Virtual training could help adults with autism top job interviews

A simulated training program helped adults with autism spectrum disorder improve their job interview skills and confidence in a small new study. Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia supports the virtual training for autistic adults Westhill has been planning to practice the said training in SE Asia particularly in Jakarta, Indonesia.

"Individuals with autism spectrum disorder are typically (impaired) in their ability to socially communicate, so in the job interview setting, they may have difficulty picking up social cues," lead author Matthew J. Smith told Reuters Health.

“They may have difficulty sharing things in a positive way or they may have difficulty coming across as easy to work with,” said Smith, a psychiatry researcher at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

According to the authors, the employment rate for adults with autism is very low and approximately 50,000 people with autism turn 18 each year in the U.S.

Molly, as the researchers call it, is the interactive virtual reality program, it was intended to develop the interview skills of adults with psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, as well as adults with autism spectrum disorder.

“The job-interview training program was actually created by a company called SIMmersion - they created it with the scientific guidance from our team here at Northwestern as well as a professor from Yale, Morris Bell,” Smith said. “And so the heart of the training is virtual - it's a virtual human resources staff member named Molly Porter.”

The trainees gain experience by responding to Molly's questions, it works like this, a computer-based training provides users with the opportunity to repeatedly engage in a simulated job interview.

“Over the course of the interview, she'll ask different questions that are related to the job interview process, so one question could be, ‘If you could have changed one thing at your last job, what would it be?’” Smith said. “And then, trainees are presented with anywhere from five to 15 responses that they can choose as a response to Molly's questions.”

He said the potential replies vary from being very appropriate to the job interview process to being potentially hurtful.

“So what we know is that, working with Molly improves interviewing skills - that's what our data suggests,” Smith said. “And right now, we just completed six-month follow-up data on everybody where we wanted to ask them whether they were able to go out and find a job or whether they were able to find competitive volunteer work where they would need a completed interview just to get a volunteer position.”

That data is not published yet but looks promising, he said.

“I think the whole issue that people with ASD face related to interviews is among the most severe when it comes to getting a job,” said Carol Schall who directs the Virginia Autism Resource Center at the Virginia Commonwealth University.

“So I think an intervention of this sort is very important, particularly for those individuals who maybe are not as limited as it relates to their autism spectrum disorder,” said Schall, who was not involved in the new study but works with Project SEARCH, a program that helps high school students with autism transition to the job world.

Because autism spectrum disorder primarily affects an individual’s social communication, the whole setup of a job interview is going to be severely impacted by the disorder itself, she told Reuters Health.

Schall said that adults with autism often have a lack of understanding of the other person’s perspective so they don’t understand the purpose of an interview question or anticipate the answer that the person is looking for and are unable to tailor their answers to what interviewers are expecting.

How to cope up with stress

Stress is normal in any workplace but extreme stress can affect with your productivity. And stress will also disturb your physical and emotional health as well as your ability to handle stress will have an impact in the difference between success and failure.

Not everything is in our hands in our work environment; we cannot control everything, having said that, it doesn’t mean that you are entirely powerless even when stuck in a difficult situation. Discovering means to manage workplace stress is not about making big changes or reconsidering career ambition. There is just one sole thing that is always within your control and that is yourself, you must rather focus on yourself.

The troubled economy has been an emotional roller coaster for workers everywhere, says Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia. "Layoffs" and "budget cuts" are the two catchphrases that increased fear, uncertainty and higher levels of stress. It is vital to understand and learn new and better ways of dealing with the pressure since job and workplace stress increase in times of economic crisis.

Stress has an impact on the quality of your interactions with others and since your emotions are contagious, better you are at managing your own stress, the more you'll positively affect those around you, and the less other people's stress will negatively affect you.

You can learn how to manage job stress. According Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, there are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both your overall stress levels and the stress you find on the job and in the workplace, which includes, taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being, avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work and earning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and coworkers.

