Networking isn’t Supposed to be that Hard

January 10th, 2009 § 2

I’ve not been posting in awhile because I’ve been swamped with work leading up to Christmas, and I had to take a break for awhile – even my other blogs have been suffering. I’ve been busy taking photographs of day trips into the city, but I just wanted to post some thoughts that had been bothering me.

Is networking with other people really hard or are people just saying that for the heck of it?

I’m past term one at school, and of course we’re not in undergraduate school anymore. Everyone here has a mindset of getting a job or getting a better job. So why can’t some folks shake off the idea that you do meet people in the workplace and that it’s just not that hard?

Anyway, I’m not that great in networking, but I’m not adverse to it. But maybe what I think about might help some of you who think it’s all about ‘fitting in’ and practising your lines.

It’s not about you

Firstly, networking isn’t just about you. It’s about other people, too. People talk because it fills a need. Look at it as charity – you’re giving someone an opportunity to have a conversation. You just happen to be there, and you’re there to offer an ear. In return for that, people might start relationships with you. Some may not. But it’s not a guarantee. It never is. Don’t sweat it. Just go with the flow. It’s not like you’re being selfish or anything.

Make use of the opportunities

“Get out and meet people” means going on Meetup.com and looking to see what’s happening locally around you. Or getting on LinkedIn and finding someone local who has similar interests. Find something in common. It’s just easier to get in touch with someone that way. And don’t just single out the ones you want for a job, or a mentor, or job advice. Do it for your hobbies too. Or your community. Make it a habit. No, make it a lifestyle. It’s one of those things you don’t have to finish overnight. You can start something, wait awhile, start something else… and see what happens along the way. But you need to step a little further out of your comfort zone.

Sometimes, the best thing to do is nothing

Ok, so you’ve poked all of your facebook contacts, posted New Year greetings on their Walls, commented half a dozen questions on LinkedIn, volunteered for a project on an online community. Why is everyone still so quiet?

Sometimes, people take time to read their emails. They go for vacations. They might not be in the mood for facebook. Whatever the reason, it’s not your fault. Unless you’ve turned yourself into a psychotic stalker, you haven’t done anything wrong. Just relax and get on with your life. Maybe there’s a movie you’ve always wanted to watch, or you could catch up on that novel that’s been sitting there for months.

You’ll start to notice things come back round. It might not take off right away, but folks will remember you. Then the cycle starts again.

Ok, but what I really want is a [insert need here]

You want a job. You want more sales leads. Or a girlfriend. Whatever.

The best thing to do at this point is not to think too much. Keep your options open, and vary your methods a little. Instead of posting on Facebook all the time, try a different bunch of social circles. I’ve found really great ones I’ve build networks on in the user experience field from Meetup.com, even from blogs or google groups. I’ve found photography groups I might plugged into in the future. Some people post out shouts on magazines or newspapers – you could try looking into the dailies for a change. One of the jobs I’m really thankful for was found on gumtree, an online trading post like craigslist – and the people I work with are really fantastic. You’ll never know what you’ll find.

But I’ve heard stories about…

It’s true. You do get oddballs out there. There’s some advice out there about how to keep your distance. That’s especially true if you’re in a vulnerable position. Sometimes, doing it with a friend helps. Or meeting in a very public place. Keeping tabs of what personal information you give out is important too. Learn more about privacy settings on Facebook and LinkedIn. Keep personal information to friends and family only. Email is fine – you can always treat malicious emails as spam. But networking’s not worth avoiding altogether for the chance of meeting a goof. Most people don’t end up that way, anyway.

So, what are you waiting for?

Graduate School Isolates me from the Working World

December 8th, 2008 § 0

I admit – I feel a bit lost being a full-time student, after being in employment for the last 6 years. I no longer have paid projects to work on, a company vision to fulfil, or quarterly performance reviews. At the same time, I don’t have to worry about promotion or about getting a bonus. I am slowly starting to forget all the employee jargon I got so used to like ‘action points’ and ‘agendas’ (I thought really hard to come up with these as well).

