Getting employed
WITH the gig economy and entrepreneurship now the new normal, it is essential that Malaysia’s young talents are prepared for professional success in an economy challenged by uncertainties.
Recognising the impact of Covid19 on fresh graduate employment, INTI International University & Colleges (INTI) Career Services team recently organised a series of virtual events that served as platforms for students, faculty and industry partners to discuss the latest employability trends.
These virtual conversations included topics that are relevant to all scope of work in today’s job market.
The virtual events kicked off with the INTI Leadership Series, a programme where captains of industry share their experiences with students. This was followed by a question and answer (Q&A) session with the speaker, TDCX Malaysia and India chief information officer and senior vice-president Byron Fernandez, whose topic was ‘Rallying People in Adversity through Authentic Leadership’.
“In the perfect storm we are currently experiencing, we need to develop leaders with character, people who can deal with complex and difficult situations and act as forces for good,” he said, adding that high-potential executives normally have to handle tasks that require them to make difficult decisions.
“Understandably, in these roles they will make mistakes, but mistakes are crucial steps when learning, growing and improving,” he said.
Fernandez’s session was followed by a week-long virtual career fair which comprised one-to-one discussions, virtual interviews, webinars and forums including three panel discussions on ‘Graduate Employability in the New Normal’, ‘How to Build Your Career: Adding Value and Getting Noticed’ and ‘Essential Jobs and Critical Skills Needed for the New Normal’.
The virtual career fair involved over 100 of INTI’s industry partners.
During the ‘Graduate Employability in the New Normal’ session, OYO Malaysia Sabah subhead Cheah Lee Sun said there are companies and industries which will take a cautious view to graduate hiring, but there are also others that will take a more long-term approach and will continue to invest in building their talent pipeline.
“Advancing your career in today’s new workplace means embracing an approach that is less about you and more about others,” said Maybank Group Recruitment Centre executive vice-president head Marlin A. Nordin.
During the ‘How to Build Your Career: Adding Value and Getting Noticed’ webinar, she said employees need to get noticed and to do that, they need to be leaders with wide-angle vision to connect the dots and create maximum workplace impact.
“It requires teamwork in the new workplace that unites, empowers and inspires others for the betterment of a healthier whole. It’s about having each other’s backs and everyone’s best interests at heart,” she said.
Vinda Group Southeast Asia human resource director Clayton Tan Ju Chiae said: “Employability today requires everyone to be more curious and resourceful while practising work ethics and integrity as working remotely has become more prevalent.”
Remote working has enhanced global integration of the workforce, which means cultural sensitivities and adaptability in an organisation is an important element moving forward, he said during the ‘Essential Job and Critical Skills
Needed for the New Normal’ webinar.
“Hence, fresh graduates today should embrace changes in an organisation as a learning curve in anything they pursue,” he advised the students tuning in.
INTI chief executive officer Tan Lin Nah said the pandemic has sparked a permanent change in how we view the quality of people’s roles, working conditions and management practices.
“Organisations are actively learning the art of breaking down large chunks of work into meaningful gigs that will take precedence, and this could potentially be the new norm in the upcoming months.
“Employees must be equipped with skills that are critical to remain resilient and relevant in the post-pandemic era,” she said during the career fair’s opening ceremony.