Working Tips!

Hi,

Below article was forwarded from my colleague. It is really inspiring and helpful. So thought of sharing to you too :) It is really long but really worth it.

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Breaking the glass ceiling

Manohari Abeyesekera is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (FCA). She holds an MBA from the University of Colombo, winning three gold medals during her course. She also possesses a first class honours degree in biological science from the University of Colombo.

Manohari is employed at Hayleys PLC as manager for strategic business development. She was adjudged as the CIMA young star silver medal winner at the maiden CIMA Janashakthi pinnacle awards programme, held in 2004.

I’ve often wondered why there is little representation of women on the boards of most corporate organizations. Formal monthly board meetings are generally a gathering of men, with a woman only occasionally attending: a recent CIMA survey reveals that CIMA’s female members are six times less likely than its male members to be in senior roles such as CEOs or CFOs.
Is the invisible glass ceiling impregnable?

The glass ceiling
The term ‘glass ceiling’ was originally coined in an article written by Carol Hymowitz and Timothy Schellhardt on the 24 March 1986 edition of the Wall Street Journal. The piece referred to the invisible barriers that impede the career advancement of women in the American workforce.

Some of the questions that come to mind are:

why do salary surveys reveal that women are paid less than their male counterparts?
why do women fall back in the corporate ladder after outperforming male peers at university?
do women concentrate too much on working hard, and insufficiently on networking?

The issues for women
The traditional woman preferred to stay at home and look after the family. However, the present economic environment, coupled with expectations of higher living standards, has resulted in an increasing number of women seeking jobs to earn a living.

Women in general have two main issues:

1. Balancing work and family

2. Being recognized at work in a managerial capacity in a male dominated industry

The dual role of career woman and wife and mother means juggling two to three roles in a day. McKinsey’s report on ‘Women Matter’, highlights this as the ‘double burden syndrome’.
Today’s careers are not restricted to nine to five. Occasionally, you’re required to attend meetings, seminars and cocktails well past traditional work hours. Guilt creeps in when you have to leave home for a long time. We wonder - is this worth it? Do we miss seeing our children growing up?

Neither are we satisfied just being housewives. The years spent on higher education are not put to full use. One cannot afford to take a career break, as there may not be suitable job opportunities when you want to want to rejoin.
Knowledge also changes rapidly. There is a risk of becoming obsolete if you take a career break.
How should we strike a balance between work and family?Good time management is essential, and family support is a bonus. Organizing the day and giving priority to the most important tasks is a must. Devote ‘quality time‘ to your family.

The Asian woman is fortunate to have the immediate family - parents and in laws - to support her in looking after the kids while she is at work.

How can you stand out from the crowd in the workplace?Working hard and putting
in long hours is not the only way to advance your career. Build a good
reputation in your company, take up challenging assignments, and pursue higher
education to become a rising star.
Showing your skills set
In today’s
context, soft skills (for example good PR and communication skills) are becoming
more and more important than paper qualifications. Women need to portray an
image of confidence to their superiors and colleagues.
Leadership skills
needs to be developed. Ensure you have a vision with a clear strategy, the
ability to inspire and lead your team, and an awareness of when to show empathy.
You need not be a ‘yes’ person to your seniors, but disagreement needs to be
conveyed in a polite manner. Always uphold your integrity and values.
Think
twice before saying ‘no’ to an opportunity given by your bosses, even if it is
outside your comfort zone. In order to succeed, you sometimes need to take
calculated risks.
Networking is crucial in today’s business world. Devote
time to building networks with your fellow colleagues in your profession.
Understanding of different cultures, particularly when dealing with foreign
business partners, is also highly important.

The CIMA centre of excellence at the University of Bath school of management recently summarized the strategies for career development in business as below:

Strategies for career development

The glass ceiling can be broken, so be assertive and confident of your skills. Develop the ability to speak out in meetings. Be passionate of your career goals, with a role model or mentor to guide you.

It is critical to be a ‘team player’. Most finance professionals are at loggerheads with marketers in pruning their sales and advertising budgets. Therefore, you need to look at the big picture and what it takes to increase revenue, rather than just concentrating on cost cutting.
Remaining solely in finance can also be a hindrance; explore the possibility of switching to general management or marketing in order to help you reach the top.

A good mix
McKinsey research has shown that companies with 30% or more representation at board or senior management level produce the best financial results. A combination of men and women helps ensure better decision making, as women bring in a different dimension when seeking solutions for complex business problems.

