The Tokyo Headhunter

New Job Listings

2011-01-21T16:18:00.003+09:00

Happy New Year!

I just returned from my trip in the US and now back in Tokyo and getting really busy.

I am now recruiting for the following positions at a global consumer goods company:

PR Manager

Marketing Manager

Financial Controller

The job market is picking up speed and we're getting busier with new positions.

Feel free to inquire for more details.

Recruiting Update

2010-07-02T16:57:00.002+09:00

Greetings!

It's been a while since I have updated my blog as it was quite hectic these past few weeks with new activity, orders and getting to know new and old candidates. The recent crash at the NY stock market, further strengthening of the yen and decrease in the number of jobs for this year's new grads shouldn't keep up us awake at night but certainly make us wake up early in the morning. These are just one of the indicators that legions of analysts and economists are now writing about and all eyes are focusing on Europe, China and the disappointing US jobs report.

One thing is for sure is that international firms are starting to hire again but remain cautious and the time to complete a typical search/placement has been extended. Jobseekers with IT skills, finance/accounting experience, good track records and advanced language abilities are also having a challenging time but have shorter periods in between jobs. At the moment, IT, pharma/medical and consumer clients are showing increased demand for specialists which explains the new surge we are experiencing.

So, feel free to contact us and let us know how you are doing, it would be great to hear from you.

Have a great weekend.

Tokyo job openings from Advance inc.

2010-04-21T10:29:00.001+09:00

New job openings from Advance Inc.

http://www.careercross.com/en/04127819_careercross.html

New Job Listings

2010-04-05T23:55:00.002+09:00

Greetings from Advance!

This is my first posting for 2010 as it's been really busy since I returned from Los Angeles in January. It's beginning to look like the Tokyo job market is starting to pick up and we're receiving more orders since late March. At the moment, we're focusing our recruiting efforts on senior level positions with long-term clients as well as keeping our candidate''s best interest in mind for the right positions.

Now that we have a new database and IT system, we are better equipped to handle more volume as well as increasing our efficiency. However, despite the new fancy tools we're still on the phones and like talking to people.

Feel free to call and let us know if you have any questions regarding our open job listing or wanting to catch up.

Have a great and productive week!

Al Isago Parvez

CEO

Advance Inc.

Toast 2009 goodbye and say hello to a healthier and wealthier 2010!

2009-12-07T19:41:00.004+09:00

Greetings!

Sorry for not posting my blog sooner, I was involved in revamping my company's IT system, creating a new website and other projects in the past few months.

We are now approaching the end of the full horror of 2009 and there are signs of momentum in the Tokyo job market. International companies in Japan are starting to realize that there is a limit to do “more with less” when it comes to staffing. Companies with headcount and recruiting budgets are trying to hire the best out of the hundreds or thousands of resumes they are receiving each month. Certainly there are many candidates in the job market who have been unemployed for more than 6 months and realizing that flexibility and persistence are the key elements to getting the interview and ultimately an offer. Partnering with a reliable agent with good contacts and strong channels will certainly help increasing your chances in landing a good job during this difficult times.

In terms of the big picture, the US finally showed some growth in the third quarter which was the strongest in the past few years.
Stock markets are showing signs of hope and we can see the Dow Jones hovering just over the 10,000 mark consistently. Countries like India and Taiwan which were hit hardest by the downturn are now showing signs of great improvement with nearly 10% growth. With the recent Dubai Crisis, it will be affecting markets abroad but I doubt it will have a severe global impact like we all felt in the fall of 2008 and early this year.

Al’s predictions for 2010:

The US Economy will steadily improve with a slight decrease in unemployment, the famed jobless recovery will apply here again. Talking to some analysts, they feel that the worst is over and the storm has passed but I predict it will take a little longer before we bask in the sunshine again. So, save the champagne for the third of fourth quarter of 2010.

Japan already experienced growth in the third quarter but now needs to tackle deflation. According to the Finance Minister, Hirohisa Fujii,
“ The recent price falls are not right and worrisome”. He is highlighting the fact that Japan’s economy is being severely affected by falling prices, excess capacity and a soon to be crippling deflation which may lead to more restructuring with large Japanese companies. If I were working for any of the big Japanese leading companies, I would be preparing my resume and/or my early retirement strategy as well as thinking about a second career. The wait and see attitude might not payoff this time around. I predict Japan will suffer from deflation in the coming three quarters.

This year in 2009, we saw several major consumer/luxury brand companies pull out of Japan while expanding operations in China. I believe we will be seeing more of this as Japanese consumer trends will continue to go toward the casual, less expensive, mass-produced and away from the megabrands. The Japanese have discovered H&M, IKEA and COSTCO and they’re liking it.

The IT industry will be steady with an increasing demand for contract workers with most of the jobs coming from the software, mobile and web related sectors.

Healthcare / Pharmaceutical and Medical Device will have continued growth with jobs for MRs, Medical specialists, Regulatory, Quality Assurance and related positions.

There will be continued demand for experienced engineers, accountants, HR professionals, legal specialists and sales professionals. These are the typical types of jobs that seem to be available in downturns. 2010 we will see more positions for marketing / advertising and PR specialists which we have been receiving in recent months.

Several top level Japanese executives said to me recently that Japan is finished and we are now seeing the beginning of the end. I disagree as there is plenty to boast about Japan’s technological edge in key areas, investment in R&D, political stability, educated workforce, purchasing power parity, household saving rate and with more reforms on the way. I am sure Japan will make a modest but noticeable recovery in 2010.

I wish you continued success for the remainder of 2009 and best wishes for the holiday season!!!

Al

Al Isago Parvez
CEO & Representative Director
Advance Inc.

Japan emerges from recession

2009-08-17T13:46:00.003+09:00

Japan's economy grew 3.7 percent on an annualized basis from April to June this year, the first time the world's second largest economy has seen positive growth in 15 months.

The announcement of preliminary figures by Japan's Cabinet Office comes after France and Germany surprised economists last week by posting 0.3 percent growth for the second quarter of the year.

The news that Japan has rebounded -- the hardest hit of the major economies because of its reliance on exports -- gives economists cautious optimism that the worst of the global recession is over.

"The economy has seen a bottoming out of global demand, which has pushed out net exports ... especially in high tech industries and basic materials, such as chemical, steel and so on because of Chinese demand," said Hiromichi Shirakawa, chief economist in Japan for Credit Suisse.

Japan's GDP grew just under 1 percent during the three-month period and trade increased 1.6 percent.

The Japanese economy was buoyed by a historic ¥15 trillion ($150 billion) stimulus package in May, which included unemployment benefits, aid to struggling companies, promotion of green industries and a variety of tax breaks.The uptick marks the end of the worst recession in Japan since the end of World War II. Japan's GDP fell at a record pace during the January-March quarter, when GDP was 15.4 percent lower than the same time period last year.

"There are many times in the past when tax breaks and fiscal stimulus were offered and failed, but this time around, it worked," Shirakawa said.

Economists expect GDP to continue modest growth through the rest of the year, especially with an expected rebound in global auto sales this quarter. But whether the recovery can continue into the new year after the stimulus package runs its course remains a question.

"Japan's economy still is quite sensitive to global demand ... and for consumer demand to grow on a self-sustained basis still seems unlikely," Shirakawa said

Market Update 8-06-2009

2009-08-06T11:41:00.004+09:00

Greetings from Advance!

Hoping you are taking time to enjoy the Summer this year. We're busy with new positions and currently working on 50 job openings ranging from Junior level Engineers to Country Manager. Feel free to inquire with us for details.

Job Market Outlook:

The unemployment in Japan has jumped to its highest level for six years, which will undoubtedly hamper the country's recovery for the coming months. The number of workers unemployed has risen to 31% (3.5 million people) which means that job availability is at a record low of 43 positions for every 100 job seekers which was announced by the Japanese government in late July, 2009.

This means that candidates who are searching for a new job need to be more aggressive and flexible than ever. Having a well-formatted and well-written resume with bulleted points showing clear achievements, accomplishments and outlining your level of responsibility in details. If you are in advertising, consumer goods, architecture, brand management or a chef then having an impressive portfolio in addition to your resume would sure to help you make a long lasting impact during the interview.

I still meet people who still think its the 90s when jobs were plentiful during the IT boom and don't want to face up to reality that the job market and the world has changed. What you want to do and what you can do and what is out there for you are completely different in this new world. You may need to come down a step or two on the corporate ladder in order to go up once the economy recovers. Your pride and ego should be held in check and monitored while keeping your motivation and confidence up during this time. Forget about what position you had before or what you lost financially or status, it is time to move on and have a positive and realistic outlook for your future.

Feel free to check out our new job openings posted on CareerCross!

http://www.careercross.com/en/03127819_careercross.html

We're looking forward to hearing from you.

Have a great and productive week!

What if your interview is tomorrow?

2009-06-10T10:51:00.002+09:00

Greetings from Advance!

We are busy working on about 40 open positions and now actively recruiting for IT Sales, Network Engineers, Medical Reps, Regulatory Affairs Specialists and many others. Feel free to contact us if interested.

Here's an interesting article I read recently which has some good tips for candidates.

Have a great day!

Al

What if your interview is tomorrow?

By Doug Hardy, Monster Staff Writer

Adapted from Monster Careers: Interviewing

Even if you have less than a day before your job interview, you can outshine the competition with a little preparation. The following four tasks will take you about four hours (plus five minutes) to complete, and you'll walk into the interview confident you'll be successful.

Conduct Basic Interview Research

Find out as much as you can about the interview. Call the person who scheduled your appointment and ask:

Who will you be talking to? Will you meet the manager you'd work for, or will you just talk to HR? What are the interviewer's expectations?
What's the dress code? Dress better than suggested. Most times, it's best for men to wear a suit and women to wear a professional business outfit. You'd be amazed how many candidates show up looking like they're going to class, not presenting a professional demeanor.
Get directions to the office. Plan to leave early. Keep a phone number to call if you get stuck on the bus or in traffic. If you arrive late and stressed, the interview will not go well.
If you don't have a detailed job description, ask for one.

That's a five-minute phone call.

Learn About the Company Online

Do some fast Web research, which will give you something to talk about in addition to the job description. Go to the employer's Web site, or search the Web for information such as:

How big is the company in terms of annual sales or employees?
What does the company say about its products or services?
What recent news (such as a new product, a press release, an interview with the CEO) can you discuss?
If the company is public, the boilerplate at the bottom of its press releases will tell you a lot.

Basic research should take you about an hour.

Think of Some Stories

Write down and memorize three achievement stories. Tell about times you've really felt proud of an achievement at work or school. These stories demonstrate all those hard-to-measure qualities like judgment, initiative, teamwork or leadership. Wherever possible, quantify what you've done, e.g., "increased sales by 20 percent," "cut customer call waiting time in half," "streamlined delivery so that most customers had their job done in two days."

By the way, nonwork achievement stories are good too; if you volunteer for the local food pantry, write down a time you overcame a big challenge or a crisis there.

Achievement stories make you memorable, which is what you want. There's an exercise inMonster Careers: Interviewing called "Mastering the Freestyle Interview," which helps you develop these stories into compelling sales points.

Take the time you need -- at least three hours on this task.

Pick Your Outfit, and Go to Bed Early

Lay out your interview outfit the night before, get a good night's rest, and always get an early start. The last thing you want is to arrive at the interview flustered and panicked because you couldn't find a parking spot.

Our updated job posting on CareerCross!

2009-05-11T16:38:00.002+09:00

We just updated our job postings on CareerCross! Feel free to contact us with your inquiries and you may send us your resumes to: query@advance-tokyo.com

Thank you and have a great week!

Meet JAL’s cafeteria-eating CEO

2009-04-23T12:49:00.003+09:00

I thought I should share this article from CNN with you of a great CEO. He is truly an inspiration. AL

Meet JAL’s cafeteria-eating CEO

Posted: 905 GMT

You don’t really notice Haruka Nishimatsu when he passes you in the hall. A middle-aged man in a suit, he blends into the working crowd at Japan Airline’s headquarters in Tokyo.

