MSJ 121117

Saturday 17 November 2012
YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER

& TALENT RESOURCE
Do what you love
T: 03 7966 8388
F: 03 7955 3355
briNgiNg
the world
together
read about opportuNitieS
iN the growiNg
telecommuNicatioNS Sector
First
impressions
count
Giving a good first
impression plays a
major role in career
success. Find out how
to create a dynamic
first impression both
online and offline.
Pg 12
pageS 6 10
Pg 3
Pg 5
Pg 13
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SKILLS
CAREER
CONNECTIONS
CUT OFFICE
TENSION
are important for

everyone to master
will link you to

career success
by following
these methods
mystarjob.com, saturday 17 November 2012
roshan says
ConneCting
PeoPle
Is entrepreneurship
for everyone?
Roshan Thiran shares his

thoughts on how this skill
can be acquired by all. Pg 3
HE first mobile phone I owned was a very large Nokia.

Nokia is a rather interesting company growing from a
groundwood pulp mill manufacturing paper, to a rubber
boot maker to a mobile phone company. But what I used
to love about Nokia was the fact that it was a company
connecting people. Telecommunication is the science and practice of transmitting information by electromagnetic means but
Nokia understood better than anyone else that mobile phones
were not about transmitting information; they were all about
communication and connecting people.
Today, the telecommunications industry is an exciting workplace. There are numerous exciting roles in this industry. For
marketing folks, the telco space is similar to the Fast-MovingConsumer-Good industry. Telcos spend huge amounts of their
ringgit on branding and marketing making it an exciting space
to be in for marketers. For engineers and technology enthusiasts,
the telecommunications industry is constantly changing and
innovating, giving them ample excitement to dabble in research,
development and new product introduction. For the folks in
finance and data crunching, there are so many exciting avenues
and numbers to crunch in this industry. Every single telco customer usage, pattern and call is tracked. These can be analysed
and studied to enable the number cruncher to propose new and
exciting ways to increase yield and drive profitability. And it is a
huge growth industry.
The changes taking place in the communications industry are
truly revolutionary and Malaysia is at the heart of it. In fact, most
analysts predict that more than 40% of the global telecommunications revenue will come from Asia.
The telecommunication industry does not just include voice
products but also data networking, optical, wireless and next
generation internet products. It encompasses networked appliances, broadband access, intelligent buildings, and advances in
silicon, software and services.
A year ago, I had the opportunity to spend some time with
Henrik Clausen and his team at DiGi and see the excitement of
the telecommunications industry first-hand. It is indeed a great
place to start a career. And this week, we are going to take a deep
dive into the telecommunications industry. We look at the key
players in the industry, the exciting opportunities that it offers
and we also look at possible career paths. These are all covered in
our feature story on the telecommunications industry on page 610 in this weeks pullout.
As always, we have some great articles on leadership, career
growth and other tips on how to continue to develop and further
your career.
And so, we hope this issue of the career guide inspires you to
keep learning and also provides you the tools and resources to
learn, learn and learn. Do leverage our videos and other resources.
As always, you can download our amazing Top 10 and other videos from www.leaderonomics.tv and we wish you all the best in
your career journey!
Have fun learning!
Warm regards,
Roshan Thiran
Editor, myStarjob.com & CEO, Leaderonomics
Career
connection
Discover effective
ways to link
yourself to
success. Pg 5
Relax the
brain
Terry Small
shares a secret on
how to de-stress
an overworked
brain. Pg 11
Proper
equilibrium
Is technology invading
moments with your
family? Pg 11
High tension
Choose,
my dear!
Find out ways

to defuse office
tension. Pg 13
Personal
branding
It pays to put
thought and effort
into branding
yourself. Pg 13
Career tiPs
email CommUniCation
Be informal, not sloPPy Your colleagues may use commonly accepted abbreviations
when writing emails, but when communicating with customers, everyone should follow standard
writing protocol. Your email reflects on you and your company, so traditional spelling, grammar, and
punctuation rules must apply. There is no excuse for sloppiness and be aware that thoughtlessness can
completely destroy what is otherwise a professional message.
Use sentenCe Cases aPProPriately USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS CREATES THE
IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE SHOUTING. Using all lowercase letters looks lazy. To emphasise, use asterisks
or bold formatting to highlight important words. Avoid using a lot of colours or graphics in your message
as not everyone may be able to view these on their email.
KeeP in mind that tone Cannot Be heard in emails Email communication
is not able to convey the nuances of verbal communication. Some people use different tones of voice to
infer varying emotion. This should be used sparingly to maintain professionalism. Also, do not assume
that using a smiley will defuse a difficult message.
answer swiftly Clients and customers send an email because they wish to receive a quick
response. As such, emails should be replied to within at least 24 hours, preferably within the same
working day. If an email seems to be complicated, simply reply saying that you have received the mail
and that you will get back to the client as soon as possible. This will put the customers mind at rest and
elicit some patience whilst you work on your reply.
KeeP it Brief and to the Point Grammatical correctness does not have to be wordy and
long. There is nothing more frustrating than going through an email that is twice as long as necessary.
Concentrate on one subject per message wherever possible.
EDITORIAL
Editor
RoshanThiRan
pRemaJayabaLan
ContributingEditors
LiLyCheah
SubEditor
evangeLiaChRisTodouLou LeeKaRyean
debbiepozzobon
l Editorial | mystarjob@leaderonomics.com
Layout,Art&Design
Tungenghwa
mohdizudinismaiL
zuLhaimibahaRuddin
hassanbahRi
adznamsabRi
mohdKhaiRuL
KaLaiseLvi
ahmadfadzuL
Razziah
shawnng
Lisanneyeoh
l Advertising | imran.hashim@leaderonomics.com
Writers&Contributors
angieng
JessiCaong
JamesLee
RiCKngu
ReshanpiLLai
SalesManager
imRanhashim
now
eveRyone
cAn dReAm
How Ken KUTARAGIs enTeRpReneURIAl spIRIT cReATed THe plAysTATIon

Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win
glorious triumphs, even though checked by failure,
than to rank with those poor spirits who neither
enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a
gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat,
- Theodore Roosevelt
enTRepReneURsHIp Is A Key sKIll foR

eveRyone
enTRepReneURsHIp
mAsTeRy
bUsIness mAsTeRy
Strategic thinking
Global perspectives
in identifying opportunities
from threats
Industry awareness
peRsonAl mAsTeRy
enTRepReneURsHIp
mAsTeRy
Deep technical
entrepreneurship skills
Personal effectiveness
Self awareness
Resourcefulness
Influencing skills
Breadth of
management skills
Communication
Entrepreneurship savvy
Courage
Process expert
Persistence
By Roshan ThiRan
roshan.thiran@leaderonomics.com
OST people dream of being their

ownboss at some point in life.
However, we quickly lose that
dream as the harsh realities of
the world kick in. Some of us
may have dabbled in a venture and it failed,
adding further proof that we were not meant to
be entrepreneurs.
I remember my first official business venture when I was at university. A few of us got
inspired by Michael Dell and decided to start
a company assembling computers and selling
them to students.
As we grew, we decided that we needed to
run the business professionally and buy inventories to reduce customer waiting time. Besides,
there were huge savings in bulk-buying. But
Murphys Law hit us new technology arrived
and we were stuck with huge levels of obsolete
inventory.
We were crushed and gave up. Our little
entrepreneurship team disbanded and we took
up real employment. But the desire to make
a difference and change the world continued
to burn in my soul. And so I kept trying little
ventures, failing but learning from these failures
until we finally succeeded.
There is a myth that entrepreneurs have
special traits that distinguish them from other
people or have some sort of secret method to
success. No entrepreneur, including Sir Richard
Branson, has a secret formula. Entrepreneurship
is not easy. But, it can be learnt and should be
taught to everyone.
Based on our research of 500 entrepreneurs,
we found four areas of similarity amongst the
majority of successful entrepreneurs: Personal
Mastery, Business Mastery, Entrepreneurship
leAdeRsHIp mAsTeRy
Extreme leadership
Decision making
Creativity
Mastery and Leadership Mastery.

The key to Personal Mastery is self-awareness. The best entrepreneurs know what their
strengths are and leverage them. Walt Disney
was so passionate about drawing cartoons,
he created an enterprise that drew from his
strength. In addition to knowing yourself, the
best entrepreneurs learn from an early age how
to create, communicate, influence, and develop
their personal effectiveness.
Business Mastery is the ability to think strategically, understand industries, new trends
and changes, and innovate in new spaces. Akio
Morita, co-founder of Sony said: Carefully
watch how people live, get an intuitive sense
as to what they might want, and then go build
it. Dont do market research. Morita turned a
small department store into the worlds most
successful consumer electronics.
AirAsia, with the tagline Now Everyone Can
Fly, identified a gap (poor people who couldnt
fly), built a business by leveraging new technology (internet) and built efficient processes to
enable it to execute its business model (low
cost). Business Mastery is about developing
a vision of extraordinary possibility. Steve
Jobs vision to get a computer in the hands of
everyday people sparked the PC revolution.
Entrepreneurship Mastery is the technical skills
needed, including the day-to-day mechanics of
running a business, producing products, delivering services, making money and managing people. At Google, Page and Brin, its founders, are
not its CEOs. Eric Schmidt, a savvy leader, was
made Google CEO, as its founders did not have
enough entrepreneur and management knowhow to run the business.
The final key is leadership. And at the heart
of leadership is decision-making. Entrepreneurs
must learn to make good decisions quickly.
Entrepreneurs bounce back quickly and learn
from bad decisions made. The main reason for

most failed start-ups is leadership failure. Steve
Jobs was fired from the company he started
because of his ego. Likewise, many start-up
leaders fail due to lack of leadership to engage,
encourage and develop their employees.
To master these four areas requires learning
and practice which many new entrepreneurs
dont invest in. Nearly 95% of all entrepreneurial
efforts fail. If we closely study these failures, it
is usually a lack of mastery in one or all these
areas.
It is disheartening to see entrepreneurs try so
hard yet fail to fulfil the passion of their hearts.
Li Ka Shing never stopped learning. As I didnt
have much capital, I did everything myself, Li
recalls. From learning about accounting to how
to fix the gears of his equipment, Li says he was
always learning.
And being an entrepreneur is not something
confined to your own business. The spirit of
entrepreneurship is much sought out in numerous companies. People with the entrepreneurial
spirit are proactive, love to create, take calculated risks and ultimately are successful at what
they do.
Every great entrepreneur was once an amateur. There is an old saying that goes, there are
three kinds of people in the world: those who
make things happen, those who watch things
happen and those who dont even know anything is happening. Its never too late to learn
and become a person who makes things happen in this world. Yes, you can dream.
n Roshan Thiran is CEO of Leaderonomics and
loves to meet people with the spirit of entrepreneurship. For more information on training programmes to help your organisation become more
entrepreneurial, email people@leaderonomics.
com
NOT many people know who Ken Kutaragi