'Boards with 30% or more female representation produce the best results’
Many corporate videos are becoming more emotive, revealing how their products and services are touching human lives. Gone are the days where the corporate videos were product centric. Significantly, women are the driving force behind 70% of purchasing decisions, even in traditional 'male' product areas such as cars: for example, research has shown that women influence 60% of new car purchases in Japan.

Naturally, not all women may want to reach the top (which is actually quite a lonely spot); they may opt for middle management careers. It is however clear women should be better represented in decision making roles in the corporate arena. Let us hope that more aspiring women are able to take up leadership roles in the business world in the future, finding the ability to strike the right balance between family and work.

How to Win at Work?

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them. Every day begin the task anew." - Saint Francis de Sales

I know I am not the best person to talk the above subject.


I am not even 1 year working at Shell...I am not the best staff. But I receive some calls and questions from some ppl when they want to start off their career life.


To be honest, I have difficult time adapting myself at first few months working. The feeling not being good always haunted me.I even dreamt of my work! Believe me, its not the most romantic dream :P


OK. Let me just share some of best practices (at least work for me!)


1. The power of visualization. Yes. Think positive! Start off your day with positive vibes! Listen to ur fav songs before starting your work.

2. Do not think too much of your career ladder. You should, but dont make it a roadblock of your success. I've seen so much people too busy chasing the victory but forget that everything falls back on how good you do your work. Just bare in mind, if you do good, the recognition/award/promotion will come in your way...even u never think about it :)

"Some people dream of success... while others wake up and work hard at it"...
I choose to work hard :)




3. My PM said. NEVER THINK THAT U HV LEARNT ENOUGH. You might be the best person at your project, you are SME of your job, or you are a holder of few certs. No, actually u can learn with your surroundings. Even with janitors, pak guard, akak admin. Do not pretend that you know everything! Ask questions if you dont!

4. Be passionate, but not obsessive. How to differentiate?


Passionate: You are looking forward to make a difference everyday

Obsessive: You are on holiday, but you're still worrying over your work

Obsessive leads to burnout. I make my own rules: No work on weekends and during my vacation leave. I set my target time to go off everyday so I will be very productive, and cut down procrastinating. I dont want to be labelled as workaholic. I'd rather to be called as a smart and dependable worker.



5. Network! But do not overdo that. To be honest, I do not too fancy about network. Network for me is a kind of manipulation. However, we cannot underestimate what it can do. So I just let it flows naturally. I participated in clubs and events so I manage to know some leaders. So it is 2 in 2: you network and showcase your skills


6. Bare in mind: You can have everything, but not at the same time. When you try to be perfect all the time in every thing, you find yourself not good at anything. It is OK to be good at one thing, then try another thing. Having too much responsibility also not so good


7. Say yes to challenge! Every employer want to have "can do" attitude in their staff. So if you find one task is too hard for you, it is good! So you can stretch yourself and see what is your ability. So just say to your boss "Can. But I need contacts and materials since this is a new thing for me. From time to time, i will ask you if I need guidance"


8. Plan your weekends. This will make you feel you have reason to go through a week! I usually keep my weekends busy. Hang out with friends, visit family, short vacation, etc. That is my booster to be more productive.


9. Start your day a night before. I would say my typical day starts a night before. I will check my calendar, update my emails (just flag as follow up), take down action items. I will do daily target and target of the week.

10. Keeep yourself updated with current news of your company ....not gossips ya!


11. Volunteer with your company's events/clubs


12. Take up some skills. Go to make up class...or baking class...or aerobic class. Or whatever that makes you feel happy doing it.

13. Do not too obsess/stress with your work. Do not let your work defines you. But you define your work.


14. Take charge of your career. It is ok to tell your manager that you want to take up leadership position. It is ok. He/she might show you the way. Remember, company really needs a good leader...and they will spot leader potential even at just your 1st year of working. If you dont like you work, change it! If you cant, change your attitude :)


15. Buy a good book. Be it motivational or politic or autobiography. It will teach u a LOT of things. Seriously.

16. Dress for the work/position that you aim for. If you want to be a manager, dress like a manager! For tips and hints you can refer here

17. Find at least one mentor. I know some companies pre-assigned your mentor. But be proactive and choose anyone that u feel suits u and u want to be in his/her position. Approach them personally and share their experience. Who knows one day he/she wants you to be her/his legacy? :D


18. Most importantly, set your intention right. Our ultimate goal is to have Allah's blessing. Why you work? For who? How you can make differences to other ppl? How you can contribute to the society? Reflect reflect reflect and you will be a better person :)

Good luck all! Remember, take charge of your career!

