Saturday 27 OctOber 2012

YOUR ULTIMATE CAREER

& TALENT RESOURCE
Do what you love

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deSIGN

tHe

ISSue

wItH StefaN SaGmeISter paGe 7 9

BoosT work crEaTiviTy

Create a work environment where

creativity can thrive. Shawn Ng
shares how in this weeks Top 10
Pg 06

Pg 05

Pg 11

Pg 13

The art of leading

people

Teaching art with

passion

Emotional
intelligence

- 10 mistakes to avoid

Emelia Ong explores the

life of an art professor

as a crucial life skill

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

roshan says

a Graphic DesiGn

career?

N the early 90s, I met my wife on a flight to New York. We had

both been given scholarships to study in the same university in
the United States. I started talking to her and asked her what
she planned to study. I had no clue what I wanted to do but
she immediately responded: I want to be a graphic designer.
A week later, I met another Malaysian who was a graphic designer
who decided to come to the United States to study design and get a
degree. Prior to meeting them, I had no idea that the graphic design
occupation even existed. In fact, 20 years ago, most parents would
have dreaded having their children study graphic design. However,
with universities today such as Limkokwing, the One Academy,
Saito, UTAR and virtually all having design programmes, it is now
commonplace to see many students explore careers in graphic
design. And a career in graphic design is one of the most exciting
career paths out there.
A career as a graphic designer can take many different flavours as
graphic design touches so many areas of visual output. They work
with letters, colour, patterns, photography, illustration, information
and physical materials to create everything from annual reports
to logos; maps and diagrams to albums and book covers; product
packaging to digital interfaces and many more.
A few weeks ago, I met Stefan Sagmeister, who is considered
one of the greatest graphic designers in the world. He came to the
Leaderonomics offices to share some of his insights on graphic
design. Our feature story on page 8-9 covers these insights.
Interestingly, Sagmeister realised at the age of 15 that his passion
in life was design. He dedicated his whole life to being the best
designer in the world and has won a number of Grammy awards
for his album cover designs. Finding out what energises you and
what you love early in your life helps you focus on practising your
craft and enables you to become the best. Sagmeister was fortunate
to discover his calling so early in life. Some of us may have yet to
uncover our passion in life. Finding out and doing what you love
is key to having a great career and ensuring that you become
successful.
In this issue, we uncover the world of graphic design and art. We
look at what a typical day in the life of a graphic designer is like.
Tung Eng Hwa, the manager of editorial art and design at The Star
tells us his story. If you prefer to watch a video of him in action, go
to Leaderonomics TV and watch him as he showcases his typical
day. We also spend some time with Izmer Ahmad, a professor
of art theory, on what it means to be learning about art and his
life. Of course, we will have the usual great articles which give
everyone career advice and insights on developing yourself and your
leadership potential.
I do hope you will gain some insightful lessons from this special
mystarjob.com issue on the world of graphic design. As always,
you can download our amazing Top 10 and other videos from
www.leaderonomics.tv and we wish you all the best in your career
journey! At Leaderonomics, we love to hear your feedback and
comments on how our career guide can improve and how we can
help you become a better leader and have a more stellar career. So,
do send us an email at mystarjob@leaderonomics.com to share your
thoughts on how we have been doing these past two months. Have
a great career!

Managing editorial
art and design
for The Star
We spend a day with
Tung Eng Hwa and find
out what his role entails.
Pg 03

Top 10

This week, we look at how to inject creativity and

imagination into our work environment. Pg 06

People mistakes
leaders make

George Kohlrieser
lists the 10 most
common mistakes
leaders make with
people. Pg 05

Frustrated at work

Reader Selina faces highly critical seniors and seeks

advice. Pg 15

EQ vs IQ

Victor Loh says

career success
demands
emotional
intelligence.
Pg 13

Warm regards,
Roshan Thiran
Editor, myStarjob.com & CEO, Leaderonomics

Find your
ideal job at
myStarjob.com

EDITORIAL

Editor
RoshanThiRan

ContributingEditors
LiLyCheah
evangeLiaChRisTodouLou
debbiepozzobon

SubEditor
LeeKaRyean
Layout,Art&Design
Tungenghwa

l Editorial | mystarjob@leaderonomics.com

MohdizudinisMaiL
MohdKhaiRuL
zuLhaiMibahaRuddin KaLaiseLvi
hassanbahRi
Muhdhafeez
adznaMsabRi

shawnng
Lisanneyeoh
Writers&Contributors
angieng

l Advertising | imran.hashim@leaderonomics.com

jessiCaong
eLisadass
anghuiMing
jaMesLee

RiCKngu
ReshanpiLLai
SalesManager
iMRanhashiM

a Day in the life of a

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

iSnap me
for a video

http://thestar.com.my/isnap

graphic
Designer

By DEBBIE POZZOBON
debbie.pozzobon@leaderonomics.com

AM always enthralled when I come

across people who have a talent or gift
that I dont have. This normally happens in the creative field where we look
with respect and undoubtedly a certain
amount of healthy envy at the world of
musicians and artists. I was reminded of
this during my interview with Tung Eng
Hwa who is the manager, editorial art and
design for The Star.
He shared with us how he came to be in
this position, as well as what a typical day
in his professional life comprises.
Tung fell in love with drawing and painting in watercolours at an early age. During
secondary school, a visiting lecturer did a
presentation on graphic design that captured his imagination. He saw a creative
outlet for his art. Whilst still attending
school, he completed this course. That was
over 20 years ago! He initially worked at a
brass souvenir shop where he learned to
create souvenir pieces using a chemical-

etching technique, and later worked as a

graphic designer at a production house. He
joined The Star 16 years ago as a graphic
artist, and progressed to the management
position.
His working day usually commences
at 2pm in the afternoon. This may sound
fantastic. However, he only leaves work
after 10pm at night, and if there are issues
to resolve sometimes later. On occasion
we receive text messages and mails at
1am before the final edition of the paper is
printed so sometimes ours is not a simple
eight-hour day, he says.
His first activity actually takes place on
the way in to the office, when he passes a
newsstand. He likes to look at the piles of
newspapers for sale, and compare which
pile looks smaller. It gives me a sense of
gratification to see that people are buying
our paper, he says smiling.
Upon arrival at the office, his first port
of call is to check his emails. Issues that
may relate to any one of the number of
sections of the paper to which he and his
team provides graphics, layout or creative