JAL President Haruka Nishimatsu, center, shares a light moment in front of a jet engine.

“Why should I stick out?” Nishimatsu says out loud to me.

“Well, you are the CEO and Chairman of this multi-billion dollar international airline,” I replied.

“So?” says Nishimatsu. “That doesn’t make me special.”

That philosophy, that he’s just like everyone else trying to make it through Japan’s recession, is why he takes the city bus to work, eats in the cafeteria with his employees and strolls through the operations room at the airport. When the company looked to cut costs, he eliminated every single expensive perk of his job. He took away the corner office and chauffeur. Then he slashed his pay dramatically, so that in 2007 he made less than his pilots.

JAL can use every penny it saves. This fiscal year, the airline expects to lose $34 million dollars after passenger traffic fell 20 percent and cargo loads fell 40 percent. It’s a global company that lives and dies by the direction of the global consumer and economy.

“I understand there are different conditions in terms of the economy for each country, but I think these economic issues need to be solved globally, rather than solved country by country,” says Nishimatsu. “I hope the G20 will give a clear direction to the global economy.”

Nishimatsu also believes the solution must begin with the financial institutions and continue to tighter regulations.

But he points to corporate culture as the long-term solution. Like the AIG bonuses, Nishimatsu says, “shocked” him. “It’s like they’re from another planet,” he says.

A lesson of this recession, he hopes, will be that corporations don’t solely pursue profit and instead focus on the long-term financial health of the company and employ people and help society. Together with shared sacrifice, he believes, the global economy will recover — but only if everyone from the CEO to the entry-level employee works together.

Corporate Photo Campaign

2009-04-20T23:21:00.004+09:00

Our new job postings on CareerCross

2009-04-15T14:54:00.002+09:00

Greetings!

Please visit our page on CareerCross and check out our new positions!

https://www.careercross.com/en/03127819_careercross.html

Thanks,

Al Isago Parvez

CEO & Representative Director

Advance Inc.

Japan's Unemployment rate 4.4 percent in February

2009-03-31T13:47:00.004+09:00

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- Japan's unemployment rate jumped to 4.4 percent in February, reversing a decline seen the previous month, the government announced Tuesday.

Japanese unemployment, had declined to 4.1 percent in January from 4.3 percent in December. Several analysts considered that a fluke, however, since other economic indicators were in sharp retreat.

The ratio of jobs to applicants fell in February to 0.59, meaning an average of 100 people were seeking 59 available jobs, according to new data.

By comparison, January's figure was 0.67, making February's decline the worst month-to-month drop since 1974.

In addition, household spending fell 3.5 percent from the previous February but was a slight improvement from January's 5.9 percent decline. Consumer spending on furniture, clothing, medical care and food were the sharpest declines.

Tuesday is the end of the Japanese fiscal year. Analysts say that is likely to mean more job cuts and more unemployment.

Japan's economy officially entered a recession in November.

2009-03-18T11:42:00.002+09:00

Greetings!

I found this interesting article and wanted to share it with you. I think there are some good tips and advice here for all job seekers.

Al

Advance Inc.

Spring Cleaning for Your Resume

Spring is in the air. It's the time of year when you wipe off the winter dust and let the sun shine in. Before you get all excited (yeah, right) about tackling the filth in your home, grab your resume and a pen. The first cleanup project this year should be your resume.

The Look

Whoever says looks don't matter hasn't been out on the job search battlefield lately. You have to use every possible advantage to compete in today's job market.

Make sure your resume looks polished. Be daring. Make your achievements stand out with bold type. Looks do count if you want to be picked for an interview.

Facelift

Does your resume look old and withered? Has it grown to three or four pages over time? Do you still list your first job after college graduation? Give your resume a facelift by condensing your background. Take some years off your resume by limiting your job history to the past 10 years. Summarize the rest of your experience with one general paragraph. A lighter, more updated look should open more doors.

Today's Terminology

Does your resume still refer to the affirmative action plan you wrote back in the 1980s? Do outdated terms and acronyms appear throughout your resume?

Terminology changes from year to year, so be sure your resume reflects current trends. For example, today's employers are searching for HR people with diversity experience. Your experience with a company's affirmative action plan may fall in that category, but if an employer searches its database using the word "diversity," you won't make the cut. Update the terminology on your resume so you don't miss opportunities.

Scanning Is Here to Stay

In the old days of manual resume screening, it was important to fill your resume with action words such as "created" or "managed." Today, resumes are typically scanned into resume databases. Action words are out and nouns are in.

If you dust off your resume every year or two, you can avoid the unpleasant task of doing a time-consuming major resume blowout. Get it right this year, and next year you might be able to spend the time shopping for a new spring wardrobe.

By Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert

What to Wear for Job Interviews

2009-03-11T23:05:00.000+09:00

What to Wear for Job Interviews

By Peter Vogt, MonsterTRAK Career Coach

You have a job interview in five minutes. You've learned everything about the company, you're prepared for any questions they ask, and you even arrived a few minutes early. You couldn't be more ready.

But when you stop in the restroom for a last look in the mirror, your mind starts racing: "Am I dressed the way I should be for this interview?"

"In an interview situation, you're marketing yourself as a product, and so you want and need to have the best image possible," says Amy Glass, a trainer and coach at Brody Communications Ltd. of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and an expert on presentation skills, business etiquette, professional presence and interpersonal communication.

Presenting a professional image is more about doing your homework than spending money. So as you prepare for your interview, keep these wardrobe tips in mind.

It's OK to Ask What to Wear

In many traditional industries, like finance or accounting, business professional dress will be appropriate: A conservative suit, shirt and tie if you're a man, or a conservative suit if you're a woman, with -- perhaps -- personality shown through your shirt or jewelry, Glass says. In other industries such as advertising, public relations, graphic design and information technology, what to wear might be less clear. If that's the case, Glass says, ask about the company's general dress policies when you're first contacted about an interview.

"You can say to the person you speak with, 'I want to make sure I understand your company culture and dress appropriately,'" Glass notes. "It's not a bad thing at all. In fact, it shows respect."

If in doubt, err on the conservative side. "I've been overdressed at times, and that can be uncomfortable," Glass says. "But that's much better than being underdressed."

Shop Smart

You don't have to buy several suits for different interviews at the same company. In many instances, you can get by with one suit combined with what Glass calls a "capsule dressing" strategy -- varying what you wear with the suit each time.

"If I'm a young woman and I invest in a nice black pantsuit, I could use that one suit for interviews, but change the shirt, jewelry or scarf each time," says Glass.

You Don't Need to Spend a Fortune

Visit higher-end stores, like Nordstrom's or Neiman Marcus, to look at interview wardrobe possibilities, Glass says. But when you're ready to buy something and money is tight, head for the outlet stores.

When considering your purchasing options look not so much at the specific price tags on various garments, but at the "cost per wearing," suggests Glass.

"Suppose you see a suit that's $150. If it's a trendy cut and it wasn't made of great fabric, you might be able to wear it once a month for two years. So your cost per wearing is fairly high. If you buy something for $300 instead, in a cut that will last longer -- not trendy but not old-fashioned either, and not screaming the year it was made -- your cost per wearing goes down dramatically. So don't look at the original price so much as how long the piece will be useful to you."

Don't Neglect Accessories

If you have leather shoes, Glass says, make sure they're shined. If you have suede shoes, make sure they're brushed. And if your shoes are five years old, have the soles redone at a shoemaker. If you have a leather briefcase and it's still in good shape, now's the time to use it. If you don't, a nice portfolio binder will do just fine.

Will all the effort and expense you put into looking the part during your interview make any difference? Absolutely, Glass says. In fact, it's essential.

"Your image matters because it shows your attentiveness to detail and gives recruiters an idea of how you'll represent their company to clients, both internally and externally," Glass concludes. "The visual message you send makes a big difference in how you're perceived and, ultimately, whether or not you get the job."

Pet's Portrait Campaign

2009-03-09T18:12:00.004+09:00

We are collaborating again with the famous photographer, David Stetson and the French Conceptor, Francoise Lions in a photo shoot for you and your pet. Please see the details below.

I will be getting my photos done on March 15th! Please contact us or David Stetson if you'd like to make an appointment.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Advance Inc.

Career Camp 2009

2009-02-23T16:06:00.005+09:00

Greetings!

We had the great opportunity to participate in Career Camp 2009 which is an online forum organized by Douglas E. Welch of Career Opportunities Podcast / Website: http://careercommunity.welchwrite.com

Here's a link to our space on the forum:

http://career-opportunities.ning.com/forum/topics/cc-al-isago-parvezleo

Thanks for listening.

Special Portrait Campaign in Tokyo - Feb.10th~Mar.18th 2009

2009-02-10T23:47:00.003+09:00

Advance Inc. proudly partners with the French Producer/Conceptor, Francoise Lions and renowned British fashion & portrait photographer David Stetson in their campaign in Tokyo. David Stetson has spent his career photographing top models and celebrities for the world's leading magazines. His impressive portfolio includes thousands of photographs of people of all nationalities and walks-of-life. From February 10th through March 18th, you can have the opprtunity to have a great portrait taken for for JPY 25,000(including tax) for two portraits.

Please call 03-6416-8262 or our office at 03-5795-0866 to commission a portrait of yourself or that special person or your company employees to make an ever-lasting impression. Please mention that you were referred by Advance Inc. when scheduling an appointment.

Location: Stetson Studio/Gallery 1-45-13 Tomigaya, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0063

Closest station: Yoyogi-Koen Exit#3 (chiyoda line) 03-6416-8262

Happy Valentines!

Al Isago Parvez

Advance Inc.

www.advance-tokyo.com

Open position list update 1-26-2009

2009-01-27T13:52:00.003+09:00

The new year started off quite well for us despite the economic crisis and the continuing hiring freezes with a number of clients. We are still active in the IT sector with positions for software engineers, project managers, sales and a few marketing positions which are keeping us quite busy.

Here is a list of open positions, feel free to inquire for details:

3G and Radio Access Engineer (RAN)
HR specialist - Payroll
Marketing/PR for software
Security software engineer
LINUX engineer
Country Manager - Telecommunications related firm (part-time)

Luxury Brand/Consumer goods

Visual Merchandiser
Shop/Boutique Manager
Watch Technician
Sales Promotion Specialist
PR Specialist
Stage/production designer

Hotel/Hospitality

Executive Chef - Oita, Kyushu
F&B (food & beverage) Manager - Oita, Kyushu
Golf Resort / Hotel GM - Hokkaido
Hospitality Sales Manager - Tokyo

Accounting/Finance

Accountant- Assistant manager of accounting
Junior Accountant
Bookkeeper
Financial Controller
Financial Analyst

The Advance Team has always a high sense of urgency, sincere to the needs of our clients and candidates and always keeping a watchful eye on good job opportunities. So, keep your spirits high, your feet on the ground and stay focused during this turbulent time. Call us anytime for free consultation by phone or make an appointment.

We look forward to receiving your updated resume and welcome you to register with us.

Best wishes for the New Year!

Al Isago Parvez

CEO & Representative Director

Advance Inc. ( Now celebrating our 11th year)

www.advance-tokyo.com

Update on the Japan Market as of 1-26-2009

2009-01-27T13:35:00.003+09:00

Economic data and events this week once again pointed to a sharp deterioration in the economy and unusual financial conditions. Trade statistics for December reveal a continuing, historic nosedive in exports, while the Senior Loan Officer Survey indicates that key capital markets remain dysfunctional and banks are tightening lending standards. In this context, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) decided to assume more credit risk in order to support corporate financing, while revising down its growth/inflation outlook substantially. However, we are skeptical that the BoJ’s “credit easing” will have a meaningfully positive impact on overall financial conditions.

Citigroup

Japan Market update as of December 22, 2008

2008-12-22T14:50:00.005+09:00

We expect Japan’s economic growth to remain below the potential growth rate of the

economy in coming quarters, following a prospective decline in the second quarter.