is. Kutaragi was the inventor of the Sony
PlayStation. Even less people know the
struggle that he had to go through in getting the PlayStation to the market. In 1990,
Sony was struggling in a partnership with
Nintendo to create a new video game product. The head of that project was Kutaragi.
After numerous discussions, the partnership
failed to materialise and most of the Sony
executives decided to withdraw from the
market.
But Kutaragi saw that Sony could create
this product by itself. He tried to convince
the Sony leaders but to no avail. He ended
up working secretly and after a year of
constantly threatening to quit if he was
not allowed to pursue his dream, he was
allowed to manage a small team to develop
the PlayStation. By 1994, the first game console was released and PlayStation became
the most popular video-game console in
the world. By the end of the 90s, it was
so popular that it alone generated 40% of
Sonys profit.
Kutaragis charisma, daring, and relentless entrepreneurial spirit created the
PlayStation. Even though it took him so long
to get approval and win the respect of other
Sony executives, he never gave up. Ken constantly displayed his entrepreneurial spirit
in everything he did.
He convinced the company to take
another big risk on his vision when it began
work on PlayStation 2. Instead of using
already built components, everything in the
PlayStation 2 was designed from scratch.
The cost of developing it grew and grew.
Other Sony executives felt unease and set
up a deal with Microsoft to work together
on an online video game business. Kutaragi
met with Microsoft chairman Bill Gates in
1999, but could not see eye-to-eye with
Gatess vision of the business.
When the PlayStation 2 made its debut
in April 2000, it was a hit, but Sony found
it difficult to mass-produce the game
consoles chips. The company had to pour
more money into PlayStation 2, bringing
the development cost up to US$2.5bil.
Meanwhile, Microsoft announced the Xbox.
Sony lost huge amounts of money that year
and Kutaragi was directly held responsible.
But he didnt lose heart. He kept on believing and soon, PlayStation 2 sales rallied. The
following year PlayStation 2 captured about
70% of the home-gaming market. Within a
few years, PlayStation was generating 60%
of Sonys profits. And Kutaragi, the entrepreneur in Sony, tasted victory yet again.
Like Kutaragi, you too can showcase the
spirit of entrepreneurship in the company
you work for. You dont need to have your
own business to become an entrepreneur. Just be proactive and
relentless and you
will succeed.
myStarjob.com, Saturday 17 November 2012
PRESENT
LEADING
THE BUSINESS
SIMULATION
ADVANCING YOUR
LEADING EDGE
This simulation will challenge you

to go above and beyond in achieving
excellence through active participation
and hands-on experience.
WHEN
4th-6th Dec, 2012
WHERE
Saujana Hotel, KL
REGISTRATION
www.leaderonomics.com/
leadingthebusiness
REGISTRATION DEADLINE
28th Nov, 2012
HURRY!
PRICE
RM5,900
MORE INFO
people@leaderonomics.com
012.343.7716
You will be put to the test in a simulated setting to manage a dynamic company. A
variety of business and leadership exercises, including rigorous coaching will be provided
throughout the programme. Highly experienced consultants will lead intensive group
discussions that will push you to break idle barriers. Emphasis will also be placed on the
creation of winning and innovative teams that are proficient at executing strategy in
order to deliver effective business results. This and so much more because you deserve
to be at the forefront of your industry.
PLEASE REGISTER BY
NOV 28, 2012
WHAT DID THE

PAST PARTICIPANTS
SAY ABOUT
THE SIMULATION?
The simulation was very real and exciting. I felt it was like
an on-the-job training more than anything else. Coming
from a non-financial background did not make me feel out
of the league.
Siti Hajar Mohd Dahlan
THE REWARDS OF PARTICIPATION:
LIMITED SPACE
AVAILABLE!
Head of Talent
MALAKOFF CORP. BERHAD
Business strategy formulation and execution expertise

Effective and efficient decision-making skills
Discernment of customer needs and competitor dynamics
Business acumen skills in variance analysis, cash generation,
return on assets, and profitable growth
Profound understanding of strategy, innovation, and sustainability
Innovative and critical thinking that allow practical forecasting
and risk mitigation
A stronger, unified team sharing the same goal and mission
Understanding of personal strengths and a focus on potential
areas of improvement
Committed plan for personal leadership development
The fast paced group-breakout sessions, which were the

major part of the program, are very challenging and it
certainly helped enhance teamwork and quick-thinking
skills. I most definitely benefited professionally from this
unique program.
Terence Raj
Manager, HR & Administration
THE STAR
I have seen the most hardened skeptics become absolutely

engrossed in the simulation experience, and the change
in their energy levels, business acumen, and subsequent
productivity have been consistently remarkable.
Steve Kerr
Executive Director, JWMI Chancellor University,

and former CLO, GE and Goldman Sachs
JACK WELCH MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
TRI Corp. enabled us to take a much more strategic view

toward executive talent management what its key issues
and challenges are. More importantly, they helped us solve
our pain.
Kevin Wilde
Chief Learning Officer
GENERAL MILLS
THE EXPERTS:
With over 50 years of experience combined, our consultants know exactly what it takes to get you to the next level.
Carlo Peratoner
has over 15 years of

experience in finance,
sales and marketing,
engineering, management and information
technology and is coowner and partner of
TRI Corporation. He was
also founder and owner
of Client Relationship
Systems, Inc.
Gerry Mattia
is a consultant with
TRI Corporation and
founder of Mattia &
Associates, Inc. She is a
member of GEs Global
Leadership Training
Center in NY, and specialises in Leadership &
Team Development and
creative Management
Training.
Roshan Thiran
is CEO of Leaderonomics.
He was previously Director
of Global Talent Management with Johnson
& Johnson and was also
with GE for more than
12 years. Roshan has
won numerous awards,
including a Global HR
award and the Malaysia
HR Leader Award.
Eric Lau
is the Executive Director

at Leaderonomics. He
has extensive experience
in leadership development and strategic
brand building in multinational companies such
as Pepsi and Unilever.
He was previously part
of the training faculty at
Dale Carnegie Training.
SUCCESS THROUGH
AFFiLiATiON
CONNECT
ANd BOOST
YOUR CAREER
TO GREATER
HEiGHTS
By PREMA JAYABALAN
prema.jayabalan@leaderonomics.
com
When the need arises to enhance

your career prospects, you can
always visit suitable and relevant
blogs or forums in order to meet
people with similar backgrounds.
This is a fun and interactive way
to get to know a person, exchange
information as well as to gain more
insight and knowledge on matters
pertaining to the growth of your
career.
E it looking for that perfect job or bringing your

career to the next level,
creating and cultivating
a broad and deep network of professional connections
is vital. As clichd as it may sound,
the term Its not what you know
but who you know is true when it
comes to widening your horizons to
reach your career goals. Sometimes,
valuable experience and an amazing grade-point might not matter
if you are competing against the
CEOs daughter for a job. She obviously has the better connection.
A network is your professional
family unit built from a myriad
of links comprising colleagues,
acquaintances and a professional
community where support, knowledge and contacts are gained.
When it comes to your career, your
network enables you to extend
your reach and expand your opportunities. If this element has not
been a part of your agenda this
year, you might want to take some
time to leverage on building your
professional connections because:
It Offers
OppOrtunItIes
A diversified network of professionals will open up an equally

extensive range of potential
projects or career opportunities.
The more people who know you
are interested in a certain type of
work or are handling a particular
project, the more people who can
potentially help you with contacts,
information, referrals, and advice.
Besides, having a large number of
people who are aware of your skills
and expertise and who will always
have your name in their minds,
should assist you when career
advancement opportunities arise.
It prOvIdes
valuable KnOwledge
Another advantage of having a

wide pool of professionals in your
network is the chance to learn and
educate yourself in your preferred
use sOcIal MedIa

tO YOur advantage
field. People with the talent and

expertise that match your needs
will be able to teach and advise you
through mentoring or coaching.
the industry? These can be done

through various communication
methods:
It brIngs
YOu busIness
OppOrtunItIes
If you are one who loves to connect with your contacts face-to
face as you believe in the personal
touch, then schedule meetings and
make arrangements to meet key
people on a regular or occasional
basis based on your requirements.
You can meet over coffee, lunch or
dinner. If you choose to be more
interactive, then meet over a game
of golf or squash. You can also
make it fun by throwing a party or
a small get-together at your place,
just to unwind and mingle.
Another avenue which can be
leveraged is convention meetings.
Meeting at conventions not only
provides you access to educational
sessions but also gives you the
chance to get together with colleagues from out-of-town. A small
breakfast, lunch or dinner meeting at the halls could bring about
This network community with

which you have links can also assist
you when you are in need of business opportunities. These may
include detailed information, investors, as well as trustworthy and
experienced partners. You will have
the liberty to research and pick the
most suitable candidates based on
your wide number of connections.
These are some of the reasons
as to why it is important to have
a solid network under your belt.
However, you want to build your
connection base with much care
and not come across as someone
who scares people off. How do you
increase your benefits by staying
connected with others who are in
In persOn
By SIYAN LOH
siyan.loh@leaderonomics.com
MAkiNG
MEANiNG
IN a world that we are living in today, materialism and wealth have easily blinded the hearts
and minds of many. Most often than not, we
work to earn a living. We work to save enough to
buy a car, then a house and probably a few years
down the road, a better car and a bigger house.
Of course the cycle doesnt stop here - we will
always want something more, something better
and something bigger. Our goal posts are always
shifting further and further away. We humans
are funny like that. Dont get me wrong. There
is absolutely nothing wrong with owning pos-
valuable career developments.