To know more about exciting and challenging work in Shell, log on to www.shell.com/careers or contact me directly.

Inspirational Story

Dah lama nak share story ni tapi asyik delay je.

Bagi kawan2 rapat dan pembaca blog ni, sure tahu yang my mom pernah 2 kali operate dekat lutut. Boleh refer here and here.

Kenapa kena bedah lutut? You can refer here

Alhamdulillah sempat jaga dia.

Apa perkara yang paling membahagiakan utk setiap anak?

Melihat mak sihat gembira. Bagi yang pernah menghadapi keadaan di mana mak kesakitan, pasti faham perasaan betapa gembiranya melihat mak sihat kan?

"I would do everything and anything to make my parents happy..same goes to others, I believe :)"

Even when i wrote this, I feel like crying right now.

Mama suka bekerja. Walau dia boleh berhenti sekarang pun, dia masih nak extend persaraan dia. She just enjoys teaching (or maybe she just a workaholic just like me :p).

Alhamdulillah after operation, she is getting better and better. Tapi still few times sakit and dia mmg susah nak berjalan dgn normal. Dgn berat dia yg agak berlebihan (masa tu more than 100kg) memang dapat bayangkanlah kesakitan menampung berat dgn kaki yg baru lepas operate. Both ok! Double trouble.

Bila saya kenal herbalife, cuba sendiri dan rasa perbezaan, saya pun bertekad nak beli for my mom and sister. (I know ada yang cakap nak promote HL, u can stop reading if u want to k). My sis dah jadi mcm my mom. Sakit lutut. Dia terpaksa amek glucosamine. Bayangkan muda2 lagi dah sakit lutut! She is only 18.

Back to my mom

Dia sgt hepi bila makan HL. Bertenaga. B4 HL, dia for sure balik dari sekolah, terus terbaring and tido. Mmg tak buat apa2. Cuma bangun utk solat atau main game atas katil. Bukan je penat, tapi sakit jugak.

After - Bertenaga, kurang berat bdn, semua tegur dia kurus, kurang sakit, nampak lebih muda

Paling seronok - Cik orkid mmg sgt mengimpikan bwk mama n family ke sabah sbb dulu diorg tak dapat ikut hantar kakngah sebab kami tak cukup duit.

Alhamdulillah raya cina lepas dapat bwk diorg.Tapi hanya mampu airasia and balik naik firefly. Semua tahu kan airasia sgt jauh dan kena naik tangga. Saya sangat risau dan insist dia pakai wheelchair. Tapi she said she can do it. And she did that!!! She is more active alhamdulillah and sume org sekeliling mmg perasan perubahan.

Same goes to my sis. Dia tak amek glucosamine lagi. She needs to walk more than 5km everyday. Jauh gila!!. She even walk to One Borneo from her uni! Dia sgt suka shakes tu. Bagi tenaga dan sangat kurang sakit.

Now, whole family mmg cik orkid support bekalan HL. Memang mahal, tapi i want to see them healthy. Later I will share about my other family ok. Semua ada story :)

Testimoni from my mom, herbalife consumer :)

before...masa ni 2 years back kot. Tak ada gambar more recent b4 consume Herbalife. Takde dlm my laptop.

Tapi boleh tgkla kot..how big she was even she wore black hehee.

Gambar ni pulak masa mama sakit..

Ni gambar masa famili vacation kat Sabah. She was very energetic. Look younger. Maybe u cant see a lot of difference, but for those who know her, u know she changed a lot. A LOT! From XXXL or XXL to XL.
Ni pulak masa kitorang geli masa ikan gigit2 kaki. huk3. Mama berlari kot masa tu! Miracle!! ahahahhaa.

P/S: I have my own career, yes this is for side income but most importanly I can make difference to other people. I love getting positive feedbacks and more than happy to help anyone. You know when the ppl jz selling for the sake of profit only or helping :)

For more info

Contact me at orkid88@gmail.com or 016-2022309

OR

Ojan at ojanbis@gmail.com or 016-2632309

Open for appointment during weekend, pls book early :) No need to purchase anything, dont worry. hehee.

