Widen your net-work!

Recently found out that a lot of my friends are looking for opportunity to earn some extra income, be it one-time or recurring income. And I think this is a current trend that most Singaporeans youngsters like me are moving into.

Why?? Because in this society we are in, we really need to earn as much as possible, given the health condition and circumstances. If we do not do so, we are almost dead meat. Before we even step out to work, we are burdened with the rising University tuition fees. Then we have to worry whether we can afford a family. (I just realised to do a wedding needs around $30,000 *faint*) Then there are other loans we need to contend with like housing loans, and do remember your houses runs on water and electricity and oil prices will definitely increase. What happens if you are sick and need to be hospitalised for the long-term? What if you do not need to be hospitalised but need long term medical treatment? What if you have the 'good' problem of your child being a genius but you do not have enough money to develop his talents? What if (TOUCH WOOD) your parents are struck with major illness and their savings are not enough?

Life have so many 'what ifs' and most of them can be solved if we have more cash in our pockets (Note, not your CPF. CPF can only help you solve a limted amt of 'what if's)

So now you have decided that you want an extra income, what should you do? Firstly, expand your network, as wide as possible. During the expansion, let other people know what is your expertise and also that you are on the market, looking for more jobs. Brush up your people skills, make people feel comfortable with you during conversation. If they are comfortable with you and they know what you can offer, they are willing to try out you.

As you expand your network, also brush up your skills and try to showcase your work. These can let people gauge your capability and skills level. Don't ask for much renumeration in your first few projects. Instead, ask for a recommendation or testimonial from them. Use these testimonial to show to other potential. Cos it gives the signal that, "Wow, this guy must be good, or else no one would have provided him a testimonial of his work. Maybe we can try him out as well."

Basically, one words sums up what I said and the word is "Marketing". The more marketing of your skills set you have done, the more likely chance of receiving projects to do. Cos in business, it is always the numbers game.

Have fun seeking your second income! Cheers!

Hei, I also have emotions, you know!

This is for the records! Damn pissed with the bus systems. Today, a usual journey of going home from one part of western Singapore to another part of western Singapore took me 1.5 hrs. This is crazy, and they have the cheek to ask for raise in bus and MRT fares. Grrr......

Anyway, last Sunday, I was making my way to watch the 'Da Vinci Code'. On the Bus, the TV Mobile was showing 'Gag', a show, that is of similar nature to Candid Camera, from Canada!(Another one for the records, Mediacorp's 'Candid Camera' is beyond the league of 'Gags'. Basically one word sums up the quality of 'Candid Camera', SUCKS!)

In one of the gags, I have seen, motorists are stopped by a traffic policeman. When the policeman was checking the licences of these motorist, he suddenly breakdown and cry. The poor guy, he just broke up with her girlfriend. The reactions of the people in the show, show either sympathy or bewildered. I can guess the reason why they are bewildered. Policeman are suppose to show that they are tough guys. Their weaknesses should not be show to the public at all. Cos it will lose the public confidence in the police force.

Some people after their bewilderment provide the policeman with tissues and some words of consolation. Well well, I wonder what will happen if Singaporeans are in the show. Complain to forum? Write in blogs? Policeman will be sacked the next day? Well will never know. But sure am curious abt what will happen.

But this gag, although I have seen so many times, has set me thinking. All humans have emotions, no matter what. Some of us show it very fast, some of us tend to hide it. Although, a policeman is supposed to look tough, they also have emotions, not the cold, tough fellow they should protray.

Being sensitive to other people's emotion is really one people skill that most of us should picked up because ALL people have emotions. The more considerate you are abt other people emotions, the more people want to associate with you because when they are around you, they are happy, or at least not offended by your actions consistently.

So for all, this blog is informl u people, do consider abt other people's emotions before you do anything. The consequence for not doing so may be huge. And really, pls think before u speak. Being able to speak faster without offending people easily takes time and I never said it is easy. Practice makes perfect.

Cheers!

How healthy is your network??

This week has been one of a roller coaster ride. Firstly, career wise seem to be picking up quite well, although I have yet seen the light at the end of the tunnel. Only more promises of bringing me to the end of the tunnel fast, which I hope these promises will be realised, and most likely it will.

Friendshipwise has been great as well. A lot of my frens are offering a lot of help in one aspect of my life, all are so enthusiastically offering me advice. If you know who I am and have offered advice, thank you very much, really much appreciate. But I wonder if it comes to borrowing money, would they render help as enthusiastically?? I am confident they will but I do not want to end up borrowing money from frens. It hurts relationships no matter what.

