Postgraduate studies 2014 Annual E version

ANNUAL ISSUE 2014

Bi-monthly Magazine | Issue 24

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GETTING AHEAD Get That Dream Job

Winning Strategies in Retail

Country Manager Jobstreet Malaysia

Founder & Managing Director Nelson’s Franchise (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Chook Yuh Yng

MORE IN THIS ISSUE: ISSN 2232-0342

Dato’ Nelson Kwok

NEWS

FEATURED

Employers’ Top Complaints about Candidates’ Interview Skills

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS A Must-Have in Accelerating Businesses Dr Chia Fah Choy UTAR

PP17103/19/2014 (030736) 2014 Issue 24/ 2014 ANNUAL ISSUE RM7.00 9772232034009

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JobStreet

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS: A Must-Have In Accelerating Businesses Dr Chia Fah Choy , UTAR

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THE TEAM

CORPORATE

Editor: Alexandra Wong

PUBLISHER

Managing Director: Benson Wong

Writers: Lee, Michael, Maria

Penerbit Wawasan Nusa

Office Manager: Vicky Shim

Proof Read: James Chua

(M) Sdn Bhd (866716-P),

Key Accounts Manager: Wong

Contributors: Judson Hwang Wong Shyh Long, Mohamad Aidil Bin Mohamed Razali, Tan Yoke Tieng, Yee Chun Kiet, Adeline K. Benjamin, Leslie Lim Xian Loong

Wisma Wawasan, 19-2 Jalan PJS

Finance: Ms Lee, June, Bonnie EDITORIAL TEAM PRINTER BS Print (M) Sdn Bhd No 10 Jalan Indrahana 1, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 KL, Malaysia

Photographer: Mccain Photography Contributing Photographer: Alan-Lim photography Graphic Designer:

8/12, Dataran Mentari, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia Tel: 603-56301802 Fax: 603-6301803 Email: info@pwn.com.my, penerbitwawasan@gmail.com Website: www.pwn.com.my

Nazir Tay

Distributed by MPH Distributors Sdn Bhd All rights reserved by MBA EdgeŽ and its publisher. While every care has been taken, the publisher, writers, and editors will not be held liable for errors, inaccuracies or commissions. Unsolicited material is submitted at sender’s risk. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of copyright owner. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this magazine via the internet or any other means without the permission of publisher is illegal by law.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

EDITOR’S NOTE There are few businesses as lucrative - or mercurial as - the food business. All the more reason for taking our hats off to Corn King Dato’ Nelson Kwok, one of two cover stories for the annual issue of MBA Edge Postgraduate.

Did you know that before Kwok started the corn-in-acup industry, he was already a successful businessman with five toy shops? Like many of us, he could have probably continued what he was doing for the rest of his life and lead a comfortable lifestyle. But unlike most people, he did not stay complacent. A lifelong learner, he made it a point to keep abreast of business trends. When a farmer showed him the lucrative opportunity in food business - “an evergreen business”, as he puts it – he saw the potential and took the leap.

Because he didn’t play safe, he went from a modest success to one of the world’s most

successful food franchise founders, a truly Malaysia Boleh success story.

know what your company really does.” will put you out of the race.

In today’s competitive and evolving economic landscape, one rule of success remains unchanged: information is invaluable.

The beauty of today’s data overload culture is, you can learn a lot about a company even from its recruitment ad: what products it sells, what its office environment is like, what kind of outdoor activities take place, the company’s size, the dress code. It’s a gold mine of rich information that will tip the odds in your favour and help you ace that interview, if you tap into it.

This is obvious in our other cover story, where Chook Yuh Yng, Jobstreet Malaysia’s country manager, tells us that the traditional trappings of surefire success - A sterling academic track record of achievements, skills and experience - may no longer enough to land you that dream job. To stand out in a sea of other equally qualified, fiercely competitive candidates, 21st century job applicants must demonstrate genuine interest and understanding of their future employer. In other words, telling your interviewer wide-eyed, “Oh, I just applied because I need a job but I don’t

May you have a great 2015.

After all, a new year brings a whole new world of fresh new possibilities.

Alexandra Wong 5

CONTENT

COVER STORY 08

RETAIL: RIPE FOR CHANGE

The dynamic founder of corn-in-a-cup empire Nelson’s and former President of Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association (MRCA) - the industry association which represents more than 200 Malaysian retailers believes that professionalisation will transform retail management into a talent magnet.

Featured

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS: A Must-Have in Accelerating Businesses Dr Chia Fah Choy, Assistant Professor, Head of Department for Surveying and Head of Programme, Master of Project Management at UTAR

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Events

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Postgraduate Programmes

The WIM – UEL 8th MBA Graduation Ceremony

UTAR is committed to educational excellence in the advancement of knowledge and research and consistently maintains strong postgraduate programmes.

Sunway’s Education Figure Recognised

By Monash

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22 Excellence in UTAR

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Honorary Award for Lee Weng Keng, CEO of Education and Healthcare Division of the Sunway Group

CONTENT

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HIGHLIGHTS

Seeding Hull’s winning DNA in Malaysia

YOUR SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL TO LAND THAT DREAM JOB Chook Yuh Yng, Country Manager of Jobstreet Malaysia

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HIGHLIGHTS

News

Interview

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Employers’ Top Complaints about Candidates’ Interview Skills’

Over 300 Undergraduates Pledged to be Their Best at Interviews, Witnessed by Employers

Judson Hwang Wong Shyh Long

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Mohamad Aidil Bin Mohamed Razali

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Tan Yoke Tieng Yee Chun Kiet Adeline K. Benjamin Leslie Lim Xian Loong

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COVER STORY

RETAIL:

RIPE FOR CHANGE W here job hunters are concerned, retail was never a dream job.

Minimum wage, only good for part time, no career path – it suffered from a bad reputation, at least in Malaysia, where “professions” like law, accountancy or medicine which guaranteed financial security, growth potential and clear career paths, attracted the lion’s share of job seekers, while retail was relegated to the last resort.

All this may change if Dato’ Nelson Kwok’s mission succeeds.

The dynamic founder of corn-in-a-cup empire Nelson’s and former President of Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association (MRCA) - the industry association which represents more than 200 Malaysian retailers - believes that professionalisation will transform retail management into a talent magnet.

“With the entry of international chain stores and brand names into the ASEAN market, huge opportunities are opening up across a range of disciplines beyond the frontlines, ranging from sales to marketing, public relations, human resources, IT and logistics.

There’s much more to retail than the shop front today,” he declares.

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COVER STORY

In this exclusive interview with MBA Edge Postgraduate, Kwok, who was recently appointed to the National Higher Education Entrepreneurship Council (MKPTN), shares:

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how modern retail has evolved from its traditional form

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the abundant opportunities in retail

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the winning strategies that propelled his homegrown company to international success.

Q01

Dato’ Nelson, let’s compare modern and traditional retail. Is there a big difference?

In the past, when you talk about retail, you think about mum and pop shops. Traditional operations. Long working hours.

No concept. Today, retail is becoming more sophisticated.

We need branding. Quality of product management especially in terms of merchandising, discipline, advertising. All these are important areas to look into for the modern retail industry.

Twenty years ago, owners didn’t consider colour scheme, display, concept; their priority was the locality of the shop.

Now, consumers look at the brand, especially young people.

Brand stands for confidence.

The environment and concept also plays an important role to

motivate people to buy from the shop. The display cannot be simple. There must be classification and positioning.

If you go to a traditional shop, only the owner knows where the sardine or lychee cans are located. In a modern retail store, a system of arrangement is in place to make it convenient for the customer to locate the product. Everything is sectionised now.