Tung Eng Hwa (third from right) enjoys seeing everything come together on a page.
services, may require his urgent feedback.
He currently has three teams that report to
him: creative layout, graphics and illustrations and the iPad driven The Star Editors
Choice edition. He may be asked to provide
assistance with layout, pictures, ideas, or
illustrations or his favourite infographics. An example of an infographic is the
visual on the front cover of the budget
edition. It is a graphic or picture that
also contains text and information that is
descriptive and explanatory. Some of the
mails may be to do with the issue that is
going to print that day, whilst others may
embrace forward planning for issues taking
place in the future.
Whilst doing this, various people pop
their heads over his screen, or rush into his
office to ask for his input or suggestions
on a range of creative issues. The pace and
pressure of the work is high, and energy
levels need to match these demands. One
of Tungs challenges is that he often has
to come up with a creative concept on the
spot. This is not always very easy! As if
that were not enough, he then still has to
explain his sketch or translate his idea into
a framework that is understood by his audience. My advice to young people that want
to enter this profession is that they must
be able to actually draw. When I say draw,
I mean sketch with a pencil, and not with
a mouse. Over and above this, they must
be able to communicate well to present,
explain, or even sell their ideas.
It is now time for Tung to get into the
field and see how his team is faring. He
checks on the progress of his designers
and illustrators to see if everyone is on
track, and whether he can be of any assistance. New work is also assigned to team
members at this juncture of the day. It is
common to see him and a designer huddled
over a computer debating how to layout
a page, or make an illustration or graphic
look more appealing to the readers. Tung
encourages his team members to look at
the piece that they are providing creative
input for, with the eyes of a reader who
does not know anything about the background of the story. How do you get the
readers attention? is a question he asks his
team regularly. We need to use the content
and the visuals to stimulate an emotion in

the reader. What is that emotion and how

can we best get that response?
One of the most critical issues that he
always stresses to the team is integrity.
Tung is mindful of the fact that The Star is a
family paper, and that its content and visuals need to be sensitive to its audience. As a
result, he and his team exercise prudence in
the selection of the visuals. Equally important is the acknowledgement of the source
of material. They ensure that any research
goes beyond the Wikipedia and that in all
cases people are accredited with their contributions or work.
It is time for the days editorial meeting.
During this meeting, the contents of the
paper are discussed to make sure that everything is on track. Any issues arising from
this meeting have to be resolved immediately. Often designers and illustrators
scramble to resolve various crises. It may be
decided that a fresh article needs priority
over one that is already in place due to the
currency of the content, and as such, his
team may be called upon to assist with layout, illustration, or infographics in a hurry!
At 7.30pm its dinner time forTung. He
eats and continues to manage mails and
situation from his desk as deadlines for segments come almost every hour on the hour.
This is how the rest of his day is spent until
the cut-off time for the paper going to print
that night.
His team members are encouraged to
give of their best the first time around, as
Tung does not believe in mock-ups. The
illustration or graphic must be his teams
best attempt the first time around. I love
it when I see the final graphic or illustration
emerge. It is truly a satisfying and rewarding experience, he says. He subscribes to
these high standards both for himself and
his team, and encourages and supports
creative ingenuity. There is, however, a
fine line between fancy and messy, he says
with a smile and twinkle in the eye.
Although he admits to missing painting
and drawing sometimes as his job now
consists more of a managerial component
he still loves what he does. It is a great
feeling when you get a call from your boss
commending the team on a job well done. It
makes all the pressure worth it. It makes me
come back and do it all again the next day!

myStarjob.com, Saturday 27 OctOber 2012

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mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

PeoPle Mistakes

leaders Make
By GEORGE KOHLRIESER
mystarjob@leaderonomics.com

UCH of todays leadership writing focuses

on what high performing leaders should do.
Certainly, that material
helps from a theoretical and aspirational point of view. However, what
haunts leaders on a day-to-day basis
are the mistakes that they make. They
dont trip up because they are bad people; they most often fumble because of
a lack of knowledge, bad habits or too
much stress.
The most common and, not coincidentally, most damaging mistakes
involve interacting with people in the
wrong way. Here are 10 such people mistakes that I see in the field, and Im sure
you witness them too:

ways to avoid coMMon leadershiP Pitfalls

takiNg time to
boNd with people
1 Not

A leader who is not interested in people

on a human level is off to a bad start. A
leader, who is conceptually interested in
others but doesnt make time to bond
with people, misses the mark as well,
whether those people are employees,
colleagues, customers, or other stakeholders. Bonding is a deep emotional
connection that is different from simply
liking someone. In fact, you do not have
to like people to bond with them. You do
have to get to know them and understand what makes them tick. And that
takes time above and beyond pure taskoriented work.

beiNg uNavailable aNd

iNaccessible

Clearly, leaders need to delegate tasks.

Yet delegation should not mean emotional detachment. Leaders who assign
tasks and walk away with a completely
hands off approach abandon their
people. Good delegation relies on continued connection and accessibility.
You can maintain a sense of connection
by signalling that you are willing to be
available. That doesnt mean that youre
immediately responsive to every small
request. It does mean that youve created channels for people to reach you as
well as guidelines for using those channels.

focusiNg oN
developiNg taleNt
3 Not

Too often, leaders focus exclusively on

driving the achievement of company
goals. In their efforts to do this, they
deny the inherent human need to learn.
People want to expand their skills and
competencies while doing their work.
Understand that learning is an integral
part of achieving results. When you
prioritise learning, you become a great
leader who can spot and develop talent in people who might themselves be
unaware of it. You become, quite simply,
a talent hunter.

Not giviNg regular

feedback about
performaNce

People achieve high performance only if

they know the truth about their effectiveness. Leaders often ignore this need
and thereby rob people of the key to
their future. While tough feedback can
be painful, great leaders know how to

deliver this pain in a way that transforms

it to such an extent that they say, thank
you give me more! Talented people
those who want to learn would
rather be slapped in the face with the
truth than kissed on the cheek with a
lie. Develop your ability to convey hard
truths about performance and unlock
the door to higher performance.

takiNg emotioNs
iNto accouNt
5 Not

The strongest emotions are related to

loss, disappointment, failure and separation. In fact, research clearly shows
that loss and even the fear of anticipated loss drive peoples behaviour
much more strongly than potential
benefits and rewards. Leaders who
ignore the emotions of loss and disappointment make a major mistake that
greatly reduces employee engagement.
You can make a huge difference simply
by being aware of these emotions and
showing true interest in that part of a
persons experience.

coNflict
iNeffectively
6 maNagiNg

Conflicts that are not addressed block

cooperation and alignment around
common goals. Tension, negative emotions, and polarisation build up. Conflicts
become fishes under the table: even
though everyone acts like they are not
there, their abiding smell permeates
the whole atmosphere. Its up to you
as a leader to put these fishes on the
table and clean them by solving the
underlying conflict. Your reward: a great
fish dinner at the end of the day an
environment that provides nourishing
enjoyment and can build even better
and stronger teams.

driviNg
chaNge
7 Not

Without change, our organisations, like

all organisms, wither and ultimately die.
Leaders who dont drive change put their
companies in grave danger. Explain the
benefits that changes will bring, and do
so knowing that people do not naturally
resist change: they resist the fear of the
unknown or the pain that might come
with the transition. Your job is to provide
a secure base that gives a sense of
safety as well as the encouragement and
energy to explore. In other words, you
must care enough to encourage daring.
This combination is crucial, and its why
my new book about unleashing astonishing potential is called Care to Dare.

eNcouragiNg
8 Not
others to take risks

The human brain is, by default, defensive

and risk-averse. Yet with intention, practice and, most importantly, positive role
models, people can shift their mind to
embrace risks. Too many leaders encourage people to stay in the safety zone, or,
as I like to say, Play not to lose. But the
best leaders create enough trust so that
others feel safe and supported to take
risks and play to win. This is an active,
positive way of behaving that fuels
change and ultimately achievement.

motivatioN
9 misuNderstaNdiNg

Most people are driven by intrinsic

motivators like being challenged,
learning something new, making an
important difference or developing
their talents. Too many leaders miss the
opportunity to capitalise on this internal
guidance system and instead focus on
extrinsic motivators like bonuses, pro-

Make tiMe
to bond
with PeoPle

motions, money and artificial rewards.