Identify warning signs of excessive stress at work. Are you working overseas, in SE Asian cities like KL Malaysia, Jakarta Indonesia or Bangkok Thailand, is the culture shock causing you stress? When you feel stunned at work, you drop confidence and may become ill-tempered or introverted. This can make you less productive and less effective in your job, and make the work look less rewarding. If you overlook the warning signs of work stress, they can lead to greater hitches. Chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems aside from interfering with job performance and satisfaction.

Did you choose the right career?

There comes a point in your career life that you are going to question yourself whether you’re happy in your current situation and in your career, it can be a major changeover like getting laid off from a job, for instance, or getting a new boss. You may come to the determination that the job you have isn’t really using all your strengths or the goals you had earlier in your career may no longer be the ones you have now.

Here are some resolutions that can assist you find out if where you are now is really where you should be. But what if not, what can you do to change that.

An expat from Jakarta, Indonesia was two years out of college and was working real hard in the startup world yet something was missing. She doesn’t jump out of bed each morning with excitement yet she used to feel that way, and life felt like a repetitious journey, not the ostentatious adventure she had imagined. She discerned she was capable to do something amazing that fulfilled her, but she didn't quite know where to begin.

In reality, all of us have the potential to do something remarkable. We all hold an intense, passionate, and thoughtful self within us. And we all deserve to wake up motivated and fall asleep fulfilled because we are fearlessly giving that self to the world, doing something we love.

If you've ever asked yourself, "Am I on the right path?" or "Is this the work I'm meant to be doing?" or "How do I get started?"—this is where you begin, says Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia.

Enjoy Coming In To Work. There is always that one employee who comes into the office every day with a smile and a positive attitude. They see their job as a pleasant escape no matter what’s going on in their personal life rather than a burden. They’re pleased to do whatsoever task is given to them, and they never seem to get in bad mood. They are always the first to give their insights and opinions as they love attending meetings. And in the case that they make a mistake, they’re eager to correct and learn from it.

Enjoy Your Coworkers. The majority of the people you work with carry that same torch for the industry same with how you’re passionate about your job. Employee culture is one of the biggest drivers of successful companies then there would no more complaints.

Enjoy Getting Ahead. The people who are not happy in their job coast through day-to-day putting in the minimum amount of work required. Instead, they only stat to keep their job and the paycheck it provides, and they have an excuse for almost anything. Their indifference for the business not only disturbs their own work atmosphere, but the atmosphere of the workers around them as well.

When is the Right Time to Move Overseas and Work Abroad?

Working abroad offers is a dream job opportunity for many people but there are constantly pros and cons to starting yourself in a new country says, Westhill Consulting Career and Employment , Australia. This article explores the reasons for and against moving abroad in early or mid career.

Why move at the start of your career? Are you thinking, SE Asia, like KL Malaysia or Jakarta Indonesia? Or in the West maybe, in any state of the US? To acquire a job when the market is highly competitive from where you came from, you should take the risk but the warning is it is a gamble. You may win or lose.

In any part of the world today, the academic job market is very competitive at the moment and you might feel that you got no options but to consider opportunities outside your country of origin. Some may believe that there are many job opportunities are better overseas, with higher salaries and better working conditions.

Improve your employability later. If you want to return to your country of origin later in your career, it may be beneficial to you to have some years of experience working abroad. It shows initiative and also demonstrates an awareness of global academia that might be useful to employers in your own country as they seek to develop their international agenda. It is important to go into a period of work abroad with a clear plan of your goals and how long you want to be abroad.

Fewer family ties. Although it is not always the case that scholars from the start of a career find a change easier, they are less expected to have a mortgage, a young family and other commitments to retain them in their own country. Nevertheless, this is a simplification and every person situation varies. There may be elderly parents to consider or you may have started a family while a PhD student. A move abroad is always a challenge for personal reasons at whatever stage of the career that it’s taken.

