Encountering challenges on your first day of your role?

Have you just recently started work and swarmed with deadlines and challenges. You start to question about what have you really got yourself into and start to have many self-doubts in yourself before convincing you are a wrong hire.

Personally, you tell yourself you should have never applied for this job or feel you are underqualified for this role. Every day, you drag yourself to work although you feel uncomfortable and seem to have lost your purpose.

It is then time to think of the following:

THERE WAS SOMEONE WHO BELIEVED IN YOU

Your hiring manager. Your hiring manager saw something you could bring to the team and was convinced you are the right fit for the job, in comparison to others. Unless you have conducted resume fraud, or fluffed your past working experience – then your hiring manager is usually right.

The entire hiring process takes a while, which includes candidate screening, multiple interviews before finally deciding on you. It is important that you should not be expected to perform the moment you step into office. Everyone requires some time to adjust to the unfamiliar environment and responsibilities.

Your hiring manager may have hired you not because of your skill set, but because of your willingness to learn and saw the potential in you.

CHANGE YOUR MINDSET

When you feel like this is not the right fit for you, you are merely focusing on the negative. You start thinking of the quick exit – which is the easiest path, but it is not the sustainable path. Your negativity will overwhelm your thoughts when you should really be considering on how to overcome these obstacles and how should you be able to start performing.

Remember that being uncomfortable will only push you to acquire new skills and develop new competencies – something which only people with progress will have.

Do you need to have what it takes before you submit a job application?

There are many times when you would consider before submitting a job application. However, along the process of uploading your resumes and filling in your personal, one  would usually consider and start being hesitant. One would to start to wonder that by putting in so much effort into this job application would it really lead to the ideal job.

These are the following tips to remind yourself when applying for a job although you might feel that your experience and education do not qualify. We are usually our biggest critique and would usually feel less qualified for the roles we are applying for. In fact, if you have four of these traits – you have everything to offer.

PASSION

So many times, we consider so much of qualifications and experience, but we forget about passion. It should be prioritized about the qualifications because a passionate individual would go the distance to really attain and learn to eventually be qualified for the role. Passionate individuals would also definitely be able to stay long in the role in comparison to a non-passionate but qualified individual.

So many people are lacking passion in what they do these days, and it is indeed something very unique. If you hire someone with passion, you will likely see how the passionate person can influence others to be passionate about what they do.

You express your passion by writing in your cover letters, together along with your resume.

FRESH PERSPECTIVES

Hiring someone who have done it repeatedly would also mean the Company is in status-quo. How is the company going to bring in fresh ideas and ways of doing things? One of the ways is by hiring someone who have no experience and you could be the breath of fresh air into ways of doing things in the Company.

People are usually people of habits and would never bother to discover ways to improve the process and hiring someone without any experience could be way you could be bringing value to the Company.

How do you convert your internship into a full-time job?

Internships are there for a reason – It is for you to have a glimpse into the work force, so you would be able to apply your theory to practise. However, it is also a good chance for you to prove to your future employer you can value add into this Company.

Being in the competitive market at the very moment, you would want to ensure you get a job as soon as you graduate but how do you compete with the number of people who have more experience compared to you?  You open your doors by allowing a conversion from your title into an intern to a full-time role.

Here are tips on how to do it:

BE PUNCTUAL

To put in simply, no one would want to hire late comers. It just shows that you take no pride in your work, and you are taking this opportunity for granted. It ultimately shows your lack of discipline as well.

Being punctual shows, you are responsible, and you care ENOUGH to be on time.

TAKE INITIATIVE

Do not just do what is expected or what is defined by your responsibilities at work. It works both ways because as an intern, you get to learn from the role as well. Objective of internships is to ensure interns get a glimpse into the workforce, but it can also be because it is based on a short-term project assignment the company have. For an employer to want to convert you into a full-time role, you must show you have what it takes.

This means that you should do something, no matter how insignificant the tasks. If you have completed your assignments on hand, see how you are able to help the others.

BE COMPETENT

Check your work to ensure you have completed the tasks well and understand how your work is able to value add your colleagues. It will be good to understand how your work process is like, so you do not just think your role is a standalone role as well.  Ensure you complete your work on time as well and do not submit when it is way past the deadline.

BE LESS DISTRACTED

It is optimal if you fidget less on your phone during work hours for personal reasons. This shows your work focus as well as commitment, as well as it shows you are grateful for this employment. Imagine using the office phone for your own personal reasons or always being constantly on WhatsApp entire day. You have

Mistakes to avoid making on your first day of work

You have just recently changed your employment with another Company. The day before you commence your work, you would get the butterflies and anxiety wondering how your first day of work will be.