Sure, you need to pay people fairly. Keep
in mind, however, that such external carrots and sticks distort the internal motivation system. You will be a better leader
when you focus on inspiring people and
tap into what they truly desire to achieve
in terms of growth and contribution.

activities
rather thaN
10 maNagiNg
leadiNg people
People hate it when they are treated
like cogs in a machine. Management
is, though, so much about controlling,
administering and planning activities,
and, by extension, people. Leadership,
on the other hand, involves inspiring,
encouraging and bringing out the very
best in people by building a sense of
trust and by challenging them to take
positive risks. To be a leader and not
just a manager, you need to focus,
therefore, on people as people. That
takes time and attention, and takes us
back to the basic of bonding the antidote to People Mistake number 1.

n George Kohlrieser is a Professor of

Leadership and Organisational Behaviour
at IMD, a former hostage negotiator,
and an award-winning author. He loves
spending time in Malaysia and looks
forward to helping more organisations
in Malaysia develop high performance
leaders. To contact George for his special
leadership programmes, email people@
leaderonomics.com

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

10

cReate a cRiticisM-FRee
enviRonMent

Criticism or cynical attitudes kill creativity. Responses like This is impossible!

or This has never been done before! and
other similar comments emanate from
closed minds. Resistance can destroy
ideas and stifle creative culture, and
should be avoided.

leaRn oR tRy soMething

new daily

Learning new things or acquiring new skills

can inspire and increase our capacity to be
more creative. Organising learning sessions
on issues outside of the normal field or
industry can be fruitful for the imagination.

9
set up a cReative think-tank

A more systematic way of promoting creativity in

the workplace is to set up innovation teams. Each
innovation team can be tasked to come up with
ideas, such as on how to improve a particular aspect
of work processes.

By SHAWN NG shawn.ng@leaderonomics.com

Top 10

ways
4

To make
your
workplace
more creaTive

iSnap me
for a video

To view out Top 10 video, visit

www.leaderonomics.tv/top10

lead by exaMple

This can be a physical

area or a designated
time during the work
week where employees can gather to
brainstorm, think, and
explore creative ideas
and solutions.

allow FoR play tiMe

Play time, outings and fun activities

bring the mind into a relaxed phase that
is conducive to idea generation. Research
has shown that positive moods can spur
creativity. It is important to cultivate a
fun and positive working environment
that supports the flow of creative juices.

2
pRovide cReative
outlets
Make it known

Make it clear to employees

that creativity and innovation
are valued and embraced
by the company. This will
heighten awareness and
encourage intentionality to
cultivate creative initiatives in
the workplace and among the
employees.

If at all possible, build a team with diverse

backgrounds, talents, personalities, and cultures.
The cross-pollination effect of diversity within
the group may spur a wealth of new ideas.

http://thestar.com.my/isnap

designate
cReative spaces

build a diveRse teaM

Providing freedom for

creative expression in the
workplace is crucial. For
instance, let employees
decorate their personal
work area as creatively as
they wish. Develop channels
for employees to voice their
ideas by using a suggestion
box or something similar.
This will encourage
employees to share freely
their ideas and thoughts.

Leaders have to
demonstrate their
openness and
receptiveness towards
creativity in the
workplace. By
their example,
the culture of
creativity will then
be embraced and
carried out
throughout
the
organisation.

1
RewaRd
cReativity

The best way

to encourage
creativity is by
rewarding it.
Provide financial
or non-financial
rewards, like
recognition or
other incentives.

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

stEFan sagMEistER:

thE JoURnEY so FaR

By JESSICA ONG
jessica.ong@leaderonomics.com

AGMEISTER is considered a
legend by many in the graphic
design world. His work is
raw, real, and personifies the
word cutting-edge. It takes
a good designer to produce attractive
work, but a true avant-garde to make
you experience sensations youre not
completely sure you should be feeling.
He espouses the belief that all work
should be genuine. The realist in him,
however, understands that while it
may be difficult to make great longterm choices and impossible to always
stay on the right side of things, one
can still try.
The award-winning designer
received his first Grammy in 2005 for
art directing the Once in a Lifetime
box set, by Talking Heads. He then
went on to bag another in 2010 for
his design of the David Byrne and
Brian Eno album Everything That
Happens Will Happen Today in the
Best Recording Package category.
As evidenced by his Grammy
awards, Sagmeisters design journey
was one, very much influenced by his
experience with music. He reminisced
about being in a rock band when he
was 14 years old and becoming interested in album covers. About a year
later, he began writing for a small
magazine in a neighbouring town.
However, not long after this he found
himself managing the graphic layout
instead. This transition happened
quite organically as the magazine
was involved in music and constantly
needed graphics for the music festivals
it organised.
Sagmeister admits to having somewhat of an edge as he discovered his
passion early in life. He failed to gain
admittance the first time he applied
to the highly competitive University
of Applied Arts, Vienna. There were
about 300 applicants for 10 places
and candidates had to slog through a

Association of Accredited
Advertising Agencies Hong
Kong) competition. At that
point, Sagmeister did not
realise the stir he would
cause by depicting a traditional image featuring four
bare male bottoms. There
was quite some controversy
around the poster and he
recalls getting booed and
hissed at during the 4As
award ceremony. The daring designer, however,
would not have had it any
other way and stuck to his
beliefs that having guts
always works out for me.
Sagmeister soon grew
tired of Hong Kong
and returned to the
United States where
he set about pursuing
work with M&Co, the
acclaimed late Tibor
Kalmans graphics studio. Kalman had always
been one of his heroes and Sagmeister
was determined to land a job there. He
was relentless and hounded Kalman
with calls until he finally persuaded
the design guru to take him under his
wing. Six months later, Sagmeister
opened his own studio when his mentor decided to close shop and move to
Rome to work as a full-time editor for
Benetton. Sagmeister Inc was born,
and its arrival was announced with yet
another one of his provocative pieces,
a card featuring his own nude figure.
Work was depressingly scarce at
first and none of the record labels
he approached seemed interested.
Sagmeisters fortunes changed dramatically, however, when he snagged
the opportunity to design a CD cover
for a friends album, H.P. Zinkers
Mountains of Madness. The complete
CD packaging includes a red-tinted
transparent case showing a close-up
of a calm mans face. By using the
principles of complementary colours,

s th

m e m o ry i
T

of
t
r
a
he

sagMEistERs
WoRk is RaW and
daRing, and hE
WoUldnt havE it
anY othER WaY.
iSnap me
for a video

http://thestar.com.my/isnap

n Sagmeister Inc has recently become Sagmeister & Walsh as a result

of a new partnership between Stefan Sagmeister and Jessica Walsh.

o f pa y i n g att e nt
t
r
a
i

n Terry Small is a brain researcher who

believes that everyone is a genius. To interact
with Terry, email mystarjob@leaderonomics.
com or www.terrysmall.com