Attending corporate events helps
tremendously as well. Dont shy
away from these invitations. Attend
them and extend your network
by meeting and associating with
people. Pass your cards around and
make yourself known as this may
bring in fantastic contacts that can
impact your career.
vIa telephOne
A simple call to say hello goes

a long way when it comes to networking. You can engage in conversations, send text messages and
even participate in group chats via
telephone. This will keep you in the
minds of your contacts and help
with your career endeavours.
gO vIrtual
Relationships can be built virtually through emails, online courses,

conference calls and virtual committee meetings. Besides that, you
could build your network through
blogs, chat rooms and forums.
sessions, being blessed with riches and wanting

more in life. But along the way, we develop such
strong emotional attachments to our possessions that it is hard for us to live without them.
Eventually they may rob us of the real meaning and purpose of living. Work then becomes
solely for paying off our loans, debts and many
installments. We might find ourselves feeling
empty and meaningless. Now, this is the real
problem. I see how some of my working friends
drag through each passing day by resetting their
days to digits, counting down the minutes to
Saturday, or gradually losing themselves. We
need to examine our hearts and ask ourselves,
Are you making a living, or making meaning? If
The current trend to stay connected is the social media platform

which is expanding fast. It is the
most effective and convenient way
to stay in-touch with colleagues
and friends, even if you dont speak
with them on a regular basis.
Furthermore, it can be accessed
through your mobile phone. With
the types of networks available
now, it is easy to categorise your
connections. LinkedIn, which caters
for professional networking, can be
used for all your business and corporate links. Facebook, which is for
more personal use, can be availed
of for friends and colleagues, even
family. Then, for the occasional
hello or to make yourself available,
there is Twitter.
A very important aspect to take
notice of whilst connecting is to
make sure that the relationship is
mutually beneficial for both parties. No one likes or wants to help
a selfish person. If the relationship
you have with the people in your
network is only about you, your
career advancement and your job
search, then this is a sign of bad
networking.
Whilst interacting with your connections, always remember to talk
about something other than yourself. Ask about their well-being and
discuss general topics which make
it clear that you are not using them
for their connections.
It is important to be a resource
for them too, as this will help both
parties maintain a healthy, good
relationship. The right way of connecting to people and staying in a
good network plays a pivotal role
in the journey towards improving
your career.
you are making meaning, then congratulations

to you.
Continue to do what you are doing. If you are
only making a living, perhaps it is time for you to
search deeper within yourself. Social psychologist David Myers says, We excel at making a living but often fail at making a life. We celebrate
our prosperity but yearn for purpose. This is
really something for us to ponder on to find
that meaning if you feel that you have lost it.
n Siyan Loh will continue to walk to where her
passion brings her. At the end of the day, what
she wants is simple to make meaning in work
and life.
MALAySiAS
TELECoMMuniCATionSinDuSTRy
TELECoMMuniCATionS LiBERALiSATion
By PREMA JAYABALAN
prema.jayabalan@leaderonomics.com
NTIL the mid 80s, the telecommunications industry and

especially the mobile phone
sector was dominated solely
by the Government. Then, the
Prime Minister announced the Malaysia
Incorporated policy and the Parliament
approved of the Privatisation Act, which led
to the penetration of private firms, foreign
firms partnering Malaysian firms as well as
a number of government-linked companies
into this industry. This change was incorporated to welcome foreign investment and
technology as a way to widen the economy.
Foreign direct investment and foreign
portfolio investment were encouraged to
engender more exports and produce job
opportunities as well as to attract foreign
investment into the equities market. This
seemed important after the plunge in the
economy which led to a recession from
1985 to 1986. Before this change took
place in the industry, telecommunication
services provided by the public sector
had increased the cost of doing business
because of the long wait to get a fixed-line.
The new law gave the opportunity to
these bodies to raise funds in the capital
market which was channelled towards
financing the development and implementation of new technologies deemed
relevant and suitable for the telecommunications industry. An example of this
would be the laying of optic fibre cables.
There was also a gradual turn in the regulatory framework which changed from the
authoritarian and hierarchical command
and control approach to one where an
independent regulatory authority was set
up that was made accountable to all stakeholders in the industry. This was considered
empowering as stakeholders were able
to contribute their ideas into the policy
making process to increase the new independent regulators legitimacy. This mutual
connection brought upon an evolution of a
new network governance which would not
have sustained itself without the participation of all stakeholders.
DiD you know
The telecommunications
sector is one of the sectors
with the most diverse range
of talent. They hire not only
engineers, but graduates from
other backgrounds such as
finance, law, marketing and
even actuarial science.
ToMoRRow
uSERS
Entrerprises
Gaming
Consumers
Content
SMEs
Vertical markets
yESTERDAy
Consumers
Smartphones,
Blackberry,
iPhone, Nexus
Increased
device
fragmanetation
Network
computers
Computers
Simple apps
Connectivity
Audio
Teen / youth
Machines
AppLiCATionS
Business
PDAs
One-sizefits-all
Voice
Phone
Circuit
Photos
Limited
public WiFi
WLAN
Data
capable
phones
PC
Camera
phones
DEviCES
Source: Adapted from PwC analysis
IP/MPLS
Cable
DSL
2.5G WWAN
3D internet
Web browsing
Web 3.0
Web 2.0
M-commerce
E-learning
IPTV
Mobile TV
Location-based
IP Core
GPON
FTTx
WDM PON
IMS
WIMAX
LTE
3.5G
3G
Femtocells
UMA
PAN
nETwoRkS
The Malaysian telecommunications industry has

done extremely well in the last year,
contributing 4.9% of Malaysias GDP
TELECOM INDUSTrY IN MALAYSIA
HAS CONTINUED TO GrOW
Malaysian telecommunications revenue rM billion
3.7
2.9
Internet
2.7
Data
8.1
9.8
11.0
Voice
21.7
21.5
21.8
2008
2009
2010
TELECOM HAS SIGNIFICANT CONTrIBUTION TO

MALAYSIAS GDP, HIGHEr VS BENCHMArkS
Telecommunications contribution to GDP 2009
Percent
Malaysia
4.9
Singapore
3.5
Thailand
3.4
Hong kong
3.3
korea
2.9
China
2.6
Indonesia
2.1
Average = 3.2
Note: Voice defined as fixed and mobile voice, Data defined
as frame delay, leased line, SMS and MMS, Internet defined as
fixed and mobile
whAT LEADERS SAy ABouT ThE TELCo inDuSTRy

Datuk MohaMeD
Sharil tarMizi
Chairman
Malaysian Communications
and Multimedia
Commission
The Malaysian communications and multimedia
industry has evolved
rapidly over the years.
Household broadband penetration has risen
from 11% in 2006, to 31.7% in 2009 and to
63.9% as of August 2012. During almost the
same period, mobile penetration rose from
72.3% of the population in 2006 to 105.4% of
the population in 2009 and to 133.3% as of
February 2012.
The Government and the industry are rising
to the challenge of providing ubiquitous, better, faster and reliable services brought about
by the increased use and adoption of digital
lifestyle.
Hence, the communications and multimedia industry is poised to continue its growth
and this must be supported by the development of capabilities amongst industry professionals. We hope to be able to attract the best
and brightest to be part of this transformation
process.
Datuk Seri JaMaluDin
ibrahiM
Managing director,
president & group chief
executive officer
Axiata Group Bhd
The telecoms industry is
no longer about traditional
services, such as voice and
SMS, as the global economy changes at a furious pace and the world
becomes increasingly digitalised. More and
more services from various industries, such as
finance, government, health and entertainment, are being made available through digital applications.
The mobile industry is at the forefront of
this digital revolution. It is changing lifestyles
and the landscape of almost all industries.
Mobile is currently the defining industry for
the decade.
Datuk Seri
zaMzaMzairani
MohD iSa
Group chief
executive officer
Telekom Malaysia
A career with a telecommunication company
provides a wealth of opportunities for job seekers
offering huge potential
to grow involving multi-disciplinary skill sets
and competencies. The telco industry is highly
competitive with everyone seeking to innovate and introduce many industry firsts and
become the ideal service differentiator. With a
history of both nation-building and transforming the industry landscape, TM is the premier
choice for the breadth and depth of developing a telecommunications-based career.
SanDip DaS
Chief executive officer
Maxis Bhd
Telecommunications
are shaping changes at a
frenetic pace in modern
society particularly with
the way we communicate,
multi-task and access
information. The impact
telecoms has had in transforming lives is staggering, from voice calls to broadband internet,
to life services such as education, healthcare,
Source: IDC, J.P Morgan Estimates, October 2009 as cited by

PEMANDU, ETP Handbook Chapter 13
to even moulding social behaviour.

Innovation, technology, deep understanding
of consumer behaviour, lifestyle and media are
all at the heart of this business. Being at the
cutting edge, telecoms offer successful career
opportunities to talented young aspirants who
are well-rounded i.e. people who are technologically savvy, agile, creative, contemporary, irreverent to the past, keen students of human behaviour. Besides this, they need to possess strong
business, service and marketing acumen.
henDrik ClauSen
DiGi Telecommunications
Malaysia is riding on the
wave of the data revolution
which is today a key driver
of national growth. The telecommunications industry
is one of the fastest growing sectors in Malaysia,
and continues to accelerate the growth of
many other businesses. Being in a globally
linked industry at its most exciting phase of
evolution, talents in this field will be at the
forefront of ICT development, and have the
opportunity to acquire and develop through
an international perspective of business.
afzal abDul rahiM
Time dotCom Bhd
Heres the current conundrum: Baby-boomer boards
and Gen-X management
teams are trying to figure
out what makes the Gen
Y-ers tick. They are a rather
strange lot, with seemingly different priorities. I suppose wed better
figure this out quick there are more of them
than there are of us!
Name: Irdawati Mohd Nor

Education: Bachelor of Accounting (Audit and Tax) Universiti Utara Malaysia
Role: Head of product
Company: Time dotCom Bhd
What is cool about telcos...
l There are always challenges in the telco industry.

