Wake up and smell the coffee

If you woke up this Sunday (6th November 2005) with your cup of coffee and favourite morning daily, you’ll be confronted with ‘SHOCKING: RM100 million down the drain’ on your Sunday Times, and ‘Graduates sing the blues’ on the Sunday Star on its front page.

If you’re an unemployed fresh graduate you’d be disgruntled, and as a parent of an unemployed graduate son/daughter, you’d be ‘wondering what it takes for my kid to get a job these days?’.

Over the many years as an employee and now an employer, not much has changed. It still takes hard work, the right kind of attitude (commitment and passion) and the right kind of qualification. But I had the privilege of experiencing quite a wide spectrum in my career, both in advertising and in technology.

In 1989 when I first joined the workforce, I had nothing but a diploma and had to take what was available. I started from the bottom of the pile, to work through the ranks. By 2001, I believed that I had already hit the glass ceiling, and opted to further my studies, pursing my Masters in Technology Management with the Staffordshire University, UK.

During which time I found myself in a dilemma, as an unemployed full-time student I had more business propositions thrown to me during my first 3 months studying. As fate had it, I started a small technology company, Digital Commerce Malaysia, while continuing my studies. It was during the first 3 years of running my new business that I had not only become a businessman, but also an employer. I had to manage all the diversity of employees, partners and shareholders.

All I can say is, I cannot deny some of the truths reported by Ng Cheng Yee, Royce Cheah and Lisa Goh, in the Special Report by Sunday Star. I have had first hand experience in dealing with young graduates that seek easy jobs, that they should not be inconvenienced by their work and that some graduates are just not hungry enough. And if I may add, some seek relatively high salary for little experience and knowledge.

A career in Interactive & Technology: The ICT, technology and interactive environment faces a greater challenge in the coming years.

The current syllabus in ICT and most graduate programmes are just not sufficient to develop new talents to help add value to the industry. While getting a degree in ICT provides you with the basic essentials of understanding technology, it is still not specialized enough to provide the diversity the industry needs.

As an ICT and technology employer, I have found that some marketing graduates do not have the right knowledge to market technology products and solutions, while ICT graduates are not equipped to handle sales or marketing. It is a catch-22 situation. An enormous amount of re-training, grooming and guidance is still required to build the right kind of knowledge workers.

In my most recent encounter at MDC-TEF, it was brought to my attention that there are approximately 13-15,000 unemployed ICT graduates in Malaysia. And as reported by the Sunday Star, there are some 60,000 graduates who are unemployed in the country.

Technology is probably evolving faster than most industries. A graduate in ICT who is unemployed longer than 6-12 months is likely to be left behind in new developments. New software’s and tools are continually being introduced. Certifications expire. By the time they are employed, the employer is probably required to re-train the employee to equip them the latest and right kind of knowledge to enable these graduates to begin work.

My advise: If you are an ICT graduate, it is important that you keep abreast with technology developments. Be prepared to take on jobs that enable you to practice what you have learnt, as a stepping stone. Even if the pay package is unsuitable. If you miss that train, you’ll find it even more difficult to catch up.

Be focus on what you want to become.

In technology you need to decide on what you’re most equip to do; marketing, sales, support, project management, development (programming) etc. Focus on core areas of in the tech food chain. Know your personal strengths.

Just like the advertising industry, back in the early 90s, there were no specific graduate programmes in account servicing or management. The industry hired either marketing or design-advertising graduates. Most advertising agencies had to groom and train the new graduates. There were few mass communication graduate programmes available then. I came from a creative and design background, but I moved into account servicing as I found it more suitable to me.

Just because you have been issued a driving license, it does not necessarily make you a good driver.

Look for employers that will provide you with relevant training that would enhance your career. Getting a degree is like being issued a dog tag in the army. But to claim to be ‘real’ soldier, you need field experience.

In a nutshell, as a fresh graduate experience is what you seek.
#1: Pick the right kind of company that will offer you the right kind of exposure, training and knowledge.
#2: There must be a career prospect. Ask your employer what are your prospects in the coming year(s).
#3: Going somewhere, but heading nowhere. Don’t get distracted to non-related industries. Never sign-up for MLM while looking for a job – Hey! It’s a great way to make a quick buck, it does not help your cause when you lose touch with your fundamentals.
#4: How much salary is too little? If that’s what your friends claims they are getting paid it’s probably too much. Honestly, if you are good at what you do and you show the right kind of attitude and commitment, most employers will appreciate your contribution. And you will be rewarded accordingly.
#5: Pick an organization that has the right kind of culture, that will help you grow as a person.
#6: Salary is secondary. It’s just a matter of time you will get what you seek.

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