80,000 jobs go within a day!

While we were enjoying our Chinese New Year, some 80,000 people around the world, which may include someone besides you, have lost their job. And all these happen within ONE day!

Corporate bellwethers in the US and Europe on Monday slashed more than 80,000 jobs from their payrolls to confront the deepening economic downturn. US corporate groups such as Caterpillar, General Motors, Sprint Nextel. Texas Instruments, and Home Depot led the retreat, as the domestic recession coupled with tough export markets continued to take a heavy toll on their businesses. Pfizer, the drugs group, added to the tally saying jobs would be lost in its takeover of Wyeth.

Below is some lists......
IBM slashed more than 2,800 jobs.
Dutch banking and insurance group ING said it would slash 7,000 jobs.
Another Dutch company Philips announced 6,000 job losses.
Britain's largest steelmaker Corus had said it would cut 3,500 jobs.
Caterpillar cut its workforce by 20,000.
The drugs major Pfizer said it was slashing 26,000 posts.
Home Depot, laid off 7,000 workers.
Sprint Nextel, the telecom conglomerate sacked 8,000.
Texas Instruments, 3,400.
General Motors, 2,000.
Royal Bank of Scotland announced 750 job cuts.

In all, 22 of the 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones industrial average have announced job cuts since the economy nosedived in October. The unemployment rate, at 7.2 percent nationwide as of December, has reached 10 percent in some states, including Michigan and Rhode Island, the hardest hit. In Washington state, the jobless rate is 7.1 percent.


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NTU rank 24; NUS rank 40 in worldwide MBA programmes

Singapore's Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Business School has jumped more than 20 notches to be ranked 24th among the top business schools worldwide. This is the first time a Singapore-based university's Master of Business Administration (MBA) programme has made it to the top 25 list of Business Schools compiled by the Financial Times.

The MBA programme offered by the National University of Singapore's Business School has placed in 35th spot, up from its previous 81st position. The NUS MBA Programme is also ranked 11th in the world for the "International Experience" it provides to students.

The ranking is based on two sets of surveys - one completed by alumni who graduated from the MBA programmes three years ago and the other by the business school.

To read more: NUS, NTU.

Click here for more MBA information

He jobless, feels depressed and call the lifeline

He got no job due to retrenchment and feels so depressed. So he called the Lifeline last night to ask for help. He told the consular that he don't feel like carry on his life, and guess what, the other side of the phone is so happy! Surprise? Take a look on the photo to see what is happening.

So life is not that bad, endure a while, raining days will be overed. Must try to enjoy everday of life, the world is still beautiful. Hope this can cheer you up, and have a great Chinese New Year, with a brand new lucky start!


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I got only 18 days leave, but ask me to clear 26 days by July 2009

Receive this complaint from someone who works for a semiconductor electronic firm in Singapore.

They have 18 days of annual leave, but there is an annoucment that they need to clear 13 days of leave by Q1 and another 13 days by Q2.

13 + 13 = 26, this is 8 days extra than the annual leave. So if you do not have any leave bring over from last year, you got to take unpaid leave.

And lets not forget, this is just Q1 and Q2, that is first half of 2009 only. How about the second half?

Oh my godness, hope this won't happen to me.


Click here for more salary information for Engineering

Blog & Social Media Optimization for Business

DO YOU KNOW that reading and maintaining a corporate presence on online media such as blogs and other social media are essential for almost every business in the marketplace nowadays? Do you know that social network Facebook.com alone has over 100 million active users, of which more than 400,000 are developers and entrepreneurs?

For years now, market research giant AC Nielsen has been helping companies understand consumer needs, reactions and issues by tracking and measuring millions of consumer-generated comments posted publicly on online media (also known as Consumer-Generated Media or CGM, new media, Web 2.0) such as blogs, forums, wikis and social networks.

Take this course to learn how you can promote your business through your own blog, other people’s blogs as well as other social media.

Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
* Set specific business goals for your blog and other social media.
* Find out what others are saying online about your products and/or services.
* Become an influencer and generate buzz on your products and/or services in the blogosphere and other social media.
* Use Google services to drive, track and analyze visitor traffic and goals on your site.
* Interpret the data from the perspectives of an Executive, a Marketer and a Webmaster.
* Monitor and enhance free and paid traffic sources, as well as offline and other online campaigns.
* Optimize your blog and other social media in terms of linkability, findability, stickiness and conversions.

Run1 - 19 to 20 February 2009 ► Register for this run
Run2 - 28 to 29 May 2009► Register for this run
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Venue: NTU@one-north campus, Executive Centre
Fee: Standard: SGD$590.00 NTU Alumni: SGD$472.00 Group (3 & above): SGD$531.00


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Hong Kong fresh university graduate starting pay back to SARS period level = USD 1k per month

With the economy doing badly, retrenchment, pay cut and bankruptcy, the starting pay for the University fresh graduate in Hong Kong is expected to be HKD 7,000 to HKD 9,000 (that is about USD 1k, or SGD 1,300 to 1,800). This is approaching the staring pay during SARS period, where the lowest starting pay is only HKD 4,000 (that is about USD 500 or SGD 800), while the average is about HKD 6,000 to HKD 7,000.