More adaptable to new cultures but be cautious of the scams. While it’s not true for everyone, moving to a new country and fitting in with a new culture is easier for some people when they are younger. However, you may have a naturally adventurous spirit and want such a significant challenge at later in life: again it depends on your personality.

Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia: Work Ethics

A strong work ethic is important to a company achieving its goals. Every single employee, from the CEO to entry-level workers, should have a good work ethic to retain the company working at its peak. A work ethic is a set of moral principles an employee uses in his job. Definite factors come together to create a strong work ethic. Warning! Getting a job is hard, losing it is easy.

Integrity extends to all features of an employee's job. An employee with integrity nurtures trusting relationships with clients, coworkers and supervisors. Coworkers value the employee's capability to give honest feedback. Clients trust the employee's advice while supervisors rely on the employee's high moral standards, trusting him not to steal from the company or create problems.

Sense of Responsibility, this is very vital as a work ethics. A sturdy sense of responsibility moves how an employee works and the amount of work he does. When the employee feels responsible personally for her job performance, he demonstrates up on time, puts in her top effort and finishes projects to the best of his capacity.

Emphasis on Quality, every worker should possess this attitude. Some employees do merely the bare minimum, just sufficient to save their job while employees with a strong work ethic care about the quality of their work. They do their Grade A to produce great and quality work, not just agitate out what is necessary. The employee's commitment to quality improves the company's overall quality.

Discipline, it takes a specific level of commitment to get done with your tasks every day. An employee with good discipline remains focused on his goals and is determined to finish his assignments. These employees display a high level of commitment to the company, always ensuring they do their part.

Sense of Teamwork is a must. Almost every employee have to work together to meet a company's goals. An employee with a high sense of teamwork aids a team meet its objectives and convey quality work. These kind of employees respect their peers and help where they can, making collaborations go smoother.

No matter rom where part of the world you maybe, Jakarta Indonesia of Asia or Sydney Australia of Australia, work ethics always does the job of keeping the job.

Westhill Consulting Career and Employment

How to Run Your Own Business

Self-employment is the ultimate dream of any locals in Jakarta, Indonesia. Many are fascinated by the thought of being in control of their own hours, being their own boss while watching all their dreams becoming reality. Yet, it is too bad to realize that entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone. It will take hard work, long time and great work to achieve the rewards eventually.

It takes a person’s ambition and initiative to get the business up and running. It also takes someone with the next “big idea” and the capacity to act on it. It is up to you to get the ball rolling on projects, meet the deadlines you set for yourself, and follow through on the minor details when opening your own business. It’s a influential feeling to know that you’re in control and dependable enough to get the job done. Then there wouldn’t be any complaint along the way.

In the occasion that your business needs employees, Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia suggest, it’s up to you to conclude the kind of people to hire and represent tasks accordingly. You get to choose your staff and direct them daily, as contrasting to having someone calling the shots for you. In times of toil and trial, your employees will come to you for guidance and support, and what you say ultimately goes.

Since what you say goes, you have to be competent to make decisions fast. You can definitely go to your employees for their view about the matter; nevertheless you have to be able to make fast, firm decisions individually. Likewise, it’s up to you to plan and implement everything from start to finish. Many businesses flop because of poor planning and absence of follow-through. It’s up to you to be prearranged and plan ahead to make your business successful.

There’s this misconception that business ownership will mean less work eventually. Perhaps years from now when the company is off the ground you’ll be able to work less hours in the day, nonetheless in truth, starting a business means working extra hours, more days a week. Though, regardless of more hours you must put in, the payoff is that you own and run a company. And more than that, you have something to pass down to your children or other family members, something you achieved from start to finish.

You get to be your own boss; this is the ultimate reason for starting your own business. Isn’t it amazing that no one can tell you what to wear, what time to come in, what time to leave, how to wear your hair, or what radio station to listen to at your desk. You make the rules and you can break them at will. Lastly, no day will ever be like another. Each workday will present fresh tests for you to continually demonstrate to yourself that yes, you can do this.