More so, I feel lost about this blog. How can I assume to have any advice about work, when I don’t even have a regular job?

Job responsibilities are like scout badges you don’t get in graduate school

All my working friends have very fixed schedules – I understand, because the corporate world lives between 9 to 5. It’s very different executing work in practice than it seems in books. There is constant pressure for employees to perform and meet deadlines – a whole system depends on this. If I screw up my assignments, no one else bears the pain (except maybe those who have put their faith in me).

By not being a part of this pattern of work makes me feel like I’m no longer a part of who I used to represent – the workplace, practitioners, and employees. It’s as though job responsibility acts as a “qualifier” for status – the more responsibilities you have, the better you look in other people’s books.

There are almost no scout badges in graduate school. Previous working experience does blur that line a bit, but there’s almost no politics. To some people, that sounds utopian. But politics is real and unavoidable, and we don’t cover this in class.

The gap between academia and the workplace

I also find that there’s a wide gap between academia and the workplace. Ideally, we want this gap to be bridged well so that we can put into practice the stuff that’s learnt and researched. But this is not always the case.

Company goals and academic goals are two very different things, even though they do contribute to each other at times. This conflict makes it hard for students to compare between what’s taught and what’s practiced.

I subscribe to a lot of blogs and forums in the field I am interested to pursue my career, but I find I have no credibility whatsoever, because I’m not doing the ‘real’ work. The credibility that academic folks impart onto students are often based on academic work, which aren’t always a true reflection of what happens in industry.

Associations, events, blogs, and message boards

I’ve been getting my share of the user-experience (UX) industry goings on through associations, events, blogs and message boards. Even though London is small in comparison to the US UX industry, folks here use the Internet enough to get attention, plan meetups, and share ideas – which are all good to pick up on.

Sadly, though – I feel that not a lot of companies are into making full use of students or interacting with them, apart from getting them to fill up questionaires and showing off how good their brand is, and of course, to attract top talent.

Not all practioners are like that, of course. Associations have student discounts to encourage membership, and their events don’t discriminate between students or practitioners. But students tend to take the backseat – as though we were meant to view things from the sidelines. There’s no PR, no real discourse and interaction, no synergy.

Maybe it gets better over blogs, twitter, and LinkedIn. I have yet to find out.

Reprise

The reason for this post is because I love the brazencareerist community, and I’ve learnt so much from people I haven’t met, I’m encouraged to keep sharing my side of the story – because it is as much as adventure to me as it is to another person reading it. I believe that despite my being in graduate school, my career and life goals are very much alive and kicking – and that’s what this is really all about.

Thanks for reading, and for coming back.

21st century jobs – Know thyself and find a fit

November 21st, 2008 § 0

It’s been awhile since my last post, but the subject of jobs and careers is still close to my heart. I ask myself sometimes if I should stop talking about it, but I think I can speak and represent for those who perhaps, see my point of view, and can offer some ideas or concerns in this changing world.

Connect and Contextualize

My wife managed to get a full-time job as an office administrator for a charity company here in London, and I’m really glad she’s happy with it. To be honest, I was giving her all sorts of advice about buffing up her LinkedIn profile, articulating herself clearly, choosing a field she wants to invest in, and so on. After all, if it works for me, why not her?

I learnt that there are many ways into a job. Maybe we’re so hung up about the right things to do that we forget that there are no real guarantees in job-seeking. It really is all about people getting along. My wife went for two interviews, and she initially thought she really wanted the job at the first interview, but after meeting the company, she changed her mind.

Similarly, after 300-odd participants, my wife got hired on the same day by the second company because apparently her IT skills put her above par, not that she’s a certified technician or anything. I think she was a good fit for the company too – the people there seem to like her. So, note to self – context is important.

A good fit

What is a good fit? There are a lot of factors, but not all of them apply in all job situations. Maybe you attempt to connect with stereotypes (geeks in the IT industry, female nurses in healthcare, whatever) from afar, but it’s easy to assume yourself into inability – not a good thing when you want to be motivated to apply for jobs. My wife had bouts of depression when no one was responding to any of her applications.