Surging energy prices and the slowdown in major trading partners’ economies will likely

cap economic activity. However, a recession appears unlikely given accommodative

financial conditions and slower but continued growth in exports.

Most key demand components probably will be soft in coming quarters. Export growth

is likely to pull back as the economic slowdown spreads from the United States to other

regions including emerging Asia. But exports to commodity producers could provide

some offset. Business investment will likely also remain tepid as corporate profits suffer

from elevated energy prices and the global slowdown. Higher energy and food prices

will also likely hit private consumption by siphoning off consumers’ purchasing power.

Residential investment also should slow this quarter as recent declines in housing

affordability in the wake of higher real property prices cap housing demand.

Core inflation (excluding fresh food) will likely exceed the 2% mark this summer,

driven by higher energy and manufactured food prices. However, renewed weakness in

consumer spending would exert disinflationary pressures on items away from food and

energy. Thus, we expect that underlying inflation will probably remain low in 2008 and

2009. Core inflation will probably edge down to around 1% again in late 2009, as

positive contributions from manufactured food and energy taper off.

We expect the Bank of Japan (BoJ) to leave policy rates unchanged at 0.5% through

2009. The BoJ is monitoring growth risks stemming from rising oil prices closely.Japan

Unlike the ECB and the Fed, the BoJ has not shifted its focus to upside inflation risks.

We expect ten-year JGB yields to edge down gradually, as economic growth remains

below trend and market expectations for a BoJ rate hike recedes further.

2008-12-06T11:08:00.000+09:00

Japan market outlook

We expect Japanese GDP to continue to contract until midyear 2009, before returning to a below-trend growth track in the second half of the year. Sluggish exports and the resulting drop in corporate profits will likely continue to check overall economic activity in coming quarters. We expect core inflation to moderate rapidly and turn negative again in the middle of 2009, thanks to the recent sharp drop in oil prices and widening economic slack. Against this backdrop, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will probably cut policy rates again to 0.1% by the first quarter of 2009. There should also be the moderate potential for further declines in ten-year JGB yields amid sluggish economic activity and further rate cuts by the major central banks

NikkoCitigroup

Update on the hottest positions

2008-11-25T15:11:00.001+09:00

The Hottest Open Positions as of 11/25/2008

Greetings from Advance!

Despite the recent announcement that Japan is now officially in a recession, we are still quite active in recruiting good people for our clients. A-Players are open to opportunities now more than ever which means candidates need to be flexible and better prepared for interviews in order to compete. This means responding quickly, fully reading the job descriptions in detail, gathering detailed information about the company, making a resume that is logical, precise and less than 3 pages plus getting in the right frame of mind and attitude. We are here to help with you with every step of the process.

Here is a sampling of the current positions we are working on:

1. Regional APAC Sales Director - Cutting edge technology company seeking a qualified executive who can jump start Japan operations from scratch. Salary package: 15 million yen annual max.

2. HR Manager - Consumer goods company. Native Japanese speaker with high level business English ability. Must have at least 10 years of solid HR experience (training, recruiting and C&B) Salary: 15 million yen annual -

3. HR Manager - IT company. Native Japanese speaker with a higher than 700 TOEIC score and has 7 years of HR experience. Salary - Flexible

4. General Affairs Manager - IT Company. Native Japanese speaker with higher than 700 TOEIC score and has at least 7 years of GA experience. Salary - Flexible.

5. Telecommunication Service Account Manager - Needed by foreign-based carrier to sell VOIP/Data services (Enterprise). Salary 7.5 million yen annual base salary plus commission

6. CFO/ Controller for real estate industry - must have at least 10 years of accounting/finance experience. CPA/MBA Preferred. Candidates from the real estate industry are preferred. Salary: 15 million yen annual.

7. Engineers/Project Managers/Pre & Post Sales - Software, web, application developers and telecommunications needed for various clients.

8. Luxury Brand: Retail sales, shop manager, brand manager, watch repair technicians, merchandisers and marketing researchers.

9. Executive Assistant, Executive Secretary and Admin Support are always in demand.

Feel free to contact us with inquiries at query@advance-tokyo.com

Have a great week!

Al Isago Parvez

CEO & Representative Director

Advance Inc.

www.advance-tokyo.com

2008-10-28T11:29:00.001+09:00

Here is some good advice from Treasury Strategies Linkedin Group. I highly recommend to join this group.

Treasury Strategies' LinkedIn Groups, we are sharing our view on the current liquidity market.

Treasury Strategies understands that recent market events are confusing and concerning - in our lifetimes, we've never experienced what we've seen over the past week.

With the Reserve Primary Fund "breaking the buck," Lehman Brothers declaring bankruptcy, Merrill Lynch being acquired and banks' share prices plummeting, we're all thinking, "Where is our liquidity safe?"

We urge our clients to keep calm when re-evaluating investment decisions. A micro-response to the day's headlines will not serve the best interests of your organization or the broader financial markets and could lead to further, longer-term market disruptions.

Industry expert Peter Crane of Crane Data said last week that the Reserve Fund is not an indicator of what's to come. "The combination of high yields, hot money and a lack of deep pockets likely will prove fatal to the first, and oldest money market mutual fund [Reserve Primary Fund]. ...we expect money market funds to soldier on with just a single case of a fund "breaking the buck."

The U.S. Treasury announced a temporary guaranty program for all eligible money market mutual funds - both institutional and retail - that can tap $50B to prevent any fund from "breaking the buck." The markets have already begun to stabilize with this news.

Corporate treasurers who stick with tried-and-true liquidity management best practices through the current chaos will come out on top. These include:

Know your investments - This includes knowing not only the funds in which you invest but also their underlying instruments. Consult your fund's prospectus, and regularly check with the fund provider for updated holdings reports.
Talk to your providers - Investment providers are holding daily client calls to ease their concerns and answer questions.
Diversify across all investment instruments, including individual funds - Reducing exposure to any single investment decreases risk.
Monitor counterparty risk - Ensure you establish appropriate risk parameters and leverage technology to monitor risks and limits.

We are advising clients to certainly revisit their short-term investment decisions, and to do so in an informed, methodical way that is proactive vs. reactive to market headlines.

Treasury Strategies, Inc.

MBA Rankings as of 2008

2008-10-22T01:04:00.000+09:00

FT MBA Rankings
1. Wharton, U.S.
2. London Business School, UK
3. Columbia, U.S.
4. Stanford GSB, U.S.
5. Harvard, U.S.
6. Insead, France/Singapore
7. MIT: Sloan, U.S.
8. IE Business School, Spain
9. University of Chicago GSB, U.S.
10. University of Cambridge: Judge, UK
Source: Financial Times 2008

Six Sloppy Speech Habits

2008-09-18T10:38:00.000+09:00

Six Sloppy Speech Habits
by Diane Diresta
Monster Contributing Writer

You may look good on paper or in your suit, but if you're looking to nail your big interview, looks aren't everything. How you sound is often more important. But many job seekers let careless speech habits sink their chances of landing that plum job.

Here are six common language mistakes and how to keep them from sabotaging your interview:

1. Non-words

Filler words such as "um," "ah," "you know," "OK" or "like" tell the interviewer you're not prepared and make you sound like a Valley Girl (or Boy). A better strategy is to think before you speak, taking pauses and breaths when you lose your train of thought. Everybody utters an occasional "um," but don't let it start every sentence.

2. "Up-Talk"

A singsong or rising inflection at the end of every sentence creates a tentative impression and makes it sound as though you're asking a question instead of making a definitive statement. You need to speak with conviction when selling yourself in an interview. Bring your intonation down when ending a sentence to avoid talking up.

3. Grammatical Errors

The interviewer may question your education when you use incorrect grammar or slang. Expressions such as "ain't" "she don't," "me and my friend" and "so I goes to him" aren't appropriate. Be sure you speak in complete sentences and that tenses agree. The interview is not the venue for regional expressions or informality.

4. Sloppy Speech

Slurring words together or dropping their endings impairs the clarity of your message. To avoid slurring and increase understanding, speak slowly during an interview. Make a list of commonly mispronounced words, and practice saying them into a tape recorder before the interview. Some common incorrect pronunciations include "aks" for "ask," "ath a lete" for "athlete," "wif" for "with" and "dree" for "three."

5. Speed Talking

While everybody is a bit anxious during an interview, you don't want your information to fly by like a speeding bullet. A rapid speaking rate is difficult to follow, and speed talkers are seen as nervous. Slow down your racing heart by doing some breathing exercises before the interview. To avoid rushing, listen to the question, and then count two beats in your head before answering. When you finish a sentence, count two beats again before continuing. Don't be afraid of silence. Pausing is an effective communication technique. The interviewer needs a few seconds to process what you just said anyway.

6. Weak Speak

Wimpy words modify or water down your conviction and in the end your position. When you pepper a conversation with "hopefully," "perhaps," "I feel," "kind of" and "sort of," the message you convey is a lack of confidence. Use power words such as "I'm confident that," "my track record shows," "I take the position that," "I recommend" or "my goal is." The language you use gives the listener an impression about your level of confidence and conviction.

The Bottom Line

You don't have to study elocution to speak well. Simply slow down, take time to pronounce all the syllables, and leave slang at home.

Companies want job candidates who are well-spoken and articulate, and recruiters won't represent a job candidate if they don't match the client's profile. According to Lori Zelman, vice president of human resources at Strategic Workforce Solutions in New York City, "The people most highly sought after are the ones who are succinct in the explanation of their work experience."

[Diane DiResta is the author of the public-speaking best-seller, Knockout Presentations: How to Deliver Your Message With Power, Punch, and Pizzazz, and the president of DiResta Communications Inc., a New York speech coaching and training firm.]

Tips to Beat Job Burnout

2008-09-11T10:14:00.001+09:00

Hi!

Here's an interesting article I found and want to share this with you.

Tips to Beat Job Burnout

by Shelly Field, Monster.com

One of the best ways to defeat burnout is to make your job more enjoyable. "That's impossible," you say. Not necessarily. Sometimes you just have to change how you think.

No matter how boring or depressing your job may be at times, you have to find chances to laugh. Laughter breaks the tension of difficult situations. It helps cut the stress you feel and the tension you may be under. The more you laugh, the better you will deal with work, and the less burned out you'll be. Many people aren't aware that stress-related hormones are suppressed by laughter -- so you know what you have to do.

Try to become more social. Talk to people. Find activities to do with coworkers, friends and family members. Feeling connected to others is a great way to reduce stress and burnout.

Many people in my seminars tell me that by the time they get done working for the day, they are often so exhausted that they just want to go home and be left alone. I understand and often feel the same way.

However, a number of studies indicate that adults who have the fewest friendships and are least active socially are most likely to die prematurely. If that's not enough to make you want to get out and have fun, I don't know what is.

Listen to conversations in your workplace. You might notice that a good percentage of discussions are negative. Work on training yourself to see the positive in situations -- see the humor and knock out negative thoughts and conversation. Negativity just makes you feel worse.

Adding fun to your day will help decrease burnout. Here are several simple ideas you can incorporate into your workplace:

If you have a break room, consider filling it with toys and games. Coloring books will bring you back to your childhood. A puzzle will take your mind off things. Games are fun too.
If you don't have a break room, get some little toys and games and keep them on your desk. You'll be surprised how many people stop for a moment to play with your Silly Putty, shake a snow globe or put the magnetic beard on the man.
Consider putting up a bulletin board in a break room or employee lounge. Ask everyone from entry-level employees up to administrators and supervisors to bring in baby pictures. Post the pictures on the board. Everyone will enjoy looking at the photos and laughing at each other. It's fun to guess who's who. It also shows that no matter where anyone is in the hierarchy of the facility, everyone started out as someone's baby.
Create a stress-free zone for when employees are feeling burned out. It doesn't have to be a big space -- even just a hallway outside a conference room. Consider putting in a hammock or a lounge chair and perhaps an inflatable palm tree and picture of the ocean.
Schedule activities you enjoy in your day and week. Buy one perfect flower, and keep it in your workspace to view. Take a walk outside during a break. Take a mini visualization vacation and go where you want to go, even if it's only for five minutes.
Plan a visit to the zoo, the movies, the gym, a spa or a local cafe. Go window-shopping by yourself or with a friend. What's important is having something to look forward to doing after work.

