By: Putera Arif Haikal Rusli
SERDANG, March 17 – Faculty of Science Students’ Association (FaSSA) 2020/2021 of the Faculty of Science, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) has organized an educational programme, named Future Career Talk 2021 (FCT2021), with the aim to equip students with the right knowledge and skills related their respective chosen future career.
The students were exposed to methods, challenges and information that could ideally turn them into employees who would strive to meet up with the expectations of their potential employers.
Programme adviser, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yap Wing Fen said the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people from all walks of life, resulting in changes to the ways we execute our daily task.
He said, students, in particular, have shifted their way of learning to online platforms that have somehow redefined their learning mechanisms which might seem enjoyable and even revolutionizing to some.
He said with the new norm students were currently facing, they might raise a question about the quality of online learning and the progress of becoming an excellent student through the new learning method.
“The objective of the programme is to give useful tips and tricks about what students can do in improving their attributes in sync with the new norms so they can be fully prepared before stepping into the working environment,” he said.
Programme director, Putera Haikal Arif Rusli, said he hoped the FCT2021 programme would help students make better decisions, especially in choosing career path.
Putera Haikal, who is also a final year student of Bachelor of Science Petroleum Chemistry with Honours, said the programme had given him some insights in preparing for his internship at the end of this month.
“This is a good exposure and knowledge for me and my friends as it helps us boost our confidence in determining our future goals and long-term planning,” he said.
The two-day programme was held via Youtube Live, with each session lasted for an hour. The first session was attended by two panels from GRADUAN®, Senior Public Relations Executive, Nurul Fatin Mohd Yusof and Public Relations and Events Executive, Amalina Safiah Azhar.
Among the topics covered were unemployment rate among fresh graduates during the current pandemic crisis, criteria of an outstanding graduate and efforts that students should make to develop their self-quality and boost their self-esteem.
The second session conducted on the following day was attended by two panels from Hartalega Holdings Berhad, Senior Executive, Amir Sharifussin and Senior Manager, Kumarasan Muthian.
The panels said employers were seeking for students with growth mindset, versatile in the ever-changing environment and enjoy learning new knowledge. They emphasized about employers looking for potential candidates who continuously explore and willing to learn new knowledge and skills, and that graduates should not be choosy when seeking for jobs.
Kumarasan said graduates should focus more on their task and prove to their boss that they were the best employees compared to others and should take the working experience as a learning process as the salary and perks would surely come only if they have executed their task diligently.
He also said that working as a part-timer clearly portrays one’s character and attitude as a hard worker, and could be an added value in the testimony of students’ resumes. It indicates to potential employers that the graduate is willing to go the extra mile in discharging his or her responsibility or task.
Meanwhile, Amir said students should be creative and bold to venture into something new and worth exploring.
The programme has been well-received, judging from positive feedback it obtained from audience who comprised mainly of UPM students from various faculties. - UPM