Everyday is a challenge and I look forward to that. I love
challenges and go where there are challenges. In telcos,
I have found something interesting that I am passionate
about. It makes me see things differently.
l When I was in revenue assurance, it was very interesting to see the network and how it delivers service to the
end customer. First we had telegrams, fixed lines then
mobile phones, then SMS. Now it is MMS, then Edge,
now 3G and fibre broadband.
l Almost 20 years ago, everyone depended on telegrams. They were the in thing. It took four hours
to inform my cousin teaching at the Felda scheme in
Tasek Chini that our grandmother had passed away.
Nowadays, you take only minutes to communicate with
someone abroad. You can MMS pictures, Facebook them,
tweet your status and whats happening where.
l This is true communication and it is very exciting. I am
in the industry that connects people and this is the most
amazing thing I have seen. You dont see this in other
industries. In telcos, everything changes rapidly; you
Irdawati makes peoples lives easier by

coordinating and educating people
have to adapt to the new technologies very fast. If you

dont, you will be left behind.
l Now everything can be in one box at home that can
connect you everywhere.
l In a few years time, we will not need to spend much
on the company or the server, as everything will go into
Cloud.
Journey to current role...
l I spent two years as an accounting assistant in Kodak

Malaysia at their peak, when coloured photos were first
introduced. It made me see things differently as it was an
MNC company.
l I then worked for two years in a system integrator and
learned about Network.
l I was with a leading mobile operator for nine years
- first in accounting and finance for five years, then in
revenue assurance for four years, where I learned about
products and sales.
l I have been with Time for almost three years now.
Name: Norman Yeoh Abdullah

Education: Bachelor of Science (Electrical engineering), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Role: Head of transmission engineering
Company: Maxis Bhd
Norman oversees
the design and
development of
the network
l The telco industry is very exciting because the new technology that has grown
around it has never stopped evolving. The
constant challenges and upgrading are
also exciting, and the network is increasing.
l The telephone has moved from something nice to have to a necessity. This is
part of the excitement of the industry
as the telco platform enables a lifestyle
which is more enriching.
l The telco industry is a high-tech industry and you cannot stop learning.
l We are providing a vital service, as in
case of an emergency, the customer will
have to make a life-saving call. If the network is down, who will they turn to? This
is not just a job.
l After graduation, I joined Lion Computers, a manufacturing company, for a year.

l When Maxis was just starting in 1995, I
joined the transmissions department and
helped to design and build the network.
l I took three years off from 2008 to 2010
to explore options outside, first with a
vendor and then a fixed operator.
l I rejoined transmissions in Maxis in
2010.
Value i added to Maxis

in current role...
l I oversee the connecting of the base

stations back to the core, and the design
and planning of the transmission net-
work.
l My exposure to a wide variety of
technologies - microwave, fibre-optic and
Vsat and liaising with my peers within
the industry has brought me to where I
am today.
l My job entails managing a team of
engineers in designing, building and
developing the transmission network for
voice and data, and supporting operations
to maintain a healthy network in terms of
quality, availability and performance.
success Mantra...
We have to work smart and when things

dont happen, there is a reason for this.
We must positively see what we can do
alternatively to make it happen. We learn
from our mistakes and failure is a part of
success.
l I manage products in terms of development from

concept to the actual product or service. I monitor the
market to determine what customers need from service
providers and how to improve the service.
l If I help my customers achieve their targets in terms of
cost savings or service, I am satisfied.
skills/qualities i need to take

Me far in telcos...
l Be open about things to be done

l Be clear about objectives
l Be a people manager
success Mantra...
l Love what you do. You cannot work just for the money.
l Have passion in what you do, and it will create a successful career for you.
l Have a supportive boss/great mentor as this will
benefit your career.
Name: Sunil Shukvir Singh a/l Harmohan Singh

Education: Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA)
Role: General manager-business finance
Company: TM Enterprise
l It is a very noble industry. It connects those that have

a need to pass information, either via voice, data or
visual mode. It is a service-orientated industry and serving with the heart is essential.
l Believe in service. Service is the only differentiator for
lasting customer experience.
skills/qualities i need
to take Me far in telcos
l Technical strengths As I joined in

1995 in the early days of Maxis, I had the
opportunity to be involved in the selection
of the sites and the equipment, and even
in dimensioning the network.
l Management skills from attending
courses and on-the-job experience.
l People skills - We need to have people
to commit to what we do. For them to
commit to me, I must commit to them.
There must be balance between technical
strengths and people skills.
l A good relationship with those within
the organisation and outside the organisation.
Value i added to tiMe in current role...
l I was an auditor in a major audit firm.

l I joined TM as the head of finance in VADS Bhd in
2007, and have recently been assigned to manage a line
of business in TM.
Value i added to tM in current role...
Sunil monitors
business
performance
to enhance
decision-making
and responses to
market trends
l Being a business finance manager is about giving

management the eyes to make decisions accurately and
in a timely manner. It helps management to respond to
the market trends.
skills/qualities i need to take Me far

in telcos...
l Knowing the business is key in giving the right business analysis and advice.
l Professional integrity is vital for success.
l Timely analysis makes a great difference.
l Business risk is a living matter and being sensitive to
it is critical to business.
success Mantra...
Success comes with hard work, dedication, lots of sincerity and truthfulness.
This industry has three primary areas

of specialisation namely: operations,
technical and sales and service. The
diagram above depicts the various jobs
at different levels of seniority, within
each of these disciplines. Career paths
are not restricted to each segment,
and an individual may cross over from
one area to another to pursue a different career path. In addition, it must be
noted that movement between positions does not always attract a higher
salary. There may be other reasons for
moving such as a change of pace, or
to enhance ones skill set and/or for
career development reasons.
Technical
support rep
Sales And Service
Network ops team

leader
Manager customer
sales/ Service
Network engineer
Field supervisor
Super technician
Central office
technician
Business systems
technical test
Facilities
specialist
Specialised technology
technician
Inventory
specialist
Installation
maintenance and
repair technician
Sales coach
L
E
V
E
L
Retail assistant store

manager
Business customer
service rep
Retail store manager
Retail sales
associate
Sales support
Retail cashier
Cable technician
OperatiOns suppOrt:
L
E
V
E
L
InfOrmatIOn data specIalIst: Number

crunching, data-base management, and analysis
are skills required here.
Technical
support rep
admIn assIstant: Keeps

things running smoothly
from behind the scenes
Admin
Assistant
Outside plant
technician
Retail sales
associate
Information
data specialist
Frame
attendant
Sales support
central OffIce technIcIan: Could you be laser

focused on the interaction between computers
and communication equipment?
JunIOr technIcal suppOrt rep: Part geek, part

super power! First line of defence for internal/
external technical questions.
fIeld supervIsOr: This job needs a combination

of management communication, computer skills,
and technical knowledge.
facIlItIes specIalIst:
This job requires attention
to planning, problem
solving, and the ability to
look ahead to ensure that
the right infrastructure is
available.
senIOr technIcal suppOrt rep: Also part
geek, part super power! This individual works
with customers over the phone to solve technical
problems.
technical:
frame attendant: Working with your hands in a

technical structured environment.
OutsIde plant technIcIan: Working with your
hands outdoors
cable technIcIan: If wires,

connections, electronics
know-how and problem
solving rock your world
this job is for you!
InstallatIOn/maIntenance and repaIr

technIcIan: This person has electronics
knowledge, mechanical aptitude and a liking for
emerging technology.
specIalIsed technOlOgy technIcIan: Are
networks, computers, wireless printers, and lightning
fast down loads your thing? Then go for this!
busIness systems technIcIan tester: This is a
skilled technician with telecom equipment service
knowledge and good customer service skills.
super technIcIan: Requires advanced technical
expertise and a flair for solving complex telecom
problems.
Operator
dIspatcher: Be the one to ensure that work

gets done. If you are organised and like solving
problems, this is for you.
InventOry specIalIst: Part project manager,

part map reader extraordinaire! Keeps track of
equipment so that installations run smoothly.
Retail cashier
netwOrk engIneer:
Engineers use technical
and mathematical
knowledge and skill to
meet customers needs
and plan sophisticated
communications systems.
NETBOOK
netwOrk OperatOr centre technIcIan: Work

in command central to remotely configure,
manage and troubleshoot sophisticated
telecommunications services.
centre OperatIOns team leader: This is a job
for a big-picture thinker that is up for solving
complex operations network problems.
OutbOund sales rep: Call centre position

requiring a hunter mentality. This is a commission
driven post for a person who likes connecting
people and communication solutions.
sales and servIce rep (resIdentIal): The

go-to person for customers with non-technical
questions. This is a job for an individual who likes
talking on the phone, and solving problems.
retaIl senIOr sales assOcIate: Be an integral
part of the action in a fast paced retails store/
kiosk. Are you part social butterfly and part sales
hunter?
retaIl assIstant stOre

manager: Do you like
motivating employees,
helping customers, and
building a great work
environment?
sales suppOrt specIalIst: Keeps things running

smoothly from behind the scenes to ensure that
customers orders and services are correct.
CASHIER
sales cOach: Part motivational guru, part goal

oriented fanatic! Become a call centre sales coach!
retaIl stOre manager: This is all about the
customer and growing a great team.
retaIl sales assOcIate: Do you like an exciting,

fast paced environment? Be on the front line as
part of the sales team.
custOmer retentIOn: Make sure that customers
are happy with their purchases. If you like going
the extra mile and are energised by helping
people, consider this position.
dOOr-tO-dOOr sales:
Hit the pavement and sell
communications packages
to residential and business
clients.
busIness custOmer
servIce rep: The goto person for business
customers with nontechnical questions.
manager custOmer sales and servIces:

This is a job for a big picture thinker up for the
challenge of managing complex operations in a
pressurised call centre environment.
Source: www.Vividfuture.org
goals of the Economic Transformation Programme

(ETP) to become a developed nation.
With the increasing demand for faster and
improved connectivity, Malaysias telecommunications industry is poised to grow rapidly. Hence there
is a need for a pool of qualified and experienced talent to support this growth. With the move towards
becoming lifestyle providers, telcos now hire across a
wide spectrum of professions beyond just hard-core
telecommunications engineers and technical staff.
Telcos can now offer exciting and challenging jobs to
people from fields as diverse as new media, education, entertainment, travel, health, customer service
and finance all with a great potential for career
development and personal growth.
malaySiaS
telecommunicationS
induStry
In 2009, the industry contributed
3.4% of gross
domestic
product (GDP)
Information brought to you by:
with an overall revenue of over RM40mil
Over 40,000
people are employed in the telco

industry with over RM2.24bil paid as
salaries and wages
Recent studies on developing
economies concluded that a
10% rise
in Internet Penetration correlates to a

1%-2% increase in GDP growth
Source: PEMANDU, MCMC
servIce rep cOllectIOns:

A detail oriented person
that likes talking on
the phone, collecting
payments and devising
payment plans for
customers.
sales and service:
retaIlcashIer: Do you like

working with people, money,
and technology?
L
E
V
E
L
PRIMARY EXPERIENCE
LEVEL (ENTRY LEVEL)
OperatOr: Takes customer and emergency calls.
N the past, a cellular phone only served the

purpose of making and receiving calls. With the
introduction of text messaging, the trend shifted
from the conventional postal service to the
short-messaging service (SMS), driving further
innovation on content and applications development
(e.g. MMS, caller ringtones, etc). The provision of
data services on top of voice and messaging in recent
years has created a surge in demand for faster and
more reliable data services, resulting in the availability of improved high-speed broadband. With the
proposed further upgrading of the broadband network to 4G through the implementation of LTE (Long
Term Evolution) technology in the very near future,
Malaysia is now well on the way to fulfilling the
praveen handles Internet

and servIces marketIng.
name: Praveen Rajan
educatiOn: B.Eng. (1st class honours)
Electronics & Computing Engineering,
Nottingham Trent University
rOle: Head of products - Internet &
services
cOmpany: DiGi Telecommunications
What is cOOl
abOut telcOs...
l I believe that choosing to join the

telco industry is one of the best choices
you can make as it will give you an
opportunity to create and deliver real
value to the Malaysian population.
Nothing beats the feeling of seeing your
companys services being used by your
friends and family.
l Joining a telco like DiGi is like visiting an amusement park for the first
time as a kid. Telcos give you that thrilling experience almost every day, triggered by fast-moving competition. Once
you embark on a career within the telco
industry, your boundaries are limitless
and you will most likely have opportunities to do different things within the
organisation as long as you are willing
to embrace change.
l Most telcos are evolving with the
times and trends. The telcos of today
will be very different in the years to
come, especially with the advances of
Internet access and over the top services
(e.g. WhatsApp, Skype).
JOurney tO
current rOle...
l I worked in a web development

agency (2000-2003).
l I co-founded a social networking
start-up (2003-2007) called LifeLogger.

