It seems impossible to get a dream job nowadays. However, you might be able to get one if you really work on it. Speaking from my experience, I would like to share some tips with you.
1. Interpret your dream
Many people do not even know what they want. 90% of the job seekers are putting monetary rewards as their main consideration in seeking a better job. Before moving into that, list down what you really want for your new job. (in terms of exposure, traveling requirements, job function, career path) You will be surprise to find that you actually wanted more, than just money.
2. Knowing your destination
It is such ironic that everyone seems to know how to answer the popular interview question of "how do you see yourself in 10 years?", but do not really know what they are answering. Most of the interviewees came prepared which such question. However, most never really ask themselves such questions throughout their entire career life. Where you want to go? Do you see yourself as a future entrepreneur, skilled expert or manager? Knowing your direction helps you to focus on the job function you want.
3. The Time Race
We always contradict ourselves with different goals. Some common examples are statement such as, "I want to be a manager in 5 years time" and "I want to try different job roles to know what I am suitable for". Changing different roles is just an excuse to buy more time as you are unsure of what you really want. Let me tell you a fact, what fits you the best, end of the day, is what you are best at. If you don't think you like to do what you are best at, forget about excelling in your career. You will always be a mediocre.
4. Job Function, Company, Remuneration- Choose 2 out of 3
Fulfilling all your 3 requirements above for your first few jobs is like hitting a lottery. My advice, choose 2 out of 3 above. Why specifically 2 but not 1? Having two of above brings you closer to your dream job. If you only have one of them, you will need to try to fulfill the other two in your next job search. This is tough, as your salary requirements is moving up along with time. Any mistakes in choosing your career will not only costs you your job, it will also costs you time.
5. Get to know the right headhunter
80% of my experiences with headhunters are bad. Some headhunters just call you up to get FREE ADVICE from you about the job description(JD) given by their clients. Some will take your CVs and pass round to a few employers at the same time to try their luck. Most of them do not care about your career. They are more client-focused and they care more about their commissions. This is why they can always find GOOD talent for industries but always fail to provide the RIGHT candidate. Try to submit your CVs to a few headhunter and locate one or two good ones. Better still, check with your friends on their experience with headhunters and get them to introduce you to the good ones. Just drop me a comment if you need any recommendation from me.
6. Know your job well
Dream jobs are meant for those who can handle their job well. You can be hired as a CEO but are you able to increase the company's profit growth by 10 % per annum? You will only enjoy your job without high levels of incompetency stress. Most jobs are deemed to be stressful not because the employers are mean. It is simply because many of those are incompetant and yet taking up jobs that are beyond their capacity.
7. Be confident but don't think too highly of yourself
Dreaming of a job that pays you high salary, flies you around the world in business class cabins, able to work from home and comes with a huge team for you to command? Are you dreaming? No, it is not impossible! Once you have identified your strength, you will only need to identify the right company that is profitable enough to match your requirements. Be confident of yourself but never expect all companies to be able to afford what you want. Check out their annual reports (if they are listed) or audited accounts (from SSM for RM10) if you are really concern about the companys' profits.
Good luck in your job hunt!
Showing posts with label career. Show all posts
Showing posts with label career. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Getting Rich Quick in the city
If you are approaching 30 and still not belonging to the group of rich, powerful and famous, do not be disappointed, many are with you.
This is NOT an entry telling you about how to get rich quickly. It is an entry speaking out what most of the early twenties young working adults had in their mind when they started their working life in the city: to get rich quick.
There is no shortcut for success. I have joined at least 2 MLM companies before and I know how hard people work towards their success. I also know some of their "scam" tricks on how to attract more members. Fortunately, the products I bought from direct sales membership are usable and effective for me and my family (though I did not continue to use them now anymore, the products are really good, it's just too expensive).
It is not the case for many. Many loss their hard-earned savings by investing into scams and memberships. They will not tell you their story as it is not something to be proud of. Some of them chose to create "fact exposure" sites which are widely publicised as they felt that it's their obligation to warn others about some flawed investment scheme.
Some of the young entrepreneurs found themselves to to be in trouble by trying to slaughter the golden goose. So, how should you decide what's the best for you in order to live comfortably in the city?
