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http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/03/10/7-tips-revamp-job-search-2014/ Experts foresee the job market being more competitive than ever in 2014. With 10.9 million Americans unemployed, it is important to take a fresh look at your job search strategy. Now is the perfect time to develop an effective plan for success. How can you set yourself apart from the competition and position yourself for finding the best next step in your career? Here are seven tips to help you refresh and refocus your job search in 2014: 1. Don't be a copycat candidate. Job searches are a very personal experience and one-size-fits-all strategies will not help you stand out among the competition. Even though a certain interview tactic or style was successful for one candidate doesn't mean it is the best strategy for you. Take into consideration your personal experiences, preferences and career goals and use them to position yourself as a unique candidate. 2. Learn to look at job titles differently. Be open-minded about your preconceived notions of job titles. Roles in compliance, human resource, or administration, for example, are often perceived as being boring, career-limiting or otherwise undesirable. Such preconceptions, however, about the scope, strategic importance and long-term potential of these positions are not always true in today's market. In many cases I've seen, these jobs offer exceptional opportunity for influential and attractive long-term careers. 3. First impressions are everywhere. With 92% of employers using social media in the hiring process, the content of your social profile forms an employer's first impression before you even sit down with for an interview. You should take special consideration to job-proof your social media profiles. For example, use a picture that represents you as a professional. Don't rely on privacy settings to keep your personal information safe. Your best bet is to assume everything will be seen by a potential emplo

Australian businesses predicts 2014 to be a good year for growth, expecting that sales, profits, investment and employment will increase to their highest level in 12 months. Dun and Bradstreet's latest Business Expectations Survey shows capital investment and employment intentions have rebounded from negative territory in the previous quarter to sit above their 10-year average levels. Dun and Bradstreet's economics adviser, Stephen Koukoulas, says expectations for employment are particularly encouraging and should allay some people's concerns about job security. "While we're still not quite at the very strong levels for employment and hiring intentions just yet, it's clearly lifted over the last 9-12 months or so," he said. "And it's suggesting to us anyway that employment will start to lift to a more sustainable pace in the first half of 2014." The survey also explains a quarter of firms designed to raise the cost of their products and services throughout the first three months of this year 2014, a move that may prompt the Reserve Bank to lift interest rates. "It would require a global negative shock to cut rates again in our view," Mr Koukoulas said. "But more likely if the economy is stronger, if we do get a pick-up in selling prices showing up in higher inflation in the next quarter or two, then I think not only do we not have interest rate cuts coming through but the focus of the market will be more on when will the RBA start lifting interest rates and how aggressively will they do it." According to the survey, optimism among Australian businesses is also on the rise, with two-thirds of firms feeling more positive about growth prospects this year compared to last year. Employment objectives have recovered from an interpretation of -1.1 in the last quarter to 8.8 in the present quarter, the highest level in three years, at the same time as the outlook for capital spending was back from -0.4 to 7.2.

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/05/19/jobs-growth-oil-gas-firms-uk/ Companies in the UK oil and gas sector anticipate creating up to 39,000 jobs over the next two years. One hundred companies were surveyed, commissioned by the Bank of Scotland, since last year found expectations of employment growth had increased. A clear majority (69%) of executives in the companies were optimistic about their growth prospects in 2014/2015 while 38% of those responding said a shortage of skilled workers would be their greatest challenge. Whereas 64% of those taking part cited that the international expansion was a priority. Key areas for investment were Africa, North America, Jakarta, Indonesia and the Middle East. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia's survey says 46% of companies were planning by now for a further growth in foreign markets over the next 24 months. The research was carried out by BDRC Continental and companies were chosen to reflect a range of size, location and service type. In the previous year, a related study was carried out saying that the companies in the sector would recruit an additional 34,000 people over two years. Bank of Scotland commercial area director Stuart White, said: "The findings of this report are excellent news for the economy, demonstrating the employment-generating nature of the oil and gas industry now and in the future. "With most of the UK's oil and gas firms clustered in Aberdeen and the north-east, Scotland should reap the largest share of these new jobs, however other parts of the UK will benefit from expansion plans. "The report also highlights the growing challenges posed by the lack of a skilled workforce." Mr White said new specialist apprenticeship schemes could help address the shortfall. "The results also demo