Sagmeister designed it
in such a way that when
the album is removed
from the case, the facial
expression of the man
dramatically changes to
one of frenzy in shades
of red, white and green.
Mountains of Madness
won Sagmeister the
first of his Grammy
nominations. This
sent a clear message
to the world that
Sagmeister could
indeed deliver. From
that point on, a
steady number of
job offers started
streaming in.
The rest, as
they say, is history
and Sagmeister
has never looked
back!

on

three-day examination. Undeterred,

Sagmeister attended a private school
for a year before re-applying and being
accepted into the school he had long
set his sights on. Gustav Klimt, Oskar
Kokoschka, Vivienne Westwood, Karl
Lagerfeld and Jil Sander are just a few
of the many renowned artists and
designers associated with this university. According to Sagmeister, this
also happens to be the same institution that refused to accept Hitler as a
student.
While studying in Vienna,
Sagmeister was commissioned to
design posters for a modern theatre. The posters had great visibility
as they were pasted on columns all
over town. At the end of his studies,
the young designer saw an advert
about an application for a Fulbright
Scholarship and applied for it. Lady
Luck must have been smiling down
on Sagmeister. As it so happened, the
Fulbright Commissioners were all big
theatre-goers and had seen his work.
Sagmeister poignantly recalls winning
a bet against his brother-in-law at the
age of 18 and securing fully-paid tickets to New York. Upon his arrival at the
Big Apple, Sagmeister knew from the
start that this was where he wanted to
be. The Fulbright Scholarship allowed
him to live out this particular dream
by financing his studies at the Pratt
Institute in Brooklyn, New York.
The scholarship was a blessing in
more ways than one as it enabled
Sagmeister to select design jobs based
purely on merit. By the time he graduated from the Pratt Institute, he had
an extensive portfolio, which meant
that he never really had to work as
a junior designer. After three years
in New York, he returned to Austria
for compulsory military service, that
he managed to substitute with community work. Sagmeister spent two
years in Hong Kong working for the
Leo Burnett Agency. He gained instant
recognition in 1992 with his winning poster for the annual 4As (The

Boost YoUR MEMoRY PoWER

By TERRY SMALL
terry@terrysmall.com

HOW many of you have noticed that understanding something does not guarantee that
you will be able to recall it? Have you noticed
that your mind has a mind of its own? Ever
get to the bottom of a page and wonder
what you just read? Forget someones name
a few seconds after you heard it? How about
telephone numbers? Study material? The list
goes on and on.
In order to remember something you must
pay attention! You brain is bombarded with
information every day. Far too much informa-

tion! To survive, most of us have become good

at not paying attention. Samuel Johnson said:
The art of memory is the art of paying attention.
Here is a technique that will change your
life in seconds. When you hear or study something important and you have understood
it, do not let your brain move on too quickly.
Pause and ask yourself: How am I going to
remember this? Then watch your genius
brain go to work. There are dozens of techniques to anchor information in your brain.
In the next Brain Bulletin I will tell you
about my favourite. Multi-tracking! The greatest learning short cut on the planet!!

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

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forms an

S
SAGMEISTEEcRhAIR
TAlkATIv

woR
k

ojEcT
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P
M
Il
f
y
P
foR hIS hAP

cAREER
PAThS
In

GRAPhIc dESIGn

dEGREE In GRAPhIc dESIGn oR SIMIlAR fIEld

cREATIvE Ad AGEncy/dESIGn STudIo

[A] cREATIvE

FA Artist/Junior Designer/Visualiser/
Strategist

[b] AccounT SERvIcInG

Account Executive
Senior Account
Executive

Senior Designer
Junior Art Director
Senior Art Director
Assistant Creative Director

Account Executive
Manager
Senior Account Executive
Manager

Creative Director

Associate Account
Director
Account Director
Senior AccountDirector
Regional Account
Director
Head of Client Services

lEvIS PIlES

S
P
I
T
S

R
E
T
S
I
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R
M
E
G
n
A
G
I
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foR ThE

SAG
MEIS
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S

SAGMEISTERS
dEconSTRucT
of A PAIR of l Ion
EvIS.

In-houSE

Visualiser/Junior Designer
Senior Designer
Creative Head
Creative Manager

oThERS

l Academia
l Digital Development
(web, social media)
l Publishing House
l Photography
l Styling
l Tattoo Art
l Freelancce
l Printing
l Production
House

10

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

what is it like to

In-house desIgner

be an

in-house

Designer?

By LISANNE YEOH
lisanne.yeoh@leaderonomics.com

Career FaCts

ICTIONARY.com defines graphic

design as the art or profession of
visual communication that combines images, words, and ideas to
convey information to an audience.
A graphic designer is responsible for arranging
the various artistic elements using different
types of media. The forms of presentation may
include posters, buntings, banners, brochures,
packaging, corporate identity, ads, magazines
or websites. It is a world fuelled by imagination
and infused with shapes and colours. You begin
with an idea, which becomes a rough sketch.
The sketch progresses and transforms into a
graphic visual. When printing is required, it can
be something done in house, or outsourced to
an external vendor. The process may be very
hands-on from conceptualisation, through production to installation. Dont expect to just be
working in front of the computer!

In-house versus external

desIgners

An in-house designer works exclusively for a

company, and is usually responsible for creating all the media collateral for the company.
Conversely, one may be a designer working in a
production house, or advertising agency. In this
case you will work for many clients, and produce
work for an array of companies. As an in-house
designer, there is a closer relationship between
you and the company. You are essentially promoting the company, and it is therefore important that your organisations vision, values and
work ethics resonate with you. It makes a huge
difference in your work and helps you find fulfillment in what you do. At my previous (and current) company, the company values aligned with
mine. I also experience a sense of community
through the people and culture. It gives me a
sense of identity and prestige too, as I take pride
in my work. I play a major role in creating the
look and feel of the experiences and encounters
that our customers have with the company.

Graphic
designers create
visual concepts by
communicating ideas
that
,
, and

inspire
inform
captivate
customers.

Colour, images,
and logo designs

that represent ideas

or identity, are used
in advertising and
promotional efforts.

What are some of the benefIts of

beIng an In-house desIgner?

Being in-house allows you to

become really focused and specialised
in your role because you own and
know your brand inside out. Your
design directly influences the companys image and needs to be consistent
in terms of the message and style.
You are able to get things done faster
and more effectively by having direct
access to your clients. Briefings and
feedback sessions can be arranged
quickly and with relative ease. You
may have better control of your time,
as schedules are more accessible
and predictable enabling you to be
able to gauge the kind of job you will
be expecting the next day, week or
month. Deadlines may be more manageable as you can manage or negotiate your work priorities. Stress levels
are definitely present but on the lower

end, when compared with ad agencies.

If you join a larger organisation, you
will also enjoy the opportunities and
benefits it offers. There is more structure and stability in the way things are
done. Pay cheques are received with
regularity, and you dont have to worry
about how you will pay your bills at
the end of every month. There is also
great internal support. For example,
when you need technical support, just
dial an extension to the IT department
and ask for help. Many vendors would
want to be associated with you as part
of a large or established organisation.
People may even associate you with
the brand or company you represent. I
have often had the experience where
acquaintances I meet for a second or
third time remember the company I
work for, but not my name!