1. Be Patient
I have been through the early 20s stage. I must admit, 20s is a very competitive stage in life, especially for young graduates who works in the city. You don't have much experience and yet try to prove yourself to be more successful than your peers. You want to own an Altis when your peers are driving Vios. Many who are impatient to make their first pot of gold eventually loss their "investments" to some "professional scams". I grew up in the era of dotcom bubble during my early 20s, where many young, successful entrepreneurs are featured by the media. I have too, been given the limelight by main stream media featuring my startups during the early 20s . However, I have learned to be patient and analytical throughout the years in order to move to the next level. My advice for the early 20s, analyse the "opportunities" offered to you carefully before investing your time and money. Yes, time and energy is all you have when you are young and use them smartly. They will translate to success and money if you make your decisions wisely. Learn from other's experiences and try to create opportunities for yourself rather than buying into one. I will blog more about creating opportunities for yourself in my future entries.
2. Be Focused
Many will try everything to get rich and famous. Most of the people in their 20s will have similar philosophy of life: "never try, never know, so try everything and you might hit the jackpot". Ask any of your friends working in the city, 8 out of 10 of them will tell you that they have joined an MLM, unit trust or insurance company as agents before. However, probably only 1 out of 10 of those who joined remains as active member now. It's hard to achieve what you want in life if you are not focused. Trying out everything is not the solution to get something out of your life. I have told myself that I would like to improve the quality of people's life through technology. I am still sticking to that goal.
3. Be Balanced
My ex-neighbour never gave up persuading me to join his MLM business. I have nothing against MLM companies, as long as they sell their products honestly. One of the factors I chose not to join is because of the imbalance workload in MLM working environment. He drives a C Class now, bought just after 6 months joining the MLM company. Frankly speaking, his C Class does not come in easy. I knew how hard he worked. Ever since he joined the MLM network, I hardly seen him at home. He came back at 3 or 4 am almost every night, even during the weekends. Though he claimed that his working hours are flexible, it's not flexible at all to me. Weekends has to be dedicated for work and you usually spent your time in talkshow events at night. You hardly have time for your family. Always strike a balance in whatever you do, maintain a healthy lifestyle, you will never regret doing that.
Though it is hard to make yourself rich quickly in the city, there are still ways to guarantee yourself a comfortable lifestyle in the city. I hope to share more about this in my future entries.
This is NOT an entry telling you about how to get rich quickly. It is an entry speaking out what most of the early twenties young working adults had in their mind when they started their working life in the city: to get rich quick.
There is no shortcut for success. I have joined at least 2 MLM companies before and I know how hard people work towards their success. I also know some of their "scam" tricks on how to attract more members. Fortunately, the products I bought from direct sales membership are usable and effective for me and my family (though I did not continue to use them now anymore, the products are really good, it's just too expensive).
It is not the case for many. Many loss their hard-earned savings by investing into scams and memberships. They will not tell you their story as it is not something to be proud of. Some of them chose to create "fact exposure" sites which are widely publicised as they felt that it's their obligation to warn others about some flawed investment scheme.
Some of the young entrepreneurs found themselves to to be in trouble by trying to slaughter the golden goose. So, how should you decide what's the best for you in order to live comfortably in the city?
1. Be Patient
I have been through the early 20s stage. I must admit, 20s is a very competitive stage in life, especially for young graduates who works in the city. You don't have much experience and yet try to prove yourself to be more successful than your peers. You want to own an Altis when your peers are driving Vios. Many who are impatient to make their first pot of gold eventually loss their "investments" to some "professional scams". I grew up in the era of dotcom bubble during my early 20s, where many young, successful entrepreneurs are featured by the media. I have too, been given the limelight by main stream media featuring my startups during the early 20s . However, I have learned to be patient and analytical throughout the years in order to move to the next level. My advice for the early 20s, analyse the "opportunities" offered to you carefully before investing your time and money. Yes, time and energy is all you have when you are young and use them smartly. They will translate to success and money if you make your decisions wisely. Learn from other's experiences and try to create opportunities for yourself rather than buying into one. I will blog more about creating opportunities for yourself in my future entries.