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/05/07/answer-question-whats-salary-requirement/ You may find yourself trapped whenever asked the question about compensation. It is supposed to be a general warning not to answer the question since it is the biggest scam question a company do for their own benefit. Giving too high amount may lead you to not land on the job, but too low then you just labeled yourself. And if ever you take the job, make sure to make up for this salary setback the next time you're negotiating your salary. Almost all job applications require to state the desired salary of the applicant. This is for their own benefit because they now gain the total control. Kip Kipley, director of human resources for WorldatWork, an association for HR professionals said human-resources executives believe that requesting salary information in advance helps them find the best candidates for openings. This is the reason why hiring managers and HR reps want to name your price so do not fall for it and instead there is a way around the dreaded salary requirement question. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia provides you the following tips in answering the said question. Understand Your True Value Get a better understanding of how much you should be making based on your expertise and skills by doing a research beforehand. "It's a strength of a candidate to have a solid market understanding of their salary value," says Megan Zengerle, VP of People Operations at Creative Live. "This can be achieved by understanding what other companies are offering or paying for the role and I always encourage candidates to talk to their peers to ascertain this information." Don't Leave the Salary Requirement Blank Don't skip the salary requirement if you

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/04/07/working-abroad-find-jobs-overseas/ Westhill Consulting Career & Employment out of Australia has many more tips and warnings about working in Southeast Asia. 1. What are the benefits of working abroad? There are so many its hard to only pick a few! If you study or specialize in a foreign language, an obvious benefit of working abroad is immersion into your target language. You'll also be fully experiencing a new culture, which typically proves both challenging and rewarding. Professionally speaking, employers find candidates with extended experience abroad attractive, as it showcases an individual's understanding of the global economy. Working in a multi-cultural office often means developing advanced intercultural and interpersonal skills. You could test out the experience of working abroad by taking a working holiday - see our article: 10 Paycations: how to make money on holiday - but you'll never know the benefits unless you take the leap of faith and try to work abroad - go for it! 2. What types of jobs are on offer for those looking to work overseas? The most common job pursued abroad is teaching English. Those who speak English as a native language find that their skills and expertise are in high demand in a range of (often well paying) locations. These jobs are typically short-term (one year or less) and can be taken in both major cities and rural areas. Other popular options include business consultancy, food service, tourism companies and property. Many people choose to work for a company from their home country that allows for short term trips abroad to complete work. 3. Where is it easiest to find jobs abroad? For an English-speaking native, without a doubt, the easiest job to find abroad is a teaching gig. If you tr

There is a common perception with employers in Qatar that Europeans are expensive to employ. You have to have a skill set to break in and justify your fee. Once in you are plain sailing.

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/03/06/top-10-job-search-tips/ Is your job search off to a slow start or getting stuck? Here are some quick time-saving job search tips that will help your hunt for a new job go smoothly. Be Prepared. Have a voice mail system in place and sign-up for a professional sounding email address. Consider getting a separate email account to use for your job search, so you can stay organized. Put your cell phone number on your resume so you can follow up in a timely manner. This job search toolkit will help you get everything you need set for your job search. Westhill Consulting & Employment Australia has some good tips for finding work in countries such as KL Malaysia, Jakarta Indonesia, Beijing China, Bangkok Thailand and many more. Be More Than Prepared. Always have an up-to-dateresume ready to send - even if you are not currently looking for work. You never know when an opportunity that is too good to pass up might come along. If you're not on LinkedIn yet, create a LinkedIn and start making connections who can help you job search. Don't Wait. If you are laid-off, file for unemployment benefits right away. You will most likely be able to file online or by phone. Waiting could delay your benefits check. Get Help. Utilize free or inexpensive services that provide career counseling and job search assistance such as college career offices, state Department of Labor offices or your local public library. Many libraries provide workshops, programs, classes, computers and printers you can use, and other resources to help you with your job search. Here's more on getting job search help at the library. Create Your Own Templates. Have copies of your resume and cover letter ready to edit. That way you can change the content to match the requirements of the job you're applying for, but, the contact information and your opening and closing paragraphs won't need to be changed. Microsoft Word users can download free templates for re