It’s not a healthy way to access jobs purely on guesses about an industry, about a job… simply because most people hire based on compatible values (Kirstof, 1996). That’s funny because when you’re out of a job and looking hard, it seems impossible to find one, you’d think that a right fit sounds like a pipe dream. But companies look for compatible people, so it’s just a matter of trying until you find a good fit.

I’m not saying that all jobs are ideal when a company extends their arm and invites you to join them, but everything that leads to that point should be authentic. You don’t want to fake your way into a job and realize it wasn’t what you wanted in the first place.

21st century hasn’t gotten to everyone yet

Not every company feels comfortable about hiring through the internet. I’m sure it’s great to get 100 times more applicants than those good ol’ snail mail days, but seriously – who wants to sift through a thousand CVs from applicants who are potentially ‘having a feel’? But they have to.

I’m in the IT industry, so LinkedIn works great for me. But in this topsy-turvy economy, the industries that are holding up well in the US right now are healthcare and education, amongst a few other, more standard ones. But not everyone’s into the whole web thing yet, and I think companies are still adjusting to the pervasiveness and the flexibility of the web, which can be a good and bad thing.

Bad: it’s harder to stand out.

Good: You can get a good deal somewhere along the long tail.

Maybe it’s just better to focus on your strengths so you stand out to a company that really fits well with you and vice versa.

References:

Getting the Postgraduate Experience Without Paying for it

October 11th, 2008 § 4

I’m a month into my postgraduate program right now, and a thought got to me – what if I could do all the things I was doing now without being enrolled as a student in the course?

The obvious result would be avoiding lectures, examinations, and the chance to work with similar minded people. But apart from that, it’s quite possible to obtain the postgraduate experience without ever paying a single cent.

Read, read, read

It’s a long shot, but it basically involves a lot of focussed, disciplined reading. What I would do (if I ever decided to go this route in the future) is to look at recommended reading lists for MSc programs published on university websites. Here are a few for Electronic Engineering courses offered at Queen Mary, University of London (quite a reputable university).

If there’s a course outline available, you could match your reading plan based on the recommended reading list with the course outline, and produce a reading schedule with specific reading goals. It’s a bit more focussed than, say, picking a general book on the subject.

In contrast, practitioners often claim that you seldom ever reuse school textbooks in the real world. That’s partly true because the head knowledge has been imprinted as guidelines that help practitioners make decisions about their work. So, it’s not that school textbooks are useless, but that they are meant to provide a sound basis for judgment and decision making (you don’t want to be reading textbooks to solve problems when a deadline is looming).

Try making your own exams

Some universities will publish course material online, even examinations. Some of this stuff can get quite rudimentary, but some of them will prove useful in defining thought-provoking and essential questions on a subject matter. Getting a real expert to vouch for this is a good way to gauge your learning, and to ‘test’ your progress.

In a sense, you could create your own exam, although that sounds quite circular (who would take an exam made by themselves?). But the point is not about scoring grades – it’s about getting to grips with the subject matter.

Besides, exams are only part of the postgraduate experience. The real test of a postgraduate is in academic writing, and the dissertation (thesis in the US) marks the focus of any Masters program.

Write a dissertation, sort of

In essence, a dissertation is an academic study of a topic. You have a claim (a hypothesis), you go out and study it (using a specific method, which you can define or quote), and you very carefully and methodically analyze and address for what it’s worth.

Dissertations can take up to three months or more, and often gets people outside their comfort zones into contextual environments to be able to study issues where “it all happens”. You could do things like interview people, observe how things are run at their specific locations (flight control, anyone?), or experiment on lab mice. Of course, you may lack the resources an academic instution has to offer, but then, it all depends on what you want to study.

Some universities make their dissertations publicly available, so that you can get a flavor of what it looks and feels like. There are tons of resources available to help students familiarize themselves with acedemic writing and research, so there’s no need to go to a university just to do that. Even professionals do it from time to time, and some companies make their living by publishing research findings.