With the influx of multinational chain stores, brands like AEON, Isetan, Zara, H&M, Uniqlo, to name just a few, there is a huge demand for professional retail managers.

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COVER STORY

Q02

Is there a retail management degree in universities in Malaysia?

A few universities offer retail management as a degree but often, this course is not wellreceived.

One of the reasons retail is not emphasised is because people think there is no career path. The entry of international

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brands has changed this.

Modern retail encompasses advertising, merchandising, purchasing, human resources, etc. Because of the scale of these brands, they all require a deep pool of responsible, experienced retail managers.

Demand exceeds supply.

Q03

How can we address this gap?

During my tenure as the President, I tried to change the perception of retail. With a degree, you can fast-track your career path: join as a supervisor, move on to store manager, chain store manager, director of retail, and maybe make partner eventually. Consider this: The most successful retail companies’ directors and managers are among the top earners in the country.

I started an internship programme that focussed on wholesale and retail with the backing of the Ministry of Higher Learning. Based on the programme, we gave feedback on entrepreneurship and how to make the retail industry attractive to young graduates, how to add professionalism to the retail industry.

Q04

Ok I get your point about the potential in retail. But don’t many of these chain stores have training departments or programmes of their own?

Yes, but they are mainly for rank and file. Meaning you start at an entry level position and work your way up. There is no ready pool of personnel who can fill positions immediately.

When you have a degree in retail management, you can join middle management straight away. You don’t have to start at entry level. From this entry, you can move up the ladder quickly because you have the theory and knowledge of how to do retail management.

When I was President, I highlighted the career

Now, consumers look at brand, especially young people.

Brand stands for confidence. path for retail management professionals. In the last two years, we encouraged internship at retailers, something that was unheard of in the last 20 years of Malaysia’s retail history.

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COVER STORY

Q05

Tell us about MRCA’s internship programme.

First, we informed the universities that we would like to tie up with them. If you study accounting, you can intern with the accounting department. If you study marketing, you can join the marketing department.

We had about 7000 vacancies just within MRCA because we are not single outlet operators but operate multiple stories throughout the nation. So we need a LOT of capable personnel!

Q06

In your opinion, why is it important to do internship?

With internship experience, you learn how to interact and adapt in an actual working environment. If you are able to prove you’re good, even before you graduate, the company will come and grab you. But if you are not, then you have to go back and do some soul searching.

From the results of this internship programme, we give feedback to the Ministry of Higher Learning. We proposed

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to them to take out the exams at the year end, and replace it with compulsory internship instead.

We feel internship beats exams because the three months of exercising your soft skills coupled with the theories you have learned in university will be invaluable in preparing you to face the future.

COVER STORY

Q07

Let’s move on to the story of Nelson’s success. Can you give us a capsule of your journey as an entrepreneur?

After my studies in TAR College, I went into several businesses.

At different times, I did sales, insurance, and even worked as a banker. I quickly gave up because everyday I could see and touch all the money but after five o’clock, it was not my money! My breakthrough came when I started a toy shop.

I was doing quite well, with five shops, and then one day, a farmer came and took me to see his corn plantation. That was my lightbulb moment.

I could already sense the toy business going downhill because competition was stiff,

with many big retailers coming into the market.

The business would be hard to sustain in the future, so I made the decision to convert all five toy shops to selling corn. From my research and observation, people spend regularly on snack food while toys are occasional items.

like walking around with a corn cob. Children find it hot to hold.

So I went into further R & D. I found that corn kernels could be extracted, put in a cup and taste just as fresh and good. In 1993, we introduced the concept.

After that, so many copycats emerged!

In 1985, I started out selling corn on a cob. Then after eight years, I noticed that sales was declining. From feedback, customers liked the taste but they complained that the eating process was messy. Ladies don’t

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COVER STORY

Q08

Where do you source your supply?

We used to get from a middleman but along the way, we became so big that we felt that we needed to control the source. So we went into planting and processing. Today, we have a special seed that is exclusive to Nelson’s; I specify the size, softness and sweetness of the corn and a team of specialists will do the cross-breeding.

We now supply to 1000 outlets that are spread out over 17 countries including the Middle East, Turkey, Egypt, China, Vietnam, Brunei and Indonesia.

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COVER STORY

Q09

Of your foreign markets, which of these countries is your top performer?

The Middle East. We have been there for 17 years and half our 1000 outlets are there!

Q10

What made your overseas venture so successful?

Choosing the right partner is important.

As a franchisor, we have a set of criteria: 1) Hands-on I prewarn them - you must be hands on initially. After the business stabilises you can relax IF you have trained good staff. We can give you the best system but this is retail.

Retail is daily engagement with the consumer. If your service is no good, even if you have the best product, I won’t come. You must take care of your staff, or else they won’t perform. Small problems can accumulate and will contribute to the failure of your business.

2) Capital If you have to borrow 100%, we don’t encourage you to go into it. You’ll be too worried about your commitment to concentrate on the business.

3) Location We, as a responsible franchisor, emphasise a good location. If location is less than ideal, you better don’t open!

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We now supply to 1000 outlets that are spread out over 17 countries including the Middle East, Turkey, Egypt, China, Vietnam, Brunei and Indonesia.

Q11

How do you decide which market/ country to penetrate into?

You must go out. That’s why I like to travel. When you travel, you can see many opportunities.

If you want to do international market, you must travel and take part in exhibitions. I take part in those big exhibitions and exhibit our products. We work closely with Matrade for overseas missions.

We are also lucky because many tourists come to Kuala Lumpur.

We have outlets at the airport and these are great entry points.

Very important - ensure you are successful in your country first.

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Q12

Why?

If your product is not successful in your country, why should they buy from you? You must ensure your system of operations and products are acceptable through feedback from your customers. If you don’t have this kind of information, how can overseas customers believe in you?

For example, if a foreign company wants to bring a product to Malaysia, you want to find out if it’s successful or not. The chances of success are higher when the product and concept have been proven. Nobody likes to be a guinea pig.

Start with your home turf.

Then expand to other states, then neighbouring countries and further.

You must have a ready system first.

Q13

What was your breakthrough moment?

From the third year of operations, roughly in 1988, we started making money.

Changing our product from cob to cup propelled the business even further.

When I started, I was restricted to the Klang Valley only to ensure freshness of my corn on the cob. I could not send it to other states, let alone overseas. Once I developed corn in a cup , I could expand to Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and beyond.

Q14

What are your greatest business lessons?

No 1, you have to make sure you are ready then only can you expand. You can close a sale but can you supply consistently? Do everything step by step.

No 2, don’t do business because of friendship. Do business because of business.

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COVER STORY

Q15

Outlet closure is a well-known and common issue for food franchises. How is Nelson’s faring in this respect?

Q16

What’s your focus moving forward?

Until now, a total of 2000 outlets have opened. Closure rate is always there. Fengshui changes. In the old days, Sungei Wang and Ampang Park were the hot spots. Now it has shifted to Mid Valley.

So what do you do? Relocate.

That’s the beauty of a kiosk.

Your investment cost is not so high. We never wanted a shop because our product has a low selling price per unit.

Our focus is on the ASEAN market, which has a 600 million population. With the opening of trade barriers, we can export agricultural products now. We have proven that corn is an evergreen and widely accepted product with abundant opportunities. We look forward to making our mark in ASEAN next.

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Today, we have also diversified into waffles and other products to support our franchisees.

Some kiosks even have seating areas.

You can close a sale but can you supply consistently?

Do everything step by step.

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EVENTS

The WIM – UEL 8th MBA Graduation Ceremony was held at a 5-Star Hotel on 4 October 2014.

79 Graduates of the University of East London Programme at WIM College were conferred their Master of Business Administration Degree by UEL Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Mr. Dusty Amroliwala.

