There's absolutely a lot to find online that can benefit us. Education, opportunities, connection. The world seem to get smaller and smaller yet ties can become stronger. There is a need though of what you are pouring your time into. Since the internet had vastly given birth to websites, sources and social networks, it also had become dangerous in the sense that should all of them be given attention?
I admit that I spend a lot of time in the internet. Instead of taking my time to rest, I always catch myself browsing over a social network's newsfeed. I cheat on making way to achieving a recipe thru pinterest and gym time is often neglected when I extend more hours working online for researching for my blog. All of these are actually not much of an issue if I would manage my time more wisely.
It's crucial to separate what is of essence with what's actually nonsense when you google. It's hard not to depend on online information most especially when it is about a review of a location you want to travel to. I guess it's right to say, choose wisely what you spend time into.
With that being said, I don't want to hold you further but I need to give out this important information you might find handy considering the things that you'd love to do or learn without compromising the beauty of connecting live to a person and/or without feeling guilty that nothing productive happened with your day.
1. There's yet another free webinar that you may find beneficial to your own learning towards investing wisely. If you are investing on stocks, this may guide you thru critical analysis, strategic approach and fundamental steps:
2. Into connecting to an audience thru your talent? Are you capable of telling a story allowing a group of people to learn from it directly? Would you be interested to do drama? How about if Kevin Spacey would be your teacher? Would you be interested?
Don't fret. Because it's all a click away. This website offers a masterclass that you may enjoy fully with the help of the professionals that you see on TV.
3. Been wanting to trying something different? Sign up for a free crossfit class in FITNESS ACADEMY HK and unleash the beast in you. No expectations, no judgements, just focus and determination and your body will thank you after a good day's work out. The box (what you call the training grounds for crossfit) may be intimidating, not until you let a day breeze thru it. This is one way to get you up your seat and ditch getting succumbed to the internet without having a productive day.
There's no age limit in wanting to achieve your dreams. Make it happen by committing to a driven institution. The top design school in Hong Kong offers courses that is not just limited to fashion but interior design, app design and photography, 3 of the most in demand specialisations in the industry. Rewrite your future by excelling in what you truly love. Feed your creative instincts by learning from the experts.
The teachers in raffles are more than educators. They practice as they teach embracing diversity and continuous trends. They hold small classes to make sure students are given personal attention and monitoring. They aim each of them to be recognised globally by developing their potential at its utmost momentum.
5. Would you like to get paid as you tap your android on the road? If you are the kind of person who likes to play games, wants to be the first to know about the new released apps, and answer quizzes, you'll be delighted to know about an app called Cash Gift.
Cash gift makes you earn points that may actually be converted to gift cards, free coupons and Pay Pal credits as you do tasks, namely, downloading some cool stuff, watching a video, installing and playing games like candy crush, simply passing level 5 of a certain game and voila! You earn coins.
I am not really much of the game person because I don't like overloading my phone with games. But the idea is, I just one task that says, Tap to get 20 coins and rate them 5 to get 30 coins. It's that simple. Then exit.
I've been waiting for mine to come about. And I just earned my points to redeem my second dollar from Amazon. At first, I was wary with how real this goes but I got my gift card via email and now, I'm ready to use it. US$2 is not that much but I basically just have to tap my phone and points keep on coming daily. I wouldn't mind doing that!
6. A similar rewarding system offers redemption of lifestyle coupons to use in Park N' Shop for groceries, ZALORA for trendy fashion ensembles, Maxim's for pastries and Mannings for toiletries. Just log in to www.valuedopinions.hk. How does it work?
As you join in, you will be asked about your personal preferences about, food, sports, lifestyle, fashion and recreation. This first part was actually fun because all that you have to do is tick. The system will get hold of your answers putting it into a pool of downlines that somehow calculates the surveys that may need your response to. Most of the time, as a consumer of a certain product. To share, I have answered a survey about German wines, a learning institution, importance of an insurance and something that I would be expecting in a new gadget. It is not hoax as I am HK$3 away from redeeming mine so just bear with it. It is checking your email of surveys that will actually pay you.
Enjoy surfing guys!
Related posts:
1. 10 THINGS TO DO IN HONG KONG - planning to go to Hong Kong for a vacation? Here are some suggested itinerary for you not to miss.
2. CASHFLOW - a board game that will teach you how to handle finances as you anticipate real life situations.
3. LIMITLESS - a blog post featuring the 15 Richest Men of the World of Forbes Magazine in 2012.
In the Philippines, Summer season starts during the month of April and it completes as the month of May ends. That means thousands of graduates are expected to either pursue higher learning or employment around this time. Since I left the academe, I became solely focused on entertainment addressing my shift of career. I constantly keep abreast with this kind of moments though and I would like to inspire you of what my godfather's daughter had spoken about in her valedictorian speech that I believe may help us in so many ways.
It goes:
"These past years, I have applied some basic math principles to survive. If there's one thing I learned in Math, it is that every problem has a solution.
I added the positives. I am forever grateful for my God-given talents and continually worked on improving them. I could always count on the support of my family and friends and the patience and dedication of my dear teachers.
I subtracted the negatives. When you subtract a negative number, it becomes positive. I tried to take criticisms constructively. I worked on overcoming my flaws and weaknesses. I considered problems as challenges to be solved. I looked at my detractors as irrational numbers and simply accepted the fact that they are non-terminating or never ending.
I multiplied. I multiplied my efforts and tried to be more productive. I multiplied the love I gave and friendships I offered and received much greater products.
When I am overwhelmed with so much to do, I divided. I divided huge tasks into smaller and simpler tasks and conquered. I managed my time wisely.
I started with Math and would like to end with what we just learned in Science - Newton's Laws of Motion.
The first law, the Law of Inertia, says an object in motion stays in motion. Today, we achieved our goals and dreams but we should never rest on our laurels. Let us continuously enhance our skills and apply what we have learned to our lives.
The 3rd law, the law of Interaction, states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. You reap what you sow. The harder we work, the more fruits our labor will bear.
