Success Migration

Halo,

Been great to have you reading my blogs all this while, giving me the capacity to share with you my experiences, knowledge and thought process.

I am migrating to http://www.GetStartedWithSuccess.com.

Please continue to support me at the above site and grab all the information to make you successful.

I may come in to check out this blog once a while thou.

Take care and May Success Be With You~
Cheers
Sean
http://www.GetStartedWithSuccess.com.

Get A Mentor to Get Ahead

Hi,

I was reading the paper when i came across an article written by John Bittleston on Mentorship to get ahead in corporate success. So what is Mentoring?

Mentoring is helping people tp realise their own abilities. It is not coaching, although the two are not far apart. Coaching involves teaching techniques for achieving short-term and specific, limited objectives. At the right time and for the right purpose, coaching is an impt tool.

Mentoring takes a more holistic view of a person's career, ambitions, needs, and ultimate fulfillment. Every mentor will devote some of his mentoring time to coaching but he will look beyond the immediate future to longer-term rewards and achievements.

A good coach imparts ways of doing things. A good mentor gets his mentee to discover what he really wants and helps him achieve it, but he does not achieve it for him. As the saying goes - "If you truly care for someone, you help them to stand on their own feet, not on yours."

To be helpful, the mentor must understand something about work his mentee is doing.
Different company has adopted different models of their In-Company Mentoring. While there is no one RIGHT way to introduce mentoring, the following seems to be most efficient, effective and rewarding one.

The best mentor is one who has been selected by the mentee. Sympathetic understanding, a predisposition to listen attentively and shared interests are the basic tools of good mentoring. No mentor has the same amount of these for everyone. Good communication between mentor and mentee depends on chemistry.

Authority is generally a bad basis for mentoring because the lines of command are difficult to disentangle from an essentially personal relationship. A mentee is left in an ambiguous position as t what his response can be. Telling the boss what to do with his own ideas is still not advisable as a basis of promotion and recognition.

It follows from this that any formality or procedure is in dnager of getting a mentor/mentee relationship off to a stilted or shaky start. A company that wants to introduce mentoring has to be sensitive to the fact that personal likes and dislikes play a legitimate role, in much the same way as they do with counselling.

Rgds
Sean

Inspiring Movies - Braveheart

Hi my friends,

It has been awhile for me to share my top 10 inspiring movies with you. Apology for that as i was having a crazy time in my professional job. There have been so many people moving around within my company that we have all taken up more roles and responsibilites..with that also our time.

Been watching movies at home to recharge myself..been to watch I AM LEGEND by Will Smith..but frankly i dont think it is a blockbuster, a great movie. Will Smith is great again in his acting skills, bringing out the passion and desperation in him. But the plot is just too plain for my liking to be a Top movie.

Instead, i was impressed by BRAVEHEART, a dvd that i re-watched over the last weekend. Impressive speech by Wlliam Wallace (by Mel Gibson) that rallies the whole people army to fight for their freedom.

Check out this short video:



Cheers
Sean

Multi-Media Course on Blogging - for F.ree

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology. For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.

How to Find A Mentor

Have you been hearing people saying that if you want to be successful in a certain field, it is important to find the right mentor in that field.

When we were kids, we looked to our parents for guidance. Similarly, a mentor at work can help ou journey to the top easier. Here's are my thoughts on how to find one:

A) Get the right mindset
A mentor is not a career fairy godmother or a babysitter. Your mentor helps you our by providing you with valuable knowledge such as sharing insights into the industry and the company (if you two happened to work in same company), and the politics involved. Armed with such information, it'll be easier for you to react appropriately when any issues arise.

B) Find the right person
Your mentor should be a person whose advice you respect. He or she must be supportive of your career goals and be willing to offer constructive criticism. It's not necessary for your mentor to be your direct boss. He or she can be someone who's more experienced. What's important is that you can communicate freely and both trust each other.

C) Set the right time
Once you have found your mentor, both of you must make the commitment to meet up regularly to assess your career. It does not have to be a weekly thing, it can even be once every two months. If your mentor is someone who works closely with you, then establish an understanding that he free to pull you aside to discuss work-elated matters whenever she sees a need to.