The whole purpose of a dissertation is its learning value. Does it change the world? Does it offer help to problems that are evident? Is it a worthy, reliable source of information? Does it test the hypotheses well? Is the argument sound?

While you won’t get is a piece of paper that qualifies you as a MSc degree holder, you might earn the learning experience of the process. And it is useful in shaping your understanding and investigative skills. Maybe you might tell yourself it’s not worth the trip, and decide to blow your life savings on a real MSc program. But then, you might only want a part of the whole experience.

Graduate School – Think Before You Leap

September 25th, 2008 § 2

I am currently halfway through induction week here at graduate school. To be honest, I am totally enjoying myself, and I am so happy I made the choice to do this despite the struggles I went through together with my wife and the potential obstacles we will be (and in some cases, are) facing.

I might be too quick to judge here, but I don’t think my career has taken a back seat just because I’m in graduate school. The reason why I’m here is absolultely clear – I need a better guarantee into the field of Human-Computer Interaction, and a Masters in HCI has generally been sought after by practitioners.

But just in case you might want to gain more confidence in deciding to get a Masters, think again.

Avoid Graduate School for careers in traditional roles

This particular report based on the UK industry noted that “traditional graduate occupations may be reaching saturation point”, and that “new graduate occupations might still be growing”. If you are in a more traditional role such as Finance, Accounting or Project Management, it may be better to obtain professional certifications rather than a Masters degree. The reason is because they offer more effective training with less money and less time, and they generally hold their value quite well. I hold a PMP accreditation for Project Management, and it’s internationally recognized as a proper qualification for practitioners in the field. It’s a better deal than a Masters qualification, especially if I’m practicing and not into academia.

For emerging industries, maybe

A Masters is OK for the HCI industry, because it’s a relatively new field. I know at least one person who’s been in the industry for a few years tell me verbally that demand for HCI practitioners is increasing internationally, such that they’ve had to import them from various places because there isn’t enough talent locally (she was speaking of the Australian market). She also remarked that HCI has traditionally been established by academia and found its way into the corporate world, such that skilled practitioners were previously researchers with Masters or PhD qualifications, causing a large gap in the industry. In fact, from a recent survey, there are more HCI practitioners with Masters degrees than there are Bachelors. For more emerging jobs, take a look at this article from US News and World Report on Best Careers 2008.

Graduate School isn’t about taking a break

In my perspective, graduate school is about a career extension, not a career overhaul or a career upgrading. I don’t think employers buy that anymore, and they are less likely to substitute experience for credentials (1, 2, 3, 4). This of course, again, depends on whether this experience is mostly gained in the workforce. If it requires complicated mathematics and in-depth study, it may change the game a little. But in short, don’t do it just because you think it’s going to get you a better salary.

Graduate School closes doors?

Penelope Trunk wrote an article about how graduate school closes doors instead of open them. While I don’t agree with her completely, I do agree that the cost of graduate school is very high now, and that it will influence the decisions you make past graduation point. This does limit your options quite a lot. Graduate school is not just expensive, but taxing too. It’s not easy to launch a startup while you’re busy writing that thesis.

In a sense, if you have the means to innovate and start fresh without challenges and limitations of a particular environment (could be graduate school), then what you need is motivation, discipline, and a sound way of getting things done… not a Masters qualification.

If you’re 200% sure, go for gold

If you’re darn certain a Masters degree is for you, give it your 200%. I am one happy camper, and I am relishing the learning, intellectual discourse, networking, and potentially unlimited opportunities that this new field can offer me through this Masters programme. But that means I’ve had to form new habits of planning my schedules properly, strategizing my studies, make full use of my networks, and be more focussed about my goals.

The pain of uprooting myself

September 10th, 2008 § 1

I’ve talked about this for months now – my intention to move to London to pursue an MSc in Human-Computer Interaction and explore new opportunities. Now that I’m finally here in the UK, I realize the last few weeks is only the beginning of yet another long and potentially emotional journey.