Saving the best for last again, I go back to the 2nd law. The Law of Acceleration tells us that the greater the force and the lesser the mass, the faster the accelerations. Let us thank the focus behind our acceleration, our progress and success - our parents, our teachers, school administrators and staff, and friends. Cliche as it may sound, I would not be here delivering this speech if it were not for the unconditional love and support my parents gave me. I would also like to thank my brother Renzo who teases me often to challenge me and toughen me. Lastly, I will be forever thankful for all the blessing of the highest, greatest and most powerful Divine force - God. On the other hand, let us leave behind all the mass or weight that pulls us down so we can accelerate and soar higher. As our graduation song says, let us all "reach for the sky".
Thank you and congratulations to all of us!"
- Patricia Tan
Reading this had inspired me in more ways than one. And it's good to be reminded of the lessons I've learned before in the classroom that I may have just brushed off the moment I had gone to the next year of learning. Patricia has a special way of looking at things. She is gifted to associate some scientific laws to everyday life. And I got to meet her intact with sweetness and innocence that instantly makes her smile gleam in a crowd. I don't have doubts that she'll be imparting this to young kids in the future being in the academe as well. She is a ball of energy full of potential and influence. I, myself, got influenced.
Patricia and her mom, Ninang Joy when they visited me in the
happiest place on earth.
She graduated from Chiang Kai Shek College.
She received the honours from both English
and Chinese Graduation.
Related posts:
1. LOOK UP - watch this very touching video about what we miss in life as we google.
2. WE ALL DON'T WANT TO BE JUDGED - There's a story behind every personality. Know who are the ones who have to right to judge.
3. LIVING THE DREAM - Get inspired further by reading about this personas as they make their dreams into reality thru their business ventures.
I am inspired to write this post while watching "Jobs". A movie about this millennium's greatest innovator, Steve Jobs. There are so many things in this lifetime that we ought to take for granted. Nowadays, something free is misunderstood for something that can be thrown out to trash. And a lot of people think that when they pay a high price for something, it's always worth it to have it, may it be experience or commodity. The thing is, whether it is free or expensive in monetary sense, the connection of it to achieving your goal is what it's all about. Steve Jobs was able to connect a gadget to a person. How? By following his vision of making it happen. This March, there are a lot of opportunities that may help you realise what you are passionate about.
in Hong Kong...
with TGFI's Floi Wycoco
Let me start off with my own passion for dreaming of a financially literate Philippines. This March 20, there's a free talk from non other than Mr. Floi Wycoco, the CEO and founder of The Global Filipino Investors (TGFI) whom we got to meet last year in the workplace on the side, while on vacation with his wife at the happiest place on earth. With his dedication to extending help to those who want to help themselves to be financially secure, he had made himself available that day to push our momentum into creating a Hong Kong chapter for TGFI. There are a lot of overseas Filipino workers here in Hong Kong who are neglectful of the importance of having an insurance, having an emergency fund and most of all, the importance of being financially free. To that, allow me to encourage you to attend this introductory talk about financial education. In collaboration with my good friend's own advocacy, the Spearhead Mission, TGFI and the Philippine Consulate invites every Filipino to this event. Check out the posters below and please do share it to the rest of your Filipino friends.
To follow that up with certainly an opportunity to start off your journey to financial freedom, here's another free seminar in the afternoon of the same day. Trust me that there's no selling involved here. It's just pure knowledge available for all who desire to be truly rich.
in Manila...
Photography requires a visionary alright. In my own opinion, every captured moment is a timeless art. Moreover, it tells a story.
This Mar. 12, in UP Diliman, I am proud that a colleague of mine from work, Martina Manalo will be holding a photography workshop that you may find helpful as she talks about how to keep all focus to the subject and how important building an online portfolio could help you showcase your work.
Fees are at HK$150/workshop. Do contact 0917-631-1400.
Last but not the least, you could pursue your dream of becoming a performing artist by chasing them. Get in these auditions if you think you have what it takes to be the next Lea Salonga.
Related posts:
1. HOW TO SAVE HK$5000 IN 52 WEEKS - Here is a guide in developing a habit of saving.
2. TEST YOUR FINANCIAL FITNESS - You can only say you're rich if you are complete with these.... Take this test if you want to know your financial status.
3. RAFFLES SCHOOL OF DESIGN - if you want to pursue a career in design, check my experience with their fashion design alumnus last February, 2016.
Being too attached to something or someone explains that difficult bearings may arise once that something or someone becomes absent. But here is a list this new year's, on top of the other ones, that may help you in achieving the rest of your lists because this offers a clean slate. As a repost, here is a superb list of what you should physically let go.
1. OLD MAGAZINES
Get rid of old magazines you have lying around because chances are, you aren't going to read them again. Nowadays, the smart phones are readily available with the information you will get from them. For the record, I am attached to them because they are my favourite. But I must be honest to myself, I would rather bring my phone to a coffee shop, check out Pinterest than carry nearly a kilo of that very thick mag.
2. RECEIPTS, BILLS AND DOCUMENTS
Throw away receipts for items that you aren't planning on returning and ones that you won't need to use come tax time. Most of the banks offer an option of consolidated bank statements that can be sent straight to your email. Besides the fact that you can save the trees every month, you are liberated from the space issues of where to stack it.
3. CLOTHES
Use the two-year rule for clothes - get rid of apparel that you haven't worn in two years. Pregnancy clothes (most especially trousers) are rare finds. Those you can keep if you are planning to have a second baby but the rest, please do free yourself from a cluttered closet.
4. BOOKS
Go through your bookshelf and gather together books you haven't touched in months and ones that you aren't planning on rereading. Giving it away is a good way of getting rid of them.
5. MEDICINE AND VITAMINS
Take a look at your medicine closet and clear out drugs that have expired, medicine that has sat on your shelf for too long, or anything you no longer use. This is a very crucial chore not to miss. Expiration dates are quite important.
6. MAKEUP AND PERFUME
Go through your beauty cabinet and get rid of make up that's too old or that you don't use. Every make up item has a shell life. Once it's opened up and got exposed to the air, start counting.
"Unopened, well-formulated cosmetics can remain stable for a couple of years at room temperature," says Ni'Kita Wilson, a cosmetic chemist at Cosmetech Laboratories in Fairfield, NJ. "But the clock starts once you bring a product home and open it. When air hits the formula, certain ingredients start to oxidize and degrade."