Oprah vs. Orkid

One night I texted my beloved bf.

B..i think I know what I want to do in my life

He replied: Erk. Apa dia?

I want to be like OPRAHHHH!!!



And the conversation went on..Knowing ojan he is a kinda guy that u can talk abt everything! Layan everything! He is a guy to be with even u know ur dream is impossible.

So yeahhh talking with Ojan abt life, love and dream is my routine!

OK...Back to Oprah...




Nope...not that I want to be a tv host (even when I was small I always want to be Nona host, now also hv dat secret wish hehe).

But at least, I can inspire ppl around me. People love listening to my talk.. Motivational, inspiring, adorable and just a plain human. Yes. I want to be like her.

And I am really confident many ladies out there want to be like her too.

So small steps can make difference rite?

From now on, I try to

1. Participate in CSR activities (Grateful that Shell gives huge opportunity)
2. As UTP Campus Ambassador (at lis I can inspire them to get good career, tips on interview, etc)
3. Active in SESERI alumni
4. Try my best to entertain my blog viewers questions
5.. More motivational entry of course!
(I was once invited to join volunteering workshop...I am very sad coz I missed opportunity in MERCY and other Puteri Umno volunteering works coz it was clash with my other important event)

I know I am not as perfect as Oprah. I am just a plain lady with full of passion :)

Konon2 handle talk show.

Feeling2 ala oprah bagi hadiah kat audience.

OK. Boleh jadi oprah tak? hehehee (sume lari muntah darah)

Kad Kredit Penipu!!

Curretly busy with work. N will be very bz. Konpem keje more than 12 hours per day. 3 concurrent task - 2 projects and 1 program level. Gudluck to me :P

Dah2. Macam ko je yg bz kan? ahhaa. ok cerita pasal CC.

My parents mmg penah ade mslh dlm cc debt nih. Berpuluh2 ribu ok utk satu kad. Baru satu, kalo byk?? But alhamdulillah sume da setel. CC jadi nightmare dlm idop diorg. N mmg dari kecik didoktrinkan supaya jgn amek CC.

Tapi I have my cc. N i used it actively. hahaa. Adui. Tak learn a lesson ke cik orkid? (Saya mmg degil)

OK disebabkan ramai kwn2 yg dah stat kerja, so jum cik orkid cerita sikit2 pasal kad kredit k. It can be very useful and untung if kita taw guna. N it can be our nitemare gak.

So why oh why I choose to have cc?

1. Easy
Mmg sgt convenience. Sgt. Beli tiket wayang takyah beratur. Pam minyak takyah nak beratur. Xde duit, tak payah nak beratur hahaa. Paypal, online transaction. haih mmg mudahlahhhh

2. Reward
OK. Ni bergantung kpd jenis kad. Mine is Citibank cash back. So die akan bg rebate utk petrol 5%, beauty 3%, grocery 2%. rasa2nya. around dat amount. so to date, i dpt rebate sgt byk. yela considering kita berhutangkan. Dlm 200++ Baru ada cc bulan 11, bulan ni da dpt byk rebate. So dpt bygkan tak how much i da spend. hahahaa. Den sume fee da waive coz im an active user

3. Promo
Citibank mmg terkenal kan dgn cc service dia. So mmg byk la promotion. Swipe je dpt double point, swipe je dpt free coffee, swipe je dpt 0% interest fee up to 2 years. So we need to be smart la. Same goes to other bank, mesti ada je promo. Coz mmg bank lumba2 nak mufliskan org neh haha.

4. Feeling (according to Ojan)
Not apply to me. I malu kot swipe2 u offf....nampak sgt xde duit hahahaa. Tapi ojan ckp feeling2 mak datin. xtawlaaa...i x rasa pape. Just rasa best sikit sbb dlm wallet ada CC so rasa dah besar. Dah matured. Rasa org lain yg xde CC tu masih bwh umur. Sungguh keji. :P

FAQ

Byk soalan yg cik orkid trime. Antaranya....