With the above points, i hope you can find the correct mentor to guide you towards your success. Remember not to rush into finding me thou - Find the Correct One!

Rgds
Sean

How to Formally get a Payrise!

Halo,

Been working long in your company? And working double hard to get your Payrise?

Here is some of my thoughts on how to get a Payrise from our boss:

A) Timing is Everything
If you know that the annual review is coming up, be sure to talk to your boss before your pay increases are awarded. If you have just completed a major project or closed an important deal, this will be a good time to strike.

B) Know what you want
Be clear about how much extra money you want - or if you would accept improved terms such as grander title. Do some research to see if your request is realistic for your job scope and experience. Most companies concede to market pressures on salaries so the more data you have on hand, the greater your chances of success. Try browsing the Internet for major recruitment firms (like Kelly Services, etc) which usually provides online salary information.

C) Sell Yourself
Obviously, you would need to prove to your boss why you're deserving a payrise. Make a list of your current responsibilities, Acheievements, Workload and all the positive aspects you've brought to the job. Simply doing your job diligently well is not good enough. That's just what your employer paid you to do so.

D) Confidence is Key
Ultimately, Success will come down to the way you approach your boss. Be confident without being cocky, and be sure to maintain eye contacts and not to fiddle your hair with fingers.

E) Be prepared
Just like all interviews and presentations, Remember to rehearse in your mind how you will open the discussion and be clear about your major points. The way you put foward your case, with logic and without sentiment, and will need to be prepared ahead of time.

Hope the above helps you in your Success.
Cos Your Succcess determines My Success
Sean Chua

Interviewing Skills 101 - Details

Here i am going to share with you on the details on maximizing your chances during a interview session:

A)Getting a Makeover:
You need to get yourself some proper working clothes that spell professionalism. Dont safe and borrrow your brother or sister's clothes unless he/she is the very same size as you. If you are re-entering the workforce, ndont assume that what you wore kast time fits or is in fashion. The same will go for your hair, make-up, shoes and bag. Make sure that they complement the professional look you want to achieve.

B)Come Prepared:
Before you go for the interview, do find out as much as you can about the company's history, organization chart structure, culture and future of the business. Prepare a list of answers to the most common int5erview questions mentally, so that you won't be at a complete loss when these questions pop out. Such questions can be easilly found in books in library. Do bring extra copies of your resume, references, original certificates and testimonials and sample of work you have done, if any.

C)Be Punctual
Give yourself extra time for getting lost, traffic jams, or bad weather. Arriving 10 minutes before your appointment will give you time to ctach your breath, freshen up and gather your thoughts.

D)Make a lasting first impression
The moment you step into the room, the interviewers will be silently evaluating how you can carry yourself, your body language and attire. Greet the interviewers with a hello and a firm handshake. Don't sit until your interviewers offer you a seat. Maintain a confident posture and minimize wild hand gestures and actions.

E)Listen
Keep your ears open during the interview. It can be frustrating for the interviewer to ask questions that are not answered properly. Some interviewers may drop hints about what they think about you in their conversation. If you liestenly attentively, the you can act on it and address their concerns.

F)Ask Questions
Lots of interviewees did not pat attention to this factor. An interview is a fact-finding mission for both you and the interviewers, so dont be afraid to ask questions. It's your chance to fill in any gaps in information and issues that have not been adequeately answered to date. It's also a chance to show off the homeowrk you have done with questions about the company's future and strategies.

G)Say "THANK YOU"
Thank the interviewers for the time spent talking to you with a smile and hand-shake. It's basic courtesy. Ask when they will be making their decisions and if yiu should follow up. Send a thank-you note or email when you get back home.

Hope this helps those that are going for interview soon.

Rgds
Sean Chua

Interviewing Skills 101

You might be fresh out of school or returining back to the workforce after taking a break for your family. Getting the first interview is going to land you into a state of excitement, followed by a period of worry and anxiety.

It is important not to mess up your first interview.
You aim to shine as the most outstanding candidate, but you need to convince the interviewers to hire you.

