By Jonathan Tay

Jobseekers, mind your netiquette. Your future boss could be watching your online deeds. According to an online study by JobsCentral, at least three-in-four employers (75.1 per cent) would do online researches on potential job candidates. Social media sites, mainly LinkedIn (38.4 per cent) and Facebook (34.3 per cent), are the most commonly used channels by snooping employers.

The online study was conducted from August to September 2012, among 396 hiring managers and HR personnels.

INFOGRAPHIC: Click here to view

by Ethan Sia

I believe it’s fair to say that one of life’s greatest pleasures is to be able find a person who you can relate to. In the workplace, nothing is more satisfying than enjoying the company of the people you work with. Especially those who can create a fun and lively work environment that help inspire your work and attitude.

Question:
At every office party, there is always a colleague who makes a fool out of her or himself and makes it into the company’s Hall of Shame. Well, this year, that’s me. I had a little too much to drink, OK more like way too much champagne. What happened after that was hazy but I vaguely recall doing the Gangnam Style dance, confessing my adoration for my office crush, and throwing up over my boss. The party was last Friday night and now I’m dreading to go into work on Monday. Please help!

Answer:
Oh dear, it seems like your act of festive cheer may have un-done all the hard work you put in this year and seriously damaged your credibility in the office. That’s why it’s always on the wise not to overindulge on the bubbly in company settings. But that’s another story. We are here to help you do some damage control now.

By: Alythea Ho

So you survived another year of work. You've met your targets, got a nice appraisal, and managed to dodge a couple of flying 'knives' in the office.

You even braved a Mayan apocalypse. Well done, you.

As people around the world dust off 2012 and prepare for another exciting new year, we decided to share some of our top career tips with you to help you get a headstart.

Disclaimer: Tips for the next end-of-the-world not included.

By Julailah Wahid

Just last week, we released our survey findings on why Singapore workers faked being sick to avoid work.

According to the JobsCentral survey, nearly one in five Singapore workers (18.3 per cent) admitted to feigning sickness to obtain medical leave. Of these, half (49.1 per cent) revealed they would play ‘hooky’ from work three or more times a year.

by: Ethan Sia

Recently, the news about doomsday kept flooding on my social media news feed. However, I’m quite sure that all the talk about the world coming to an end and theories of how meteors would fall from the sky are hyped up fluff to create suspense for the public.

By Ethan Sia

Yes, it’s that time of the year again – the week before Christmas.

The toughest challenge on your Christmas list this year isn’t your demanding mother-in-law – the honour falls to your boss and colleagues. How does one find the perfect useful gift that doesn’t only smack of professionalism but comes at a good price point? Well, we can’t work miracles but this guide will help you score brownie points with everyone in the office.

Question: I’ve always had a good and perfectly professional relationship with my male boss but lately, he has been dropping by my desk for long chats and asking me personal questions like what kind of flowers I like. Yesterday, he asked me out for dinner. I do enjoy working with him but it is purely because of work. What should I do?

Answer: Poor thing! Being asked out on a date by your boss is one of the toughest stuck-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place situations one can get into.

It's flu season now, but for some Singapore workers, there will always be a good reason to go on medical leave.

Nearly one in five Singapore workers (18.3%) admitted to feigning sickness to get medical leave. Of these, half (49.1%) revealed they would play ‘hooky’ from work three or more times a year.

Employers also report a surge in the number of reported sick leaves in December (20.2 per cent), followed by February (13.1 per cent).