You can't control everything, but you can control what you are able to and forget the rest. You can beat burnout before it beats you. You just have to try.

What's eating you? Avoid Workplace Anger's Corrosive Effects

2008-07-31T10:05:00.004+09:00

July 31, 2008

Here's an interesting article which I found recently.

What's Eating You?
Avoid Workplace Anger's Corrosive Effects

by Cheri Swales
Monster Contributing Writer

Mad that you were passed over for a big promotion again? Livid that the bootlickers always seem to get ahead in your organization? Perhaps it's time to consider whether the anger itself, however legitimate, is holding you back. Evidence suggests many of us are walking around the office feeling resentful, though we may be unaware of the cumulative toll bitter actions take on our careers and coworkers.

Workplace anger is not only potentially harmful to the organization, but it can also cause serious health problems, including chronic anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and heart disease. Learning to deal with your anger constructively will improve your well-being and make you a more desirable and promotable employee.

Why Are So Many Employees Angry?

I spoke with 12 employees from a variety of businesses about their anger at work. Each felt that one or more of the following caused the anger:

Employee was promised a raise, promotion or important project, and it did not happen.
Employee was told to do something he felt was wrong or incorrect.
Employee could not live up to a supervisor's expectations, because the expectations were too high or continuously changing.
Supervisor was a micromanager and criticized employee frequently.
Employee felt better qualified and skilled than his supervisor.
Another employee doing the same job made more money.

Sometimes the anger may stem from outside sources. Many times, employees are dealing with stressful events in their own lives, and the resulting anger can carry over to the workplace. Divorce, a death in the family, financial pressure and serious illnesses can all cause an individual to become overwhelmed and irritated. Rarely are we taught to deal with loss and stressful situations, so we tend to bury those feelings, which can turn to anger or rage over time.

Steps to Control Anger Constructively

We all become irritated or angry every now and then. What can we do to control that anger and be more constructive? Donald Gibson of Fairfield University, who cowroteManaging Anger in the Workplace, offers the following strategies for controlling anger:

Avoid anger as much as possible. This doesn't mean suppress your feelings, but rather improve your outlook on yourself and life so there are fewer situations in which you would become angry.
Think about your anger and determine if it really makes sense given the situation.
Control your physical response to anger by doing constructive things, such as exercising, getting enough sleep and avoiding alcohol. The healthier you are, the more likely you are to respond appropriately to situations.
Let go of unmanageable anger. Many situations will be out of your control, so it is important to let go of this type of anger. Ask yourself, "Can I resolve whatever it is that's causing this anger?" If you can't, then you need to let it go.
If you feel anger and are having a difficult time dealing with it, see if your company has an employee assistance program (EAP). EAP providers typically allow employees to see therapists in these circumstances. You don't have to live in a state of bitterness, anger or rage. If you deal effectively with your anger, you will increase your chances of being promoted at some point -- and of being an effective leader when the time comes.

When Anger Strikes

Take several deep breaths.
Repeat a calming word or phrase in your mind, such as "relax" or "stay calm."
Slowly count to 10.
Ask yourself, "How would my favorite leader handle this situation?"
Avoid tensing up your muscles. As soon as you can, close your eyes and consciously think to unclench your jaw and loosen your muscles.
Listen to your favorite music.
When you're feeling angry after you leave work, change clothes as soon as you get home. This simple gesture will help you change your state of mind.

Partnership for Progress 2008

2008-06-12T21:43:00.000+09:00

Partnership for Progress 2008

We just concluded an agreement with a reputable recruiting firm in Singapore to collaborate on positions in Asia. Our outreach to all corners of Asia is now complete and we're able to provide our candidates with career opportunities in the following markets:

China
India
Indonesia
Malaysia
Taiwan
Singapore

Feel free to inquire with us regarding positions in these countries. We will always ask for your permission before introducing your resume to our Alliance Partner.

-Market update-

Advance Inc has been selected to be the exclusive recruiting agent for a medical company to search for a Country Manager in India.

Exclusive retained search for a Finance Director for a consumer goods company.

Many positions for accountants (13 total) including a Financial Planning Manager are now available.

We're always seeking qualified Project Managers, Pre/Post sales engineers, software developers, tech support specialists and Executive Assistants.

General Manager, Operations Manager and Account Manager are needed for the real estate industry.

Overview:

Vibrant activity in IT with a steady stream of new positions from startups firms. The subprime fiasco and the slowdown of the US economy has affected our recruiting activity in this sector with the exception of engineering professionals. Consumer goods sector remains relatively intact with a need for a new generation of Visual Merchandisers and Brand Managers. We just successfully placed a Cosmetics Trainer with a new order for a senior level trainer. We're focusing on our core strengths in IT, Consumer, Hospitality and Private Equity/Real Estate.

Clients are more selective than they were 2 years ago and very stringent on the requirements. Candidates are needing more coaching on how to interview effectively in English/Japanese and to promote themselves aggressively during the Q&A. We will continue to provide this service to our candidates before the interview. My team continues to work hard and we are now planning to hire more staff in the coming months.

Feel free to inquire for details.

Thank you and have a great week!

Al Isago Parvez

CEO & Representative Director

Advance inc.

www.advance-tokyo.com

An analyst's report

2008-06-03T22:45:00.002+09:00

The recent run-up in oil prices has increased the downside risk to growth and an upside risk to inflation. However, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) has shown its intention to pay more attention to growth concerns than to inflation risks. A further rise in oil prices could have a serious negative impact on corporate profits.

How business investment plans will evolve in this context will be an important key to the BoJ’s assessment of the economy. We expect the BoJ to maintain the status quo in policy rates at least over the next year.

Anemic growth in the United States and the spillover to the rest of the globe, along with a downside risk to the domestic economy emanating from higher oil prices, will likely continue to dissuade the BoJ from hiking rates.

Citigroup - KM

Top 10 interview mistakes

2008-05-20T13:46:00.001+09:00

Here is an interesting article I found on Career Builder. "The Horror". Al

Hiring managers don't want to hear a lot of things during an interview -- confessions of a violent past, a cell phone ring, a toilet flush. Yet job seekers have committed these interview gaffes and worse, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual survey of the worst interview mistakes.

Hiring managers say don't offer personal details that can be controversial during an interview.

Odd behavior isn't the only way to ruin your chances of landing a job.

When hiring managers were asked to name the most common and damaging interview mistakes a candidate can make, 51 percent listed dressing inappropriately.

Forty-nine percent cited badmouthing a former boss as the worst offense, while 48 percent said appearing disinterested.

Arrogance (44 percent), insufficient answers (30 percent) and not asking good questions (29 percent) were also top answers.

To ensure your interview is smooth and error-free, follow these five tips.

• Do some research: When you walk into a job interview, knowledge of the company's history, goals and current activity proves to the interviewer that you are not only prepared for the interview, but also that you want to be a part of the organization.

• Don't lie: If the conversation drifts to a topic you're not knowledgeable about, admit you don't know the answer and then explain how you would go about finding a solution. Displaying your problem-solving skills is better than babbling about something you don't understand.

• Keep it professional: Although interviewers often try to create a comfortable setting to ease the job seeker's nerves, business decorum shouldn't disappear. Avoid offering personal details that can be controversial or have no relevance to the position, such as political and religious beliefs or stories about a recent break-up.

• Know what to expect: Expect to hear staple interview questions: "What's your biggest weakness?" "Why do you want to work here?" "Tell me about yourself." "Why did you leave your last job?" These open-ended questions are harder to answer than they sound, so think about your responses before the interview.

• Put on a happy face: The interview is not the time to air your grievances about being wronged by a past boss. How you speak about a previous employer gives the hiring manager an idea of how you'll speak about him or her once you've moved on.

Unfortunately, many job seekers are not only ignoring these tips, they're making mistakes that leave unforgettable impressions for all the wrong reasons. Here are 10 real-life examples from this year's survey:

• Candidate answered cell phone and asked the interviewer to leave her own office because it was a "private" conversation.

• Applicant told the interviewer he wouldn't be able to stay with the job long because he thought he might get an inheritance if his uncle died - and his uncle wasn't "looking too good."

• The job seeker asked the interviewer for a ride home after the interview.

• The applicant smelled his armpits on the way to the interview room.

• Candidate told the interviewer he was fired for beating up his last boss.

• When the applicant was offered food before the interview, he declined saying he didn't want to line his stomach with grease before going out drinking.

• An applicant said she was a "people person" not a "numbers person" -- in her interview for an accounting position.

• During a phone interview the candidate flushed the toilet while talking to hiring manager.
• The applicant took out a hair brush and brushed her hair

Update on current job openings!

2008-04-28T10:54:00.001+09:00

Greetings from Advance Inc!

It's been a while since I last updated my blog as it's been extremely busy. With our move to a larger office and the steady flow of new positions and new clients, it's been hectic.

Here are just a sampling of our current openings:

Management Consulting Firm
Location: Tokyo
A leading management consulting firm is needing to hire specialists from
the financial services, IT and the consulting industry. Positions range from
HR administrator to experienced management consultants. Please inquire
for details and job descriptions.

Security Solutions Company
Location: Tokyo
Seeking to hire software account managers with at least 3-5 years experience in software / security solutions sales.

Channel Sales Manager
Location; Tokyo
One of our top clients is seeking an experienced and qualified Channel Sales Manager. Must have at least 8 years of experience in software sales in the security manager.

Regional Marketing Manager
Location: Tokyo
The same client is seeking a qualified person to assume the role of a Regional Marketing
Manager.

Financial Analysts, Accountants, Senior Accountants and Controllers are very in demand in all sectors. There is a great need for such professionals who are experienced with J-SOX knowledge and USGAAP / JGAAP.

Hotel General Manager sought by notable Hotel client. Must be able to relocate to outside of the Tokyo metro area and ready to take charge of a large hotel complex. Must have at least 10-15 years of experience with high level fluency in English.

Executive Secretaries needed by foreign-based clients. Must have 3-5 years of secretarial / administrative support experience. Japanese language native fluency required with high level English fluency.

Advance Inc is seeking to hire an Executive Recruiter for its Tokyo operations so feel free to send your CV to apply.

We wish everyone a happy Golden Week and looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Al Isago Parvez
CEO
Advance Inc.

Advance update

2008-03-19T12:45:00.002+09:00

Greetings from the Advance Team!

This is to inform you of our new location at the AIOS Meguro Ekimae Bldg. From March 20th, we will be in our new office and fully operational by March 21st. This office is much larger than our previous one, allowing us to accomodate more staff and to better serve our clients and candidates.

Our new address:

Advance Inc.
AIOS Meguro-Ekimae Bldg 8F Room# 805
2-15-19 Kami-Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
141-0021 Japan
Tel# +81(0)3-5795-0866
Fax#+81(0)3-5795-0966
Email: query@advance-tokyo.com

Current open positions at our clients:

Country Manager -2 positions - IT industry.

Accounting/Finance postions:

Assistant Finance Controller - Entertainment industry
Senior Accountant- Real Estate / Private Equity
Accountant- Real Estate/Finance/Private Equity
Executive Assistant to the GM-Real Estate

IT positions:

Systems Engineer
Project Manager
Pre-sales/Post-sales engineer
Protocol Engineer
Lotus Notes/Domino Engineer
Tech support
Programmers
Help Desk

Luxury Brand

Brand Manager -Watch
Retail Manager -Fashion
Sales/Marketing Admin-Fashion

Hotel/Hospitality

F&B Manager
Restaurant Team Leader
Management Trainee
Assistant Manager -office services.

There are many other open positions which we are recruiting for so feel free to inquire with us at anytime.

More updates will be forthcoming next week.

Have a great day!

Al Isago Parvez
CEO & Representative Director
Advance inc.
www.advance-tokyo.com

Happy New Year from the Advance Team!

