Tips You Appreciate When Working From Home

We noticed some of our readers are freelancers which means they are working from home. Don't misunderstand us. Working from home does not say you can only work literally from home. You can work in a coffee shop, restaurant or even in a toilet, i.e. just wherever you like. Being a freelancer that works from home means you have flexible time. Other people might wonder how can one works from home with high productivity and effectiveness? Let us share you the some tips then.

Tips You Appreciate When Working From Home

1. Establish a routine
   Just like working people where you will have to work from 9am to 5pm, you should establish a routine for your day at home so that you can follow and do not tend to let go of your precious time. Jogging, shower, breakfast, reading news, dress comfortably, work. Having a consistent routine brings your mindset to the exact time where you need to focus on your work.
   
   
   
2. A special and unique workspace for you
   As you are working from home, you have the flexibility to choose where to do your work. It can be at your study room or on your coach in living room or any other work place that you deem you can focus when you are there. Always remember, a special and unique workspace is not equivalent to a comfy place that can consistently make you lazy and less willing to work, e.g. on your bed.
   
   
   
3. Get a coffee shop loyalty card
   If you are the kind of people that can't really focus when you are alone, a coffee shop would be one of your best option when you want to choose a place to focus on your work. Hence, we would strongly recommend you to have a coffee shop loyalty card with you so that you can get quite some discount in the long term. In addition, you might consider to go to that coffee shop as well in the event that you want to meet your clients.
   
   
   
4. Minimise your social media distraction
   Yes, we know this might be hard. However, do you ever know social media has been using up quite some hours of our 24-hour-day? You will be shocked with the amount of work you have done if you do not use social media such as Facebook for a day. Alternatively, limit yourself for a period of time using social media, but this really needs DETERMINATION.
   
   
5. Take at least a walk once a week
   Yes, we are normal people which means we need rest. Have yourself relaxed after the heavy work by walking around for about 15 minutes - take in fresh air and it does clear your mind after working in front of a computer for hours.

With these small yet significant tips, we believe you can make working from home as productive as you used to work in office. Cheers.

Things to Do When Commuting to Work for Success

In order to avoid traffic congestion, working people tend to use public transport for work. Depending on the place you live, some people might even use up 1-2 hours to travel to work which is actually quite time consuming. Here we would like to suggest you a few useful things you can do when commuting to work that can slowly polish up your bright future in the long run.

1. Plan the day's goals
   Successful people tend to start their day with setting what small goals they would like to achieve for the day. When commuting to work, you can start thinking what goals are you planning to achieve for the day, it can be as simple as remember to pay bills, have a call to friend/parents, finish up a certain office work by the day, and so forth. Setting the goals give you an idea what needs to be done for the day and the planning makes sure you achieve the goals in an efficient way.
   
   
   
2. Use the time as exercise
   This is suitable for those having their working place nearby to the place they stay. They can choose to walk to the working place. Walking to work place saves the transport cost as well as maintaining your body in good health, thus it is killing two birds with one stone. Cycling can be an alternative option though it depends on the place you work.
   
3. Read a book
   People gain knowledge and get smarter by reading book when commuting to work. It does not matter what types of book are you reading as they all bring you benefits without fail. Reading story books helps relax and clear your mind before you start working. This will then lead to better efficiency when working later. On the other hand, reading non-fiction books tell you a variety of perspectives on how you view things which widens and enriches your mind infinitely. Hence, why not start choosing your favorite book and have it read in a train starting tomorrow?
   
4. Seek for your inspiration
   You might also want to listen to music or observe people around you to help you generate ideas that could help for your works - particularly suitable for those require creativity in their work. By listening to the lyrics or observing what is people doing might just give you the idea to continue your works in a click.
   
   
   
   
   
5. Do bonding with friends or family
   It is kind of boring if you commute to work alone everyday. If you are aware of a friend that works nearby your working place, why not asking him/her to commute to work together with you? You both can have a chat and update each others to foster the relationship. Certainly, you can also do your bonding with your kid if you commute with your kid and then drop him/her at school.
   
   
   

Don't overlook those little time that you use when commuting to work. In fact, you can do quite some meaningful things by utilizing these time. We hope we managed to influence you to start utilizing your time when commuting by doing something useful and meaningful to your future. Cheers.

5 Things To Do In The First Day Of New Job

The first day of your work in new job is most probably the most memorable day for you. It is also most probably the day that you give your colleagues your impression. Hence, it is essential to grab the following 5 tips to make yourself look great, and perhaps successful in your new career.

1. Prepare to Ask Questions
   
   
   Most of the jobs started with a training to give you an idea of your job scope. The training can be one-day or up to a week long which can be tiring. It is perfectly normal if you are confused even after the training as you might have a lot to absorb. Hence, it would be good if you have taken down some notes or questions to ask to clarify your mind.
   
