Have I made the right decision?

Thirty-five days ago, I received good job offer from another company.


Thirty days ago, I tendered my irrevocable resignation from my company.


Six days from now, the offer will expire.


Tomorrow, I should receive my passport and "No Objection Certificate".


After tomorrow, if my company will not return my passport...I will be JOBLESS for months.


Huh!


Have I made the right decision? Off course, I did! God is with me..

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JOB HIRING: ACCOUNTANT

My company is urgently looking for an Accountant with the following qualifications:


>Must have knowledge in Tally Accounting Package
>Fluent in English (both oral and written)
>Can work independently
>Must be Filipino (male only)
>Can join immediately
>With or without experience in Dubai
>Graduate of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy


Interested applicants please call, 055-7600572.

Note: This is not a paid advertisement.

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FIRST PROTECTOR: Does it really protect?

Two weeks ago, I called the bank to cancel my First Protector program as I don’t need this and it is a just a waste of money. Imagine the 0.79% p.m. deduction from your current outstanding balance. If you don’t pay your account in full when it’s due, then, expect this miscellaneous deduction.

On one hand, First Gulf Bank credit cardholders need this credit shield considering that the current scenario of Dubai is still miserable. This program showcases various benefits to the cardholders. Among its benefits are as follows:

• Death – The amount of Cardholder’s indebtedness at the date of death up to AED100,000 or credit limit whichever is lower.
• Permanent Total Disability – The amount of Cardholder’s indebtedness from the date of permanent total disablement up to AED 100,000 or credit limit whichever is lower.
• Involuntary Loss of Employment – The amount equaling to 10% of Cardholder’s indebtedness, subject to a maximum amount of AED 4,000 payable for every month of unemployment up to a maximum period of 12 months.
• Robbed or stolen cash – a maximum limit of AED 500.
• Fraudulent transactions on lost or stolen Credit Cards at a maximum limit of AED 7,000
• Loss of Keys and Identification Papers – a maximum limit of AED 300 for keys and a maximum limit of AED 700 for identification papers

On the other hand, this is a bank strategy of collecting money from the cardholders as this time of crisis where banks are greatly affected they need to do their best to survive at the expense of its debtors. Sad to say, all banks have this scheme.

This morning, a certain Ms. Mysa from the First Gulf Bank phoned me to reactivate the First Protector. She had explained me everything, emphasizing the third benefit of the program: Involuntary Loss of Employment. After her ten-minute speech I realized that I have to finish my report for our weekly meeting. Without any clarifications, I told her to reactivate it immediately.

Well, it’s not because I have a very urgent work to finish and I don’t want to waste my time listening the same story. She had the point. This time our works are not stable and we need this kind of program that will protect us from our debts. I am not pessimistic. I did this because of a “what if” theory. What if my company shut down?

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WANTED: FILIPINA RECEPTIONIST

FOR IMMEDIATE HIRING:

FILIPINA RECEPTIONIST
With or without Dubai experience
Fluent in English
On visit visa


SEND YOUR CV TO: hr@ihrpm.com


PLACE OF WORK: AL BARSHA FIRST, IN FRONT OF MALL OF EMIRATES (DUBAI)


(Note: Para sa mga kababayan kong naghahanap ng trabaho. Totoo 'to. Hindi ito illegal recruitment. Ito ang latest job opening sa kompanya namin. Ano pang inaantay mo, apply na!)

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DUBAI: NEW VISA RULE TO BE IMPLEMENTED

For individuals from the sub-continent (India) and other countries of the world who are seeking for immediate employment in Dubai, you need to be aware that effective end of July 2009, a new visa rule is to be implemented. Thus, you have only limited time (spring and early summer) to find a suitable placement.

It has been predicted that due to this new visa rule, there would be a problem of labour shortages. Workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Philippines and Bangladesh who will come to Dubai on a visit visa will have to pay for a refundable deposit of AED 1,000.00 (USD 272.00) and take out health insurance while they hunt for work.

This new visa rule is intended to regulate the market and make the process of travelling to the UAE simpler because of job hunting which could impair or underwrite the importance of tourism to the country.

On the side of the jobseeker:

If the new visa rule is to be implemented (I am confident it will be), thousands of jobseekers will be greatly affected. Why? Who will spend AED 1,000 + health insurance and try his luck in Dubai under this current crisis? There’s nothing in Dubai but “uncertainties”. The economy is not stable (true also to some cities). Many companies are shutting down. On this issue, how can a jobseeker be sure that when he enters Dubai he can be employed? For me, I will not gamble.


On the side of the employer:

The new visa rule means potential employers and recruitment agencies will have to go abroad to find workers to avoid labour shortages. Employers are never going to pay money up front for people to come and visit, because they don’t know if they are going to take on the person or not. Employers will have to go to the countries concerned to select people and hire them from there.

It will be more costly for employers because they will have to fly in people to start working. There will be less people coming in to look for work because the fee is a lot of money, so companies will chose to recruit from countries of origin.

What might happen is that it might be a quicker recruitment process, because employers and recruiters might carry out interviews over the phone. If employers don’t want to make the decision there and then through a telephone interview and want to do it face-to-face, they will have to fly the person out, pay for their visit visa and their accommodation. So it will probably be more costly for employers.

