Employment opportunities at FAS Industry Interaction Day

The organising committee

The 2019 FAS Industry Interaction Day was organised by Faculty of Arts and Social Science (FAS) on 8 August 2019 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

Held for the third time, the interaction day aimed to increase employability for graduating students and provide industry partners with a meeting ground to connect and scout for talents. Participants also benefitted with opportunities to create networks with participating companies, while the information provided at the companies’ booths enabled participants to learn more about their future employers.

The participating companies included Brand Soul Consultancy, Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia, Westlake International School, 28M Creation Sdn Bhd, Millennium Software Sdn Bhd, SNS Network, Owlting, Lofty Pinnacle Management Sdn Bhd, Xcalibur Digital (Times Media), Love and Love Wedding and Events Company, 99 Speed Mart Sdn Bhd, Navi J Production, Team Some Sdn Bhd, EcoKnights, iOli Communications Sdn Bhd, Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad, Schawk Imaging Sdn Bhd, Grand Kampar Hotel and Ironman Trading Sdn Bhd.

Not limited to booth visits, participants also obtained valuable advice and insights on the working world at the seven parallel talks organised. The talks included “Company and Product Information” by SNS Network; “The Art of Communication is the Essence of Life” by Team Some Sdn Bhd; “Becoming a Bullet-proof Mass Communication Graduate & Thrive in Any Industry” by Brand Soul Consultancy; “Stand Out Digitally: How to Get Yourself Hired Using Digital Media” by Xcalibur Digital; “Resume Writing” by Head of Master of Philosophy (Social Science) Programme Foong Soon Seng; “Value (Value of the event / How to create value)” by Navi J Production Event Management and lastly “Job Opportunities in an NGO” by Breast Cancer Welfare Association Malaysia.

While the various speakers enlightened participants with background information about their companies, the companies’ functions and roles, and the successful projects conducted by the respective companies, all speakers emphasised the importance of soft skills, particularly communication skill.

Speaker, Founder and Brand & Marketing Specialist Stella Wong, advised, “A well-rounded mass communication personnel should have a combined role of a speaker or presenter, designer, marketing specialist, digital marketing specialist and most importantly a humble person.”

She further advised, “Regardless of whether you are a fresh graduate or an experienced employee, learning is continuous, and that said, it is important that you remain humble. Humble in a sense of willingness to learn and ask if you are unsure. Cliché as it sounds, you must step out of your comfort zone to achieve certain successes. A personal strategy of mine to help my self-learning is to pick up one thing to learn every morning. We must always learn new things because the world is changing and you must always improve yourself to survive in the competitive world.”

Another speaker, Russell Ganesh of Xcalibur Digital enlightened participants with the top five traits employers look for in a candidate. The traits included problem-solving skills (creativity), communication skills (soft skills), ability to work independently (independence), willingness to learn (flexibility and scaling) and ability to work under pressure (responsibility and meeting deadlines).

On improving employability using digital marketing, Russell listed four key points, namely maximise your reach, treat yourself as a brand, get creative with your pitch and give a little to get a lot.

Other speakers have likewise expressed their concern for students to improve their presentation skills. They questioned the participants’ abilities to convince their potential employers if they are unable to speak with confidence. The speakers reminded participants that they must be able to stand out from the rest of the potential candidates. Participants were also advised to leverage their value and explain to potential employers on how their value can contribute to the company. They were reminded that good academic performance and hard skills alone are insufficient to convince their potential employers, rather, participants need to explain to their potential employers on how their value and attitude can contribute to the company. Therefore, the speakers emphasised the need for participants to enhance their presentation skills.

“The talk by Xcalibur Digital was very enlightening. I have always heard about digital marketing but never understood its application for job employment. Now I understand better and I am aware of the relevant skills I need to acquire, in digital marketing, for a good career prospect. I am glad that such talks were organised for us students,” said Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Advertising student Tee Kai Xuan.

The resume writing talk was very timely because I will be looking for internship placement next January. The information was very useful and it provided me with the necessary information to prepare my resume correctly. This is important because my resume needs to stand out among so many potential candidates, therefore I am grateful to have attended the talk,” said Bachelor of Communication (Hons) Advertising student Lim Yong Sen.                   

Participating companies at their respective booths