Final tip, hopefully: Be thorough

This is essentially an extension to what I wrote a few days ago.

It is important that we check and recheck any document that we want to send in order to ensure that there is no mistake. Surprisingly, quite a few applicants sent in their applications twice, and one actually sent the application thrice. When I compare the original submissions to the ones sent later, there are a few new information here and there added in the applicants' curriculum vitae. The impression that I get is that the applicants updated their information after the original submission, and reubmitted their applications.

Again, this highlights the applicants' lack of thoroughness in submitting their applications. Applicants should first update and check their curriculum vitae and all related documents before sending them in. When one resends the application, it is as if he or she was not thorough the first time.

And please, never ever do the following mistake. An applicant e-mailed in the application three times. The first submission had an attachment containing a curriculum vitae. The second submission contained a message saying that the first submission was erroneous because the curriculum vitae actually belonged to someone else, and hence the second e-mail contained the right attachment. The third submission had no messages whatsoever, and contained an attachment which in essence is the same as the second attachment. The only difference is the photograph in the last e-mail is different compared to the second one.

Now, if you were an employer looking for an employee, would you employ someone who is not careful, thorough and meticulous?

I think not.

Yet another pointer: Send appropriate photos

Thus far, we received close to 200 applications for the four vacancies that we have. One point that I feel I must emphasis is the need to send in an appropriate photo to accompany the application.

Most people would use passport-sized photographs which, to me, is the best thing to do. The passport-sized photographs are suitable for job applications. Some may argue that this kind of photos are formal and emotionless. But to me, if you are serious in applying for a professional position, then this kind of photographs is the best.

Having said that, I have noticed some applicants who send passport-sized photographs which show them wearing collarless t-shirts with writings on them. Unfortunately, such depiction give the impression that the applicants are not serious especially if they are applying for management positions.

There are also applicants who send photographs which have been cropped or photoshopped. There is nothing wrong with this, of course, but again please make sure that the photos are appropriate for the purpose of applying for jobs.

The reason I raise this is that there are applicants who send photos of them posing in a rather unsuitable manner. The first thing that came to my mind was, "Is this person applying for the position of a researcher, or is this person applying to become a model?"

The fact of the matter is photographs will project the applicants' image and will give the prospective employer the first impression of those applying for the vacant positions. Therefore, it is important to project the right first impression to the prospective employer.

Do a little bit of homework. Know the nature of business of the employer. Do not send casual photographs if the employer is looking for a serious and professional employee. The safest bet is to dress smart (no collarless t-shirts though) and take a passport-sized photograph.

Another pointer: Spell it right

This is basically an addendum to the blog post yesterday.

Back in the UK, when I was secretary to a student's organisation, I was reminded by the president to ensure that the spellings for everyone's name is correct and accurate. Since then, I have been giving extra attention in making sure that I got everyone's name correctly spelt.

The same applies when we write to organisations and companies. If one is a jobseeker, and is writing to the organisation or company that one is applying to, it is imperative that one makes sure that the name of the potential employer is correct, right down to each individual letter.

For example, the organisation that I am attached to is Yayasan Ilmuwan. It is a very typical mistake that many people make when they spell the word "Ilmuwan" as "Ilmuan". In Bahasa Melayu, there is no such word as ilmuan contrary to what many people may think. Ilmuwan means "scholar(s)". Essentially, the suffix wan when added to a noun or a verb would turn the word into a noun that refers to a person.

Common examples include angkasawan, olahragawan, dermawan, rupawan, agamawan, etc. Hence, the same rule applies to ilmuwan. I suspect the problem arises because ilmu ends with the letter "u", and when one pronounces ilmuwan, there is a tendency to think that the word is spelt without the "w" that comes after "u".

I notice most applicants who write to Yayasan Ilmuwan made this common mistake, i.e. by spelling "Ilmuan" instead of "Ilmuwan". The mistake in the spelling highlights the lack of attention given to the smallest of details.

Perhaps, what struck me as even weirder is that there are also applicants who got the name wrong altogether. There are at least two applicants who I noticed addressed their applications to "Yayasan Ilmu".

What happened to the wan? It's one thing to drop the "w", but to drop three letters altogether is simply unbelievable.