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REQUIRED: TEMPORARY ACCOUNTANT

I am posting this advert for free..hehe Actually, one of our suppliers asked me if I could work with them for a couple of months. I refused because I don't have spare time plus they required me to work from 9:00 to 6:00 Sundays through Thursdays. I promised I will find one good temporary accountant for them. So, guys, out there. Grab this opportunity. Well, before you send your CV to rranoa@ihrpm.com be sure to read the following criteria:

1.) Must have at least 2 years experience in Dubai
2.) Must have knowledge in Tally Accounting Package
3.) Fluent in English, both oral and written
4.) Preferably Filipino

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HOW RECESSION AFFECTS UAE?

This is a forwarded e-mail from my friend, Vinoj. For Vinoj, thank you so much for sharing this information. This is all about the projects in the United Arab Emirates which are currently on-hold or canceled. Some of these projects are owned by giant companies like Nakheel, which is a semi-government company. This is how recession affects the country. Many have lost their job especially in the field of real estate. Many have whined but this is the reality - it's not only affecting few people. It's affecting all of us. PLEASE CLICK THE PICTURE TO ENLARGE.



How far this recession go? If you have any bright ideas please feel free to comment on this post.

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TEN WORST JOB INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

While scanning CV's scattered on the table of our hr this morning, I was reminded of my past interviews. There were times that employer asked me bad questions which confused and offended me. Bad questions really don’t make sense unlike the good ones, but these help the employers judge the technical and mental qualifications of the applicants.

With my actual experiences I have hereunto enumerated my top 10 worst job interview questions along with my answers and "comments".

# 1 How will you see yourself after 5 years?

The most irritating questions of all times. When I was in high school, our English teacher required us to write a formal theme with the topic "My life after 5 years". Absolutely, my teacher was not thinking. She did not realize that we need 4-5 years to complete a bachelor's degree.So it is very much certain that 5 years after high school graduation we are still in college. And when I was in college, our English 101 instructor did the same thing. During our final examinations he gave us one hour to make an essay with this topic "What I wanted to be after 5 years". I hate to be asked by this question. I thought this question is asked only by teachers. I never thought this is one of the favorite questions in the interview. My response: Well, your company looks pretty good!

# 2 Describe yourself in three words.

Is this a beauty contest? How will we describe ourselves in three words? For questions as nonsense as this why don’t we give the interviewer a choking answer? Begin your answer with the phrase "I am". I am lovable. I am "papable". I am yummy. I am sincere. I am loyal. I am honest. My response: three words are not enough!

# 3 Tell me about yourself.

If you got nuts on your head you will surely ask the interviewer, "Don't you read my curriculum vitae?" Curriculum vitae show all the information about the applicant – his jobs experiences, educational background, personal details and so on and so forth which are enough to answer this question. My response: Would you be willing to listen and be with me for at least one hour?

# 4 Rate yourself.

Here it goes. Another irritating question. If you don't expect this question, this will give you a crack on your head. How are you going to rate yourself anyway? You should ask the interviewer what's the highest? If he said 10 rate yourself 9. Certainly his follow-up question would be, "Why only 9?'' Tell him you're not perfect. My answer: 9 over 10, 1 for reservation in case you disagree.

# 5 Why are you interested to work in our company?

This is the common question the employer often asks to the applicants. It's pretty obvious that the need to work for a living is the main reason why an applicant is interested to work. My straightforward answer: I need a job!

# 6 Can you work under pressure?

Nobody will say no to this question. If during the first question, you felt bad about the interviewer and sensed his different aura, then, answer him no. My answer: I'm used to that.

# 7 Do you know how to drive a car?

Funny but true. First time I encountered this question during my interview with my current company. The last interviewer (it was a panel of interview) asked me this question. I was speechless. I applied for accounting position and not as a driver. My answer (short and thoughtless): I know.

# 8 Do you abuse alcohol and drugs?

This is one of the offending questions I always avoid to hear. What made the interviewer ask this question? Do I look like a drunkard and a drug addict? My response: I'm an occasional drinker and I only take OTC drugs.

# 9 If you are a lost character, what would you be?

I don’t like to recall my answer to this question. It was so frustrating.

# 10 If a train is traveling to the north, what is the speed of light?

Is this a question of a normal person? This question was asked to my friend. He stood up and walked out.

Tricky and hypothetical questions are often asked by the interviewer to test the psychological abilities of the applicants. They really exist on the interview whether we like it or not.

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What you will do if you lose your job?

Redundancy is one of the life’s most stressful experiences and as the number of Dubai’s jobless continues to rise more and more people across the emirate are being left feeling despondent. But if the worst does happen, where can you turn?

A recent survey revealed 54 per cent of expats are worried about keeping their jobs and 46% per cent are considering fleeing the UAE to escape redundancy.

Redundancy is very alarming. Most expatriates say that as soon as the school year ends in June, they will be leaving the country. What does the future holds for them? Nobody knows. Whether they will try to find relevant position in their home country or in London or Paris or Manchester it is not certain they can find.

