By Shukry Rashid
When 32-year-old Victor Tan left his job in July 2016 as supply chain specialist working in an alcoholic beverage multinational company (MNC), he knew he was going to be out of a job for a while. One thing he did not take expect – that the situation would also become a low point in his life.
He sent out more than 30 resumes, and only two of them replied for an interview.
Those two job interviews did not result in any offers. This, coupled with the uncertain employment condition and a bleak economy, added to his anxiety.
When he received a promotional email about U PME’s Career Activation Programme (CAP), he decided to reach out for help. The CAP helps PMEs like Victor by improving their networking skills and providing them with peer to peer support, which help them to build up their confidence.
Areas to Improve
Victor was referred to U PME Centre Consultant Herjeet Singh. According to Herjeet, Victor’s weaknesses are what some professionals, managers, and executives (PME) jobseekers have as well. These include an outdated or unprofessional resume, not customising their resume for different job applications, and the lack of networking skills.
Herjeet got to work with Victor by accurately identifying key areas to improve on, which were his resume writing and interviewing skills.
Victor said: “CAP also helped me to regain my confidence and be more positive. That helped me a lot as the interviews start coming in. CAP also taught me the importance of networking and picking up soft skills such as attitude.
“Most job openings are not published in advertisements. So it’s very important to create connections and build relationships.”
Victor said that having the right attitude was always emphasised during the CAP, including persevering and venturing out of one’s comfort zone to take on new challenges.
Advice
By going through the CAP, Victor managed to score seven interviews. Those interviews led to two job offers, and he has been gainfully employed since October 2016 as an operations and planning senior executive in another MNC.
Victor advises PMEs and jobseekers that there is a need to always improve.
“Jobs are not permanent. Gone are the days of the iron rice bowl. I am glad I had the CAP to guide me through this difficult stage,” he added.
At A Glance
The career activists are PMEs themselves who have been through similar life experiences. They will help PMEs by providing emotional support.
They have also undergone a certification and structured training programme to better equip them with the relevant skills to help their charges.
The CAP is organised on a monthly session. For more information, visit http://bit.ly/CareerActivationProgramme.
Source: NTUC This Week