Talking abt friends, they form a critical part of our social network. As the world is getting 'smaller', our network now can be expanded quite fast in terms of numbers. As always, the age-old qn, when we compare quantity and quality, we would definitely love to have quality over quantity.

How do you know how 'healthy' your network is, meaning the quality of frenship you have built in your network. To know that, is to seek help for problems in your network. But I am not asking you to create a problem and seek help. The amount of help that is rendered should be of some indication of how healthy your network is. Some people offer action, some people offer advice, some people offer money. And all these you also have to see it in the context of the problem and the people's background in your network. Only taking all these into consideration would you be able to assess how healthy is your network.

I guess from the recent 'problem' that I have, and all the people who have rendered help, I guess my network is above the weather. Take the opportunity to thank all my friends who have help me one way or another (since I was born??) All efforts are much appreciated.

Cheers!

Information Overload: Corporate Style

Ok, this blog is going to be different, just providing some insights that i have told many of my frens who are into biz or looking into career change. These insights should help those who are thinking of a career change or looking to pick up useful skills.

First thing first, with the advent of the Internet, more commercial transactions can now be done thru the internet. With the booming of e-commerce, with companies having both a virtual shop and brick and mortar shop, companies are now able to capture information that they cannot capture before. For example, because during a commercial transaction, the customer's profile and the websites he/she went, what, when and where she bought can now be easily capture.

So companies have many potential mines of data to tap into but they have to implement the relevant technology to record the data. I personally think that although the technology may be expensive numerically, but in the long run, you could save and earn it back. Because with these data, you can generate relevant information that can max the efficiency of your limited resources.

Now technology, everybody can implement, as long as there is money. What would make a different is the people you hire to analyse your data. The better he/she is, in terms of providing critical information at the right time, he/she should be able to know the workings of businesses in the type of industry he/she is in and also some statistics and data mining. Only these combination of skill set and knowledge would help a company who has gathered information to formulate strategies and policies to increase the bottomline and win the competititors.

So for businessmen, start considering the field I mentioned, which is called 'Business Intelligence', those looking to pick up new skills, take note of the trend and make the relevant decision. For Training Institute, start getting the curriculum up and ready for the new business area that is sure to pick up in this region!

Cheers!

Challenged

Everyday in our life, we are always challenged. We face new challenges, in the process of overcoming challenges, avoiding challenges and many more. Challenges need not be limited in our field of work but can be in our life like relationship and health.

Our attitude towards these challenges would determine our future, if you think it properly. Because when we face challenges, it makes us think more abt the skill sets that we have, like is it adequate to overcome or do we need new skills, and where do we get the new skills and so on. NOW all these are assuming, you want to overcome these challenges, which means you should have a positive attitude twds it.

With a +ve attitude, you are able to improve yourself, widen your skill sets, gain more knowledge and expand your comfort zone.

Lousy attitude twd challenges, your life does not improve, comfort zone does not expand, and Life has a strange way of throwing more challenges in your paths. Haha. LIFE WANTS YOU TO IMPROVE!

So have a positive attitude twds challenges. Tackle them then triumph and thrive on them.

Cheers!

Information is free, but there will be processing charges.

With the advent of the internet, information are now travelling faster than ever before, both good and bad, major and odd news can reach the other side of the world very very fast, at the blink of the eye would be very apt description for it.

There is another thing that i notice, with the internet, people are able to receive and collect information by large chunks (larger if you have broadband), all forms for information and the best part of it is...... IT IS FREE, well almost all the time.

What does this mean? Well, as my title says, it means now is there is no way you can charge information. Somehow or rather, the inforation will be on the Internet for free. For example, pubisher and record company are complaining abt piracy via downloading of music and movies. And they are trying all sort of technology to block people from moving these information onto the internet. Some of these technology, instead of helping these companies, have irked the customers, so much that they do not want to buy from them anymore, but turning their main source to the internet.

I strongly believe that people do want to get the original if possible. Just look at how successful Apple is at selling music by the pieces. But anyway, i have digress from what I want to say.

With information being collected and receive by the chunks, where can we value add then? The only way is to process the information and discover what it means for us. I think that is the place where knowledge workers can value add the most, MAKING SENSE of the INFORMATION. Processing would mean the architecture of databases, making searches on information at the snap of a finger (which is what Google is doing best at the moment), combining databases to make meaningful analysis (SQL) and many other process that deals with information and data.

So to be a good knowledge worker, it is best to know the whole value chain, because these chains are tighter now, meaning the consequence of having one slight mistake in the chain would affect greatly the later process. As the famous saying goes " Rubbish in, Rubbish out!"