What are some of the draWbacks?

Employment
of

graphic
designers is
projected to increase
by 13% from 2010

to 2020 in Malaysia - as
high as the average for
all occupations.

Adobe
Photoshop
and Adobe
Illustrator are the
most sought after skills
in the graphic design
field.

agency desIgner

On the flip side, work can get a bit

mundane when you only have one client your own company. Your creativity may also be limited to the organisations style and guidelines. This is
when you need to push your boundariesfurther, to be creative within the
guidelines and still be able to deliver
good work. Always seize opportunities
to be involved in interesting projects
that allow you the space to be creative and experimental in building your
design portfolio. Usually, you are also
limited by resources when you dont
have a design team to work with and
brainstorm ideas. You will most likely
be the only designer, or part of a small
team. Often the supporting role that
you play in delivering design services
may not be viewed with the same
importance as those of other departments. Sometimes, in the urgency to
meet sales targets, aesthetics may not
be top priority for management. There
usually are not many training opportunities within the company that are
specifically catered to the in-house
designers needs.

After some time, in-house designers

may feel detached from the creative
industry at large, as well as from the
design trends prevalent in the market. It is up to you to ensure that you
remain current with the new developments, trends and innovations in the
industry.
Whether you work for an agency, a
production house, or are an in-house
designer for a company it is important to stay inspired. Generally, Im
happy with my job and dont have
to drag my feet to go to work every
day. What inspires me, and keeps me
going, other than the people and the
culture of the company, is the sense
of achievement and satisfaction
that I get when I see my work being
produced. This sense of achievement
is heightened when other people,
especially my boss like and affirm my
designs.
This makes me love what I do!
n Lisanne Yeoh is an in-house graphic
designer with Leaderonomics.

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

11

explorInG The lIfe of an

arT professor
InspIrInG ThrouGh research and TeachInG
By EMELIA ONG IAN LI
emelia.oj@gmail.com

GOOD teacher can inspire students

to reach new heights. Izmer Ahmad
is an art professor, and indeed
one such inspirational teacher in
Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang,
where I am completing my PhD. These past
few years, I am amazed at how far out of my
comfort zone Izmer has pushed me. He challenges, encourages, motivates and expects
better and more from me every time I interact
with him.
Not many people understand what a
university professor does. In fact, most people believe professors have cushy jobs in
academia that comprise only a few hours of
teaching and student interaction. They underestimate the dedication involved in going
through stacks of student papers, keeping up
with reading, preparing for daily classes and
most importantly, spending free time doing
research to ensure continuous self-growth.
This is not forgetting the years of study
required before you are officially recognised as
a professor. In Izmers case, his commitment
is further proven by the fact that his wife and
two children are living in Canada, whilst he
continues to inspire students in Malaysia.
Izmer is no different to the various worldclass university professors elsewhere. He
teaches four master-level classes. These are
research methods and studio practice, contemporary art theory, selected topics in visual
arts and professional practice, all of which
take up about 12 hours a week. His classes are
engaging and stimulating. This takes a great
deal of efforts on his part. He also supervises

eight students (including a number of PhD

level students like myself) in their dissertations that vary from paper making processes
to modern art in South-East Asia.
He is selective when accepting students
under his supervision, reading through their
transcripts and proposals to gauge their critical thinking abilities and arranging to meet
them if necessary. Most of his time is spent
teaching and supervising during the semester.
He grades exams at the end, and carries out
his own exciting research during the threemonth break between semesters.

The Avid ReseARcheR

Being a tenured professor in a research

university, he appreciates the autonomy he
has to explore his own research interests, not
being encumbered in any way by the university requirements. Attaining tenure status
entails a series of examinations at different
levels. There are various tests to move one up
the ladder from the position of lecturer, senior
lecturer, associate professor to professor. This
varies from one university to another, but in
USM, it includes the capacity for research,
teaching, and supervisory skills as well as
knowledge of procedures in government institutions. Academic tenure is usually awarded
to professors who have a solid track record as
a scholar, demonstrated through publications,
grant funding as well as in administrative
capacities.
Izmer remarks that a research university is
an ideal place for one interested not only in
teaching, but also in research. If you want to
network with other researchers and collaborate with people who have similar interests,
this is the place to be. He enjoys up to 60

Bather (2000), oil on plywood. Private Collection.

days research leave a year. This means, he can
take off during the semester to pursue his
own research interests. This is significant he
says, because your teaching is based on your
research. Theres no new knowledge without
research, without which youre just picking up
other peoples research and teaching it. You
also get a chance to read and know that your
time counts. Izmer frequently attends and
presents at global conferences, including one
in Canada which focuses on collaborative art
research as a form of public ethnography.
With so much emphasis on publications,
funding for research and conference presentations as key performing indicators in research
universities today, teaching can often take a
backseat. Good professors are those select
few who are just as committed to teaching
as they are to research, realising that their
research ultimately contributes to their competency as teachers. Izmer remarks that if
you just want to teach, without doing any
research work, or vice versa, then this job is
probably not for you.
Izmer received his PhD from the University
of Victoria in Canada. He also met his
Canadian wife there and spent a few years
working and teaching in Canada before coming home to make a difference in the field of
art in Malaysia.

The consummATe TeAcheR

Professor
Izmer from
USM
passionately
teaching his
class at the
School of
Arts.

places To
sTudy desIGn In MalaysIa

lookInG for a place To sTudy GraphIc desIGn?

l Multimedia University (MMU)
l The One Academy (TOA)
l Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA)
l Limkokwing University of Creative Technology
l University Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)
l IACT College
l Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM)
l KBU International College (KBU)
l PJ College of Art and Design (PJ CAD)
l Saito College
l Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
l Universiti Malaya (UM)

Being a teacher, administrator, researcher,

and artist all rolled into one, Izmer has a hectic schedule. His day starts at 9am and ends at
2am with students knocking on his door even
after 5pm to catch up with him. They pretend
to invite him for tea, but actually have the
intention of picking his brain. Most students
say they find themselves lucky to be under his
supervision. Any serious PhD student will tell
you that a great supervisor is hard to find. A
good supervisor who is well-read on an eclectic number of topics, and who can make connections between what you are doing with
contemporary art theory, is key to ensuring
your academic work is valued in the global art
community.
As I get to know Izmer more, I realise that
becoming a university professor is more than
just a day job that you can turn off after

lecturing hours. Izmers devotion to teaching

and research clearly affects what he does
outside of teaching. He recently held a solo
exhibition in Galeri Seni Mutiara, Georgetown
titled Sensation of Images. Veteran artist
Ismail Hashim said that this exhibition evoked
magic and soul.