7. JEWELRY
Go through your jewellery and dispose of the broken costume jewellery and make plans to sell anything you don't wear. Pre-loved items are a hit nowadays online. Repackage it after tidying it up, take a photo of it then find a platform or a social network that may aid you in selling it.
8. FOOD
Go through your pantry and fridge and clear out items that need to be thrown out - the old, unused and rotting. Ex. cheese, mayonnaise, mustard
9. SOME MEMORABILIA
Many organising experts advise to ruthless and throw away memorabilia like cards and gifts you don't use. If this is truly hard for you, at least compile it, or search on any DIY project that you could use these for your next art project.
10. NOTEBOOKS
If you have a ton of notebooks lying around, take a look at them and throw out the ones you no longer need. For those who aren't nearly finished off its pages, tear them out and compile them to create a new notebook. At least, instead of having 3 notebooks lying around, you'd be down to one.
11. OLD OR UNUSED ELECTRONICS
Sell your electronics on Gazelle.com or Nextworth.com. Or again, your inventive friend may just have a use for it.
There you go folks. Doing this could help you start off the new year with a clearer view of your surroundings, helping you stay focused on what should be prioritised with your "personal" life. Doing this may seem hard but it's the same with some issues that you may have lingering in your thoughts. As for your training, let these go first and maybe you'd have the guts to do it with the harder ones. Remember, another's man's trash could be another man's gold.
Related posts:
1. BUCKET LIST - Having to check each is a great feeling. Read this then have one!
2. HAPPINESS PROJECT - The first way to happiness is DECLUTTERING according to Gretchen Rubin.
3. HOW FINANCIALLY FIT ARE YOU? - You want to know if you're financially stable? Take this quiz to find out.
Settling had made me sit aback and realise life's complexities. Right now, decisions are not done just for the sake of what I want or what fits in my schedule. My spouse and my daughter are the primary considerations for all the decisions I have to make.
Realizations, shifts in how I think and enlightenment that took time to seep in my mind is becoming clearer as ever. I am reminded of my purpose when my daughter giggles right in front of me. My drive comes from my spouse often when I hear him vent out about how he had a tired day because of a promise to be strong when he gets weak. All of these are symptoms of a family woman. And like how I always convince myself at the end of the day, I tell to myself, "I am a grown up."
Being a grown up entitles you to many things. With that much responsibility that it expects from you, life still needs to be perceived simply. Challenges will always be there but you should never think that others had not gone that road. One's experience may be different with the other but dealing with a life changing situation may have been dealt by somebody in a certain way. That being said, let me share to you how I came about a calling to an advocacy.
It's just this year that all of it started.
My old time best friends and I have our own family to rear and slowly, we fused into one thinking about how to make the most out of our productive years. We recently had that much time to rethink our 401(k)'s. We are aware that we are employed by the same company for nearly 10 years. So, when there was a random invitation to whoever needs understanding in terms of percentage allocation for the investment we put out on it every month, we went for it. Fast forward, we became interested in becoming financially literate.
As we start investing outside Hong Kong's compulsory one, Fidelity, we became aware of stocks, maturity dates, importance of insurances, compounding interest, retirement and many more. And one investment tool aids somebody into saving a certain amount faithfully, every month for 3 years, allowing it to earn a fixed 5% each month. Imagine if that money would be allowed to reach a maturity date of 20 years without getting withdrawn, it'd be earning millions. So, a paradigm shift happened to me giving this a thought that if I had started investing 8 years ago the time I left my hometown to work as an overseas worker, I would have a million at least in 12 years to start a business or something. I could actually retire at 44 if I would want to. Because I came here to Hong Kong when I was 24.
The catch is, I just knew of it now. So I just started 4 months ago. But then again, it is still good. Because if I wasn't able to do something before, the next best thing for me to focus on is that, I can still do something about it NOW. In addition, my friends and I had pleaded to sharing to the best of our ability, for FREE, the necessary information for all youngsters coming in and working here with us to know the importance of SAVING MONEY, INVESTING AND REINVESTING, the 3 Basic Laws of Money.
Starting to spread the mission in our humble home.
Here is what Melody Hobson had to say for I dream of doing the same thing in our own little way here in Hong Kong. We gather an intimate group and share basic knowledge for further financially literate society. Check out the website: www.spearheadmission.com and support us by sharing it to whoever needs it in any way.
Related posts:
1. PARADIGM SHIFT - 3 universal concepts that had happened in our pursuit of a financially literate society
2. CASHFLOW - everybody needs to wake up at some point, playing this may do the work for you.
3. HOW FINANCIALLY FIT ARE YOU - a simple test to take to know if you are in the right track in supporting yourself financially.http://www.spearheadmission.com
"COL Financial Group, Inc. is the leading online stockbroker in the Philippines established in 1999. It aims to be the most trusted wealth-building partner of every Philippine investor by providing value driven, innovative solutions and easily accessible financial tools to help investors achieve their financial goals.
To date, COL is the fastest growing online stockbroker with over 100,000 customers and PHP 55 billion in customer assets. COL is committed to help you build genuine wealth by providing client-focused products and services."
Here are some of the important things to achieve as you invest.
1. Become Financially Independent
Financial independence is the ability to be self-sustaining. It means having passive income to enable you to do what you enjoy the most without having to worry about living expenses.
2. Attain Your Financial Goals
Having a plan on how to achieve your financial goals will serve as motivation and create the proper drive towards investing. Whether you have short or long-term goals, investing can help you attain them by making your money work for you.
3. Build Financial Security
Investments are meant to protect and grow the value of your money to help beat inflation. This allows you to take control of your financial health.
4. Stay Ahead
The earlier you start investing, the less money you will need to attain financial freedom. Through the power of compounding, your investments will grow over time and help achieve your goals.
HOW DO YOU INVEST?
1. Pay yourself first
The first and best way to start investing is by saving money. Every time you receive your pay check, set aside a portion of your income for savings prior to expenses.
