Ponder this…almost everything your parents or teachers ever told or taught you about learning is WRONG or UNFOUNDED!
Remember the time when your mum used to come into your room while you were studying and started nagging you about why is your music blaring while you study; BUT you knew you were studying and the subject was ACTUALLY being assimilated into you!
Remember the time when you Dad refused to send you to a pals place to group study because he FELT you guys would be too busy yakking away and will not concentrate on your studies; BUT the fact was that the peer and collaborative learning environment allowed each member to bounce ideas off each other and hence was able to increase your study effectiveness.
This in a nutshell are our Personal Learning Styles; I know this may seem like those “Eh! I Know This Already lar!” moments but you would be surprised that plenty of people out there (Kids AND Adults) still cannot identify or conceptualize their Personal Learning Styles.
By identifying your Personal Learning Styles, you will be able to assimilate and absorb hard or difficult topic because you have adjusted your Optimal Learning Style and your body and brain is now in sync to start learning.
There are 3 Key Elements that affect your Personal Learning Styles:
- Environment
- Medium
- Delivery
When both parents and kids understand that these 3 factors and how to observe patterns of behavior, I will be writing extensively in 3 separate post on the above 3 factors and what to observe in your kids or your personal learning styles (e.g. self-learning, organisational learning, adult learners)
I am hoping to share much more on this while I rush to complete my book that will be published this year on this topic. My ultimate goal is to make parents more aware about the intricacies of learning both for children and adults, I would dare say its a personal mission!
Do watch out for the next post on the 1st element in identifying your learning style, crafting an environment that is conducive and replicable to ensure your learning effectiveness.
Its been awhile since I updated this blog, the last time I updated this blog was in the Republic of Iran, by the Caspian Sea. This year, I am blogging from the comforts of home.
There were a lot of challenges this year but I have to admit that its been a fun and awesome ride.
I have a lot to be grateful for this past year of 2011 and I have a few people to thank:
- My loving wife and companion for life, Sumana Lum
- The Associates at Direct Results Asia Pacific Consultancy also my clients for their generosity and for giving me the opportunity to work with them.
- The great people and instructors at Original Bootcamp Malaysia, they gave me the inspiration I need to keep moving forward in my fitness and overcoming my leg issues!
Also special mention has to be given to my parents and in-laws who have always been there for me AND special love to my sons, Xavier and Xander as they make my life truly complete.
I look forward to the new year of 2012 with great hope and optimism and wish the best to all my friends, clients and to the people of the world!
Happy New Year Everyone!
PS: One of my resolutions is to keep writing and updating to this blog! FINGERS CROSSED!
Love, Nick@Yellowshorts!
Happy New Year from Iran! It’s a brand new year today and I
welcomed 2011 in the Sefid Kenar resort in the littoral town of
Bandar Anzali, north of Tehran by the Caspian Sea.
I wish everyone a prosperous and productive New Year!
Happy NEW Year!
Arriving in Tehran was certainly a huge culture shock for me based on 2 reasons, one was that the airport was very modern and the fact that i was in Iran, supposed land of ultra religious zealots waving burning effigies and shouting anti-western slogans.
Arriving at Imam Khomeini International Airport (named for Ayatollah Khomeini) was interesting as the terminals are very modern and has sufficient colour to make it feel a wee bit touristy. Clearing immigration and customs was a quick affair but an important note for women traveling to Iran, literally ALL women must wear a hijab (headscarf, but not like full complete closed Tudung like in Malaysia) or risk immediate arrest by the authorities.
Reached the Hoveyzeh Hotel around 11pm Local time and the hotel room was another pleasant shock; imagine this scenario, remember the beach resorts that your parents used to bring you in the early 80s and the beds and fixtures look yellow and old. This is how stuck in time are their hotels and GENERALLY everything in Tehran.
City Skyline of Tehran, you can see the Alborz mountain range in the distance
WARNING – HISTORY LESSON: In 1978, the Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Pahlavi Shah (Mohammad Reza Pahlavi) and started an Islamic Revolution that basically stopped the western encroachment in every aspect of Iranian life with the establishment of the official Islamic Republic, hence that is why the country has defied time and momentum.
