Can I Bring My Parents Or Boyfriend/Girlfriend To Job Interviews?

The following is an article posted in thestar.com with input from Employers and Recruiters/Consultants. I was one of them being interviewed. So boys and girls, if you are not sure whether it's a good idea to bring your dad, mommy or boyfriend/girlfriend to go together with you for your next job interview, please read this. You won't regret it, I promise :)

With growing fear of crime, employers say they do not mind candidates bringing a companion to job interviews, but not an entourage or agent'.

A 22-year-old fresh graduate could not believe it when she received an e-mail last September offering her RM400 a day for a sales promoter job she had applied for through a website. She was asked to attend an interview at a hotel if she was interested. When she got there, however, instead of getting hired, the first-time job applicant got raped and robbed.

This is not the first case either. The police revealed that just a month earlier, another fresh graduate fell prey to a similar scam.

With crime like this posing a threat to young people, albeit isolated, it is no surprise that parents are starting to tag along to their children's job interviews.

According to a recent survey by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) on parental involvement in the recruiting process, some 28 companies out of 201 interviewed said they have had parents attend job interviews with the applicants.

While it is not yet a common practice most employers say they have heard of it happening but have not experienced it parenting trends indicate that it might be a growing phenomenon.

This is the reality today, opines Serm Teck Choon, head of MyStarJob Network Sdn Bhd, which runs The Star's career portal myStarjob.com. Our children are growing up in a different environment, so many are sheltered, says Serm. “In the past, we can just take a bus even from outside town to attend a job interview. Society has changed. Now, it may not be as safe as before, that is why there is a tendency for parents to go for interviews with their children,” he says.

He admits that his experience as a parent makes him empathize with them. "I have often wondered if these parents took leave from their own workplace to accompany their children, or if I would do the same for my child in the future.” Serm believes it is not fair for employers to judge the candidates straight away (when they see them with their parents in the reception area).

What is more important is their ability for the post applied, he stresses, “It will have to go down to their performance during the interview, as well as their qualifications and training. Internship experience gives a glimpse of your ability and interest. When it comes to the crunch, that can be the deciding factor of whether you get hired over another candidate with the same qualifications as you.”

Supratechnic (M) Sdn Bhd Human Resource Manager Sue Lim agrees that employers should not be prejudiced against parents tagging along with their children at job interviews. However, they should not overrun the prospective employer's office.“I don't blame them, mainly because there are too many social problems faced by the community now like rape and snatch thieves. They (parents) still can come with the children but just wait inside the car outside the company's compound!” she says.

For Melissa Norman, managing director (Singapore and Malaysia) at recruitment consultancy Kelly Services, it is an issue that needs to be tolerated as the “tag alongs” have become a common sight at their offices nationwide. “From our daily experiences conducting interviews at Kelly Services' 14 branches nationwide, there are many candidates who come to our office accompanied by their parents, family members or friends.”

Fortunately, in most cases, the people who accompany the interviewee do not disrupt or interfere in the interview process, says Norman.

She points out that when parents or friends who accompany the candidate interrupt or respond on behalf of the candidate, it reflects poorly on the candidate that he/she is someone who is not capable of making decisions, cannot communicate well, is not able to work independently and relies on the opinions and thoughts of others too much. There are, however, cases of candidates getting the help and advice of their parents or companion to fill up their registration forms for the interview, she notes.

There are also those who would ask the interviewer (after the interview) how soon the candidate would receive a reply on being selected for the job.” While Norman does not mind candidates turning up with their parents at their office, she takes issue if he or she comes for the job interview with an “entourage”. “Attending the interview accompanied by someone is acceptable but it should be limited to only one person,” she stresses.

The visibility of the group will not help the prospective employee anyway, she highlights: it will create prejudice against the candidate, particularly if the friends or family members misbehave. As Norman puts it, the employer will try to get an insight of the candidate's lifestyle, behaviour and attitude based on the people he or she mixes with. Worse, she cautions, is if the group is noisy while waiting for the candidate. “This will not augur well for the candidate.”

People who accompany the candidate for interviews should sit quietly at the reception area and wait patiently as interviews can be lengthy at times due to some testing of skills or profiling test required during the interview process. Speaking loudly on mobile phones, complaining about the interview process being too long, asking to be involved or to be seated at the interview room is not acceptable attitude, says Norman.

A marketing manager at a lifestyle media company who declines to be named agrees, sharing her experience when her office reception area was transformed into a noisy pot lepak (hangout spot) during an internship interview.