2. Be Focused
Many will try everything to get rich and famous. Most of the people in their 20s will have similar philosophy of life: "never try, never know, so try everything and you might hit the jackpot". Ask any of your friends working in the city, 8 out of 10 of them will tell you that they have joined an MLM, unit trust or insurance company as agents before. However, probably only 1 out of 10 of those who joined remains as active member now. It's hard to achieve what you want in life if you are not focused. Trying out everything is not the solution to get something out of your life. I have told myself that I would like to improve the quality of people's life through technology. I am still sticking to that goal.
3. Be Balanced
My ex-neighbour never gave up persuading me to join his MLM business. I have nothing against MLM companies, as long as they sell their products honestly. One of the factors I chose not to join is because of the imbalance workload in MLM working environment. He drives a C Class now, bought just after 6 months joining the MLM company. Frankly speaking, his C Class does not come in easy. I knew how hard he worked. Ever since he joined the MLM network, I hardly seen him at home. He came back at 3 or 4 am almost every night, even during the weekends. Though he claimed that his working hours are flexible, it's not flexible at all to me. Weekends has to be dedicated for work and you usually spent your time in talkshow events at night. You hardly have time for your family. Always strike a balance in whatever you do, maintain a healthy lifestyle, you will never regret doing that.
Though it is hard to make yourself rich quickly in the city, there are still ways to guarantee yourself a comfortable lifestyle in the city. I hope to share more about this in my future entries.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Snippets: When God's plan is greater than Man's
"人算不如天算" (ren suan bu ru tian suan, it means man's calculation can never be more accurate than God's).
I used to work for a UK public listed company for 4 years. I was allocated GBP9000 worth of share option at the price of GBP1.79 which is due for exercise on August 2008. This translates to 5028 shares.
When I decided to leave my ex-company, the share price was at the height of GBP3.42, it was just 8 months before I could exercise my options. I will not get anything from share options if I leave the company anytime before the exercise date. My potential loss would be (5028 X GBP (3.42-1.79)) = GBP 8195.76 or RM57,534 (GBP/RM was 7.03 at that time). Enough to buy a brand new Waja.
It was a tough decision to make. Though I knew it was only a potential figure, it was something hard for me to part with. Something which I deserved having if I fulfilled my employment duty for another 8 months. I left in the end.
The news broke out on 31st July 2008 and the latest share price was GBP1.71, 8 pence lesser than the option price. What can I say?
I used to work for a UK public listed company for 4 years. I was allocated GBP9000 worth of share option at the price of GBP1.79 which is due for exercise on August 2008. This translates to 5028 shares.
When I decided to leave my ex-company, the share price was at the height of GBP3.42, it was just 8 months before I could exercise my options. I will not get anything from share options if I leave the company anytime before the exercise date. My potential loss would be (5028 X GBP (3.42-1.79)) = GBP 8195.76 or RM57,534 (GBP/RM was 7.03 at that time). Enough to buy a brand new Waja.
It was a tough decision to make. Though I knew it was only a potential figure, it was something hard for me to part with. Something which I deserved having if I fulfilled my employment duty for another 8 months. I left in the end.
The news broke out on 31st July 2008 and the latest share price was GBP1.71, 8 pence lesser than the option price. What can I say?
Friday, August 1, 2008
Snippets: How to get the job you want by having a good resume
Jobs are aplenty in the city. This is why people come to cities to seek for better opportunities. However, getting the right job for yourself is never easy. It is a two-way matching process, and a trade between employers and employees. You might be good at your expertise and domain, but not good at expressing the skills and achievements you possess on a piece of paper. Your skill sets can be much more valuable, by having a well-polished CV to "enlighten" your potential employer on the talent they needed.
If you are not good at expressing yourself through your CV, it can be solved, easily. Visit Boon's blog, or drop him an email at boon [at] leapwalking [dot] com to ask for help.
If you are not good at expressing yourself through your CV, it can be solved, easily. Visit Boon's blog, or drop him an email at boon [at] leapwalking [dot] com to ask for help.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Snippet: Leapwalking.com
Career development is very crucial for every one to survive in the city. I have not been focusing much on career development thoughts. My friend, Boon, has a great blog that focuses on career development with analytical views on various career related issues. Visit his website at http://www.leapwalking.com You will surely benefit a lot from his advice.