We initially pitched an idea to manage WiFi hotspots for DiGi in 2004, but
ended up partnering them to create and
manage a mobile blogging service. The
experience I garnered was immense, and
it helped me build strong relationships
with people in DiGi who are now the
leaders of the company.
l When I left LifeLogger in 2007,
there was only one company that I set
my mind on, and that was DiGi. The rest,
as they say, is history.
value i added tO
diGi in current rOle...
l I lead and manage a team of 30

people within marketing, focused on
delivering Internet and services to
DiGis 10 million customers. My team is
responsible for creating and marketing
various products to different customer
segments based on their needs.
skills/Qualities i need tO
take me far in telcOs...
l Leadership skills: Over the last five

years in DiGi, I have been fortunate to
lead and manage teams of different compositions. This has helped prepare me for
larger leadership roles in the company. I
consider my strong points to be my ability to get along with people, and to be
tough as well as results-oriented when
neccesary.
l Industry knowledge: I have spent
the last 12 years in the Internet industry
in various roles. This has taught me how
to keep up with the pace of new trends,
and key people and companies in the
industry. It is probably the most important asset I carry with me to help me in
my current role.
l Balancing business and tech: My role
requires being good at both technology
ideas and driving the business for commercial gains. My day-to-day job requires
concise communications with people in
different parts of the organisation, where
I act as a bridge to make things happen.
success mantra...
l Ive learned over the years that balancing these three factors helps maintain
my work/life harmony:
l Be nice: Most of the initiatives and
projects in DiGi require close collaboration with people across the organisation,
which means that it is crucial to have
strong and personal relationships to get
things moving.
l Play hard: Everyday is a new day.
There will be ups and downs in the telco
industry, but the important thing is to
stay focused and keep pushing to deliver
the best. We frequently have friendly
debates to uphold whats best for our customers, and this requires challenging our
peers across the organisation to deliver on
their promises.
l Go home early: It is easy to lose sight
of whats important in life, especially
in the telco industry. People tend to be
passionate, and forget about their loved
ones. At DiGi, we are fortunate to have
flexible working policies that allow us to
dedicate time efficiently for work, and
spend the precious remaining hours with
our friends and family.
salIm suppOrts the grOup ceO In

all Its endeavOurs
name: Salim Abu Haniffa
educatiOn: Bachelor in IT (Business
Information Systems), Charles Sturt
University, Australia
rOle: Executive assistant, president &
group CEO office
cOmpany: Axiata Group Bhd
upcoming eventS
CarEEr PaTHS
By DEBBIE POZZOBON
debbie.pozzobon@leaderonomics.com
Technical
Key StatiSticS oF the induStry
Operations Support
SENIOR/ ADVANCED
LEVEL (3 YEARS +)
MID-LEVEL
EXPERIENCE (1-3 YEARS)
>>Oil & Gas

>>ict
Sector FocuS career Fair 12

20 & 21 nOvember 2012, 8am 5pm
Dewan Tunku Canselor,
Multimedia University, Cyberjaya
Brought to you by:

talentcOrp malaysia & multimedia university
Together with:
Graduan
Go to > Facebook Search >
sectOr fOcus career fair @ mmu
value i added tO
axiata in current rOle...
l I manage anything and everything

related to the CEO, apart from travel and
his calendar. I monitor all the KPIs of
the group CEOs Reports. I also manage
all external parties meetings and follow-ups. I organise all the CEOs external
engagements and lend support for his
presentations and speeches.
What is cOOl
abOut telcOs...
l I thrive on variety and I like the pace

of change in Telcos because it is never at
a standstill. I dont like process-oriented,
monotonous jobs. The telco industry is
continually being re-imagined in every
aspect how people communicate, what
devices are being used and how they are
being used, and all the different services
involved. Technology, competitors, consumers and devices, and regulations are
changing as we speak.
l What is a hit or a current trend could
change by next year. In Japan, products
and services have a life-cycle of four to six
weeks. It is so rapid, evolving, that it is exciting not to know whats going to happen!
There is an element of surprise and challenge.
l I have always been a technology
buff in terms of being a user. I always ask
myself what I would like to have regarding ease and convenience. I would love
to be part of the team that improves the
quality of life and enables the change I
want for myself. I like to get involved as I
feel that if I am just an observer, I am not
contributing.
l On-the-job experience is crucial and
in management, this is the only industry
I know where you have to go from role to
role to fully comprehend the industry. You
>>BiOtech
>>telcO
>>electrical & electrOnics
have to be able to think from all angles to

deal with a variety of issues. No issue can
be discussed in isolation as they all have
a knock-on effect.
JOurney tO current rOle...

l I started out in consulting in an
international consulting firm for 2
years, liaising with government agencies.
l I joined one of the major banks in
Malaysia for a year.
l I joined a local consulting firm for
three years.
l I worked with a business research
and consulting firm, for about a year
and produced reports on the satellite
industry.
l I became a part of Axiata in 2009,
and spent 2 years in group strategy,
working on partnerships and projects,
hoping to make our competitors our
partners.
l I joined the CEOs office in January
this year and I report directly to Datuk
Seri Jamaludin Ibrahim, Axiata Group
managing director, president and group
CEO.
skills/Qualities i need
tO take me far in telcOs...
l Exposure through travel,
both professionally and personally
throughout the years, has come to
bear on different roles, different
projects and diverse groups of people.
l The willingness to try out new
things and the desire for that has carried me forward.
l When I first joined Axiata, my
research background helped me
handle the steep learning curve as it
enabled me to read reports to bring
me up to speed in a very short time. I
was also preparing board papers and
supporting senior management in
their presentations, so I learned the
different patterns and the nuances of
what was happening in the industry
and could bring them to bear in discussions.
success mantra...
Life shrinks or expands in proportion

to ones courage. Anais Nin
10
c-tAlK
Why join the
telco
industry
Name: Azwan Khan Osman Khan

Role: Group chief strategy officer/
Chief operating officer network transformation SBU
Company: Axiata Group Bhd
Fresh grads, experienced hires and professionals - if youre looking for challenge and
a fast-paced industry in a state of change,
where no one can predict the future and
there is room for growth, join a telco. We
can use all sorts of talented people from a
wide range of backgrounds and disciplines.
The kind of people we need in the future
will come from a much more diverse range
of backgrounds. Are we going to be a telco
a few years from now? Are we going to be
an information broker? Are we going to be a
media company? What are we going to be?
Its unclear, so I think people from different
backgrounds do have the ability to join and
help shape even what we are as a company
Be restless challenge the

status quo. There are always
better ways of doing things
Name: Kala Kularajah Sundram

Role: Chief talent officer
Company: Maxis Bhd
Name: Suriahni Abdul Hamid

Role: Head of human resource development
Company: DiGi Telecommunications
If you are keen on

Internet technologies,
the telco industry
should be in your radar
The telecommunications industry is

one of the fastest growing industries
in the world. The picture is no different in Malaysia. The change that we
are seeing was unimaginable even a
few years ago. High-speed networks
are proliferating, smart devices are
getting richer in features and form
at a startling pace and the world is
progressively getting consumed by
social networking.
Our dynamic and fast-paced industry challenges

us to continuously evolve. We have embraced
the power of the Internet and are bringing
people together by enabling greater connectivity through mobile communications. This is the
industry for those who see themselves at the
cutting edge of Internet technologies.
Name: Ahmad Nasri Mohamed

Role: General manager, transformation office - IT and network technology
Company: Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM)
I simply love the telco

industry. Ours is more
advanced than a lot
of the other Asian
countries
The telco industry is very interesting

because technology evolves exponentially. One year is long in the telco industry.
What was valid a year ago is no longer
valid now. The life-cycle of telecommunications devices is now only six months
to a year. The ever-changing customer
demand and technology are challenging
and they cause us to constantly review
the way we do business. This keeps our
job interesting. You have to thrive on
challenges and change. I enjoy challenges
and what I really love about this industry is that it gives me great satisfaction
when I manage to solve problems in my
daily work with my skills and problemsolving ability.
The telco industry does not just enable

communication between two parties. It has
now evolved beyond telecommunication
into a platform for lifestyle choices such as
health, travel and social aspects. It is just
a matter of time that all our devices will
be integrated and have sim cards. You will
soon be able to control your TV, microwave,
other electrical appliances and even check
the health of your loved ones remotely.
The telco industry is definitely the way
forward, on the cutting edge. We encourage young professionals to consider joining
telcos. It is full of challenges, has high learn-
years from now.

We hire from everywhere and not only
those with telco backgrounds. We have hired
a range of diverse talents from a variety of
disciplines who are looking at new products
for us in adjacent industries. Ultimately, the
pool of experience that were looking for as
a company has broadened significantly. How
many jobs are there where your job becomes
more difficult than easier as you go along,
because the whole fabric of what a telco is
keeps changing; not only do the goalposts
change but even what they look like. No one
can predict with certainty what the industry
will look like five years from now. The only
certainty is that it will look very different.
We need quick and agile learners
The industry is moving towards

offering solutions for lifestyle choices.
Therefore, we need graduates from all
industries. Fresh grads need to understand what they like and try to find
where their interest lies. They need to
be prepared to work hard to constantly
update their competency and knowledge
of the technology involved because of
the rapid technological advancement.
They must be prepared to face challenges
that are constantly evolving. Young professionals should consider moving into
telcos as that is where the excitement is.
It is a field that will be very interesting for
people who seek challenges. In fact, the
telco industry is the best place for this.
Name: Thiagi Selladurai

Role: Senior manager (operation support
system), network engineering and operation
Company: Maxis Bhd
ing curve and exciting. The telco organisation has various divisions that cater
for professions from both technical and
non-technical backgrounds. Opportunities
for growth and career advancement are in
abundance. Young people will definitely
have a lot to contribute and there is room
for everyone in this advancing industry.
Name: Vijayandran Suraiakumaran

Role: Head, service management
Explore all the different facets and areas
available you might be able to find a
niche in a most unexpected area and
sometimes, you may even have to create this niche for yourself. For example,
there are some service providers who
do not emphasise customer service
management. You could actually create a need/niche for a customer service
manager.
You will need strong communication
and technical skills, and the capability to
manage demanding customers.
Take the plunge, enjoy the ride!