The candidate, a college student, brought along his posse of friends because “he needed a ride to the office”, she tells. “They were chatting and laughing loudly, as if they were in a caf They had no respect for the workplace. It really annoyed me.” The student, not surprisingly, did not get the internship.


Serm stresses that parents or anyone else who want to accompany a candidate to a job interview need to abide by a few “rules”. “Parents, especially, have to control themselves. They cannot interfere in the interview process.” To Serm, the biggest misdeed that any parent can ever commit for their children is “try to sit in the interview”.

A human resource manager who only wants to be known as DD concurs. “You would think these candidates are stars with the parents acting like their talent agents, controlling them and dictating terms if we want to hire them. One parent not only tried to barge into the interview room, she even wanted to interview me to see if I was a suitable employer!”

Hussain Ally, project manager at Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad, also believes strongly that the interview room should be off-limits to parents. “If parents sit in with their children during the interview, we will get the impression that the candidates lack confidence and are not independent.

Would we want employees who lack self-confidence to even attend a job interview on his or her own? Sometimes it is the candidate who chooses to hide behind their parents, passively encouraging them to interfere in the interview.”

He feels that once a parent is given too much say at the initial stage, which is the interview stage, they will not stop from “getting involved” even after their children are hired. “We have had parents who get extremely upset to see their university graduate son arranging songkok during Raya, or carrying things and working late. “They say: I sent you to university not to arrange songkok!' or She is supposed to do office work!' I don't want my son to work late' but we are in retail, so we need to do the inventory and work overtime sometimes.”

Sinsee Ho, senior consulting manager with  Agensi Pekerjaan Jobsmart Sdn Bhd which runs job portal Allyhunt, has blogged about turn-offs in the job search and bringing parents is one of them.

“I understand parents want to be supportive as applicants, especially fresh graduates, might be nervous attending their first interviews. But it's a big turn-off in the job search. So don't do it.

“The message sent to recruiters or employers is that you are not independent and if you can't attend an interview on your own, how can you possibly be given a job to do?”

What parents can do, she adds, is to help applicants by providing some relevant advice before the interview.

“If they are professionals themselves, they can help by doing some role-playing or going through some common job interview questions at home with their children to prepare them. At the end of the day, preparation is the key and if the applicants have done the necessary preparation, they will do well. But bringing their parents along won't get them the job.”

To read the rest of the article, please head to here. 

I must add that due to the high crime rate, parents' or partners' concern is highly legitimate. My advise is do your homework before the interview by checking the background of the company to ensure it is a legitimate set-up and on the day of the interview, just drop your child or partner to the office of the employer but return to pick him/her up once the interview is done. That shall do it.

Is Marisa Mayer Going Backwards With Her Telecommuting Policy?

All Yahoo employees must work in the office by June this year, so said the new CEO of Yahoo, Marisa Mayer. In the past decade with the advancement of technology, telecommuting has been applauded as breaking the traditional 9-5 clock system.

I remember when I first started working the first thing I was introduced in my orientation was the punch card system. Every morning, this little event of making sure my punch card produces black print sweat me out quite a bit especially if my bus was running late. I would be rushing like a mad lady if I discovered that I might get a red print. Needless to say, it’s stressful. I’m so glad those days were over.

With the advancement of technology, telecommuting was introduced. It was good news to many especially for jobs that do not require physical presence in the office all the time. To me, this idea is progressive and liberating. We are after all adults that know our job and what it takes to do a good job. If we do not meet the standards or targets set, the consequences are clear. We don’t need a “referee” to look over our shoulders all the time and certainly the reason of not performing if ever is not due to not enough time spent in the office!

One of the best benefits of telecommuting is that it saved a lot of time – it makes so much sense especially when work can be done in the comfort of a home or anywhere else besides the office – not to mention the stress from beating the traffic and as a result, more time can be spent with family and etc. If a worker can generate same results, i.e., no effect on the job performance, why telecommuting is a bad idea now?

I’m not sure whether Yahoo has done a feasibility study before they came out with this policy or not. If they have hard evidence that concluded telecommuting was bad for business, I would like to hear it.

So far the only rationale of why the shift is that they believe by having everyone in the office, they will have many "fun" new initiatives, people feel "energy and buzz" when they work in the office, and some of the "best" work is done when you run into someone in the hallway. This sounds more like “we wish this will happen if everyone is around.”