A closer view of the Alborz mountain range, the more north of Tehran you travel; the closer the range (the north of Tehran is like the Bangsar/Damansara Heights of KL)
The general Iranian population consist of Persians, Turks, Kurds, Lur, Gilak and many more, and they all speak Farsi or Persian. Iranians are very honorific people, they address people very warmly and are very sincere to visitors and foreigners and they don’t hesitate to question you about your country and where you are from; they get even more excited if a foreigner tries to learn their language, even if its just one simple phrase to wish them well. They are very respectful of other cultures and religions with Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism representatives having permanent seats in the Majles (Parliment).
This is one of the many mosques in the north district of Tehran, Takjrish (notice the intricate details in the minaret)
This is a bazaar selling everything from DVDs to authentic Persian cooking utensils (24/365 Pasar Malam)
This street in one of the older part of Tehran is where antiques are sold, these are streets vendors selling them
This is the grounds of the Summer Palace of the former Qajar and Pahlavi rulers of Iran
I would love to go visit the ancient city of Persepolis, which Alexander the Great burned to the ground out of spite, perhaps another time as it is very far away from Tehran. The country is so steeped in history and the funny irony is that alcohol is all but banned here (you can find it if you know the right people!) but one of the big scientific breakthroughs the Persians gave to the modern world is the distillation of Ethanol (You would like this, Suanie)
In concluding, images of ultra religious zealots foaming at the mouth which are normally shown on the media tends to come to our collective minds, but as I speak to and meet more Iranians, I see a country of people living life the best they can, proud of their collective rich history and culture; always open and welcoming to new ideas and people from around the world; this is a country with a combined history greater than the Greek, Roman empires and before the birth of Christ and Christianity.
Special thanks to Suanie for helping me post all these blog posts to my FB page!
Next up: Every Malaysian’s fav, FOOD! and some updates of our excursion to Bandar Anzali and Marshad.
Day 0 (26th December 2010, 8:30pm local, AirAsiaX D72409, Seat 10B)
The flight to Iran is pleasantly good even though I am stuck in the airline equivalent of a public interstate bus service (AirAsiaX); in retrospect, will fly using either Emirates or upgrade to the Premium seats for more comfort next time.
AirAsiaX feels like its going through a massive case of identity crisis, on one hand it’s flying a very advanced airplane (A330-300), it has the regular Peon class and the Premium class (which still feels like Peon class anyhow) and the Flight Attendants (ALL MALE! WHY….) act like regular topflight airline cabin crews and then reality sets in when they collect your finished meal trays in black plastic bags and you need to pay for inflight entertainment (RM30) which consist of a portable media player and headphones, if you think you can survive an 8 hour flight with NO entertainment, knock yourself out….LITERALLY! AND, the supposedly Inflight Persian meal (beef kebab with saffron rice) has all been rejected by 90% of the mostly Persian passengers altogether.
Note: Thank god for my IPad and music on my iPhone.
Nevertheless, My host, Ms. Shahrzad has been very forthcoming prior to our departure to Tehran and has briefed me on the purpose and intent of this trip, which is to open new avenues for training, education in the Islamic republic of Iran.
My other travel partner is the very affable Chef Zamzani or Zam for short, he will be sharing his culinary experience with the Persians and promote his culinary school, Silverspoons. As I write, Zam has knocked himself out of boredom and gone to nighty land.
The plane is now cruising at it’s cruise altitude and I can see distinct lights of civilization down below. Somehow, travel does not hold as much excitement and zeal that I used to relished awhile back. Perhaps, now with a stable family life filled with the joys and pain (when your son kicks you in the McNuggets) of two sons and a caring albeit no-nonsense wife; dare i say i have been domesticated?
Special note to my wife: you are have been my guiding light, and you wield it like a lightsaber in my face, and i appreciate you for that as I honour your uniqueness and what it brings to our marriage. I LOVE YOU!
PS: Facebook and Twitter does not work here…Uncle Mahmoud (to quote Chef Zam!) banned it here!
I guess its been awhile since I last posted something on this blog of mine, its not just that inane need to pen my thoughts done but also my wife is nagging me something about how I am wasting money on my hosting and not doing anything with it (My wife is an ISTJ)
I must admit that starting to write again since my last post is very awkward but my life has been through an emotional and professional roller-coaster for the past 4 months. God only knows the hell of uncertainty I have been through these few months but I am blessed that opportunity has chosen to shine it’s guiding light on me, not to mention the immense support of my wife and the love of my parents.
