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Alcoa to slash more than 15,000 jobs
Editor: From: miningnews Click?53 Date: 2009-01-07 10:59:17
ALUMINIUM producer Alcoa has announced it will reduce annual output by 18% and reduce its global workforce by 13% in order to reduce capital expenditure in 2009 by 50%.
By the end of 2009, the company will have reduced its headcount by 13,500, while an additional 1700 contractors are set to lose their jobs.
The US-based company will also put a freeze on salaries and hiring.
Alcoa president and chief executive Klaus Kleinfeld described the actions as aggressive but prudent.
“These are extraordinary times, requiring speed and decisiveness to address the current economic downturn, and flexibility and foresight to be prepared for future uncertainties in our markets,” he said.
By the end of the first quarter of 2009, Alcoa will implement further smelting reductions of more than 135,000 tonnes per annum, taking the total amount of reductions in primary aluminium output to 750,000tpa.
In October, Alcoa announced production cuts of 265,000tpa at its Rockdale smelter in Texas and in November said it would cut production by a further 550,000tpa at its Point Comfort, Texas alumina refinery.
The latest production curtailments will affect Alcoa’s Tennessee operations.
Alcoa is also planning to divest four non-core downstream businesses: Electrical and Electronic Systems, Global Foil, Cast Auto Wheels and Transportation Products Europe.
The company expects to achieve net proceeds for the sales of around $US100 million ($A138 million).
Non-critical capital expenditure will be cut to $US1.8 billion, a 50% reduction from 2008.
The Sao Luis refinery expansion and Juruti bauxite mine, both in Brazil, will not be affected, with the company to spend around $US750 million to complete the projects during the first half of 2009.
In November, Alcoa suspended proposed expansion work on the Wagerup aluminium refinery in Western Australia.
In other cost-cutting measures, Alcoa has finalised new power agreements for its Canadian operations and will secure raw materials from alternate suppliers to slash input costs.
Alcoa expects the restructure and divestments to save around $US450 million annually before taxes.
In Australia, the company employs 6280 people plus around 1500 contractors, most of whom are in Western Australia.
It is unknown whether the actions will affect Australian jobs.
In this article we are going to outline what it takes to get hired and succeed in an offshore job and career, even if you don’t have previous offshore experience. We will discuss what it takes to succeed in an offshore job and career.
Offshore work is NOT for everyone, nor for the faint of heart. If you miss your pet rock after 3 days, then this career path is not for you. It is a bit like joining the Army – it’s not just a job, it’s an adventure – and it is. The places you can go and see once you are an offshore ‘veteran’ boggle the mind: The North Sea, Australia, Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Alaska, and the World. There are no limits, and the future will have exploration going to the extreme, as the big fields in Saudi Arabia, the North Sea, and Mexico\ go into terminal decline.
Even if you have never worked on an oil rig before, it is still quite possible to get hired for an offshore job, providing you are flexible in what kind of starting work you are willing to accept. For example, many drilling hands and crew actually got their starts as galley hands! How? They hung around, got to know the rigging and drilling crews, and when a roustabout opening came up, they were first in line.
There is truth in the adage that when it comes to employment, who you know is as important as what you know – and getting to know the people you want to work with and for is actually a better route to getting hired than simply interviewing well with strangers (though that is important as well).
More than specific skill sets, it takes a special breed to really make a living at this. A lot of folks work one or two ‘hitches’ then call it quits. Those who stay and take full advantage of everything a career working offshore has to offer generally have the following traits, and if you are serious, then so should you:
- You are willing and able to work long hours for 2 – 4 weeks straight. One of the appeals of working offshore is being able to have long periods off. Having long periods ON goes with that, and you need to be able to handle working 12 hour days without a day off for up to a month. Most would find that a bit crazy – and it is.
- You enjoy having 2 – 4 weeks off at a time. Not everyone likes having free time for those extended periods; they get bored, listless, and anxious. So be sure you are the type of person who loves free time, and have enough hobbies and interests beyond work (i.e., a life) to keep busy when you’re not working your butt off out on the platforms.
