2. Foreword
Job search is beyond sending your job applications.
It entails a multi-step process starting with a good understanding
about yourself and the employment landscape.
In this guide, you will:
• Learn the 4 effective steps to secure a job
• Get tips to differentiate yourself from other candidates
• Acquire techniques to reframe your mind and stay motivated
• Get information on the various support schemes available for your job
search journey
3. 01 Know Yourself
02 Explore Your Options
03 Build Job Search Strategies
04
Keep a Positive Spirit05
Outline
Help Is Always Available06
Connect with Employers
5. Values are beliefs &
principles that guide our
priorities and actions
Interests are what keeps us
motivated and excited everyday
Personality reveals who we
are, our work style and
preferences
Motivated Skills shows the
skills you enjoy using and are
good at
Understanding your V.I.P.S
6. What are your values?
Work- Life
Integration
Change and
Variety
Practicality
Exercise
Competence
Personal Safety Status
High Earnings /
Profits & Gain
Recognition
Power and
Authority
Challenging
Problems
Precision Work Pursue Knowledge
Excitement Friendships
Honesty and
Integrity
Diversity
Steep Learning
Curve / Fast Pace
Family Team Work Creativity
Help others /
society
Time Freedom Advancement
Work Alone /
Independence
Competition Job Security Influence people
Stability in work
routine
Take the assessment at
myskillsfuture.sg to find out more
Adapted from Richard Knowdell’s
Career Values Card Sort
7. Interests tell you what you might enjoy doing
Identify 3 of the characteristics
(Realistic, Investigative, Artistic,
Social, Enterprising and
Conventional) that most sounds
like you
Take the assessment at
myskillsfuture.sg to find out more
Adapted from John Holland’s
RIASEC occupational themes
8. Personality reveals your work style &
preferences
Take the assessment at
truity.com to find out more
I like lots of human
interaction
Which describes you better?
I prefer a quiet
environment
VSI like prefer regular
routine
I like prefer flexibility
VS
VS
VS
I like appreciate the
finer details
I rely on data
I look at the big
picture
I follow my instincts
Adapted from Carl Jung’s Myer
Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
9. Skills tell you what you are good at
Take the assessment at
myskillsfuture.sg to find out more
Teach, Train Motivate Observe Generate Ideas
Innovate /
Invent
Plan, Organize Analyse
Customer
Service
Strategise Counsel
Make
Arrangements
Initiate Change
Delegate
Use Mechanical
Abilities
Adapt to Change Research
Budget Team Work
Entertain /
Perform
Work with
Numbers
Expedite
Interview for
Information
Monitor Multi-Task
Classify Deal with Ambiguity Make Decision Sell
What sort of
transferrable skills
might you possess?
What other technical
skills / hard skills do
you also have?
Adapted from Richard Knowdell’s
Motivated Skills Card Sort
10. EXPLORE
OPTIONS
02
Now that you know your VIPS. The next step is to
scan the labour market landscape and explore what
are the potential jobs that can fit your VIPS
11. How can I find out my job options?
1. List down potential jobs that suit well with your V.I.P.S
2. Find out which industries/ companies are hiring
3. Gather facts about the jobs available:
• Nature of work
• Skills required
• Company culture
• Benefits
• Progression opportunities
4. Use the information gathered in (2) to evaluate if the
job is a good fit for you based on your V.I.PS
12. Where can I gather more information about the
job?
• Company’s website
• Job description from job search site
• Talking to an insider
• News and industry publications
13. STRATEGISE03
Being a successful jobseeker means equipping
yourself with the job search strategies to get
yourself noticed by potential employers
14. Build Your Personal Brand
1. Using your VIPS as a guide,
list down your:
• Skills and Competencies
• Values
• Personality
• Experience
• Achievements
2. Develop your Unique Selling
Proposition (USP) using the
above information
Your brand is what set you apart
from other Job Seekers!
15. Develop Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
• Your USP encapsulates your biggest strengths and
accomplishments
• It conveys what makes you unique and valuable to an
organisation
• Your USP should appear in your resume, and your social
media profile i.e. LinkedIn. It can also be used during your
interview.
Regional Operations and Marketing professional with global brands for over a
decade, driving go-to-market sales and successfully implemented business
process design and workflow optimisation.
Example:
16. Did you know that Employers spend, on average,
only 6 seconds to read your resume?
Ensure that you….
Put key info on the top third of your resume
Include a career summary/ objective
Use the keywords of the job or industry
(Zety 2019)
Draft a Well-Written Resume
17. Work Experience
Company XX,
1989-2017
Project Manager,
• Managed project budget of $300+ million and minimised
risk in buyout processes, reducing costs by 15% a year
Mr/Ms/Mdm/Miss ABC
Email: 123@gmail.com
Contact No: 65 12345678 (Mobile) 65-12345678
(Residential)
Skills & Competencies
• Cost & Capacity planning
• Risk Management
• SAP (ERP system)
Career Summary
Highly accomplished 6 sigma certified Project Manager
with more than 10 years of experience, and a proven track
record in maximising business profitability.
Accomplishments
Successfully led a team of 70 subcontractors to manage
twenty $1m to $10m projects.