Having a mentor at different stages of your life
I am learning to appreciate things I have learned in the past as I get older. I am an engineer by training. However, I started appreciating finance at the age of 21. I moved on to history, geography and now economics. When I was young, I couldn't understand why people did their PhD in history. It was boring to me. At different stages of life, you learn to appreciate the usefulness of different knowledge domains and starts to apply them in your daily life.
Having a mentor at early stage of your working life helps you to appreciate these faster and easier. I had started to have mentors after entering university. My first mentor Dr. Ewe gave me advice on entrepreneurship when I started my first techo-venture at age of 18 . I learned a lot from how to lure venture capitalist, striking an elevator pitch to writing professional business plan in the early days of my university life. I thanked Dr. Ewe for his enthusiasm and guidance in bringing up the future generations of technoprenuer in Malaysia.
During the final years of my university life, I met Mr. Yap, an ED of a public listed company in Malaysia. He was kind enough to mentor me on starting up new companies and running a profitable business. I had a great lesson on startup essentials and know-how on maintaining a successful business cycle. I thank him for his patience with a young punk like me.
I met my ex-CFO, Mr. Chew, who was also a Finance Controller in a listed company years later. Cool and quiet person, he is a great mentor in guiding me on financial management and stock market investment. Having graduated from engineering studies, financial management is a total stranger to me. I started learning about the basics of financial management from my cool mentor when we got closer in a trip to Ipoh. I continue to learn about ways to control operational cost as well as to increase company's profits from a financial standpoint. Terms such as technical analysis and fundamental analysis were added to my dictionary throughout the mentoring process. I was trained to be a shrewed investor. I wouldn't say I am a financial expert now but my financial knowledge are much superior than my university peers thanks to Mr. Chew. I opened my first CDS account after knowing him and my stocks portfolio has been multiplied by 800 % since then.
Ms. Lee and late Elder Cheng were my spiritual mentors. Their guidance and teachings has kept me walking in a righteous path throughout my career and life. Being successful in your life without ethics leads to emptiness. I thank them for planting ethics and God's word in my life.
Good mentors are important in shaping your thinking and character. They fill your innocent mind with useful tips and advice which can be applied for lifetime to make you a better person. I could never imagined myself to be what I am today when I moved from a small town to the big city of Kuala Lumpur. My mentors gave me substantial survival skills to survive in a city. I certainly hope I could mentor the younger generation someday.
Having a mentor at early stage of your working life helps you to appreciate these faster and easier. I had started to have mentors after entering university. My first mentor Dr. Ewe gave me advice on entrepreneurship when I started my first techo-venture at age of 18 . I learned a lot from how to lure venture capitalist, striking an elevator pitch to writing professional business plan in the early days of my university life. I thanked Dr. Ewe for his enthusiasm and guidance in bringing up the future generations of technoprenuer in Malaysia.
During the final years of my university life, I met Mr. Yap, an ED of a public listed company in Malaysia. He was kind enough to mentor me on starting up new companies and running a profitable business. I had a great lesson on startup essentials and know-how on maintaining a successful business cycle. I thank him for his patience with a young punk like me.
I met my ex-CFO, Mr. Chew, who was also a Finance Controller in a listed company years later. Cool and quiet person, he is a great mentor in guiding me on financial management and stock market investment. Having graduated from engineering studies, financial management is a total stranger to me. I started learning about the basics of financial management from my cool mentor when we got closer in a trip to Ipoh. I continue to learn about ways to control operational cost as well as to increase company's profits from a financial standpoint. Terms such as technical analysis and fundamental analysis were added to my dictionary throughout the mentoring process. I was trained to be a shrewed investor. I wouldn't say I am a financial expert now but my financial knowledge are much superior than my university peers thanks to Mr. Chew. I opened my first CDS account after knowing him and my stocks portfolio has been multiplied by 800 % since then.
Ms. Lee and late Elder Cheng were my spiritual mentors. Their guidance and teachings has kept me walking in a righteous path throughout my career and life. Being successful in your life without ethics leads to emptiness. I thank them for planting ethics and God's word in my life.