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/03/17/seizing-opportunities-south-east-asias-oil-gas-industry/ Since 2010, South-East Asia has consolidated its position as an important contributor to the global downstream market with Petronas' recent announcement of its plan to build the new RAPID facility in Malaysia one further example of the region's growing importance. In reality the timing couldn't be better - as populations across Asia continue to grow, the demand for fuel will grow exponentially, offering oil & gas operators a real opportunity to make a significant contribution to the region's continued economic development. However, with this growing demand comes additional pressures, and with the sector still vulnerable to fluctuating oil prices, operators can ill-afford to rest on their laurels. The need to ensure their operations are as productive as possible and that cost inefficiencies are stripped out from the very outset, is arguably more important than ever before. Minimizing operational costs When it comes to new projects oil & gas operators have traditionally been good at minimizing their CAPEX spend. However, there has been much less focus given to limiting the cost of operation of their assets. With maintenance costs typically responsible for 20-30% of the overall OPEX expenditure, this is one area where the downstream sector in South-East Asia is increasingly focusing its attention. According to some analysts the costs incurred across the globe in maintaining the next generation of oil & gas assets could equate to $0.75 trillion highlighting the scale of the prize that could be on offer here. For a typical refinery the operational expenditure is principally dictated by three prime factors: the quantum of work carried out on the asset, the efficiency at which it can be delivered and the agreed cost rate of the resource used. In each instance there is an opportunity to significantly reduce cost outlay by focusing on a range of inter

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/04/04/visas-south-east-asia/ Westhill Consulting Career & Employment Australia has much more information on its blog section on its website. If this is your first proper backpacking stint then you may not be aware how much of a headache visas can be! When you reach the border of each country you need a visa to enter, some countries will simply stamp a visa into your passport on the border for free (this is called a VOA 'Visa on Arrivall), and then on you go. Other countries may charge you a fortune while the most difficult b*stards will refuse you entry and you have to organise your visa before you arrive at the border! Warning do not overstay. Check out the South East Asian countries below and get an idea of what you need to sort it all out: Thailand: South East Asia's most popular destination. Thailand offers VOA (visas on arrival) by both land and air arrivals. If you fly in, you receive a free 30 day visa. If you arrive by land, you receive a free 14 day visa. If you want a longer visa (60 days) you can apply at Thai embassies in any other country, it'll cost you around $30. This is possible from your home country or from neighbouring countries in the region (Laos, Malaysia etc)

http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/04/11/correct-keywords-important-applying-jobs-online/ Westhill Consulting Career & Employment Australia is an information based website for expats who wish to work in Southeast Asia and the world. We are hoping the following information is useful. Make the most of any opportunity by using these tips and tricks to be sure your resume goes to the top of the list, whether you are looking for a job locally or you want to work abroad like countries such as KL Malaysia, Beijing China, Jakarta Indonesia and many more. Applying for a job online can be a lot like a guessing game. Plus there are many warnings of scams and other fraudulent stuff online. For all the effort you put into marketing your experience and qualifications, the deciding factor that gets your resume into the hands of an actual person often comes down to using the right keywords. Most companies rely on computer software programs to review thousands of resumes and select the ones with particular keywords - not necessarily impressive accomplishments - so they can then be reviewed by a recruiter and, eventually, a hiring manager. Unfortunately for job seekers, these all-powerful keywords aren't revealed in the job description - at least not overtly. Abby Kohut, a former human resources executive and founder of www.absoluteabby.com, said the best way to crack the code of these applicant tracking systems (ATS) is to put yourself in the mind of the recruiter and take your best guess at what phrases they would use to search for the best applicants for the position. "You look at the job description, read it word by word and say 'would the recruiter use it to search for resumes?' " said Kohut, who recruited for 16 years at companies in a variety of industries including pharmaceuticals, health care, publishing and education. Now, she helps job seekers and is launching a nationwide tour to teach the tricks of the modern job search.