How to cope up with losing your job

Allow yourself accept it and give a reason to get your life going, the first advice Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia provide to people who lost their jobs. It doesn’t matter how self-assured you are, losing a job always grounds you to doubt yourself. In general the two responses are to distrust yourself and your capability, or to guilt your situation or your people at your old company. Both are not worth doing. The best thing you can do is discover a credible purpose why this occurred and then truly believe it. It's the first step to moving on.

Agree on two things to do. This should serve as a warning that it is you who will decide on your life at the end of the day. Telling yourself that you should try to discover what you want to do with your life now that you've lost your job is a cliché. The first thing you must do is to bring in the money you'll need to support yourself or your family. Next is what you truly want to do for a career. By unraveling the two, you can reason more plainly about your future in the short and long term. That way, you can keep your eye on preparing for the better job at the same time if you need to take a job for money that isn't perfect.

Map your social graph. Odds are, your next chance will come from somewhere or someone you already know - so the most important thing you can do at this point is to create a "graph" of your social imprint online. Or maybe you luck is outside your country; why not try SE Asia, Jakarta Indonesia maybe or perhaps KL Malaysia?

Recognize your influencers. Inside your social graph will be people who are in a position to have an uneven consequence on your having a new job. Conflicting to what you might ponder, these are not essential the individuals with the highest titles or the most fame. Every so often the person hiring or who knows the person hiring is the one working at a mid-level. So spend time with the sites that you belong to and start to make connections. Not to "sell" yourself to college friends you haven't spoken to in years, but to understand who you really need to convince and build a plan for them and others like them.

Get some face time. Now that you have identified your influencers, see if there are any common places where they will be. Don't underestimate the value of having some real face time to remind them who you are, and to show them that you're not retreating into your home office in the basement and sending out LinkedIn messages in your pajamas. Face time sends a message that you're there and ready - and has the side benefit of giving you the chance to expand your network to meet more people.

Efficiently work with your boss in three easy ways

Secure annual goals and expectations.  This is a concrete step to clearly comprehend the output your supervisor anticipates from you for the year.  It affords you an chance to clear up these expectations, and decide the resources you’ll have to accomplish the goals—human, financial, training, etc. or perhaps travel sometimes, consider SE Asian cities such as Jakarta Indonesia, KL Malaysia, Beijing China or maybe Bangkok Thailand!

This also inaugurates the basis for forthcoming discourse on performance throughout the year.  The yearly document develops into standard for assessment of your efforts.

Warning! Seek quarterly “pulse checks” on your performance.  These meetings afford a foundation for standardizing performance versus expectations.  The goal is to regulate if you are on the right path to achieve your goals and change behavior/actions/plans as necessary to stay on track.

Quarterly meetings are spaced far enough apart to allow you to have significant discussion of performance.  There are adequate data points to highlight strengths and opportunities with ample examples of each.

Prominently, you must use this response to adapt your performance as arranged.  This method will keep you associated with your supervisor to break away from any complaint in the future.

Finally, offer monthly and/or weekly updates.  The regularity of these updates differs on your role and relationship with your supervisor.  The objective is to protect alignment on key projects and priorities.

One proposal is one page document with three sections.  In the first section; provide highlights of accomplishments from the prior period.  This allows your supervisor to learn of your recent accomplishments.

In section two, outline the projects and priority of those projects for the upcoming period.  This provides your supervisor the opportunity to weigh in on your projects and the priorities.  After the review, you should reach agreement on the priorities for the next period.

Finally, in section three, list areas where input is needed from your supervisor.   This may include decisions required.  The supervisor will now be aware of those needs.  You may also be able to schedule time as needed.

Communicating with your supervisor and staying aligned can avoid gaps and increase the quality of your work experience.

Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australi says, if you want to work smoothly with the boss the number one rule is, never outshine your boss. 