Ok got to stop here. Hope it provide some food for thought!

Cheers!

Queasy feeling

Well after the meeting on Friday, I have started to take a very major step in my career and life. I am quiting my 'stable' job and moving to free lancing. I will be taking up SAS projects and conducting training as well. This gives me time flexibility in pursuing my entrepreneurial pursuits. Love the idea a lot. :D

But today, after I have submitted my resignation letter. I started to have this queasy feeling. No idea what happened. Cannot be because I suddenly fell sick, cos I do not have the sickly feeling. The feeling is like something does not feel right. It took away my appetite for lunch, but luckily I was still able to finish it or else I would not have the strength to write this blog.

Very funny, I guess the only way I can attribute this queasy feeling is because I have moved from stability to unstability. Moving from certainty to uncertainty. No idea does most entrepreneur feel that way when they started out. Since young, my teachers have unwittingly tells us that we should study hard, get good results so that we can land into an ideal job and be set for life. But is that really true now? I do not think I am set for life. My degree did not get me an ideal job and i got to my present stage although I have followed the advice of my teachers, by studying hard and obtaining good grades.

People in my nation mentioned abt being able to work until you are in your 80s, but think of it. Do you want to toil and sweat for more than 50 years? 50 years is equivalent to 18,250 days leh. Minus the weekends and public hols in Singapore (18, 250- (50*(104+11))) = 12,500 days.
That is a lot. And the thing is during these days, you are not working for yourself, meaning the money does not go into your pocket. It goes to the bank, for your university fees (cars and houses if any) and the govt (Hei, you cannot pretend you do not need to pay tax, you know).

Give all these facts, I rather have more flexibility. Choose when I want to do, what I want to do with the least amt of restrictions. And i guess entrepreneurship (or free lancing for me) is the way to go although I might meet with a lot more restrictions when I just started but hei, they will be almost gone at the middle and for the rest of the pursuit.

At least I am able to do what I want to do and have concrete plans that will help me reach my vision of what I want to achieve in life!

Not a lot of people know what they want in life, and even if they do know, they are not able to step out and live the ideal life they want because of many reasons. Glad that I am the minority, able to know what i want and taking concrete steps to achieving it. Now crossing my fingers and hope I get to live the ideal life. Wish me luck!

Cheers!

Indecision, Bad Decision, Good Decision

Well I am back. After tommorrow, I will have to make a very impt decision abt my life, well two very impt decision in life. I shall talk more abt one of them, as for the other, it would depend very much on the decision I am talking abt.

Tomolo, I will be making a decision on my career move. I will be making a very big jump, from a 'stable' job (only until the rest of the year) to a freelancer. I actually prefer being a freelancer because it gives me a lot of flexibility and freedom, something which I really value a lot. But coming from a education system that tells me I need a stable job that can allow me to work until I am in my eighties (Hei that is what they are saying now, I am not kidding) is something I should be aiming for, this leap of faith do strike some fear in me although I have long been aspiring to be a true blue entrepreneur.

But after discussion with some good frens, I realise that, everyday we are making decisions. Be it big, small or insignificant. We need to live thru life making decisions, and these decisions has impacts on our lives and future.

Everytime we have 3 options, not making one at the moment, bad decision and good decision. Just want to discuss them a bit here.

Bad decision and good decision are basically determined by the outcomes that accompanied after the decision has been made. Desirable outcomes come from good decision and undesirable outcomes come from bad decision. But in my opinion, no matter what, they are better than indecision. Why I am saying this is because, be it bad decision or good decision, there are things to learn and you would not remain in status quo, which means you have move on in life.

Indecision is the worst, because you did not move on in life, you still have to face the problem, and you have less time to rectify any decision you may have made later on. (If any is reached anyway.) And you did improve on your life because you are at status quo, it is like jogging on the same spot, scenery remain the same, not moving along. Actually jogging on the same spot is better than being indecision, at least u benefit from the exercise.

No no, the brain is not exercising during indecision, your options are still the same, your brains are going thru them in circles only. Where is the brain exercise?

Final point here is that make your decision fast, good decision, you get to enjoy your outcome longer. Bad decision, you learn from it and have more time to rectify or improve on the bad outcome. Indecision kills! You cannot enjoy your good outcome or have time (or even worst, miss the opportunity) to rectify the bad outcome. I hope this blog will help you reach a decision in life and that is to make fast decision [One advice on how to make fast & good decision: Look for critical information, well i did not say it is easy :) ].

Cheers!