The market is very tough now and competition is extremely high between professionals for a smaller pool of jobs. Our colleague Justin Kamihara from the Tokyo office discusses why job seekers should keep an open mind when seeking job opportunities.

To read more, click here.

Career advice, job search tips, job seeker

A week ago, no-one had heard of Jeremy Lin. Since then he has electrified the NBA with his inspirational play and has become a media sensation and a fan favourite. The Jeremy Lin phenomenon continues to grow and has far reaching effects outside of the sports world.

Take a long hard look around your workplace – for those in management positions, is there a Jeremy Lin in our midsts who is a star in the making?

Our colleague Benny Lee from the Hong Kong office discusses about Jeremy Lin and maximising opportunities. Click here to read more.

Career advice, determination, Harvard University, Jeremy Lin, job promotion, Kobe Bryant, Linsanity, NBA, New York Knicks, seizing the opportunity, talent management, 林書豪

So the interview is going well, the hiring manager has asked questions to which you have provided brilliant answers, it feels more like a discussion than a question and answer session and everything you’ve read on the internet about how an interview should go is going that way.

You sense the interview is ending and the conversation is coming to a close and you’re just about to relax when the interviewer asks you the dreaded question, “Do you have any questions for me?”

Many professionals are unsure, about what questions to ask and as a result are sometimes unprepared. Generally, as a rule of thumb, questions on salary, holidays, and work hours are not looked upon favourably.

Great topics for questions are company culture, office environment, and posing questions on some of the recent projects the company might have worked on. However, you could also ask questions on what the interviewer thinks would make one successful for the role.

For instance, asking “what attributes are essential to have for someone who aspires to be successful in this role?”

Questions like these tend to work well in three ways:

• Firstly, it leaves the interviewer with a positive impression of you and it reinforces their idea that you do want the position.
• Secondly, it can help you gain an insight into how the interviewer thinks and some knowledge into the role itself.
• Additionally, it could also be a way you could sell yourself by giving examples of the qualities that the interviewer stated that could help you be successful in the role!

Overall these kinds of questions are insightful in nature and tells your future employer that you are positive, enthusiastic and keen on the position. Happy interviewing!

interview questions, job interview, questions to ask the employer, recruitment

Our colleague Anthony Truchot from the Tokyo office looks into how to survive in a tough market, providing you with tips for what you can do during this difficult time.

To read more, click here.

Career advice, coping with job loss, how to handle job loss, staying positive while looking for a job, Unemployment

IT recruitment within financial services in Singapore has remained comparatively strong in the wake of the latest economic slowdown. Let’s take a look at some of the recent and predicted trends in this busy jobs market.

Singapore trading up
There is healthy demand for IT trading support professionals, due in part to a new wave of trading houses setting up in Singapore. Historically, global banks focused their front office functions for Asia Pacific in Hong Kong. We are now seeing these banks increase their emphasis on front office functions in Singapore. The increased business focus has created demand for IT professionals that have good domain knowledge, leadership skills and above all good communication skills.

Off-shoring
Cost awareness has made way for continued off-shoring of more technically ‘hands on’ functions to lower cost countries. India has dominated here over recent years; however a shift in cost benefits is seeing a rise in off-shoring to countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines.

Conservative salary increases
After witnessing salary increases of around 6% in 2011, it is predicted that increases will be more conservative this year due to ongoing economic uncertainty. However hiring levels are expected to remain sturdy in response to restructuring and new start-ups.

Have you considered contracting?
Another trend that should continue into 2012 is the upsurge in contract openings within banks in Singapore. This follows more mature hiring trends in the West and is likely to affect most business functions. Contracting provides banks and other companies with increased autonomy and flexibility in their hiring, as approval processes for permanent roles have become stringent and more difficult for hiring managers to justify. Some professionals are wary that contract roles are less stable and this is an attitude that will take time to shift. It may be comforting to know however that over 65% of contractors we place in Singapore have their contracts extended or converted to permanent roles.

contract jobs in Singapore, Financial Services, IT jobs in Singapore, IT trading support