2. Set Financial Goals
In order to take charge of your financial future, you must set realistic goals that are attainable within a certain timeframe. This will determine the direction of your investments.
3. Choose an INVESTMENT PLAN
Successful investing requires discipline. Select and commit to an investment plan that matches your needs and goals. Taking concrete steps will help guide you in achieving your financial objectives.
WHAT IS THE STOCK MARKET?
The STOCK MARKET is a place where you can buy and sell shares of publicly listed companies. Investing in stocks will allow you to benefit from a company's growth.
*Stocks make your money grow through:
1. PRICE APPRECIATION - An increase in the value of your stock price that can occur as the company continues to earn.
2. EARNING DIVIDENDS - A portion of a company's earnings can be distributed to its shareholders either in the form of cash or stock.
WHY INVEST IN THE STOCK MARKET?
History shows that STOCKS outperforms ALL asset classes.
Compounded Return of Stocks
versus Inflation
(2003-2014)
*The value of stocks was based on the actual performance
of the PSEi from 2003 until December of 2014
BENEFITS OF TRADING WITH COL 1. CONVENIENCE - A user-friendly trading platform that's only a click away. 2. INFORMED DECISIONS - Expert Opinion and Research are offered to all customers. 3. FULL CONTROL - Providing all the necessary tools for the independent investor. 4. ACCESSIBILITY - Available anytime, anywhere online and through mobile devices. 5. AFFORDABILITY - Charging the lowest commission rate available in the industry. 6. CUSTOMER SUPPORT - A dedicated team to assist the customer in his/her trading experience.
HOW TO GET STARTED
In four easy steps:
1. APPLY - Application forms are available and can be accomplished online. Provide all the necessary information.
2. SUBMIT - Submit the application form together with the complete requirements to our office of via mail.
3. FUND - Fund your COL account via our partnered banks through merchant payment online or over-the-counter bank deposit.
4. LEARN - To learn more about successful investing, you can attend COL's various seminars by registering online.
For more information, you can visit their website at www.colfinancial.com or email us at help desk@colfinancial.com
Testimonial:
I had my account with COL Financial four months ago and so far, I have never had problems except on the remittance part into my account. As advised, you should give their office 24 hours for your new available amount to reflect online but I have had an experience that it took longer than that. But their help desk was quick to revive this when I emailed them. So, as far as online service is concerned they are fast and efficient to answer. I aim to keep my account for long term holding a mutual fund and with this quick responses, they make me feel that they are worth of my trust.
They are also abreast with some of the news updates that you need to get hold of in terms of the stocks you are investing on. So, everything is just but a click away. It's super easy to use and very informative.
2. CASHFLOW - Know the importance of it. Learn it now and learn it fast.
3. ENTREPRENEURSHIP - Some of small business owners that may give you an insight of some of the important elements you should consider in living your own dream business.
A job interview can make you or break you. How you present yourself is one thing and how you give justification to such impression is another. It is important to be yourself but being too comfortable or over smart may lead you to becoming inappropriate.
For my #NoTearsThursday, here is a guide, for you not to worry when that day comes. Here is an opportunity for you to know why they ask these questions. Below are pie charts (as courtesy let me acknowledge.. Art by: Ashwin Hirwe, Copy by: Amol Mahajan) that show you the small percentage window whether you're going to get the job or not based on how smart or over smart your answer is. It also shows that in giving the smart answer, you are most likely to get hired and how over-smart answers affect you. These are just but a few of the common questions that may sound very simple but denotes such great weight on your portfolio.
1. WHAT IS YOUR WEAKNESS?
This question is crucial to you but it is imperative on the interviewer's behalf. This should not be taken subjectively. Analyzing it, answering this with utmost honesty is a suicide. Yet, it tests you on how you acknowledge a window of opportunity to learn. And also, for the interviewer to know if you consider space for growth in a humble way. Most of the people who admit to being weak at something comes with a kind of defense mechanism in return. It is a given that nobody is perfect but it is always impressive when you encounter a great deal of enthusiasm when something negative is turned into something productive.
2. WHAT IS YOUR REASON BEHIND LEAVING YOUR LAST JOB?
Never and I mean NEVER say anything bad about your previous employer. First and foremost, no matter what you'll say negative and no matter how you defend yourself around it, it'll always be perceived as you being unprofessional. Why? Number 1, most likely, you were in the same situation way before you got that "now" previous job, wooing an interviewer. That being said, you have loved such position and asked for it. How it had turned out in the end was solely because of you and your choices. From that perspective, you're the one to be blamed and not for your previous employer to be bad mouthed. Number 2, for some twist of faith, the "previous" job may have led you to knowing this new job so if not for it, you're not getting interviewed as of the moment. Number 3, for sure, no matter how long you've stayed there, you still had been a part of it, for sure you have contributed in that company one way or another and for sure, you have learned something from them. Whatever you'll end up offering this new company that you're going for, you will not be the confident you if not for that previous job.
If worse comes to worst and you really had a bad experience with them, (because companies got great connections, they may find out what really happened eventually), you may just mention that such circumstance had made you grow as an employee and that experience will always remind you why failure is not an option.
3. WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?
Obviously, this is a way for you to build up yourself. Choose a brief individual strength and one that will give your interviewer an idea that your flexible enough to work with a team. Be careful in not sounding cocky nor hollow. In general, focus your answer into how you will contribute to the company's edge. The interviewer relies greatly on this on why the company should hire you.
4. WHY SHOULD WE HIRE YOU?
This is an opportunity specifically asking how you can help the company keep up its good reputation and how efficient are you in maintaining it so. In addition, this is also the chance for you to showcase whatever you can help the company achieve either thru your expertise, experience or vision. Any employer would be moved to hiring you if you have that impact, confidence and much knowledge of the position you're striving for. So a well researched interviewee has a higher percentage of getting hired. At this point, remember how unique you are and it's important that you understand that this is your selling factor. There should be something that you, specifically, do that cannot be attributed or delegated to anybody else. Know it. Fast.
5. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF SUCCESSFUL?