Here are some things you should do to maximize your chances during interview time:

A) Get a makeover
B) Be Punctual
C) Make a lasting first impression
D) Come prepared
E) Listen
F) Ask questions
G) Say "Thank you"

Above are some of the points that interviewees should take note of.
I will elaborate more of the points in the next few days..
Stay Tuned

Strategic Career Planning 3 - Knowing Yourself

Always Know Yourself first before you find a new job, advancing your current one or even setting specific career goals. Be true to yourself and spend some time making sure that you are very clear about what you really want. You might have to consider the following 4 factors as you go through your inner thoughts:

A) Self-Discovery:
Do reflect your purpose in life. Ask yourself questions like: Why are you here? What do you want your life to be? The best way to achieve fulfillment is to ensure that your career choices reflect your purpose in life.

B) Talents, Interests and Passions:
Identify your talents and abilities. Go list down your skills sets. Think about your specialized knowledge that you have, or include all the things you are good at.

Identify your interests. List down your interests. What stirs up your curiosity? What things do you find fascinating? What other areas would you die to explore if given the opportunity?

Identify your passions. Make a list of all your passions and loves. What gets you excited and passionate about. What have you always wanted to try to do?

C)Identify your Driving Values
Your dricing values will determine what aspects of a jo provide the most motivation and fulfilling. Understanding your driving values can help you make career choices based on what is most important to you. Go list down and prioritise those values. Use the list to assist you to make future career decisions.

D)Strategic Career Plan
Lots of people tends to miss out on this part which is so impt. A strategic plan is essentially a document that combines all the elements of your career goals and it will includes:
- Your purpose statement
- Your vision for the next 3-5 years
- Your values
- Your guiding principles

With these, i hope you will be able to set your effective career goals.

Sean

Presentation Skills - Using Powerpoint

Have you been using Microsoft Powerpoint to help you with your presentations all this while?
Ever wondered how to better make use of powerpoint to make your presentations more interesting, intriguing and your message to be more convincing.

There are actually rules or points that we should observe in order to be effective in our powerpoint presentations. I chance upon a very interesting video that shows Comedian Don McMillan showing "How Not to Use Powerpoint". You can certianly learn something about effective use of powerpoint by observing some of the DO NOTs in powerpoint presentations.

Don McMillan gives a short comedy sketch around Powerpoint presentations and the common mistakes that people make.

Strategic Career Planning 2 - Goal Setting

In order to plan our career, we need to do 2 things i felt. Today i am going to cover the 1st Step.

A) Set you Goals

We spend most of our waking hours working. We go through school preparing for the workforce. But at critical moments, we are stumped! Questions like "Can i spend my time doing thr things I love most? Will i truly feel fulfilled in my careers? Will i realise my dreams? How do i get there?" cross your minds. It certainly crossed mine constantly.

Career goal-setting and work-life balance are not usually taught in school, yet if we don't know our goals and plans the steps we must take to reach them , we could end up somewhere completely different. Setting carrer goals charts a focused plan towards that dream job. It's a powerful motivational process for turning the vision of your ideal career into reality!


If you set clearly-defined short -term and long-term goals, you will be able to measure your progress and eventually achieve personal satisfaction. Your self-confidence will grow as you see your progess - which certainly would be hard to measure if you have not formulated your goals properly. You will become more aware of your abilities, which also boosts your self-esteem.

Tomorrow, then i will share with you on the 2nd thing to do - Knowing Yourself!

Strategic Career Planning

At different junctures of my childhood, i was asked" "What is my ambition?" or "WHat do you want to be when you grow up?" Have you been constantly being asked of this question?

My answer was always different. At five, i wanted to be a policeman bacause i thought they look very smart. At 13, i wanted to be a doctor, seeing how noble in them, having chance to save lifes after lifes. I watched all drama shows that are showed on screen, never missed them much.

Then at 15, i realised that being a doctor requirements large amount of time and money - which my poor family then, was never able to afford, and i was never able to afford that long period studying. I then dreamt to become a pharmacist.

I studied harder ever in my last year of school, to achieve the grades that will allow to go places i want. After i took my o level results - i found out that i do not want to go Junior College and to Pharmacy cos i felt Pharmacist job is too boring. So i decided to take up a course in local polytechnic called Building and Poperty Management. You know what! I switched to Chemical Process Technology in the same Polytechnic, even before the school starts. The switch was made after i took a long time break and think of what i realy like. Chemistry was my LOVE.

