Day 1: 12 Feb 09
1st Up! Is Entrepreneurship for You?
12 noon soft ballads playing in the background. Dr Sidney Yee from NEC preparing for the talk
12:05 Budding entrepreneurs filing into the room
12:10 Is entrepreneurship a career for you?
12:12 talk starting!
12:15 what do you need to become an entrepreneur?
12:16 pipeline of ideas..are you always budding with fresh novel ideas?
12:17 Dr Yee: Expertise and Management & of course Cash
12:18 ideas can be anything, technology-based.. translating innovations into a product
12:20 innovations that provide a solution.. if you have that key “I”, you have a chance to make it big!
12:24 you can be an entrepreneur without hard skills. Knowing how to prepare a P&L statement is not really necessary
12:25 Say YES! Young Entrepreneurs Startup Fund.
12:28 fund provides seed money for you to get a viable business going. If you’re younger than 26, go for it! wow, that’s attractive.
12:30 MicroFund given by MDA. Interactive digital media enthusiasts can tap onto this fund
12:33 Woah seems like it’s pretty flexible, no age limit, non-Singaporeans can apply, fund projects too! Great deal!
12:35 what’s most important: tech innovation!
12:40 coming up student entrepreneurs giving you the lowdown
12:45 Jovan, life science grad, NOC sparked his live chat tech biz model – Personal e-Motion… a model that won the Singapore Infocomm Award
12:49 NOC equates to life experiences. Definitely worth the trip!
12:52 Obtain the power to make a difference to yourself! Immerse in entrepreneurship.
12:55 Crazy ideas are worth the shot. Dare to dream an idea that has never been tried.
12:56: Don’t give yourself excuses. Dare to pursue!
12:58 Personal e-Motion… Designing an intuitive tool to help non-IT personnel manage content
1pm: new tool is fast and furious. Talents needed! Are you the ONE?
Next up!- Maritime Industry, Bringing you the World!
1:07 people strolling in. place’s buzzing up!!
1:15 Captain on Board! Capt Fredrick Francis shares with us life with the Maritime Industry!
1:17 Building Singapore into an International Maritime Centre.. ohh they are environmental friendly too.
1:18 Shipping is unique.. How so?
1:21: It’s part of the Singapore heritage
1:23 Capt Francis: Sexiness fades away.. Maritime is a Classic
1:26: Dynamic! No limits to what you can do!
1:27 Perfect example- Singapore: the busiest port in the world!
1:28 Bottomline: how much can you earn?
1:29 now they’re sitting up!
1:29 A whopping US$5k to over 18k for fresh graduates.
1:30 love Martime but don’t want to leave home? Well.. be there as a ship broker banker? Love to deal with money, do something different: Sell ships!
1:31 Maritime=People=Dynamism It’s people driven. Are you the talent they are looking for?
1:32 Any basic degree can merge into this field of work. Need funding? Aim for the scholarships! 85% in this line are scholars! Get paid to study!
1:33 What else? Job security. Manpower development is what it’s about. Degree holders get 3 years advanced learning.
1:34: It’s a Sea of opportunities & Shore of possibilities if you are up for it!
1:36: Capt says join us! Females as captains?! Yes! We have them among us!
1:37 Shipping is international! Foreign talents are welcome too!
1:43 sum up: shipping’s basic and sexy!
1:53 We’ve got some enthusiasts already!
Next! We have with us Darren from Kelly Services!
Global Careers: How Hot Are You?
2pm Any moment now
2:01 Darren’s up!
2:05 Darren has worked in Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia and of course Singapore
2:20 Australia’s open to immigration but Asian economies’ going to dominate the world! The real hub’s going to be here!
2:22 Work environment has changed and is going to evolve even more
2:24 Annual leave means working somewhere else; communication technologies imply that we have to work longer now L Response has to be faster and more accurate!
2:30 What about work-life balance?
2:31What’s a day in Darren’s life like?
2:33 Dude’s saying: Globalization. Clash of cultures. Has to be mindful how to do business.
2:34 India’s office buzzing at 11. London office starts at 430pm. Michigan office begins work at 930am. So? 9 to 5 doesn’t exist anymore.
2:35 That’s the challenge. Diverse cultures, Got to be sensitive. Different languages.
2:37 But, that means more opportunities too. How do you succeed? What are the secrets?
2:37 Be versatile, have the courage to venture into the unknown
2:38 Culture shock! 45 apartments with no air-conditioning? The man’s kidding. Nopes. The truth is you learn to survive.
2:39 There’s always competition when you first start up but be passionate and try something different! That’s important according to the man.
2:41 Corporate ladders the dangerous thing. Build up the courage to step over bodies!
2:43 What employers really are looking for? How hot are you?
2:44: Have you got the charm or charisma? Skills set?
2:46 Have the courage to go for it but you can’t expect the same salary today.
2:48 Be totally honest.
2:49 The world in the work environment is rapidly changing. Working permanently with one employer? Forget it! But don’t job hop too often. This does not reflect too well on yourself.
2:51 Bottomline is to expand your knowledge, find a job that you love! Jump on the plane, grab the opportunities!
2:53: Associations are important. The world is small place!
2:55 What about both partners seeking a global career? More and more couples do that. Honestly it’s tough but this is the way we are going. Accommodation is the key between partners.
HayGroup Up Next! How High is Your EQ?
3:10 Able’s up! This guy’s got something different! Hmm he’s quite refreshing. Able Chong from HayGroup
3:11 Extend your hand! He wants us to get to know each other better.
3:12 Hay Group- management consultancy that considers Harvard one of its partners. Also, commission studies that are present to the relevant environment.
