Tea meeting with UTAR President

Having tea meeting with UTAR President Ir Prof Academician Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik gave the graduands of August 2019 Convocation a great chance to gain advice that would help them in preparing their journey towards their career and future undertakings. The tea meeting, organised by the Deprtment of Alumni Relations and Placement (DARP), was held at Sungai Long Campus on 19 February 2019.

Also present at the event were Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science Dean Prof Ir Dr Goi Bok Min, Faculty of Accountancy and Management Dean Dr Sia Bee Chuan, Academic Development and Undergraduate Programmes Assoc Prof Thinavan Periyayya, lecturers and students.

Prof Chuah advising the students to continuously improve themselves

In his speech, Prof Chuah reminded the students to appreciate all the sacrifices and supports given by their loved ones. He said, “Convocation is not just meant for you, but also for your family, friends and guardians. You should make them happy and proud of you.” He also advised the students to be decisive in choosing their career, and learn to grow up as well as master the art of decision-making. “It is important to think about your future plans and goals to prepare yourself for potential future advancement,” he said.

He also urged the students to recognise the advantages of being a Malaysian, as people living in this multicultural environment have been equipped with the capabilities to converse in different languages. “Being multilingual would help you when it comes to networking with your potential client. You could act as a go-between to link them to your company when you are able to speak and connect with them in their preferred language,” he said, adding that another reason for foreign companies to recruit UTAR students was because they have the ability to adapt to the changes and fit in well with a new environment.

Besides, he also highlighted the importance of cultural intelligence and explained how it could help a student gain a competitive edge in whatever cultural context they are in. He said, “You must know your own strength and capitalise it. Go and work anywhere when the opportunity arises, but remember to return to your home country and make contributions.” He encouraged the students to give back to society and explained how alumni could play a crucial role in improving the University and its ranking.

Moreover, he advised the students to prepare well for their interview. He suggested the students to do some background research on the company and figure out their salary range before they attend the interview. Sharing the employer’s perception towards the standards of fresh graduates in Malaysia, he listed the main reasons of unemployment among fresh graduates which included poor communication skills, poor command of English, poor character/attitude, choosy about the job or company, and ask for unrealistic salary or benefits.

When talking about the waves of technology revolution, Prof Chuah commented that everything has become much faster in speed and wider in scope. He said, “The digital revolution has come across every profession. People are more informative and have a higher expectation than before. As the world becomes increasingly borderless, capturing the opportunities that arise could possibly make you a millionaire.”

The participants at Sungai Long Campus