• Increased profit margin by 20% (from 10%) through
implementing cost control projects
Education and Credentials
ABC University,
1985
Bachelor in Business Management
What makes a
good resume?
Contact Details
Name
Email Address
Mobile Number
Summary
Your job title,
experience, expertise,
domain knowledge,
desired attributes
Accomplishments
Cite key
achievements backed
by numbers
Skills &
Competencies
Skills relevant to
the job role
1 2
4 3
18. C.A.R: Technique to answering Interview Questions
Context
State the background, the situation or task and time in
which the candidate took his action (Relevance)
Action
Talk about what was done and how (Proficiency of
Behaviour)
Result
Share the impact of the actions taken (Impact)
Employers look for evidence of past behaviour
Hence, our answers need to provide the evidence.
19. Example of using the C.A.R approach
Context Action Results
During the crisis last
year, food and beverage
business was badly
affected and it had an
impact on our sales.
Instead of waiting for
directions, I decided to work
with my team to come up with
solutions such as a price
promotion and new recipe.
I submitted the plan to my
boss.
The plan was approved
and implemented.
We managed to keep our
sales while our
competitors’ dropped by
30%.
Q: Tell me about a time when you were in a stressful work situation
A:
20. Top 3 tricky questions
• Don’t’ share unrelated details like your family background or hobbies
• Focus on sharing about related work experiences, relevant skills, USP, that will contribute
to their organisation
Tell me about yourself
Why did you leave your last job?
• Don’t complain about your former bosses / colleagues
• Focus on the pull factors, what you look forward in working in the new company
What is your greatest weakness?
• Don’t say ‘nothing’
• Don’t say anything that is key to the success of the job role
• Show how you have made attempts to improve in your weakness
21. Interview Dos & Don’ts
Arrive 15 minutes before
your interview slot
Write a personalised
“Thank You” email to the
interviewers within 24 hours
Speak negatively about
ex-colleagues or bosses
Answer questions with a simple
“yes” or “no”
Bring up or
discuss personal
issues or family problems
Be prepared to ask at least 1
question to the interviewer
22. CONNECT WITH
EMPLOYERS
04
The final stage is to understand where employers
look for candidates, and get yourself connected with
potential employers
23. Where Do Employers Get Their Talent?
Internal Employee Hiring
Employee Referral
Talent Acquisitions,
Headhunters, Recruiters
Unsolicited
Resumes
Job
ads Jobseekers
Employers
While most jobseekers
turn to job portals & job
ads to look for jobs.. In
reality, employers prefer
to hire through word-of-
mouth and referrals!
24. A Guide to Networking
1. Identify and evaluate your network
• Bosses / Supervisors
• Peers & colleagues
• Suppliers / Business partners
• Customers
• Alumni networks
• Professional organizations
• Family & Friends
2. Reach out and connect with
your network over various stages
and platforms to warm-up the
relationship and establish trust
3. Share your career aspirations
and interests to your network
through F2F or social media
platforms
“Your network can alert you about job openings, advise you
about the skills required, or recommend you to their
contacts who are recruiting.”
26. KEEP A
POSITIVE SPIRIT
05
Job Search is a long process and the uncertainty of not
knowing when the search will end can take a toll on
our well-being.
Practice self-care & look for ways to stay motivated!
27. What sort of mindset are you geared towards?
Adapted from Carol S Dweck’s “Mindset”
28. Remember, your Emotions, Thoughts and Behaviour
are inter-connected
T
BE
Thoughts
What we THINK affects
how we act and feel
Behaviour
What we DO affects how
we think and feel
Emotions
How we FEEL affects
what we think and do
Adapted from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
29. We have 60,000
– 80,000
thoughts a day
Reframe your Thoughts to Stay Positive
When you experience a negative thought i.e. No one will
recruit me because of my age, ask yourself…
1. What makes you feel this way?
2. Is it true? Think of possible examples to counter your negative
thoughts.
3. What other ways could I think of?
Eg. My age gives me a wealth of experience. I may have not
sufficiently highlight my USP and experience to potential employers
4. How will the new thoughts affect your job search?
30. Focus on things that are in your control – Your time, your energy,
your self-worth, who you surround yourself with.
Establish a daily routine – set aside time to do your job search daily,
research on the company.
Manage Your Well Being Through Positive Actions
Surround yourself with positive people – attend
networking events, volunteer.
Get moving – establish a regular exercise regime and
eat healthy.
32. Government Support
• Re-skill to move into jobs in growth sectors with the
Professional Conversion Programmes
• Assess your job fit in a role that interests you through a
short work stint with Career Trial
• Access jobs with salary & training support with the Career
Support Programme
• Widen your network and opportunity by participating in
Career Preparatory workshops and Career Events by
WSG
33. Speak To a Professional
Career Coaching is a collaboration between you and a professionally-
certified Career Coach who will guide you in discovering your strengths
and interests, so that you can make informed career decisions and realise
your goals. Your commitment is needed for a strong client-coach
partnership.
Find out more about WSG’s
Career Coaching and Advice at
mycareersfuture.sg/careercoaching