You ask yourself if you should just be yourself, or should you be friendly. You pause and then think to yourself what if they think I am overly-friendly? Would they have their own usual lunch gang? You start to worry.

Here are the following tips to making your first impression at work

ASK QUESTIONS

You’ll likely be asking your new colleagues about questions at work instead of their own personal life on your very first day. This would be the most interaction that you would have with your new colleagues. It is most definitely all right to ask questions as jargons could be overwhelming an intimidating. If you are concerned that it will make you look stupid, then you will really end up being stupid because even the most experienced people ask questions – which shows you are curious enough to learn.

Secondly, do not even apologize for asking questions. It will just appear very negative to your colleagues. Instead, you can thank them for their time. This will allow you to start on a good start with your new colleagues for appreciating them.

BEING SITUATIONALLY READY

If you feel you are still too shy to ask too much questions, or if you feel that your colleagues or managers are always unavailable because of their tight schedules, you can ask them to divert you to someone who is more readily available to share information with you, or resources. Therefore, onboarding process is crucial for new hires.

ATTENTION YOUR EMAILS ONLY TO THOSE WHO NEED THEM

One of the most annoying thing is clearing emails, obviously. One email do not have to be copied to everyone. Generally, your emails should only be send to someone who you are expecting a response from. The others in copy of the email are basically kept in the loop but need not respond.

If you are replying emails, keep it short but not too short. You do not need to type paragraphs to convey a message across, but it need not just be “noted” as well. Take your time to understand how your email can value add your colleague’s time.

FORGETTING PEOPLE’S NAME

It is perfectly all right if it’s your first day and you forget people’s name. It will not be all right if it is after a week. Secondly, if people correct you with regards how to address them – it will be good to have an apology although you might be embarrassed. People will appreciate that.

PRETENDING TO KNOW YOU KNOW A LOT AND PROVE YOUR OVER CAPABILITY

If you are tasked to do an assignment, it is all right to ask for guidance. What bothers is when you agree to complete to do the tasks, but has clearly taken the wrong direction to complete the tasks. That will be a waste of everyone’s time.

If you share that you are unsure of how to complete the tasks, it shows you are courageous, honest and able to identify your personal strengths. It is also important you understand your flow of work and understand how your work can affect your colleague’s deliverables as well. It is fundamental for you to understand the rationale and the roots of why you are doing what you are doing.

If you are overloaded, talk to your boss about it and assist them to help you prioritize what is more important to complete. Making mistakes and knowing your limitations will help your colleagues respect you better. If you have made a mistake, it is important you acknowledge it rather than hide from your mistakes. Acknowledge the mistake and keep moving forward.

Leaving the Military to pursue a Civilian Job

Every day, we see people leaving the military to pursue a civilian role. These people come with a very niche skillset and based on that, will be worried that the transition to a civilian role is going to be a challenging start. Here is how you’re going to stand out from the crowd.

REMEMBER YOUR WORTH

There are still companies who are keen on the look-out for people who have served the country for awhile. Good starting point would be finding the list of companies who are on the lookout for you.  There are still companies who value military veterans for your service, as well as your long-standing career in the military.

In the process, you should consider your value. Consider what are the skills you have learnt in the military and how these skills would be required in the civilian roles. For instance, if you have been serving in the police force for quite a while, you should be the most suitable candidate for any positions or managerial positions in the security industry. The skills down here do not just refer to technical skills, but also your soft skills as well.

SEEK HELP

If you are having challenges securing an employment, you can always consider getting a mentor. The best person would likely be someone whom have walked your path before and is having a successful civilian career now. Alternatively, you can also get someone whom you are reporting to in your military to write you a very good reference letter. A good reference letter most definitely will not hurt in your pursuit of seeking a role elsewhere.

BE RECEPTIVE

It is important to continuously equip new skills, and show to your future employers you are taking the initiative to learn and progress individually. This would help you land a better impression to your future employers who might have a concern that you may not adapt well to the civilian lifestyle. In addition, be ready to negotiate and start from scratch in the civilian workforce, like the rest to have more exposure.

Handling your corporate work as a working parent

In the current society, it's common for both parents to be in the working force. Being a working parent can be very stressful both emotionally and physically, especially when your child is unwell.

You will most probably be at work worrying about your child's condition while be in a rush to cover duties at work in order to hurry home and into your child's arms. In order to have a balance between work and your family, you can make a couple of strategize steps stated below.

Acknowledge and be prepared

Studies shows that small children tend to get the cold and viruses 8-10 times per year, thus you have to acknowledge that your child might be ill on an average of once per month or two.

Be prepared, have someone on standby mode to be ready to take care of the kids, be it a babysitter, your spouse or even your relatives. The more realistic your plan is, the easier to handle the situation when it occurs.