- You enjoy traveling. There are two types of people in this world – Settlers and Pioneers. This is a job experience for the Pioneer types, who want to go somewhere just for the sake of going. If you are a homebody, forget about it – this is NOT for you. Strange and new places await those who launch on this career path, and you have to enjoy that sort of thing to really make it in this industry.
- You work well with others. You are going to be working in close quarters with people from all over the world for up 2 – 4 weeks at a time. It is essential to be able to get along with those different from yourself, moreover, to enjoy working with those from different cultures and backgrounds. If you like this sort of thing, you will do quite well, and enjoy your hitches a great deal. If you don’t like this sort of thing, stay home!
- You enjoy hard, crazy work in extreme environments. Offshore work is the Extreme Sports of the job market. It can be a little crazy on a platform when the waves are 40 feet high and the winds can blow you off if you aren’t careful. The work is very demanding, and the weather is usually irrelevant. For the most part, when hurricanes hit, you’ll be evacuated. Usually even in time. Hence, the safety training before you set foot on a rig, which we will cover in a later issue.
- You are able to handle close quarters and limited recreational opportunities for extended periods of time. There isn’t really anywhere to go on an offshore platform – it’s not like you can take a long walk. You have your quarters, the mess hall, and recreation areas. But modern rigs are actually pretty nice – weight rooms, saunas, mini-theatres, game rooms, and a lot of other amenities. The food is great, and it’s all you can eat. Real Chefs work on these rigs, and they love to make the crew smile. Good food is a real pleasure when you have put in 12 hours and are two weeks into your hitch.
If this is you, or you think it could be you, then you have passed the first hurdle – that of self-knowledge. KNOWING you can do this is essential; that confidence, desire and ambition will show in the interview, and get you in the door regardless of experience.
Julian Gaston is a Freelance Writer, Chef, Webmaster, and Adventurer. For more information on the exciting world of Offshore Jobs, and how to break into the field, please visit Offshore Oil Rigworker Jobs today!
Oil roles
if you are searching for a new oil Job or want to go into the industry, a great spot to start is oiljobcentre.com here you may find thousands of oil and gas industry vacancies. This super web site is dedicated to grease work seekers and recruiters from around the globe, everything is totally free!
job hunters can announce their availability and submit their CV to the masses of bosses who visit the oil Job Centre every day, bosses can then contact work seekers at once as fast as a satisfactory vacancy in the oil industry becomes available, this service like the rest is fully free!
work seekers can rapidly search oil and gas roles by keywords or class, oil job classifications include administration, alternative energy, commercial, contracts, design, drilling, engineering, environment, finance, geosciences, H&S, HR/personnel/training, IT/communications, legal, logistics/procurement, management, Marine/diving/ROV, operations, production, quality/inspection/assurance, sales/marketing, science, technician, terminal/refinery/distribution, trading, well engineering.
Oil and gas Job types offered include both contract, expert and staff positions.
Oil and gas Job vacancies can be searched across regions which include Africa, East Asia, Australasia, Canada, Central America, Central Pacific edge, Europe, former Soviet union, Middle East, South America, US, UK. Or countries with an oil and gas industry which includes Afghanistan, all Judea, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Germany, India, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, SA, Sudan, Switzerland, Sweden, Trinidad, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, U. A.
ultimately in this very busy forum you may also find the oil and gas industry regional forums, regions included in the forums are Africa, East Pacific Rim, Australasia, Canada, Central America, Central East Pacific Rim, Europe, the previous Soviet union, Middle East, South America, US, UK, this forum is superb for nationals of the already discussed regions and countries it’s also super for ex-pats working in the previously mentioned regions and main oil producing states. At the oil Job Centre you may also find the latest oil and gas industry news, this is consistently updated during the day and news comes in from all four corners of the planet, you will also subscribe to the monthly oiljobcentre.com newsletter which contains all of the months most imperative oil and gas industry news into one easily read newsletter.
alert certain roles within the oil industry can be hazardous and perilous, you are suggested to research fastidiously, be sure you get the mandatory and needed health safety security and environment training, you have to think and live safety at all points whilst working in the oil industry!
Oil Job centre also has an intensive education and training section, here you’ll find information on coaching, institutes, varsities, varsities, courses.
Oil Job centre also has a salary checker where you can immediately check on the present day rates and wages for your chosen oil industry profession, this is continually updated and is one of the most elaborate and up-to-date free pay scale resources available on the net today.