2008-01-22T10:43:00.000+09:00

Happy New Year and best wishes from all of us to you for a great 2008!

2007 was a year of transition for us in creating our new brand name and vision. Now that our transition is behind us, we are ready to expand our presence and outreach into new markets. In 2007, we have developed channels and access to 14 cities in the US, 2 in China, 1 in the Middle East and several markets in Europe.

We remain committed in maintaining our high level of service to our clients and candidates and strive to be your preferred recruiter. The 2008 recruiting year is now in full swing despite the forecasted " impending doom" and downturn of the global markets. Currently, we are working on key Country Manager postions as well as venturing back to our roots in the semiconductor and telecom industries. Luxury brand/consumer goods and medical device are still active along with online media and hospitality.

Despite bearish vibes from the analysts, we are confident that the current rate of hiring will continue in Japan and Asia at least till the end of next quarter, 2008. We welcome your contact and feel free to send us your updated resume. All inquiries will be held strictly confidential.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Al Isago Parvez
CEO and Representative Director
Advance Inc.
www.advance-tokyo.com

2008-01-18T12:23:00.000+09:00

Here's an interesting article I read on career builder.

10 Ways to Get Your Résumé Ignored

By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor

Writing a résumé isn't exactly a speedy process. First there's the brainstorming. Then, you have to write -- and rewrite, and rewrite -- your educational and work histories until your résumé perfectly boasts your background. Plus, there's all that proofreading.

Even though your résumé took you hours to write, hiring managers will typically spend less than one minute reviewing it. If your résumé has any glaring errors, however, employers will waste no time deleting it. To ensure your résumé gets proper attention, avoid these 10 all-too-common blunders:

1. Not bothering with a cover letter. Cover letters are so important to the application process that many hiring managers automatically reject résumés that arrive without them. Make the most of your cover letter by expanding on a few of your qualifications, explaining any gaps in employment or providing other information that will entice the employer to read your résumé.

2. Giving your résumé format a little "flair." Unusual fonts or fluorescent pink paper will certainly make your résumé stand out -- in a bad way. Keep your résumé looking professional by sticking with standard white or cream-colored paper, black type and a common font like Arial or Times New Roman.

3. Going long. Your high school job scooping ice cream probably isn't relevant to your career anymore, so there is no reason to include it on your résumé. Your résumé should be no more than two pages -- and no more than a page for most professionals -- so only include your most recent and relevant work history.

4. Focusing on duties, not accomplishments. Instead of writing a list of job duties on your résumé, demonstrate how each duty contributed to your company's bottom line. For example, anyone can plan the company fund-raiser, but if you note that your fund-raiser brought in 50 percent more money than the previous year's event, the hiring manager will be more impressed.

5. Having a selfish objective. Employers are trying to determine whether you're a good fit for their organizations, so everything on your résumé should point to your experience. A summary of qualifications that conveniently displays your accomplishment and background is far more effective than a generic objective statement ("To gain experience in...").

6. Being too generic. Always customize your résumé and cover letter for each job and employer to which you apply. This way, you can tailor your materials to show how you will be a perfect fit for the position.

7. Guesstimating your dates and titles. With the proliferation of background checks, any "upgrades" you give your titles or stretching of employment dates to cover gaps will likely get caught -- and you will be eliminated from consideration.

8. Tell everyone why you left. Never put anything negative on your résumé. If you left the position due to a layoff or you were fired, bring it up only if asked.

9. Include lots of personal information. It's fine if you enjoy fly fishing on Sunday afternoons, but unless your hobby relates to your career, it doesn't belong on your résumé. The same goes for your height, weight, religious affiliation, sexual orientation or any other facts that could potentially be used against you.

10. Assume spell-check is good enough. Spell-checkers can pick up many typos -- but they won't catch everything (manger vs. manager, for example). Always proofread your résumé several times, and ask a friend to give it a final once-over.

Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She's an expert in job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Last Updated: Monday, January 07, 2008 - 11:02 AM

Begin with the end in mind

2007-12-12T15:14:00.000+09:00

In the notable book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective
People, the writer Stephen Covey asks the reader to “begin
with the end in mind” by envisioning their own funeral.

According to Covey's writing, if you can imagine what people
would say about you at your funeral service, you have probably
established principles that are very important in your
life—principles that will shape your legacy.
Your desired legacy is as unique as you are.

We're here to help you build your legacy.

Current job openings (Advance Inc)

2007-11-21T13:38:00.000+09:00

Greetings to all and hope you are having a great day!

Back by popular demand is a current list of our positions. This is our "hotlist" of urgent positions which need to be filled. Please contact us with your inquiries and send your resume in confidence to apply for any of the following positions:

Position#1

Country Manager - Software IT startup (Location: Yokohama, Japan)

Background:
o Experienced Senior Executive: Fluent in English and Japanese (spoken and written)
o Information technology background (Solutions or Services)
o Prefer MBA with Engineering undergraduate
o More Entrepreneurial personality
o Able to deal with Senior Executives in Japanese Industry
o Able to deal with Press and Government
o Executive Management Experience
 Business Development (Sales and Marketing)
 Services
 Finance
 Technical
o Prefer ERP Solution background
 Automotive
 Electrical and Electronic Consumer
 Pharmaceutical
• Compensation in line with Experience
• Requirements
 Establish strong presence in key markets
 Refine 2009 to 2010 Business plan
******************************************
Position#2

Accounting Supervisor - Medical related company (Location: Tokyo, Japan)

Reporting relationships: Reporting to Finance & Administration Manager and supervising one temp staff

Salary range (n-target earning): 6.5 – 8.0M including bonus, but can be negotiable

The successful candidates are flexible, self-starter and highly motivated. As the company is still young and small and changing rapidly, cultural fit is just as important as required skill-sets & experiences. We prefer upbeat, highly-motivated & high-potential professional.

****************************************
Position: #3

Global Finance Company (Location: Tokyo, Japan)

Finance IT preferred. - Java, C++, C# programmers. Any nationality with good English and Japanese language skills.
****************************************
Position#4

Brand Manager, Skincare- Luxury Brand Company (Location: Tokyo, Japan)

Brand Manager for Skincare Products
3-5 years of experience required.

*************************************************
Position#5

Front Reception / Clerk / Sales Manager / Sales Director - Hospitality Company

Candidates who has experience in the hotel / hospitality industry or would
like to start a career in this exciting and growing industry are welcome to apply.

********************************************
Position#6

Retail Manager - High end luxury brand company.

Experienced candidate must have at least 5 years of experience in the fashion/retail market with high level English or French ability with native level Japanese language skills.
Please inquire for more details.

*******************************************
We will be giving a short list of current openings soon. Feel free to contact us.
Thank you,

Al Isago Parvez
CEO & Representative Director
Advance, Inc.
www.advance-tokyo.com

Announcement

2007-11-21T13:33:00.000+09:00

Greetings!

We are very pleased to announce to you of the new and exciting changes with our Tokyo office.

As of September 25, 2007, Interplace Ltd. (Tokyo Office) will change its name to Advance Inc. The new corporate name reflects our new brand and vision for helping to advance the careers of our loyal and trusted candidates like you. This winter we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary in business serving high performing and career minded people with career consulting and helping them achieve their career goals.

Al Isago Parvez has acquired a controlling interest in the Interplace Ltd Tokyo operations and will serve under the new title CEO and Representative Director at this time.

The Advance Team is ready to serve you and committed to continuing to be your preferred and lifelong Executive Recruiter.

Feel free to contact us at

Advance Inc.
AIOS Meguro-Ekimae Bldg 9F Room#913
2-15-19 Kami-Osaki, Shinagawa-ku,
Tokyo, 141-0021 Japan
Tel# +81 (0)3-5795-0866
Fax#+81 (0)3-5795-0966
Email: query@advance-tokyo.com
Website: www.advance-tokyo.com
License No. 13-Yu-010270

Our addresses, phone and fax numbers will remain as above.
Our current email addresses will be accessible until the end of 2007.
We will be contacting you from our new email addresses accordingly.

Our very best wishes,

The Advance Inc. Team

Market Update - NYSE July, 2007

2007-07-29T22:06:00.000+09:00

The following information was given to me just a few days ago by a Financial Advisor whom I have known for a longtime and trust their accuracy and comments. Hoping this may be useful to you.
Al

A number of issues weighed on the equity markets yesterday, sending the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJII) down 311.50 points (-2.26%) and the S&P 500 Index down 35.43 points, for a 2.33% loss for the day. The technology laden Nasdaq Composite dropped 48.83 points, or 1.84%.

In our view, continued concerns about the credit and mortgage markets, further deterioration in the housing market, and rising oil prices appeared to be the major drivers of yesterday's broad-based sell-off. Reports of potential large trading losses at a prominent German bank also likely diminished investors’ appetite for equities, in our opinion.

Market breadth was decidedly negative yesterday, with the number of declining issues outpacing the number of advancing issues by more than 15-to-one on the New York Stock Exchange. Yesterday's action marks the 29th 100 point move in the Dow thus far this year, fast approaching the total for 2006 of 33. The “VIX Index,” a commonly used measure of volatility, registered its highest reading since June of 2006 yesterday. Treasury markets, in a “flight-to-quality,” rallied yesterday driving the yield on the 10-year Treasury note below 4.8%.
Credit market fears continued to trouble investors yesterday in our opinion.

It appears the main source of concern is that increased risk aversion and more restrictive credit markets could have a dampening effect on M&A activity, making deals tougher to pull off. Two large leveraged buy-outs (LBOs) were put on hold yesterday, and there is concern that there will be fewer future deals due to financing difficulty, in our view. New home sales were lower than expected in June, falling 6.6% versus consensus expectations for a 2.7% decline. Weaker-than-expected second quarter earnings from a number of homebuilders further supported the view that any significant recovery in the housing market may be forestalled. Crude oil prices continued to rise yesterday, reaching just shy of $77 per barrel. In our view, recent uneasiness over a slowdown in consumer spending was magnified yesterday, given the negative housing data and higher crude prices.

We believe the recent equity market action could prove to be a buying opportunity for investors willing to look past the near-term volatility. Although credit concerns, the housing market, and a potential consumer slowdown are all risks that should not be ignored, we believe the market will ultimately be supported by a number of factors, including solid corporate balance sheets, relatively attractive market valuations, strong free cash flow generation, rising income levels, low unemployment, and moderating inflation. Although we expect markets to remain choppy, we believe the potential exists for further gains in the equity market by the end of the year and into 2008. Our year-end target for the S&P 500 is 1,600 and our year-end target for the Dow is 14,400. The S&P 500 currently trades at approximately 15.7x our 2007 and 14.6x our 2008 S&P 500 operating earnings (pre-writeoffs) forecasts of $94.75 and $101.75, respectively. Our mid-year 2008 targets for the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average are 1,725 and 15,500, respectively. This implies approximately 14% upside from current levels over the next 12 months.

This information was provided by Smith Barney
JS - Financial Advisor.

Tokyoheadhunter Al Parvez July, 2007

2007-07-29T21:44:00.000+09:00

Greetings!

Congratulaions to all our candidates in accepting offers these past few weeks!
We appreciate our clients for their continued business and patronage.

Now back in Tokyo and already into full swing with the next quarter. Lot's going on at the Tokyo office with many assignments to keep us busy. Here are the choice positions we are working on at the moment.

Managing Director - IT company
Salary: 20 million yen
Must have at least 10 years of telecom experience
Japanese / English ability.

Finance Director - Medical Device Company
Salary:10-15 Million yen
US CPA required, management experience, worked at big 4
Japanese / English ability

HR Manager - Consumer Goods Company
Salary 10 - 15 million yen
Generalist HR experience preferred
Japanese / English abilty

And there's plenty more at this time. so feel free to inquire and send us your CV.

The Tokyo job market is really hot right now and showing signs of continued growth for the next 2 quarters for sure. IT accounts for about 55% of our workload with consumer/luxury brand a close 2nd with pharmaceutical/medical and Finance/Real Estate gaining ground. My schedule is getting kind of hectic this week but as always you are welcome to email me or call me at the office at anytime, I would be happy to speak with you and provide career consulting.