19 Distinction Graduates were awarded special WIM Trophies of Excellence by H. E. Ms. Judith St. George, the High Commissioner of Canada who was the Guest-of-Honour for this year’s Graduation Ceremony.

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EVENTS

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FEATURED

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

SKILLS:

A MUST-HAVE IN ACCELERATING BUSINESSES

Dr Chia Fah Choy is an Assistant Professor, Head of Department for Surveying and Head of Programme, Master of Project Management at UTAR where he teaches several subjects such as Global Sustainability, Development Economics and Project Framework, Processes, Integration and Scope Management among others.

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With over 20 years in the construction industry as a quantity surveyor and project manager, Dr Chia brings to the classroom rich firsthand knowledge of managing projects in consideration of various factors. He obtained his MSc in Construction Management from HerriotWatt University and his PhD in Construction Management at the Queensland University of Technology. He lists green economy, project management, building information modeling and property development as his research interests.

FEATURED

M

ore and more businesses are now realising the importance of having skilled project management leaders to spearhead and coordinate new and existing business projects. UTAR’s Dr Chia Fah Choy foresees that more project management jobs will be created for the business landscape come 2020 because of the wide-ranging commercial applications of such skills. In this thought-provoking interview, he speaks to MBA Edge Postgraduate about: * his educational journey leading up to his academia career * why project management skills are highly sought across the business landscape * how the right project management talent and knowledge can take your business to the next level.

POSTGRADUATE EXPERIENCE

Q01

Dr Chia, you did not take the usual path to academia, having earned your first degree at the comparatively late age of 40 years old. What’s the reason for this and why did you choose to specialise in building?

I was not born into a rich family. At that time, there was not much career guidance.

Whatever our elders said, we followed. My mum thought I had talent in drawing and felt draughtsmanship would be good for me. I ended up enrolling for building technology

in TAR College since one of the subjects was technical drawing.

Then after graduating with a Certificate in Technology (Building) from the TAR College in 1979, I continued to work and obtain professional papers from Institute of Building (now known as Chartered Institute

of Building) at the same time.

In fact, I earned all my degrees (Bachelor, Master and PhD) through part time studies! I hope that what I have gone through will inspire others who wish to pursue their studies at whatever level and age. It is never too late to study anything.

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FEATURED

Q02

What led you to pursue a Bachelor in Construction Management and subsequently a Doctor of Philosophy in Construction Management? What is the commercial application of this specialisation?

Construction Management is from a family of disciplines concerning the Built Environment. The more I studied about construction management, the more interested I became in this subject. It didn’t take long for me to realise how broad and universal the subject was.

Let me explain: Where we are sitting during this interview, is surrounded by hundreds of human-created objects, all contributing components of our built environment. This room, the air-conditioning system the chairs, the smartphone and WiFi, even the walls, floor and ceiling of the space are humanly made or arranged and therefore part of the built environment. These components are constructed by dozens, hundreds, even

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The definition of Construction Management, as defined by the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), should give you an idea of the universal scope of its commercial applications: “Management of the development, conservation and improvement of the Built Environment;

thousands of material products and production systems. It may actually be harder to find environments that are completely outside the built environment, which are not made or arranged, maintained or controlled by people or society. The sky, weather and wilderness areas may seem untouched, but none are completely free from human intervention and impact.

Exercised at a variety of levels from the site and project, through the corporate organisations of the industry and its clients, to society as a while; Embracing the entire construction value stream from inception to recycling, and focusing upon a commitment to sustainable construction; Incorporating a wide range of specialist services; Guided by a system of values demonstrating responsibility to humanity and to the future of our planet; and informed, supported and challenged by an independent academic discipline.�

FEATURED

WORKING EXPERIENCE

Q03

Prior to academia, you spent 20 years working in the construction industry and were part of some groundbreaking projects for Malaysia. Can you share what some of these are?

My first job after graduation from TAR College was an assistant quantity surveyor in a private firm. For my first project, I was the Site Quantity Surveyor for the Middle Inner Ring Road 1 which starts from the junction of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Imbi near Sungai Wang, extends to, Jalan Hang Tuah, continue to Jalan Kuching at what was previously known as the Edinburgh roundabout, Jalan Sultan Ismail and back to Sungai Wang. It’s nice to drive through these areas and remember I was part of it!

Subsequently, I had the opportunity to work on the Intan Main Campus at Bukit Kiara.

Tengku Nerang Putra, the son of Tunku Abdul Rahman owns the construction company.

I hope that what I have gone through will inspire others who wish to pursue their studies at whatever level and age. It is never too late to study anything.

After a few months, I was transferred to Johor to work on the first highway from Senai airport to Johor Bahru.

In those days, huge parts of Johor were still undeveloped.

Suburban areas like Taman Tun Haminah were covered by rubber estates.

We constructed the double carriageway, which was a big thing at that time as the roads were mostly single carriageway.

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FEATURED

Q04

From there, you went on to run your construction business in 1994. Can you share some of the highlights?

It started off on a good note. Seldom in JKR is a project completed on schedule, but I completed a secondary school in Terengganu one month ahead of schedule.

Q05

What are the factors that helped you complete it so fast?

Decision making power

As the business owner, I am fully in control of the resources and can allocate all the resources to the project.

Project management skills

This is related to what I teach today. Proper planning, right from beginning to the end.

I know where and when to order materials, get the labour, anticipate requirements and delivery date; all this is done at the right time, with right quantity and deliver at the right place in one leg kick. So I spend a lot of time planning. Fail to plan is plan to fail.

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Knowledge in computer technology gave me an edge

I picked up Lotus 123 on my own and once I set up the system, I could complete my submission for tenders within hours, instead of days, which is the norm! I was self-taught.

After I bought a computer, I

asked some friends for help and taught myself how to use one.

What I teach today can be traced back to my practical experience of 20 years. Since quantity surveying and project management are both very hands-on professions, I believe my real world experience would benefit my students.

FEATURED

Q05

What made you consider a career in academia?

Shortly after I started the company, I met with a site accident and business was affected since it was very much a one-man show. After some soulsearching, I realised that I loved to learn new things and share my knowledge, so an academic job was more appropriate for me.

MASTER OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Q06

In your opinion, why are project management skills so critical in today’s business landscape?

Project management skills are highly sought after in enhancing and accelerating change in the fast-moving business world. An increasing number of corporations are faced with managing a portfolio of projects as opposed to simply operating a corporate hierarchy.

It is projected that over 41.5 million new jobs will demand for project management roles by 2020 in ten countries with established or quickly developing project management industries i.e.

China: 24, 906, 557 • India: 8,857, 845 • Japan: 2,610, 663 • Germany: 1,642,058 • Brazil: 1,364,932 • United Kingdom: 946, 648 • Canada: 582,366 • Australia: 375, 757 • Saudi Arabia: 103, 616 • United Arab Emirates: 57, 731

If you look at the Project Management Talent Gap Report (2013) published by Project Management Institute, by 2020, 15.7 million new project management roles will be added globally across several project-intensive industries namely manufacturing, business services, finance and insurance, oil and gas, information services, construction and utilities.

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FEATURED

Q07

What are the main gaps when it comes to project management and how will the Master of Project Management, which UTAR introduced in 2010, address them?

Project is no more narrowly defined as wanting to construct a building or build a bridge. For example, our professional body (Project Management Institute which has 500k members) is talking about organisational and enterprise project management.

If you want to start your own company, you have to know how to run a project from A Z. It is not enough to excel in a specialist field. Businesses today outsource a lot of tasks.