Under such circumferences, the stable government job with better salary and benefit will become more and more attractive. The Q3 job vacancies at Hong Kong drops 13% quarter by quarter to only 3,023 vacancies. Jobs in bank, accounting and insurance drop 35%. If this continues, the starting of fresh university graduate is expected back to SARS period.

Lets take a look during good days. During 2006, mainland students who graduate from Hong Kong:
46% works in Hong Kong
27% further study at oversea
20% further study at Hong Kong
5% work at oversea
2% work at mainland China
Starting pay for those work in Hong Kong is around HKD $12,000 per month.

Will the similar case happen in Singapore? Half a year later, there will be thousands of university fresh graduate flood the job market. It will be really an issue if they can get a job, and how much is their starting pay.


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MSc (TIP) > MASTERS OF SCIENCE IN TECHNOPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION PROGRAM

Msc TIP is the 1st of its kind Asia's Global entrepreneurship & innovation program offered by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) since 2002, taking candidates to Singapore, US, China and Malaysia through a revolutionary educational journey that is set to transform dreams into reality.

Modeled against the entire venture creation cycle, candidates will be equipped with essential entrepreneurship skills, mindsets and rigorous business knowledge. In short, MSc TIP aims to develop entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial leaders who possess both the skills and stamina to grow businesses through global learning experiences.

Admission is now OPEN (Closing Date for Final Phase: 31 March 2009)

Each "venture team", mentored by seasoned Seattle-based entrepreneur and/or inventors, will develop business plans using the technologies from UW to compete business plan competition that will be judged by angel investors and venture capitalists from companies such as Encompass Ventures, Vulcan Ventures, Madrona Group, Voyager Capital and Arch Venture Partners. The winning teams will be awarded cash prizes. Many past winners use their winnings as part of their seed funding to startup ventures.


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Crisis Communication - The First 24 Hours

Ineffective communication with key stakeholders during a crisis often spins off its own crisis of credibility for organizations. Crisis Communication: The First 24 Hours! enables organizations to make an effective crisis response especially in the first 24 hours of a crisis. It focuses on communicating with key stakeholders such as the media, employees and consumers. Participants will learn how to craft and deliver crisis messages to key stakeholders, especially in the first 24 hours of a crisis.

At the end of the course, participants should be able to:
- Understand the elements of an effective crisis communication plan.
- Craft crisis messages for key stakeholders such as the media, employees, and customers.
- Deliver crisis messages in public meetings to the above key stakeholders.
- Manage Q&A sessions.
- Handle hostile Q&A situations.

Course Outline
1. Fundamentals of crisis communication:
- Crisis response the first 24 hours
- Effective crisis response: initial response time, crisis containment and follow-up communication.

2. Strategic communication with key stakeholders:
- Segmentation of stakeholders.
- Customization of messages, channels of communication, spokespersons and feedback channels.
- Construction of crisis messages: what happened, how did it happen, what are you doing to ensure the crisis doesn’t happen again, what are your business continuity plans, and how do we help/protect ourselves as stakeholders?
- Management of Q&A sessions.
- Management of hostile situations during Q&A.

3. This course combines the following styles of training:
- short interactive lecture-cum-discussions, group practice and presentations, and mock press conference/public meetings.

To register:
(1) 11 February 2009 ► Register for this run
(2) 15 May 2009 ► Register for this run
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Venue: NTU@one-north campus, Executive Centre
Fee: Standard: SGD$390.00 NTU Alumni: SGD$312.00 Group (3 & above): SGD$351.00

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Technopreneurs' Boot Camp 2009

For the 1st quarter of 2009, there will be hosting the inaugural Technopreneurship Bootcamp 2009 on 16th and 17th January 2009 at Matrix, Biopolis, as the Diamond Sponsor for the Start-Up@Singapore (S@S) program (http://www.startup.org.sg/ ).

This Bootcamp provides a conducive and intensive environment for Researchers and potential entrepreneurs to learn about:

1. Value Proposition and Value Analysis of their new business concept
2. Market Analysis and Strategy
3. IP Management and IP Strategy
4. Financial Analysis and Management
5. Developing a business/elevator pitch for Angel investors and VCs
6. Business Plan Development

Programs as follows:

Day 1 – 16th January 2009, Friday
16:30 -17:00 Registration
16:30-17:30 Networking Dinner
17:30-18:00 Introduction & Keynote Address
18:00-19:00 Panel Sharing Session
19:00-20:00 Executive Summary & Business Plan Overview
20:00-21:00 Value Proposition Workshop
21:00-21:15 Closing

