Aug 23, 2009

20,000 IR jobs

CROUPIERS and accounting managers for the coming casinos are in demand, as are the evergreen if more mundane ones like hotel and food-related jobs.

These are among the jobs underlined by the Labour Market Highlights 2009, released on Saturday by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), together with the Workforce Development Agency (WDA).
The annual report aims to help job seekers make more informed career choices by providing information on jobs in demand across 16 industry groups.

It also provides industry and occupational information such as industry and jobs outlook, the wage ranges and relevant academic qualifications.

One highlight this year is the array of jobs that have been created by the two integrated resorts (IRs), which are set to open early next year.

Statistics in the report show that the two IRs - in Marina Bay and Sentosa - will provide 20,000 jobs when they are fully operational.

IR jobs listed include that of the casino accounting manager, who must ensure that financial activities within the casino adhere to the regulatory framework, and croupiers, who will operate table games and can expect a starting salary of $1,800.

Jobs in the hotel industry are also available, thanks to the opening of new hotels and expansion of existing ones.

Reservation sales executives who handle group room reservations by tour agencies, corporate customers and VIPs can expect to earn $2,300 to $2,600 a month, while salaries for rank-and-file positions from room stewards to dishwashers range from $870 to $1,720.

Some industries that have been adversely affected by the current downturn, such as food and beverage (F&B), still have positions available, such as those for chefs and restaurant managers as well as non-executive positions such as cashiers and kitchen assistants.

- The Straits Times

Aug 21, 2009

Sentosa IR to hire 5,000

RESORTS World at Sentosa's (RWS) recruitment drive began almost three years ago, and despite receiving thousands of applications and taking part in 100 job fairs, it has filled only 10 per cent of its workforce.

With only months to go before its opening, the integrated resort needs to have 7,000 more staff by October and a total of 10,000 by the time it fully opens early next year.

To ramp up these numbers, RWS is holding another job fair this weekend to fill about 5,000 rank and file positions such as chambermaids, tram drivers and bellhops. It is the biggest recruitment exercise held so far for such positions.

The resort began hiring immediately after it won the tender in December 2006, in what it calls a 'planned process', said assistant director of communications Robin Goh.

He explained that corporate and management positions were filled first. 'For operational staff, they will be hired closer to the opening date,' he said. This means that applicants will know only from October if they got the jobs - including those who applied much earlier.

But human resources lecturer Fred Lin, who teaches at education company Kaplan, noted that such a hiring policy may not be the best as it keeps applicants 'hanging by a thread'. 'It is usually best to tell applicants within three months whether they've got a job, with one or two calls along the way to update them on their application progress,' he said.

In contrast, Marina Bay Sands integrated resort, set to open around the same time, has been securing its staff in advance. With 290 people already on its payroll, it has sent out more than 2,000 employment contracts for gaming staff, and will soon make similar offers for other front-line positions.

When RWS was asked if its approach may cause inconvenience - such as having its shortlisted candidates being snapped up by other organisations - Mr Goh said it is prepared for such an eventuality. 'We want to sift through as many applications as possible so we can choose the very best,' he said.

Besides the job fair, other channels remain open, he added. Both integrated resorts are accepting applications through the mail, Internet, online job portals, school talks, job fairs, and the Employment and Employability Institute (e2i). RWS is also tapping community development councils.

Interested applicants can visit the RWS job fair on Saturday and on Sunday at the e2i building at 141 Redhill Road, Block A, #01-01. It will be open from 9am to 5pm. Applicants are advised to bring certificates, resumes and one passport-size photograph. Walk-in interviews will be conducted on the spot.

- The Straits Times

Layoffs likely to be below past peaks and jobless rate is also under control

LABOUR chief Lim Swee Say was unusually upbeat on Thursday, saying the number of people laid off and out of work in Singapore this year will be below the peaks of past downturns.

'After eight months, we are on track to reach the target,' he said on Thursday at Murata Electronics company's National Day observance ceremony.

His new confidence is a departure from his past warnings of more layoffs, although he cautioned again that it was still too early to pop the champagne. He believes there is a good chance that layoffs can be kept below the 30,000 peak Singapore suffered in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis.

His cautious optimism is based on the lower-than-expected layoffs in the first half of this year, at 15,700. The jobless rate too is unlikely to match the peak of 4.3 per cent in 2003 during the Sars crisis, he said, pointing to the latest figures.

It has remained steady at 3.3 per cent in June, despite the economy contracting 6.5 per cent in the first half of this year.

These numbers led Mr Lim, secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), to declare: 'We have done unusually well in these unusual times.' It can be credited to several factors, he said.

