On 17th July 2021, a group of MBA students led by Ahmad Afiq Alias, Zainurakilah Ardiana Zainal Abidin, Syahrul Syazwan Shaharir and Zafirah Zulkifli, successfully organized a webinar titled “Land Your Dream Job”. It was held online via Google Meet from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm. The invited speaker was Mr. Amierul Azraie Bin Mustadza, a Career Coach and COO of Carpedia.
The program was organized by the students as part of the MGT790 Change Management course requirement. More importantly it was as a response to the current pandemic Covid-19 situation which has taken a toll on many businesses and people around the globe. It was thus intended to provide assistance to graduates and jobseekers particularly from AAGBS on the preparation of a winning curriculum vitae so that there is a higher chance for AAGBS students to get shortlisted for job interviews during this challenging time. As of January 2021, Malaysia recorded 4.9% of unemployment rate. By December 2020, about 772,900 people from various industries have lost their jobs. During this challenging time, graduates are not only competing amongst themselves to secure jobs, but also with other professionals and skilled workers, who were retrenched by their employers.
Job-hunting is a very tiring process. Well-written curriculum vitae (CV) is vital and valuable in job application, as it is the first and maybe the only direct communication with a potential employer. Self-presentation is the key to first impression. For this reason alone, a CV should be carefully designed in order to make an immediate positive though on applicants’ portfolio. This program also provides the necessary exposure to the participants on how to leverage LinkedIn for job hunting and to prepare for a job interview, in order to increase the chances of landing their dream jobs.
The key takeaways from the program are as follows:
- A well-tailored CV focuses on showcasing the best about the candidates. Other than the necessary particulars, the candidate’s portfolio should primarily focus on the strengths and achievements that are related and significant to the jobs applied. Hence, prospective employers and hiring managers would be able to understand whether the candidate’s portfolio aligns with the job requirements and responsibilities.
- LinkedIn is a professional networking platform that connects people both domestically and globally. Other than JobStreet, job seekers can leverage LinkedIn as a medium for job hunting as it provides the opportunity for job seekers to connect with the hiring managers, HR personnel, industry professionals and companies. Through connecting with these professionals, it provides the job seekers with many job opportunities available. Hence, it increases the chances to secure a job, rather than relying solely on the conventional job marketplace platforms.
- Attending a job interview is the avenue for candidates to demonstrate their strengths and confidence. Preparing oneself for a job interview is very crucial as it helps the hiring managers to see whether the candidate would be a good fit for the job and the company. This can be done by recognizing and tackling the frequently-asked questions in job interviews, understanding the job’s requirements and expectations in order to align with the strengths and accomplishments, understanding the company’s profile and businesses, and also the job interview ethics.
- Venturing into global talent marketplace requires the candidates to recognize the significant challenges and constraints. These include the language barriers, culture, norms and time zone differences. Adaptability and agility are the keys to ensure one’s career success working in multinational companies, together with diverse workforce.
By the time the program ended, 62 participants altogether benefited tremendously from the interesting, engaging and valuable session held by the speaker. AAGBS would like to thank the students for their initiative in organizing this much needed program.