Day 2 – 17th January 2009, Saturday
8:30-9:30 Registration and Morning Tea
9:30-10:00 Welcome Address and Activity Outline
10:00-11:00 Ice Breakers – Elevator Pitch orientated
11:00-12:00 Marketing Analysis and Strategy Workshop
12:00-13:00 Networking Lunch
13:00-14:00 IP Workshop
14:00-15:00 Finance Workshop
15:00-15:30 Tea Break
15:30-16:30 Biz Plan Presentation & Pitching Workshop
16:30-17:30 Break Out Session
17:30-18:30 Pitching Competition
18:30-18:45 Closing Speech
18:45 onwards Networking Dinner


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This MNC has a high pay job without much requirement on qualification

There is this job vacancies in this perfum plant:

1) Proposed salary is $5000 per month
2) 6 hours per day
3) 4 working days per week
4) Transport provided

Conditions:

1) Good sense of smell
2) Willingness to exploer with your nose

Sound pretty easy and nice pay right? Take a look at your job then:

Of course this is just for kidding. But during bad times, if such job offers you $5k per month, I guess still pretty much people willing to take it. Anyway, I just take this chance to conclude the increment poll last year (which ended on 10 Oct 2008) for the salary increment for 2008:

So far, there are 64 votes, and to your surprise, more than 20 votes (i.e. about 1/3) say that their increment is more than 5%, and 13 votes (about 1/5) say their increment is 5%. Seems like last year is a pretty good year.

Lets vote for your year end bonus now, so far already 49 votes. On the upper right hand corner.

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JobStreet.com's Secure That JOB workshop

There is this 1-day workshop that's specially created for you by JobStreet.com & The National Library Board. Covering various crucial must-know aspects on securing the job that you WANT, we will take you through a day of Useful tips, Real-life examples, Hands-on practices & Share valuable insights into the current employment scene that will keep you dated and informed.

Session 1: Personality & Job Fit.
In this session, we will help you identify or re-establish your own innate temperaments, learnt behaviours versus the requirements in specific job types or industries. Here, you will learn the basics of personality profiling and apply it to different aspects of your life - particularly in your new job search journey. The session will also attempt to help you differentiate between self-perception and how others perceive you in the context of the work place.

Session 2: The Singapore Economy Makeover
Covering an overview of Singapore's industry updates, employment challenges and opportunities, this session aims to assist you in the career change decision-making process and recognises any possible mindset changes required. Key topics such as "Essential knowledge/Training and certifications, soft skills, interpersonal relationship management as well as, reporting to the Gen Y managers" will be covered. The session will also help participants link what is covered from Session 1 to the current employment landscape and help them with realistic job search criteria setting.

Session 3: The Essentials of RESUME WRITING
This session seeks to share with you the importance of using statistics, power words and different resume writing techniques to stand out from among the masses of job applications employers receive each day. Applying what is learnt from Session 2 above, participants can expect a hands-on approach to creating the RESUME that Employers want.

Session 4: Win at the INTERVIEWS
In this session, we will take you through a series of interview techniques from the perspective of a HR personnel or hiring manager. You will also learn what commonly used methods are adapted by multinational companies versus smaller establishments. Here, you will learn to utilize your resume information to create better interview qualities.

Date: 14 January 2009, Wednesday
Time: 8.30am - 5.15pm

Venue: National Library Board,
Level 5, The Possibility Room,
100 Victoria Street
Singapore 188064

Cost: Click here for more info
S$45 (JobStreet.com members)
S$40(2 participants & above in a group)


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Living and Working Sustainably

Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.

Report of the United Nations conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992 Achieving sustainability may be the greatest challenge of the 21st century. Yet organisations have difficulty in turning rhetoric into reality. Many lack the systems, tools and skills to implement fully their good intentions, and to report and evaluate their performance.

This course provides guidance, tools, links and case studies to help you integrate sustainability into your organisation's decision making. It also provides a framework to enable organisations to report on their performance in a more consistent manner.

This diagram summarises the strategic approach to embedding sustainability very simply:

Identifying key issues and drivers
- Why is embedding sustainability important to my organisation?
- What are the internal and external drivers?
- What are my organisation's material relevant sustainability issues?

Develop strategy
- What does good practice look like for each material issue?
- What broad strategies can be implemented to achieve this?

Establish governance and accountability
- Who does what to deliver these broad strategies per material issue?

Set targets and action plan
- Where do we want to be in 'x' number of years?
- What concrete actors do we need to achieve the targets?

Which of our existing initiatives can we include to the action plan to help deliver our targets?
- Monitor - How have we performed so far?
- Report and evaluate - Are our processes working?

Developing a Personal Action Plan
- Your role within the sustainability environment
- Personal Sustainability touch points
- Committing to action and to change

(1) 4 to 5 February 2009 ► Register for this run
(2) 21 to 22 April 200 ► Register for this run
Time: 9.00am - 5.00pm
Venue: NTU@one-north campus, Executive Centre
Fee: Standard: SGD$590.00 NTU Alumni: SGD$472.00 Group (3 & above): SGD$531.00

Click here for more NTU Course information