Once you outsource, you need to coordinate, so your project management skills come in to manage your supplier or vendors. It’s good for the company to have your own people with project management knowledge.

To run a project nowadays, projects need a well defined objective, start and end dates, clear budget, and processes.

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In the old days when you talk about project management knowledge, they think it’s only about time, cost and quality. But Project Management Institute identified Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) covers 10 areas which include following:

1) Integration 2) Scope 3) Time 4 Cost 5) Quality 6) Procurement 7 Human resources 8) Communication 9) Risk 10) Stakeholder

The course is designed according to these ten knowledge areas, which can be completed in as little as one year for full time study. The course will develop advanced discipline knowledge and skills to lead and manage large and complex projects in diverse work settings across a range of industries.

As a result, graduates can assume the role of project managers capable of managing constraints in time, cost and quality, as well as social, political and environmental challenges and contribute to strategic decision-making through understanding a range of specialty areas relevant to project management.

FEATURED

Q08

What is your philosophy as an academician?

You must balance between being an idealist and a realist. Be an idealist at heart but a realist in mind.

To me, as academicians, we are training our students to be leaders. When we say leader, we have the thinking that there is only one CEO, one Prime Minister, but leadership also means leading and driving yourself through the rest of your career.

Once you are leading your destiny by yourself, you are unique. You can command a monopoly in your field of experience and ask for the best.

Those people who need your talent have to pay because you will only work at a rate that is acceptable to you!

I subscribe to Steven Covey’s quote from The 3rd Alternative: “True leaders define and achieve enduring success by developing character and competence and taking principled action; they don’t wait for others to define it for them.

Because they see themselves as uniquely gifted, they compete against no one but themselves.

In economic terms, they are the only providers of what they provide, so they can auction their talents to the highest bidder. These leaders create their own future. With time and circumstances, they might fail short of a goal, but they never actually fail.”

In conclusion, develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.

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FEATURED

Excellence in

UTAR postgraduate programmes

U

niversiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) is recognised as one of the premier universities in Malaysia. UTAR is committed to educational excellence in the advancement of knowledge and research and consistently maintains strong postgraduate programmes.

The university offers quality and affordable postgraduate programmes that can enhance employment opportunities and career advancement via development of advanced competencies and expertise in a stimulating learning environment.

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FEATURED HAPPENINGS

UTAR Vice-president for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ir Lee Sze Wei said, “UTAR continues to refine its approach and direction in transforming itself into a globally recognised research focused university.

With our commitment to intellectual pursuit through sustainable research, we have put in place the university’s 5-year research roadmap.

Among the goals in the research roadmap is the Postgraduate Programme Promotion which aims primarily to encourage intellectual, research and personal development of its graduates.”

The university has established its Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research (IPSR)

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records, examinations and postgraduate activities. This is in line with the requirement of Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) for UTAR to have an entity which will coordinate, plan and administer all postgraduate programmes within the university.

in September 2004. IPSR serves as a central body for coordinating all postgraduate programmes offered by the Faculties at UTAR. It facilitates the administration of the programmes which includes admission, student & academic

The Director of IPSR Prof Dr Faidz bin Abd Rahman added that,”UTAR offers postgraduate programmes which facilitate research projects that broaden the horizons of knowledge and attract talents who aspire to seek careers in research and academia. We inculcate among the faculty and the academic community a culture of commitment to effectively disseminate knowledge

FEATURED and vigorous research activities with publications of international standards.”

All UTAR postgraduate programmes are offered with well-rounded and comprehensive syllabi.

UTAR provides high calibre qualified teaching staff who are experienced scholars and incorporates real-life consultancy experiences as well as facilitating good networking support. Postgraduate students are exposed to critical problem solving skills and practical applications and have the opportunities to interact with the university’s research community especially at their respective faculties. The classes are scheduled in the evenings and also over the weekends depending on the class sizes and the programmes.

With an established reputation of offering quality yet affordable postgraduate programmes, there has been a steady enrolment of students since its initial enrolment of 43 students in 2006.The total cumulative enrolment as at December 2013 is 1,266 postgraduate students.

Ms Lim Wun Pai, a UTAR Master of Business Administration graduate said,”I chose to do the MBA at UTAR because it offers

a well-rounded scope which is more practical and relevant.

The postgraduate qualification places me in a better position for my career advancement.”

Ms Tiew Shuet Ling, a UTAR’s Master of Information Systems graduate said that the lecturers and professors are well qualified, experienced and passionate in their teaching and provide excellent guidance to students.

UTAR’s postgraduate may be completed by coursework or research or a combination

To ensure quality in UTAR postgraduate programmes as well as benchmarking its graduates’ research work to international standards, UTAR has made it a policy that examiners of its graduates’ final year projects and dissertations, by research and mixed modes, must be appointed from among the distinguished academics or researchers from overseas with recent publications in the international referenced journals.

UTAR-OTH signing ceremony

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of both and the details on the choices of postgraduate programmes are given below: •

Master programmes by coursework are Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration (Corporate Governance), Master of Business Administration (Corporate Management), Master of Business Administration (Building Management), Master of Information Systems, Master of Mathematical Sciences, Master of Engineering (Mechanical), Master of Engineering ( Electrical ),Master of Science ( Project management ) and Master of Engineering ( Electronic Systems).

•

Master programmes by mixed mode are Master of Psychology (Industrial & organizational Psychology), Master of Communication and Master of Chinese Studies

•

Master programmes by research are Master of Philosophy, Master of Arts (Chinese Studies), Master of Arts (Communication), Master of Science (Faculty of Engineering Science), Master of Engineering Science, Master of Medical Science, Master of Science ( Faculty of Science), Master of Engineering Science (Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology), Master of Science (Computer Science), Master of Philosophy (Faculty of Business Finance) and Master of Philosophy ( Social Science ).

For the added internationalism in learning and teaching of its postgraduate programmes, UTAR has recently launched a programmes whereby UTAR Master of Engineering (Electronic Systems) students can also apply to study for Ostbayerishe Technische Hochschule (OTH) Regensburg International Master’s programme. UTAR students who enroll under this recently launched collaborative arrangement will also experience international and inter-cultural education, and be exposed to the German learning-research culture that is steeped in the traditional excellence of science, technology and innovation (STI).

Established in 2002 with just 411 students, today, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) offers more than 110 programmes in fields including Accountancy, Actuarial Science, Agriculture, Arts, Business and Economics, Creative Industries and Design, Engineering and Built Environment, Information and Communication Technology, Life and Physical Sciences, Mathematics and Process Management, Medicine and Health Sciences, and Social Science and Education to over 24,000 students in its nine faculties, three institutes and three centres located in three Klang Valley campuses in Bandar Sungai Long, Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya and the main campus in Kampar, which was awarded the Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (Malaysian Institute of Architects) gold award in the education category in 2013. With alumni of over 35,000, UTAR graduates have an employability rate of 97% within six months of graduation over the years. For more information, go to www.utar.edu.my

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Seeding Hull’s winning DNA in Malaysia

W

hen PKT Logistics Group Sdn Bhd CEO Dato’ Michael Tio visited his alma mater University of Hull last October, it was no ordinary walk down memory lane.

Dato’ Michael Tio

James Lai

Edmund Edward

HIGHLIGHTS

Adeline Ong

Benson Wong

Dato’ Kelvin Kwek

TH Lim

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Alice Ng

Ms. Chan

Dr Sharon Tong

Tn Hj Ghaus

Annie Newman

Ph Chan

Kuan Eu Jin

TJ NG

HIGHLIGHTS

Norfaizah Abas

Ryan Kan

Roger Chew

Tune in to the next issue for more news updates!