I don’t deny physical meetings are powerful and the connection generated from such can rarely be replaced by a virtual set-up. It’s like the Recruiters conducting a face-to-face interview – it certainly gives us more information as compared to a tele-interview or via a google hangout.

However, in our context of work, there are some work like programming and writing that are best done in a place that the individual feels most comfortable – more likely achieved in the comfort of his home. Why restrict that? Of course, there is some type of work in which regular communication with colleagues help, say marketing. And therefore, meet up in the office and brainstorm! Why can’t there be options and flexibility? It’s an irony to see a technology company taking this step.

From the hiring strategy perspective, it might not augur well when companies like Virgin encourages people to work wherever they work best, whether that be from home or from the office.

So, if you are a talent, which company will you choose to work - Yahoo or Virgin?

Social Networks - Your New Referee

It's more or less confirmed social networks are here to stay. Like TV, we switch them on at a regular basis. And unlike TV in which you are the passive spectator, this invites you to be an active participant. It's the best lifestyle invention ever, a great avenue to broadcast your ideas, photos, videos and whatever stuff to a ready audience.

But as in every invention, they are merely tools and whether they bring us good or harm would be entirely up to the user. By now, we have already heard so much about how Facebook can ruin your career. And Zul of Skorcareer had put up a great article on this, in which I had the honor to contribute a small part. So do read up if you have no clue on how it can destroy your career.

What I would like to add on is that social networks had in a way acted as your new referee without the need of the employers asking you to furnish one. Traditionally and it's still in practice today, employers ask for references from potential candidates, and they are usually people who had worked with the candidates before. They make the call, ask some questions and that's more or less a background check is completed on a candidate. But now, social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin provide a new dimension of background checks. A status update, a comment, or even a profile picture can tell so much about a person's personality, behavior and preferences. In a way, the world is a scary place to live in now. Privacy is gonna be a coveted pursuit one day.

Yes, there are settings you can configure to have some privacy. Do all you want but I figure the earlier we settle with the fact that our lives are no longer private once we have a social network account and active in it, the better it is. So whatever nonsense you and I had posted in the past, we just have to live with it. And accept this fact early - there is no clear line between your private and professional self. The line is getting blurrier as I speak. So you can't really say, I was writing that as a my personal self and now, from my professional self. It's no longer work like that anymore.

But if you truly value your professional self, you might want that part of you to shine a bit more and there's where the promotion of self through social networks can truly help your career. Seriously, it's a great way to advertise you - and furthermore, its FREE. So if you understand personal branding well, use it smartly to your professional advantage.

Love or hate social networks but they are here to stay and they will be used as one of the best reference points by employers. And you can't stop them.

Are You Yelling At Me? (CAPS a Big NO NO)

WHEN WILL YOU CALL ME?

Some time ago, I received the above via sms from a candidate. At first glance, I felt I was being yelled at. My instinct told me she’s not in a happy mood. But when I did make the phone call, it wasn’t so. It was the CAPS she used that had given me that impression.

I asked around and noticed many people concur with me that texting or writing in caps seems to give that impression. And it’s true. Unfortunately, not many people are aware of this. And sometimes the consequences can be costly. You might lose a job offer because of that. Recently, I have a candidate who met almost all the job criteria and was about to be offered until he replied an sms to the potential employer…

DON’T CALL ME NOW.  MEETING. CALL ME TOMORROW MORNING.

In addition to his lack of professionalism, his fate was more or less sealed. 

Caps actually makes reading more difficult but having said that, it has its place though. We commonly use it if we wished to emphasize a word (not the whole page of content) to depict it’s importance. And that’s about the only usage of caps I can think of.

Interestingly, I found a handwriting analyst and he has some interesting discovery about people who “write” in CAPS.

These people do not like to disclose anything about themselves to others. They are uncomfortable talking about their personal lives — at least in interpersonal relationships. They do not want others to know about themselves. Often, such writers do not express their emotions in public.

Usually, all-caps handwriting lacks connection between letters, which indicates that the writer does not like to relate to people at a personal level. Also, such writers are quite egotistic. They hold strong opinions and it’s very tough to get  them to see another point of view. They emphasize a lot on their day-to-day lives, rather than spending some time planning their future.

Perhaps you enjoy writing in CAPS and you don’t care what people think but if you are writing to represent your professional self, my advice is to avoid this style for your own good.

