6 Highest Paying Jobs In The Field Of Technology (IT)

With the increasing global concern for cyber security across companies, there has been an ongoing demand for Information Technology (IT) Professionals. In fact, recent study showed that the five highest income-earning sectors in Singapore include Information Technology alongside Banking and Finance, Petrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, and Semiconductors.

Salary.sg, a website dedicated to relay information on career and jobs, used the Ministry of Manpower wage date and excluded the bonuses and profit-sharing to generate the monthly gross wages of over a hundred jobs in Singapore. Looking at the IT sector through a microscope, here are the 6 Highest Paying Tech Jobs In Singapore based on the 2014 data by Salary.sg:

6. NETWORK AND SYSTEMS ENGINEER

Network and Systems Engineers can earn about S$4,000-7,000 a month.

They are tasked to oversee functionality, security, and design of the computer systems. To keep the internal and external company databases running smooth, they are responsible to look to how information is shared both internally an externally.

5. APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT CONSULTANT

Application Development Consultants can make about S$5,000-7,000 a month.

They are tasked to consult with the program managers, senior consultants, and clients to understand information requirements, operational procedures, and transaction processing. Basically, they are responsible for designing fresh software applications from the concept to completion.

4. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TESTING IT

Testers can earn about S$6,360 a month.

IT Testers are tasked to check for system bugs or other concerns in the new software to ensure that the company standards are maintained or that the product integrity is preserved. They examine a program by going through its typical uses and noting down the observable problems.

Image Credits: Bob Mical via Flickr

Image Credits: Bob Mical via Flickr

3. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY SPECIALIST

IT Security Specialist can make about S$6,385 a month.

IT Security Specialists are tasked to analyze the security breaches that have or may occur. Then, they must repair and strengthen the system against these breaches. Simply put, their work focuses on the risks to the security of valued company information or data.

2. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECT MANAGER

IT Project Manager can have a paycheck of about S$8,320 per month.

A bachelor’s degree and significant years of experience is usually required for this position. IT Project Managers are tasked to manage and coordinate with the staff to oversee various computer-related assignments for the company.

1. CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

Chief Technology Officer (CTO) can earn about S$10,648 per month, on average.

CTOs are tasked to play an important role in setting the company’s direction, development, and future growth by supporting all information and technology-related operations. With your growing years of experience and educational background in tech, you too, can be the CTO.

Image Credits: Chad Kainz via Flickr

Image Credits: Chad Kainz via Flickr

Sources: 1, 2, 3, & 4

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Make a Six Figure Income as a Fashion Blogger? Well, she just did.

Weworewhat instagram

Step aside Singapore’s bloggers.

Meet the new Instagram sensation who has recently hit 1 million followers last month.

Danielle Bernstein of We Wore What (@weworewhat) is a popular US’s fashion blogger that has set the fashion world abuzz with her inspiring street style.

Since started in 2011, she has amassed over 6,000 posts on her Instagram and is currently rank 1852nd in the World on Social Blade — a website that measures social media presence.

weworewhat

Photo: @weworewhat/Instagram

Bernstein had revealed to Harper’s Bazaar that she charges between US$5,000 to US$15,000 for each piece of sponsored content. And mind you, she don’t have to write a long review like any other bloggers did — instead, she just need to pose and get a #instaworthy shot of herself featuring a brand onto Instagram.

On average, if you have hundreds of thousands of followers you can make anywhere from $500 to $5,000 a post, but if you have upwards of 6 million followers, your fee can be $20,000 to $100,000 a shot. “Which is kind of crazy,” Rankin says. (Source: Harper’s Bazaar)

Of course, having the opportunities to work with big brands such as Lancôme and H&M helps.

weworewhat-lancome

weworewhatliterally on the move with @lancomeusa #miracleonthemove makeup | #ad (Photo: @weworewhat/Instagram)

Companies and brands shell out billion of dollars each year on sponsored content from the so-called new generation of social influencers. Being able to attract followers on Instagram (or other social media platforms) is a serious business.