At this point, morale is analysed. More likely, this is a way of gauging how you react with life circumstances. Again, nobody's perfect and there's always room for improvement. Being successful is meeting your goals and achieving it with full honesty and 150% effort. It's not a bad idea to brag a little but make sure it's kept at a minimum. It's not right to say a lot of things about you, almost sounding like, making it up. It's perfect if your recommendation letter is at hand if there are/is any as per supporting document. Do acknowledge (if the company honours team work) that as a team player, you understand the importance of the role each member holds and that you're more than willing to work with them. This way, you are letting your interviewer know that your eyes are open to the idea that wherever you may be, you can create success.
6. WHY HAVE YOU BEEN UNEMPLOYED FOR SUCH A LONG TIME?
This is only significant if you were really unemployed at the time that you were applying for this new job. Now, based on the smart answer given below, it's highlighting the interviewee's drive in investing on himself. You see, it is important that you find a channel to reach into your interviewer's curiosity. Thru the line of achievements you've presented in your CV plus the most recent learning you've acquired, you may be a secret weapon in the making. Knowing how to multitask is a plus but once you get the job, you should be able to deliver. Efficiency is key. Multitasking efficiently is what's substantial. Answering this way is actually convincing the interviewer of this trait. And that you took a break not just because you wanted to waste time. Hitting two birds in just one stone, you have convinced him that you're an efficient "multitasker" and that you're an efficient time manager.
7. HOW LONG WOULD YOU EXPECT TO WORK FOR US IF HIRED? It wouldn't hurt that you would admit that you are after growth in the company you want to get into. After all, that's how we thrive. As human beings and living creatures, we need to grow. And it is our right to weigh if the environment we're in will facilitate that growth. This is an interesting question to ask your interviewer in the end if questions are welcome from your behalf. It may be constructed this way, "What makes you stay in the company?" In the end, this will help you know what to expect from them.
8. DESCRIBE YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE.
Time is of importance because this is the most essential commodity that gets you paid. That is money from the company paid to you. No boss would want to see you wasting their money because you're time serving them is not getting maximised. That being said, every interviewer looks for your ability to manage time well. In addition, higher positions require your management skills of people, projects and time, "altogether". With the way you will be delivering your answer for this, you will be able to denote how organised you can be. So, this question is quite an umbrella of knowing everything that the interviewer needs to know.
9. ARE YOU A TEAM PLAYER?
Thou art very good in sports, it doesn't mean that thou have to brag all of the gold medals thou have won. You are lucky if you are able to come up with a metaphor to show how efficient you could be in delegating jobs with the sports you play. Or if your interviewer plays the same sport as you for him to understand what you're saying.
But being a team player in the office is totally different.
Furthermore, this information is crucial as to how you deal with budding subordinates. Yes, you are OK in letting other people swim on their own as far as honing them to build and create in order to feed them with experience. But because of this they have the liberty to make errors of their own as well (and hopefully learn from it). What the interviewer would be interested to know is, as the leader of these subordinates, how would you manage implying the principle of making minimal errors yet maintaining big experiences for them? How do you deal with deadlines while working with the team? It's always not a good thing if you'd say you prefer working alone. At every job, whether you are a janitor or a CEO, you will be having work mates.
10. WHAT POSITION DO YOU PREFER ON A TEAM WORKING ON A PROJECT
When you are asked of "your" preference, it's always a test of character. This is your chance to show versatility at your end. Being flexible means you easily adapt. And that's a plus to you if you are always ready to adjust without bending the quality of your services into a compromise. This trait comes in handy most especially when you have specialised NOT involving your emotions when changes have to be made during crunch time. Meaning, when you can outperform your emotions of cramming and panic with a productive gesture, well and good.
11. WHAT IRRITATES YOU ABOUT A CO-WORKER?
This question is very subjective in nature but this gauges you on how well you filter your emotions. It's always a good choice to be the bigger person in the end but be careful in not being labeled as a loser. The interviewer may perceive what kind of personality you have with your manner of answering this particular trigger. Remember that getting fixated on a negative emotion is always a no-no. Moreover, you don't have to tell a specific scenario complete with the dramatic particulars when asked of this. All that the company needs to know is if you are still able to keep your professionalism intact when dealing with personal shit.
12. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR ABILITY TO WORK UNDER PRESSURE.
When you work, expect different kinds of pressure. Most of the time, when there's pressure involved, you are working for something in demand or for someone who got high expectations of you. Don't get me wrong, both are actually positive on your account. So, instead of cracking under pressure, you should be more driven to deliver your best. Yet again, nobody's perfect but there's always a better way in handling even the most difficult situations. You should have discreet ways in your pocket on how to keep pressure under control. This is most beneficial when you are going for a higher position.
Usually, acknowledgement of other team members and delegation to your subordinates are powerful tools to counter failure because of too much work pressure. Though this challenge alone can make you or break you, the outcome of it will still be charged to experience in the end. Anything may help you out in avoiding unnecessary errors later on.
13. HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF FIVE YEARS FROM NOW?
Depending on your planned timeline, it is important that in answering this, your supposed growth will be directly proportional to the growth of the company or at least the account that your handling. It's a plus if there are also some of your subordinates that would get promoted because of your initiative of letting them grow. Your ability to adapt, learn, give support and serve as an inspiration is a promising guide in coming up with your timeline in the company you want to pursue. Aspire for limitless capacity. Putting these thoughts altogether will lead you to a sturdy and reliable response that will surely get you the job.
14. WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FROM THIS JOB?
After doing immense research of the company you want to get into and the role you would want to have, it's undeniable that you would be having expectations of your own. To your advancement, touch the idea of growing internally alongside your colleagues. Impress your interviewer with your sincerity of becoming superb with the guidance and tools their company can provide. This way, your interviewer would feel that you're not only the kind of person that is well read and knowledgeable about how to make time work for you but that, you can also be an asset in the end for your dedication into your own skill development. Once you are assured of an attainable expectation, most likely, you will get hired.
15. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR US?
There's no other answer to this question except for that one below since it shows your enthusiasm and your unfailing determination to join their team. This is how the question, "How bad do you want this?" is applied. There are a list of good questions too that you may ask such as, "What made you stay?", "What are the short and long term goal of the company?", "What are the company's initiative regarding learning and development?". These are examples of impressive questions that you may learn a lot from. On the other hand, your interviewer would feel that you have a great desire for further efficiency on your part. It gives you a promising status from there.