1. Ishh tanak la gune bank tuu..aku dgr interest fee dia tinggi.
Fact: Interest fee mmg sama 18% per annum for cc. Tak kira bank ape. Tk taw la tibe2 ade yg lain but setahu cik orkid yg da survey CIMB, Maybank, Citibank, HSBC, sume sameee. Maybe korang dgr 1.5% interest rate...haaa maybe diorg lupe nak ltk, monthly. Darabla 12 jadi 18% gak kan? hehe

2. So ape beza?
Korang tgk ape yg korang guna byk. Kalo guna Shell, so use la citibank, kalo petronas gunala cimb, kalo kaki wayang gune la AEON. Byklaaa korang pilih yg mane suit u the best. For me, i dun want adiah. Not worth it, nak redeem2 plak. N kalo die byk offer discount pon mmg byk tmpt dia cik orkid bkkn shop situ pon. So i chose cash back. haaa rebate byk2. Lagi jimat. Ni bergantung kat kegunaan sendiri taw

3. Bykla hutang, int fee tinggi
Korang guna je byk kali, tp disiplin byr within 20days utk xde kene int fee. Plus rebate masih dpt. So best kan? Tapi kena disiplin la. Byr agak2 dlm 2odays. Then swipe lg. Pastu byr lg hehee

4. Kredit limit?
Jenis card and reward pon bgantung pd jenis card - platinum ke, gold ke. And jenis card and credit limit depends kat gaji. Makin byk gaji makin bestla cc korang

5. Ehhh tak takot ke kene tipu? Fraud transaction?
CC dicipta utk kemudahan. Jadi dgn mudahnya juga boleh kena tipu. So korang nak tanak wat precaution sndiri - always monitor ur card, check transaction every other day (online jah), jgn pnah bg details kad, use kat secured site je etc. Mmg kene jaga2 ok.

6. Ishhhh tanak la cc nih. Sure org sales tu akan sentiasa call
Sumpah!! mmg slalu gak call. Annoying gak esp u tgh bz. So here is the tips:

Bank ***: Helo May I speak to Miss Siti
Sit: Yes speaking
Bank **: Hi Miss Siti, I am ***, from ***
Siti: Is it urgent or promotion?
Bank **: Errr actually aaaaa blablabla
Siti: Is it urgent or promotion (tegas sikit)
Bank: Promo blabla
Siti: Sori im bz rite now, not interested. Thx

Be firm, tapi at the same time polite k :)

Conclusion: Seperti biasa, mmg ada pro n con, tapi it depends on how we use it ok. Kalo pandai mmg sgt beruntung. Skim pinjaman beli brg or ready for cash mmg snang je kalo ade cc. Nak tempah flight airasia yg tibe2 wat promo bile duit kering, tibe2 company suh outstation di saat takde duit, etc. So it is essential. Tapi kena hati2. N cik orkid pon to be honest bila ade cc bajet sgt lari. yelaaa tibe2 rase berkemampuan 15K every month, pdhal 10K tu adalah hutang. Swipe je, u can shopping like a diva, then jadi beggar hahaha.

Pesanan penaja: If korang berminat dgn Citibank, diorg ada promo get a friend. nak gak join, at lis dpt shopping voucher. sape2 nak bgla no kt cik orkid, korang pon dapat something gak taw! berbaloi2 hahha.

Alaaaa jgnla rasa tertipu..bukan nak ape, kalo ade yg berminat, refer la. Dua2 dpt benefit. I nak sopping kat parkson. Kalo tak just ignore. But I know byk useful tips kan? :D

Eh lupe lupe:
Important note!!! - OK, CC ni selain dari bahaya nnt overuse, dia actually agak tak menguntungkan esp bagi kita yes incl Cik orkid. OK. I just found out masa survey2 pasal housing loan. Kita kan ada percentage utk berapa byk kita boleh amek loan based on our salary. Car loan, housing loan, personal loan, ASB loan. So add up sume loan nih kena tak lebih dari certain amount. So I baru discover (ish ish baru tawu, org lain da lame taw kot) yg kalo ade credit card kene tolak around rm250 a month (depends on ur credit limit and balance). Mcm kite ade commitment utk byr "loan" CC la. So kite pny percentage utk apply loan pon kurangggg T.T
So better pk dlu b4 amek bg yg ada cita2 yg nak amek kete, umah, or ape2 loan. :D

Breast

Wah sungguh pervert post arini.

OK harini nak bercerita pasal Breast Cancer and Abnormal Lump in Breast.

This is for our awareness, as I may be the chosen one who experience diz, so I think I need to send this message to all my loved ones.