Most people would not take an offer of a traditional job at a major package goods company to a millennial, says Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia. Starting a career may seem like a painstakingly trek up a corporate ladder for nowadays upstart professional. They rather work at Google, Twitter, and Facebook. As well as working at smaller companies like Snapchat that just turned down a multi-billion offer to be sold. In fact, most people would choose to start up a career at start-up. This is not to say that a great company like S.C. Johnson that owns the Drano brand can't attract great people. But, it does mean that the competition to attract the best and the brightest for traditional brand name companies is tougher. And, part of that challenge is an incredible difference between the generations on what constitutes success. As a board member of a few young fast start-ups, I see this first hand. The majority of talented students are not targeting the Fortune 500 as a place to work - or even Wall Street. And the reason? That target is off the radar of the lifestyle they want to lead. Before, when I noted these great young minds want to start at a startup - the driver is not money. Although, money is nice, lifestyle is more compelling. For millennials, titles like CEO, COO, and CFO have little cache. These bright people are just fine if their next job is sideways and even down the organization. I noted that they are not climbing a corporate ladder; they are playing on a jungle gym. In swinging from job to job, or project to project, millennials are really seeking a career track where they can make a difference. They ask, "Am I growing professionally and personally." Plus, they manage their personal off hours to fit their lifestyle and budget. Think about how money is not a driver for them. When I w

Secure annual goals and expectations. This is a concrete step to clearly comprehend the output your supervisor anticipates from you for the year. It affords you an chance to clear up these expectations, and decide the resources you'll have to accomplish the goals-human, financial, training, etc. or perhaps travel sometimes, consider SE Asian cities such as Jakarta Indonesia, KL Malaysia, Beijing China or maybe Bangkok Thailand! This also inaugurates the basis for forthcoming discourse on performance throughout the year. The yearly document develops into standard for assessment of your efforts. Warning! Seek quarterly "pulse checks" on your performance. These meetings afford a foundation for standardizing performance versus expectations. The goal is to regulate if you are on the right path to achieve your goals and change behavior/actions/plans as necessary to stay on track. Quarterly meetings are spaced far enough apart to allow you to have significant discussion of performance. There are adequate data points to highlight strengths and opportunities with ample examples of each. Prominently, you must use this response to adapt your performance as arranged. This method will keep you associated with your supervisor to break away from any complaint in the future. Finally, offer monthly and/or weekly updates. The regularity of these updates differs on your role and relationship with your supervisor. The objective is to protect alignment on key projects and priorities. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australi says, if you want to work smoothly with the boss the number one rule is, never outshine your boss.

Allow yourself accept it and give a reason to get your life going, the first advice Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia provide to people who lost their jobs. It doesn't matter how self-assured you are, losing a job always grounds you to doubt yourself. In general the two responses are to distrust yourself and your capability, or to guilt your situation or your people at your old company. Both are not worth doing. The best thing you can do is discover a credible purpose why this occurred and then truly believe it. It's the first step to moving on. Agree on two things to do. This should serve as a warning that it is you who will decide on your life at the end of the day. Telling yourself that you should try to discover what you want to do with your life now that you've lost your job is a cliché. The first thing you must do is to bring in the money you'll need to support yourself or your family. Next is what you truly want to do for a career. By unraveling the two, you can reason more plainly about your future in the short and long term. That way, you can keep your eye on preparing for the better job at the same time if you need to take a job for money that isn't perfect. Map your social graph. Odds are, your next chance will come from somewhere or someone you already know - so the most important thing you can do at this point is to create a "graph" of your social imprint online. Or maybe you luck is outside your country; why not try SE Asia, Jakarta Indonesia maybe or perhaps KL Malaysia? Recognize your influencers. Inside your social graph will be people who are in a position to have an uneven consequence on your having a new job. Conflicting to what you might ponder, these are not essential the individuals with the highest titles or the most fame. Every so often the person hiring or who knows the person hiring is the one working at a

