scope of work if you have not achieved anything on KPIs.

By the way, with the current technology invasion in our modern online life, sometimes we forget that we can be traced and trailed or scammed or fitnah.

Be careful even facebook is not safe for your reputations. By using google, your potential employer may catch something about your not-so-glorious past.

Columnist Anita Bruzzese solicits advice on managing your online reputation. This one was, especially insightful, and useful not only for job hunters but also for the happily employed!


Palm Jumeirah - Catatan Profesional (Empat)

Berkejar Antara Tiga Pejabat

Saya hanya tahu yang mesyuarat kejuruteraan mingguan ditangguhkan apabila tiba di Emirates Towers. Lega rasanya dan sempat menjenguk ke bilik Saeed yang sentiasa sibuk dengan tetamu dan staf.

Selalunya menegur sekretari Saeed, seorang wanita Emirati yang sudah berumur tetapi peramah. Bertanya kabar. (Kemudiannya saya diberitahu, beliau ialah salah seorang ibu mertua kepada pengerusi Dubai World!)

Waktu itu, tidak ramai staf di pejabat Palm Jumeirah dan saya kenal kesemua mereka. Terutama staf lelaki dan setiap kali solat kami bersama.

Sebaik waktu asar, kami berjemaah dan seperti biasa, Saeed mengimani diikuti tazkirah. Dia bersalaman dengan setiap makmum. Berdebar juga kalau dia bertanya mengenai tender.

Nasib baik ada dua tiga staf berebut mahu membodek dengan bertanya itu ini.

Saya berkejar ke pejabat operasi projek Dubai World yang terletak di Attar Business Tower, dalam 1 km dari Emirates Towers.

Mesyuarat projek akan diadakan selepas maghrib dan perlu bersiap untuk membuat lapuran. Bos-bos hanya terluang masa selepas maghrib.

Sebaik tiba, saya melalui boardroom dan pintu terbuka. Ternampak COO/CFO, Hamid yang dahulu CEO di DIC.

Dia segera memanggil saya masuk.

"Apa cerita terbaru Anwar Ibrahim?"

Saya terkejut kerana dalam bilik mesyuarat adalah beberapa ahli lembaga pengarah Dubai World. Salah seorang ialah Secretary General, Adel yang menunggu lapuran status projek dari saya untuk di edarkan.

Sebaik mengucapkan salam kepada mereka, saya menjawab kepada Hamid, "Masih dalam penjara!"

Hamid berkata sesuatu dalam bahasa Arab kepada yang lain, lebih kurang, "Memang zalim Mahathir!"

Sewaktu di DIC, Hamid selalu berbual dengan saya mengenai politik Malaysia. Malah dia boleh dikatakan setiap tahun ke Malaysia, hobi dia membeli CD/DVD di Chinatown. Walau dia jutawan, tetapi masih berhemah dalam berbelanja. Selalu juga dia meminjam CD/DVD dari saya untuk anak-anaknya.

Tiba-tiba henfon berbunyi. Operator CAD yang diupah untuk membuat drawings menelefon.

"Sorry sir, I cannot do the drawings tonight as I have to stay back for over time!"

Berderau darah.


Join Me For A Lavish USD 1 Million Vacation!

Emirates Palace launches a lavish Million Dollar Package

The stunning grandeur of one of the most expensive hotels ever built demands ultra-luxury offerings for its guests, including unrivalled facilities and incredible tailor made designer packages. The Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, exceeds all expectations with its latest...a fantastic once in a lifetime all-out package with a hefty value of 1,000,000 US Dollars !

This package incarnates pure opulence and includes the following for 2 guests:
* First class return trip from any international destination serviced by Etihad Airlines to Abu Dhabi

* Chauffeur driven Maybach at your disposal daily during your stay in Abu Dhabi
* Daily spa treatment in the Anantara Spa

* Day trip to Bahrain in private jet for a pearl deep sea experience. Your pearl will then be hand designed with jewelry settings
* Royal Golf experience at Abu Dhabi Golf Club
* Make your own perfume with experts from YAS Perfume
* Deep sea fishing trip

* Gifts including champagne sunset and desert island tour.
So there's the answer to that million dollar question...

The Russians Are Coming!

Russians have been butt of jokes in Hollywood movies as well as media. I have been hearing a lot of stories about hot money from Russia coming into this part of the world.

The famous Roman Abramovich, the billionaire owner of Chelsea football club had made his presence known with shrewd investments and startegies.

Recently, a colleague who returned to his adopted home in Prague last summer told me his experience meeting with a Russian mafia group in a bar there. He was sitting at one of the mafia's chairs and was about to be kicked out when suddenly the mafia realised that he was an Arab based in Dubai.

"Arabs and Russians are friends.....not Americans and Dubai is good, no?" And they hit it off nicely even the mafia boss enticed the trembling Arab with loads of Chech ladies and expensive vodkas!

The Russians are coming
By Aleh Tsyvinski and Sergei Guriev, Special to Gulf News

Russia's government is sitting on a giant pile of cash that it plans to invest in foreign assets. The glimpse of its economic muscle was revealed last week when the Prime Minister of Iceland announced that Russia may come with about $5 billion to save its troubled economy. Who could have thought that, given the chaotic Russia of the 1990s, only ten years later it would be in the position to bail out a developed country? Even more surprising is the fact that the helping hand for Iceland comes at a time when the domestic stock market is in a freefall and trading on the Moscow stock exchange is routinely halted.

The Kremlin thinks that now is the time to buy assets cheaply, using the current financial crisis to emerge as a powerful global economic player. As Prime Minister Vladimir Putin remarked at a recent meeting with the CEO of state-owned bank VTB, "Perhaps we should buy something [abroad]? Something that is up for grabs?" According to Arkady Dvorkovich, an economic aide to President Dmitry Medvedev, the government will support - both diplomatically and financially - the expansion of Russian companies abroad.


Bandar Baru-Kulim - Ada apa-apakah? Kejutan lain?

Adalah mengejutkan untuk BN menarik balik petisyen pilihan raya yang kemukakan April lalu. Dikatakan yang BN mempunyai kes yang kuat untuk memenangi petisyen ini bagi pilihanraya kecil baru diadakan.

Tentunya tidak kecil perbelanjaan selain strategi yang diatur untuk kembali mendapatkan kerusi parlimen yang hilang.

“Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable - the art of the next best” - kata Otto von Bismarck.
Dia juga berkata, “When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.”

Dalam perkembangan peralihan kuasa dalam UMNO dan meriah pertandingan untuk merebut pelbagai kerusi kuasa dalam parti perkauman terbesar negara itu, apakah akan ada sesuatu yang tidak terfikir oleh kita, para 'ahli politik' sampingan yang hanya tahu kulit sahaja.

Apakah BN takut untuk berdepan sekali lagi dengan gelombang rakyat?

Atau apakah UMNO dibawah Najib akan mempunyai seorang lagi MP tambahan?

Kata adidas dengan sombong, Impossible is nothing!

Kata orang putih yang ramai hilang kerja disebabkan kesan kejatuhan sistem kewangan Amerika, sit and enjoy the next grand movie of the year!