You may also like:
1. 5 TIPS IN PREPARATION FOR A JOB INTERVIEW - The ultimate guideline as you prepare for the day that will surely change your life.
2. HOMEBAKERS TURNED ENTREPRENEURS - Here are some of the bakers I personally know who have made a name in the cake business. You might be needing their services. Read on!
3. DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD - a student and a professor having a dialogue justifying God's existence. It is an interesting read.
Since we are made from the image and likeness of God:
"The desire to create is one of the
deepest yearnings of the human soul."
- DIETER UCHTDORF
Being influenced into widening my horizons in pursuit of financial freedom, I've come to a realisation that the road to being rich is not easy. Time is of the essence, that's consideration number one. It's easy to say that everything follows after that. Taking advantage of the power of habit, compounding and your biggest emotional WHY are key factors. But I encounter bumps in the road every now and then such as slacking, procrastinating and doubting. According to the books I hold very substantial with my aims and goals, they always remind their readers to find a way to sustain such drive. This is due to the reason that at one point, it will be hard to keep up with your goals because of certain reasons, dilemmas and personal challenges. In short, we may find ourselves going back to our own bad habits when we don't feel some sort of gratification or reward with our chosen investment tools. And this is not just 1% of the people who tried to keep a budget (for example) to give justice to their goals. Most of the time, 99% fail because they didn't establish ways to continuously inspire themselves to keep the fire burning.
The books mentioned about choosing the people you hang out with and having mentors. Better yet, finding people that you may look up to who are experts in the field that you'd like to achieve. The most important thing is, establish your deepest WHY then find the people who'd respect and support it.
With that being said, I continuously observe myself as to how I'm usually moved, how do I get driven... Blessed be, the presence of an old colleague who now directs shows in the Philippines, taking a photo of me while performing had made me figure out that people, who become successful with their pursuit inspire me (like her) more than ever. That night, I thought of how far some of the people I knew from before had gone and I decided to feature them in terms of the small businesses they now own.
At first, I just wanted these people to be in my vision board to serve as an inspiration to me but I thought of sharing their story to all of you as well. Besides the recognition they deserve, it maybe one of the small business ideas that you were eyeing from the beginning but never had the courage to go for because of huge amounts of doubts in your head.
1. METRICA ENTERPRISES, DEL MUNDO ARCHITECTS
Townhouses built by Architect Alvin Gloda Del Mundo
a sample of what an accordion gate
looks like
OK people, I've got to start with the very familiar to me. I basically grew up seeing my mom and her siblings reign in Sampaloc, Manila (Philippines) with their real estate businesses. My parents had owned a Realty Corporation and a second-hand lumber before. They resell antique furnitures, sturdy accordion gates, high quality G.I. sheets (to name a few) in line with demolishing, building and selling town houses all over the district. Eventually, none of us had continued the business since, I ended up being a licensed nurse turned performing artist, our eldest became a dentist and our youngest graduated Information Technology turned nurse. (That almost sounded like a cycle I know!)
Any legacy ready to be built starts with a calling. And my cousin, ALVIN GLODA DEL MUNDO was called upon to design and build the modern town houses of today when he became a full-pledged architect.
"Never be afraid of CHANGE.
It will always be constant in our lives."
- Architect Alvin Gloda Del Mundo
I grew up with my cousins and Alvin was the youngest of us all. Because of that, he gets bullied most of the time and the way he reacts was actually funny. He would always mumble, "You will see, I will be somebody someday." And from then on, I know that he was a man of his word and failing was never in his vocabulary.
He graduated from Mapua Institute of Technology and had earned his license after several projects involving his mom.
My auntie, as I remember (and I hope she won't hate me saying this), was very strict on my cousin, Alvin. Being the only son, he was the only heir to manage the business that his mom had put up in great efforts. Eventually, it had paid off. No bias, but before Alvin reached 30, he had established a good reputation as a reliable manager of the family business involving her wife who's an architect as well and had been helping out in each of his project's design and utilisation.
Name of Company: METRICA ENTERPRISES, DEL MUNDO ARCHITECTS Nature of Business: Design, build and sell, demolition of houses Ownership: Family owned Location: Manila, Philippines Number of years before it was established: since he was college, 12-15 years Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): They proudly design it from ground up. Their passion and profession are their edge over the other realtors.
Invested money on the business: Php 0.00 - since family owned Price range of the product: Php 5-7 million/unit
Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? "Definitely an ULTIMATE DREAM!"
Training: MAPUA Institute of Technology for the engineering degree. Own enterprise for practice.
Is this your first business? Yes.
Further plans (expansion)? Bigger design office to cater more clients.
Little trivia about the business? I treat this business as my playground. It's the type of business that has no redundancy... every project/design is like a new toy to be played in the mind.
When Alvin was young, I would always see a lot of model vinyl collector's item sort of toys for his collection. The ones that you have tinker with to build its form. He was a fan of lego too and we loved playing in the second hand lumber back then. I am more than proud of how he had become that I look up to his achievements. You can contact him at his email if you're interested to avail of his services: hellspawn_alvin@yahoo.co.uk
2. EDGE 'N POINTE DANCE CENTRE
As a performing artist, I hail dance schools. Moreover, I know how hard it is to get kids into liking dance most especially when their parents are not even fond of this form of art to begin with.
Since I have handled a class for two whole summers in Jill Ngo's Peak Dance Studio 8 years ago, I can totally relate to short attention spans, bratty attitude and clueless faces as to why they have to dance. I feel that it is such an achievement every time I am able to make a kid move somehow back then. That's why I look up to a dance teacher's dedication.
Personally, dancing had been a way for me to balance myself. Besides writing, it is an utmost way to express myself. I love it very much that I don't mind doing it everyday. Now, that I get to do it, it gets a little harder to accept each day that there will come a time that I would get old and would not be as flexible or active as I am today. To that, I always see to it that I dance like my last each time.
"Put your passion as a front liner.
Nothing will work if you're not passionate
and if you don't love what you're doing."