Oil Job centre also hosts oil TV where you’ll find thousands of oil industry videos, in reality largest depositary of oil and gas industry videos on the World Wide Web
http://www.oiljobcentre.com/.
Unemployment rates have started increasing and there are other signs of economic downturns in major economies of the world. International Labor Organization predicted that at least 20 million jobs was lost by the middle of 2009 bringing world unemployment level at above many million for the first time. Due to the survey report that the number of unemployed people may increase by more than 1 million in middle of 2009 if the recession intensifies. Advanced economies like USA, Canada, Brazil, China, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Taiwan, Gulf, South Africa, Spain, Germany, France, UK, Sweden, Norway, Russia and Australia have all started feeling the effects of the recession. Employment in Australia rose to its highest level in nearly four years in 2009, showing the global downturn continues to bite despite big interest rate cuts and the government pumping billions of dollars into the economy. Now Economists expected the jobless rate was raised to 5 percent. Now start your job search early, preferably before arrival. Foreigners looking to score a job search Australia in Australia typically stick with what they know, or they go the opposite route and try to do something completely different from their skill set. Figure out for yourself how committed you want to be to your job.
If your primary purpose in working in Australia is to travel around the country, then go with something that will provide you with a flexible schedule. High levels of stability, commitment and nurturance are especially important in this role. Although Australia is not yet officially in a recession, figures released in March 09 indicate that it could be headed that way. Australia economy shrank 0.5 percent in the last quarter of 2008, the economy first contraction in eight years. Having said this, jobs for skilled labor are ever increasing in Australia. Australian jobs are open to people belonging to any field of expertise including accounting & finance, arts, design and media, administration, computer software and hardware, telecommunication, customer service, engineering and medicine, travel, tourism and transportation, human resource management, legal and counsel, marketing and sales.
The list identifies occupation sectors in which a increasing is identified in the market today. The current list shows a increasing in child care coordinators, engineering managers, accountants, anesthetists, architects, chemical engineers, civil engineers, computer professionals, dental specialists, dermatologists, electrical and electronics engineers, emergency medical specialists, external auditors, general medical practitioners, hospital pharmacists, mechanical engineers, radiographers, mining engineers, obstetricians, gynecologists, occupational therapists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, pathologists, petroleum engineers, physiotherapists, podiatrists, psychiatrists, quantity surveyors, radiologists, registered nurses and midwifes, retail pharmacists, specialists physicians, speech pathologists, surgeons, chefs, and many more occupations. Hundreds of Jobs are advertised daily on the internet and print media but it is impossible to apply for each and every of them although you may be eligible for most of them apply for casual jobs in Australia. If you’re looking to gain experience, then get started on your job search early preferably before arrival in Australia. There are few sites which can do this for you for free. Consider volunteering if your primary intention is to travel. Volunteer or unpaid jobs Australia usually have the advantage of covering room and board as well as medical insurance. They also give you far more flexibility, so sometimes these factors can hold just as much value as a paycheck and could be the better option if your real intention is to travel rather than work.
Jobs Search Engine, Shopping Search Engine or a Shopping Comparison Engine usually doesn’t tell you how many minutes of time is being saved for every search made hence users usually doesn’t know the amount of time being saved on every search they make. SavingFactor.com show this by taking an average time of 5 minutes for each job site it grabs information from and let’s you know the total results, number of job sites the results came from and time being saved for the search made. This will be displayed for every search made on Saving Factor.com
If saving time and money is important for you while browsing the internet, then just try visiting the most easy, well designed and the most talked about website in many universities, collages, schools, offices, job boards, Job search forums and a lot more places, not to miss coffee shops.
This Job Search Portal was built with various highly advanced and efficient time and money saving features which works tremendously well for any Job seeker or a person who is looking out for online Shopping in 18 countries across the globe. Just within few months of its launch SavingFactor.com grabbed attention from hundreds of thousands of people in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, US and UK.
So, if your highest priority in life or this year is to save time or money, you should visit SavingFactor.com and see what wonders it can do to you in everyday life.
Our Job Search Portal and Shopping Comparison Engine will soon include various other search engines which can save precious time for it’s users in everyday life.