Good mentors are important in shaping your thinking and character. They fill your innocent mind with useful tips and advice which can be applied for lifetime to make you a better person. I could never imagined myself to be what I am today when I moved from a small town to the big city of Kuala Lumpur. My mentors gave me substantial survival skills to survive in a city. I certainly hope I could mentor the younger generation someday.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Working Overseas & Migration: Are you in?
If you are below 30s, something must have crossed your mind before. Migration. It's the trend for the young working adults now and the trend is spreading virally.
I used to hear stories about my relatives and friend's parents working in foreign countries during the 80s. Many of them migrated and some came back during the late 90s. The favourites are Australia, New Zealand, Japan, US, UK, Singapore, Canada and Saudi Arabia. The rich ones will uproot their family and migrate to developed countries while the poorer ones simply work in countries that can provide them with more income. In the 80s, economic instability and currency conversion rate was the driving factor for the migration wave. Today, the economic factor is still present but there are more reasons behind this new wave.
12 of my friends have left to other countries this year. Also, I am seconded lately with my family to work in MENA region. Officially, I am an expatriate now, :). 4 of my other friends are leaving by August. There are more to go. Different reasons are cited by my friends for leaving the country. Why the migration and job secondment wave is hitting Generation X in Malaysia?
1. Air Asia Factor
Low cost air carrier or better known as Air Asia in Malaysia makes it possible for middle-class or even lower-middle class to travel by air. I used to envy my friends during my school days when they tell me about their traveling experiences. I used to imagine how the air cabin looks like but my maiden flight was way below my expectation. My parents used to tell me that if I want to fly to other countries, I will need to earn a lot or join a good company. Air Asia changes everything. The air-traveling landscape has changed much since the millennium. Many Generation X had the chance to travel at least to nearby countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and Hong Kong to experience a different culture and lifestyle. I am blessed to be able to set foot on 16 different countries. After observing the culture and lifestyle of different people around the world, many just have the impulsive thought of spending a year or two in some foreign land. Yes, we want to see the world, and feel it. Low-cost air carrier has opened our eyes to the world and we want more now. We want to experience a different place rather than visiting. Air Asia has also given many a good reason to fly back to their homeland more frequently, taking away the concerns of losing touch with friends and family.
2. Diminishing of national pride
Nationalism started since the 19th century, marking the end of imperialism. Enterprises and businesses used to be indirect tools for new imperialism but is slowly fading away now. In the past, people worked hard for their country to "conquer" the world with their products and businesses. Malaysian Proton bought Italian Augusta which is sold to the Germans now. Americans are selling Budweiser to Belgian brewers and GE Plastics to Saudi Arabians. American owned Jaguar is sold to Indian TATA now. It's hard to distinguish who owns what now but the new owner will always try to impose control by swapping the senior managements. Today, you are not sure who you work for anymore. You might be working for a Malaysian company, which is later sold to the Italians and later to Middle Easterners. Today, you feel less proud of your country and other peoples country. Vietnam, China and India are growing economies but you will not feel proud to be their citizen. Of course, with what's happening lately, you feel less proud of being a Malaysian now. Many used to chase the American Dream, but the Green Card's demand is getting lesser now. Today, people care lesser about working and contributing in and for their homeland. Money, security and personal experiences comes before nation building.
3. Wide-spread of User-Friendly Communication Technology
Call any Malaysian number using www.flekx.com and it cost you nothing. Communications cost is zeroing now. I still remember having pen-pals from Finland when I was 13. Ask any 13-year-old teenager today and they will tell you to socialise in Facebook. We are changing our communication tool from letter-writing to telegraph to phones to internet voice calls and now to video calls. The classic verse to end an overseas phone conversation used to be, "we have talked too long and it's getting expensive, guess i need to end the call now". Today, our conversation end like this,"my ear is hot liao la, bye bye". The advancement of communication technology has brought everyone closer. People are less concerned about communication problems after leaving their homeland. Even Indonesian maids can afford to call back everyday now.
