Show your strengths and abilities at the interview.
If you don’t know what they are, ask your friends or family to help you identify them.
They may see something special in you that you may not realise.
Do a mock interview with your family, friends or lecturers to help you practise for the real thing.
If possible, record it so that you can look back and see what you need to improve on.
You should not limit yourself to what you learnt in the past.
You may discover something new that you love.
Remember, when you are out of university, the learning does not stop.
Continue to learn, ask questions and discuss issues because these will help you to grow.
Knowledge is very important but it is not enough to kickstart your career.
We’ve identified three skills that set talents apart from their peers: confidence, emotional quotient and critical thinking.
Confidence is the key to attracting your bosses and superiors. Critical thinking is being able to independently identify the right direction to go towards.
The right skills are what lands you the job.
These are the employability skills most wanted by employers:
> Communication
> Analytical skills
> Time management
> Teamwork
> Motivation
> Leadership
> Basic information technology (IT) skills
MyNext by Talentcorp head of marketing Orealia Soliano
Recruiters are professional stalkers you want to find you.
One way to boost your employability is to pick up a technical skill.
No matter what industry you are in, even if it is a non-technical role, try to pick up technical skills.
Where do you get these technical skills?
Go online. There are so many places and websites online where you can pick up technical skills for free or for a very minimal fee. Websites like Malaysia Digital Economy Corp (MDEC) are offering technical courses.
Top technical skills of 2022:
> Data science
> Cloud computing
> Artificial intelligence
> Blockchain
> Robotic process automation
> Augmented reality and virtual reality
> Cybersecurity
Get tech-savvy. It’s more than just using your apps. You need to know the entire tech ecosystem, from programming apps and software to whatever you can download. If you are lacking the tech-savviness, you have to push yourself and learn how to use all these technologies.
Examples of software and tech apps you need to know:
> Google Workspace
> WhatsApp Business
> Zoom and Microsoft Teams
> Slack
Great Pyramid managing consultant Tejvinder Singh
You have to follow and connect with others on LinkedIn.
Identify those who share similar interests with you by the content they share.
Use the search function to find industry leaders and company profiles.
This way, when you go for your interview session, you will have topics to talk about.
You can learn from their perspectives. You need to write and share content that is relevant to you.
What can you share as a fresh graduate? Your achievements at your higher education institution, extracurricular activities, volunteer work, hobbies and interests.
About 40% of hiring managers view volunteer experience as work experience.
Include them in your profile.
If you have final year projects, put them in.
Experiences that you gained in your education journey can also be included here.
Lastly, insert a background image. If you are a fresh graduate, use a photo depicting the kind of job you’re looking for.
Maybe balance sheets if you are looking for a job in finance or accounting, or a collage of social media platforms if you want to work as a social media manager.
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) deputy director (strategic HR) Amir Sharifuddin
A common mistake I see in the curricula vitae (CV) is including irrelevant personal information such as race, religion and marital status.
What you need to let people know is who you are and how they can contact you by including your name, email, phone number, location and a LinkedIn link.
List your measurable achievements.
Examples include how much money you have both made and saved for the company, and how you have improved processes. Also, don’t create a graphic-heavy CV such as those that look like infographics.
A lot of Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software cannot scan images and graphic designs.
The ATS scans a CV line by line and having graphics disrupts this. You should also avoid listing your requested salary and other preferences.
These can be discussed at the interview stage. If the interviewer likes you, then the salary will be negotiable. Remember, your CV is only as good as the number of people looking at it.
Malaysia’s first certified professional resume writer Hans Toh
The Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is used to collect your data and CV.
If you have to upload your CV onto a company website, most of the time, it would go into the ATS. First of all, you need to keep the text in your CV in one column.
This will make your CV ATS-friendly. The ATS reads each line and if you have it in two columns, then sentences that do not belong together will be fused.
You also need to make sure your CV is similar to the job description of the role you are applying for.
Copy and paste the job description into your CV and add in your own skills, certifications and experiences, but do not lie.
Remove the parts in the job description that do not apply to you. If you are a fresh graduate, add in the relevant subjects taken and projects done in university.
If there are more matches between your CV and the actual job description, the ATS will automatically give you a higher rating and you are more likely to be shortlisted for an interview.
Pengurusan Air Selangor Sendirian Berhad assistant vice president II Abdul Khaliq Putra Abdul Rahman Putra
Malaysia Petroleum Resources Corporation vice president Ezwan ZakariaYou should act natural at an interview.
Do not speak as if your dialogue is scripted.
You can refer to content online on how to answer interview questions but you must still sound like yourself.
Don’t plagiarise other people’s answers.
Exaggerating or lying on your CV or interview will cause you a lot of problems. You will struggle.
If you are a fresh graduate and you do not have any work experience, try to sell your skills instead.
Join free courses and webinars where you get certificates. During the interview, talk about events where you were part of the crew.
If you attend an interview, you have to be positive and full of enthusiasm.
Even if your previous employers or colleagues were not good to you, just keep it to yourself during the job interview.
You have to present yourself as someone who does not have any problematic traits.
Arriving late or never at all shows bad time management.
If you are travelling from somewhere far away, plan to arrive early.
Some candidates will not even inform the recruiter if they cannot make it to the interview due to an emergency.
Fair Work People Connect Job Agency marketing executive Syafiqah Zakuan