- Verna Fajila-Brazil
As I get to work in the happiest place on earth, I was able to come across a pool of the most talented people.
Verna, one of the prima ballerinas of her time is both a blessing and an angel for me. Trained in Ballet Philippines, I had known Verna to be part of the chorus dancers (as a gazelle) of Hong Kong Disneyland's Lion King Theatre Show.
At a volleyball match, she was one of the people who had saw a spark between my husband (now) and I upon our first meet-up 8 years ago. Little did I know then that he kept on asking her who I was.
Verna's aspiration was to become a professional ballerina since she was little. In fulfilling this dream, she worked hard and looked up to all the people that helped her reach her dreams. She realised that she was being called to teach as her passion for dance had grown enormously thru the years. She believed that she could inspire younger generations thru performing arts.
One thing I know about Verna is that, she is a very selfless person, very thoughtful and kind. This shines thru her wide range of scholarships thru the dance workshops she offers at Edge 'N Pointe. She offers a long list amounting from HK$0 to HK$500/month. She got encouraged to put up Edge 'N Pointe in Hong Kong since she had seen the difference she believes she could make. And that is to cultivate it more to those who are interested. Name of Company: EDGE 'N POINTE DANCE CENTRE
Nature of Business: Dance and performing arts school.
Edge 'n Pointe Dance Centre caters to kids from 2 to adults that and is teaching a wide array of dance classes including:
BALLET, ZUMBA, JAZZ, CONTEMPORARY, LATIN DANCE, TAP, KINDERMUSIC. Ownership: Verna Fajilan-Brazil Location: Hong Kong Number of years before it was established: She had dedicated all her life for this to be established. Business wise, it was never her intention to come up with a business but it was her ultimate dream to have a school.
Verna as part of Ballet Philippines takes a flight
in its production of Cinderella, 2002
Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): The main edge is the quality of learning they provide. As a lover of arts, Verna's aim is to cultivate the art of dancing in our society much further. For that objective to be given justice, it is important for her that the team she's working with are not half-baked. This way, the passion and the art of dance would be instilled to the students at its finest.
Invested money on the business: Money or earning is just a plus for Verna. TIME is of the essential investment since she had dedicated all her life to making this happen. She had invested in herself and the learning she got from her teachers are priceless. With that being said, she is willing to share what she had learned for the sake of learning and exploration on her students' behalf. Price range of the product: HK$0 (for scholars) up to HK$500/class
Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream?"Definitely an ULTIMATE DREAM!", says Verna.
Training: Ballet Philippines
The Nutcracker, 2003
Is this your first business? Yes.
Further plans (expansion)? A number of centres have asked their help with their programmes and they're more than glad to do so. They have one with Baumhaus (Hong Kong), Wan Chai, Admiralty.
They've also won the Group Of the Year in participating in the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland.
Now they are in Portland, sharing further their talents and widening their horizons more and more in the name of arts.
Little trivia about the business? "We just came back from the Aberdeen International Youth Festival in Scotland. It is one of the best and biggest youth arts festivals in the world. Without government or corporate sponsorship, we depended on individual donors. Although we were only able to raise 1/3 of the costs, and I personally loaned the rest, I decided to take this risk just to foster the arts in the youth. The dancers did very well there and although the festival is not a competition but a gathering of young artists worldwide, we were surprised when we were presented the Group of the Year Award at the end of the festival. Truly heartwarming."
- Verna
Here's a glimpse of how their rehearsal went. This is truly inspiring. What more you would watch the real performance!
"If you are passionate about your dreams,
and you are willing to work hard for it,
GO FOR IT!
Don't let anyone or anything stop you.
Go straight to the path,
don't even contemplate on having a fall back!
Because once you do,
you're just allowing failure to seep in!
Jordan Punsalang, Art Director,
Parallax Dance Company
There is yet another colleague of mine that had put up his own dance company in Australia.
I have been under Jordan Punsalang for a scholarship grant from FEDEX Philippines. Cheerleaders were to perform every halftime for every game FEDEX team would play in the annual Philippine Basketball Association League. He was our choreographer. During the course of the season, there were dance classes in between for us cheerleaders to be aided in adapting to jazz style. Specifically, Jordan's style.
This had sharpened my skills, pushed me to my limit and had helped me love dancing even more because its orgasmic high that takes place every after show keeps me energetic enough to keep up with my studies. I had benefited on the endorphin release that takes place because I took dancing as my form of exercise back then.
Jordan was strict on all of us in general back then but it moulded me into getting more aware of my physique. What it can do and how it can perform better. Jordan emphasised the cliche, "Dancers are the athletes of God." and he continuously aims to serve his purpose by using his talents at its maximum. He teaches, conducts recitals, makes projects happen all to hail the craft of dancing, a talent that is a gift from God. I remember him saying, "I would never have a shy attitude because God had blessed me with enough armour to make me confident enough. I would never choose to take this gift for granted because I know that everyday is an opportunity to make myself better at it." as a form of encouraging shy girls that I was team mates with back then.
Of course, every now and then he has gigs so I also danced under his group, Dancecap. With that being said, windows of opportunities had opened up (choreographing for commercials, corporate events and shows).
Jordan is one of the few teachers I had that truly inspired me into digging deeper as far as passion is concerned. He influenced me greatly not only in terms of dance but also in life. Being talented is just one of his great qualities but on top of that, he's smart, confident and fearless. These are the major attributes he exemplified on me. And yet again, I am in awe when I learned that upon his migration to Australia, he had established a dance company of his own in approximately 6 months.
Parallax Dance Company is one of Geelong's finest dance companies,
composed of highly skilled dancers all over the region.
Name of Company: PARALLAX DANCE COMPANY
Nature of Business: Dance Company and Dance School Ownership: Own Company Location: MAAD Studios, Geelong, Victoria, Australia Number of years before it was established: 6 months upon moving to Australia Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): Before Parallax Dance Company had been established, Jordan Punsalang had taught in countless studios in the Philippines. With that much knowledge from his collegiate years to teaching commercially, now he's in Australia to share this extensive amount of knowledge and infusing it with what Australia had grown used to. Price range of the product: Php AUS$12-15/class/person
Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? Primarily, Jordan did it in the name of passion. As planned, it is both an investment and a dream.