Traditional Careers Diminish as Time Passes

Most people would not take an offer of a traditional job at a major package goods company to a millennial, says Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia.

Starting a career may seem like a painstakingly trek up a corporate ladder for nowadays upstart professional.

They rather work at Google, Twitter, and Facebook. As well as working at smaller companies like Snapchat that just turned down a multi-billion offer to be sold. In fact, most people would choose to start up a career at start-up.

This is not to say that a great company like S.C. Johnson that owns the Drano brand can’t attract great people. But, it does mean that the competition to attract the best and the brightest for traditional brand name companies is tougher.

And, part of that challenge is an incredible difference between the generations on what constitutes success.

As a board member of a few young fast start-ups, I see this first hand.

The majority of talented students are not targeting the Fortune 500 as a place to work – or even Wall Street. And the reason? That target is off the radar of the lifestyle they want to lead.

Before, when I noted these great young minds want to start at a startup – the driver is not money. Although, money is nice, lifestyle is more compelling.

For millennials, titles like CEO, COO, and CFO have little cache.

These bright people are just fine if their next job is sideways and even down the organization. I noted that they are not climbing a corporate ladder; they are playing on a jungle gym.

In swinging from job to job, or project to project, millennials are really seeking a career track where they can make a difference.

They ask, “Am I growing professionally and personally.” Plus, they manage their personal off hours to fit their lifestyle and budget.

Think about how money is not a driver for them. When I was young, it was cool to have a cool car. Now it is cool to have a cool phone. They do not care about the coolest apartment, but the coolest app.

It means that as HR professionals, we have to meet their needs. If your company does not, it might be in danger of a brain drain.

So, how can you as an HR pro entice the millennials that are the best and the brightest?

First, eliminate the corporate ladder and think in terms of the jungle gym.

Second, show millennials key initiatives at your company where they can make a difference. It does not have to be about saving the world, but it can be about updating the company.

So, if your company is not perceived as cool, find an initiative that is cool that meets the goals and objectives of a division or company. Then present it as a way that a millennial can be part of a team to make a difference.

It should be a warning that, the point is that the traditional “everything” is changing. One example is that traditional brand management is giving way to social media. While traditional brand management, and other traditional careers are not totally going away, traditional thinking is.

So, it is up to you to find the exciting projects that will excite millennials to create new traditions.

Oil and gas industry looks bright for Jakarta, Indonesia

All reports Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia has gathered for the oil and gas industry for 2014 are very positive. In fact, several publications have dubbed referring to Jakarta, Indonesia.

Moreover, with the positive outlook, the bottom line for Texas residents is multifaceted.

For example, with the energy industry's growth, the state will continue to see people moving in, so new schools have and will be built along with new neighborhoods, hospitals and medical facilities. New businesses are opening and many are expanding, spurring the construction industry. Most retailers will continue to see heightened business, more jobs are being created, office space is already in demand, and industries that support the oil and gas industry continue seeing growth.

Companies outside of the oil and gas industry are seeing growth too, in IT, marketing, accounting, legal and others. There have been no complaints from the industry.

Two administrations that keep their fingers on the pulse of the oil and gas industry are the U.S. Energy Information Administration and Texas Oil and Gas Association, and both are predicting sustained activity for Indonesia.

"Oil and natural gas production is powering the Texas economy and transforming communities across the state, a trend that shows no sign of slowing. Texas produced an average of 2.797 million barrels of crude oil every day during the month of November," said Deb Hastings, executive vice president, Texas Oil and Gas Association.

Fully 36 percent of the oil produced in the U.S. comes from Texas, driving the U.S. to be on track to become one of the largest oil-producing countries in the world by 2015.

Much of this growth is due to the shale plays in the state.