Jobs Search Engine specialized to take you to the right place where you always wanted to be, Sports! Now you can reach out to the hidden sports job market in just one click. You don’t have to waste your precious time anymore hopping to various career and sports related websites to see the latest sports jobs.
Next time, just try SavingFactor.com and don’t be surprised to see its huge number of sports job results because it uses the most –up-to-date and advanced sports job search engine. It can grab all the sports related jobs mentioned below from thousands of sports websites, Job boards, career websites and recruiters and puts them all in place. Not to mention it again, all in just one click!
Sports Jobs Include
• Athletic Director
• Coaching
• Crew Chief
• Front Office
• Digital Video Editing
• PR and Community Relations
• Game Day Operations
• Internships
• Media & Communications
MMA Events
Pit crew
• Player Personnel
• Race Management
• Scout
• Sports Administration
• Sports Agent
Sports Marketing & Promotions
• Sports Management
• Sports Broadcasting
• Sports Media
• Sports Sales
• Sports Coaching
• Sports Health
• Sports Fitness
• Sports Trainer
• Salary Cap Analyst
• Sports Account Manager
• Sports Event Management
• Sports Tickets and Sponsorship
• Sports Information Director
• Spotter
Track & Field Management
Trainee programs
And more…
Job Search Engine usually takes time to penetrate into the web world to grab the attention of hundreds of millions of users across the globe because they are already thousands of other similar websites existing and fierce fully competing with other. But just within few months of its launch SavingFactor.com grabbed attention from hundreds of thousands of people in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, India, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, US and UK.
This website also offers powerful sports goods shopping comparison engine which can give you the lowest price for any sports related product such a Sports clothing, Sports Equipment, Sports Footwear etc in USA, Australia, France, Germany and UK.
Boob jobs are one of the most popular cosmetic medical procedures a woman can have. Both men and woman find enhanced breast (natural or artificial) extremely attractive. However, getting boob job or a breast augmentation doesn’t come cheap. High cost of the local operation makes boob job prices abroad seems pretty attractive. But just how much do boob jobs cost abroad?
Getting a boob job means to enhance or increase the size of a woman’s breast through a medical procedure. A soft implant is placed underneath the breast. The implant itself can be made of a silicone gel material or one made of saline or saltwater. The operation lasts from 2 up to 5 hours and can be done either confined in a hospital or as an outpatient. US statistics place the boob job cost from $3,000 to $4,000 with the price including the cosmetic surgery costs and the breast implant prices. Boob job prices abroad, however, are another matter.
A wide range of breast implants is available with different prices. Other countries provide breast implants other than the US, countries like The Netherlands, France, Ireland and China.
China supplies the cheapest breast implants. Patients with inadequate funds invariably choose these types of implants. The middle to expensive breast implant prices comes from Ireland, the Netherlands and France. The implants developed using the latest technology comes from Ireland and the Netherlands.
However, the bulk of the boob job prices abroad or locally depend on the surgeon performing the procedure. In the US, the finest surgeons fetch the best prices. Even so, the level of expertise is not limited or dictated by the location. Countries like Brazil, Thailand and India offer much lower boob job costs, ranging from $2,000 to $2,500. Airline tickets and accommodations are not included in the cost, however. Nevertheless, boob job prices abroad in countries like Argentina, the cost of $3,500 includes the implants, up to ten days stay at a five-star hotel as well as other services in an ‘all-inclusive’ promotional boob job cost.
Boob job prices abroad bring the dream of enhanced breasts quite within the reach of women seeking beauty but not quite at any cost.
You can learn more about boob job prices, where you are and abroad at the following site http://boobjobprices.com
So, here we are: 2010 is here already! Several good thoughts and hopes of a better future flooded our minds during these past couple of days, so now it’s time to kick off and make all our wishes to realize. For many of us, 2010 renovates the perspective of finding a job if unemployed, or a better job in case youstrive for different horizons. Regardless of what drives you, finding a new job sounds like a daunting task if you’re not prepared. So what about having a little help to give you the edge and make the hunting a bit easier?
Below I share a bit of my personal experience (and also of my close colleagues) that should help you put together your personal strategy to land a job. So get yourself ready, leave your comfort zone and let’s make our career resolutions come true!
