Reading an article in the Sundaily today tells me about the new survival skills for graduates these days.
In a nutshell, it reckons a good command of Englis;h which actually incorporates the critical thinking skills and global knowledge, is the premise to landing a good job.
Sadly, the graduates being churned out from the educational system in Malaysia is everything except that being demanded by industry.
Their almost totally inadequate grasp of the English language has caused them to communicate badly thus giving the worst first impression one can ever give to a prospecting employer.
There are graduates that fit the specifications of industry but they are oftentimes not the pedigreed product of the dysfunctional educational system.They have picked up language competency on their own, superb communication skills and current global knowledge by way of general interest exposure.
Just thinking through using the 6 Ws and the one H has proven difficult due to the poor command of expressive English. Self confidence is missing and they failed to impress. One First Class graduate from a premier university could not even answer a simple question orally and suggested instead that he be allowed to answer all questions in Bahasa Nalaysia instead.Then, there was another employer that dispensed with interviews and asked that applicants write essays instead in their conference room. The result was no better.
So, it is little wonder that 6 out of 10 graduates take at leaset 6 months before they can land a job. The other 40% will need to wait much longer and may be given lower pay if they get a job. The lower pay is the price the graduate has to pay for in-service training.
That 7 out of 10 graduates failed the English competency test set by prospective employers speaks volumes for such graduates.
As for general knowledge, one graduate even said that Cairo is in Indonesia.
Hong Leong Bank chief human resources officer Ramon Chelvarajasingam said many of the new graduates emerging from the Malaysian education system lack the critical thinking skills required to keep up in a world that is constantly changing and becoming increasingly competitive.
"New technologies and methodologies are forcing people to operate beyond their comfort zone. In our competitor nations, the young professionals are more advanced in critical thinking, innovation, thinking out of the box and have continuous development initiatives compared within Malaysia," he pointed out.
He added that today, most employers are looking for graduates with a high level of confidence who are exposed to niche areas outside of their academic studies.
"These new graduates won't give you textbook answers, but will, through their answers, display a global mindset and show understanding of moving trends in the world. Employers are usually prepared to pay a higher salary to get these 'global associates' onboard," Ramon said.
Prospect Consulting Sdn Bhd director Nina Adlan, who provides advisory services to educational institutions aiming to set up branch campuses in Malaysia, said she has observed 'a disconnect' between what graduates put down on their curriculum vitae and what they are like in reality.
"When we hire, we consider the way graduates converse and portray themselves to be more important than what's in the CV. What's the point in having good academic results when they can't communicate, can't conduct a proper conversation and have no confidence?" she said.
Ramon said education institutions need to create a 'learning environment' that combines an experiential approach and exposure to knowledge that extends beyond the scope of academic theory.
"Textbook stuff doesn't help them face the challenges of businesses that are constantly evolving. They need to be exposed to changing trends and behaviours, and to be taught skills like creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and adaptability.
"They also need to be taught how to be globally aware, which is how to link what they learn to what is happening around the world," he said.
Nina said if Malaysia is to produce more employable graduates with creative and problem-solving skills, all parties involved in education should work together to create a culture that places a high value on critical thinking and creativity to replace the current one which focuses on information transfer and academic results.
She pointed out that graduates who attend interviews more often than not are asked questions which require them to "think out of the box" which requires critical thinking ability.
An Internet check on the most frequently asked interview questions provides an insight into the "real world" out there.
With questions such as: What do you look for in a job? Why should we hire you? Define success at work? How do you feel that your education has prepared you for this job? to Why is a manhole cover round? Nina said the grounding, for the future generation to handle these and other questions and to be in a position to handle work situations without having to literally flip through a manual (if there is one), is to lay a strong foundation at the school level for them to be able to come up with strategies and solutions that can be unique and appropriate for each situation.
This, she insisted, would help pave the way to achieve Malaysia's quest to become a developed nation with the necessary manpower that would meet the industries' and the country's requirements.
I think those in the universities and colleges have to seriously consider improving their command of English so that they can excel at interviews and at the work-place.
Nothing less will do these days.