The ARTisT

Most people view art theory and art history

as boring subjects. In fact, the same can be
said of many academic subjects. Izmer takes a
different approach to art history and teaching.
He has learnt to tell his students stories that
bring art history to life. He brings passion
back to art history - a skill absent in many art
classrooms.
As a practising artist, he seems to encourage the type of art that is guided and sustained by critical theory. As an art writer and
researcher, he helps his students connect
the dots between the artworks they seek to
explicate and the artistic discourse and cultural contexts that they are engaged in. His
own background in studio practice, art theory,
and philosophy gives him an interdisciplinary
approach to scholarship.
In his supervisory role, he particularly
encourages his students to move away from
the notion that artworks have an absolute
value or absolute interpretation. Instead, he
inspires them to traverse different academic
disciplines in order to discover new perspectives in the interpretation and practice of art.
His personal research interests range from
drawing, contemporary art, modern SouthEast Asian art to the subject of death.
Students under his supervision can be rest
assured they will not be expected to echo his
views or follow in his footsteps. He asks critical questions to lead the students in finding
their own voice and to respond meaningfully
to current artistic and cultural discourse.
Izmer says: The best part about doing
what I do is being able to work with students
and co-researchers to gain new knowledge.
n Emelia Ong Ian Li is hoping, like her mentor,
to become a researcher and teacher that makes
a difference. She is currently doing research on
art and identity in Malaysia.

aTIonally

Tern
arT and desIGn In
y
ud
sT
To
s
ol
ho
sc
GreaT
& Singapore

n, France
College of Desig , San Francisco
1. Art Center
ts
College of the Ar ne Arts, Beijing, China
2. California
Fi
of
y
em
ral Acad
, Rhode Island
3. China Cent School of Design, Providence
d
on, U.K.
4. Rhode Islan of Art/Imperial College Lond
ge
lle
Co
5. Royal
versity, Sweden rk
6. Ume Uni
Yo
sual Arts, New
, Brazil
Vi
of
7. School
tlica do Paran dia
Ca
e
ad
id
rs
ve
ni
In
U
,
ad
cia
if
ab
nt
ed
Po
8.
n ,Ahm
d
stitute of Desig
9. National In rsity of Art and Design, Finlan
ve
ni
U
ki
sin
el
H
10.

12

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

Camps are a great

place to discover more
about personal
strengths and talents.

By AUDREY TONG
audrey.tong@
leaderonomics.com

URING the leadership

camps which we conduct
for teenagers, we often
ask campers which they think
is more important: being book
smart or street smart. In other words, is it more
important to have high academic qualifications or savvy industry experience? After much
debate and discussion, the verdict is usually
50/50, as the youths decide that both are of
equal importance in contributing towards the
success of a leader. The question is: Are they
given sufficient exposure in both areas?
We once had an intelligent camper who got
nervous when required to speak in front of a
group of people. She performed well academically but found it challenging to stand up in
front of a crowd. One day, she decided to step
out of her comfort zone and volunteered to
share her experiences during a large gathering.
She told me that it was such an unthinkable
thing for her to do but because she was pushed
to do it during the camp, she realised that she
had it in her to accomplish such a feat. It was
the experience that she had already accumulated, that gave her the courage and confidence
to know that she could deliver.
This and many other stories led me to believe
that while we are providing sufficient avenues
for our youths to excel academically, we still
lack the ability to provide them with the structures and opportunities to grow in their leadership and practical skills. We tend to assume that
they will pick up these lessons and skills along
the way and hopefully get better as time
goes by. It does not always turn out this
way. However, it is never too late to
take the initiative and make a
change.

Here are some

suggestions to initiate
personal development:
1. Assume A
leAdership role

Book smart
vs
street smart

It could be as simple as leading a mini

project or even taking the lead in a
group discussion. The key is to be open
to new challenges and to not be confined to a specific role.

2. Join A society

Joining a society such as the

Toastmasters Club can improve public
speaking skills and boost self-confidence. Societies also offer an environment which encourages learning and
self-improvement amongst like-minded
people.

3. Volunteer!

Volunteering for charitable causes and

projects is also a good way to develop
new skills. These experiences bring
about opportunities to work with people from different backgrounds and cultures thus broadening the spectrum of
human interaction and, in turn assist in
the development of inter-personal skills.

4. Attend A cAmp

Camps are great places to discover more

about personal strengths and talents.
They are also a safe environment to take
risks and to make mistakes.

n Audrey Tong runs leadership camps for

12 to 19-year-olds and believes in
providing opportunities for young people
to grow into successful leaders.

LIMITED
SPACES LEFT!
SIGN UP TODAY!

BUILDING OUR YOUTH FOR THE FUTURE

DIODE Leadership Camps are designed specifically for youth between the ages of 1219, who want to fulfill
their potential to become great leaders of the future! We aim to help young people grow their capacity and
courage to step up and seize life changing opportunities. Come join us for great fun and amazing learning!

TWEENS CAMP

YOUTH LEADERSHIP CAMP SCHOOL LEAVERS CAMP

3 8 Dec 2012

7 12 Jan 2013

Target: 1213 year olds

Target: 1416 year olds

To address some of the

challenges they might face as
they transition from primary to
secondary school.

To discover their leadership potential. This

camp will build the foundations of leadership
and allow youth to explore their skills and
talents in a safe environment.

Target: 1719 year olds after SPM/STPM

Key highlights: Adaptability &

assertiveness, handling peer
pressure, managing friendships.

Key highlights: Communication & public

speaking skills, leading with confidence,
self awareness.

5 8 Dec 2012

Group promotions &

discounts available!
Contact us for more info:

diode@leaderonomics.com
http://leaderonomics.com/diodecamps/
03 - 7957 5809 / 5804

To discuss issues they might face as they

move towards tertiary education or the
working world.
Key highlights: Personal development plan,
core values, building CVs, career sharing.