1 – Leave your comfort zone
Economic downturn, unemployment numbers sky-rocketing, and so much other bad news have hit us during 2009. Popular advice is: “If you have a job, stick with it until the crisis is over”. Sure, this is definitely reasonable, but as the old motto says: With crisis comes opportunity”. Take advantage of the opportunity, leave your comfort zone!
Numbers in the past couple of quarters are signaling a recovery of the economy worldwide, and 2010 promises to be the ideal time to find a better job. As any other change in our life, this action might require a lot of effort and compromise, especially if you find yourself in a very “comfortable zone”. The first question to ask yourself: Am I happy with my job? If your answer is anything but a resounding yes, it’s time to open up your eyes and ears for the market. In case you decide it’s time for a change in your life, it’s time to create a plan of action for 2010.
2 – Create a plan, and stick to it
If you are reading this tip, it means that you’ve decided that something needs to be changed in your life, work wise. First thing first, if you you’re not the sole decision maker in your house (meaning you have a family to care for), the first step to be taken is to get their buy in. You won’t get anywhere if your dear ones do not share your enthusiasm for a personal decision such as changing jobs. Once they understand your position and push you forward, discuss with them the possibilities and try to picture where you all want to be by the end of this year.
The plan of choice can mean a simple departmental change, or beginning a whole new life in a foreign country. In case you decide to move to a new position at work, it might involve building a better relationship with your potential new manager, get acquainted with the work to be done, and so on. In case you decide to move abroad, the process can be definitely painstakingly but as we risk managers know, the bigger the risk , the higher the profit (or loss, in case you fail to prepare a plan B).
Moving abroad might require you to capitalize yourself, apply for visas (can be an extremely long process), a previous psychological preparedness, notifying your kid’s school, etc. Hence, the recommendation is to write down what your mission is (in my case in particular, my plan for 2009 was to relocate to Australia). After that, break the plan down in smaller, manageable parts and, where possible, distribute some tasks among your family members so they all feel responsible and also rewarded once the plan turns out as a success!
3 – Maximize your network
How many times have you heard of “It’s not WHAT you know, but WHO you know.”? Believe me, it works (personal experience included!). So why not use the so called media networking to leverage your career?
Taking this blog as an example, everything started when I searched for a group on Infosec Professionals to join at LinkedIn. That was September 2008, when the crisis was at its peak, and reading through the groups I noticed countless talented Infosec Professionals looking for a new position after being retrenched. That’s when I was struck by an idea: creating a group that would bring Infosec Professionals and recruiters together, promoting their interaction and bringing both ends together.
Today, just a year later, the group counts with more than 3000 members, several topics are discussed on a daily basics and my number of connections grew from around 100 to 500+ (I’m not an open networker, by the way).
In my case, 200 of those 500 are RECRUITERS. Needless to say, I usually get to know about a position being opened BEFORE anyone else out there. Luckily for you, most of the positions I come through end up in this blog, so you can also benefit from it.
My modus operandi:
Facebook – friends and leisure, with a page about the blog.
LinkedIn – Business
Twitter – Business
Google Wave – going through the learning curve, I’m still not decided what to do with it
The underlying tip is: be proactive – search for like-minded people – expose your knowledge. Surround yourself with people who share a common interest.
4 – Invest in your career
Before anything else, allow me to open this advice with a very important statement: CISSP IS HARD. CISSP IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Before I took the CISSP exam around 4 years ago, I was one of the guys who would bow when meeting a CISSP, until I achieved it myself. The general perception is: everyone that takes the exam comes back home 99.9% sure they FAILED. So did I. And so did every friend of mine after the exam, and ALL OF THEM, MYSELF INCLUDED, PASSED.
That said, my personal recommendation is: Go for CISSP or any other certification/graduation in your area deemed hard. Don’t make the matter bigger than it actually is.
Generally speaking, it’s quite likely that your company has cut the training budget this year, but that doesn’t mean that you should be at home, getting rusty and feeling incapable of improving your knowledge. There are many other forms of investing on your career other than attending a training sponsored by your boss (this certainly falls into the comfort zone we mentioned earlier on). Read a book, talk to your peers and other interesting people or put a small lab together at home, but the word is: DO NOT WAIT. Every step taken forward means a step closer to your objective. Take Action!
