Online Solution For Unemployed Bruneians Seeking Fulfilling Careers
By Tony Alabastro

Bandar Seri Begawan - When the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Brunei held its conference in April, ten job seekers were interviewed, recruited and trained after they applied as liaison officers and rapporteurs on the local web portal wHeRe2KERJA.

Alam Byedhuri, a company giving business financial solution, services recruited their Account Relations Manager through the website.

ISDS recruited its Marketing and Sales personnel from where Brunei's very own online and interactive job search and placement site, said its CEO, Fauziah binte Dato Talib.

wHeRe2KERJA is for the school leaver, 'O' level or "A' level student, or degree holder looking for a job, she said.

A local IT solutions provider, Syarikat Indah Sejahtera Development and Services Sdn Bhd (ISDS) initiated the website as a social responsibility to the community. ISDS was encouraged by its ability to give a solution that leverages technology, she said. The website is supported by BLNG Sdn Bhd.

Its webmaster, Julius D. Datinguinoo, is a systems engineer and application programmer. He was the lead technical support to roll out an archiving solution for Baiduri Bank, and a property management system for Halim Plaza Hotel in Tutong.

Among the 40 employers registered on this local website are IQ-Quest Sdn Bhd, Lil's Management and Services, Mekar General Enterprise Sdn Bhd, Cheok Sankaran Halim, Sheng Yu Trading Company, TCY Motor Sdn Bhd, Century Travel Centre Sdn Bhd and Yazid Overseas Promotion Services Company.

These employers use the website to find the right candidates instantly, post jobs fast, and reduce advertising cost and post job vacancies by registering for an account.

Recruitment agencies can register for an account, manage their recruits and post job vacancies.

Ninety percent of the 497 job seekers registered in the website are locals.

There are 51 vacancies in 16 jobs posted by employers. Some 46 jobs have been filled up since the website's December launch.

The successful jobseekers come from Institute Technical Brunei, University Brunei Darussalam and STPRI.

Job titles range from Autocad Draftsman (C&S and M$), Business Development Executive and Contract Manager to Support Event Team, Technical Assistant and Web Developer/Programmer.

The website also carries local career news like job placement easier in government offices, RBA programme for future airline leaders, looking to reengineer HR functions, business courses now available, and paving the way for ICT growth.

The website provides the existing local work force of Brunei a much needed awareness platform accessible 24 hours a day, seven times a week and 365 days a year, Fauziah said.

She elaborated on her firm's database-online and interactive search placement web portal:

It meets the marketing reach needed by the local work force and SMEs and encourages the use of innovation to meet the challenges of today's climate.

It accesses SMEs to the local pool of work force through on line job advertisements with a database of available on line curriculum vitae.

The web site has daily updated postings of statistics report on the number of job seekers and the type job vacancies available.

Automatic email response ensures real time and interactive alerts to inform job seekers and employers of the status of their placements.

The website's creation is in line with Brunei Government's drive to minimise unemployment and leverage on Brunei's human capital, and make it strong and competent to enable Brunei's economy grow fast.

It is effective in meeting the marketing reach needed by the local work force and SMEs, and encourages the use of innovation to meet today's challenges, Fauziah said.

Fauziah talks on the plight of the unemployed among 17,500 Bruneians, or one out of 20, including three out of five who are youths, according to the latest statistics.

She says: If you were one of these unemployed statistics, then you would know how frustrating it is to promote yourself to a wider reach of potential employers.

From the perspective of the unemployed, the emotional frustration outweighs the optimism that is constantly wavering.

There are only a few avenues available for them to raise the awareness of their skills and capabilities within the job market.

They register at the Labour Department, mail curriculum vitae and their supporting documents to companies that may have job vacancies and respond to job vacancies published in the local newspaper or on a corporate company's web site.

Some make telephone calls or go door to door into company office premises based on the "word of mouth" of available job vacancies within these companies or even on the off chance that there may be available job opportunities.

For the unemployed or the potential recruiter, you have to invest time and effort for a favourable outcome.

There is also the unspoken cost of reproducing curriculum vitae and supporting documents, to be distributed to each and every potential employer plus the incurred cost of telephone calls and transportation.

These are additional cost that the unemployed can ill afford on a long period of job hunting.

Small medium enterprises (SMEs) are also finding it a challenge to effectively manage their recruitment process.

They need to sieve through the many applicants, review their educational and professional background and short-list the potential candidates for interviews.

This is a burden if you to recruit to support your business services but cannot afford a Human Resource Manager.

For the unemployed, this is the reality of the job market in Brunei today.

This is where wHeRe2KERJA comes in, to assist the unemployed Bruneian to seek fulfilling careers within Brunei and the region, Fauziah says. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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