Name: Marhaen (Anne) Mohamad Nor
Role: Senior legal adviser
Not all telco divisions are

telco-centric and not all
require a technical background
Name: Emily Wee

Role: Vice-president, business & media operations, new media
Company: Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM)
The industry is getting a lot more competitive, and because of how quickly technology
is changing, a lot ofthings are converging.
Previously you would have broadcasters giving broadcasts. Now, you have telcos providing
broadcast services, and broadcasters going into
telco services. People whom you would not have
thought were your competitors a few years ago
are now becoming challengers for market share.
Its all very dynamic, especially in new media.
I would encourage fresh grads and young pro-
This is an exciting industry for

those who want to seek new solutions, to innovate and grow his/her
capabilities and have the power to
dream, to imagine. We look for talents who bring with them diversity
in their perspective, quick and agile
learners with high levels of selfawareness and resilience.
Talents also need to be road-worthy and business-worthy.
fessionals to join but be prepared to really learn.

The new media unit is a very exciting place to
be in, which makes learning and working more
fun. Social media plays an important role in
new media. For this, it will make work more
interactive and engaging if one is social mediasavvy, entertainment-savvy and sociable. It will
be helpful if one is more inclined towards traditional telco or the new media non-traditional
telco. There is room for everyone, in the right
niche.
Its a very interesting

industry to be in,
very fastpaced
Joining a telco
allows you to be at
the forefront and to
be a pioneer
It is fast-paced and forwardlooking, and the landscape is

ever-changing, not regimented,
and pushing to the next level.
It is sometimes dog-eat-dog,
ensuring survival of the fittest.
I love the challenge. There is
always a surprise waiting at
work. You go home knowing
that youve contributed. You
come to work knowing that
youve done something.
The legal aspects of the telco
industry can be very interesting, mind-boggling and even
heart-breaking at times, when
you cannot close a deal. It still
boils down to the intricacy of
the law how you play with it,
how you tip-toe yourself around
it, and how you become creative
about it.
11
Family... UninterrUpted!
By ZAID MOHAMAD
zaid@smartparents.com.my
VERY time you walk into a

busy restaurant, there is a
chance that you will notice a
family having meals together.
It may warm your heart to
see a family gathering such as this, as
it somehow brings back fond memories of your own parents and siblings
and your experiences as a family. You
may even find yourself smiling as you
recall the jokes, sibling banter and
laughter, while enjoying the food and
company.
If you expect to see the same joy
and happiness from the family in
front of you in a busy restaurant
today you may be sadly mistaken.
Something seems to be missing.
There are no jokes, smiles, or cheerfulness. Instead, you see many serious
faces who are intently staring into
something, and its not the menu.
Yes, everyone is holding an electronic
gadget and is busy punching and sliding their little screens, oblivious to
the environment and people around
them.
Such is the state of a family gathering today. This scenario is fast becoming a normal scene either at home
or in a public place. Before we start
blaming others, lets be honest and
admit that all of us are guilty of this
electronic invasion one way or the
other.
ElEctronic invasion
Yes, electronics have invaded

our family lives. There are very few
moments when we dont stare into
one of their screens. Most of our working hours are spent in front of the
PC. Our lives depend so much on it
that we dont know what to do when
it stops working properly or when
the Internet is down. Back home,
we spend a few more hours

in front of the flat screen
television, trying to clear
our minds. Then, our smart
phone starts beeping or ringing, churning out more messages and e-mails.
So, when do we have
some face time with our
loved ones? Not much at all,
if any of us would honestly
admit. The electronic invasion has robbed us of these
valuable times. It is becoming common that a mum
in the kitchen will text her
daughter who is upstairs
to ask for help or a teenage son, locked in his
room, might message his
dad in the living room.
Then why do many
working parents complain about the lack of
time they have with their
children? If only they would track the
number of hours they and their kids
spend on any one of these devices, I
am quite sure that they would realise
how much human interaction has
been sacrificed to enable activity on
all the electronic gadgets.
Family First
There are actually plenty of opportunities to have family time in a day.

In the morning, make it a point to
join the kids at the breakfast table,
no matter how brief. Take the opportunity to drive them off to school.
Pick an interesting topic to talk about
along the way. Try to focus on positive
a secret tooUr Brain

de-stress y
aspects and not on

scolding or nagging. In the evening,
do your best to join them for dinner
on most days, and definitely on weekends.
When you do, please ensure that
all electronic gadgets including the
mobile phones and televisions are
switched off. Make it an electronicfree hour. Enjoy and rediscover the
art of conversation. Get to know
each other again. Tease each other.
Encourage them to open up and share
how their day or week has been. Make
the interaction positive and interactive. Again, avoid the urge to be judgemental, to scold or to nag. There will
By TERRY SMALL
terry@terrysmall.com
TIS the season to be stressed. Everyone I
know seems stressed. The holidays have
a way of doing that. A little stress is good
for your brain, but too much stress causes
many problems. One such problem is that
stress creates a kind of trap for your
brain that makes it hard to escape the
stress cycle. In other words, where the
brain is concerned, stress seems to feed
on itself.
Robert Sapolsky, professor of neurology
at Stanford University, puts it this way:
Stress pathways are diverse and
involve many regions of the brain in feedback loops that can sometimes greatly
amplify a response. The process begins
when an actual or perceived threat activates the sensory and higher reasoning
centres in the cortex. The cortex then
sends a message to the amygdala, the
principal mediator that precipitates activity in the amygdala. The amygdala releases
corticotropin, which stimulates the brain
stem to activate the sympathetic nervous
system via the spinal cord. In response,
the adrenal glands produce the stress
hormone epinephrine; a different pathway simultaneously triggers the adrenals
to release glucocorticoids. The two types
of hormones act on the muscle, heart
and lungs to prepare the body for fight
or flight. If the stress becomes chronic,
glucocorticoids induce the locus coeruleus
to release norepinephrine that communi-
be plenty of time
for that later.
In doing these small things, we can
effectively regain a healthier balance
between the needs of our job and
those of our family. That short hour
allows us not only to enjoy a delicious dinner but more importantly
to reconnect with family members.
The dining table becomes a place of
joyful interaction, laughter, and playful teasing. Soon, the yard will be a
playground once again. The virtual
world of televisions, mobile phones
or online contents is no match for real
life experiences.
cates with the amygdala, leading to the

production of more CRH- and to ongoing
reactivation of stress pathways.
Translated into lay language: NOT
GOOD FOR YOU OR YOUR BRAIN.
Why is it that some people manage to
be relatively stress-free? It seems to me
that they are otherwise focused. They
spend more time thinking about other
people than about themselves. Its amazing how stress seems to melt away when
we stop thinking about ourselves. Here is
a story that Dan Clark tells:
A friend of mine named Paul received
an automobile from his brother as a
Christmas present. On Christmas Eve
when Paul came out of his office, a street
urchin was walking around the shiny new
car, admiring it. Is this your car, Mister?
he asked.
Paul nodded. My brother gave it to me
for Christmas. The boy was astounded.
You mean your brother gave it to you and
it didnt cost you nothing? Boy, I wish...
He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going
to wish for. He was going to wish he had
a brother like that. But what the lad said
jarred Paul all the way down to his heels.
I wish, the boy went on, that I could
be a brother like that.
Paul looked at the boy in astonishment,
then, impulsively he added, Would you
like to take a ride in my automobile?
Oh yes, Id love that.
After a short ride, the boy turned and
with his eyes aglow, said, Mister, would
All in all, the

most important issue is that we are
putting our family first. We can then
rest assured that we are well on our
way to creating many more priceless
moments which no electronic devices
can provide, no matter how smart
they are!
n Zaid Mohamad is a certified parental
coach and the best-selling author of
Smart Parents, Brighter Kids and Smart
Parents, Richer Kids. Log on to www.
SmartParents.com.my or write to him
at zaid@smartparents.com.my
you mind driving in front of my house?

Paul smiled a little. He thought he knew
what the lad wanted. He wanted to show
his neighbours that he could catch a ride
home in a fancy automobile. But Paul was
wrong again. Will you stop where those
two steps are? the boy asked.
He ran up the steps. Then in a little
while Paul heard him coming back, but he
was not coming fast. He was carrying his
little crippled brother. He sat him down on
the bottom step, then sort of squeezed up
against him and pointed to the car.
There she is, Buddy, just like I told you
upstairs. His brother gave it to him for
Christmas and it didnt cost him a cent.
And some day Im gonna give you one just
like it, then you can see for yourself all the
pretty things in the Christmas windows
that Ive been trying to tell you about.
Paul got out and lifted the lad to the
front seat of his car. The shining-eyed
older brother climbed in beside him and
the three of them began a memorable
holiday ride.
That Christmas Eve, Paul learned what
Jesus meant when he had said: It is more
blessed to give...
Merry Christmas everyone!
In the next Brain Bulletin you will learn
an amazing secret to triple your reading
comprehension.
n Terry Small is a brain researcher who
believes that everyone is a genius. To
interact with Terry, email mystarjob@
leaderonomics.com
12
Creating great First impressions -
the
21st Century Way!
here are some points For you to ponder on a saturday aFternoon...
1 online = offline
What does your profile picture on Facebook or

LinkedIn say about you? Ask five friends to give you
some feedback in this regard. Is it congruent with
the image you want to portray to the world? Does it
say Happy - Friendly or Happy - Crazy? Employers
might engage in a background check prior to your
meeting. Dont let your personal life drive your first
professional impression, even if you have nothing to
hide. Remember: what people see is what they believe.
By WENDY LEE
wendy@chap-one.com
T used to be drummed into

all of us that to create a good
first impression, one must
remember to smile, to maintain
eye contact, and to dress well.
But are these enough? As we move
into the new digital era, where
everything is about speed and being
competitive your prospective
employers can locate you with a
click of a mouse; you have a degree
but you are aiming for the same
position with someone holding a
Masters it will take more than
flashing your pearly whites to make
people remember you, hire you, or
conduct business with you.
2 your elevator pitch