Malu? Y shud i? Its not like im doing something wrong that I got this. hehe.

Anyway, I noticed i have abnormal lump since a year ago. Tapi beselaaa tak kesah. Sebab pompuan biasa ade lump esp b4 period. its hormon thingy.

My mom pun pnah ade nih and dah buang dah. So the chances for me utk dpt pon same. N FYI mmg ramai yg around our age or younger yg ade lump. So its common.

Then, kat UTP ada Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign so i went there with Peah. Sila baca link ni k. So nurse tu ckp ada lump and i was referred to klinik lppkn. Pas jumpa doc tu, dia ckp nothing serius and bley massage je.

Then..months and months xde pape problem. Tapi pastu rasa sakit and mbesar. Then gi klinik biasa and the doc said nothing wrong.

Then ok laaa. Pastu rasa lagi sakit. So gi la lagi. N dis time referred to KPJ Specialist Hospital. I xnak ada doubt lagi so terus gi la (tapi ni pon take 2 months taw sbb asek delay je nak g hospital)

Honestly now mmg da x rase mcm dulu, and believe it or not it is shrinking from prev one. I penah dgr masa true life experience sharing from a girl yg ade lump, hilang afta guna herbalife, tp i x caya. I tak taw la sama ada i makan herbalife ni ade perubahan. Tapi yg last time i jumpa general practitioner tu ialah mase i mula2 stat makan herbalife on and off. Den makin kurang sakit den mmg delay gi hospital.

Tapi mestilah masih tak ade peace of mind. kot kot kanser ke, so i went to specialist today. Dulu my lump besa dia 1cm and now jd 0.3 cm. so alhamdulillah :)

doc said it is normal lump, berisi air and bukan daging. too small and maybe akan ilang. Alhamdulillah. Kelaka plak kene check gune ultrasound hik3. macam pregnant pulak.ok, kalo leh nampak dlm gambar tu ada hole. yg tula lump. bkn nipple ok haittt bese diee hahaha. so die normal sbb tak mgerutu, n content hny air. but if it is larger and recurring, maybe akan bedah utk buang

So i asked doc tu ape sbb, n no main reason. Sometimes kalenjar dlm breast pch, so air ada dlm tu. And dari article: gen, pemakanan, bra

tapi what i certainly sure is everyone pon leh ada. And ni the best fact i got from the doc. I went to see doc sbb sakit, tp doc ckp so mknanya u xpyh riso ape2 coz normal lump mmg selalu sakit but if tak rase pape it probably cancer.

So pls pls girls check ur lovely twins k :) And for boyfie, abg, bakal husband or ayah, sentiasa la ingatkan ur loved ones. For husband, leh la tlg cekkan trus. hahaa. to boyfie, jgn nak mgatal kang tibe2 kena panah petir padan muka hehee

P/S: Satu lagi pesan khidmat masyarakat dari Cik orkid :P

I am officially released!

Dapat surat ni tgh hari tadi.

Official letter from Petronas. Thanks abg Ujai for making this process smoothly.
Jangan risau untuk fail. Bukan cik orkid kata marilah kita fail. Bukan. If you fail on something that u really wish for, its ok. No worries.

Lately ramai kawan2 batch july call/sms/gtalk tanya pasal ni.
Memang susah untuk cari kerja selagi belum release. All petronas scholar are obliged to serve petronas. So my advice now is just to prepare on your resume. Brush up your communication skills, thinking skills and current issues.

Do not ever think to fail. Because this is very dangerous unless you have secured a stable job.
Focus more on your FYP. Hunting for jobs tu as aktiviti sampingan je. Jgn jadi stress pasal cari kerja ni. Belum tiba masanya lagi. Hunting for jobs should be exciting.

Untuk my dear friends yg dah grad, tgh carik kerja, or dah bekerja, gudluck! Jgn stres2 kalo fail SI. Petronas sgt baik hati dan bukan mintak in short period. They will give u time. Ample time. Ye ye saya tahu adalah jugak yg ckp, saya yg da secure job bolehla cakap mcm tu. Tapi dear, mungkin ini bukan ditakdirkan utk kita. So just move on!

I always believe this. Always

"We always do not get what we want, but we always get something better"

Believe in Allah :)

What to Wear for Work?

Tiba2 perasan jadi image consultant kan?

"I am starting a new job soon that has a "business professional" dress code. What is appropriate for a twenty-something to wear in the office? I don't want to stand out too much, but at the same time I don't want to dress like and old lady either. Please help me!"

