Opening a negotiation is a fundamental step that sets the tone for the entire negotiation session. Here are some tips to get you started on the right foot:   1. Create positive vibes in your opening speech Highlight your team’s open-ness to the other party’s interests or concerns. Affirm your commitment to the negotiation as a joint effort to reach agreement and that you respect their expertise and experience. 2. Discuss expectations People may go into a negotiation with diff

Negotiation is as much a science as it is an art. Whether you are talking to your boss about the need for a new laptop or negotiating a multi-million dollar contract for your company, here are 3 key rules to abide by for effective negotiation.   1. Be crystal clear about your objectives. It is important to begin with a clear idea of what you want to achieve. However, you may also want to be prepared that it is possible that you may have to modify your objectives as the negoti

Closing a deal once you have reached an agreement with the other party is the final but critical step of the negotiation process. Here are some tips on closing negotiations: 1. Send some signals As you are approaching what you would like to be the final deal, make your intentions known to the other party. Let them know that you have reached agreement on the various aspects of the matter and check with them for their input. If you act like things are drawing to a conclusion, t

Will automation take away my job? Will I still be earning a fixed income? What skills do I need to develop to adapt to the new economy? Preparing for a career tomorrow means anticipating what the future will look like and what capabilities will be needed. Some of the predictions could well be underway  and are likely to continue in the next few years. Here are our 6 predictions about the future of work. 1. Talent shortages As baby boomers exit the job market and there are few

Did you know that keeping your positions up to date on your Linkedin profile makes you 18 times more likely to be found in searches by members and recruiters? Social networking has become an essential new tool for achieving your professional goals. When you join Linkedin, your goals are to be discoverable by headhunters and to develop professional connections that can help you with job search and career management . Just like any other social networking site, there are certa

A resume is a document designed to introduce a potential job candidate to a potential employer. A good resume highlights the candidate’s strengths, special skills and achievements, all of which combine to present the candidate as the best match for an open position. For your resume to be effective, it must be created in a format that best highlights your work and educational experience as it relates to your particular career goal or work objective. There are also creative fo

A promotion. A salary offer. A flexible work arrangement. The simplest way to get these things is to ask- and be prepared to negotiate. Negotiating is a handy and practical skill, not just for work, but in all aspects of your life. Not everyone is comfortable with negotiating and most of us probably accept whatever is offered to us in the first place. The biggest reason why we are not asking for more? Fear. Fear of losing the deal or concerned with how the other party might

It is 6pm at a technology trends conference. The attendees are a mix of entrepreneurs, service providers, recruiters and techies who have come to source for clients and hunt for jobs. Hannah is there to network. How does she do it in 10 steps? Here is a face to face networking survival guide: Click here to access our module:  https://www.noodlefactory.com.sg/course/a-face-to-face-networking-survival-guide 1. Don’t go in cold A week before the event, Hannah researches the eve

“The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers”Ralph Nader, American politician     Today’s rapidly evolving business landscape means that managers not only need to actively manage their careers, but they need to provide career guidance for their employees. Here are some ways on how good leaders help employees develop their careers: 1. Create growth opportunities Give your team new and professionally challenging work experiences to get them out of

Are you truly managing your career or leaving it to chance?   Careers need to be managed as much as people do. As a manager, you will need to take a pro-active approach and make career opportunities for yourself. Career management begins with you and not your employer. It involves looking at what is working in your career development strategy and what’s not. Learn to manage your career with these 10 quick tips:  1. Know your boss’s expectations of you Agree on SMART goals so

As a new manager, it is a good idea to expand your network  both inside and outside the organisation. But some of us are inhibited by fears of networking. It is more practical to confront these fears and develop strategies to overcome them. Here are our tips for how to tackle common fears of networking:         1. Fear of rejection Rejection happens everyday. It happens when you ask a peer out for lunch but she has made plans already or when your boss disagrees with you on ho

In celebration of International Women's Day, we interviewed 4 amazing women who inspire us with their success stories. In this post, we sat down with Sofia Howard to find out how she balances kids and life as a busy career woman.       Sofia Howard Senior Leader in Financial Institution, Mother, Runner, Book Nerd Describe your typical day. SH: Normally, depending on if I train in the morning or not, I will, if I do sometimes I'm gone before my girls wake up. I have 2 daughter

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie, business magnate. In today’s world, effective team building is top on the list for C-suite executives when they are looking for up-and-coming leaders. The people at the top management are recognizing that the best business results come from

“Whether women are better than men, I cannot say – but I can say they are certainly no worse.” – Golda Meir The first observance of Women’s Day was in 1909 in New York, but it was not until 1975 that the United Nations celebrated International Women's Day on 8 March and it became widely celebrated after 1977. Since then, there has been a lot more awareness and focus on ensuring gender equality and non-discrimination against women. However, to think that women had been weak an

Sheryl Sandberg. Oprah Winfrey. Jacinda Ardern. What do these women have in common? They are female leaders. A new breed of leaders is emerging and that breed is female. Women are rising in the ranks of dozens of industries not traditionally welcoming or supporting women. These industries include telecommunications, banking, information technology and construction. These powerful women are noted for their abilities to blend feminine qualities of leadership with classic male t

Social networking sites are a good way of reaching out, making contact, sharing experiences and offering support for working professionals. Here are some ways to harness social media for networking: 1. LinkedIn is one of the most popular business networking site. Rather than typing out a detailed resume on your profile, summarise the highlights of your career. List down specifics that differentiates you from others. For instance, replace “A project manager with 8 years of exp

The majority of us display features from both personality types - extrovert or introvert - but for many, one of the character traits is dominant. Here are some networking tips for both personality types: Extroverts: Many non-extroverts view extroverts as intimidating with their larger than life personas at events. Hence it is important not to intimidate others at first sight or overstep their limits. Be careful not to end up acting like an entertainer rather than a networker.

Today’s rapidly evolving business landscape means that managers not only need to actively manage their careers, but they need to provide career guidance for their employees. Here are some ways on how to help your employees develop their careers.   1. Create growth opportunities Give your team new and professionally challenging work experiences to get them out of their comfort zones. Different assignments allow your employees to grow rather than remain stagnant.  2. Offer fina

“The grass is greener on the other side”. While many of us may consider changing jobs at one point or another in our career, it is wise to first think about the reasons you are leaving your current job and evaluate if it is a good move to jump ship. Here are 5 questions to consider when deciding your next career move. These are bad reasons for leaving: You dislike your boss “People leave managers, not companies”, yet this could be a bad reason for wanting to leave. No boss is

It is easy to get caught up in the day to day routine of work that you forget about your career advancement needs. When it comes to planning your career, no one knows better than you where your dreams and talents are. Here are 5 tips for successful career planning. Focus on specific career goals and list down the exact steps for attaining each of them. To-do lists and timetables will help you to organise your plan to achieve each milestone. Update your resume frequently so th