Rural graduates hopeful of landing jobs at open interview
KOTA KINABALU: Having finished pursuing tertiary studies, it is a norm for one to seek their first job.
This goes as well for Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) graduate, Salwa Nur Aini Hashamdi, 26.
Salwa, who came to the statelevel SL1M open interview 2017 with her mother at the Chancellor hall, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) on Saturday, is hoping to land a permanent job among the vacancies offered by participating companies there.
“I am from Kampung Timbou, Tambunan. One of my siblings drove me here from my hometown at 8am.
“I am hoping to get a permanent job so that I can help my mother take care of the family.
“Currently my mother is the only one supporting the family. My father, who was a policeman, passed away in an accident seven years ago.
“My mother, who works at a kindergarten will retire very soon. So, as the fourth child of five siblings, I want to help her as soon as possible,” she said.
Salwa, who studied culinary, wants to have a place suitable with her qualification if possible.
“For now, I am just looking around at the vacancies, and applying for whatever position I’m qualified at. However, it looks like it is difficult to find a job suitable with my culinary studies,” she said.
Meanwhile, a 59-year-old father was sitting outside the Chancellor hall, reading the newspaper while waiting for his daughter to finish her SL1M interview.
Nasruddin Yusuf, who works as a farmer, drove his daughter from Pitas, Kudat on Friday so that they could come to the SL1M open interview early on Saturday morning.
He hoped that his 28-year-old daughter, Haryati Nasruddin, who took a bachelor’s degree in Education at Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (Unitar), could find a job through the SL1M program.
“I am not picky about her workplace. If she gets a job whether in the peninsular or here, I will gladly accept it. As long as it is work,” he said.
Commenting on the program, he said that SL1M is very good, especially for those who are unemployed.
“This kind of program is very good for those who want to find a job. I encourage the young people to come here and go through the interviews,” he said.
One of his daughters who works at UMS accompanied him at the program on Saturday.
Hazlinah Nasruddin explained that the SL1M program encouraged young graduates to find a job by themselves and have their own income.
At the event up to 11am on Saturday, more than 3,000 job hunters came and registered for the SL1M open interview.
Other than the interview session, booths selling various food and item as well as foodtrucks were provided so that parents could take a look around at the booths while waiting for their children to finish the interviews.
Motivational sessions with local celebrities such as Firman AF, Jimmy Palikat and Faizal Tahir were also included in the two-day program (July 22 and 23).