4. Rising Education Levels
Our parents used to be proud of having HSC or Diploma certification. Anyone who graduated from university will leave their name on the ancestors association's wall of fame. This is not the case for today's education. Throw a pebble and it might hit an undergrad on the street. The rising of education levels has 2 major effects in driving the migration rate. First, it's harder to get a job now. Second, your knowledge and skill sets can be deployed anywhere in the world. Salary scales has been quite stagnant for the past 10 years. It's getting harder to look for a decent-paying job now as compared to 10 years ago. Graduates are forced to work with lower wages as they do not have much options. Experienced expertise and knowledge workers will look for decent paying jobs in overseas to make their experiences worthwhile.
5. Historical Mirror Factor on socio-politics
Politics. Be it Anwar or Najib, TDM or Pak Lah, all we want is a foresighted leader, a prosperity-and-security-conscious leader. We studied Sejarah (history) from Form 1 to Form 5. What has the history taught us? History told us that Philippines and Indonesia are stronger and more powerful than Malaysia. Riau and Sulu Empire used to conquer the "Kepulauan Melayu". Their currency is much stronger in the 80s and 90s compared to what is today. Reformation and chaotic politics has brought down the nation. Political chaos has inflicted burdensome socio-economic problems. We have a very close mirror to predict what will be happening soon to Malaysia if the political problems doesn't end. As what Sun Tzu says, "Fleeing" is the best option.
6. Globalisation of Developing Economy
I have just finish reading the book, "The World is Flat", by Thomas L. Friedman. Globalisation is affecting your daily life whether you like it or not. Many Malaysian companies are venturing to less developed countries to fight for survival. One of my friend is seconded to Cambodia as Financial Controller for a listed company in Malaysia. He is still below 30, this is a great opportunity for him to gain his experience as an FC. Globalisation has given opportunities for many Malaysian companies to venture out. As a result, many young working adults are given the opportunity to prove themselves at young age, as the more experienced group in their 40s has more family obligations and considerations. Given a chance to be a country manager at age of 28, would you go to a less-developed country to venture your career?
There are far more reasons than the ones mentioned above for people to leave their homeland. Be it a migration or secondment, survival is what you need in a new environment. I will talk more about surviving in a new city with a different culture,language and lifestyle in future entries. If you have some time spare, do vote for my migration question on the sidebar, "Given a chance to be in senior management at 28, would you go to a less-developed country to venture your career?"
Good luck to all my friends who decided to venture out.
I used to hear stories about my relatives and friend's parents working in foreign countries during the 80s. Many of them migrated and some came back during the late 90s. The favourites are Australia, New Zealand, Japan, US, UK, Singapore, Canada and Saudi Arabia. The rich ones will uproot their family and migrate to developed countries while the poorer ones simply work in countries that can provide them with more income. In the 80s, economic instability and currency conversion rate was the driving factor for the migration wave. Today, the economic factor is still present but there are more reasons behind this new wave.
12 of my friends have left to other countries this year. Also, I am seconded lately with my family to work in MENA region. Officially, I am an expatriate now, :). 4 of my other friends are leaving by August. There are more to go. Different reasons are cited by my friends for leaving the country. Why the migration and job secondment wave is hitting Generation X in Malaysia?
1. Air Asia Factor
Low cost air carrier or better known as Air Asia in Malaysia makes it possible for middle-class or even lower-middle class to travel by air. I used to envy my friends during my school days when they tell me about their traveling experiences. I used to imagine how the air cabin looks like but my maiden flight was way below my expectation. My parents used to tell me that if I want to fly to other countries, I will need to earn a lot or join a good company. Air Asia changes everything. The air-traveling landscape has changed much since the millennium. Many Generation X had the chance to travel at least to nearby countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and Hong Kong to experience a different culture and lifestyle. I am blessed to be able to set foot on 16 different countries. After observing the culture and lifestyle of different people around the world, many just have the impulsive thought of spending a year or two in some foreign land. Yes, we want to see the world, and feel it. Low-cost air carrier has opened our eyes to the world and we want more now. We want to experience a different place rather than visiting. Air Asia has also given many a good reason to fly back to their homeland more frequently, taking away the concerns of losing touch with friends and family.