PS: For those convinced to write about Infosec/RM/Compliance Jobs/Career, I’m more than open to publish your article here.
5 – Consider becoming an expatriate
I would dare saying that the world nowadays is more accessible than ever if you want to move away from your old life and start from the scratch, perhaps in a paradisiacal country (very subjective concept  ) . Infosec professionals are a sought after species, and if you are good at what you do, you’ll certainly find a job abroad. This doesn’t mean that you should start sending out your CV to companies in Tahiti, Bahamas, UK, or Brazil. As mentioned before, PLAN.
In my case, I’m an expat moving from Brazil to the Czech Republic, and once again moving to Australia. But each move required months of planning, so to make my expatriate experience a pleasant one. Australia took me 1 1/2 years for the visa alone, since companies there do not hire if you don’t have the proper papers (in most cases).
But one thing is for sure, becoming an expat is not easy. You have to think about whether you speak the local language or if a drastic change of weather is a big deal for you (Finland is rated the #1 developed country, but since winters last nearly 4 months, would you want to move there?). Think it through and read more about it before making a decision!
6 – Get your resume professionally rewritten
I have to confess that I’ve spent a while to convince myself about that one, but as our relocation to Australia was getting closer and I hadn’t updated my CV for ages, I decided to give it a try. Actually, the trigger for me to get it professionally done was, believe me, an unsolicited e-mail. Like all of you, I hate SPAM, but since I was kind of receptive for any help in the daunting task of resume writing, why not?
It turned out to be an experience. The service promised a free CV analysis, and since it was for free, why not giving it a try? Fortunately, the company was serious and they got back to me with a 5 pages e-mail explaining every shortcoming my CV presented, with very convincing arguments. Making the story short, if I compare my 5 years old CV with the current one, I tell you something for sure: the marketing requirements for a CV have changed.
Getting it rewritten cost me a few hundred bucks, but since I had spared a budget as part of my overall plan, the outcome was very satisfactory and definitely more aligned with the current market. That’s definitely a recommended service, but make sure the company providing the services has a reputable background and its customers are content with the outcome.
7 – Brand yourself
Are you a specialist for a given technology? Have you got several years of experience in a certain specific field? Let everyone know it!
Branding yourself is more than bragging about your skills or experience: it doesn’t come so easy. People should perceive you as an authority in your field, and what’s the best way of doing it, you ask?
Fortunately internet eases this task, giving you several different channels to share your knowledge. Let me mention some examples:
Starting your own blog: Yes, I know, Internet is full of blogs already. But who said there is no space for your voice too? Taking this blog as an example, I can surely tell you it’s the most rewarding initiative of mine in the past couple of years. It definitely gives me pleasure to write articles and see people participating, no matter if complimenting or criticizing. The point is: I’m sharing my thoughts and opening a dialog with my peers, even though virtually.
Asking and answering questions at LinkedIn: LinkedIn is another channel full of people striving to learn, which is a very fertile ground for sowing your seeds and get noticed.
Participating in forums and discussion lists: Search for groups of your interest and take part. More than just sharing knowledge, you’re building a network around you with minimal effort.
There are several other options over there, being it a podcast, workshop or association. The point here is having people associating you with a specific knowledge. As said, Internet couldn’t be of more help.
8 – Work on your weaknesses
I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: The first step to solve a problem is to acknowledge its existence.
I’m fully aware how hard it is to find our own weakness, let alone accept it. But a sincere feedback from your boss or close peers definitely aids the task. Becoming a better professional requires a huge dose of humbleness from you to accept a feedback that might sound nonsense at first, or even hurt you.
My advice to transforming a weakness into strength is:
1 – Ask people around you what they think your weaknesses are. Tell them to describe situations where they spotted it and try to look at yourself from their shoes. 99% of the time you’ll see they are right.
2 – Ask for their opinion on what you should do to improve that weakness. People will be glad to help you strengthening or developing a certain skill.
3 – Constantly consult with them to measure your progress. It will be rewarding to both of you seeing progress is being made!
