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A London Business School degree will give you the edge in today’s competitive world. Located in the heart of London, London Business School offers access to the world’s top recruiters and provides a head-start in forging a successful career in business. Strong relationships have been developed with major recruiters. London Business School’s Career Services team works in partnership with potential employers to identify candidates who are the best match for their job opportunities.

A dedicated team is on hand to support all Masters in Management students to enhance career prospects. The Masters in Management programme is taught by a range of the London Business School faculty, all of whom work at the forefront of global business and produce high-quality research that impacts positively on business all over the world. While a rate of 95% was recorded among last year’s class of 100, the 2011 class of 140 has achieved a rate of 96% – these figures are based on the full-time employment status of students three months after they originally graduate from the course.

Compared to the median salary among graduates in the UK as a whole, the wages of London Business School graduates of this year’s MiM course are around 9,500 higher at 35,000. Breaking down the statistics further, there was a total of 36 corporate sector recruiters, perhaps giving the strongest indication yet of the value of the MiM course across sectors outside of the normal consulting and finance fields. In addition, a grand sum of 22 different recruiters have hired from the programme consistently (i.e. at least one student from each of the last two years).

The release of the 2011 MiM job statistics follows the publication of the School’s MBA employment report last week. It found that within three months of leaving this course, 93% of MBA graduates had found a job. London Business School is consistently ranked as one of the world’s top business schools, and is currently ranked as number one in the world in the Financial Times (Global MBA rankings, 2011). Over 34,000 alumni lead big organisations, run governments, transform communities and start new businesses in over 120 countries. The Masters in Management is a one year programme for recent graduates who are looking to embark on a management-oriented career, but who have limited business knowledge and less than one year of full time, relevant work experience. This programme has been designed following extensive consultation with top graduate recruiters, and provides students with the skills and knowledge to perform in all areas of management across a number of core courses in both academic study and professional development.

In order to help better attract and retain global talent, Singapore has recently introduced the Personalised Employment Pass (PEP). PEP facilitates selected Employment Pass holders to continue working in Singapore. The PEP will be granted to suitable EP holders that have worked in Singapore for a period of time.

Currently an Employment Pass (EP) is tied to a specific employer. A fresh application is required for any change in employer. Unless an EP holder finds employment with a new company, the EP is immediately cancelled if an EP holder leaves the company and he must leave Singapore. However, in the new PEP, an EP holders individual merits are the basis for issuance f such PEP and it is not tied to any employer. A PEP holder is allowed to remain in Singapore to evaluate new employment opportunities for up to six months in between jobs.

If you meet any of the below requirements, you are eligible for this visa: The following are the requirements in order to be eligible for this visa:

1) You are earning at least S$7,000 monthly salary. The last drawn salary must not exceed six months from the time of application.

2) You are a former P1 category employment pass holder who is residing overseas. Also, you should not be unemployed for longer than a continuous period of six months at the point of application.

3) You are a current P1 category employment pass holder.

4) You are a current P2 category employment pass holder with at least two years’ of work experience on a P category employment pass. You annual income should be at least S$30,000.

5) You are a foreign graduate from institutions of higher learning in Singapore and have at least two years of working experience on a P or Q1 category employment pass. You annual income should be at least S$30,000.

Since an PEP is not tied to a company, the EP holder must be the one who applies for Personalized employment pass and not the employer.

Once approved, the applicant will be given 3 months to collect the PEP. A cancellation letter for the existing employment pass from the current employer will be required from the applicant.

Singapore companies will be able to hire personalized employment pass holders the same way they hire Singapore citizens and PRs. However, they will need to notify MOM whenever they hire or terminate the services of a PEP holder.

There are various advantages of owning a personalized employment pass. One of the perks of having one is the convenience as it does not require any sponsor or bank guarantee and it only take an average of about 3 weeks to process. Another benefit of PEP holders is the job flexibility, PEP holders are allowed to be employed in any sector and when changing jobs, PEP holders do not need to re-apply for a new pass. Also, PEP holders are given the flexibility of a continuous period of up to six months without a job to evaluate employment or work opportunities and are not required to leave Singapore during this time.

Can an employer choose not to hire you based on a bankruptcy filing? While you should certainly be sure you contact an attorney before filing Chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy, here is a concise overview.

No. Based on the Bankruptcy Act and Fair Credit Reporting Act, it is illegal for an employer not to hire you based on a past bankruptcy. However, many companies do pull a credit report in the later stages of the hiring process, and may use the information found there as part of their final decision. This is especially likely if you are applying for a job that can affect the company financially (accounting, payroll, etc.). While a bankruptcy alone is unlikely to prevent you from getting a job, poor credit preceding bankruptcy may be used as a determining factor that sets another candidate just a little bit ahead of you and helps the hiring company make a final decision to go with someone else.

How to Avoid This:

Honesty is the best policy: Before a company can pull your credit report, they need your permission. When presented with the waiver, ask the specifics of the background check. Will a credit report be included? If so, you should mention what a potential employer is likely to find there – late payments, past bankruptcy filing, etc.

Go on the offensive: Give your potential employer a brief explanation of your bankruptcy situation. Explain the extenuating circumstances that brought you to bankruptcy (illness, loss of employment due to current economic conditions, divorce, etc.) and what you have done to rectify the situation since. You don’t need to go into great detail, just acknowledge the bankruptcy and leave the employer knowing that you take it seriously and are on the right track again.

Redirect: If appropriate, follow up the explanation of your bankruptcy with an example of how you learned from it and how that lesson can help you in the potential job. Or, redirect the conversation to one of your much strength that makes you a perfect candidate for the position.

Focus on the positive: If you have reached the credit reporting stage of the interview, you are most likely being seriously considered for the position. Remind your potential employer why you are a great fit for the open position, regardless of your personal credit history.

Finding employment after bankruptcy can be quite a challenge! Applicants applying for work in banking, retail merchandising, government, security, and outside sales have always been routinely screened by prospective employers to verify clean credit records, clear criminal background checks, and negative drug tests. However in recent years, extensive screening, including credit checks, has become the norm for increasingly more occupations. An individual may possess all of the qualifications, but if a Chapter 7 or 13 proceeding appears on the credit report, they may be denied the job. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires consumer reporting agencies to divulge information (good or bad) about job applicants to business owners requesting it. Since Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcies remain on a consumer’s report for as much as ten years, debtors with blemished financial records face real obstacles when seeking employment after bankruptcy. The best recourse is to inform interviewers regarding any discrepancies that might be found in credit reports or background checks before they discover them. Fortunately, some companies realize that bad things do happen to good people. They may choose to overlook negative financial histories and hire a bankrupt individual based on past work performance, experience, and professional qualifications.