So tomorrow i am going to share more of Setting Effective Career Goals and to better prepare ourself for the job market.

Joel Bauer - Workshops on Persuasion Review

Came back from Joel Bauer's 3 hrs free workshop seminar on his Persuasion tools. He is indeed a serious person and knows all about negotiation and persuasion.

He started by asking us how committed are we to spend 3 precious hours of our Sunday time to listen to his talk. If we are not interested, he encouraged us to lift our butt and leave the conference hall as soon as possible. He believes that Doing Business is all about Credibility and Building Rapport.

Each of us are by Default. In order to be successful, we need to change to the Design Mode. He also incalculated that the Art of Persuasion = Art of The Truth. We need to speak and tell the truth in order to be able to be effectively persuading others.

In Persuasion - we should always rmbr to: 1) Present, 2) Persuade, and 3) Preserve.

Joel strongly believes that First Impression counts. We need to dress for the occasion in order to be Succcessful, and to have the Persuading Power - even before we speak to others. If we dress casually, people will question our authority. For blazers, Joel recommend that we always choose Black as overall. This is bcos black is able to hide us inside the packaging (blazer. pants) and allows others to look at our faces and hand gestures when we are presenting/talking.

For ladies, he would think the following will be ideal:
5th Most Effective: Electrical Blue blouse/top
4th Most Effective: White blouse/top
3rd Most Effective: Red blouse/top
2nd Most Effective: Yellow blouse/top
1st Most Effective: Pink blouse/top

Joel also believes that Namecards need to be properly designed. Purpose of the card is to Engage. We should only give to people who understands & appreciates that i can deliver something useful to them. We should not be giving it to all people that wants it. Scarcity is Power of Persuasion.

I will be getting his best-seller soon: "How to Persuade Others that Do Not Want to Be Persuaded".

Cheers
Sean

Joel Bauer - Persuasion Workshops for Free

Didn't manage to go for the one today..Have instead registered for the one on Sunday 2-5pm.

Here’s A Glimpse Into Joel's 30-Year Proven Persuasion Trick Bag… All His Secrets Are Now Revealed at the LIVE Workshop..
Anyone Can Learn To Persuade With Impact Regardless of Their Appearance, Education or Personality. He promised to share his system on how to use effective persuasion to get what you want…. from getting a raise, to a deal on a car, from convincing one person to a thousand. His techniques even show parents how they can better relate to their children.

His methods don’t involve cheating, manipulating, controlling or forcing others to submit to his will. His experience proves that the best way to influence others is to employ fun and entertainment to make a more convincing pitch.

His unique methods and principles work for everyone, at any time and in any situation. Be Prepared To Learn…

- How To Instantly Grab People’s Attention At Your Very First Point Of Contact, Where A Stranger is Hanging On Your Every Word and Move You Make.

- The One Zero-Cost Transformation You Can Put Into Action To Give You Instant Credibility, Often Receiving FREE Upgrades To First-class Air Travel, Suites In Hotels At Standard Rates, And Often The Best Table In The House!

- Differentiation Tactics That Make All Of Your Competition Minor League And YOU The Only And Obvious Choice In Your Market.

- I Will Expose The Power and Precise Design of the Perfect Business Card. A Card That Clearly Motivates A Stranger To Want To Know More About What You Can Do For Them.

- Learn How To “Dress for Maximum Impact”.

- His Transformation Mechanism Technique will Fascinate Even A Stranger. I Will Reveal The “You Do As I Do Hand Lock Demonstration”, followed by the How To…

- Jaw Dropping Techniques For Establishing Respect, Credibility And Rapport In 4 Seconds Or Less. Because You Don’t Know This Is Why You Don’t Have As Much Business As You Need.

- You get my Unique Positioning Statement Technique - The Power of Scripting With Precision In An Emotionally Engaging Manner.

And tons more!... That is what he has promised..and will also be what i wish and hope to learn this sunday.

Joel Bauer - Workshops on Persuasion

Hey Planet,

Just to drop a quick note that America's celebrity persuasion guru, Joel Bauer will be running a free persuasion workshops this week in Singapore Expo.

