Jobseekers have it in the BAG

WITHIN an hour of local IT company BAG Networks accepting job applications at Coffeezone Kiulap last Saturday, some 40 jobseekers had already registered for an interview.

The entrepreneurial company settled on the casual walk-in, sit-down interviews at the small coffee shop as a more relaxed way of recruiting in line with the company's style.

The large turnout of jobseekers, however, showed just how tight the local labour market is. One candidate, Bakhtiar, has worked for many different private companies over the past five years. He has had difficulty in finding a suitable job in his chosen field of finance.

"I've been out of work for six to seven months. Nothing seems suitable for what I want to. I have been through several other job interviews, but I am still waiting for the employers to get back to me, so I might as well try my luck here," he said.

Less optimistic was Al Hadi, who learned about the walk-in interview the day before the event as he was unable to access the Interent. His home was one of the many caught in the power blackouts after last week's floods. Al Hadi was not too hopeful about landing a new job and was prepared to return to his usual occupation as a wedding photographer, a vocation that comes with varying demand.

"I thought I would just explore my options for now and see where this goes," he said.

A mass communications graduate said it was extremely hard for him to find a job outside of Radio Television Brunei (RTB). Although he is still keen to work in media, he is looking for more "challenges", and hence came to the one-day walk-in interviews.

Sinhow Chin, a marketing analyst with BAG Networks, said that the interview was part of a way to see how potential jobseekers would fit into the organisation and that the small coffee shop was chosen as a more relaxed setting in order to highlight each jobseeker's individuality.

"We try to be different from others," said another representative from BAG Networks. Although the one-day walk-in interviews have ended, a representative from BAG Networks urged those still wanting to apply for a job to send their resumes to the company's office. (SHS1)

The Brunei Times