On 18 August 2021, the Department of
Alumni Relations and Placement (DARP) organised its first-ever virtual
“Post Graduate Study Workshop” via Microsoft Teams. It was moderated by DARP
Senior Assistant Manager Lee Wan Poh.
Invited to be the main speaker for the workshop was Institute of
Postgraduate Studies & Research of Kampar Campus Deputy Director-cum-Faculty
of Business and Finance (FBF) Head of Centre for MBA Studies Dr Chong Yee
Lee. She presented “The path in taking postgraduate degree- Share my
experience”.
Dr Chong sharing why she chose to take a postgraduate degree
Dr Chong began her sharing session by congratulating the participants. She
said, “Congratulations on completing your bachelor’s degree. You may have
already started to work just like me. I
am looking for an opportunity to enhance my career options further; a job
promotion or a chance to go to a different area.” She then shared the
experience of her postgraduate journey.
Sharing about the benefits of obtaining a master’s degree, she said,
“Obtaining a master’s degree is a great way to enhance your CV as well as
your job career. When a company wants to hire a potential candidate, they
will first look at your academic background. So you must at least have a
bachelor’s degree. It would be better if you have a master’s degree because
they would look through your CV first. Then, they will look at your working
experience. Of course, the way you write your CV is also very important;
what are they looking for is maturity. You must have mature thinking. You
must have the efficacy and you must know how to handle different jobs.”
Dr Chong then explained the different types of master’s degrees and PhD
degrees. She said, “Different structures give you different types of skills.
That could help you in your academic and your future career. Every stage of
education level provides different teaching and learning efficacy. In
master’s and PhD degrees, it is not only about absorbing but also
evaluating, appraising and creating new ideas. So master’s and PhD degrees
focus more on the application; you apply the theoretical knowledge. If you
are working then you can see whether it applies to your work. You learn more
from the postgraduate degree. It enhances your personal development and your
confidence level.”
Sharing on the importance of networking, she said, “Networking makes you
feel happier and more cherished. Your networking members are important to
you because they may help you in developing your career in the future.”
She then concluded her sharing session and said, “If you want to pursue a
PhD degree, a master’s degree is able to help you to continue to that level
and we also allow for transfer. Meaning you can register for a master’s
degree and if you perform well and meet the minimum requirement, you can
transfer to a doctorate.”
The workshop then continued with the panellists’ session where they were
invited to share their expertise and knowledge and answer the questions
raised by the participants. The invited panellists were FBF Dean Assoc Prof
Dr Au Yong Hui Nee, Faculty of Arts and Social Science Deputy Dean for R&D
and Postgraduate Programmes Dr Foong Soon Seng, Head of Programme for Master
of Philosophy (Social Science) Dr Pragash Muthu Rajan, Department of
Languages and Linguistics Dr Gerard Sagaya Raj A Rajoo, Faculty of
Engineering and Green Technology Department of Electronic Engineering
lecturer Ong Yew Fai and Division of Programme Promotion Malaysian Student
Recruitment Assistant Manager Norlaila binti Ismail.
Some of the panellists answering questions from the participants
Clockwise from top left: Dr Au Yong, Dr Foong, Norlaila and Dr Pragash
A group photo session with Dr Chong (top row, middle), panellists and
participants
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