Technology is fast-evolving and is predicted to significantly affect the way Malaysians work in the future. The idea of robots taking over jobs can easily overwhelm graduates as they worry about what the future will bring. Taking a smarter approach by strategising may help to future-proof their careers.
To future-proof their career, students need to take extra steps to adapt and expand existing skillsets in order to be highly valuable to employers. Furthermore, to stay relevant in the digital economy, it helps to reskill and upskill, making learning a lifelong process.
Forum moderator Jasmine Mun pictured with panellists Raymond Devadass, Chief Executive Officer of Daythree, Lim Chee Gay, Group Chief Human Resource Officer of TDCX, Liza Sahar, Head of Regional Talent Acquisition of CIMB, and Shaun Lee, Penang COE Site Leader and Global Order Management Director of HIS Markit.
In a recent five-day INTI Digital Career Fair, speakers from the CIMB Group, Daythree, TDCX, and IHS Markit were invited to share their thoughts during a closing forum titled “Strategies to Future-Proof Your Career”. Students who participated greatly benefitted from the session as they got tips on how to adapt to changes that will inevitably change the workplace.
According to Raymond Devadass, Chief Executive Officer of Daythree, building professional networks is extremely important and can be part of the graduate’s proposition.
“In today’s competitive marketplace, networking is important as it will help graduates advance in their career and gives them access to more job opportunities. At the same time, graduates need to start crafting their personal branding to highlight their unique skills. Today’s employers may look to hire employees who not only have technical skills but also strong critical thinking skills, can speak fluently, and also knows how to interact.” he said.
Lim Chee Gay, Group Chief Human Resource Officer of TDCX, further emphasised that graduates need to remain tech-savvy instead of tech-averse and stay connected.
“Graduates should digitize their profile and keep up with the digital trends. Invest the necessary time on online platforms available such as Facebook, LinkedIn, virtual seminars, and even career fairs for job openings or professional networking opportunities.” he added.
Liza Sahar, CIMB’s Head of Regional Talent Acquisition, highlighted Design Thinking modules as essential as they give students an opportunity to look at problems from a different perspective. Using creativity, students can then figure out how to address existing issues.
INTI Digital Career Fair- Closing Forum Group Photo
“It is important for graduates to get involved in the Design Thinking initiative. With hands-on experience, graduates will get direct coaching and mentoring from future employers who will potentially hire you since they already know your abilities. Other than growing your network on LinkedIn to showcase your profile, graduates should use this platform to understand their strengths, weaknesses and, most importantly, find what excites them, which they can only know once they are in the field and doing it. In fact, through this initiative by INTI, graduates can test and figure out their career passion even before starting their working life,” she said.
Meanwhile, Naomi Yang, Assistant Vice President of Career Services at INTI International University & Colleges, said INTI is pleased to have partnered with GTI Media to host an event which provides students and soon-to-be graduates with the chance to score job offers and gain insights from top employers.
“At INTI, we continue to prepare our graduates for the future through initiatives such as career fairs, employer projects, and more. During a time when the employment market is competitive, students can take advantage of events like this to polish their interview skills and ask for advice from people in the industry. We hope participants enjoyed these sessions and we look forward to more in the future!” she concluded.