How not to get a job in Thailand

The one thing I have noticed that sets entrepreneurs apart from employees is the willingness to see everything completely and understand it fully before they make a decision on whether it’s right for them or not.

An entrepreneur can get a job tomorrow, but they choose not too, because they have learned the valuable lesson in life of:

Time being your greatest asset,

If you are on a learning path to greater things in life, then there comes an age and maturity of wisdom where you know no job is going to give you, the learning you seek in return for the hours you will put in. In fact most savvy bosses will know that the best kind of employee is the one with little ambition if none at all. Yet all candidates attending a job interview will say how keen they are ‘to progress’ just to get the job and the regular money.

Entrepreneurs dream of regular money, but it’s different from the kind of regular money employees dream of; Entrepreneurs dream of regular money that pours in when they are having a life, traveling the world and seeing family each day, playing golf, or sailing, or just wondering what to do next, and entrepreneurs create a life so that the money pours in for their family, even after they have left this dimension. Employees have too much month at the end of their money, and dream of the two week holiday they scrimp and save for each year.

When the employee stops work so does the money!

I recently met an employee type mind set at a networking event, and he wanted some advice on getting a job. My reaction stunned him, I said:

Knock on a company’s door you would like to work for, and glean however you can, 5 minutes with the HR Manager, explain that you will work for free for one month, ask him to train you for a few hours on the products and services, ask him for a few brochures, and tell him; if you make quota in one month, the same as the salaried staff he has right now, is the job yours after the month is finished?

What’s the HR Manager going to say? He has nothing whatsoever to lose, if you make some sales and not quota he has the revenue, if you make sales and quota he has an awesome salesman who passed the interview like no one before! That right there is the difference between an entrepreneur and an employee. This chap made his excuses and left to find a proper employer to talk to! lol

I met another ‘employee mind set’ who wanted some advice about getting a job in Thailand. I told him that it is a very difficult market to get an expat job as the business owners have to employ a set number of Thai nationals for each foreigner they employ. I suggested going freelance and promoting certain established businesses in Bangkok to brand themselves as a sales Development Manager (That’s what he posed as on his card) and make a reputable name for himself. I emailed a few options to him of well established companies he could work freelance for, their reply was quite terse, saying they would ‘absolutely’ not be interested’ in looking at any possibility of commission based work.

Bangkok has a very small expatriate community, and everyone seems to know the top people. So I guess I will scratch off my ‘to do’ list, the introduction emails to the top people in the recruitment world here. A person who is willing to dismiss out of hand before they understand anything completely has short vision and an inability to see an opportunity, great things to have on your CV if you are in Sales NOT!  Oh well Good luck with  your job hunt.

For advice on opportunities and jobs in Thailand connect with me on: Linkedin

Alan Johnston Biz-find owner

Save