When I was working at Ernst & Young, we had been given a thick manual on what to wear. Being a worker in a consulting firm, we must wear the appropriate and professional attire to convey the best image of the firm.

I can say, it is BORING and CONSERVATIVE.But I like it tho, looks very professional. Y.U.P gitu (Young urban Professional).

#1) All companies are different in their definition of what's appropriate. Stay on the conservative at first, then ease up after you figure out what is acceptable. Take a look at the highest woman executive in the company. Check out what she is wearing. Use her as a point of reference- DO NOT use your peers as your point of reference. You never want to dress for the job you have. You always want to dress for the job that YOU WANT.

#2) Invest in some basics that can be mixed and matched. Professional clothes are expensive when you get them to fit right, however it's worth the money. Stick with one color scheme and then everything will look good together. Try and keep your work clothes wardrobe as minimal as possible. It saves you money and eliminates the "what to wear??" stress in the morning.

Here is my rule of thumb for dressing for work in any corporate atmosphere:

Jewelry: Stick to studs or pearls. Never large hoops or anything dangling. A very small hoop or "cuff" earring is OK as well. One item of jewelry per each wrist. Never anything the clinks together and makes noise. It's distracting, and you can't type effectively with too many things on your wrist. Less is more here.

Scarf: Please use minimal printed scarf. For me personally i didnt use funky scarf like polka dot, cartoon or wordings. I think the most suitable scarf to match with formal attire are satin-like or silk scarf. Because it looks expensive haha and more professional. Geometric or minimal flower prints also encouraged. Or ariani scarf also good. But be careful, some of awning scarf really makes u look like "makcik" rather than professional. Do not by the thick awning, and try buy the quality fabric with minimal print. Do not overdo your scarf. Keep your arabian or siti style for outings, not office. Wear medium sized brooch with minimal blings. You dont want ppl think u want to go to weddings. I love tie rack scarf. Perfect for work. But too expensive :(

Shoes: Personally, I say always closed toe. In my past working place, they always use this formula, closed toe for every attire (skirts or pants) except baju kurung. Not even peep toe. However most companies accepts "peep toe". Anything that shows too much of your toes, I would stay away from. There is something very casual about showing your toes. Stick to a standard pump or a ballerina shoe. However it is highly advisable to stick to closed toe when u are attending interview, u do not want the interview to look more at your toes rather than ur face.
One more thing, pls wear at least 1 or 2 inch heels. It looks more professional instead of using "grandma's black shoes" or mcm pengawas sekolah shoes. I always love pointed toe heels.

Skirts: A couple inches above the knee is OK. Try sitting down in your skirt, if it's showing enough of your leg to turn your coworker on... don't wear it. I personally like pencil skirts. They are very flattering, and look professional. Work dresses are also awesome.

Shirts: Never show cleavage or anything close to it. If you are wearing a button down shirt, make sure there is no gapping in between the buttons in the chest area.

Underwear: Never let your bra straps show. Always wear nude color underneath light colored clothes because it won't be seen through them. Esp for scarf girl. White blouse with red bra. OMG. No no no.

In summary, don't let your outfit overshadow your skills. Just because something might seem conservative to you, it might not be conservative to your boss, or your boss' boss. Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. Use your own judgement, and just because your peers are showing cleavage and wearing flip flops, doesn't mean you should too.

Below I attached some of the pics of office attire. Maybe you can have some ideas from here (Including me)

Long skirt! Very suitable for muslimah. I love her look but maybe need to change that shoes. Pair it with closed toe.

I love this look. Apa ntah nama belt kat baju tu with wide pant. Im sooo gonna get this. haha.

Cardigan! Match it with belt.

I love ribbons! and ruffless...


OK. What about baju kurung?

Personally, i do not opt to wear baju kurung to office. I rarely wear them until my ex-colleagues (mostly chinese) noticed and asked about that. haha. I just do not really confident in them and hard to move, considering i was an auditor last time which needs me on the go everytime.
If i were to wear baju kurung, i love to wear plain or modern baju kurung. Or with geometric pattern. I dont like wear too flowery. I dont think its really formal.

Some of ideas from here

Sharing for My B

Tomorrow is his first day.

First day for his real job.

Excited, nervous, happy...all in one.
I know his feeling. haha.