3:13 Fresh out of university. What will you ask? So when will I get a job? How much will my pay be? Will I be happy in the job? What career advancement opportunities will the company offer me?
3:16 Growing and venturing into different paths within your chosen company is important.
3:17 What will employers ask?
3:17 Why should we employ you? What makes you different? Will you be able to fit in?
3:18 Singapore: An innovation Driven Economy. Where are we on the axis? Moving towards being innovation-driven.
3:19 keywords: Education, training, development. We will pump in money into these areas.
3:20 There’s a certain value attached to each of you. Acknowledge that. Bring it to fruition.
3:24 Exceedingly high expectations. Not action-oriented enough. Not a team player. Do these describe you?
3:27 Education system evolving. From being efficiency-oriented to being person-oriented. Different standards of excellence.
3:29 Exposure! get yourself some real experiences!
3:30 What’s missing? 2006 survey: Greatest need for development among graduates.
3:31 There’s a high need for strengthening. In what? Leadership, interpersonal skills, basically communication skills.
3:32 2007 survey: Graduates have to work on interpersonal skills, still.
3:34 Soft skills are key to success.
3:35 Why don’t we dare to approach others? Are we afraid of rejection? Ability to connect with others is important to employers today.
3:36 How much will you get paid? Able: “Doesn’t really matter how well you start but it matters how well you end.” Each task is an experience!
3:37 Learn to grow and gather more global experience to convince the employers to give you the opportunity.
3:40 In the present innovation economy, what differentiates you is your emotional Intelligence!
3:42 It’s about people! find out the name, get connected!
3: 44 Global Survey: 80% of people de-motivated at work. 4 in 10 not able to work cooperatively. 19% of entry level applicants lack self-discipline in their work habits.
3:46 How do you stand out? Move people with you to achieve the desired objective. That would make a huge difference!
3:47 Self-awareness, Social Awareness, Self-Management. Can you manage yourself?
3:48 Can you show the right emotion to draw out the right impact in people? Do you know what makes other people tick?
3:48 Ideas. People. Relationship management. Key is to learn to draw people out from their shells. Get them to tune in to your channel!
3:50 What can I learn from the people I don’t like? From the bad experiences? Shift your focus on “What I can learn from this”? You can always get something out of it..
Electronic Arts In the House! It’s not GAME OVER yet.
4:00 WOW! Electronic Arts (EA) starts with an impressive video
4:19 Industry overview: Video industry being the fastest growing industry. In 2007, 9 games were sold every second of every day.
4:21 These games are the best ones in the franchising business
4:23 Working on video games: it’s a software industry and is tech-focused. Getting casual is the new hardcore and online games are forecasted to reach 17.5 Billion by 2011
4:24 17% growth rate in the video industry in Asia, 43% of world’s video gamers are in Asia.
4:25 Industry Sum Up: fast-growing, creative industry
4:26 How do we make games? Regular software but different streams contribute to making a great game; video coming up on how EA makes games!
4: 30 What do they do? Designers: the fun generator; Producers: owner of the game, product and user experience focused. Project manager: production planner; QAS: seriously, all they do is play games! A programmer: Creates the game in code; An Artist: Creates the game’s artwork, lighting; Sound design, marketing, sales and others in the mix too.
4:37 range of positions: designers, producers, Quality Assurance, programmer, artists etc
4:30 Most relevant: How can I be …? A designer (level design), a producer (start as QA or Production Assistant), Product Managers (management expectations)
4:41 Also, you can try out the current internship positions- Quality Assistant and Programming. Key to success: Love in the video game industry!
4:43 Salary expectations: in general, the medium-size companies pay you above average
4:46 Make an informed decision about the video game industry. It is not just a career but a lifestyle.
4:47 Also check out IGDA (International Game Development Association) to get a better view on the current positions available and market development
Be part of the Social Service. Be Somebody’s Guardian Angel
5:14 cameras rolling! Imagine a CAREER that puts you at the frontline that helps people in need!
5: 16 changing demographics point to real need of professionals in this industry. yes social service systems need to be strengthen!
5:17 Shrinking family needs: who is going to care for you when you are old?
5:19 1 in 5 is an elderly
5:21 increasing need for social services! Help people lead independent lives! Dignifying the lives of elderly
5:21 What it means? Lead a fulfilling life, cared for by others
5:23 Service sector. 8,500 people rendering services. 16,000 people if community is included
5:26 Executive level positions which don’t require specific specialization available
5:28 Few major players: MCYS, NCSS (voluntary organization), VWO, CDCs
5:29 Debunk that myth: You are NOT considered a volunteer if you work in the social service
5:33 Career Opportunities: social worker, speech therapist, occupational therapist, special education teacher, physiotherapist, counselor
5:33 Avenues available for you to make the switch if you don’t have a specialized degree
5:34 Qualities needed: good interpersonal skills, patience, passion & commitment, resilience, STRONG desire to help people
5:36 Ample opportunities for scholarships available: graduate & post-grad level
Social Work Training Scholarship (SWTS). For 2nd, 3rd honours year students who are still studying
5:36 What’s in it for you? Tuition fees and all other compulsory expenses fully covered
5:39 If you’re thinking of switching field, professional conversion programme available!
5:40 Yes! It will feed you. Though rags to riches is a Cinderella tale in the social work sector. But, wait, take a look at the banking sector now
5:41 Capability building- professional & leadership development scheme, Enrichment- mentoring scheme, Recognition
5:43 Go for this if you are looking for a daunting job that provides continuous development & work satisfaction!