Shaminda

Prof Zaini

Rosmin

Dr Suhaila

Nicky Wong

Siti Norida

Steve Lim

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SUNWAY’S EDUCATION FIGURE RECOGNISED BY MONASH Lee conferred honorary doctorate

B 38

ANDAR SUNWAY, 25 November 2014 - Chief Executive Officer of Education and Healthcare Division of the Sunway Group, Lee Weng Keng was conferred the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, by Monash University on 23 November 2014, at the Graduation Ceremony of the Monash University Malaysia held in Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel and Spa, Bandar Sunway.

the highest award that the University can offer.

Monash University bestowed this mark of honour upon Dr Lee, who joins just a small group of distinguished individuals considered to be of conspicuous merit by the University to receive

“The conferment of his Honorary Doctorate from a prestigious institution like Monash University is an acknowledgement of his hardwork and dedication towards education. Sunway University

This award is in recognition of Dr Lee’s “outstanding contribution to the Sunway Group and as a business management expert, as well as his interest in Monash University and invaluable contribution to the development of Monash University Malaysia” as highlighted by Monash Chancellor, Dr. Alan Finkel during the ceremony.

EVENTS

is proud to be associated with a man of such calibre,” said Dr Elizabeth Lee, Senior Executive Director, Sunway Education Group and Sunway University.

Lee was the Sunway Group Representative developing and working with Monash University, Australia, to set up Malaysia’s first foreign university campus – Monash University Sunway Campus, which started up in 1998. He served as Sunway Campus’s Executive Director for seven years. He also played a key role in its development and expansion, including building the new independent campus and the establishment of the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences. He is also a Founding Board Member of Monash University Malaysia.

In his speech in summarising a few of his life’s learning points, Dr Lee said, “First, to succeed and build a career, continuous learning is essential – Ancora Imparo. Second, career advancement is about progressing one step at a time; third, it is not essential to hop from company to company to develop a career; and fourth, never say never. Always keep an open mind and be proactive.”

“I never dreamt I would be standing here as I am today on such an occasion as this, and

it would not have happened if it were not for the support and assistance from so many people. More specifically, I want to thank Sunway and Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah for giving me the opportunities and the trust; my superior, colleague, mentor and friend for the advice, guidance and support; and my colleagues and team for the passion, cooperation and ‘can do’ spirit. My sincere appreciation goes to my wife Yen for the understanding over the years of ups and downs – I hope it was more ups than downs. Finally, I was lucky and thankful to have my elder brother and late parents who sacrificed so much, so that I could have a good early education“, he continued.

Lee received his early education in Chinese schools and then went on to Universiti Malaya where he obtained a B Econ (Hons) in 1974.

Fifteen years later he earned an Executive MBA from Cranfield University, UK. He began his career as a school teacher before moving on to the private sector in 1975. Joining Texas Instruments (M) Sdn Bhd (TI) in 1977, he later became TI’s first local Operations Manager and was appointed the first local Director of the company in 1989.

He joined Sunway in 1994 as General Manager (Operations) and was appointed Executive

Board member of Sunway College in 1996 to spearhead the development of the education unit. Under his leadership, the Sunway Education Group has grown dramatically and achieved significant milestones in its path to becoming the country’s international education hub. The Sunway Education Group today comprises 11 institutions, to name a few; Sunway College, Sunway University, Sunway International School, Sunway College Johor Bahru, Sunway College Ipoh, Kolej Sunway Kuching, Sunway International Business Management including Monash University Malaysia; and Dr Lee serves as chairman of the Board of Directors of several of these institutions.

In 2005, Dr Lee was appointed to the Board of Directors of Sunway Medical Centre and became the Chief Executive Officer of Education and Healthcare. He is Co-chair of Jeffrey Cheah Foundation’s Management Committee and Board member of Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute.

The Sunway Education Group is owned and governed by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF), a first-of-its-kind and unique structure within the field of private higher education in Malaysia. The entire equity of the Sunway Education Group institutions valued at more than RM720 million were transferred into the not-for-profit JCF to ensure perpetual funding to provide sustainable quality education for all making it the largest social enterprise in the country. To date, the JCF has awarded in excess of RM165 million worth of scholarships to more than 20,000 deserving students.

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INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Engineering Science

Judson Hwang Wong Shyh Long

What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme?

Occupation: Material Engineer

Current University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Brief Job Descriptions: My responsibility is to develop new methodology to discover the further potential of materials. Currently, my specialty is in developing nanocomposites of silver nanoparticle and carbon nanotubes.

Compared to the undergraduate progamme, the postgraduate degree requires a high degree of independence. We do not seek for total guidance even though we are under the watch and care of our supervisor and only seek advice/assistance when it is vital. Furthermore, we need to develop our own innovative ideas and make sure that our ideas are practical enough to run under allowable circumstances. Being independent and flexible are my greatest values gained as a post graduate.

What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare for this programme?

Having the ideology of “live to learn”, I am a person that is always in the mood to learn. In books, we learn theory that helps us understand; in life we learn experience that appreciates personal values. What is in the

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book does not have to be the same as reality has to give; this is an unchanged principle especially when we are dealing with experimental works. My advice to them is to always have the spirit of a risk taker and a meticulous heart to deal with uncertainties.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years’ time, I am going to see myself as a PhD graduate.

My journey for knowledge will never end as long as I still live.

What is your motto in life?

Beside my desire to learn, my motto in life is “never back down”. It is a movie title; the movie interpreted the meaning of the title perfectly. Although one may have the courage to go forward, he must also have the determination to stand hard to his difficulties. “Never back down” are my motivation that keeps me pushing forward.

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Business Administration

Mohamad Aidil Bin Mohamed Razali What made you want to study an MBA?

Occupation: Administrative Officer

Current University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Brief Job Descriptions: To coordinate all required information needed by director to be present to the Board Of Directors including financial, management, and administrative departments.

Also monitor the progress of performance of each region.

Nowadays the value of a basic degree is not so much. I took up MBA (Corporate Governance) because this MBA covers all aspects of corporate culture and scope. MBA surely can give an advantage of added value in the long run.

What inspire you?

What inspires me is seeing friends who are much younger than me already having MBA and landing good jobs. Also friends, family and colleagues encouraged me to pursue this MBA.

Favourite Quote?

Always think positive – and you will find your way.

Whatever happens, life must go on.

What is your

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INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Business Administration

Tan Yoke Tieng

What made you want to study an MBA? Occupation: Emcee, Blossom Entertainment

Current University: Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Brief Job Description: -Hosting events such as product launching, wedding dinner, corporate dinner, award ceremony and beauty pageant.

-Handles emceeing, backdrop design, venue decoration and artiste management.

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An MBA can teach you to think like a business leader, train you to understand complex business issues and think strategically.

Not only can an MBA enhance or provide the business skills you may be lacking, it can also enhance your soft skills such as leadership, cross cultural understanding and teamwork all important characteristics for future business leaders.

What inspire you?

Passion is something I must be willing to express if I want to inspire others. I can gain a lot of influence just by publicly expressing that I am excited and passionate about a topic. Expressive passion is contagious because of the curiosity it stirs in others.

What is your Favourite Quote?

Almost every successful person begins with two beliefs:

The future can be better than the present, and I have the power to make it so.

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Master of Engineering (Mechanical)

Yee Chun Kiet

What do you consider the best take away value from your postgraduate programme?

Occupation:

Mechanical Associate, JPK & Associates

Current University:

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

Brief Job Descriptions:

-Assist in, prepare, and coordinate designs for industrial projects. Interpret design/drawings for crafts installing material.

-Review of drawings and sketches to support construction work, change orders, estimates, etc.

-Perform calculations for sizing and selection of major equipment.

-Perform stress analysis on piping systems and work closely with pipe designers to select supports and support locations.