When people ask you what
you do, dont just say, Im an
accountant, or I am in sales. Learn
how to confidently tell others who
you are and what you do. Say who
you are, mention who you work
with and what you help them with.
Try this: I am a (your business), I
work with (your target market) so
that they can (the desired results).
3 have a good grip!
A good handshake will make someone feel appreciated and connected to

you. If you dont have control in how you touch or shake hands, you could come
across as nervous or out of control. A limpfish handshake will give the impression
that you are insecure whereas a bone crushing handshake will intimidate people.
Some people do not offer to shake hands due to sensitivities of religion. You need
to customise this action to the person, culture and situation.
in doubt,
for all
overdreSS
5 When
6 one
and all for one
4 colourS can
make or break
you
Not sure what the proper

attire is? Dress up rather than
down! It is always better to
have people smiling and say,
My, you look great! than to
have people frowning silently
at your casual look. You will
always earn brownie points
by standing out and looking
your best!
Colours evoke emotions

and influence peoples
perceptions of you. Red
incites excitement and
passion. Good if you
want to stand out in
the crowd, but it brings
your professionalism
a notch down. Brown
says stable and calm,
but not the perfect
colour to wear if you
want to project a fun
and trendy image.
Colour sets the tone
for your meeting. So
choose wisely!
am here
8 WhoS
that guy?
9 ifor
you
Know who you are
meeting. Do some
research, and look
them up on LinkedIn
or Facebook. Knowing
what people look
like and what they
do will make you feel
more at ease on the
day of your meeting.
Find out what the
organisation does,
as this will also
allow you to appear
more impressive
during conversations,
and avoid any
unnecessary faux
pas.
Since this is your only chance

to make a first impression,
be 100% in the moment. In
a culture where nobody has
spare time for an exclusive
conversation, you have to
be different. Make sure
that you give people your
undivided attention. Make
eye-contact, actually think
about what the other person
is saying and give genuine,
well thought-out answers.
The other person will pick up
on this specialised attention,
and in return will begin to
like you. God gave us two
ears, but only one mouth.
Stop and listen.
Look at your surrounding

teammates. The first impression
that the team makes is the first
impression YOU make. Good teams
create good chemistry and inspire
confidence in their first impression.
Make sure your teammates are all
dressed well. Each and every one
of you has to live and breathe the
same corporate brand.
7 uSe their nameS
The most beautiful sound in the world is the sound of your

own name. So repeat it after your initial handshake, Nice to meet
you Alan. It makes them feel special. But dont stop there! Learn
the names of their pets, children, and spouses. Mention them in
follow-up conversations How is Ellie doing in college? or Has
George found the garage equipment he was looking for? It creates
the impression that you care.
leave your
10 over-inflated
ego at home
Whilst a lack of confidence may

force you to shy away from
venturing out and trying new
things, an over-inflated ego may
cause you to over-extend yourself.
So, think about this, if you
possess the following symptoms...
a) You think that no one is above
you.
b) You think of no one but
yourself.
c) You think that everyone
should worship you.
Get rid of them! No one likes an
arrogant, pompous person. If you
have only Me, Myself and I in
your vocabulary, then it is time to
relook at yourself.
12 Stroke
them
before you
poke them!
you
11 before
hit Send!
Spell and grammar check anything

you send out emails, promotional
materials, blog posts, etc. Be sure to
check your subject lines too, as nothing
makes a bad first impression like
misspellings and typos. And while we
are on this topic, consider this: Plain
looking emails that lack your contact
information, logo and branding will
not do your business any favours.
One of the best ways to

make yourself memorable
is to find something
nice to say to the person
on your first encounter.
Notice something
complimentary about
their outfit, the designs
of their office or even the
concept of their business,
and mention this before
you start asking other
questions. Always focus
on your prospect first.
A sincere compliment is
always a welcome boost
to someones day!
You are a Brand
are You taking care

of Your Brand?
By ANABELLE CO-MARTINENT
anabelle.co@hotmail.com
OU are presented with two

cups of coffee. One that is
in a plain white paper cup
while the other cups exterior
shows the green round logo
with the siren-mermaid picture within. Which one will you choose?
Another scenario (for the ladies):
the fairy godmother arrives and
presents two handbags. Both made
of fine leather. The first one does not
bear a brand. The second bag looks
fancier with a famous brand attached
to it (Louis Vuitton? Maybe Prada?).
The magical fairy asks you to pick one,
which one would you choose?
My point for both scenarios: branding matters. It doesnt stop with just
material things. Branding yourself is
important because when it comes
to the workplace whether its a
job interview, working in a company
or even just being amongst people,
those who have worked on their own
personal branding will stand out from
the rest.
Brands across the world spend millions of dollars to strengthen their
image, increase their profile and maintain their relevance in the market.
Those who have been successful in
creating a strong brand garner a good
following and can command a premium. Investing in branding yourself
will have the same effect.
Where do you start? Lets work on
the basics. An essential ingredient is
good grooming. Nothing can replace
a good shower, fresh breath, a decent
hairstyle and well-trimmed nails.
Next step, be more than just
basic. To do that, careful and tasteful choices on clothing, shoes, and
accessories are needed. There is a saying: Dont judge a book by its cover.
Sadly, our ultra-speedy brain analyses
everything before we can even stop
it. The first impression just happens
before we tell the brain dont judge.
Choosing the right style need not be
expensive, as there are tons of options
out there.
By LIM MAY LEE

maylee@mystarjob.com
IT happens: Practically breaking
the laws of physics and time to
reach a team deadline can result
in frayed tempers and collective
migraines. All it can take is a
misread email for a war to erupt;
and we all know that whether
youre directly involved in it, or
just uncomfortably within earshot, fireworks in the workplace
are never pleasant.
Choose,
my dear!
Should you merely dress the part?

Or go beyond that? I recall a quote:
Dont dress for the job you have,
dress for the job you want to have.
I personally witnessed an individual
who showed up at work and dressed
more than his part and it did bring
him places. He was dressed impeccably despite his small role in the company. Add that to the fact that he also
had a positive outlook and the gift of
gab, he was able to elevate his profile.
In time, he was promoted from a
small position to the where he wanted
to be. My own observation from the
sidelines would point to the branding he had made for himself, which
helped him turbo boost to where he
wanted to be.
It is a natural human behaviour to

gravitate towards all things beautiful.
My own silly theory is that in the real
world if a hiring manager needed to
make a decision between two equally
qualified candidates, he/she will tend
to choose the visually appealing one
over the other, if no other criteria were
to be imposed upon the decision-making process. Therefore, look your best
at all times in all job interviews. If you
are unsure of the appropriate look, ask
a friend who is in the same industry or
do your research (online). This highly
depends on what type of company
you plan to work for and what position you are aiming for.
There is no harm in looking your
best at all times. However, being at
Encourage the two parties to

talk through their differences.
Many times, conflicts arise from
miscommunication and/or rumours.
While its impossible to eradicate
gossip and hearsay, it IS possible to
get the two sides to sit down and
talk, without a middleman and the
possibility of the message getting
lost in translation. Everybody at work
is an adult; it should be possible for
your best is not just about appearances. Looking pretty will not bring
you far if you just stop there. Another
important element in your personal
branding is communication.
A well-versed individual can impress
people wherever they go. Fluency, diction, pronunciation, vocabulary and
body language are things you need to
take note of when you are communicating. These elements work together
to express your confidence and intelligence. To improve any element under
communication, there are no shortcuts practise, practise, and practise!
Some of the tactics that worked
for me (as well as for some people I
know): practise by talking to yourself (or to a mirror or while you are
How to
n
o
i
s
n
e
t
e
c
i
f
f
o
defuse
Here are some suggestions on

how to defuse the situation so
productivity can get back on
track.
two colleagues to speak

professionally and rationally. Only
if theyve reached an impasse that
seems unbreakable, should a wider
group step in to help.
If the warring parties are your

employees, take the initiative
to ask each party what the issue is,
from their own perspective. Dont
13
judge and dont

take sides; try not to offer any solutions until youve heard both sides
of the story. One of the most common factors of inter-office conflict
is perceived slacking off you may
find that one party believes the other
party is bumming around while the
former has to shoulder the heavier
burden. In this case it

would be good to talk to
the accuser and explain
how the workload is segregated, unless perception is indeed reality; then,
you may need to speak to
the overly relaxed party
and find out whats going
on. If they are your team
mates, it could be best to
listen and smooth over
misunderstandings, but
leave the disciplining to
the management.
Try to indirectly solve the

issue via office standard
procedures: For example, if Jack and
Jill are in conflict due to Jills constant
lateness, coming up with an incentive scheme to get everybody to
work on time could help defuse the
conflict before it affects everyone in
driving!); repeat after television

newscasters; look up the difficult
words (immediately) to increase your
vocabulary; practise before your presentation (dont be afraid to look silly,
role playing together with your slides
or even with gestures); watch your
body language as this equally gives off
signs and can be misinterpreted; learn
to look at people in the eyes while
conversing (to show sincerity); voice
modulation is important if you know
your voice is too soft, work on your
volume until you get it right.
Another branding element is recall.
When you hear the brand AirAsia,
what comes to mind? Cheap flights?
Affordable? This is the same for an
individual. If someone were to talk
about you, what do you think would
be the dominant trait or description
he or she would say about you? If you
want to be known for something, then
make sure you work towards that. For
example, if you want to be described
as someone professional, you will
need to make sure that your image,
work ethics and choice of words will
pave the way for that impression.
In conclusion, there are tons of
books and trainings available for good
grooming, dressing for success, as well
as communication skills. You dont
have to wait until you finish reading
that self-help book or to get a certificate from some training. You can start
increasing your brand value today.
The Internet, media and your circle of
friends and family can be a starting
ground. The most important thing is
being conscious about it and wanting
to do something to improve it today.
Your brand matters!
n Anabelle Co-Martinent is an expatriate who loves the KL lifestyle. A creative
person and amateur painter, her interests include travel, cooking and fashion.
Marketing is her first love and she
spent 13 years with corporate names
like Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and
Nokia. Anabelle hopes to share useful
information and experiences that could
help others in their corporate journey.
the office. The trick is to focus on