Notify beforehand

Let your employer and colleagues be aware of the kind of flexibility you would be requiring, for example "if your child is ill, your babysitter would only be available till 2pm, and you would be required to cover their shift after, will have to work from home and only be contactable via mobile." Make sure that the company is comfortable and supportive with your arrangement in order to ensure that everything at work is not delayed.

Be in Control

Plan your backup plan ahead of time and make sure that all aspects of the plan is working to avoid any last-minute hiccups. Ensure that your caretaker knows what he/she is supposed to do and what not to, from the type of medicine to be taken to the special cases like allergies. In the case if you are the caretaker and has to work from home, make sure that you have access to all your resources needed when you are out of the office. It's also good if you could prepare a bag of your child's necessities to be ready to hand them over to your caretaker when needed.

Plan your finances

The cost incurred for childcare is high and can be taxing to a household. List down the things that you might be paying for during a situation and start allocating funds into an "emergency fund" so that you do not have to worry about the finances when the time comes.

Gather support from your company

If you will be working from home, make sure that you are not misusing the goodwill of your company. Ensure that you are still contactable and responsive on email and calls even though you have to factor in the time to look after your child as well. If your child is down with a health issue that requires longer recovery period, notify your company immediately in order for them to have ample time to make suitable arrangement for you.

Make your child feel better

Your child is already feeling grumpy and irritated when they are unwell, do not show them that you are also annoyed by the situation. Assure them by letting them feel that daddy/mommy has everything under control, or at least that you are doing your best in the situation. Making a big fuss out of the situation will only make the situation worst and always remember the reason of working is to provide for your love ones, keeping the situation all in control will benefit both your family and the company that you are working for in the long run.

Things to take note before sending your Resume

When looking for a position, sending of resume is usually the first thing to let an agency or company notice you. There are some points that candidates often overlooked when sending their resumes which leads them to not being selected in the first round of any interview.

Email Address

Having an informal email address gives the HR an impression of how casual you are, and that you might not be taking the position seriously. So, before you send a formal email of your resume to any HR, do take note of the email address that you would be sending your resume from.

Subject Title

HR personnel is usually overwhelmed with candidates sending them emails of their resumes and do not have time to go through each and every one. Naming your subject title with an appropriate name would help have time for the HR understand the purpose of your email.

Forward Emails

Forwarding emails will make the HR personnel wonder if you are busy that you don't have the time to erase 3 letters from the subject "Fwd:". It also shows the HR that you are applying for various companies at the same time.

Send the Updated Resumes

There are many candidates that send their resume over without updating it to the latest version. Indicating that the resume is up-to-date will help HR understand better about your past experiences and help you look for a suitable position more effectively.

Do a brief introduction of yourself in the email body, a 3-4-line brief description will do. Let the HR personnel know that you are sincere by texting the HR after sending the resume and do a follow up after a few days.

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It’s A Sign – For A New Job!

It is never easy or know to if it’s the right time to move on from your current job. What more if you’re already comfortable in the environment. There are many reasons why people want to stay in their job and probably just for one reason that might trigger the move.

No matter how atrocious the environment is, if your boss values your effort and results, you know you’re putting effort for the right reason. During hard time, human like us, always hope for recognitions and your boss telling you, good job!

What tells you to move on, read on:

Work has no happy moment but dominated by complaints

Every other moment of gathering and dinners (or suppers) if you work late, you just rant and pouring out negative comments about your work. The last thing you want is to complain on and on but to share and highlight about your professional’s lessons learnt and discussions, so that you know you’re gaining new experiences every day.

Bad health symptoms start showing

Your physical health is a good indicator of your mental health too. Bad health symptoms do not show up immediately. It is accumulative, and you do not want to continuous affect you. Keep the balance yourself. Your boss will never tell you to take a break because he might not know your health conditions as well as you do.

You feel you can do more

You have more than what your boss sees and give your stakeholders good advices and offers to contribute more, yet you have been passed over for a promotion. You want to attempt to take up more challenging tasks to prove your You try to find out why, but in turn got shot down by your boss. This might also show that no matter how you contribute, you’ll get null.

No good work-life balance

I’m sure you have bosses who will tell you that work is part of your life. But c’mon, we have our own personal life at home or even out with friends. Spending lesser time with your family and friends due to work is a no-no. Always remember that any organisation can get your replaced if you fall apart, but your family will always be there for you.

Getting abuses

If you are experiencing any sort of abuses, be it verbal, sexual or any illegal behaviour. Do not fall into any sort of such victims. You’re not out there to work to suffer such abuses or insults. Never try to do any preventive measures or corrections, you will eventually be worrying day in and out with any abuses coming along and it will have built on to your mental stress.