For those of you who are curious about moving and removing every single item in your home, saying goodbye to all your loved ones, and establishing the necessary arrangements for the move without digging your own grave - I assure you this is all possible… my wife and I have done it in only a matter of weeks.

Possible, but painful.

Uprooting is chaotic

Unforseen circumstances make it most challenging for a first timer. It doesn’t help someone like me who wants everything in place. There are never any guarantees, but you must plan for it anyway. There is a lot of planning and execution needed, and thank God my wife was there to lead in that respect.

If you’re a kind of pie-in-the-sky individual, you need someone who’s good with schedules, numbers, and getting things done. Otherwise, you might end up losing a lot in transition – opportunities, money, relationships, sleep, etc.

Our UK visa was rejected the first time, and we didn’t plan for that. Even now, I am waiting for my UK bank account to be opened. I have no idea when it will. Although we got here in one place, there were news reports of a strike threatening to delay flights in Bangkok, where we were transiting.

Plan well. Execute well. Count your blessings.

Uprooting is costly

A lot of things we didn’t manage to sell to friends and through private sales ended up at the Cash Converters, and we lost about 70% to 80% of our initial investment in a blink of an eye, even after depreciation. An ikea dining plate that cost me RM25 returned only RM2 at the counter. I sold about dozen of them. I had to remind myself that it’s just part of the process.

Despite this, we needed to maintain sufficient funds for fees, and living in the UK. The UK Border Agency demands that, or visas will be rejected. These funds can be so large sometimes, that it takes years to build up. It taught me the virtue of saving, budgeting, and living within my means. It also taught me gratitude, especially to my parents.

Moving will no doubt cost you, so plan for that as well.

Uprooting is emotional

I had to let go of a lot of things. Our beautiful oak dining table I got from Ikea went to my in-laws, and I cringed as I saw it covered by tablecloth with no hint of oak left, save for its feet. Apparently, someone in the family tends to spill a lot, so the table cloth prevents the table from soiling. I just resisted making comment.

I also had to say goodbye to the boardgame nights with my buddies. It won’t ever be the same without them, and I will miss them dearly. I was already letting go of a lot of this in the last few months to ease the transition, but when there’s a void, it needs to be filled.

I bought a London resident’s guide to help me and my wife re-acquaint ourselves with our new home. I got in touch with friends and family living in the UK. I watched TopGear episodes, and downloaded even more. I tried to stop spelling in American English (it’s hard). I told my wife about ‘crisps’, ‘chips’ and ‘fries’. We bought London moleskin journals.

It helped some, but I was careful not to pretend everything was going to be okay just because I could speak and write English well. Even with my uncle who’s lived here for 37 years, I can pick out how little things I say can miscommunicate a lot of things.

Uprooting is necessary

Even despite the challenges we’ve been through, and despite the uncertainty ahead of us, we were happy we stuck to our decision. The paradox of uncertainty vs. just trying for the sake of it is as ironic as the risk that’s involved, but that’s essentially human in a way that it demands to be celebrated.

Each individual is responsible for their own destiny. Focus, clarity, maturity, experience, closure, success – these are some of the things I’ve been aiming for. I believe they’re part of what all of us want, as well.

But in order for me to achieve these things, I felt I had to uproot myself – simply because I was holding on to too many things. I let go of things like job security, some close relationships, resonable comfort, personal belongings, my home country in exchange for growth, opportunity, autonomy, value, and a more focussed career.

It may not be the same for others, but my point is that sacrifices are real in life.

Real, and necessary.

Resources:

2 weeks to go before getting to London – Lessons Learnt So Far

August 29th, 2008 § 5

My wife and I has our UK visas approved a few days ago. Our first application was rejected, due to misunderstanding the application requirements. Although we’re happy that this challenge is over, there are lots more to come. The cost to us was wasted time, and RM1328, and we were really starting to get extremely anxious about our possibilities.

This is a reality of making change happen.