Top 10 Talent Trends In Malaysia For 2013

What’s in store for 2013 in Malaysia? I’m no prophet and do not wish to make speculations that at best remain as guesses but one thing for sure, General Election is certain to take place. And because it’s GE, the results would have some impact on the general economy and that ultimately would very much affects everyone that is either in business or in employment. Whether the after effects of GE will generate positive results or not, we shall wait and see.

If you desperately need some forecasts, there’s one from the Malaysian Government: they had predicted a slow growth across the services sector and oil and gas with more modest growth in manufacturing and construction.

And from this website, Hays  gave their take on the top 10 talent trends for 2013. This is what they think:

1. Use of expats: The Malaysian Government is rolling out changes to its Immigration Department including a new Expatriate Services Division to officially open in early 2013. The new agency will manage services related to in demand expatriate workers. As part of the pre-launch activities, the government issued Residence Pass-Talent (RP-T) status to 21 corporate leaders in “National Key Economic Area” sectors such as business services, oil and gas, financial services and education. This type of Malaysian visa allows people to work for up to 10 years and will be offered to expats with the right skills signalling continuing demand for expat talent.

2. Economic outlook: Domestic demand for goods and services strengthened in 2012 and is expected to increase further in 2013. Malaysia’s GDP is expected to grow by at least 3.8 per cent next year, according to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Economists from Bank Negara Malaysia and the World Bank are optimistic projecting growth of more than 4 per cent while the Malaysian Government expects GDP growth of up to 5 per cent if global conditions improve.

3. Continuing skills shortage: Skills needed in Malaysia cover both white-collar and blue-collar roles. These include ICT and knowledge workers and those with finance skill sets, as well as building sector trades, particularly welders.

4. Staff turnover: The outsourcing sector is still seeing higher rates of staff churn than many others sectors and this is expected to continue next year. Many younger workers in this sector are increasingly mobile as they search for better pay and conditions in new job roles.

5. Rising salaries: Malaysia this year introduced a minimum wage for the private sector with businesses having until January 1, 2013 to comply. “I would have to agree with economists that setting a minimum wage could help address wage inequality and encourage greater workforce participation rates here,” says Chris. Overall, salaries are expected to see modest growth over the coming year with the largest increases expected for a range of “in demand” roles such as ICT roles, some manufacturing jobs, engineering roles, banking and finance roles and jobs in the pharmaceutical sector.

6. Focus on female workforce: The Malaysian Government has set a target of increasing female workforce participation to 55 per cent by 2015. It is currently about 47 per cent. “Boosting the female workforce participation rates is a way of increasing productivity and addressing skills shortages,” says Chris. “However, Malaysia has a unique problem. Unlike other Asian countries where women leave the workforce to raise families and then return later in their lives, Malaysian women tend not to return.”

7. Need for staff development: The report, Learning, Talent and Innovation in Asia, compiled by the Hong Kong Institute of Human Resource Management and the UK’s Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and reported in the latest edition of the Hays journal, analysed the talent challenges in six parts of Asia, including Malaysia. It advises Malaysia to follow the Chinese example of investing in talent strategies and helping staff develop business skills, particularly leadership and people management capabilities.

8. Public investment: Malaysia’s public investment, increased by almost 30 per cent in the quarter to June 2012 largely off the back of $450 billion worth of new infrastructure projects. These projects will continue to take shape in 2013 creating jobs and domestic spending.

9. Social media: Malaysian job hunters, particularly Gen Y and Gen X, are increasingly comfortable using social media as part of their job search and personal branding efforts. Malaysian candidates of all ages also appear to have a good awareness of the career perils posed by social media such as posting inappropriate remarks online. Employers are also being encouraged to include social media as part of their recruitment mix but to seek expert guidance to ensure they protect their brand and adequately test claims candidates make in their online profiles.

10. Unemployment Going into 2013 the unemployment rate across the Asia and the Pacific will continue to hover above 10 per cent, but in Malaysia the rate remains very low by global standards. Unemployment increased from 2.8 per cent in mid-2012 to 3.4 per cent for the year but is expected to hover around three percent in 2013.

From the Recruiter’s point of view, I believe growth will continue albeit modest. As for which jobs are in greater demand, I can tell you point 8 on public investment is seeing results - the market is already witnessing a higher demand than usual for construction related jobs. So if you happened to be a Civil Engineer, you can look forward to a good year ahead. Probably a good time to make a move if you have been toying with that idea. Needless to say, when the demand is high and supply is scarce, you certainly have a greater bargaining power. All the best!