   
2. Listen and Observe
   
   
   The first day of working basically means you have just come to a new environment. So you might not be able to get use to it very quickly. No worries, the best thing you can do is listen, listen and listen. It is not a good time to have a strong opinion at the first few days of working. Just observe and listen what your colleagues are doing to grab a better idea of your working environment.
   
   
3. Join the Lunch
   
   
   Lunch would be the best time you get to socialise and have a chit chat with your colleagues to understand more about them. So, try to join for lunch with your colleagues especially on the first day. Remember, the colleagues are just as excited as you to know about you. So, don't miss the chance.
   
   
4. Relax and Smile
   
   
   Yes, it is going to be quite tough when you see others are clear and doing their work but you are just sitting there doing nothing. In fact, you might not even know what you should be doing. Nevermind, it is just a situation that every new staff will face for their first day of working. Try not to be stressed out and worry too much. Stay calm, relax and smile. Things will go better as time goes.
   
   

   
   
5. Be friend with at least one colleague
   
   
   Last but not least, it would be good if you can find someone who is friendly and kind. Be a friend with him/her and perhaps grab his/her phone number. This is useful when you have something to clarify. If there is not a mentor/buddy assigned by the new company, this friend is going to be assisting you to get you pass through this early stage in your new job.

You definitely need some time to adapt to the new working environment. Just relax and be positive. You are already hired so you don't have to be trying hard to wow your colleagues or boss. Just be yourself and you will be fine.

Good luck and all the best!

EduSpace: The New Way of Home Tutoring

Worry about the coming exams? No ideas on how to handle language exams? Being stuck at Math questions that make you feel like giving up? Study stress? Thinking of having a good companion/mentor that guides you for your study? 

Are you passionate about teaching/guiding friends but you can hardly find people surrounding you that needs your help? Thinking of working some part time jobs during university long term break? Planning to get some revenue to pay off part of your education fees? Looking for a job with earning that matches your professional skills?

Proudly present you our one-stop tutoring platform: 

EduSpace:The New Way of Home Tutoring

EduSpace is a platform that connects parents/students and tutors in a hassle-free way. We aspire to build a country-wide agency that could fulfill even the most specific requirements from parents/students and tutors.

How do we work?

EduSpace presents the first among all, EduPoints Program, a three tier ranking system to recognise dedicated and experienced tutors as well as to provide a clear expectation to the parents on the quality of tutors in each ranking. Through EduPoints Program, tutors are encouraged to continuously improve themselves as they are entitled to higher tuition rate as their ranking increases.

The rating systems work with the following simple 4 steps:

1. Tutors are rated under EduPoints based on their experience
2. Tutors are then categorised into either ★,★★ or ★★★ tutors based on total EduPoints collected
3. Parents are able to choose tutors with their preferred number of ★
4. The tuition rates would be based on the tutor’s number of ★

Example

As a parent, Helen is looking for an English tutor for her Standard 3 daughter. Based on the table "Tuition Rates by EduPoints Program", the tuition rate will be charged per hour based on the tutor's number of ★, i.e. in this case, Grace can get a ★ tutor for RM 30 per hour, or a ★★ tutor for RM 35 per hour; or a ★★★tutor for RM40 per hour. She prefers the tutor to have teaching experience and thus she decided to get a ★★tutor. 

As a tutor, Jimmy needs to first come out with total EduPoints based on the table "EduPoints Ranking Criteria". Say he is a school teacher and he has more than 5 years of teaching experience. Based on the EduPoints Program, he will earn 5 EduPoints for being a school teacher; earn 10 EduPoints for having more than 2 years of teaching experience. This brings a total EduPoints of 15 which EduSpace would categorise him as a ★★ tutor.

We, as EduSpace, will screen our database and found that both Helen and Jimmy should connect as their profile matches to each others. Matching process will be carried out and if both accept the offer, Jimmy will be tutoring Grace's Standard 3 daughter for RM 35 per hour.

What can you do now?

If you are parents/students looking for a private home tutor, click Request for Tutor

If you are looking for tutoring jobs, click  Join as Tutor

If you wish to know more about us or get more updates from us, like our EduSpace Tuition Facebook Page now.

Still confused? Send us an email at admin@eduspacetuition.com or whatsapp/call us at +6018 311 4711.

Help us share the page or comments below if you have any recommendations.

Job Interview Skills (Part II): Skills You Neeed during the Interview

If you have missed the Part I interview skills, you can go Job Interview Skills (Part I). After you have done preparation before attending the interview, it is time to brush up your interview skills that you would need during the interview. 

