5/07/2015

The myth of skills set


You need to have the right papers, right experience and the right skills set to be hired. Many PMETs are no longer employable because they don’t have the skills set to be employed. What are the skills set that is needed for one to get hired or to be suitable for a job, especially a high paying one?
 

Should I ask Lim Swee Say? He just said, or ‘believes that his successor is the "right person" for the job.’ Ok, he did not say Chan Chun Sing has the right skills set for the job of Secretary General of the NTUC. He said he believed. Actually not much different, just semantics. 'Kar ki kong, kar ki song'.
 

Chan Chun Sing’s background was a general in the army, a soldier. He had a stint as a minister in the Ministry of Social and Family Development, nothing to do with labour or workers or trade unions. Now what would the skills set be like for someone to fill Swee Say’s position in the NTUC? What are the job specs or job description? What kind of work experience that are related to this job?
 

Other than being a general, and a minister with some relevance in management and making policies at ministerial level, there is totally no relationship in Chan Chun Sing’s experience and training to the job of Secretary General of NTUC. In all counts, ask the recruitment specialists, they would throw his resume out. No relevance, no skills set for the job. Even if he produces a MBA would not be of much relevance.
 

So, how come a person of a diverse background, with unrelated job experience, be the ‘right person’ for the job? This analogy is not to say that Chan Chun Sing is not a super talent? He is a super talent and touted to be the next PM. But if you were to use the same reasoning to dismiss those PMETs who have lost their jobs, it makes his appointment and being the ‘right person’ for the job a bit funny isn’t it?
 

How could a sweeping statement like no skills set be good enough to rubbish all the PMETs as no longer employable but a person with Chan Chun Sing’s military background, nothing to do with workers and trade unions, be suitable, have the skills set for the job?
 

What is wrong with the skills set myth? It is only applicable to PMETs. Or super talents are exceptions? Luckily this position is not thrown to an international recruitment agency to find the right candidate. I am pretty sure Chan Chun Sing’s resume will not match anything for the job. No skills set!
 

What do you think? Got myth or no myth? Why no one says got not skills set? This is what they used to say, head I win, tail you lose.
 

PS. No disrespect to Chan Chun Sing. Just using this example to show the silliness of the no skills set myth. If a recruitment agency wants to reject him for the job, it is so easy to use the no skills set myth and it sounds so logical. Did anyone say political appointments no need to talk about skills set, even for million dollar jobs?

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Cardboard Manpower Minister:
Caption says:
"Have the correct skills set to stay employed."

Oh I see.
This must be how Tin Pei Ling got chosen to be a PAP candidate in GE 2011.

Anonymous said...

The highest offices in the country, ministers and MPs do not need any skill sets. They are born natural, political leaders.

Anonymous said...

What 'kar ki kong, kar ki song'?

It is 'chui kong, lampar song'

Anonymous said...

Aiya RB, cannot compare like that lah.

Because u RB, being only a blogger albeit an ex PM (Personnel Manager), is definitely not qualified at all to define the skills set for such an important and even critical position of NTUC Secretary General. And don't u agree too, no?

For Sinkie PMETs, espeically older ones, yes I agree with u that not necessary is skills set the reason that cause them to lose their jobs, or unable to find PME jobs.

But Lim Swee Say, being also a politician, must say the "right" things mah. Just as his colleague the infocomm minister Yaacob wants u to read the "right" thing in MSM and social media, and also u as blogger also write the "right" things.

Hence your this post, as well as other posts in your blog, is definitely not "right", if I were Yaacob.



Anonymous said...

Cardboard HR Manager:
Caption says:
"You are fired because you don't have the correct skills set."

I think if a Singaporean PMET don't have the correct skill set.
He can be sacked without paying him any retrenchment benefits.
Is this true or not?

Anonymous said...

You tell someone on the job for 15 or 20 years that he did not have the skill set for the job?

What was he doing in the last 15 to 20 years?

Anonymous said...

9.21 am very tiok if u work for small companies. What can u do when it happens to u? Can u afford the expensive legal fee to fight for justice that u seek?

Anonymous said...

@ May 07, 2015 9:25 a.m.

Is this true?
Maybe big companies are also the same?
So maybe "lack of skills set" is a good reason/excuse to sack Singaporeans PMETs cheaply without having to pay retrenchment benefits?

Anonymous said...

Can u afford the expensive legal fee to fight for justice that u seek?
Anon 9:25 a.m.

Tiok. No money, no justice, in this case. So lan lan bo pian tiok sacked lor.

Sinkie opposition not ready to be govt, so 60% Sinkies lan lan bo pian tiok vote PAP lor.

Anonymous said...


it is very very very simple......

you all don't know meh........

when you are in a "powderful" position you can say anything you want.........

when you say you have the required skills set, no one dares to say no..........

it is that very very very simple..............

Anonymous said...

Cardboard of daft Singaporean PMET.
Caption says:
"I was sacked by my company after 15 years because they suddenly discovered I did not have the correct skills set."

Anonymous said...

Cardboard of daft young Singaporean.
Caption says:
"I must study hard so that I will have the correct skills to compete with all the cheap Aliens my PAP government is importing into Singapore."

Virgo 49 said...

Their own kind, everyone of them qualified for any posts.

Others, not enough skills even after working for decades, Hiam thing Hiam Sai !