Well..his new place is actually the place i used to intern there.

I love the company. I supposed to start working there on 6th July.

Can i say my path is "twisted"? Alhamdulillah. I want to challenge myself.
It is hard to tell the HR that I have to "quit" the job (I had signed the agreement btw). Ohh and the manager called, said she was very sad for the news and she said i can come back anytime if I do not like the job. haha. Thx for the trust :)

Anyway, for Ojan's case. I know a lot of mulut jahat said that he was offered because of me. With the name of Allah, I did not help him anything except for giving him the address of HR and explain to him the jobscope. Not even giving him tips on interview (because i didnt go thru the normal interview). All because of his efforts. He did not believe at first that he was offered the job. He suspected me recommended him to the manager. No i didnt. Not for Ojan. But I did it to few juniors for intern place, but not for him. I can do it for him. But I believe in his own ability.
Ohhh dah merepek jauh. I want to share few tips to him. I write it here so dat he can refer it frequently. I think maybe others can do it at other organization as well.

1. Introduce yourself. Do not be ashamed. This is the thing that I didnt do, and I regret it the most. EY is a place where ppl are so bz going here and there. And I can say quite many of them do not know each other. We do not have our own cubicles, just free seat because majority of us station at clients' place. So, pls have courage to introduce yourself. I didnt do it because the environment was not really welcoming, very quiet, all ppl sit infront of laptop, look very bz, all chinese.
2. Ask for help. (but of course after you have tried it yourslef few times). Setting your laptop, password that changes every second, a lot of applications, fax, printer, wifi. OMG. It was very stressful. I tell you, EY has a lot of security appliances. Very cumbersome. So pls ask for help. You will go few times to IT dept. hehee. Sabar je la k~ :P

3. Know your timeline and manager. Know your client ahead. You will be assigned to clients. Every project has different managers, so introduce yourself to your manager saying that you will be working with him and ask for past financial year doc. It will be very helpful. And ask them if thay need you to help him (You get extra points there hehe).

4. Do your homework. First week after orientation can be very disappointing. You know very little. You have a lot of questions. Therefore, open any applications that are related to your jobscope like ITGC application, EY Random, CAATS application (this application is very #^&&!@). Try to use mock data and play around with it with the help of manuals. Yes, there will be training but you must be proactive! cewah. Plus point: Email the training manager to include you to any suitable trainings.

5. Lunch with them (even kdg2 tempat sgt mahal). Not only that, COMMUNICATE with them. I know, speaking english all the time will be very awkward. haha. Because you and your colleagues will be very busy and we hardly talk to each other during work. So use one hour lunch to know them. Do not be afraid. They are at your age even some of them hold very high position but they are really nice.

6. If you are left unoccupied/idle (jarang berlaku). Take this chance to ask around manager whether you can help them or your mentor. I know memang penat but you will learn a lot.

7. Discuss with your mentor on your strengths and weaknesses. They are usually your partner/director. Majority of them are nice. They want to help you. So discuss with them on how you can contribute to the firm.

8. Join EY Club. Hockey, tennis, badminton. They always have game tournament between big four. Once a year they will have vacation also. Also, they are active in organizing bbq outing, clubbing, camping, paintball, movie, so participate minimally. haha. You have to participate but not too often. You do not want your life surrounded by WORK only right,no? haha

9. Please be anal on your documentations. I warn you. No TYPO-TYPO ok! They are very meticulous. They can see even the tiniest mistake. Improve your business english. Do your documentation with full heart or else u will end up getting a lot of red marks (its ok to get that but pls reduce it)

10. Communicate clearly with your client. Know what you want from them. It is not about getting the right answer but also the right question for them. Start meeting your new client with exchanging the biz card. Prepare your interview with them. Be clear and professional.

11. Pls plan your career milestone. You are the one who will decide on what next. Not your manager, not your mentor. How you can plan? Have rough idea. Example:

2010 - Associate 1
2011 - Associate 2
2012 - Senior Assoc. 1..... blablabla. and also what job you are interested to pursue in the next few years. It really helps you to know where you are heading to and you will get promoted earlier because you know what you want.

Fuhhh..
Semua ilmu dah bagi ni. Ni setakat yg saya taw and saya buat spjg intern je la. hahaa. You know i'll always available for u k? I know you can do it!!
All the best my dear :)


Motip letak gmbr ni. hahaa :P