Right now, there’s tons of stuff lying around the house waiting to be sorted into boxes for storage. We’ve got some farewells scheduled for the week ahead, and our tickets paid. I’ve made connections with old friends in London, and asked for tips on employment, and begun applying for jobs for my wife. I don’t like too much to do, but I have to get through it somehow.

Also, unemployment is increasing in the UK, particularly in London. This isn’t good news. So far, none of the jobs we’ve applied for have been positive. But at the same time, we’ve been partly selective as well. There’s lots more room to go. We haven’t used headhunters, applied for temp jobs, or skimped on our salary requirements.

Everytime I’m overwhelmed by all the logistical execution I hate to do, I’m reminded by how comfortable I could be if I didn’t wrestle so much with my career demands. But I know deep inside, I will never have this chance again. Not a chance to succeed, but a chance to try what I felt was the right thing to do at a point in my life.

For others, it could mean getting married, having yet another child, going into the army, or quitting your job.

I have an advantage in that I don’t listen to other people very well. So I throw away a lot of negative comments, and keep the good ones to myself. I also have a wife who’s supportive of my decision. I assume it could be worse.

Here are my navigational compasses that have kept me sane over the last few months:

One Step at a Time

Ellen Macarthur, one of the fastest people to sail around the world, swears on preparing for how much of yourself to expend to work through repeated circumstances of tension again and again over a long period of time. She circumnavigates rough seas, where anything can happen at any time.

My circumstances are hardly a match to hers, but it helps me realize that doing big things isn’t the way to go forward. Big things are only a signal of the destination, and not the journey. What goes into the journey are little things you have to do, most of which are annoying, frustrating, and seemingly unnecessary. But these are things you have to do. I am more prepared now to waste and burn energy than I was a few months ago.

It is absolutely necessary to go through stuff like getting an application form filled up right, spending hours waiting to get my car sold, closing bank accounts, applying for jobs, and so on. It sounds easy but nobody likes to do these things.

Life Stories are Filled with People

One of my strategies in getting ahead in life is in allowing people to “talk” me through phases in life. What I do is get in touch with people who have a specific direction, or are at a certain place in life I want to be. I make an effort to talk to them casually, and usually this is all I ever do, apart from occasional questions for tips and advice. I do this over longer periods, like months or years.

This helps me form real relationships with people who are “there”. Once I’m there, I know I’ll have people I can talk to. It’s like a story, where I meet people at different points in my life, and sometimes we meet again in the future. Each time I recall a part of my life, it’s filled with people and easy to remember. Facebook helps, too.

This is in contrast to making a decision and then making friends where I end up. Sometimes if you take a backseat in life, you end up hanging out with other people who are taking a backseat in life. I just choose not to be there.

Things that can’t be Explained often Stay that Way

I had dinner last night with my paternal uncle, who remarked that this is a part of life we all have to go through, if we really want to get “somewhere” in life. He stopped there, as though it was something the both of us understood. He’s past 50, and I’m close to 30 – and we’ve both had different lives to live.

Sometimes life needs to stay unexplained like that. We stopped talking about what it takes to survive, whether it’s really necessary for me to go back to school, and what if I considered alternatives. We’ve both come to an agreement that we’re looking at life in the eye now. It’s that “thing” that we all have to go through, to achieve our dreams (or whatever it is).

I stopped telling myself reasons why I should or shouldn’t go. I stopped reading too much motivational and practical material. Right now, it’s just learning what I can and making the best of it, in my own way. And a lot of it can’t be explained. You just have to make a decision, and execute, pick up where you fail, and make amends.

“You concentrate on solving your problems or keeping the boat safe or making sure you take the best route through the storm so you don’t get caught in the worst part of it and you just concentrate on coming out the other side,.” – Ellen MacArthur

Achieve your goals by navigating your dips well – a car sale case study

August 22nd, 2008 § 0

I just sold two of my cars recently, in preparation to move to the UK. The first car was a Perodua Kelisa, a locally manufactured supermini with a 3-cylinder 1000cc engine that’s simple, affordable, and popular. The second car, a 8-year-old Alfa Romeo 146, is an Italian made sedan that looks like a hatchback, drives like a tourer, sings like a diva, and requires more TLC than your average Toyota. This is a useful case study for passion vs. pop.