Frankly speaking if these ministers were to lose their seats only qualified to be peons in colonial terms and office boys in commercial terms

Learn to despatch and do some counter banking for a start

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

Actually to the businessman/ businesswoman, only these factors apply:

1. Price
2. Productive output
3. Profit
4. Rate of return---the "speed" at which capital is "returned" to the owners of capital.

All the rest is bullshit. Words from politicians are by default: BULLSHIT.

What private companies/ startups have Messrs Lim and Chan started (from scratch), made money and ran profitably for substantial periods?

Z E R O.

By the same token: How many times have Messrs Lim and Chan FAILED, and then come back, maybe fail again and again, finally succeeding :

Z E R O. They've all had "govt" jobs. No risk, plenty of rewards.

Private enterprise is the ultimate test.

Anonymous said...

I wonder why PM said that it is so difficult to look for 'suitable' people for the next team, when it is 'so easy' to reshuffle people-with-no-relevant-skill-set around in the current team?

Wonder WHAT SKILLSET he is looking for to be 'suitable' or 'qualified enough' to be in his new team?

Maybe it is just a cover-up that NOBODY wants to be associated with such a AGT (Anything-Goes-Team) anymore!

Hijacker Same As Terrorist said...

Any case of using helicopter to parachute a paper general into any organization to hijack a key position in an extremely politically important organization should be seen as a blatant disregard, disrespect and disdain for that particular organization and all its members as a whole. Period.

patriot said...

Wow!
Sinkies just fail to understand the Most Common Practice that anyone with few years working experience knows; that is who you know NOT what you know (in your works), that matters in ones' career(appointment).

Anyway, if I am the Boss, dont I have the Right to appoint anyone to any post and pay any amount I like to that appointment?
Why must I need the Ones I appoint to any office to have the Necessary Qualifications.
In the Case of Minister Appointments, please DO NOT FORGET THAT VOTERS HAVE PREQUALIFIED THE CANDIDATES BY HAVING VOTED FOR THEM.

patriot

Anonymous said...

What about PAP government MRT CEO?
Do you think Desmond Kuek got the skill set to operate the MRT system?

If Desmond Kuek don't have the skill set, then Lim Swee Say got the skill set to mentor Desmond Kuek or not?

Why 20 years ago, our MRT got no problem?
Why over the last 10 years got so many problems?
Is it a coincidence or a skill set problem?

b said...

No need skill sets in this world lah, only need to come out from the correct pussy.

b said...

If come out from the wrong pussy then must learn to con/cheat/deceive/ manipulate those people around you. This has been the rule many thousands years ago. Empires were conquered based on deceit and manipulations. The use of brains to con/cheat/deceive/manipulate made those who were born to the wrong pussies much cleverer than those born to the correct pussies. This is evolution.

Anonymous said...

"No need skill sets in this world lah, only need to come out from the correct pussy."
May 07, 2015 6:35 p.m.

Why you say no need skill set?
Who to spread your legs and pussy for.
No need skills meh?

Anonymous said...

RB is just jealous because he was not selected for the job. Anyone can learn on the job right? Maybe he will make some mistakes and will blunder at the start but he will learn and maybe become an asset. Most Singaporeans PMETs who have been replaced by better qualified and efficient FTs should stay relevant by upgrading their skill. If they don't then they deserve to be replaced. That is the way things are in Singapore, like it or not.

Anonymous said...

Did Desmond Kuek come out from the correct pussy?

Anonymous said...

Or did his mummy spread her pussy for the "correct" dicky?

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

If you haven't already clicked on the link on todays Google page, here it is:

https://educationonair.withgoogle.com

Google, one of the worlds most biggest companies, is now getting into the education game.

Could Google and other course providers from the MOOC space "creatively destroy" govt. controlled education.

I certainly hope so! One way to get the govt OUT of education is to just wallop them with a better, more affordable system.

Anonymous said...

"Anyone can learn on the job right? Maybe he will make some mistakes and will blunder at the start but he will learn and maybe become an asset."
May 07, 2015 7:12 p.m.

Ya lor.
First Saw Phaik Hwa learn on the job.
Now Desmond Kuek learn on the job.
These pigs are forever "learning" on the job on taxpayers' money.
Bloody bloodsucking vampires.

Anonymous said...

Yes. Yew must come from the "correct" pussy and penis.
Join the Pussy & Penis Party.

Anonymous said...

Anon 7:12, either you a fake FT or an IB trying to make daft sinkies believe they are replaced by better FTs and not fake talents.

Anonymous said...

This is the kind of people that will betray the Sinkies.

agongkia said...

Paper , experience and skill are not relevant if you want to be a somebody.
Besides being able to wayang like you can think out of the box to help the organisation make profits,you must most importantly HAVE the Connection.

As for me, I like that Taiwanese song,30% fated, 70% hard work.Ai pia chia ay yeah.
More than to depend on Connection .
But got to work extra hard lah.

Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ agongkia:

"Connection"--- aka quan xi, network(s)--social and professional

>> you must most importantly HAVE the Connection.

Not enough---you have to NUTURE the connections over long time. That requires EFFORT, TIME and EXPENSE, also openness, honesty and genuine human-to-human bonding.

Goh said...

@Matilah10.51
Agree.Me oso have genuine human to human bonding frequently......
But bond wrongly to those You Know Who:-)

Goh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ⓜatilah $ingapura⚠️ said...

@ agongkia:

Exactly. Human-to-human bonding is what creates VALUE!

Sometimes got "excess value". No problem. I always got a box Kleenex ® nearby. :-)