I will be updating my profile on this blog as soon as i get some kind of ephiphany, it’s time I get back into the writing phase as somehow I find lots of relief and comfort in organizing my thoughts into words.
One of my so-called more social-media savvy pals always ask me to come back with something impactful or insightful (not mutually inclusive of course), hence I shall start a series of posts dedicated to my trip to the birth place of the earliest known civilization, The Islamic Republic of Iran.
Bearing in mind this trip is really for business and I am wondering if I can get any sightseeing done or not.
Hopefully (and I mean HOPEFULLY!) this will create some kind of impetus to start blogging again, before I start getting lazy again.
Till my 1st post from Iran then!
I hope that Part 1 of this article has been helpful for everyone and this week I am sharing 5 more tips to getting your resume noticed and not thrown into the recycle tray of a potential employer.
I gave a hint in the last post that products are not the only thing that needs branding, you the job-seeker is also in need of methodical branding. Follow the common rules of branding (Any marketing textbook will do!); you need to have a UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION and something that defines who you are, these can be attributes and skills that you may have that is out of this world and can contribute to your potential employer.
The measure of a successful career is when your branding is so effective that people will hunt you and give you a job rather than you hunting for one; my sister has established such a good work attitude and ethic that she is not only sought after by her organisations competitors but also her customers (client-side).
Again, here are some more workable tips for you to improve your resume:
- DO NOT shotgun your resume, saying that you are a jack of all trades will just tell the employer that you’re not focused and specific. Instead sharp-shoot your skills to the desired career choice but also tell them that you are multi-skilled (i.e. multi-tasking) as a side-note.
- Tell the employer how you can help achieve the organisational goals if you were to be hired. Employers are looking for the right peg to fit into the right hole.
- Choose your words well; make sure they are powerful but not boastful. Toot your horn about your skills using these powerful words but REMEMBER: NOBODY LIKES A SHOW-OFF!
- Get someone to look at your resume; preferably someone with working experience (i.e. parents, elder siblings, head-hunters). Never hurts to get an extra opinion.
- Wear your resume on your sleeve; with pride, confidence and determination. You will also approach your interview in the same manner.
I particularly like the last tip as it is sorely lacking in today’s workforce, that is to have pride and confidence in your abilities to pursue that dream career; its like when a contingent of athletes walk into a stadium filled with passionate fans and spectators, the deafening roar and cheers, it just fills your heart with pride and it overwhelms your senses; that is how you should approach your career and your life. BE PROUD!
This ends a 2 part series on resumes, the next series will focus on the interview portion. Till Next Time!
What are the conventional methods to showcase your skills and experience to your prospective employers…let’s see…
….resume?
….curriculum vitae (*if you are in academia)
I can basically assume that everyone reading this must have at least done a basic or conventional resume or CV in some form or way in your fledgling or booming professional careers.
But in such high-strung, high-tech, competitive employment markets with so much “glocalisation” going on…it does NOT pay to be conventional.
Yes…I know its conventional (again?) wisdom write a resume or CV when applying for that dream job of yours that has been eluding you; wait….I am not asking you to ditch the resume as its still one of the (yawn!) conventional and accepted methods of employment application…but let’s take a big step out of the proverbial box….LET’S GET UNCONVENTIONAL!
So what would this unconventional entail you ask….maybe..
…add colour to my resume?
…use more italics in my experience summaries?
…USE CLIPARTS?!
No, no and NO…if it was THAT simple I think you would have landed that high-paying, super-emo-fulfilling job by now!
Did you know that almost 65% of resumes don’t even muster a glance past the 1st page and it lands in the reject tray?
Tip: You can supplement your resume or CV with something that will highlight your creativity
Duh you say…okay how about this? Have you ever thought of using a MINDMAP to ILLUSTRATE your career history? Especially if you are applying for positions where creativity and resourcefulness are all part of the required skillsets; How about a FLOWCHART for those techies or engineering fellas out there to show them how your career has flowed thus far.
If you are wondering how to do it? Here’s MINE for your personal viewing pleasure! (Download the JPEG HERE)
You see…employers know that they can get good academic quality graduates anytime of the day but economic circumstances dictate that they need to not ONLY take the academically good ones but also the ones they will need NOT spend so much time training and are already very talented in their own right. If you can shift your mindset from the CONVENTIONAL to the UNCONVENTIONAL…then you are already one of those people who will seize that dream job.