Foremost among them are the government subsidy schemes to minimise layoffs such as Jobs Credit and the Skills Programme for Upgrading and Resilience (Spur). Also, several countries - including Singapore - have pulled out of the economic rut in the past month, owing to better-than-expected growth results.

However, there is a fly in the ointment: Employment figures beyond September are uncertain as companies have yet to see a rush of Christmas orders.

However, workers and unionists are 'very encouraged' by the assurance from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, that the worst is over for the Singapore economy, he said.

Mr Lim said: 'They went through a very challenging first half of the year, and now they feel the situation has improved.' But the road to recovery is long, dark and slippery. 'We will fall again and again,' he warned.

- The Straits Times

Aug 20, 2009

Who says IR jobs aren't hot?

MORE people than expected turned up for a conference session on floor positions in the integrated resorts (IRs), contrary to the perception that Singaporeans are not keen on taking up such jobs.

The session on career expectations and talent management in the gaming sector, which was part of the inaugural Gaming Asia Conference, drew 160 participants.

This exceeded the expected figure of 100 to 120, and more chairs had to be added, organiser Comexpo told my paper.

The two-day conference at the Singapore Expo, which started yesterday, brought together humanresource and business leaders in the gaming industry from the United States, Macau and Singapore.

Earlier, upcoming integrated resort Marina Bay Sands lamented that it had managed to fill only 2,000 out of 4,500 dealer positions available.

But later on Aug 1, it received more than 3,500 applications for 1,000 dealer positions at its job fair.

When asked about the possible reasons for Singaporeans shunning dealer jobs in the IRs, 61-year-old speaker Alan Soh, president of casino college Agmi International, said that a big reason is their aversion to shift work, which includes working on weekends and the graveyard shift.

He said: "They also feel the pay is a bit too low."

The starting pay is $1,800 before tips. Three months' training is provided.

But some Singaporeans do aspire to gain a foothold in the gaming sector as dealers with Marina Bay Sands or Resorts World at Sentosa.

Shatec graduate Daryl Gan, 21, who has a diploma in culinary skills and has already submitted an application to be a dealer, told my paper: "The prospects, good pay and tips attract me. I intend to carve out my career in the IRs.

"I used to be a cook and so have experience in working the graveyard shift. I was also used to working up to 17 hours (at a stretch)."

Mr Gregory Huang, 29, was in bank sales and, like Mr Gan, is also a student of the pro-dealer programme at Agmi International.

"This is something new, it's exciting and I like the energy of the gaming industry. It also allows me to meet different people," he said.

- The Straits Times

Aug 10, 2009

1,500 at church job fair

INSTEAD of their usual call to be more spiritual, a cluster of churches in the east on Monday preached a very secular message of hope.

There were more than 800 jobs on offer at the Hope - or Helping our People - job carnival held at the Pentecost Methodist Church in Pasir Ris.

It attracted about 1,500 people of various races and religions.

Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who was guest of honour at the event, applauded the organisers for their support of the community in the current economic downturn.

'Religion can sometimes lead to a certain exclusiveness, but the approach taken by the church members today, and other religious organisations, to reach out to the wider community and to extend help to all is a very positive one,' he said.

Mr Teo's comments mirrored those made by several ministers over the last few weeks during Racial Harmony Day and National Day events.

All called for the various religions here to come together and to prevent any tension from arising between groups.

Said MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Dr Ahmad Magad, who was also at the job fair: 'We should not draw barriers or walls amongst us...We should all look upon each other as Singaporeans, as one large family.'

Mr Teo said the job fair could not have been a more apt example, as it offers another helping hand in the community.

- The Straits Times

Aug 8, 2009

Grateful for job, even if it doesn't pay

TANKING economy, check; struggling newspaper industry, check; few opportunities for fresh young talent, check.

So why would any fresh graduate choose to quadruple his student debt by going straight into graduate journalism school, only to enter an industry that is seemingly devoid of opportunities?

Well, I did.

My friends thought I was insane, but I could not imagine doing anything else. I guess I also wanted to attend Columbia Journalism School because the idea of hazarding a calculated risk appealed to me.

Journalism is not dying. The industry is in flux right now because newspaper companies are paying for their past complacency and failure to adapt to technological innovations.

Journalism will not die because it is public service at its core. People will always need to be informed, we just need to get used to delivering the news in multiple mediums.

Besides, it was this social function that attracted me to journalism in the first place.

Rather than abandoning a sinking ship, I thought it would be a better idea to improve my craft and possibly play a part in revitalising the business.

Even so, the reality of this huge financial risk hit me only when I arrived in New York last August.

There wasn't a day that I didn't hear of a layoff at some American newspaper, or how even esteemed brands such as Miami Herald and The Boston Globe were facing possible closures.

Then came the meltdown on Wall Street last September, which made for a great reporting experience.