The Kelisa was easy to sell, but I didn’t get my way with pricing. There were hundreds of other Kelisas waiting to be picked up. I decided to settle for a quick deal, instead of haggling over price. This was despite knowing that I would be receiving a dozen more calls over the next few days about the car.

The Alfa was different. There were a very unique set of potential buyers. Most of them were Alfa owners previously. To other buyers, I had to explain the car to them, and describe its “Alfa-ness”. The person who ended up buying it was someone who previously owned an Italian car, understood its dynamics, and set his heart on getting one. It was about waiting for the right candidate. I didn’t have to flinch on price very much.

Job searching is very often like this. I want to move from a very common job role as a software programmer to a very niche role as a usability engineer. For me to get a job as a programmer is dead simple, but I probably won’t get my way with salary or benefits. As I set my sights towards becoming a usability engineer, I know that what I’m getting into will only attract certain hiring companies, with work conditions that are suitable for the role. The only issue is preparing myself, and waiting for that opportunity.

Without divulging too much information, that opportunity came knocking on my door recently. And in a place where no one hires usability workers, my profile stuck out a mile high.

My point is this, for everything you’re trying to sell – your employability, your car, your idea… whatever – there’s a market. And there’s a strategy for that sale to take place. You just need to position yourself in the right way, in order to communicate the value of the sale.

The point I didn’t make, however, is when you’re stuck in the Dip – the point between passion and pop, as described by Seth Godin. If you know you’re in the Dip, you have two options – find your way up, or find your way out. The hard part is finding out if you’re in the Dip or not.

While I was attempting to sell both cars, I wasn’t sure if I was in the Dip. I wasn’t quite happy that I quit really soon about the Kelisa. I quit fast and settled for a price I wasn’t that comfortable with. But now I’m glad I did. I wasn’t willing to take the hassle to deal with all the other buyers who were looking for quick wins. It wasn’t going to be worth it. So I quit, and went with the first buyer.

But for the Alfa, I didn’t quit. I held on to my price, because I knew it was a good price, and that someone out there was willing to appreciate the car at that value.

Nobody’s going to remember that I sold the Kelisa for the price I did. But everyone will remember the great deal I got on the sale of the Alfa. I get to keep my story. I managed to navigate both of my dips.

Navigating your own dips are very important to achieving your goals.

How well are you navigating yours?

How to Survive in a Flat World

August 12th, 2008 § 2

I’m almost done listening to the audio version of “The World is Flat” by Thomas L. Friedman.

When a friend first recommended it to me, I thought it was a boring history book (I was naive). It is a history book, but a brief one – about the 21st century. Friedman’s argument is that the US is losing ground to the rest of the world, particularly the East (esp. China and India), who have leveraged globalization, digitization, advances in logistics technologies and services, mobility, and the emerging flat-world culture.

I like the book, because it summarizes my observations of life, the world, and people in the last 8 years. I don’t like it because it’s highly US-centric, and offers very little help for other countries, particularly developing nations.

But it’s useful for us here in the East, especially if you are still oblivious as to why jobs are still moving to India and China, and what you can do to remain employable.

So, I’d like to offer my suggestions for employees and citizens of countries who fit this profile:

  • have cheap, replaceable jobs
  • are focused on easily commoditized services or products
  • are unsure of how your jobs will improve over the next 5 years
  • experiencing the effects of political instability
  • perceives higher or further education to be of no or little value
  • don’t give a hoot

1. Read the book, for crying out loud

Don’t waste your time observing the world from the surface. Friedman’s work is notable, and few of us will get the chance to interview high ranking individuals who can provide solid clues and insights to our future.

The book provided me yet another set of reasons why I believe Malaysian jobs are still stuck in the 20th century. Other books, such as “All Marketers are Liars”, and Phil McKinney’s innovation podcasts, all point to this fact. They sources may be American, but they talk about changing world, and that’s everyone.