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

H
By VICTOR LOail.com
gm
@
or
loh.vict

SkillS for life

ent in
years you sp
the 14 to 16 e to university
in
n
ar
le
u
HAT did yo
imary on
stem, from pr
today?
the school sy to where you are in life ugh
nt
th
va
t
been pu ro
that is rele
obably have your primary and
pr
ld
ou
w
u
Yo
ut
ic excellence
grill througho
the academic ld repeatedly that academ g in
scorin
ing to
as always on
hool years, be
secondary sc ng else. The emphasis w for school kids, a badge of
is
ythi
trumps ever Getting As was, and still
tivities if they
.
curricular ac
examinations s would push away extra
nt
honour. Pare tuition.
ught a little
ith
. Things are ta thrust. You find
interfered w where you sink or swim
ic
e academ
University is level, albeit with the sam answering multipleof
is
d
th
s
ea
st
at
y
s right. In
ter. Sentence
differentl
to think. That analyse the subject mat the final
ve
ha
w
no
to
you
ow
fficient to kn
ons, you have
choice questi graphs. Its no longer su rive at this conclusion.
ra
ar
morph into pa have to show how you about socialisation skills?
t
also
answer; you st the studying part. Wha y acts as an incubator
it
ju
rs
s
ve
at
ni
th
U
?
nd
ty
A
otional
in universi
in
t
ld. EQ, or em schooling
fi
or
u
w
yo
al
re
e
th
r
to
Where do
ou
in
IQ
neglected in
e transition
of sorts for th something that is grossly l measure of intelligence, te
la
na
is
re
io
e,
it
to
nc
intellige
for the trad
the ability
making way yman terms, EQ means
how
years, often
la
ws at us. It is
In
ro
).
th
nt
e
ie
lif
ot
ns
qu
io
e
to
at
nc
tu
ns
l as to si
(intellige
teractio
nd us as wel
day-to-day in
to people arou e self, in everything from
th
ying
one handles adverse situations.
ve started pa
at people ha becomes a great
or
th
g
s
in
ar
ng
ye
le
al
10
ch
e last five to
s
e workplace
It is only in th an essential life skill. Th or lack thereof. Employer
,
as
EQ
EQ
do
of
to
at
ns
n
th
io
io
s
at
nt
ie
ic
it
te
at
impl
onal
ment on the ced with disparate pers
over
social experi
es fa
emselves disc .
lv
th
se
s
ee
em
oy
th
pl
nd
ce
Em
fi
la
e.
ly
kp
ur
en
or
lt
w
dd
cu
e
su
ny
inefields in th
ave
to the compa
not blend in of navigating relational m e brilliant people who le
is
res
rw
ti
de
ul
he
un
ic
ot
d
ff
t
di
an
ou
e
th
el shackled
e heard ab
fe
ar
s
s
nt.
al
ie
le
or
du
ta
st
vi
is
,
di
th
Often
retain
illiant in
nies. These br companies have failed to e root of these
pa
m
co
od
th
go
ve
The respecti ion that EQ is probably at
appreciated.
spic
su
ng
ki
ea
sn
rveballs
There is the
deal with cu This
.
equipped to
lly
em
fu
th
t
problems.
il
no
fa
s
e
duals ar
mechanism
ng
ing in
pi
ck
co
la
When indivi
r
ei
er
th
em at work,
ates. A manag
thrown at th managers and subordin oyees frustrations and
pl
th
applies to bo able to pick up on an em not have the skills to
ay
be
ck
m
t
ee
no
oy
ay
empl
EQ m
rhaps even la
n; similarly, an
mpany, or pe
dissatisfactio s or her needs to the co
e hi
ork.
communicat
social skills;
oblems at w
wn to great
overcome pr
e
motivation to EQ does not only boil do t, and initiate appropriat
gh
re
hi
rp
a
te
g
in
,
in
fy
Hav
identi
nt ability to
ing wrong.
its the inhere y given situation.
ems to be go comments.
se
an
in
ng
r
hi
ou
yt
vi
er
ev
ng
beha
d days when sults and making scathi d
Weve all ha
telligence is
, an
ing in
ng
rl
di
hu
e
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ar
m
le
Emotional in well do
de
aop
tr
pe
ex
om
em
nd
se
w
Ra
f track. Bosses
essential - ho ople and
eir best.
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see through
to pe
te
to
la
le
re
ab
u
ar
be
yo
es
ld
bounce
EQ wou
subordinat
around you?
h developed
him or her to
to situations
Someone wit e silver lining, enabling other day tomorrow.
an
to th
these clouds days blows, ready to face on plan to power
ti
e
ac
th
an
om
fr
ed
at
ck
ul
ba
ld have form
He or she wou y.
low in
da
probably wal haze
through the lesser honed EQ would
e
th
h
ug
ro
th
People with tration, unable to break
es to get
lv
se
em
us
th
fr
d
w
would allo
ve
self-pity an
These people , even imagining negati
on
of problems.
es
go
e
as tim
demotivated have yet to happen.
generation
at
th
s
io
ar
t? While our iran Hidup,
ou
scen
ab
e
m
co
How does EQ t in school called Kemah hat
w
ec
learnt a subj e skills, it is a far cry from
omics than
lif
on
ns
ec
ea
e
m
m
ch
ho
hi
e
w
or
M
.
re
he
t
abou
sadly never
were talking gence, generation X was cial skills
lli
r so
te
emotional in real world. We honed ou hers, and these
teac
r the
r
fo
s
ou
ill
d
sk
an
ts
ng
t question
taught copi ions with fellow studen
re told, don ong
u
yo
ct
ra
as
te
o
in
d
h
throug
rview of
st get al
under the pu
fficult and ju
probably fell oks/school, dont be di
on
bo
This generati
the teacher/ ous other gems.
Perhaps not!
amongst vari ation Y fare any better? ult, self-absorption. It is
fa
Does Gener
ent, and to a get Gen-Yers, and vice
lf-improvem
thrives on se t that employers do not up and questions
ks
en
a known lam is a generation that spea lf floundering when it
se
it
it
t
s
ls
hi
nd
fi
W
e that
ing at a job
versa.
ts, it is also on m relationships (i.e. stay end).
en
hm
is
bl
ta
er
e
es
-t
through to th
ainable, long
comes to sust learn or seeing a start-up known to be brilliant,
as
to
w
long enough e Jobs, founder of Apple, The words college
The late Stev y difficult to work with. didnt finish school.
tremel
had
name. Yes, he
w
as ell as ex
company his In fact, you would say he ost
ac
lly
ua
us
.
m
e
ce
fi
th
of
as
dropout
e
w
th
a dictator in to the workplace. Yet he ity sold millions
He was also
e
al
m
on
ca
rs
it
. His pe
when
test
little or no EQ reneur of our generation the company to the grea
ep
d
tr
le
en
y
ul
dl
sf
de
es
it?
succ
le-han
ucts. He sing
ve to do with
of Apple prod able. So what does EQ ha s lacking in social skills
in
ap
uld work
heights imag hing to do with it. Perh
m he knew co
ho
w
d
le
yt
er
op
ev
pe
EQ has
ople who ha
to hire
the foresight ounded himself with pe ute and
d
ha
he
lf,
se
rr
ac
him
He su
way, Jobs was
nnical style.
with his tyra d EQ. So in a roundabout ow the type of people he e
pe
w
kn
highly develo himself well enough to ccess. Now that is what
g
su
savvy, knowin el the company to great
op
needed to pr
l intelligence.
h
call emotiona
ation for yout r,
life skill educ
r
te
fo
ke
ar
te
m
ca
vo
ng
ni
te ad
or, award-win
is a passiona
h
n Victor Loh e is also a best-selling auth ould like to connect wit
w
H
u
n.
yo
re
If
.
ild
ur
ch
ne
d
re
an
ner and entrep
.
corporate trai at loh.victor@gmail.com
m
hi
l
ai
em
,
m
hi

ce
ligen
intel
ional
emot
intelligence quot
ient

13

14

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

ausE
ExErcisE your

crEativE juicEs

A CAR FOR YOUR RESUME

Get that job you love and drive home a free car!
( Contest period: 20 September - 14 November 2012 )

shaPE shiftEr

Add a few strokes to turn as many circles as you can into other
shapes, objects and anything you can come up with. Give yourself
three minutes and see how many you can complete.

frEE and forcEd association

Use free association and forced association to link the two random words.
Example:
Apple
Apple Pie

Dessert

Ice Cream

North Pole

Polar Express Train

Apple is the ingredient for apple pie, which is a type of dessert. Ice cream can be served
as dessert as well. Ice cream is cold, and so is North Pole. Theres a movie about the North
Pole called Polar Express, which is about a magical train.

Just submit your resume online and youll

automatically be in the running to win a Proton Persona 1.6!
There will also be 7 shopping vouchers worth RM100
to be won every week!
Visit mystarjob.com now!