But as I found myself among the hoards of photographers outside the iconic Lehman Brothers building in midtown Manhattan, chasing the story, I also worried about my own job prospects.

Still, being at the centre of the past year's events, particularly the historical election of Mr Barack Obama as the 44th American president, eventually put paid to any niggling self-doubt.

I will always remember waking up at 4am to make the opening of a voting centre in Flushing, Queens, last November, along with the numerous lessons ingrained over long hours and cold days spent in Sunset Park, my beat neighbourhood in Brooklyn.

When the recession ends and the news business eventually reinvents itself, these experiences will stay with me and make me a better journalist, more equipped to operate in a constantly evolving industry.

On the Monday in the week I graduated in May, I found out I would be working at The Atlantic Monthly for six months - as an unpaid intern.

Still, after having about 30 other applications rejected in the months before that, I was just grateful for something - anything.

I dare say, though, that every single rejection has helped me better understand what I do not want to do.

Some might say I am still chasing my dreams, but me, I think I am already living them, although that's a lot harder than I'd imagined.

I'm glad I did not take the easy way out. True, I won't be earning my keep any time soon, but that will happen. I'll have the rest of my life to make sure it does.

- The Straits Times

Aug 6, 2009

The art of job hunting in cyberspace

IT HAS been three weeks since you last saw that perfect job advertised online, and after carefully crafting your e-mail letter, attaching your resume and sending it off, you have been waiting.

And waiting.

Clicking on your inbox about 30 times a day has done nothing to ease your anxiety. All that come through are a few spam e-mail messages. And deafening silence.

Welcome to the online world of job hunting, where openings are aplenty - but where CVs more often than not get lost in a big, black, mysterious hole.

Online or 'digital' recruiting has been around for a decade, and has become increasingly popular with both employers and employees, notes recruitment firm Kelly Services.

'Online job applications in Singapore have certainly matured over the last few years with advancements in technology which make the process more efficient,' said the firm's senior vice-president for the Asia-Pacific, Mr Dhirendra Shantilal.

The use of social media networking sites for online job searches and recruitment has been on the rise, especially because of their growing popularity among the Generation Y group, he added.

Blogging and search engine marketing are now increasingly used by organisations and employers to search for talent.

But as the Internet opens up possibilities to anyone who has a computer, it has also made competition more intense.

Not to mention that amid Singapore's worst recession, more people are trawling the Internet to look for work on top of going to job fairs.

Some 12,400 jobs were lost in the second quarter in Singapore, double the number in the first quarter, government data showed recently.

But while the Internet has made it easier to look for jobs, it is not without pitfalls.

Recruiters or employers must be aware of how their online content - especially those generated on social media sites - can affect the perception of their employer brand, said Mr Shantilal.

Hence, employers should put emphasis on building and protecting their reputation and the credibility of their content - both online and offline.

Job seekers also need to do their homework and verify the legitimacy of a company or recruiter before completing an online application.

At the same time, they should also manage their personal information on social sites with care, especially if it has the potential to jeopardise their employability, said Mr Shantilal.

And hunting for a position online might not be the best way to get a job, said recruitment consultancy Robert Walters.

Employers who post a job vacancy online are not likely to get candidates who fit the opportunity, said the firm's Singapore's sales and marketing division consultant, Mr Mark Melo.

There are no tools to filter out irrelevant profiles, and in a market overflowing with candidates and talent, people will continue to send their CVs on these portals. This creates a lot more work for human resources teams as sifting through all the applications can be very time-consuming, he said.

So how do employers best use the Internet to their advantage?

Mr Melo feels they should post only online job vacancies at the junior level. 'You are still going to get the volume but at middle to senior levels, candidates are much more sensitive to having their CVs floating around in cyberspace,' he said.

Posting senior jobs on a mass platform means you are likely to receive good response, but more irrelevant CVs.

For job seekers: Be selective, said Mr Melo. 'It's not a volume game, so avoid sending your CVs to multiple companies and hope that one of them will pick it up.'

He suggested that job hunters focus on the roles that are relevant to their experience and skills set and tailor their CVs to highlight the areas which the company has emphasised as a critical part of the role.

The format of the CV is very important. It is essential to highlight one's biggest strengths and ensure that this section stands out.

'If an employer has to sift through your CV to find this information, chances are they will move on to the next candidate,' said Mr Melo.

One tip: Facts and figures are sharp and powerful - and can help paint a very tangible picture of your abilities.

This usually relates more to sales roles, but even outside such roles, you can try to be factual and give statistical examples of achievements.

Telling someone that you are an enthusiastic individual can be very subjective and is something you display during an interview, not on a CV, Mr Melo advised.

- The Straits Times