1. Dress for success

In order to look confident and neat, you should dress yourself formally with a tie (males) or a blazer (females). That's the reason why you should always try to arrive the interview location at least 15 minutes earlier. You can tidy up yourself in washroom beforehand and ensure your appearance is clean and pressed. One thing to remember is to have minimum jewelries and accessories as possible. Do not overdress yourself and always ensure the clothing fits you well.

2. Make your first good impression

Be polite and greet/smile to everyone you met to start your good impression before entering the interview room. This includes the receptionist too. Employers are keen to know how you treat their staff members and your success would be correlated to your courtesy to everyone. During the interview, always remember that the first few seconds of greeting the interviewers, smiling and making eye contact to them as well as offering them an handshake could all give them a great impression on you.

3. Show your confidence and stay focus

When the interview starts, the key thing you should always remember is the quality and the way you communicate/reply to their questions. Avoid those negative words such as "I don't like", "I hate". If you were to say, word them in a better way like "I prefer not to". Besides, whenever they asked a question, try to stay focus to understand the question and respond to them in a confident way. In the case where you get stuck by a question, do not just be silent for that. Instead, you can for instance request the interviewers to repeat the question or you yourself rephrase the question to double confirm with them the question. By that time, you might be able to think of how to respond to the question already. If possible, you can give some examples/accomplishments. However, avoid to talk too much until you derail from what the interviewers actually want. 

4. Minimise your body language or bad habit

It is understandable that body language is inevitable when you are getting nervous during the interview session. However, poor body language can be a main contributor for employers not hiring you at the end. Poor body languages include not making eye contact with the interviewers when talking, bad sitting posture, shaking legs, playing with pens and mumbling. While you might not be able to eliminate them at once, try to minimise them during the interview is essential.

5. Ask Questions

It is a big mistake if you think asking questions during the interview shows you are so not well prepared. In fact, asking questions are actually a good indication to the employers that you are keen to the applied position. Furthermore, some of the information would not be available in the company website and you can't do research on that. Hence, you can ask during the interview with insightful questions. This includes "How is the working environment in the offcie?"and "When would I know the interview result?". 

With the two parts of job interview skills, you should have well preparation for the job interview. Last but not least, be confident to yourself and wish you get a great job that fits you the most!

Job Interview Skills (Part I): Preparation before Attending Interview

Almost everyone has experienced /needs to experience job interview in order to get a job. What you have got is essential as it can determine your future career journey. In order to get a job that you really hope for, you should know the necessary job interview skills. Interview skills includes 2 parts, i.e. (Part I) preparation before attending interview and (Part II) skills you need during the interview.

Part II would be in the next post.

1. Ask yourself some questions from your resume

The only public information that the interviewers have about you is the information from your resume. Hence, they will most likely ask you some questions from your resume. For instance, they might ask you what was the fun experience you had while joining in a certain society? Such a questions should be a simple one as you should be able to answer it as if you are narrating your real stories/experience. However, do remember not to overly tell the stories as it might give an impression to the interviewers that you do not have a good time management skills as well as lack of good summarizing skills. Besides, get ready with some of the academic questions such as "Is there any reason why your result has been dropping ever since your second year?", "Is there any reason that you did not score well in this subject/unit?", "What is your secret of success in scoring well in your exams?" 

2. Prepare a short introduction about yourself

In most of the cases, the first question that the interviewers ask would be a short introduction about yourself. This would usually directly set your interviewers' impression on you. Hence, it would be great if you can first get ready with the introduction to avoid stuttering due to nervousness. Giving good impression to interviewers also mean that you should only remember the points rather than memorizing them rigidly during the interview.

3. Buy yourself a formal attire

Interview is an important one and you definitely do not want to miss it just because you do not wear properly/appropriately. You should always have one to two set of formal attire ready for your interview. Remember to iron the clothes before attending the interview so that interviewers know you are a neat person. If you are a guy, do not forget to have a tie too. A black/grey tie would be the safest one as it can often suit most of the formal shirts. 

4. Check the interview time, venue and transport

Interviewees might forget to check the interview time, venue and transport and end up they are late to the interview. This is certainly a big no to interviewees as time management is really an important criteria that interviewers would always look into it. Hence, before attending the interview, it would be the best that you write down the exact time and venue of the interview session. Try to be there at least 15 minutes prior to the interview so that you can still calm yourself down before entering the interview room. Besides, if you are not familiar with the interview venue, you should have some research from web to check the way to go there to avoid uncertainties on the day itself.

5. Sleep early

As you know, lack of sleep would affect the way you perform during the interview. You might not be able to answer the questions to your best. On the day before the interview, just calm yourself down and sleep early to relax your mind. Although this might look unnecessary or you might think it is insignificant, you should sleep early so that you can perform better the next day. 


With all these preparation, you are considered prepared and reduced those uncertainties to the minimum. Good luck!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

5 Characteristics of a Good Resume

A good resume might not get you a job straight away, but it is a must for you to get an interview offer.