Workshop topic will be:

- How Joel Bauer retired by 32 years old and how you can do it in 5 to 8 years time
- From how to make a love proposal, get a raise, to a deal on a car..from convincing 1 person to a thousand...
- How Joel has trained people to get extraordinary income and the freedom to enjoy their lives.
- How to break the ice and grab attention in the first 4 seconds!
- Powerful business presentations to give $ and raving fans who want to work with you....

I will be going for this one:
7th Sept 2007 Friday 2pm - 5pm

Let's see what Joel has mentioned before in last presentation he has made.
The key points covered by Joel normally include the following:

1) Packaging - Importance of dressing well. Having the correct “packaging” could produce MANY times the response. He goes into an explanation of what different colour clothing should be used for different purposes.

2) Why you should not have normal sized name cards like everybody else and how you can make your name cards special to brand yourself. Be Special so that Others remember you!

3) The importance of personal branding and how you can use images of yourself (and your family) in your namecards, emails, letterhead and envelopes. He also explains the kinds of position we should adopt for taking the photos.

4) How to answer the all important question “What do you do?” The key is to answer with a question that helps you qualify whether that person is a potential prospect for you, invokes an emotional response and connects with him emotionally (with some embedded commands).

5) Building trust through repeat and frequent contact with your clients. One way of doing it is through the use of a monthly email newsletter (or ezine).

6) The use of testimonials to build credibility. It just speaks for itself. No requirement for you to oversell yourself.

See you guys there!

Unlimited Power Seminar - Live in Singapore!

Just came back from the Unlimited Power seminar that happened live in Singapore Expo.
I am highly charged now, after setaing attentively throughout the 4-5 hours session of Anthony Robbins' Unlimited Power talk.

I have heard about Anthony Robbins through Internet Marketers, Friends and from papers/radios - but this is the first time that i met him in person. Trully Motivational Figure. No wonder he is known as the World's No 1 Success Coach. A person that is highly respected as the nation's foremost authority on the psychology of peak performance and personal, prefessional and organizational turnaround.

Only now that i know that Robbins has advised and counseled Fortune 500 CEOs, world-renowned medical doctors, championship sports team (including America's Cup Winner, America 3 Stanley Cup finalist, Los Angeles Kings, NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs and other teams in NHL, MLB and NBA), elite athletes and coaches including Andre Agassi, Greg Norman and other legends in Entertainment such as Quincy Jones and Anthony Hopkins.

I quickly went to borrow the "Unlimited Power" book from my friend also, after this seminar talk. Certainly believed there are more to learn from Robbins. Let's start with "Unlimted Power"..before i check out other of his best-sellers such as "Giant Within" and "Unleash the Power Within".

Cheers

Inspiring Movies - Ratatouille (WOW-Cartoon)

"Ratatouille" is about a lovable rat - Remy - who constantly risks his life in an expensive French restaurant because of his love for good food, as well as a burning desire to become a gourmet chef. Obviously, this is rather far-fetched for a rat but opportunity knocks when a young boy, who desperately needs to keep his job at the restaurant despite not being able to cook to save his life, makes Remy a partner. The two of them learn to avoid the insane head chef, bring the rest of Remy's family up to his culinary standards, win the boy a girlfriend, and of course, produce the finest ratatouille in all of France!



Remy (voice of Patton Oswalt) is a suburban rat who loves good food. His senses are so refined that he refuses to eat garbage and is used by his clan as a "poison detector" since he can tell if something is toxic by sniffing it. His desire, however, is to become a chef like his TV hero Gusteau. He gets a chance to achieve his dreams when he meets Linguini (Lou Romano), a kitchen cleaner at a Paris restaurant, also called Gusteau's. Hiding under Linguini's chef's hat, Remy teaches the boy to create dishes of culinary delight. Soon, Gusteau's is the talk of Paris again and Linguini wins the heart of fellow chef Colette (Janeane Garofalo). However, not everybody is elated. The head chef (Ian Holm), who is jealous of Linguini's newfound fame, wants revenge. Also, food critic Anton Ego (Peter O'Toole) has decided to have a meal at Gusteau's - and on that very evening, Remy goes missing.

