By Aqilah Zanil
GOMBAK, 21 November 2020: A virtual talk conducted by the Department of Political Science gave some useful insights for the students regarding their career path as they prepare themselves to enter the real world.
Three speakers were invited to share their experience and useful tips for the students.
They were Deputy Director-General (Policy and Strategic Planning) from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Raja Saifful Ridzuwan, along with Researcher for the Democracy and Governance Unit from Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEA), Halmei Azrie, and Public Policy and Government Affairs Specialist from Shopee Malaysia, Mistika Idris.
The events moderator, Izzudin Samad kick-started by stating the concerns from the majority of the students on their job prospects, especially during the current pandemic.
œHow to look for companies and what are the traits that they always look for in the applicants? This is the main concern raised by the students since most of them are in internship phase of their studies.
Being an IIUM graduate himself, Raja Saifful Ridzuwan shared his struggles of being a fresh graduate during a financial crisis back in 1997. He shared that he first started off with a totally different sector from what he is doing now before he managed to get into the government sector.
One important value, he pointed out, is the need for graduates to inculcate determination in themselves.
He added that the most important quality for an applicant is to have a good character, a wide area of knowledge, a commitment in whatever they are doing and also maturity of thoughts.
Agreeing with the view shared by Raja Saifful, Halmei Azrie mentioned that maturity is vital in applying for a job. He said,”Every applicant needs to make plans and prior preparations before they get into the real world.”
“It is also important to know yourself so always explore your potentials. There is no harm to explore any type of jobs because it is good to have a wealth of experience and perspectives.”
Applying for jobs, especially during this pandemic, he said, might be very challenging for fresh graduates nowadays, therefore they must make sure that they have an advantage that “distinct you from other people”.
He reminded that unexpected things can happen at any time. “Hence, do not limit your scope and upgrade yourself continuously. This will help you to go through whatever challenges in the future.”
Due to the COVID-19, the rate of unemployment is increasing and in regards to that, Miss Mistika said that one of the biggest challenges for fresh graduates is the fear itself, the fear of not being good enough to be employed.
Hence, she advised them to adopt the skill of adaptability since we are all malleable. Along with her statement, she shared her experience of being rejected numerous times.
She emphasised that it is important to be perseverance because there will be times that we might get rejected even though we have done our best. She advised them not to get discouraged but to take it as a lesson instead.
œI might not be good enough, but I can be better, Miss Mistika said, adding that “this kind of mentality is really needed when we are facing rejection.”
“It will motivate us to upscale ourselves in every aspect.”
The sharing session was held live on Zoom and also on Facebook which was attended by both students and lecturers from the Political Science Department. ***