The number of people losing their jobs and leaving the country means that Dubai’s consumer class is shrinking which will also have a very serious effect on the city. For those who find themselves in similar position to that of a project manager, architect and engineer it is important to find out what your options are.

I am not an expert of the UAE law but as an accountant I know few things about the labor law. I advise the workers (those who are losing their jobs) to please check their contracts carefully to find out where they stand in terms of repatriation and end-of-year service packages because repatriation schemes can differ greatly, especially in terms of details like covering the cost of sending possessions back home.

Many expats are under the impression employers have to pay for their flight home. But the labor law states that companies only have to pay for flight back to the country where the job offer was made. So for Dubai workers on their second job in Dubai, they could find an airfare home is not part of the deal. But it comes down to the discretion of the employer you are always entitled to ask. Once the contract has been terminated, expats can stay in the country for a maximum of 30 days only.

So for you guys out there, you need to calm down. Many workers are bringing the matter to the Ministry of Labor filing a case against their previous employers claiming for the repatriation expenses. The Ministry of Labor has the laws and it is fair.

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Job for Jordan

My friend and college classmate, Jordan, phoned me last night. He informed me that he found a job in one of the consultancy firms in Sharjah. I could sense through his voice that he was happy - happy because for almost two months of seeking for a suitable position he finally landed on the right one. Well, I congratulated him. If his company gives him the right compensation, then, he is in the right track. I am happy for him.

But I could not keep myself from worries. I have heard many complaints about some of the companies in the UAE. There are companies that don’t pay good salary. Some companies also don’t provide visa and working permit. What if because of the recession Jordan’s employer will not process his residence visa and will not give him a lawful salary? Actually, he admitted that he will be getting a salary which is below the current minimum wage in Sharjah. But he has no choice. He needs to survive. If he does not accept the salary offer the company will not care. Many jobless needs work regardless how small the salary is.

Jordan is one of those people I respect. He is intelligent and had always been admired by our Accounting instructors for his accuracy. He is a good accountant with long-term experience in banks. The company where he is now must be blessed. Jordan is an asset. With his expertise and dedication in his work, the company will never regret of hiring him.

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EU's struggle to maintain border-free market

With British strikes against foreign workers and France hinting at protectionism in the car sector, the economic crisis is putting the EU’s golden rules of free movement of workers and trade to the test.

So far the European Commission has played its role as guardian of the European Union’s treaties, defending the bloc’s single border-free market for goods, services and labor.

In the face of British wildcat strikes against Italian and Portuguese energy sector workers, the EU executive said last week that it’s not in creating barriers and trying to hold back the single market that protects Britain against the crisis. It also warned against French plans to support the car industry, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy said there would be no aid for carmakers that turn around and open a new factory in Czech Republic or somewhere else.

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country holds the EU’s presidency, hit back with serious doubts about political involvement in the management of commercial companies and breach of rules of free competition.

Taking France’s lead, Italy announced similar conditions for aid to its automobile industry. The trend is putting growing pressure on the commission to be more flexible about government support for struggling industries just as its president Jose Manuel Barroso and other senior staff seek second mandate.

While unemployment rockets in Spain, Italy and Greece have already seen riots. Meanwhile the temptation of populist policies in Eastern Europe could become huge as the religion’s dream of catching up with western countries evaporates.

The Commission which the policies EU members’ public finances has already been easing up on governments about their deficits, which have spiraled in the face of costly bank bail-outs and economic stimulus measures. Under pressure from several countries, the commission has accepted that governments’ deficits will balloon well over the three per cent of output that they are supposed to respect.

So far the European Commission has been quite good at defending. Nobody is even remotely saying that the EU should not have free trade and that free movement of workers should stop.

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ARE YOU AFRAID TO LOSE YOUR JOB?

Well, for all those who got the most rewarding job in their life, recession may not affect them. Even their company decides to fire them they may have nothing to worry because all those good years of their service, they have stored enough reserves for this kind of contingency. But for those starters, this time is tough.

According to the latest report, in the United States of America alone, only five metropolitan areas will escape job losses this year. Ithaca, N.Y.; Fairbanks, Alaska; and St. George, Utah, are among the handful of the nation's 363 metropolitan areas expected to see employment remain flat or increase slightly.

New York is expected to take the biggest hit as thousands of jobs are lost on Wall Street. Big financial firms are slashing workers as they cope with bad debt. Other companies have gone under, like Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in September.

Report said that New York area is expected to lose 181,000 jobs. The Los Angeles area is expected to see 164,000 lost jobs, in part because of the huge drop in home prices that has punctured the California economy. After New York and Los Angeles, the Miami area is expected to see the greatest loss, with a decline of 85,000 jobs. Chicago and the surrounding area are next, with losses projected at 80,000.

Unemployment is expected to top 10 percent in 70 areas, from already hard-hit cities like Detroit and Cleveland to places that had until recently been prosperous like the Riverside-San Bernardino area in California. Other big cities like Denver and St. Louis are expected to see unemployment rise above 9 percent.

For all of us who are still harvesting the fruit of our labor, we must have the courage to take the risks, and remain loyal to the company. God has plan for all of us.

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