With even more realistic graphics and action seen from the point-of-view of the rats, "Ratatouille" gets our interest right from the start. Director Bird has taken computer animation one notch higher and a chase scene through the streets of Paris and onto boats on the River Seine is so splashingly real that we forget it is CGI.

Sometimes, we even forget that Remy is a rat! Bird fashions the movie as a parable about racism and tolerance. The conflict is between rats and humans, and members of each species get to learn a little about the other. There is also the classic Cyrano de Bergerac angle that has Remy teaching the boy to cook (instead of wooing the lady of his dreams).

The action in "Ratatouille" gets along like yummy French cuisine - up to the point when we see hordes of rats invading the kitchen and cooking meals. These sequences must be a put-off to parents in the audience and they could have been avoided or toned down. Still, with its slogan "Anyone Can Cook", the movie celebrates passion in creativity and the pursuit of excellence and it should inspire the kids in the audience.

To sum up, let's take a quote from Anton Ego: "Not everyone can be a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." Our compliments to master chef Brad Bird for this delightful repast. "Ratatouille" is not as entertaining as "The Incredibles", but it is close enough.

But It is truly an Inspiring Movie...There are certain scenes in the show that we can catched glimpses of Inspirational Words from the characters in the cartoon show.

DREAMS COME TRUE IF YOU HAVE A PASSION & BELIEVE IN IT!

Corporate Jokes - SICK Leave

I urgently needed a few days off work,
but I knew the Boss would not allow me to take leave.
I thought that maybe if I acted "CRAZY" then
he would tell me to take a few days off.
So I hung upside down on the ceiling and made funny noises.
My co-worker (who's blonde) asked me what I was doing?
I told her that I was pretending to be a light bulb
so that the Boss would
think I was "CRAZY" and give me a few days off.
A few minutes later the Boss came into the office
and asked "What are you doing?"
I told him I was a light bulb.
He said "You are clearly stressed out.
Go home and recuperate for a couple of days".
I jumped down and walked out of the office.
When my co-worker (the blonde) followed me,
the Boss asked her

"...And where do you think you're going?"
..
( You're gonna love this..... )
..
She said, "I'm going home too, I can't work in the dark!

Just Do It -The Right Attitude

Hey Planet,

JUST DO IT!

I love this line from Nike...Although these are just three
simple words, they are really powerful.

Many times, we get caught up in the process of analyzing
just a bit too much. We spend days, weeks and sometimes
even months before we decide whether a project is good for us
or not.

And most of the time, after spending so much time we end up
not doing anything at all! What a waste of time and energy!

Don't get into what we call "Paralysis due to Analysis!"
It will not get you anywhere.

By all means, you should do a thorough research before starting
something. But do the research fast, and get going. Do not
spend a lifetime thinking about something.

Don't try to learn everything about a project before starting.
You just cannot.

Can you learn swimming without getting in the water ? No!
Can you learn to ride a bicycle without getting on it? No!

Just start! And you will learn along the way.

Just Do It!!

Remember, success is just a decision away!

Dreams Come True - Only with Determination

Hey Planet,

This is the stuff of movies: a young man, in the face of personal and professional challenges, struggles against the odds and finally achieves his dreams.

Naozumi "Nao" Tsuchiyama, a 26-year-old Japanese language instructor whose right leg was amputated as a child and now wears a prosthetic, had always wanted to become a boxer.

To do so, he needed a boxing license but was denied this in his home country on account of his physical condition. So, he went abroad but even then it wasn't easy for him.
The first time he applied for a boxing license from the Games and Amusement Board (GAB) in the Philippines, he was rejected because his condition was deemed not fit for boxing. Medical examinations showed otherwise, but the GAB would not budge.

Last August, he took part in a trial fight in the Philippines where he impressed the GAB officials in attendance. Despite a favorable recommendation from these representatives who were impressed with his performance, the GAB still rejected his application.

Undeterred, Nao persisted and flew to South Korea to take part in the World Boxing Association's annual conference. He returned to the Philippines with the assurance that there is no international policy preventing him from fighting professionally. This time around, the GAB relented and gave him his license.
Nao will be fighting his third match in the Philippines on Aug 9. JobStreet.com is proud to support Nao's endeavor.

I hope his tale will inspire everyone to pursue their dreams. If there's a will, there's always a way.