adik^manis 2 Report post Posted October 16, 2013 (edited) Sumber: MalaysianDigest.com We're Sorry - You're Not Hired Because You Just Graduated UNIVERSITY graduates are forever going to get the short end of the stick. If they thought years of tertiary education was tough on their brain and financial resources, when they graduate, things are about to get worse. Because they are not going to get employed. Well, at least most of them aren’t. Every year, some 180,000 fresh graduates enter the labour market, and for most of these graduates, they will be left standing with their scrolls firmly in their hand and mouths agape, because employers everywhere aren’t interested in hiring. A recent revelation by the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) revealed that the number of job vacancies registered by employers in June 2013 dropped by 35.7% to 107,796 compared with 167,968 vacancies at the same time last year. According MEF there are fewer openings now because about 915,000 private sector employees had been retained in the workforce for the next five years. With the slowing down of the world economy that triggered a significant drop in exports, manufacturing companies for example, are taking austerity measures in managing costs, so they either respond by letting go of their existing staff or have entirely stopped hiring new ones. Fresh out-of-the university graduates are sidelined because companies are no longer interested in training them and instead favour experienced manpower. Last week, we reported that the number of unemployed persons, as of July 2013 is at 3 per cent, according to Department of Statistics Malaysia. Although economically it places our country at zero unemployment, we only need to take a look beyond the official numbers to see that there are actually 421,200 people out there who are not working – out of which, a small chunk is new graduates. Why shouldn’t our new graduates be competitive in the labour market? What’s missing from them? Malaysian Digest looks deeper into some of the root causes for the lack of competitiveness and desirability of fresh graduates in Malaysia. Though different companies look for different criterias in their candidates, these companies do share one common criterion – all of them start their evaluation by going through the candidate’s resume. So how do our graduates fare? "It all depends on the (respective) professions but coming from the legal profession, I first look at the results (of various achievements) from their resume, and then I look into how they speak. The business that we’re in, the language commonly used is English. “So (fluency of the English) language is very important," the managing partner of Naqiz and Partners, Syed Naqiz Shahabuddin, explains. According to Syed, his company over the years had developed a unique methodology on how they evaluate their candidates by going through their resumes. "Our firm has grown (through the years), (today) consisting of 30 lawyers in Kuala Lumpur and 10 lawyers based in Jakarta. “We are also listed in directories of top-tier firms. So now we can afford to be choosier. “(We went) from accepting graduates (who scored an) under a 3-point CGPA (result) to only recruiting those who are 3-point scorers and above,” added Syed. Syed also said that besides judging candidates on their examination results, he also judges them on their personality traits and saw that self-confidence in new graduates does not score very high. "Our graduates seem to be lacking in confidence.” Glaring errors in resumes are also apparent with new graduates. “And in our field, first impressions are important. There are no shortcuts to success but these graduates need to relook at their resumes before submitting it. “Grammatical errors are (not tolerated). Prepare a decent photo of yourself and dress to impress during the interview," is Syed’s blunt advice to job-hunters out there. Sharing his personal experience, Syed told us of a particular bad interview session where he had to abruptly leave the room. "I once had a candidate who was a graduate. He came to the interview like he was in a great hurry. He also brought his bike with him, was improperly dressed and sweating profusely. He was so smelly that I couldn't stand it any further and left,” said Syed, with hints of a quiet laughter. Syed then goes back into serious mode. "The danger about fresh graduates you train them (only to see them) leaving (the job) anyway. The women, meanwhile, may opt for other priorities in life such as ending up as housewives, or migrate, or even leave to open up a business of their own, which I completely understand. “However, there is always room for (new grads). They would have to start from the bottom such as formatting and researching," said Syed. Apart from the legal profession, what do other employers think of the competitiveness of fresh graduates? --bersambung-- Co-founder and creative director of Louco Media Sdn Bhd., Ahmad Aizat Paharodzi, said he personally favours fresh graduates over experienced staff. "For us in the creative field, the term experience is different than other sectors as working experience is not our top priority when seeking candidates. As long as the candidate knows how to use the software and have the experience in using it, have keen interest and creativity, then you're mostly hired. "In this industry, we start from the bottom. So hiring fresh graduates is not an issue since they are economical to us as well," said the 28-year-old boss. However, Aizat, who had co-founded the small setup four years ago with his friend and colleague, A'riff Abdullah, said he had felt disappointment from the fresh graduates he had previously interviewed. "About 50% of the fresh graduates I had interviewed basically did not know what it is they wanted to do and this led to not having the urge and interest in the field. These fresh graduates are just too pampered," he said with a tinge of annoyance in his voice. Although this is so, Aizat said he does think the other 50% had left a positive impression on him. "The good thing about the young and fresh graduates is that some of them are a lot more creative, having grown up with new technology, and can pick up new software faster. Because of this exposure, we prefer the fresh graduates more for their creativity and fresh minds," explained Aizat. In the creative field, Aizat said resumes and portfolios are important, but not as crucial as the keen interest and a creative mind. "When studying a course in design, you should obviously know the basics, such as Microsoft Office. Those things, does not need to be highlighted in your resume if you are in this field. Aizat had also seen candidates that went a bit too far in trying to leave a flowery impression. "We had an incident once where a candidate actually made her resume sweetly scented. I find this unnecessary though. If you wish to be in this field, you need to have the drive and effort to learn and explore more on your own. “Qualification is important, but most creative people are not top students anyways and it doesn’t matter to us. As long as you can do work and are creative, that is what we look for," he said. What about the point of view of HR departments? Any advice? Human Resource Manager of Aydeross Resources Sdn. Bhd. Natasha Zain said many fresh graduates would simply apply for a job without even going through the requirements given. "We understand that not all employers are created equal. But most of them candidates, who had the skills and capabilities to make the cut of a second interview, blew it because of their disastrous interviewing skills. "As a head of Human Resource, the first think I look at is the resume. Most fresh graduates don't understand that we want to see clarity and definition in a relevant, concise and focused form. An overly long resume is not at all impressive but a ridiculously short resume is equally dangerous as well," she said. Natasha said most fresh graduates are not prepared for their interview and that they take things for granted. "Proofread your resume before sending it, do not dress for failure, and since most fresh graduates are internet savvy, spend a few minutes to research on the new company or business. Natasha added the some of the graduates seem to lack professional courtesy, all the small things that are overlooked by them. "In order to improve, candidates should make a right sized resumes. It's a door opener. Ask really good questions in the interview, it matters. Dress up, as it will make you feel better during the interview, and stay focused," she said. The effectiveness of Malaysia’s economic transformation nearing 2020 is highly dependent on the capability of its labour workforce in taking the country towards the high-income nation target. So before they can become useful to the country, new graduates must transform themselves into highly competitive individuals, equipped with sharp wit, a high intellect and measureable results. They must be presentable in appearance, methodical yet steadfast in their approach, and carry the kind of confidence to hold their head high at all times. Only then will they be ready for that job interview. -mD Edited October 16, 2013 by adik^manis Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
umarzuki 78 Report post Posted October 25, 2013 diharap graduate atau bakal grad yang belum mendapat pekerjaan tu mengambil perhatian la ye? :) kalau tak silap, MDeC ada program untuk unemplyed dan yang kena retrencehd/buang kerja, cuba rki2 sikit macam mana,. pasal aku pernah ngajo kelas linux untuk diorang ni, tapi lupa lak nak tanya mana dapat info. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