The course is pretty comprehensive, where it can be used in any line of industry. It covers areas such as advanced fluid dynamics, advanced thermodynamic systems, advanced mechanical vibration, advanced materials engineering, advanced manufacturing systems, research methodology, product design and development, nanotechnology, corrosion of materials and project management skills, as well as a final year project for me to apply some knowledge that has been learned during the coursework. It is a very practical mode of study, where I hope these are able to add value to my current job and also possible future career. During the course, I am able to study with those fellow students from several different fields in engineering. This experience proved to be interesting as it gave me some insights into different industry cultures and has resulted in some friendships.

What is your advice to prospective postgraduate students to prepare for this programme?

I would like recommend this programme to anyone who wishes for career or professional development or for self-interest such

as pursuing higher qualifications. It is a good exposure with additional knowledge, and it will definitely help you in various ways. The two most important things to remember are to prepare well in advance and be o organised.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Two years ago I was looking for a Master degree in Mechanical Engineering to act as a follow-up to my IEM/BEM Part 1 & 2 and Diploma in TAR College after practising as a mechanical engineer in the industry for more than 10 years.

I was attracted to the Master of Engineering in Mechanical programme offered by UTAR because it was a natural extension to my undergraduate degree and it had the coursework elements which I appreciated in my previous study.

It prepares and educates myself in a very broad way and therefore makes it possible to work in a multitude of companies and organisations. This was also one of the aspects that appealed to me, because I would like to deepen my knowledge in many advanced areas of Mechanical Engineering.

What is your motto in life?

Do it now. Sometimes ‘later’ can become ‘never’.

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INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Adeline K. Benjamin What made you want to study an MBA? Current University: Victoria University MBA

Brief Job Description: Performing and implementing audit plans and programmes; reviewing internal control systems

I wanted to enhance my managerial skills and learn more about business in response to the challenges of today’s fast paced and increasingly complex global business environment. The ability to manage a team and working together towards execution of risk management is one of the greatest assets in the internal audit discipline.

MBA provides what it takes in becoming a competent leader.

What inspires you?

Solving problems with practical knowledge at hand is of great interest. MBA provides the skills necessary to fit in today’s competitive environment and will certainly enable me to add value in any organisation as an internal auditor as it brings real time solutions.

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Favorite Quote

“The mind is everything.

What you think you become” Buddha.

INTERVIEW

STUDENT INTERVIEW Leslie Lim Xian Loong Why made you want to study an MBA? Occupation: Marketing & Project Assistant Manager; International Business Solicitation

Current University: Victoria University MBA (VUMBA) at Sunway; Monash University (BBusCom)

Brief Job Description: Solicit sales and revenues for the company; enhance corporate identity and maintain company reputation as a specialist in supply of steel materials in Southeast Asia Region; handle inquiries related to project-based interests; Sales-Coordinator and Logistics Department for necessary arrangements in a timely and effective manner.

Also responsible for set-up of contingency plans.

Facing the dynamic changes of the working environment, one needs constant improvement to stay ahead of the pack, if not lead the pack. The decision of taking up the MBA is quite straightforward: The hunger for a better future, even when I know the road to such achievement will not be easy. I believe that the programme will equip me with better management skills and knowledge in the likes of extensive critical analysis, decisionmaking process and strategising to tackle the never-ending changes of the working environment and industries. In addition, the opportunity to build networks and learn invaluably from successful people sealed my decision to pursue an MBA.

Favorite Quote

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”

– Charles Dickens

What inspires you?

My inspiration has always been the passion to positively impact people around me. It is only through this that my time spent will be worthwhile.

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HIGHLIGHTS

YOUR SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL TO LAND THAT

DREAM JOB

T

hink that your sterling record of achievements, skills and experience can land you that dream job? That may not be enough, says Chook Yuh Yng, Jobstreet Malaysia’s country manager. To stand out in a sea of other equally qualified, fiercely competitive candidates, 21st century job applicants must be able to convincingly articulate those attributes that show why they are the best candidate for a job. In other words, sell themselves. In an exclusive interview with MBA Edge Postgraduate, Chook talks about:

• • •

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the top jobs in the Malaysian market job mobility and transparency in an evolving job landscape how non-managerial executives can advance themselves up the leadership chain.

As the Country Manager of JobStreet. com, Malaysia Operations, Chook Yuh Yng is in charge of running the Business Operations in Malaysia, including the Sales, Marketing and Customer Service Departments; spearheading JobStreet. com Malaysia towards extending their No. 1 leadership position in terms of Market Share and also Profitability in the recruitment services industry. Prior to JobStreet.com, she spent over 10 years in the ICT/ Telco industries with companies such as the Dataprep Group, Renong and Telekom Malaysia where she was involved in diverse roles including Pre Sales, Sales Management, Project Management as well as IT Operations management. Chook has a Master of Engineering and a Bachelor degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge.

Q01

Generally, how has the process of recruitment changed in the last decade?

If you look back at the recruitment process 10-15 years ago, the main process would be via newspaper ads. In Malaysia, we are one of the early birds to start online recruitment in 1997.

We saw the opportunity to make jobseeking easier, faster and more accurate for all Malaysians and the countries that we’re in.

With social media there are so many ways to raise visibility.

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Q02

What kind of industry/ professions is there an obvious talent gap?

Jobstreet looks from the perspective of job postings.

Some of the top jobs that have a high number of postings but correspondingly low respondents are in the fields of sales, software IT, accounting, marketing, etc.

Q04

Q03

It is very difficult to recruit sales personnel. As you know, sales jobs are highly result-oriented, often based on quota, achievements and incentives. It’s the challenge

Yet ironically there is no degree in sales.

That is the other thing that creates a stigma for sales. A lot of people perceive sales as direct salespeople that require low skills. But that’s not true at all. Selling is a high-skill job.

You’re talking about soft skills like handling a business, negotiation skills, articulating the USP of a product that may be difficult to differentiate.

IT is another area that has always had a talent crunch. Intake doesn’t increase that much each year, but the demand does. Many companies have resorted to looking to acquire talent although that is not an ideal situation. The reality is, local educational institutes are not producing enough IT talent fast enough.

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That’s a surprising revelation, considering some of these like sales and marketing - are the more common jobs. of the job itself. People are afraid of these metrics. Yet there are so many sales jobs out there. Each company requires sales people. It’s a profession that will not run out.

TOP 5 SPECIALISATIONS THAT EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR

HIGHLIGHTS

Q05

In applying for senior managerial positions, how important is an MBA?

In Malaysia, it is more more common for employers to look into achievements, skills, experience, attitude, culture fit, as opposed to only paper qualifications, unless you are talking about general management. But if you have an MBA it would definitely give you an added advantage over other applicants.

Q07

Q06

Jobstreet has a compulsory section for applications to fill in an online resume form. From your experience dealing with CVs from all kinds of candidates, what is the main mistake they commit?

Typos and grammatical errors are really unacceptable in a resume. Beyond the language errors, the hardest thing to get right is the length of the CV itself. It’s either too long or too short. I’ve seen some people send in ten-pagers, others a one-page resume. The rule of

thumb is: in the first minute, in that first impression, you must be able to capture what you do at a glance. If you take ten pages to tell the recruiter what you do, or what you’ve achieved, it won’t cut it. If it’s too short, the question is, do you have enough substance in there?

You know what I heard? Job candidates don’t know how to sell themselves.

That’s one way of putting it. You may have the skills, experience, achievements and these are the very ingredients that employers look for. But to sell or position yourself effectively, you must ultimately answer the question, you have to articulate what makes you different from another candidate who may

have the same qualifications and experience.