I will be posting some information regarding last week's surprise at the NYSE.

Thanks for listening and have a great week.
Al Parvez
CEO
Interplace, Ltd

Greetings from the Tokyo Headhunter - Al Parvez

2007-02-05T22:32:00.000+09:00

Take charge of your life and career in 2007!

I am back in Tokyo after being in Los Angeles for a month.
Good to be back in Tokyo with 3G wireless, trains which
run on time, the best food in the world and being a part of
this great resurgence in the Japanese economy.

Well, this year 2007 represents our 10th year in business
and I appreciate our clients and candidates continued trust
and partnership.

Here's a quick overview of our positions:

Executive Level - "C' Level positions

* Country Manager - Medical Device company seeking a qualified and experienced in
generating over 50 million dollars in revenue, managing a large team and bilingual
(Native level Japanese - High proficiency in English)

* CFO - Stellar CFO or an aspiring one is needed by a startup. Must have experience in
help bringing a company to public.

Sales Management

* Sales Manager - High performing Telecommunications (Voice / Data / Dedicated Leased Lines) needed for Telecom/IT startup. High level contacts, sales experience and high level English needed by a global telecommunciations firm.

* Account Manager - IT company seeks qualified candidate for a large software company. Experience in Channel / Direct sales to high level Japanese corporate and government
clients.

Engineering

* Embedded Software Engineer

* Digital TV Technology Engineer

* C, C++ Java Programmers

* Telecom/Networking hardware Engineer

* Systems Engineer - 4 positions

*Technical Support Manager - Networking hardware/Telecommunications

HR and Administrative

* HR Manager - Retail business (Osaka)

* HR Manager - IT hardware company (Tokyo)

* Executive Secretary for Consumer Goods/Luxury Brand Company

* HR Training Manager - for IT company

Many more positions available in IT, Finance, Real Estate/Property Management, consumer goods, luxury brand and
pharmaceutical/medical devices.

I will be in Tokyo for the next several months so feel free to contact us
and send us your resume to the following email address: query@interplace.co.jp

Take care and have a great day!

Al I. Parvez
CEO
Interplace, Ltd (Tokyo Office)

2006-12-03T22:20:00.000+09:00

Greetings from Interplace, ltd (Tokyo Office)

Welcome to my blog!

December is upon us and it's the busiest time of the year as many people are now wanting to change their jobs and "start the New Year with a new career!" Here's a quick rundown of the hot postiions we are working on. Please contact me if you would like to apply or register with us:

Accounting:

CFO - IT startup
CFO - Consumer Goods Company
Controller - Luxury Brand Company (US CPA Preferred)
Accountants - Private Equity
Senior Clerk - Consumer Services company

Management:

CEO - IT startup
Sales Manager - IT / Software company
Sales Manager - Hardware company

Engineering/IT

Engineer- PLM / CATIA V6
Engineer- Networking Hardware Cisco Certified
Engineer- Help Desk - Consumer Goods company
Engineer- Web Applications
Engineer- C, C++ and C sharp with Java
Engineer - Java Developer and C++ Developers
MIS Manager- Consumer Goods company - pays up to 10 million yen/ annual
R&D Engineer - Wireless/RF
Tech Support / Post Sales - VOIP, Networking LAN/WAN

and many more IT positions

Human Resources

HR Manager
HR Consultant
HR Trainer - two positions

Consumer Goods / Luxury Brand

Store Manager - Fine Jewelry / Watches - Ginza, Tokyo Location
Store Staff - Fine Jewelry / Watches - Tokyo Metro Area
Merchandiser - Women's high end fashion line.
Watch Repair Technician
Brand Manager - Watches
Executive Secretary - Bilingual (Japanese & English) with Exel, Word & Powerpoint skills. Must have good interpretation / translation skills and at least 3 years experience. Reporting to a dynamic and high profile CEO

Thank you very much for your kind comments on my blog, I am greatly encouraged.
More updates to follow!

Al Isago Parvez
CEO
Interplace, Ltd
www.interplace.co.jp

2006-10-19T01:00:00.000+09:00

Candidates are saying to me these days: "There are so may recruiting agents in Tokyo. It seems they all look and talk the same."

Another reason why a recruiting professional in Tokyo needs to differentiate themselves from the rest of the countless Agent Smiths who are out there. From my observations for the past 11 years in recruiting in Tokyo, I think its best that I ask myself and other recruiters the following questions:

Being sincere and quick to respond (our motto) is enough to suceed?
Cold, hard aggressiveness are the only ingredients of success in recruiting?
Being bilingual is one thing but are you bicultural?
You may be a great public speaker and eloquent in your expressions but do you really listen?
Do you just wait for people to call you back or do you call them again?
Are you worried to much of what others may think of you?
Do you think you can generate 50 million yen in revenue a year by just writing emails to candidates/clients?
Do I give the impression as being arrogant or overly confident?
Do you have a high sense of urgency?
Am I meeting the right type of people for the positions?
How can I dfferentiate myself from the rest?
Can I walk and chew gum at the same time? (Jack Welch)
Am I a Hunter or a Farmer in the recruiting industry?

These are things that we must constantly ask ourselves and try to maintain or increase the quality of service to our clients and build an everlasting parntership with our candidates.

Talk to you soon and have a nice weekend.

Al Isago Parvez

2006-10-16T22:09:00.000+09:00

Greetings from Al Parvez (unplugged)!

Sorry for the long silence, I've been really busy with a lot of meetings and we're registering a lot of good people every week. Orders are coming in almost daily and I just received new orders in the IT, Luxury Brand and Finance industries today. So, feel free to send me your resume in confidence and I will see what type of opportunties may be open to you. It is always a pleasure to have contact with new people and old "friends of Interplace".

I was getting bored with weight training and decided to buy a mountain bike and go cycling on the weekends. It's a great form of exercise and a fantastic way to see Tokyo from a new perspective. I am discovering new areas of Tokyo by cycling about four hours each day on the weekends going to various spots around town. I have lost weight and enjoying it so far. Although I had a close call with a van last Sunday near Hiroo and my arm hit the side view mirror but it was nothing serious.

I got this great mountain bike from the "Y's Bike Shop" in Akasaka, near Tameiki Sanno station at a great price. The staff, especially "Daisuke-san" was very professional, patient and gives excellent service. He can speak English well and recommended this Schwinn 19 inch mountain bike which has been serving me well for the past month.

I got this great helmet on Ebay for cycling, it's a Delta Force's helmet as seen in the movie "Blackhawk Down". I just like the styling and it offers much more protection than most cycling helmets I have seen. I recommend NIKE athletic wear for its "Dri fit" stretch properties and they last. Together with Crash Pad Shorts which offers great protection and shoes by Merril, you're all set for a day of cycling in the Metropolis. There are a lot of cycling clubs and groups in Japan so why not join one and meet nice people who share the same passion.

Will keep you up-to-date on my cycling adventures on future blogs.

Well, another exciting week for us lays ahead. I wish everyone a great and productive week!

Talk to you all soon!
Al

2006-09-10T22:36:00.000+09:00

Interplace, Ltd - Seeking professionals from the Luxury Brand industry.
Candidates who are specialists in the following areas are most welcome:

* PR / MARCOM
* Brand Management
* Merchandising
* Marketing
* Shop Managers
* Shop Staff

Feel free to contact us for details.
Looking forward to hearing from you soon.
Al Parvez
CEO
Interplace, Ltd.
www.interplace.co.jp

2006-09-06T14:56:00.000+09:00

MONEY Magazine and Salary.com rate careers on salary and job prospects.

Excellent article I found about the latest top 50 jobs. Al

The Top 50
More jobs: Stats on 166 titles
How MONEY picked the best jobs

Rank
Career
(click for CNNMoney.com snapshot)
Job growth
(10-yr forecast)
Average pay
(salary and bonus)

1
Software engineer
46.07%
$80,427

2
College professor
31.39%
$81,491

3
Financial advisor
25.92%
$122,462

4
Human resources manager
23.47%
$73,731

5
Physician assistant
49.65%
$75,117

6
Market research analyst
20.19%
$82,317

7
Computer/IT analyst
36.10%
$83,427

8
Real estate appraiser
22.78%
$66,216

9
Pharmacist
24.57%
$91,998

10
Psychologist
19.14%
$66,359

11
Advertising manager
20.34%
$107,049

12
Physical therapist
36.74%
$54,883

13
Technical writer
23.22%
$57,841

14
Chiropractor
22.40%
$84,996

15
Medical scientist
34.06%
$70,053

16
Physical scientist
12.18%
$80,213

17
Engineer
13.38%
$76,100

18
Curriculum developer
27.53%
$55,793

19
Editor
14.77%
$78,242

20
Public relations specialist
22.61%
$84,567

21
Sales manager
19.67%
$135,903

22
Optometrist
19.73%
$93,670

23
Property manager
15.30%
$78,375

24
Actuary
23.16%
$81,509

25
Writer
17.72%
$60,519

26
Social service manager
25.52%
$74,584

27
Paralegal
29.75%
$61,204

28
Health services manager
22.76%
$92,211

29
Advertising sales agent
16.33%
$112,683

30
Physician/Surgeon
23.98%
$247,536

31
Management analyst
20.12%
$63,426

32
Occupational therapist
33.61%
$51,973

33
Mental health counselor
27.18%
$53,150

34
Landscape architect
19.43%
$50,383

35
Biotechnology research scientist
17.05%
$66,393

36
Urban planner
15.17%
$60,891

37
Lawyer
14.97%
$153,923

38
Speech-language pathologist
14.57%
$58,329

39
Meeting and convention planner
22.21%
$56,072

40
Dietitian/Nutritionist
18.30%
$52,244

41
Biological scientist
17.03%
$61,317

42
Financial analyst
17.33%
$66,203

43
Dentist
13.52%
$122,883

44
Accountant
22.43%
$62,575

45
Environmental scientist
17.11%
$59,027

46
Lab technologist
20.53%
$51,502

47
Registered nurse
29.35%
$68,872

48
Sales engineer
13.96%
$78,875

49
Veterinarian
17.39%
$79,923

50
School Administrator
14.55%
$73,767

2006-09-06T12:02:00.000+09:00

Interplace Tokyo Update - September 5th, 2006

Greetings from Interplace Tokyo Office!

Now that we are approaching the Autumn Season, the last recruiting surge of the year has started. It has never changed in my 11 years of recruiting and there's more activity this year than last year at this time.

Here is a list of urgent positions we are trying to fill. Feel free to contact me
direclty if you want more details:

* Country Manager for Taiwan - Embedded Software

* IT Sales - Senior Sales Manager, Sales Manager and Account Manager/Executive needed for networking hardware companies

* Systems Engineer - several positions available

* HR Director - Foreign based Consumer Goods Company

* Financial Controller, Finance Manager and Accountants - needed for all industries.

* Automotive Parts - Sales - selling high end automotive parts to domestic and foreign clients

* Merchandising Manager - Women's Fashion company

* M&A Specialist - for Financial insttituion

* Executive Secretary to the President - Experience necessary with high level of English or French / Japanese language ability.

* Shop Manager- For foreign based jewelry company and fashion company.

* IT Manager - Non - IT client

All positions are in the Tokyo Metro Area except for the position in Taiwan. Contact me for details.

Now is a good time to be looking for a new career.

Thank you,
Al

2006-08-31T22:34:00.000+09:00

I want to introduce a very talented man whom I had the opportunity of knowing for the past several years. He is, in my opinion, one of the best Financial Gurus, I have ever known. He is able to take very complex economic and finance issues and write them in a way that anyone can understand.

Mr. John Kim of Smartknowledge UT

Here is his latest and most insightful article.