Here are some of the errors you might be making when reaching out to strangers. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia's reveals why they won't hire you before they even meet you. You're too casual. It is nearly always better to blunder on the side of formality, specifically when asking someone for something. It's wiser to be more polite and lead off with "Dear So and So," or "Hello WhatHisName" than "Hey, Elizabeth!" You're presumptuous. Career "experts" all over the place are at all times telling you close with a meeting proposal, but then again you have to do it correctly. Say something like "I would like to buy you a coffee or lunch sometime soon if you can spare the time. Please let me know if this is possible." Don't make it sound like complaints. Do not do this also, reach out to complete strangers on LinkedIn and ask for endorsements. You're sloppy. If you can't take five minutes to proofread your message, or even pay the energy to give care to spellcheck, you display a obvious lack of respect for the person you're contacting. There's a wavy red line that plays below your spelling errors. All you have to do is take notice in it. Always review! You're random/haven't done your research. Know what the person you're contacting actually does because you cannot ask a zookeeper for a job in a bank. Do some basic research or do not expect a teacher of Bahasa Indonesia in Jakarta would talk to you in Chinese. You're asking for something and offering nothing. The job market is not the place to beg. It's OK to ask for something. If you want help, or advice, you ought to ask for it - respectfully, from the correct person. But you need to make a motion of mutuality, like the offer to purchase lunch. What you can do is for example write an article, design something, organ

Working abroad imparts a dream job opportunity for countless people however there are always advantages and disadvantages to proving yourself in a new country. For instance, you are a teacher in Jakarta, Indonesia and you want to move to Canada. This article explores the reasons for and against moving abroad in early or mid-career. Why move at the start of your career? To find a job when the market is extremely competitive in your country of origin The academic job market is currently very competitive in several parts of the world and you may sense that you have no other option but to weigh up opportunities somewhere else the world. You may discover the job opportunities are better abroad, with higher salaries and better working environments. Improve your employability later If you aspire to go back to your country of origin later in your career, it may be advantageous to you to have a number of years of experience working abroad. It demonstrates inventiveness and also shows a consciousness of global academia that might be beneficial to employers in your own country as they pursue to develop their international agenda. It is significant to go into an episode of work abroad with a well-defined plan of your objectives and how long you want to be abroad. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment

Westhill Consulting Career and Employment Tips: Teaching English abroad "Under the Table" Without a Work Visa - What Does it Mean? There are thousands of Americans teaching English abroad in dozens of countries around the globe likeBangkok in Thailand, Jakarta in Indonesia, KL in Malaysia or Beijing in China. What do 90% of them have in common? In addition to enjoying the international adventure of a lifetime,they are teaching English "under the table." In other words they are not legally working in those countries with a work visa. This is commonplace, even routine, in dozens of countries around the world, but it is not technically legal. The first matter is to understand that there are different types of visas that you will use to teach English abroad and that regulations vary from country to country. Please refer to our article, "What is a visa and do I need a visa to teach English abroad?" source: http://www.westhillconsulting-career.com/blog/2014/03/28/westhill-consulting-career-employment-tips-teaching-english-abroad-table-without-work-visa-mean/ What does it mean to teach English abroad "under the table," without a work visa? Typically the following:  You don't have official permission to work in that country.  You are officially working illegally.  You probably entered the country where you are teaching on a tourist visa (in many countries a tourist visa will enable you to stay legally in the country for 90 days) and in many cases, you will stay on and teach English on a tourist visa that has expired or lapsed (this will be the case in countries like Italy and Spain where tourist visas cannot typically be renewed). In such cases, you are not only working illegally, but you do not have a valid visa to legally be in that country either.  In other cases, such as Argentina, you canrenew your tourist visa or get a new one before your original visa expires (example day 85 of your 90 day visa), often by leaving and re-entering t