Training: He admits that he's not trained in business. But he has experience in handling dance companies and had facilitated dance schools.
What encouraged you to take the first step? Knowing how confident Jordan is, he follows his gut most of the time in making decisions. What he feels right inside is usually his decision maker.
Contact Details:
Get in touch or be abreast with the latest shows, workshops and events by liking their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/parallaxdancecompany.
Contact Number: +61 434 036 933
Is this your first business? It is his first in Australia.
Further plans (expansion): "Hopefully, in the next couple of years, I can put up another studio.", wishes Jordan
Little trivia about the business: Jordan had emphasised the number of dance schools in their cities which is around 40. And his dance company is the only one run by a male.
4. MAUI O.M.W. (ONE MORE WAVE)
"A positive attitude is very important.
So you need to be a people person."
- Shane K Dudoit
One thing I quite remember so well as I feed my brain with the do's and don't's of acquiring riches is that, you should always be open to opportunities. Everything starts with an idea. And if we are going to truly listen and focus, ideas are everywhere. We may even attract them. Even with the simplest things we do and the most usual events occurring every time, every day, what you usually are obsessed with, could be a good idea. Most often than not, to turn into a business. What you love doing is what you do best. A fun fact to consider is that, when you see yourself procrastinating to give way to this thing that you do best, or time stops when you actually do it, that's what usually gives you loads and loads of money. You deny to yourself that you're working nor you feel the load because you LOVE what you're doing. Hence, there's no labor to consider. It's amazing if you'll be aware of this power that you have early on. But for some people, it's never too late.
That's why the last, but not the least, person that I would be including is the one that made a business out of what he loves to do. SURFING.
Now, to be honest, I don't really know much about it but it's something worth trying. I have never surfed before. But I am more than willing to learn provided, affordable surf lessons are available.
To cater to that need of many a number of tourists like me who don't know how to surf, yet are interested, Shane K Dudoit had put up MAUI O.M.W. in Maui, Hawaii but he had made it available to Asians by making the booking doable here in Hong Kong as well. Marketing wise, he is a Hong Kong resident so, he makes MAUI O.M.W. accessible to both the east and west. But before I go further, let me tell you something about Shane.
I've known Shane to be one of my husband's co-workers at the happiest place on earth. A true performing artist as he loves and enjoys dancing. I remember a cha cha number we did altogether and he opened it with a breathtaking choreography that was sizzling hot to put an intro to it. But going back to where he had been born and where he grew up in (Makawao, Hawaii), he was a traditional dance performer owning the authentic Polynesian grace and style entertaining hundreds of tourists that visit.
Fire Knife Dancer, Festival of the Lion King,
Hong Kong Disneyland, 2005-2014
His calling to perform to different kinds of people didn't stop there as he came to Asia to be part of the Hong Kong Disneyland's Lion King Theatre Show. He had performed in stilts, danced in chorus and was a fire knife dancer. There's not many of them here in Asia so he shares that when he sees one, they instantly know they are connected somehow.
Hoku, as he is known to us, is fond of sports (he's a rower, shoots some ball and is very good in any water sports, most especially surfing) and he loves going to the gym. He loves doing Capoeira. Furthermore, he is attached to the ocean and he owns a shark tattoo that signifies his love for it hidden in the traditional Polynesian tattoo.
Since he was 7, he had sworn love to the ocean. He was actually a certified life guard before coming over to Hong Kong. As he becomes inspired by an acquaintance in Hong Kong to think about his life, what he wants to do and how that person believed in him lit a fire in his heart to go for it.
Name of Company: MAUI O.M.W. (ONE MORE WAVE)
Nature of Business: Surfing Schools, Private Surfing Lessons and Sales
Description of Product: My products are 9-11 ft. Soft Top Long Boards, and Stand Up Paddle Boards, and a couple of Epoxy Stand Up Boards Ownership: Own Company Location: Maui, Hawaii Number of years before it was established: 7 years Edge of the Product (how is it different from others): The approach I'm taking is not just to teach them how to surf but to educate the guests regarding the culture of Hawaii as well as this is very important to me. That way, tourists and guests wouldn't miss out on what they should see and experience in visiting the beautiful island.
Planned Investment, a hobby or ultimate dream? It had been an ultimate dream for over 7 years.
Training: Not everybody can surf. I have studied in a good surfing school in Hawaii and joined several Surfing Competitions after that. Overall, I did 30 years of training and competing.
What encouraged you to take the first step? "First step was to put God in the lead of my business. And I gotta keep telling myself to JUST DO IT. Thank God for a video in youtube. I don't know his name but it was the lead star of the first transformers and he just kept on shouting in this video, 'JUST DO IT!' Now I try to put off negative vibes that the DEVIL tries to put before me.", says Hoku
Contact Details:
For booking a session, Email:
Maui.OneMoreWave@gmail.com
hokugosurf2003@yahoo.com
or call him at,
Maui Tel: 808-205-4286
Hong Kong Tel: 852-9840-3069
Is this your first business? Yes
Further plans (expansion): Right now, the business is yet to be officially up. Contact Hoku to book surfing lessons in 2 or 3 months. "I am waiting for my boards to be made which usually takes 15-30 days to make and 20-30 days on the boat for shipping.", he adds.
He is also interested in putting up a school here in Hong Kong because he loves this city.
Little trivia about the business: As the business is situated in Maui, here are some of the fun facts that Hoku may share about the place for you to further be in love:
1. HAWAII became the 50th US state declared on August 21, 1959.
2. The highest peak on Maui is Haleakala Volcano 10,023 feet, 21 miles across and 4,000 feet deep. Large enough to hold the island of Manhattan.
3. Maui has 81 accessible beaches, 16 golf courses, 10 state parks and 1 national park.
These are who I have gathered so far. It's interesting how they have turned their obsession, passion, hobby and talent into a commodity available for others to learn from, adapt and share. As a reminder, selling is not wrong. Moreover, selling personal service defy nothing. FEAR is the only thing that can defy everything that you have worked for. And SELF-DOUBT feeds it.
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