The correct spelling for the names of organisations and companies should not be taken lightly. There are also organisations and companies which have spellings that may be grammatically wrong or for historical reasons are spelt using the old system of spelling. PETRONAS as we know is the short form of Petroliam Nasional Berhad. Let's not be a smart alec and change the spelling "Petroliam" into "Petroleum" in this instance. Or the word "Bandaraya" in the case of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur should not be changed into "Bandar Raya" even though the latter is the correct form of spelling according to the latest system of spelling.

I am sure none of us would be happy if our names are spelt wrong, so treat the spelling for these names just like the way we would want people to spell our names.

Correctly.

Tips for jobhunters

Currently, the organisation that I am attached with has a few vacancies. We have advertised in the newspapers yesterday, and I have received nearly 50 applications thus far which are sent through the e-mail.

The number of applicants goes to show how things are currently. People are almost desperate for jobs, that they are willing to apply anything under the sun, as long as they have something to hold on to. I welcome applicants who are willing to strive and learn new things.

Unfortunately, it saddens me to see that quite a number of these applicants have some basic problems when it comes to applying for jobs.

Some of them did not even bother to write a covering letter. To me, while e-mail can be used for applications, it is important that they also include a covering letter which states at least the job that they are applying for. At the very least, the covering letter is a form of courtesy to the potential employer, and it shows the level of professionalism that the applicant has. A few of these applicants even sent empty e-mails with no text whatsoever, save for the attachment containing their curriculum vitae. I think this is sheer laziness. An applicant should never assume that the employer knows what they are applying for, and an applicant should never think that he/she is the only one applying.

The second aspect that I noticed many applicants took for granted is the use of language in writing letters and e-mails. Great care must be taken when communicating, especially with potential employers. This at the very least gives a fairly good first impression. An abrupt and rude letter and/or e-mail will most probably scare the potential employer away from even shortlisting the applicant. What more if the job requires communication with other people. How can an employer trust the applicant with communicating with other people if the first impression shown in his/her letter/e-mail is bad? E-mail may be an informal way of communicating, but still one must still observe certain ethics in writing e-mails.

The third aspect I find lacking is a good command of language. Some of the applicants do not seem to take the effort to check the grammatical and spelling errors in their resumes or letters. Imagine writing "executive research" when one should write "research executive", or writing "2nd class honest" instead of "2nd class honours". This kind of careless errors show that the applicant is not careful and/or lazy in rechecking his/her documents. If the person is applying for a job as a research executive, which among others requires the person to be extra careful and meticulous, then the errors in the documents will probably show them to be otherwise.

So, if you're looking for a job, make sure that:
(i) Your curriculum vitae is accompanied by a covering letter.
(ii) Write using proper language even when you are communicating using e-mail.
(iii) Check and recheck your documents before sending them to potential employers.

A good indication

Last week, shortly after class, a student of mine walked up to me. He is an international student, and he said, "My friends and I have been wondering..."

"Yes?" I asked.

"What course will you be teaching next semester?"

"As far as I have been informed, I will still be teaching this subject."

"Any other subjects besides this?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Owh."

I noticed his disappointment, and promptly asked, "Why did you ask?"

"We thought we wanted to enrol in the subjects that you'll be teaching."

I just smiled in response.

I have been asked to teach this subject, History and Philosophy of Science, by the university. And I was asked to make things simple. This subject is considered a killer subject by many students of the Faculty of Science. I have tried my best, and now we're coming towards the end of the short semester. If the above dialogue is any indication, I would think that I may have succeeded to a certain extent.

And of course, the final exam result will paint the true story.

A blogger's dilemma

I have things that I wanted to blog on. But by the time I look at the dashboard, I have run out of things to write even before I started writing.

I want to keep blogging. But every time I put my fingers on the keyboard, I realise that I don't have the words to say.

I will be back when I find the words.

Irn Bru

When I was studying in Glasgow more than a decade ago, I was introduced to the many facets of its unique culture and charms. Most of us would know some of these, which include bagpipes, kilts, Scottish songs, etc.

And it was around this time I got acquainted with Irn Bru. Dubbed "Scotland's other national drink" - the other being whiskey, in case you're wondering - Irn Bru, as Wikipedia puts it, is a popular carbonated soft drink. The brand is also known for its innovative and wacky advertisments.

A colleague (thanks En Lan!) recently went to the UK for a holiday, and he bought me a can of Irn Bru at a town called Inverness (which is very near Loch Ness). Irn Bru used to be a staple soft drink for me back in those days. So seeing the can somehow made me nostalgic, and brings back a lot of memories.

Here's to Irn Bru (and to good old memories of Bonnie Scotland)!