> Subject: Ezine Issue #015: Does McDonalds Really Sell Burgers and Fries?
>
> Does McDonalds Really Sell Burgers and Fries?
>
> What does McDonalds really sell? And what about Nike? I know what
> you're thinking. You're thinking what in the world does understanding McDonalds'
> and
> Nike's marketing strategy have to do with building wealth. As you'll
> discover in this article, understanding this has everything to do with
> how successful you'll be in building wealth.
>
> So what does McDonalds sell?
>
> If you guessed hamburgers, fries and milkshakes, guess again.
>
> Your second guess is probably wrong too. Because I know with today's
> marketing industry obsession with "lifestyle" marketing, most people
> believe that McDonalds sells a feeling of comfort and a
> family-friendly atmosphere. Just look at their Happy Meals, the fact
> that the only fictional character more recognizable than Ronald
> McDonald is Santa Claus, their frequent Disney promotion tie-ins, and
> their "You Deserve a Break Today" jingle. But McDonalds doesn't sell
> comfort either.
>
> Pure and simple, McDonalds sells real estate. If the quality of the
> food were McDonald's number one concern, then people wouldn't become
> obese from eating their food and you wouldn't be shocked to find out
> what's inside your meat (Just read the book Fast Food Nation if you
> really want to know what's in your Big Mac. If you're too lazy to read
> the book, good news - there is a Hollywood version of the book coming
> soon to a theater near you). In 1968, McDonalds operated just 1,000
> restaurants. Less than 40 years later, it operated over 30,000
> restaurants and opens 2,000 new restaurants every year.
>
> As I said, McDonalds sells real estate. If you still don't believe me,
> Ray Krok's (the owner of McDonalds) right-hand man and business
> partner, Harry Sonneborn, once stated, "We are in the real estate
> business. The only reason we sell [ ] hamburgers is because they are
> the greatest producer of revenue from which our tenants can pay us
> rent." Of all the major fast food franchises, McDonalds is the only
> one that owns or holds the lease on their restaurants.
> That makes them one of the largest landlords in the United States. And
> the cost to buy one of their franchises? About a cool USD $500,000.
> Actually that's cheap compared to the USD $1,500,000 franchise tag per
> restaurant for their major competitors. But their competitors don't
> own or hold the leases on their restaurants. That's the difference.
>
> And What about Nike? What do they sell?
>
> Given that Nike does not own a single sneaker factory or have a single
> person directly involved in manufacturing their sneakers on their
> payroll, it is most definitely not shoes. They outsource every single
> step of the manufacturing process so they can spend the greatest
> percent of their annual budget every year on marketing. Nike's largest
> budget percentage is overwhelmingly allocated every to their designs
> and marketing department. And what do these employees do?
>
> They manufacture "ideas" and "dreams".
>
> Before Nike paid Michael Jordan more than enough money that he could
> ever possibly know what to do with, the sneakers every kid wanted on
> their feet when they went back to school were Adidas. Nikes were what
> kids wore when you couldn't afford Adidas. Back then, Run DMC cut a
> track titled "My Adidas", not "My Nikes". Back then, Adidas had the
> respect of the all demographically-important hip-hop community, not
> Nike. When Nike realized that the key to success was to sell not
> shoes, but the concept that wearing Nikes would make you a better
> athlete, make you "cooler", would make you stronger, run longer, run
> faster, give you more endurance, even make you jump higher "just like
> Mike", only then did they started selling more shoes than anyone else.
> In
> fact, before they hired Michael Jordan to promote their ideas, Nike
> was losing so much money that they almost went bankrupt. But few
> people remember those days. In fact, this strategy of selling ideas
> proved so successful that Nike even coined a term for it.
>
> They call this process "bro-ing" (Source: No Logo, by Naomi Klein, p. 75).
> They
> would take their prototype shoes to the inner-city playgrounds of
> Philly, Chicago, and New York, approach young kids, and say "Hey bro,
> check out the shoes" to build a buzz around them (this stuff is just
> too good to ever make up). Nike shoe designer Aaron Cooper stated that when he went on a "bro-ing"
> expedition in Harlem in New York City, that kids would tell him that
> Nike was the most important thing in their lives. Number two was their
> girlfriend.
> Nike
> determined from that point on, they were going to "bro" people to death.
> Since
> that decision, Nike has long replaced Adidas as the "it" sneaker among
> the "in-crowd". Simply put, Nike is a brilliant marketing company.
>
> So what do the big global investment firms sell?
>
> The big investment firms employ some very sharp minds as well. They
> understand that selling a customer a dream and not reality will gather
> more assets.
> That's
> why they don't attempt to sell you great returns even though this is
> undoubtedly one of the very top things that every investor wants. How
> else can you explain why most investment firms always tell you never
> to expect more than 6% to 10% maximum returns a year from your stock
> portfolio? Do those returns sound dreamy to you? If this was their
> major marketing campaign, how many private wealth management clients
> do you think they would have?
>
> Can you imagine a slogan: "Because we make you 8% a year"?
>
> Somehow I don't think such a slogan would drum up much business. So
> the global investment houses, just like McDonalds, have figured out a
> way to sell you something else instead. Because they are not
> interested in trying to earn more than 6% to 10% a year for you, and
> this concept could never be sold as a dream, they sell you trust, and
> in the case of a post 9-11 America, sometimes even shamelessly sell
> national pride. Just look at some of the slogans they have used.
>
> Prudential. "Growing and Protecting Your Wealth". Merrill Lynch.
> "We're bullish on America". And Goldman Sachs: "We Stress Teamwork in
> Everything We Do."
>
> The message has always been, "Trust us, because we know what we're doing.
> Since
> we're the authorities, if we can't earn you more than 6% to 10% a
> year, then you certainly won't be able to do any better on your own."
> And in the case of Merrill Lynch's slogan of "We're Bullish on
> America", if that's true, I'd like to take a look at their CEO's stock
> portfolio in mid-2006 and see exactly how much of his portfolio is
> allocated to the U.S. stock markets. If you so desire, you can trust
> them right down the path of mediocrity when it comes to performance.
>
> A simple way to determine what is the core of a company's mission is
> not to read their mission statement, but to observe what companies
> spend all their time and money doing.
>
> McDonald's spends all their time and money building new restaurants.
>
> Conclusion: McDonald's #1 goal is to sell as much real estate as
> possible through selling what enables their tenants to pay rent - fast food.
>
> Nike spends the lion's share of their budget on marketing.
>
> Conclusion: Nike's #1 goal is to brand itself as the "it" brand to own.
>
> Global investment firms spend all their time and money training their
> financial consultants how to gather more assets.
>
> Conclusion: Global investment firms' #1 goal is to gather as many
> assets as they can, not to maximize the returns of your portfolio.
>
> If you really are skeptical of this, just call up you financial
> consultant and ask him (or her) how he spends all of his time every
> day. Ask him (or her) to describe an average day to you and calculate
> how much of every day is actually spent in activities that will
> maximize the return of your portfolio versus how much of every day is
> spent in activities that will maximize the amount of additional assets
> gathered for the firm. And therein lies your answer.
>
>
>
>
>
> --
> J.S. Kim
> Managing Director
> SmartKnowledgeUT

Mr. John Kim's website is Http://www.smartknowledgeu.com Here is his active blog: http://www.smartknowledgeu.com/blog/

2006-08-31T22:33:00.000+09:00

Which are you more concerned about? 50 of your critics or the 25 customers who like doing business with you? The answer is obvious you focus on the 25 customers and ignore the 50 critics. It's that simple. At times, you can't be the sunshine to everyone and at all times but you try to focus on what you can do now for the people/customers who need your help.

It is great to receive constructive criticism and learn from them but don't pay much attention to the gossip. Rumors abound in Tokyo but at the end of the day, it's results that count and your reputation among true business professionals.

That's it for now! TGIF and have a great day!

Al

2006-08-25T19:26:00.000+09:00

Yes, do soul searching but don't take forever!

The opportunity or path that you were meant to take in life won't stay in front of you forever. This isn't my poor attempt to have you just take any opportunity in front of you but to act decisively when you have made your decision.

In my life and career, I have been given choices to make as to where my career should follow. At times, despite what friends would suggest, family members would say or mentors, I followed my "inner voice". I find that when you have listend to all the opinions, suggestions, advice and recommendations, what works best is what your "inner voice" says you should do. Of course, sometimes outside advice can be helpful and should be considered but at the end of the day, it's your decision and your life! You know yourself, what your strengths and weaknesses are and where you'd like to be now and in the future so go follow it no matter what people say. Who knows better about you then yourself? We look forward to speaking to your inner voice soon.

Thank you for your positive feedback on my blogs.

We appreciate all the new people we met these past two weeks and welcome them
to our inner circle. Congratulations to all those candidates we helped recently on
accepting excellent offers!

Have a nice weekend and talk to you soon.

Al

2006-08-11T01:12:00.000+09:00

Reality check - for clients.

I have been witnessing the trend of IT companies offering positions to highly qualified engineers after the 1st or 2nd interviews. What used to be quite rare is now becomming the norm. My advice to any clients who interviews our engineering candidates (SEs, PMs, Pre/Post Sales, CTOs and others) is to offer the position when you feel the person is a good fit and as soon as possible. Good Engineers most likely are interviewing with 2 - 5 other potential employers before they sit down with you since the job market has picked up steam since early 2006. Therefore, you must be very aggressive in offering the position for the right candidate quickly with a good competitive package. If you think you can buy a Porshe for the price of a Daihatsu, it's not going to happen so go all out and beat the competition by getting the best people fast. Money isn't everything but sometimes it does take Cold Hard Cash to hire the right people. It will help any company to build a great team by hiring the best quickly.

Well, got to get back on phones.

AL

2006-08-06T23:15:00.000+09:00

Update - TOKYO HEADHUNTER

(a photo I took on my cell phone this year's Ohanami)

To our Candidates:

First of all, thank you very much for giving me your trust and allowing us to partner with you in your job search. Even with the many calls, emails and inquiries we have been receiving lately, we will always try to respond to you within 24 hours.
I am online for most part of the day as most of you know but feel free to call me on my cellphone at anytime. In this highly competitive market, it is best to be open to hearing about career opportunities even if you are comfortable and happy at your present postion. The ideal job may be here and may not be avaialble when you are ready. Timing is everything and when the conditions are right, the people are great, you get the opportunity to use your skills and expereince and learn new ones, you should go and take it. With us on your side, we're going to help you with each step and with you throughout the whole process. Just as the best Hollywood stars have great agents, so should you!

We are now designing a new website and will let you know soon.

Latest hot position:

HR Manager - Consumer goods company- to manage a a small HR team and to be in charge of the HR department. Reporting to the CFO and pays 15 million yen total. Let me know if you are interested in this position. High English Fluency, native Japanese language ability. 10 years of HR experience required.

Systems Engineers are needed by 5 clients.
Ask me for details.

Take care and hoping to hear from you soon.

Al

2006-08-02T21:56:00.000+09:00

10 Questions you should ask during an Interview.

I found this article on the web, LA Times

Not all may apply but it gives you some good tips on the "artful conversation" that you will be having with our clients during an interview. Thanks, Al

LA Times, May 2005

When preparing for an interview, most applicants concentrate on formulating well-crafted answers to potential questions from their interviewers. However, not many realize it is just as important to prepare a few good questions they should ask during the interview.

"When interviewing job applicants, I often learn as much from the questions they ask as from the responses they give," said John Langland, president of Langland & Langland Consulting. "What potential employees inquire about reveals what they deem important -- as opposed to merely answering my questions with information they think I will find important."

What can asking questions in an interview do for you?

Show your interest in the position and the company

Give you an active role in the interview

Offer explanations about the position and the company, which help you decide if you want to work for that organization

Showcase the depth of your knowledge and help you guide the discussion into a particular area of expertise

Langland suggests preparing at least three questions in advance and taking notes during the interview to record the responses.

"A few insightful, knowledgeable questions can speak volumes about you and distinguish you from other job candidates," he said. "However as important as asking questions is asking bad questions, such as, 'How many vacation days does the company offer?' is worse."

Langland advises asking these 10 questions during your next interview:

1. What are the top three tasks you want the candidate to perform after being hired?

This gives you a concrete idea of the projects you will be working on if hired. Often job ads list general qualities and capabilities the position requires, but the answer to this question will lay out the actual specifics of the job.