Flower

_______

_______

_______

_______

_______

Flip Flop

Giant

_______

_______

_______

_______

_______

Computer

Pain

_______

_______

_______

_______

_______

Wedding

Chicken

_______

_______

_______

_______

_______

Rain

State one thing that these two random words have in

common; there can be multiple answers.

in common

Example:
They both have something you need to
change regularly: coffee filters and baby
diapers. They both smell good. Too much
or too many of them will decrease the
amount of enjoyment they provide.

coffEE
and BaBy

jEans and dogs

Explanation:

Explanation:

Contest rules and regulations apply.

Playground
and War
Explanation:

rumours
and affairs
Explanation:

coconuts
and craBs

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

15

WE have four experts on career

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

Dear CareernoMerS,

I am working in a firm for a few months now and find it difficult to

deal with some of the more senior staff. Naturally, the bosses listen to
everything they say, and these senior staff take every opportunity they
can to speak loudly about my mistakes in front of the bosses, and tell
me off for every small mistake I make, so that everyone hears. There
is no training provided to newcomers like myself and I feel that this
constant telling off in front of others can shape a bad opinion of my
work quality. In addition to that, there is a manager that always
shouts on top of her voice even for the slightest error, which sets
a bad example to the older staff. None of them are willing to
teach us how to improve. In a workplace,
you should have teamwork and support
how can people behave like this? Please
advise.

Selina

Hi Selina,

I am so sorry to hear about

your predicament. Firstly, if it is any
comfort to you, there are many
people in the same boat as you are
in the workplace. This situation is
something we see quite often and
Ive personally experienced it as well
when I first started out in my career.
I was working for an accounting
firm, in fact one of the Big Five at
the time. The situation that I faced
was similar to the one you mentioned or perhaps even worse. I had
a manager who threw an entire file
of paperwork across the workspace
just to embarrass you and let you
know that you did not meet expectations. There were seniors who
blamed you for their mistakes. Poor
greenhorns like us just suffered in
silence or left the organisation when
we could no longer take it.
Why does this happen? It could
be because of a few things:

Your seniors (the ones who

have been with the company
since it started) may be fearful and
insecure. When you are hired, you
are the newbie, the young person
who is supposed to be full of energy
and talent. The seniors may have
a tendency to feel a bit nervous
and insecure. They may be worried
that you would surpass them and
threaten their positions in the company. Because of this, they become
defensive and try to protect their
job/territory/rice bowl. Not wanting to teach you and making you
look bad is their way of protecting
themselves. Perhaps it will make
you feel better, if you were to pity
them. They come to work each day
worried that the young entrants in
the company are a threat to them.
This is not in defence of their actions
at all.

Perhaps they had similar superiors in the past, and have learned
these bad behaviours from them?
They now feel that you need to
go through the School of Hard
Knocks so to speak. Either way,
the more of these ironies that you
have to endure, the stronger you
get. However, if the stress becomes
unbearable, you should consider a
change in jobs.

It may be that during the course

of you joining the company, you
stepped on their toes without realising it. They may be holding some
grudges against you.

Maybe, just maybe, you really

have not been performing to
the expected standards. In this
case, it would be great to get some
feedback. I know this may be tough
given their attitude and resistance
to newbies.
I cant really tell if your working
environment allows you to have
direct access to your managers (not
for the purposes of complaining but
rather with regard to the visibility
of your work). I hope that some of
your bosses will be able to see your
work and that it will speak for itself
instead of just relying on what other
seniors say.
Another idea or strategy I can
pass on to you to counter this situation is to grit your teeth, suck in
your pride and anger towards your
seniors, and ask one of them to
be your mentor. I know it sounds
like sucking up to them, but it is a
strategy that Ive seen work with
younger people and graduates joining companies. When you ask one of
them to be your mentor, you probably have to approach it in a manner
where you acknowledge that he

Frustrated at work
or she has a lot more experience
than you do, and that the person
are so good that you really wish to
learn from them.
They may or may not agree.
Some may, but most would rarely
turn down the offer to be the
Big Sister/Big Brother figure for
someone else. By asking them
personally to be a mentor, it
makes them feel like you are not
a threat to them. Instead, it gives
the impression that you want to
be taken under their wing and
be guided by them. They become
your guru/sifu and you would
become their disciple. You would
thus neutralise their tendency to
go against you, and you might
even find that they would teach
you and defend you in the future.
They would want to protect you,
as your performance would be a
direct reflection on them personally,
as well on how effective their training is.
And lastly, please reflect on your
actions as well. Let it not be because
of your own attitude/actions at
work that this situation has arisen.
Sometimes, we only see others as
the cause of the problem and forget to analyse our own actions. It
is good to take time to ensure you
have displayed the humble, learning
attitude and respect for your seniors
before you start believing that the
fault lies externally.
I wish you all the best, Selina,
and I hope that this helps. If all else
fails and you find yourself being so
stressed out and constantly anxious
about going to work, it may be wise
to consider a change in job so as
not to sufferfrom anxiety attacks or
depression.
Regards,

ang Hui Ming

Hi Selina,

Every now and then we

find ourselves in a difficult
situation where we decide to
fight or flight; just like where
you are right now. First things
first, you have to decide if this
is a battle worth fighting. To
help you assess, some things
to think about include:
1. Can I still learn on this
job?
2. Will staying on in this
company contribute to me
achieving my long-term goals?
3. If I stay on, what are my
reasons and are they justified?
Once you have considered
this and find that there are
benefits in staying on, then I
suggest you be prepared with
the following strategies for
your battle:

1. look for allianCeS

Im not sure, but I hope there
would be at least ONE colleague who is nice and have
been there long enough to
know how to deal with these
seniors.

2. keep your
frienDS CloSe,
anD your eneMieS
CloSer - Sun Tzu

Get to know your seniors and

their work styles and expectations. Perhaps once you understand these, you will be able to
deliver according to their expectation and more. They may also
then see that you are making
an effort to improve at work. As
they dont provide any training, it
doesnt mean you cant ask to be
informally trained by them. Take
the initiative.

3. GuarD your HearT

No one can guarantee you a

change in your superiors. If you
manage to break the barrier
between you and them, thats
great! Otherwise, if they do not
change, be in control of your emotions and do not let these bullies make you feel that you are
not good enough.

4. Draw bounDarieS

The last bit before you enter this

battle, is to know from the beginning at what point you would
retreat. Assuming the situation
doesnt improve, you need to
decide now what you would do
later. You can define your boundaries in a few manners. For example:
l Timing: Give it x number of
months and if things dont get
better, then its time to move on.
l Seniors conduct: If their insults
get personal, then its time to
move on.
l Your emotional state: If you start
crying every night thinking about
this, then its time to move on.
l Learning: If you have learnt
what you want to, then its time
to move on.
These boundaries can differ
and it is really up to you to define
them and keep by them. Though
I think no one deserves to be bullied, sometimes staying and fighting a tough battle can really help
us grow tremendously.
Its a choice you make fight
or flight?
All the best!
Regards,

elisa Dass
n The opinions expressed are
those of the authors and not necessarily those of myStarjob.com

mystarjob.com, saturday 27 October 2012

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