2. Diminishing of national pride
Nationalism started since the 19th century, marking the end of imperialism. Enterprises and businesses used to be indirect tools for new imperialism but is slowly fading away now. In the past, people worked hard for their country to "conquer" the world with their products and businesses. Malaysian Proton bought Italian Augusta which is sold to the Germans now. Americans are selling Budweiser to Belgian brewers and GE Plastics to Saudi Arabians. American owned Jaguar is sold to Indian TATA now. It's hard to distinguish who owns what now but the new owner will always try to impose control by swapping the senior managements. Today, you are not sure who you work for anymore. You might be working for a Malaysian company, which is later sold to the Italians and later to Middle Easterners. Today, you feel less proud of your country and other peoples country. Vietnam, China and India are growing economies but you will not feel proud to be their citizen. Of course, with what's happening lately, you feel less proud of being a Malaysian now. Many used to chase the American Dream, but the Green Card's demand is getting lesser now. Today, people care lesser about working and contributing in and for their homeland. Money, security and personal experiences comes before nation building.
3. Wide-spread of User-Friendly Communication Technology
Call any Malaysian number using www.flekx.com and it cost you nothing. Communications cost is zeroing now. I still remember having pen-pals from Finland when I was 13. Ask any 13-year-old teenager today and they will tell you to socialise in Facebook. We are changing our communication tool from letter-writing to telegraph to phones to internet voice calls and now to video calls. The classic verse to end an overseas phone conversation used to be, "we have talked too long and it's getting expensive, guess i need to end the call now". Today, our conversation end like this,"my ear is hot liao la, bye bye". The advancement of communication technology has brought everyone closer. People are less concerned about communication problems after leaving their homeland. Even Indonesian maids can afford to call back everyday now.
4. Rising Education Levels
Our parents used to be proud of having HSC or Diploma certification. Anyone who graduated from university will leave their name on the ancestors association's wall of fame. This is not the case for today's education. Throw a pebble and it might hit an undergrad on the street. The rising of education levels has 2 major effects in driving the migration rate. First, it's harder to get a job now. Second, your knowledge and skill sets can be deployed anywhere in the world. Salary scales has been quite stagnant for the past 10 years. It's getting harder to look for a decent-paying job now as compared to 10 years ago. Graduates are forced to work with lower wages as they do not have much options. Experienced expertise and knowledge workers will look for decent paying jobs in overseas to make their experiences worthwhile.
5. Historical Mirror Factor on socio-politics
Politics. Be it Anwar or Najib, TDM or Pak Lah, all we want is a foresighted leader, a prosperity-and-security-conscious leader. We studied Sejarah (history) from Form 1 to Form 5. What has the history taught us? History told us that Philippines and Indonesia are stronger and more powerful than Malaysia. Riau and Sulu Empire used to conquer the "Kepulauan Melayu". Their currency is much stronger in the 80s and 90s compared to what is today. Reformation and chaotic politics has brought down the nation. Political chaos has inflicted burdensome socio-economic problems. We have a very close mirror to predict what will be happening soon to Malaysia if the political problems doesn't end. As what Sun Tzu says, "Fleeing" is the best option.
6. Globalisation of Developing Economy
I have just finish reading the book, "The World is Flat", by Thomas L. Friedman. Globalisation is affecting your daily life whether you like it or not. Many Malaysian companies are venturing to less developed countries to fight for survival. One of my friend is seconded to Cambodia as Financial Controller for a listed company in Malaysia. He is still below 30, this is a great opportunity for him to gain his experience as an FC. Globalisation has given opportunities for many Malaysian companies to venture out. As a result, many young working adults are given the opportunity to prove themselves at young age, as the more experienced group in their 40s has more family obligations and considerations. Given a chance to be a country manager at age of 28, would you go to a less-developed country to venture your career?
There are far more reasons than the ones mentioned above for people to leave their homeland. Be it a migration or secondment, survival is what you need in a new environment. I will talk more about surviving in a new city with a different culture,language and lifestyle in future entries. If you have some time spare, do vote for my migration question on the sidebar, "Given a chance to be in senior management at 28, would you go to a less-developed country to venture your career?"
Good luck to all my friends who decided to venture out.
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