9 – Believe
It comes without saying: If you don’t believe you can get there, why would the others? Look around you: you might have already achieved a lot in your life, but there’s still much to do. Keeping faith into your objectives only brings more strength to deal with the hurdles you might face. So look ahead, there is a whole new year ahead of you! Roll up your sleeves and start working on new life right now!
10 – Enjoy it!
Sounds like a paradox, but changes are the only constant in our lives. And when times of change arrive, you have 2 distinct choices: to welcome or to reject them. Being positive and accepting the fact that the unforeseen can happen only eases the transition to the new.
If you’re enduring unemployment or discontent about your current situation, sitting in a chair complaining about the fact won’t take you farther; only action and an optimistic attitude will change your situation.
So now that you’ve given an opportunity to write a new page in your life, make the most of it with passion and perseverance. Positive energy attracts positive things, so pull yourself together, put these advices into practice, and enjoy the changes to come!
Hopefully the tips have been useful to at least make you rethink your situation and perhaps spark some ideas to start different. Welcome to 2010!
-My Infosec Job team.
Over the past several months, observing some market research companies at work and some of them quite large, one immediately notices the banalization of market research in Brazil.
The need for cutting costs within the market research segment, has resulted from a desire to maintain profit margins, while maintain pricing structures at a level at which the contracting parties abroad were accustomed (willing) to pay at the time of a strong dollar. However, particularly in the well known area of cash incentives for research participation, I see the market working at unrealistic and less-than-professional levels.
Such an example is depicted by the studies requested by the pharmaceutical industry, well known to invest a sizeable portion of its revenues in market research and clinical trials. As the industry views the Brazilian market, the world’s eighth largest in pharmaceutical sales in 2008, it frequently wants to collect data about physicians, particularly in those specialties such as oncology, where drug therapies and treatments typically come at a high cost. Considering that these professionals (physicians) enjoy the highest average salaries within the Brazilian labor market — “O Retorno da Educação no Mercado de Trabalho” – Fundação Getúlio Vargas, 2009 ["The Financial Return on Education in the Job Market" - Fundação Getúlio Vargas, 2009] – by charging anywhere from R$150 (US$88) to R$800 (US$470) per visit, each of which lasts about 20 minutes, it is an absurd to see interviewers offer those same professionals R$30 (US$18) – R$50 (US$29,5) for a 30-minute interview by phone, or an 1-hour in-depth personal interview. As one knows, this precious information will feed the development of new drugs by the labs that generate billions.
In developed countries, the manufacturer’s representative pays for a visit to show their products and does not do so aggressively between one visit and another, as is the case in Brazil. The honoraria paid by the drug companies to physicians, that are considerably lower than the market average for the same professional’s fee structure, coupled with an invariable sequence of boring questions, stand to create a very strong resistance of these professionals to participate in any type of research. It is akin to the antibiotic that gives rise to disease resistance, when used inappropriately.
One day a Mexican company called me at 2:30 a.m. on my cell phone. They was desperately seeking a partner in Brazil to take part in a research project it had been awarded, which it had quoted at unrealistically low levels. On the following day, I politely declined the invitation and ironically informed the colleague that the Brazilian time zone is near the Mexican one and not similar to those of the other partners of “BRIC”, India and China, which are eight hours ahead.
By comparison, some professionals who charge about R$50 per visit include computer technicians, personal trainers, female escorts, tarot card readers, masseurs and hair stylists. Without taking into account their value, based on the complexity and responsibility of their work, the time of a professional who takes on average 10 years to reach the job market should be more highly valued.
To analyze the market, I registered with various market research companies some years ago to participate in projects. Recently, as a secret interviewer, I was requested to memorize a long script, take my car and go downtown (Brasilia) during business hours, question the employees of a tire store about dozens of items, evaluate several variables, fill in various forms, scan the invoices, all of which was conducted for the price of a free tire balancing (R$30). There is a lot of qualification involved in this activity. This is not an undertaking for every person. Then I thought: “Would I spend a whole afternoon to conducting a consult for a multinational company for about R$7,5 per hour?”. I really wouldn’t. I requested that I be removed from the list of participants.