Regardless of your resume content, the first impression of your resume is just as important as well. And here, we list out the 5 characteristics that every good resume will have.

1. Obvious Contact Information

Each resume should start with the candidate contact information. We meant you need to put down your name, address, mobile number and email clearly and easy to spot. If you are applying for job abroad, remember to include your country code in your phone number for the HR ease. As compared to other resumes that have tiny contact information, you are one big step ahead.

2. A Nice Easy to Read Font

The font on the resume indirectly reflects your personality. If you are applying for a corporate job with Comic Sans font, most likely, the HR thought that you are making fun of them. The safest font should be Times New Romans (might be too old-fashioned), Arial or Calibri. Avoid those funky and weird fonts. Also, choose a suitable font size that is easy to read. Typically, 9 to 11 font size is the optimum font size depending on your font type. A resume that create eye sore is not welcomed.

3. Tidy Margins and Line Spacing

We understand that you have a lot of things to include into your resume, but do make sure you did not cramped your resume. A normal margin is the safest bet. Manipulating the margins make your resume not tidy and sometimes, too much words in a resume will reduce their interest to read it. Similar reasonings apply to line spacing, 1.15 to 1.5 is just nice. A standardised and tidy resume are the keywords.

4. A Systematic Layouts

For the ease of the readers, make sure you have clear headlines and groupings. This is important for the readers to find relevant information in the shortest time. Remember, in a large corporate company, the HR team merely spend a few minutes on each resume. Therefore, make sure you list out ur qualifications and credentials in a concise manner. For example, clear headings of Education, Qualifications, Working Experience, Skills, etc..

5. A Suitable Length

Avoid foot long resume! They don't have that much time to read your essay. Present yourselves as concise as possible. Besides saving the reader time (which they will appreciate you a lot), you are portraying yourselves as efficient, tidy, fast, and furious (just kidding!). Put yourselves into the readers' shoes, you won't like to read a 1000 words essay for 50 times a day right? 

With the above highlights, make sure your resume has all the characteristics above. You have earned yourselves your dream job interview chance.

What You Should Do For a Brand New Year

When a new year approaching, besides counting down, what will you do?

My personal experience tells me that a well-planned year is very important to keep me focus on my targets and milestones. Besides, I will have a clearer direction of my progression and I could have plenty of time to prepare for foreseeable events in the year. Therefore, I did the following simple steps to make my coming year more organised.

1. Get a diary

During my company Christmas gift exchange event, I requested a management diary in my wishlist. Each year, I keep a diary which will keep all my important dates, reminders, goals, ideas and plannings. To avoid clutter and hassle, I centralized all important information into this diary. Not only avoiding mis-located jot down, I could browse through my notes and expand my ideas anytime.

Diary can be obtained easily as most of the companies give out diary as compliment, or you can get a decent one in bookstore.

2. Mark important dates

Before starting my year, I would mark all important dates into my new diary. This will include birthday, anniversary and important dates such as wedding invitation or house warming invitation. Next, I would also incorporate Malaysia's Public Holiday into my diary (not required if the diary has already built in). As I would like to travel around next year, I quickly screen through suitable time to take a long break. Doing this can help plan for my holiday earlier and secure cheaper airfares. Then, I would assign as much annual leaves as predictable. This is to ensure I have allocated my annual leaves evenly throughout the year and to avoid burning my leaves.

3. Set out the new year resolutions

This might sound old school to you, but it keeps my head clear from distractions. By setting my goals earlier, I can foresee and plan to achieve these goals throughout the year. I usually set up my resolutions in many aspects, health, finance, career, family, relationships etc.. These resolutions are what I would like to improve this year. Before that, i will have a brief review on what I have achieved in 2014. This would help me in setting more realistic goals.

4. Set out annual budget

Though it is important to get your life organised, financial aspect is equally important too! You might not know if you are changing a job or not, but set an achievable budget based on your best knowledge of your progression. Would you have some large expenditure next year? Set some financial goals too to keep you motivated. For example, saving money for emergency funds, education funds or buying first property, etc. 

Keep your New Year holiday busy by planning ahead to ensure a smooth and prosperous coming year.

[Tip 1] Keep your diary with you wherever you go so that you can write down important things inside. It is very good for organizing and catching random ideas too. Since you might need to carry it for a long time, opt for a medium size and avoid heavy diary.

[Tip 2] Set your resolutions as realistic as possible. Also, include a quantifiable elements to enhance their practicality. For example, instead of "doing more exercise", write down "Three 8-minutes workout every week". Also, aim for small and gradual changes for sustainable goals.

[Tip 3] If your financial goals involve saving for a fund, set up an account now! You can open an account in another bank with no atm card. It shall reduce your temptation to use the money. Besides, you will be greatly motivated when you see the number grows.