Even Bernstein said: “Without my followers, i would not be where i am today”

For some, the holy grail of having a huge fan base would almost put you in the rank of celebrities.

Kelly Cutron, a judge on America’s Next Top Model, said to The New York Post:

Are bloggers important? Yeah they f–king are. They’re super important. Bloggers are being paid to sit in the front row, and editors aren’t. They’re talent along with reality-TV people and actors.

With the advent of Internet and technology, Generation Z social-media influencers are changing the way how brands engage their audiences. In fact, a recent research from BDMI has shown that social influencers have a far better reach than the brand itself.

BDMI Social Media

(Chart: BDMI)

Well, then what about the local scene? Let’s not entirely discredit our own Singapore-based fashion bloggers. We do have some popular fashion tastemakers who have got their own taste of success. Ms Andrea Chong (@dreachong) who first started out as a fashion model years ago now boasts an impressive amount of followers on her Instagram. She has worked with numerous brands such as Victoria Beckham, H&M, D&G, Kate Spade Saturday and more.

Drea Chong

Screengrab’s dreachong.com

Her street casual style has definitely won the heart of her fans from all walks of life. And she’s not afraid to share too. Last year, she ran a workshop on “I Want A Fashion Blog” and she covered topics like photography, blogging to social media marketing. If you have missed that, follow her on Facebook and Instagram to get your daily dose of OOTD and fashion tips.

Can you make that kind of money as a fashion blogger? You certainly can. But to make that amount of money, it takes a lot of hard work and passion in the ever growing niche.

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Leverage on modern marketing for your brand

owl city singapore featured

Times have been difficult recently and this resonates with companies trying to keep their costs low. Traditional marketing techniques have been slowly losing its trend due to its time consuming and costly factors. All these things are delivered in print format or in person. On the contrary, Internet marketing transcends outdated form of marketing using the power of online networks and interactive media to reach your marketing objectives. With modern marketing, you can lower costs and accomplish more without catalogs, brochures and any other marketing collateral. You can reach more customers than ever before with its cost efficiency formula.

Spreading the name of your company does not have to be expensive. Owl City SG provides online advertising, marketing and profiling for local companies and businesses. They were nominated this year with “Top 25 Prestige Award 2015” for demonstrating exceptional accomplishment in Business Fields.

Owl City provides excellent Business to Business (B-to-B) services ranging from Profile Portal, E-commerce, Media Advertising and Marketing Consultation.

A recent profound marketing collaboration that Owl City has undertaken involves assisting Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on their Drug Awareness Campaign by managing CNB’s “Life Does Not Rewind” FaceBook page. In there, creative marketing techniques such as videos and games contests were showcased with highly creative and engaging content resulting in overwhelming responses from the general public.

Essentially, Owl City’s achievements would not have been made possible without Miri Yeo, the Founder of Owl City SG. Through her sheer determination to pursue her passion of starting up a marketing firm, she stands firm to her beliefs that profit maximization should never be her main goal, rather the importance of advocating an honest reputation when doing business, alongside with maintaining top-notch work quality standards and efficiency.

Fundamentally, over 300 clients who have engaged Owl City SG’s advertising and branding services have left them with positive feedbacks which resulted in significant cost savings in the long run. Owl City SG remains as a prime choice for people who wish to grow and expand their businesses, and customer bases. Its grasp of modern media and advertising is second-to-none.

An example on how Owl City provides a comprehensive services to Yoogane, a Korean restaurant in Singapore:

yoogane

Yoogane, client of Owl City Singapore

For more information on Owl City SG, refer to the links below:

http://www.owlcitysg.com/ (Business to Business Services)
http://www.owlcity.com.sg/ (Business to Consumers Services)

This article is brought to you by Owl City Singapore.