What will doing some like supplementing my application resume with a mindmap accomplish? Well….maybe it might just:
- Show your prospective employers you are creative and resourceful
- It breaks the usual monotony of recruitment for these poor HR souls
- It show EFFORT and DETERMINATION on your hardwork to get that job!
- You are differentiating yourself from the thousands already looking for the same line of work
- It will look AWESOME!
So go ahead….try something new and surprise people with both CONVENTIONAL (Zzzz….*snort) and UNCONVENTIONAL!
Remember: There is NO HARM in doing it…but if you did not do it…it has already done its harm to you!
*I wrote this awhile back for a Career magazine that was published in Australia and in my capacity sometimes as a Career counselor, I regularly speak on good recruitment and career skills. This is going to be one of many new posts on how to manage your career; with a few special people contributing as well. Enjoy and I hope this helps you!
The Rocket Science of Getting the Resume Just Right! – Part 1
Sometimes the most obvious thing is the simplest of them all, and in the realm of career management, it is your resume. The resume is basically a marketing tool, a very precise tool like a scalpel; if you are truly looking to chart and manage your career in a clinical, precise manner; you need to start with your resume.
An ancient philosopher once said:
“When a person does now know what harbour they are making for, no wind is the right wind”
- Seneca
There is no hard and fast rule but to basically have a definitive and unwavering career goal and then start tackling your resume with these sure-fire tips below:
1. Ensure your resume is free from grammatical errors and typos; nothing kills a resume faster than someone who can’t spell resume or curriculum vitae right. Reminder: There is a reason why word processors have spell-check; USE IT!
2. An organisation will want to hire a person who can “add-value” to it the most; write how your skills and the person you are can benefit the organisation.
3. Don’t be afraid to blow your own horn, your competition will surely do it too! Also separate your achievements and prior job responsibilities, make your achievements stand out with bullet points and responsibilities in narrative paragraphs (NOTE: Short and to the Point, unless you are looking to be the next Stephenie Meyer and bore the reader to death! )
4. Put a human side behind your resume; capture emotions behind your achievements and background;
Example: “Writing a prize winning article for my college newsletter really showed me that journalism is the career for me”; here the writer used an achievement to show her dedication and enthusiasm for a career in journalism.
5. Avoid ultra-long paragraphs and keep it to sharp key points about yourself. Remember: your resume is a sales tool; selling your various benefits, no one wants to read about how Uncle James inspired your personal undying love for turtle conservation or crap like that!)
This concludes Part 1 of tips to writing an impactful resume to seize and management your dream career.
Hint: Laundry detergent is not the *ONLY* product that needs branding!
*PART 2 is now posted….visit it here (http://bit.ly/9fxtr3)
I have always been a person who treasures friendships and get particularly edgy when I sense friendships and fellowships being threatened. Lately I have dedicated a lot of time to look back in my life, which has brought some interesting insight back into my mind.
One aspect of this insights is the friendships that I have forged and lost, it was particularly more poignant a few days ago when I had a few drinks with some Original Bootcamp pals which included an old friend whom I reunited since 1997 when we studied together in the same class in APIIT. This friend and I were part of a very young and hopeful business venture that would have headed somewhere when I (in all my personal wisdom, or TRUE LACK OF IT!) left them high and dry; I do (or dare) not dare fathom the depth of their hate and contempt for me back then and perhaps now, but it is something I admit has been one of the single most regretful incidents in my short life.
I can somehow sense a weird feeling of awkwardness even now that we occasionally meet nowadays but in my heart and humility; I betrayed your trust and friendship, I left you guys when we were suppose to stand side by side. I know it will not bring back perhaps past glories never explored but I am truly sorry for hurting you guys.
Friendships can be so fragile that it can easily just be torn asunder but I am always hopeful that I can find that spark or light to guide me back into the hearts of friends whom I have lost; and also to keep the light on for my current friends to be together with me.
I came across of this a few days ago:
We all lose friends.. we lose them in death, to distance and over time. But even though they may be lost, hope is not. The key is to keep them in your heart, and when the time is right, you can pick up the friendship right where you left off. Even the lost find their way home when you leave the light on.” ~ Amy Marie Walz
I really hope to be a good friend to all now, I hope to find the ones that I lost and gain their trust back; I do miss all of you, wherever you are.
PS: This is for you guys from Net Fusion (Kev, Jeff, Kenneth), I messed up and I hope to make it up to you one day!