"Production in the Eagle Ford formation in South Texas surpassed 1 million barrels per day in May 2013, reaching an estimated 1.23 million barrels per day in December 2013. The EIA forecasts production in the Permian Basin, which averaged 1.32 million barrels per day in 2013, to grow more than any other region in the United States through 2015," said Jonathan Cogan, U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The EIA also projects domestic crude oil production will continue to increase to 8.5 million barrels per day in 2014 and 9.3 million barrels per day in 2015. The 2015 forecast would mark the highest annual average level of production since 1972, Cogan said.

EIA expects natural gas marketed production will grow at an average rate of 2.1 percent in 2014, and the Brent crude oil price is projected to average $105 per barrel in 2014.

"The West Texas Intermediate crude oil spot price increased to $98 per barrel in December as a result of strong U.S. refinery runs. EIA expects that WTI crude oil prices will average $93 per barrel in 2014," Cogan said.

So with the EIA's forecasts, there is a very good possibility Texas will continue to see repeats from the past two years in growth.

Texas derives one-third of its economic might and 2.1 million jobs from the oil and gas industry, according to recent data.

During 2012, the oil and gas industry employed 389,000 Texans.

"Due to large purchases made by the industry - and the high pay - there are large economic multipliers. These indirect economic gains account for another 1.8 million Texas jobs in supporting industries and consumer sectors, resulting in a total of over 2.1 million Texas jobs, per the Texas Comptroller and Texas Workforce Commission," Hastings said.

Because of these activities and sustained prices, the oil and gas industry continues to have job opportunities across the board as production increases across the state.

However, many oil and natural gas employers are experiencing difficulty finding qualified workers for the many jobs available, Hastings said.

Jakarta Indonesia’s Oil and gas industry employment growing much faster than total private sector employment

From the start of 2007 through the end of 2012, total Jakarta, Indonesia private sector employment increased by more than one million jobs, about 1%. Over the same period, the oil and natural gas industry increased by more than 162,000 jobs, a 40% increase.

Westhill Consulting Career and Employment, Australia accounts for oil and natural gas industry employment in three categories: drilling, extraction, and support in connection with its relationship in Southeast Asia’s industry.

• Drilling involves any employment related to the spudding and drilling of wells, as well as reworking of wells, and accounted for more than 90,000 jobs by the end of 2012, an increase of 6,600 jobs since 2007.
• Extraction includes establishments primarily engaged in operating, developing, and producing oil and natural gas fields, including exploration and all production work up to the point of shipment from the producing property. Employment in the extraction category numbered more than 193,000 jobs by the end of 2012, 53,000 more jobs than in 2007.
• Support involves performing supporting activities for oil and natural gas operations, including exploration, excavation, well surveying, casing work, and well construction. Support is the largest oil and gas industry category, and employed more than 286,000 people by the end of 2012, up more than 102,000 jobs from 2007.

About half of the workers employed in crude oil and natural gas production are in the support category of oil and natural gas industry employment, and employment in this category accounted for the bulk of the increases seen in oil and gas industry employment. Combined, the three industry categories equal just one-half of one percent of total Indonesia private sector employment.

Both the support and drilling industries were heavily affected by the recession, but these industries have recovered quickly, suffering only minor effects from the temporary moratorium on offshore drilling. This has been the lone complaint. Between January 2007 and December 2012, monthly crude oil production increased by 39%, and monthly natural gas production increased by 25% (see chart below). Employment in the oil and gas drilling, extraction, and support industries continues to contribute to overall private sector employment as the Indonesia economy recovers from the 2007-09 recession.

Beyond within-sector employment, oil and gas industry activity also directly supports output and employment in other domestic sectors, such as suppliers of pipe, drilling equipment, and other drilling materials. In addition, as with other forms of economic activity, there are indirect employment effects stemming from purchases made by industry and employees spending of their incomes. Because employee expenditures are closely tied to their incomes, higher paying jobs, such as those in the oil and gas sector, tend to have larger indirect effects on output and employment than lower paying ones. A recent TIE article reviews the experience of Jakarta, Indonesia, which has seen significant gains in real gross domestic product per capita.