A lot of times, people write a long laundry list of everyday job functions. But you’re missing the point. What’s more important are your achievements throughout the

years and how they affect the outcome of your company’s KPI. A task-based resume is not just boring but worse, not impactful. At the end of the day, your resume should show that your achievements validate your work functions.

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HIGHLIGHTS TOP 5 REASONS FOR FRESH GRADUATES UNEMPLOYMENT

Q08

The problem with most people is when they are holding a job, they are not actively seeking. They don’t keep track of what they do or have achieved. Sometimes, they don’t bother to upgrade themselves in skills or areas other than those related to their immediate job functions. Then suddenly, they are hit with retrenchment after 1415 years and they don’t know where to start. What’s your advice?

It’s never too late to start.

There are many people in that situation. There are always ways to get help. Information is aplenty on the internet. If you go to Jobstreet, you can get get a smart guide to job hunting. Be positive. A good starting job is to look for information on the internet and there is so much online.

If you’re looking for jobs in Malaysia, Jobstreet is a good starting point because

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our job listings are the most comprehensive in Malaysia.

Start by looking at the kind of jobs available in the market and seeing those job requirements and criteria they’re asking for.

You can extrapolate a lot of information from the ad itself.

We’ve made our job ads as rich as possible. You can find out what products a company sells, what its office environment is like, what kind of outdoor activities take place, the size of the company, the dress code.

A task-based resume is not just boring but worse, not impactful.

At the end of the day, your resume should show that your achievements validate your work functions.

HIGHLIGHTS

Since we started, we have been proactively trying to improve and enhance our features, from the quality of the ads to the quality of job-matching. In the early days, Jobstreet was desktop based and now it’s mobile. We were the first one in South East Asia to launch the mobile-enabled app. We were the first to launch it on every major platform. Candidates receive personalised job alerts with the right salary matching, refine job searches, view jobs near them on a map, and have the advantage of applying instantly to their desired job anytime, from anywhere on their mobile device. Since then, we have introduced so many features to make it fit different form factors, from laptop to mobile. It works well on all devices. Early this year, we introduced an advanced feature to its mobile application which now allow users to update their resume on the go. We are the first online job site in the region to so, catering to our 12 million users who are becoming increasing mobile savvy. The bottom line is, we create innovative products that make sense for the job seekers and improve their jobseeking experience.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Q09

How do you improve the quality of job matching?

It’s a science that is determined by our own proprietary algorithm. Based on criteria supplied by both employers and the applications by the job seekers, we see how they match. It can be very tight or loose so other people also have the opportunity. We study the behaviour of applicants and research on what they want.

What are the job-seekers’ preferences? What information do they require most? What are their salary expectations? We are the first to launch salarymatching last year in the sense that both sides will put in their salary expectations.

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Q10

Would you say that in the current job market, information is flowing so much faster and people are so much more open?

Transparency is the other thing we are promoting in our mobility transparency and propagating in our new product launches.

We introduced another breakthrough innovation that allows candidates to see the key attributes of other applicants even before they apply for the job. Previously the candidates had to apply for the job first before they have access to such information. We want candidates to make better informed decisions when it comes to job applications so that they would have the best

chance of getting interviewed.

Knowing how they rank in terms of education, salary and years of experience compared to other applicants allow candidates to decide whether the odds are their favour or not. Because candidates are now better informed and will be more selective of what they apply for, employers can look forward to more serious and relevant candidates as opposed to just receiving many job applications.

HIGHLIGHTS

If you’re looking for jobs in Malaysia, Jobstreet is a good starting point because our job listings are the most comprehensive in Malaysia.

Q11

In the last five years, we’ve seen a wave of entrepreneurs coming out to start their own business. How can they leverage on Jobstreet’s facilities?

They can use the portal to do research when they are looking for staff. You may be one person now but later you can grow to 2-3 persons. You can access key market information that will help you when you expand. For example, when you are doing budgeting, the salary reports info - which is free for

members - can help you gauge your budget when you are ready to hire your own staff.

In terms of them looking for a job, we’re not the right place for entrepreneurs, but of course if they feel they want to revert back to employment, we are a good place to start once again.

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HIGHLIGHTS

Q12

Are Generation Y and Millenials different in terms of behaviour when they apply for jobs, as compared to Generation X and baby boomers?

I wouldn’t want to put them into buckets. I think times and the environment have changed so we can only expect people to change. For the younger generation, they are born in this era of social networking and information sharing.

The economy is also better compared to 20-30 years ago.

All these factors will affect the younger generation.

We have run surveys on Generation Y and employers as well to help bridge the gap of expectation between both parties. For example, last year we ran a survey to find out the main reasons that young graduates are unemployed.

The no 1 reason cited is asking for a salary that is too high.

Other reasons cited are: poor character and attitude; poor communication skills; poor command of English; lack of required skills. As you can see,

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the top two reasons are attitude related. So we’re trying to use the information to educate university students that the fundamentals need to be improved.

In an online survey, we also asked fresh graduates how much money they need to survive. Most of them say RM1500. Over 60% say they expect a salary of RM3K as a fresh graduate. Over 60% of employers say they are willing to pay between RM2500-2800 and that is in the higher range already.

There is clearly an expectation gap. Even experienced executives don’t reach RM3500 after a few years. It all depends on whether you can deliver.

It’s not impossible to obtain a salary of RM3500 but you have to be the cream of the crop and work for a small percentage of consultancy companies. To address this gap, Jobstreet has done a lot of campus fairs and collaborations with universities to put things into perspective.

HIGHLIGHTS

Q14 Q13

How do you put yourself in the running for such companies?

The selection criteria is very stringent. You have to be a top student. You will have an added advantage if you say you are from a renowned university. If you have enough impressive criteria in your CV, then you might be selected for an interview - and there

will be many interviews with difficult questions. I’ve heard of situational questions that test your thinking skills on the spot.

If you get past the first door, there are another two or three more doors you have to get through!

Have interview methods changed to be more creative in the last few years?

There was a year we helped an FMCG company organise a business challenge similar to The Apprentice TV show. Not all companies do this, only those with the resources and capacity to carry them out. Rigorous tests and interviews would be more common. Role play and situational challenges are the most common methods.

HIGHLIGHTS

Q15

Would you say it’s an employees or employers market now ?

It is the employee’s market now. Top-notch talent is in demand everywhere but if you’re not that good, you must evaluate where you stand in terms of the job market. Having said that, the employer also has to sell himself. Nowadays employers are not only competing locally but internationally. When you talk about job mobility, it is so easy to obtain information about jobs in other countries. The traditional geographical barriers are not there anymore. We are talking about competing with the world for talent.

Q16

What is your advice to candidates to position themselves more advantageously?

Let me answer this by dividing the candidates into two groups.

First the fresh graduates. It’s so important to be able to differentiate yourself because all the CVs look similiar.

Everybody from your group studied in this field, graduated

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from X university, etc. Every year 180, 000 fresh graduates, diploma and degree holders flood the job market.

So beyond looking at good grades, show your leadership calibre. One important criterion

is internships. Even if it is not a compulsory requirement from the university, enrolling in an internship will show your ability to fit into a real working environment as well as your initiative. During your summer break, don’t just loiter around,

HIGHLIGHTS but try to take up an internship.

Achieve something during your internship. Treat it like a real job. Look into areas where you can contribute in terms of the organisation. Try to make a difference.

If you don’t have a managerial position, look at projects where you can show your leadership.

Lead a task force. Don’t just roll along and expect your next big jump. You must have a career plan and targets.