the solution as a new idea on its
own, rather than as a response to
the conflict. If the teams culture
already has such an incentive, even
better: Using a previously agreedupon standard makes it even easier
to accept, going forward.
In the midst of tension and general unpleasantness, its good to
remember that conflict can also be
an opportunity to grow. Sometimes
conflict over a certain issue is an
indication that more time needs
to be spent setting up or fortifying
procedures that could smoothen
the work process. Prevention,
however, can be better than cure
so establishing a culture of open,
direct communication and cutting
down on tale-telling and snitching
could also go a long way towards
helping promote harmony in all
cubicles and around the water
cooler!
n Lim May Lee thinks office conflict
can make co-workers bond and
grow, but only if its handled correctly.
Looking for a job? Register at myStarjob.com and start applying today!
14
internet facts
Internet users in Malaysia
view social network sites
32.1%,
11.5%
for entertainment
6
67%
of all
videos
viewed in Malaysia
25
hours online
each week,
followed by Filipinos (21.5)
and Malaysians (19.8)
ones
elf
or
or
kf
risk
taker
risk taker risk
willing to fail
being
self-employed- a romwanortikc?
notion or sheer hard
YouTube accounts for
Singaporeans lead the Asian

region in online usage, spending
ropuatrtinofeteam
willing
to fail
that is the question
of Malaysians
on the
Internet
access
Facebook
processes
for someone else

or to
work for oneself
holds the largest

share of online
minutes for those in
Malaysia, followed by
routine
to work
Social networking, at
87.9%
prepare
to work
harder
boundaries
work within
have an
active
YouTube
profile
se
be more
patient
of Malaysian Internet
users stream or
download videos
each month, and
80%
51%
compared
with
ee
20 hours per
week online,
10.6 hours
watching
broadcast tv
eon
so m
Malaysian Internet users spend almost
r
work fo
14 billion times
every month
taker
venture o
the box utside
8
Facebook statisticians Socialbakers
report that there are currently over
13 million
facebook users
in Malaysia
Sources: Burson-Marsteller; We are Social; comScore; Nielsen and Socialbakers
By DEBBIE POZZOBON
debbie.pozzobon@gmail.com
ROWING up, my parents always

told me that I had to study hard
so that I would be accepted by
a reputable university which
would enable me to get a good
job. When I asked what a good job was, the
list was always the same: accountant, doctor,
veterinarian, banker, lawyer, teacher, or manager of sorts. The careers that we discussed
were usually those that involved working for
large corporations. In my parents opinion,
this was the safest way to ensure financial
success. Whilst I may not totally disagree
with their opinion, when I raised my own
child, I found myself telling him a slightly
different story. This was partially due to a
change in the global economy, coupled with
a shift in focus away from those traditional
types of formal employment in favour of
jobs that have a more entrepreneurial focus.
I believed that the difference between financial independence and financial security was
the ability to define your own destiny.
So which
alternative iS correct?
Well, I am not sure that there is a clear-cut

winner in this race. It largely depends on you,
your strengths and abilities as well as your
preferences. Working for a company provides
a sense of security. Most of the strategic decisions are made by a team, and do not rest
on the shoulders of a single person. When
managing your own business, these decisions become your sole obligation. It may be
tough at times, to bear the responsibility for
not just yourself, but for all your employees
welfare as well.
If you are the type of person that like
structure, routine and processes, and being
part of a team then working for a company
is probably for you. You may need to be more
patient as things may not happen at your
pace, and may need to work within boundaries that dont always suit you to conform to
the companys culture.
If you, on the other hand, are a risk-taker,
want to venture outside the box, are prepared to work harder than you would for
someone else, and are willing to fail a few
times, then your own business may be a
consideration.
There is no right answer to this question,
but rather a right fit for you, your personality, and your abilities. Managing your own
business is no mean feat and requires much
in terms of dedication, hard work and an
abundance of pure grit and stamina to face
challenges. Whatever your choice, you always
reap what you sow. Go for it make your mark
and define your own legacy. Today is when
your book begins and the rest is still unwritten!
15
Sticky
Situation
We have four experts on career

management, HR and office issues
who will address your questions
weekly. We refer to them as
Careernomers - experts in career
matters who will help you in your
career journey. So if you have
any burning questions to ask,
send it to dearcareernomers@
leaderonomics.com and we will
get the panel to answer your
questions.
Hi Cassandra,
I feel like my career has reached a big

crossroads. I have been in this company for eight years and have advanced
quickly (four promotions). I am now
the senior manager and report directly to the director
in my department. However, now each time I bring
up my career plans to my boss, he quickly brushes it
aside and asks me to pace my growth. My friends tell
me that my director is insecure and threatened and
worried that I would take over his place in the next
two years. But for me, I enjoy challenges and having a
goal to work towards. I really enjoy my job and my colleagues. What should I do? Should I move to another
company to keep growing?
Cassandra
I can understand why you see this as a

major crossroads.
If I may, I would like to break down your
current situation into two key decision areas
that you need to consider:
1. Do I stay on and enjoy what I have now
people and work?
2. Do I move on to the unknown and work
towards what I want?
I believe many of us have had the experience of being caught between choosing what
we want NOW and what we want to have
in the FUTURE. Instant/current gratification
is always tempting and VERY desirable. But
the truth is, just as in the areas of achieving
financial goals, unless we are willing to sacrifice instant gratification, our goals seem to
slowly disappear into the future.
Many people I know had to venture into
a few different areas/companies before they
found one where they could reach their full
potential and where they were appreciated.
I suppose one of the hardest elements
of your decision is leaving great colleagues
behind. No one can guarantee that you will
find another group as great. However, in the
pursuit of your dreams, some sacrifices are
inevitable.
Times like these force us to make mature
decisions. So, what will yours be? Perhaps you
may consider the famous idiom: The world
is my oyster? There is indeed so much to

explore out there before you find your precious pearl.
Elisa dass avin

Hi Cassandra,
This is a critical point of your career.

This will be the first of many crossroads that
you will encounter. From my perspective,
there are three major options that you can
explore.
Your first option is to remain with your
current company as you have moved quite
rapidly over the last eight years in terms
of promotions. Having to invest that much
tenure in a single organisation with such
accelerated elevations is a testimony of your
performance and agility. You may need the
comfort and stability in life and work and not
adding complexities may be something you
need at this juncture. This is supported by the
fact that you enjoy your job and the working
relationships you have with your colleagues.
On the subject of promotion and career
growth, while you say that your immediate superior has asked for you to pace your
growth, the fact that he/she feels insecure
and threatened are only comments made
by your friends. You may need to deliberate
this with your superior at a conducive and
opportune moment and be transparent about

your desire to take on more challenges and to
establish a goal for you to work towards. Your
superior may not be intimidated and may
work with you to plan your career direction.
The next option is to explore the world
out there and take some risks. As you have
acquired a substantial amount of experience
with the current company, you may want to
move to a new job in another organisation
which can provide you with the challenges
you seek. That however, will require you to reestablish networks, meet new colleagues, and
design new goals in that organisation. You
may like or loath the new challenges but you
will never know until you try and if that does
not work out, you can always move on.
The final path you can consider taking is
rather than moving vertically as in the past
in your organisation, you can also explore
the possibility of making a horizontal move
to another function in your current organisation, which will provide you with different
and diverse challenges. There may be better

chemistry and goal for you to work towards
in that new role. By doing that, not only can
you retain your contact with your colleagues,
you will also be able learn more about the
organisation and expand your functional
capabilities which may be invaluable as you
climb the corporate ladder. Apart from that,
you can also ask for extended responsibilities by participating in projects or short-term
assignments which may act as stretched
targets in the current job which you thrive.
Hence, moving may not entail going vertically
but horizontally or even taking a step back in
order to for you to take a few steps forward.
Remember the proverb, A rolling stone gathers no moss.
Bani Zainal
n The opinions expressed are those of the
authors and not necessarily those of myStarjob.com
Coming up in next Saturdays issue . . .
G
N
I
T
T
SI
S
L
L
I
K
Also next week

core to
teambuilding,
Purpose is
mechanics of
number plate making in A Day
Get insight on the
In A Life of a number plate maker
writes Vinesh Naidu in

Consulting Corner
Top 10 tackles how

to handle those
tough and
difficult
customers
Take charge of
your career with
the
in
Hard Talk
right
mindset

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Saturday 17 November 2012

YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER

are important for

will link you to

mystarjob.com, saturday 17 November 2012

Roshan Thiran shares his

HE first mobile phone I owned was a very large Nokia.

Find out ways

KeeP in mind that tone Cannot Be heard in emails Email communication

mystarjob.com, saturday 17 November 2012

How Ken KUTARAGIs enTeRpReneURIAl spIRIT cReATed THe plAysTATIon

enTRepReneURsHIp Is A Key sKIll foR

OST people dream of being their

Mastery and Leadership Mastery.

from bad decisions made. The main reason for

NOT many people know who Ken Kutaragi

myStarjob.com, Saturday 17 November 2012

This simulation will challenge you

NOV 28, 2012

WHAT DID THE

THE REWARDS OF PARTICIPATION:

MALAKOFF CORP. BERHAD

Business strategy formulation and execution expertise

The fast paced group-breakout sessions, which were the

Manager, HR & Administration

I have seen the most hardened skeptics become absolutely

Executive Director, JWMI Chancellor University,

TRI Corp. enabled us to take a much more strategic view

Chief Learning Officer

has over 15 years of

is the Executive Director

mystarjob.com, saturday 17 November 2012

When the need arises to enhance

E it looking for that perfect job or bringing your

A diversified network of professionals will open up an equally

Another advantage of having a

use sOcIal MedIa

field. People with the talent and

the industry? These can be done

This network community with

valuable career developments.

A simple call to say hello goes

Relationships can be built virtually through emails, online courses,

sessions, being blessed with riches and wanting

The current trend to stay connected is the social media platform

you are making meaning, then congratulations

mystarjob.com, saturday 17 November 2012

NTIL the mid 80s, the telecommunications industry and

DiD you know

Source: Adapted from PwC analysis

The Malaysian telecommunications industry has

TELECOM HAS SIGNIFICANT CONTrIBUTION TO

whAT LEADERS SAy ABouT ThE TELCo inDuSTRy

Source: IDC, J.P Morgan Estimates, October 2009 as cited by

to even moulding social behaviour.

mystarjob.com, saturday 17 November 2012

Name: Irdawati Mohd Nor

What is cool about telcos...

l There are always challenges in the telco industry.

Irdawati makes peoples lives easier by

have to adapt to the new technologies very fast. If you

Journey to current role...

l I spent two years as an accounting assistant in Kodak