2. If your job is insignificant, you’d better deal with it

As a software engineer, my job is insignificant. If I quit today, tomorrow there will be a hundred candidates lining up to take my job. Are you a call-center operator, an accountant, a graphic artist, a tutor, an illustrator, an employee whose job is easily outsourced? If so, your job might seem insignificant to companies, to employers, and to consumers.

Friedman argues that capitalism has forced companies to run leaner, forcing job outsourcing, insourcing, and automation to take place. Those who will get to keep their jobs fall into these four broad categories:

1. special workers – Britney Spears, Bill Gates, Madonna
2. specialized workers – stem cell researchers
3. anchored workers – doctors, barbers (localized)
4. really adaptable workers

Most of us will fit into 4, otherwise we’d be out of a job or remain in a really terrible one. I don’t like how the tone of the book leans toward jobs alone (or lack of), because I’d rather talk about having a fulfilling career. But there’s no career if there’s no job.

3. Go back to school

Don’t get a Masters or a PhD for the certificate. Do it for the smarts.

I used to believe that learning on the job was sufficient to get ahead in life, but now I disagree. The future belongs to specialists who can adapt, who relevant within a particular domain. A higher education allows you that time and space to learn and get ready to build something big.

Although Friedman argues that being versatilists are good candidates for the flat world, I want to do more than just survive. You’ll need specialization if you’re ever going to establish yourself in any career of the future. Forget about learning on the job. The internet isn’t very good for learning in depth, because there are too many distractions.

Five Reasons Why Wordpress is Best

August 10th, 2008 § 2

I now run four Wordpress blogs simultaneously for different purposes. I setup, install, modify, tweak, and maintain all the code myself. I’ve worked with the Wordpress core, templates/themes, plugins, and then some. I’ve had some bad days with it, but at any given day, I don’t think I would give Wordpress up for any other blogging platform out there. Here’s why:

Wordpress is constantly improving

Wordpress gets updated regularly, and it keeps improving at each release. It’s currently at version 2.6, and I like the new features like article versioning, the new plugin page, and the new theme preview feature. It’s driven by open source, so anyone can contribute the best and latest thing that people want or need. If you want to see a new feature in the next release, go ahead and write it and contribute to the source. It’s completely free and open.

Tons of Plugins

The default Wordpress bundle comes with a spam filter plugin and a plugin that allows you to print the words “Hello, Dolly” somewhere on the site. If you want more functionality, there are tons of plugins that do almost everything, from tracking user behavior, improving SEO, adding a photo gallery, or finding out which are your most popular posts.

Here are the list of plugins I can’t do without:

And here are some really recommended ones:

Tons of Themes

I don’t know why but there are way too many Wordpress themes out there. So there’s a high chance that you’ll be able to find one that suites your needs. If this is not the case, hire yourself a Wordpress template/theme designer. You can find them quite easily too, and at affordable rates.

Wordpress is built on PHP

PHP is a programming language used to build of websites today. PHP isn’t the best for everything, but it’s good for Wordpress because

  1. There are an abundance of PHP programmers, so you can get a lot of help
  2. PHP is relatively straightforward to learn, code and debug
  3. PHP is mature, and thus compatible with most web hosting services
  4. PHP is also improving, and Wordpress leverages on that

Wordpress is easy to use

A friend of mine who’s surveying blogging systems says he likes the way Wordpress keeps posts and pages seperate. It just makes sense. Blogging with Wordpress isn’t rocket science at all. It just works. Before using Wordpress, I was on blogspot and I was fiddling around with blogging software, because I just couldn’t get the layout to work right or I wanted to do more stuff. But with Wordpress I’ve never needed any software. I just blog from Wordpress itself.

If there’s any reason to hate Wordpress, it’s that the themes might be a bit tricky to manipulate on your own. If you’re wanting to change the look and feel of your website extensively, you’ll need to know HTML, PHP and CSS. But then, that’s true for a lot of other blogging platforms. It’s really hard to get around that. Practically all websites run off HTML and CSS.

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