For seniors or postgraduates who have worked before and want to seek a better job or advancement opportunities, an important starting point will be to look at your ideal job and plan towards that. Look at the gap now and some ads and see what is required in terms of experience, qualifications and skills. Then go and garner those skills. Studying by book is one thing but organisations also want to see them in practice.

Be an all-rounder and demonstrate that you practise the culture of learning. You may have the most beautiful degree in the world, but ten years from now, that degree may not matter any more because times have changed. Think about general management. Do you think you can still manage young people like last time?

They will all run away if you run your organisation like a dictator. Staying current is more important than ever, and not only for technology jobs.

There is clearly an expectation gap. Even experienced executives don’t reach RM3500 after a few years. It all depends on whether you can deliver.

About Jobstreet.com Since 1995, JobStreet.com has grown to become one of the leading Internet Recruitment websites in the Asia-Pacific, revolutionising the way recruitment is done today. JobStreet.com offers a comprehensive suite of interactive recruitment services. International and local Asian corporations recruit from JobStreet. com’s ever-increasing pool of top talent and manage their recruitment process through uniquely developed software applications via the Internet.

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NEWS

NEWS RELEASE

Employers’ Top Complaints about Candidates’ Interview Skills Malaysia, 30 October 2014 – Employers are finding it hard to hire the right talent. It becomes an extra challenge when a candidate who has been invited to attend job interviews does not bother to show up. A recent survey conducted by JobStreet. com revealed that 87 per cent of employers encountered candidates who exhibit bad behaviour when it comes to job interviews.

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NEWS Of the top 5 complaints made by employers, 34 per cent voted “No Show”, whereby candidates do not show up for scheduled interviews. This is followed by “Lateness”, “Improper Attire”, “Not Prepared” and “No Respond to Interview Invitation”. The majority of the candidates employers were referring to come from a pool of fresh graduates (62 per cent) and junior executives (66 per cent).

In order to highlight and educate candidates on proper job interview etiquette, JobStreet. com has taken the initiative to launch the “Be My Best @Job Interviews” Pledge Campaign.

JobStreet.com collaborated with the Ministry of Education (MOE) and TalentCorp Malaysia to launch the event on 6 November, 2014 at MaGIC, Cyberjaya. The theme for this event is “Be Serious, Be Prepared, and Be There”.

The aim of this programme is to educate candidates to be serious about their job application, to be prepared for the job interview by researching and understanding more about the company and to make sure they attend the interview upon receiving an invitation.

JobStreet.com has incorporated an enhanced feature at candidates’ JobStreet.com profile page that allows candidates to take the “Be My Best @Job Interviews” pledge. A badge will appear on his or her resume page to show that the individual has taken the pledge.

Employers will be able to see the badge on the individual’s

resume and this in turn will help the candidate stand out from other candidates.

Ms. Chook Yuh Yng, Country Manager of JobStreet.com said, “This is the first time in Malaysia that an initiative like this has been launched to address the issues of poor candidates’ interview etiquette – in particular “No Show” attitude.

At JobStreet.com, we take our employers’ feedback seriously and we want to educate candidates on the importance of good interview etiquette.

By getting them to pledge, we want candidates to take their interview invitation seriously and do their best at interviews.”

The “Be My Best@ Job Interview” pledge feature is currently available on JobStreet.com. To pledge, please visit bit.ly/ JobStreetPledge

About JobStreet.com JobStreet.com (www.jobstreet. com) is a leading online recruitment company presently covering the employment markets in Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Japan, and Vietnam. The Group currently services over 230,000 corporate customers and over 13 million jobseekers in its database.

JobStreet.com is listed on the Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities (JOBST).

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NEWS

NEWS RELEASE

Over 300 Undergraduates Pledged to be Their Best at Interviews, Witnessed by Employers Kuala Lumpur, 6 November 2014 – In today’s vibrant labour market, finding the right candidate and inviting them to attend a job interview is a big challenge for most recruiters.

What has made the recruiting process even more frustrating is the candidates’ lackadaisical attitude during job interviews.

Based on a recent survey conducted by JobStreet.com, 87 per cent of employers said they have encountered candidates who exhibit these bad behaviors when it comes to job interviews.

As part of efforts to educate better quality job candidates , JobStreet.com with the support from Ministry of Education (MOE), and TalentCorp launched the “Be My Best @ Job Interviews” pledge campaign.

The launch saw over 300 student representatives from top universities in Klang Valley coming together to pledge to be their best @ job interviews, a ceremony attended by invited employers from JobStreet.com.

With the theme “Be Serious, Be There, Be Prepared”, the pledge launch aimed at educating candidates to be serious with their job application, to be prepared by researching and understanding more about the company and to make sure they attend the interview if invited.

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Representatives from 19 universities at JobStreet.com Be My Best @Interviews ceremony with Yg.Berbhg. Datuk Prof.Dr. Roziah binti Omar, Deputy Director General (IPTS), Ms.Chook Yuh Yng, Country Manager of JobStreet.com and Pn.Siti Norliza Mohd Sahar, Head of Malaysian Talent Development- Graduate Employability.

Final year students from 19 universities pledged to be their best at interviews at the JobStreet.com launch ceremony.

YB Tuan P. Kamalanathan, Deputy Minister of Education II said “The Ministry of Education would like to commend JobStreet.com’s initiative in organising the pledge campaign which aims to advocate better

job interviews in order to help fresh graduates increase their chance of being employed.

The Ministry hopes that this campaign will help improve graduates’ employability in Malaysia”.

NEWS

Ministry of Education in support with JobStreet.com Be My Best @Interviews launch. Present to officiate the ceremony is Yg.Berbhg.

Datuk Prof.Dr. Roziah binti Omar, Deputy Director General (IPTS), and Ms.Chook Yuh Yng, Country Manager of JobStreet.com.

Also, with the support from TalentCorp, JobStreet.com is committed to deliver quality candidates to employers and work towards a better job market for Malaysia. “Getting ahead in today’s highly competitive job market requires more than just academic and technical rigour. In fact, based on feedback from employers we’ve engaged, it is also a mastery of ‘soft skills’ such as communication and business etiquette that sets you apart from the competition,” said Siti Norliza Mohd Sahar, Head of Malaysian Talent Development – Graduate Employability, TalentCorp.

During the pledge launch which was held in PICC, Putrajaya, students were exposed to what makes a good job candidate during job interview. The final year varsity students then took the pledge together as a sign of their commitment to prepare for the interview, brush up their communication skills and most importantly be there on time for the interview.

Jobseekers can now also pledge by taking the steps below:

How to pledge?

To take part in the “Be My Best @ Job Interview” pledge campaign, candidates can visit http://bit.ly/JobStreetPledgeCampaign. Once a candidate has taken the pledge, a badge will appear on his or her JobStreet.com’s resume page, which can be seen by the employers.

For more info and to pledge, please visit http://bit.ly/JobStreetPledgeCampaign Organised by JobStreet.com, the Be My Best @ Interviews launch saw participation and support by notable universities, which included Bahagian Pembangunan Kemahiran, KBS German Malaysia Institute ,Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur, Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara Dusun Tua, Institut Kemahiran MARA Kuala Lumpur, Institut Kemahiran Tinggi Belia Negara Sepang, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jabatan Politeknik Malaysia KDU Penang, KPTM Kuala Lumpur, Multimedia University, UCSI University, University Malaya, University Notthingham, University Putra Malaysia, University Technology Petronas, University Tunku Abdul Rahman and University Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia.

Disclaimer This document is based on information obtained from our survey and we do not make any representation or warranty as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. This document is prepared for general circulation and republication is allowed provided JobStreet.com is mentioned as the contributor. This document is not to be taken in substitution for the exercise of judgment by addressees. JobStreet.com accepts no liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from any use of this document or further communication given in relation to this document.

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