Welcome to the latest edition of ST HeadSTart, bringing you the best of The Straits Times’ career and personal finance coverage every Monday morning. Sign up here to get weekly tips right into your inbox.
Good morning! It's the start of a new month, and one of the stories this week looks at what you need to do when you start a job search.
In this week's askST Jobs, manpower correspondent Calvin Yang outlines what you need to do ahead of a job interview, whether it's done remotely or in-person. One tip is to prepare some questions to ask the interviewer, on topics such as the work culture, and to make the interview seem like a two-way conversation.
How do you prepare for job interviews? Tell us more at headstart@sph.com.sg.
Also, invest editor Tan Ooi Boon highlights what can happen when top employees at a company jump ship and start their own businesses. He notes how a recent court ruling made several important observations on work ethics, including how not all business information that an employee has to keep confidential amounts to trade secrets.
Meanwhile, the latest Work Talk podcast discusses whether the four-day work week could become the standard for workers in Singapore, with some early movers starting to offer this option. Senior correspondent Krist Boo also considers if the four-day week could be transformational for women in the workforce.
When top employees resign and become strong competitors
Employers stand to lose more than just business if they fail to retain talented employees, as a recent High Court ruling showed. After all, they can't stop employees from taking the skills and knowledge they have learnt to their next endeavour.
Higher wage demands of workers inevitable, firms need to transform: Tan See Leng
The minister highlighted that Singapore needs to think of new ways, whether through job redesign or other improvements, to solve labour bottlenecks.
'Once in a lifetime' does not need to mean overspending for your wedding
Getting married is a monumental affair, but with so much money on the table, little things like considering pastries from neighbourhood bakeries instead of from bigger brands can help you stay within budget, says journalist Prisca Ang.
What should I prepare ahead of a job interview?
Whether it's a remote or in-person interview, it never hurts to brush up on your interview skills and knowledge of the company culture. Manpower correspondent Calvin Yang has more tips to share in this week's askST Jobs column.
Work Talk Podcast: Will a four-day work week happen in Singapore?
How might a shorter work week affect productivity? Would a four-day week be accepted in Asia, where relentless work is sometimes held up as a virtue? Senior correspondent Krist Boo discusses these questions and more in this latest edition of Work Talk.
Workers want 4-day week in S'pore: Poll
While some firms are starting to adopt four-day weeks, implementing a shorter work week across all Singapore firms is not as simple as it may seem, given concerns like how caregivers might be affected.
ST Explains: Is crypto still a viable asset class after the crash?
While cryptocurrencies have lost their shine in recent months, the sustainability of crypto and blockchain will depend on how scaleable and useful the new technology is in solving existing pain points in the financial sector.
MAS tackles greenwashing with new guidelines for ESG funds sold to retail investors
ESG funds under the new guidelines will need to provide information such as their investment strategy, the criteria used to select investments, and the risks and limitations associated with that strategy.
Thank you for reading this week’s round-up of ST’s career and personal finance coverage. Have a great work week ahead.
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