There has been significant changes in our business direction and we will be presenting a new look for YELLOWSHORTS.ORG and we hope everyone can patient in the mean time.

Thank you so much for your visits and kinds emails to me!

Nicholas Chan @ Yellowshorts

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.

Listen to Podcast

Listen to Podcast

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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!
4. 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.
5. 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!

….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:

1. Show your prospective employers you are creative and resourceful
2. It breaks the usual monotony of recruitment for these poor HR souls
3. It show EFFORT and DETERMINATION on your hardwork to get that job!
4. You are differentiating yourself from the thousands already looking for the same line of work
5. 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!

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)

Please Give Me A Job! Episode 1 – Part 1

Please Give Me A Job! Episode 1 – Part 2