General Assembly Malaysia helps Malaysians upskill and transition to digital careers in the middle of a pandemic.
General Assembly Malaysia helps Malaysians upskill and transition to digital careers in the middle of a pandemic
LEARNING a new skill and switching careers is daunting at the best of times. Doing it during a period of economic uncertainty and high unemployment sounds downright impossible. Yet, this is precisely what Nadira Rahman and Siti Aisyah Mohd Bahrin did.
While both hail from vastly different backgrounds – Nadira was a commercial pilot and Aisyah a fresh university graduate – they had something in common with each other and with many others today. They wanted a more fulfilling career with brighter prospects, a career that would allow them to not just survive despite digitalisation, but thrive because of it.
General Assembly Malaysia (GA), a global provider of upskilling and reskilling to transform careers for the digital era, was there to help.
Pilot to UX designer
Nadira, who had to forgo a job as a pilot due to the pandemic, felt that she received far more than globally recognised upskilling in user experience (UX) design. The GA Bootcamp also taught her valuable professional skills like business communications and connecting with others – skills that will serve her well for years to come.
Her experience with GA has broadened her outlook in embracing continuous learning and approaching challenges with an open mind, said Nadira.
“Of course you have (to learn) the technical hard skills, but you really need the soft skills to complement that,” she said, adding that the programme is also outstanding due to its seamless melding of expert international and Malaysian instructors, which provides the benefit of global exposure complemented by local contexts and perspectives.
She shared, “I’m trying to learn as much as I can in a short period of time, so I take it as a challenge and a mission to explore UX design, to find out whether it can let me find my ikigai, which is to find joy in life through purpose.”
Nadira went on to say that the skills, experience and learnings she walked away with were all valuable tools that will be applicable throughout her career.
For instance, Nadira’s experience with GA has broadened her outlook in embracing life-long learning and approaching challenges with an open mind, to find opportunities to make a difference, no matter the industry she works in.
Career outcomes
After graduation, Aisyah began searching for a career that would allow her to blend creativity and analytical skills. An internship experience that did not match her passion left her feeling unmotivated to continue a career in marketing until she discovered GA’s Digital Marketing bootcamp.
Siti Aisyah said she has learned more with GA than she did at her internship, which has changed her perspective on what marketing actually is.
“Before joining the GA course, I felt like I didn’t know what I wanted to do. But then I decided to learn digital marketing with GA and it has changed my perspective on what marketing actually is. I learned more with GA than I did at my internship,” she said.
Aisyah appreciated the interactivity, the engaging teaching style and the helpful instructors – all of which made it easy for a beginner like her to learn. She had expected to learn what digital marketing was. However, what exceeded Aisyah’s expectations was the hands-on experience learners gained from working on real-world problems.
“We were given guidance on how to handle the marketing tools itself and we actually had a final project where we had to pitch a business idea and curate a digital marketing plan. I got to create strategies and articulate them in a way that demonstrates my understanding.”
Reiterating how GA ‘was really interactive’, Aisyah said that she liked how she could communicate with experienced instructors, as well as meet like-minded people on the same path and with the same goals. The experience resulted in Aisyah finally finding a job she is passionate about.
“I have finally secured a job with an agency in KL and I’m just very thankful for what GA has provided me. Searching for a job during the pandemic was really tough upon graduation and I was quite clueless on how to go on. GA was a great support system in that phase of my life.”
To learn more about transitioning into digital careers ranging from data analytics to software engineering, visit General Assembly Malaysia’s website at www.akademiga.com.