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How To Avoid Losing Money To High-Pressure Or Hard Sell

no_more_hard_sell_with_loyalty_apps

You might have encountered a salesman who constantly pushes a product for you even if you expressed feelings of indifference towards it. This aggressive form of sales or advertising is called “hard sell”. A hard sell, or high-pressure sell, encourages a consumer to purchase a product or a service in a short period of time such as when you are trying to sell a limited car model.

The advantage of hard sell is that it is direct and it helps earn quick bucks. Its disadvantages include customer annoyance and customer avoidance (as some may sound like a scam).

When caught in a situation where high-pressure sell is present, remember these following tips:

  1. UNDERSTAND

Before coming to a decision, it is best to understand the product or service in the eyes of trusted individuals or previous customers. Ask as many questions as necessary.

  1. LOOK AT THE FINE PRINT

Read the fine print such as hidden charges and product risks to avoid adverse side effects and unwanted circumstances.

  1. LEARN TO SAY “NO”

Do not let your momentary emotions and wants dictate your purchase. If the product or service is really unnecessary, learn to say “NO”. For the pushy telemarketers, firmly tell them that you are not interested and end the conversation on the dot.

  1. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

If you have been sold a financial product that you did not sign up for or if a telemarketer calls you harasses you with numerous calls, file an appropriate complaint.

Now, if you are a marketer that is trying to avoid the hard sell approach, remember these following tips:

  1. RESEARCH

Assess your target market and focus on building your brand rather than using threatening marketing tactics.

  1. BUILD A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CUSTOMER

If you are hard selling, the tendency is for the consumer to look for a similar service or product that is less pushy. To avoid this, build a strong relationship with the customer by engaging him or her with a good experience. This will create loyal customers in the long run.

9354792341_5bcb499006_z

(Image credit: George Redgrave via Flickr)

Sources: 1

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Increase Your Sales Through Social Influence

As the technology advances, the presence of social media became inevitable. With this in mind, the marketing department must up their game by creating and showcasing a credible online persona for the company and its products or services. A great online persona will attract more people to the website, boost the brand’s loyal consumers, and increase the number of new consumers.

The efficiency of this social influence is due to the Bandwagon Effect. Bandwagon Effect is a phenomenon that occurs when people do something predominantly because others are doing it. Social media allows the consumers to talk about a brand and its competitors. Using this tool to your advantage can help boost your sales.

In fact, Engage Selling‘s C. Francis once said that sales of US$30,000-250,000 were once made due to finding opportunities in LinkedIn or Twitter.

HOW TO BOOST YOUR SOCIAL INFLUENCE?

1. INTEGRATE TESTIMONIALS

Integrate honest testimonials by using the company’s website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog, or other social media accounts. This is a way to show the clients’ great experiences – making the company be as relatable as possible. People are more likely to be patronizing a product if they heard about it from an existing satisfied client.

2. ENABLE CLIENT’S REVIEWS AND RATINGS

Truth be told, whenever I am about to watch the latest movie or eat from a new cafe, I would search for the previous reviews and ratings first. This is because I want to get my money’s worth by choosing the best and the most affordable products or services out there. Adding this feature to your website will allow direct feedback to increase your credibility. This is what e-commerce websites such as Amazon or eBay strive for.

3. FEATURE YOUR AWARDS

If your company won an award or has been featured in an article or two, post them up for everybody to see. Through this, it will show a new consumer that your brand has shines from the rest because your product or services are outstanding.

4. PUT SOCIAL MEDIA WIDGETS OR PLUGINS

Adding social media widgets or plugins that enable the consumer to share your content is important as it optimizes the traffic that will only come back to your company’s website. One example of it is “ShareThis” (get the code here– for free). It is important that your valued clients see the number of likes, shares, or followers. A hint of trust to the brand increases, as they will see their friends patronizing the same product or service.

Image Credits: mkhmarketing via Flickr

Image Credits: mkhmarketing via Flickr

To sum it up, a sure-fire way to increase your brand’s desirability, profits, and consumer interaction is to boost your social media influence.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, & 4

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