Tea meeting with UTAR President

Prof Chuah reminding graduands to keep a positive attitude during convocation

Graduands of March 2020 convocation not only enjoyed tea with UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, but they were also treated with great pieces of advice at the tea meeting, organised by Department of Alumni Relations and Placement (DARP) on 7 August 2019 at UTAR Kampar Campus.

Also present were Faculty of Science Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng, Faculty of Engineering and Green Technology Dean Assoc Prof Dr Yap Vooi Voon, Faculty of Arts and Social Science Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Dr Noew Hooi San, Faculty of Business and Finance Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Yew King Tak, Institute of Chinese Studies Deputy Dean for Student Development and Industrial Training Dr Ling Liong Ngo and DARP Head Lim Swea Jen.

Seated from left: Lim, Dr Lim, Dr Yap, Yew, Dr Ling and Dr Noew

Acknowledging that convocation is a significant event for both graduands and parents, Prof Chuah reminded graduands that convocation is also a formal event. On that note, he reminded them to dress appropriately and decently. He also emphasised that though convocation is a celebration of graduands’ academic achievements, he advised them to keep a positive attitude and avoid upsetting their parents on such a meaningful day.

When advising graduands on choosing a career, Prof Chuah reminded graduands that there is no absolute answer. “When you were younger, your parents made decisions for you. Now that you are about to graduate, it is important you understand what you want and make your own decisions. You need to weigh your judgements and think carefully on what you want to do after graduation,” advised Prof Chuah. He mentioned that some decisions that graduands will have to make include choosing to either further their studies or to work. If one chooses to work, he advised graduands that they will have to decide if they prefer to be self-employed or underemployment.

“Regardless of the choices and decisions you make, I want to advise graduands to be flexible. This is especially true when you are selecting a job. Do not be short-sighted and do not be overly selective. Know the opportunities offered to you and decide carefully,” advised Prof Chuah.

He enlightened graduands with some of the qualities that employers look for when hiring. The qualities were personalities, scholastic record and potential development, communication skills, experience, the ability to cooperate, recommendations, the standing of the University and salary expectation. Meanwhile, the traits that Prof Chuah listed as the reasons for graduands not getting hired were asking for unrealistic salary; being picky about the job or company; having poor character, attitude or personality; poor command in English; and poor communication skills.

However, he assured graduands by listing the personalities that employers look for in graduates. According to the survey done by JobStreet.com, the personalities include employees having the top five skills, which are leadership, technical, multi-tasking, communication and interpersonal skills. The survey also mentioned the top five attributes that make a good employee, which are reliability, trustworthiness, positive, independent and hard-working. Prof Chuah also included the top digital skills, namely digital marketing, e-commerce, big data and analytics.

On securing employment, Prof Chuah advised the graduands to do well in their interview, which includes preparing their resume completely and understanding the background of the company. He mentioned that it is important to know the role graduands are applying for and be prepared with the knowledge about the role by revising on the first two years’ subjects, final year projects and experiences from their industrial training. When attending the interview session, he advised graduands to dress formal, be punctual, alert, truthful and polite, and to communicate effectively. At the workplace, he advised graduands to be a good subordinate, practice good teamwork, ensure continuous professional development, prioritise organisational goals and always be ethical. 

Prof Chuah also reminded graduands that the Fourth Industrial Revolution poses threats, such as job inequality and social tension, but the threats can be overcome. In spite of these challenges, he listed some of the opportunities brought forth by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as a rise in global income, improving the quality of lives around the world and technological innovation that will offer long-term gains in efficiency and productivity. To ensure that graduands are prepared to face challenges and embrace opportunities, he listed the top 10 qualities a graduate should have in 2020. Among the qualities are complex problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, people management, coordination with others, emotional intelligence, judgement and decision-making, service orientation, negotiation and cognitive flexibility.

He reminded graduands to keep the university’s guiding principles and lastly advised them to seize opportunities, increase productivity, enhance one’s ability to compete in the global market and stay updated with the latest technological advances. He concluded by explaining the importance of human-nature interaction and advised them to maintain good human-to-human interaction. Graduands were also reminded to maintain a good attitude and be positive thinkers.

The graduands were also briefed by DARP and Department of Student Affairs on how they can stay in touch with the university after graduation, with hopes that they will sustain a strong network with the alumni community, and to be updated of the alumni association’s role.

Graduands listening attentively