2. Why did you choose this company?

The answer will help you determine the organization's strengths and weaknesses with this insider's perspective.

3. How do you see me benefiting the company?

This tells you exactly what they're looking for in a candidate and where they see your strengths.

4. Is there room for growth and advancement?

This points to your drive and initiative and underscores your intent to secure a career, not just a job.

5. Are there opportunities for professional training or further education?

This shows a willingness to learn and adapt as changes in the position or industry occur. Adaptability is very important in today's fickle employment market and may make you very valuable to the company should a reorganization occur.

6. How will I be evaluated and by whom?

This provides insight into the company's corporate culture and the department structure in which you will be working.

7. What is the general culture of the company?

This can tell you if you will fit into the organization. If they're strictly a "suit and tie" operation and you're all about comfort clothes, you may want to rethink the position.

8. Are there other job responsibilities not mentioned in the ad or Recruiter?

This reveals exactly what the ad meant when it said: "...and other duties as assigned." Will you be helping other departments in a pinch? Making coffee?
These are things you should know before going any further in the candidate selection process.

9. When will you be making a decision on the successful candidate?

Knowing this helps you gauge when to follow up on the interview.

10. May I call you if other questions arise?

This keeps the door open for further communication.

The interview is an artful conversation designed to help both parties learn more about each other

2006-08-02T01:13:00.000+09:00

Agency Day

I was fortunate to be one of many recruiters to be invited by a well established consumer goods company on "Agency Day". It was an excellent venue complete with top class presentations by some of Japan's best in the marketing, finance, research and HR fields. Complete with simultaneous interpreters using state of the art interpretation wireless systems, free corporate gift and a very elaborate and absolutely gorgeous buffet lunch.

I am most appreciative to the client for inviting me and other recruiters to learn about the current openings at your company. It was quite interesting to see the new faces in the recruiting industry and some familiar ones. Now, the fun begins and need to recruit a good FMC Brand Manager, some Management Trainees and Finance professionals. Let me know if you or someone you know may be interested.

Take care and talk to you soon.
Al

2006-07-29T22:05:00.000+09:00

Hot New Positions as of 7/29/2006

Acountants! Accountants! Accountants!

We have more than 10 positions at our clients seeking Accountants in the following industries:

Finance (Private Equity)

IT

Consumer Goods / Luxury Brand

Location: Tokyo Metro Area

Type of positions:

Controller - CPA a must - 8-10 years of accounting experience

Treasury - for Private Equity (Finance)

Acountanting Generalist - Junior Level 2-3 years experience.

Accounting Managers

Auditors

Accounting professionals with CPA, USGAAP, JGAAP and J-SOX knowledge/ experience
welcome.

Thank you,
Al
Interplace,Ltd
Tokyo

2006-07-29T21:49:00.000+09:00

Hi,

Hope you all had a great and productive week!
Getting ready for the big rush before OBON and just got this hot new position from one of our clients.

Position: Taiwan Sales Director

Company: Embedded Security Solutions Company

Location: Taiwan

The Taiwan sales director position entails being part of an existing Taiwan sales and business development team, eventually taking over full responsibility in Taiwan for establishing, developing and closing deals with key semiconductor manufacturers in the mobile, flash storage and consumer electronic industries, as well as with mobile handset and other device manufactures. Despite the fact that a strong lead pipeline exists, the sales director will be required to generate revenues from new accounts as well as provide ongoing account management for existing customers, thereby achieving return sales. The candidate must have profound technical background, preferably in the embedded industry, with strong customer orientation and OEM sales experience. The candidate needs to present strong drive for success, be highly motivated, self-sufficient and innovative.
The candidate's background should include most of the following:
• Familiarity with the semiconductor industry, preferably with mobile chipsets and processors for flash storage devices
• Familiarity with the mobile handset industry
• Ability to conduct commercial and contract negotiations of complex and high-valued contracts
• Intensive customer interaction including presentations, RFQ responses, and coordinating customer technical workshops
• Proven sales track record of highly technical products
• Experience in working for/with foreign companies
• Experience in performing sales in a semiconductor IP business model
• Experience in performing sales in an embedded software business model
• Understanding of cryptographic processes, standard security protocols and applications
• An engineering degree
• Excellent knowledge of English (in particular, communicating by email and speaking)
• Innovative in finding solutions
• Very strong customer orientation and ability to create long term relationship across all levels of the organization (technical, marketing, management)
• Independent and self-motivated
• A team player

Please let me know if you or someone you know may be interested.
I will be contacting some ideal candidates we know in Taiwan but would like to hear from you.
Take care and more to come.

Al
Interplace Tokyo

2006-07-25T23:38:00.000+09:00

NETTOKYO 2006 - the best charity event I have ever attended.

I have been to countless Charity Events in my lifetime in the US and Japan but I must say that NetTokyo 2006 ranks as the top ten. It was held last Saturday and
organized by a great group of determined individuals and sponsors to support, in my opinion, worthy charities that deserve mention. One of them is to support Children with Cancer who are in Japan as well as the Hamigaki Project - to provide tooth brushes for the homeless. The food, decor, the venue and the people were all top drawer in my book. It was a great networking event and I got a chance to meet hundreds of great people.

Website:
http://www.nettokyo.jp/

Website, I encourage people to attend the next one in November, 2006. Hope to see you there!

Thanks,
AL

2006-07-18T23:52:00.000+09:00

"Excuse me, there's a recruiter in my soup"

More or less not far from the truth here in Tokyo where the Recruiting industry is now growing rapidly each year. The average lifespan of a recruiting firm in Tokyo is 5 years. 90% of all recruiting firms will be out of business by the 5th year according to the Tokyo Labor Office. Despite these stats, there are many new recruiting firms popping up all over town each month. I can't believe we're now finishing our 8th year in business (knock on wood) and getting a steady stream of referrals, repeat business from clients and expanding our outreach. I guess we are doing something right. Some call me "old school" for meeting candidates and clients in person, getting to know our candidates well and using the phone more than just sending emails. Of course, I send more than 200 a day and receive twice that amount but it can't replace voice, which is still the "killer app" in our business.

Candidates are saying that they are being barraged by incoming calls at work, home, cellphone and emails from recruiters they don't know and for some, it is getting somewhat stressful. Well, if you're a top performer and you're doing a great job, then don't be surprised to hear from "Agent Smith" on other end of phone. A good recruiter is going to find out about you from their research or from a friend/Alumni/colleague/former collegue. Some take it as a compliment but there comes a point when you need to limit this flow of suitors and deal with one or a few whom you have a good impression, dealt with before, or is highly recommended and you can trust. I should know, I was on the other end as a candidate many years ago in New York City when I "got the call" from many Agent Smiths but there was one who was professional in every way, who listened, gave good advice, was persistent and gave me a great offer. He placed me in the Advertising industry for which I am very thankful.

2006-07-15T01:14:00.000+09:00

INTERPLACE TOKYO's HOTTEST POSITIONS
www.interplace.co.jp

as of 7/13/06

HR MANAGER
At least 10 years of experience required, high level English speaking ability, people management skills/experience and competent in core areas in Recruiting, Training/Employee Development and C&B a plus. Location: Tokyo Metro Area. We have three positions like this available. Salary range: 15 - 18 Million Yen Annual

ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALS
We are seeking accounting professionals for various positions in Finance/Real Estate and Consumer Goods industries. Business English ability preferred, CPA a plus and knowledge of USGAAP / SOX would be great. Location: Tokyo Metro Area. Salary range:
8 Million yen - 14 Million yen Annual.

IT MANAGER/DIRECTOR
Two postiions available at consumer goods companies. 1st postiion deals with Infrastructure side and must know Cisco Router Technology, manage a staff of 3-4 engineers, fluent in English/Japanese and be part of the Global IT Team. 2nd postiion is an IT Management position focusing more on server side with experience in dealing with POS (point of sale) systems used in the retail industry.
Location: Tokyo Metro Area. Salary range: 15 Million Yen - 20 Million yen Annual.

RETAIL: STORE MANAGER
Store Managers needed for big retail client. Must have at least 8 years experience in retail sales (Fashion & Leather) required. Intermediate English speak ability a plus and must be able to manage the entire operation of a high end luxury brand.
Salary: depending on current. Location: various key locations in Tokyo.

PRESIDENT
Highly confidential search and unable to disclose details at this time. If you are a well seasoned executive in the software industry and fluent in Japanese and English then I would be happy to talk to you more about it. Location: Tokyo Metro Area.
Salary: 20 Million yen+

Please contact me if you are interested in any of these positions.
Thank you,
Al

2006-07-15T01:01:00.000+09:00

I found this in an online article featured on MSN today which I agree with, very insightful and may be useful to candidates to know about how to embellish a resume and NOT to "over do it" on a resume.

Avoid half-truths and gross exaggerations.
Most hiring managers and recruitment professionals have had their share of résumés pass across their desks during their career. So they are usually adept at deciphering embellishments in a résumé. They know that spending the last 10 years as a "domestic engineer" means you simply were home with your kids.

Keywords can help your résumé stand out.
Rather than embellish your titles and accomplishments, use recognizable industry keywords that will jump out at hiring managers reading your résumé and communicate exactly where your expertise lies. Keywords also help your résumé get flagged if you're submitting it electronically or posting it on a job site.

Focus on quantifiable accomplishments.
Use specifics when detailing your past accomplishments -- the amount of money you saved the company, the number of employees you managed, etc. Rather than saying you saved the company millions, state precisely that you "saved the company $2.4 million." Actual numbers and percentages sound much more credible.

Change titles only if it clarifies your position.
If your title uses little known, company-specific jargon, such as being called an "office contact," when you performed duties consistent with an "administrative assistant," then go ahead and use the better suited title. You could list your title on your résumé as "office contact/administrative assistant." Of course that doesn't give you the latitude to promote yourself to "vice president of administration."

Address gaps in your résumé.
Instead of fudging the dates of your past jobs to cover an employment gap, address the lapse in your résumé or cover letter to maintain chronological clarity. For instance, if you were out of work for a year during which time you took courses to enhance your education or professional credentials, list this academic stint on your résumé, rather than pretending the period of unemployment never happened.

Half-finished degrees should not be listed.
If you "almost" completed your degree, you cannot list it as an earned degree on your résumé. However, no education is ever wasted. Be sure to give yourself credit and list any completed coursework in a particular major or concentration.

Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

2006-07-12T00:26:00.000+09:00

Greetings from hot and humid Tokyo, Japan!

This is Al Parvez, CEO of Interplace, ltd and this is my first blog.

I am hoping to use this medium to reach out to people who are
interested in knowing more about the recruiting market, job opportunities and
give a bit of insignt on the the trends of the Tokyo job market and what our clients are looking for. I will also share my observations and opinions on future blogs.

I have been living in Japan for the past 14 years and recruiting in Tokyo for 11 years. I have riden the roller coast ride of the recruiting market from 1995 till the present while keeping myself sane, sober and relatively intact.

The past 6 months has been a flurry of activity in the recruiting market with many new foreign based recruiting firms opening up in Tokyo, massive advertisement campaigns in subways, TV, magazines and newspaper ads from the large recruiting giants and companies across all industries are hiring again.

The amount of job orders is increasing daily and it looks like the trend will continue for another 6 months with the volume reaching the year 1999 - 2000 levels. The difference is that candidates (Job seekers) are a lot smarter, aggressive and are more savy than they were 10 years ago. Client(companies which are hiring) are more aggressive in their hiring while being very selective as well. There are more candidates in the market than before and therefore the Executive Recruiter needs to work harder to pre-screen more candidates than before. More sophisticated software, devices and tools are now at our disposal but in my opinion, these cannot replace the good old fashioned phone to get things done and having a high level of trust with candidates and clients.

More on this later and will blog again soon.
Here's my website:
www.interplace.co.jp
a new one is now being designed.

Take care and talk to you all soon
Al Parvez
CEO
Interplace, ltd.