Foreign clients typically request projects of significant depth and detail. With Brazilian Real strengthening against the U.S. Dollar, project prices have risen , compounded by high taxes, benefits and labor costs, which on average are 30% more expensive than those in Mexico, for example. Conducting research in Brazil will be always more expensive than in other Latin-American countries – this should be very clear. The exchange rate was US$1/R$2,35 in January 2009; in December, it was about US$1/R$1,70, a loss about 28%. The appreciation of the Brazilian currency has been a problem widely discussed in media, due to the difficulty faced by Brazilian exporters of a variety of products and services.
Within the medical area in particular, we take the risk that predatory pricing within the industry will lead to the extinction of research activity subsequent to a resolution by the CFM (Federal Medicine Council) or CRMs (Regional Medicine Councils) which imposes limits or even ethical prohibitions on market research activity. A case in point is the prohibition on the performance of telemarketing companies in the State of Sao Paulo. Brazilian – and foreign – companies and sector associations ABEP, ASBMP, ESOMAR etc. have to deeply and immediately reflect on the subject. The competition and insatiable search for efficiency gains are leading to the banalization of research activity and to the exploitation of some professional groups.
*International market professor and Executive-Manager of Enterbrazil Consultancy
E-mail: contact@enterbrazil.com
For additional articles by the author go to: http://enterbrazilconsult.blogspot.com/
Understanding the full regulations relating to purchasing real estate in Brazil is important, enabling a comprehensive knowledge of the commonly referred to ‘ease of purchasing process’. Here we attempt to provide a greater insight to potential buyers of the processes involved, providing increased clarity for personal assurance.
It has been mentioned several times that there are no restriction on foreign purchases in Brazil. While this is correct for the average investor wishing to buy a holiday home or apartment, yet some restrictions do apply on rural land.
If purchasing rural land through a company, the use of the land needs to be directly related to the company’s functions, such as agriculture or industry. Foreign individuals purchasing rural land in Brazil are required to migrate within three years of acquiring the land.
Another area of clarification is the compulsory use of a legal representative. While it is not a compulsory requirement by law, it is highly recommended. The extensive amount of documentation to be checked through, ensuring a property fully complies with legal regulations is best clarified by a Brazilian based lawyer.
Many real estate and investment companies promoting developments in Brazil will have contracted the services of an independent legal firm, prior to releasing the projects to the clients. These legal due diligence reports can involve many processes that the agents pay the legal firm to carry out. The fact that the legal firm has carried out an extensive report, having full knowledge of each particular project, is why many agents recommend particular legal firms. This will allow the buyer to have access to a lawyer who understands all the pro’s and con’s of units on each project the client wishes to purchase.
While the full extent of the documentation to be studied can vary depending on the location of the unit to be purchase, the main checks will include:
Company registration documents of the developer Land title certificate Planning permission Building licence All documentation outlining the planning and construction regulations of the project Any debts against the property Bank guarantees, building insurance and financial payment security for buyers, such as escrow accounts Land surveys
The lawyer will also be able to arrange a CPF number for the client if they do not already have one. A CPF number is a legal requirement for carrying out all types of transactions in Brazil, from buying a house to applying for a job, even for obtaining a mobile phone contract. CPF stands for Cadastro de Pessoas Físicas and is an independent taxpayer number. While the application can be made without the use of a solicitor, the process is far simpler obtaining assistance. Non resident foreigners will need to submit the application at a Brazilian consulate in their place of residence, or apply through a lawyer based in Brazil. The process takes approximately two months to complete, requiring proof of identity, such as a passport, with an officially notarised copy.
Once the CPF number has been obtained, it is a legal requirement to submit an annual tax statement, or tax exemption statement. If the tax statement is not submitted, the CPF number will be cancelled.
While all of the necessary processes can be carried out without contracting the services of a legal representative, the sheer volume of processes required in a relatively short space of time can be mind boggling. Not forgetting the restrictions of the language barrier, as all legal documentation in Brazil is submitted in Portuguese. Contracting the services of a qualified solicitor specialising in Brazilian real estate is a small price to pay, considering the substantial loses one stands to face from even the smallest oversight if carrying out the processes alone.
Understanding the processes involved will assist individual buyers in ensuring that the work carried out by their contracted legal representative are concise. This can enable a feeling of increased stability and ease of mind in foreign property investment markets.
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