Am I Too Old To Change My Career?

I just had lunch with someone that needs counseling in her career. No, career counseling is not my full-time job, it was merely a favor. But it sets me thinking - it's easy for someone in their 20s or 30s to discover they are in a wrong career and make a switch. No sweat. Well, not so if you are older. Well at least that’s what that had been perceived. To a certain extent, it’s true. I tell you why.

In my job, our clients aka employers will usually specify the age range for their posts. So unless it’s a senior position in which management experience matters more, they usually won’t want to see anyone 45 and above. Ouch! Yes, it hurts.

And so if you are 45 and felt you had enough of accounting and wanted to do some programming work instead, even with a relevant qualification, employers have second thoughts of employing you. Alright, this example seems a bit far-fetched, but, I think you get my point.

But there are careers that are easier to switch to. For example, anything that can capitalize your past practical experience - think Lecturers, Trainers, Financial Advisors, Management Consultants.

Is that it? Can’t I do something I am passionate about which has no direct relevance to my current profession? Is age really such a big issue? 

It is if you think it is.

To me, nothing including age can truly stop someone with passion to pursue something he or she loves. Yes, I’m talking about starting something on your own. Perhaps no one wants to hire a Programmer who used to be an Accountant. Well, it’s their loss then because you are going to write some powerful programs and sell them away. In that case, age is not even an issue.


I read somewhere about a man who did his medical degree when he was in his 60s. When asked by his friends why he’s still doing it as he would most probably be hitting 70 when he graduated. “Well, I’ll be 70 eventually but I would rather be a 70 year old Doctor than just 70.” I say, that’s some great attitude there.

What limits us is our mindset. I like to believe if we set our mind on something, any age is a perfect age!


So you 40 and above, up for a career change? It’s never too late to do anything. Never.

Tips On Working With Headhunters Or Recruiters

Today, it’s common for job seekers to apply jobs advertised by a recruitment agency or get a call from a Headhunter on a job opportunity. With the exception of some, most employment agencies or Headhunters in Malaysia do not impose a job search fee on candidates. Therefore, they do not owe the candidates the obligation of finding them a job.

But, that doesn’t mean you should not consider them as partners in your job hunting. In fact, if you are a job seeker now, you should seriously consider working with a few Headhunters. There is no guarantee of a better job but the chances are increased tremendously. Bear in mind, some jobs are only accessible by Headhunters. And besides, a good word put by a trusted Headhunter to their client carries much more weight as compared to if you applied the job on your own.

So work with your Headhunters and follow these tips:-  

1. Be open

Be honest as much as possible about your experiences, achievements, preferences and any other information that are essential in your job search. And when asked about the current or expected salary, be willing to share truthfully. I sometimes scratch my head on why some candidates are so secretive about it. Most assignments given to the Headhunters include the salary range/budget and it’s important to know whether there is a match or not. So if you decided to hold back this piece of information, you are not helping yourself.

And you should not be hiding some information from the headhunter when you are more than willing to spill it during the interview with the employer. Feedback from the employer after the interview adds as important information to the Headhunters for your next job opportunity. You must realize that your relationship with your Headhunter does not end with one job interview or for that matter, one successful offer.

2. Express your strengths and expertise accurately

One candidate remarked, “you are the Headhunter and had viewed my resume, won’t you be able to tell me my strengths?” Now hold on a second, if this is what you think a Headhunter should be doing, you are dead wrong. It is not a Headhunter’s role to tell you what you’re good at. You are supposed to tell them that. In other words, you should have a pretty good idea of what you are good at and be able to express it well to the Headhunters. The Headhunter is interested to know whether there is a match of your strengths with the criteria of the job. So help the Headhunter to help you.

3. Be nice, show you have good manners

Well, probably it’s the Headhunter’s responsibility to do what he/she is doing since he/she gets a good commission out of a successful hire anyway. But seriously, showing some good old manners should not be too much to ask. Remember, this little things count. Actions like a simple thank you say something about your attitude and who wouldn’t like to deal with a polite and grateful person.

On the other hand, please do not bombard your Headhunter with emails and smses requesting update on the latest jobs or status every other day until it becomes annoying. You might be desperate but be careful, you are sending a message that you are easily anxious, signs of an insecure person.  

4. Be flexible

This is related to compensation. It’s difficult to work with candidates that are rigid with their package. And don’t blame the Headhunter if you don’t hear from them after that.

Good luck!  :)

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