6 Steps Graduates Can Take

Too many parties have now been talking and discussing about the unemployment issue among the graduates in Malaysia such that we can probably compile all the findings and arguments into a stack of PhD dissertations.

For fresh graduates and graduating students, it’s probably better not to spend more time finding scapegoat, pinpointing people and complain.

Rather, find ways how you can start improving yourself, make self discovery and hopefully not become part of the unemployment statistics.

Here are 6 steps graduates can take to make a head start:

1. Discover yourself

If, for the past 20 years or so most of the decisions have been dictated by your parents, siblings, friends, teachers, neighbours and so on, it’s time to take a good look on the mirror, and ask questions like:

“What do I want to achieve in life? What is my real ambition?”

“I was told to go to study hard so that I can become an Engineer. Wait a minute. Do I really want to be an engineer?”

“I am here for a purpose. What’s my purpose?”

Evaluate your personality, aptitude, likes and dislikes by taking personality assessment or simply making a list.

2. Define your ideal career style

Play around and draw a chart on how your ideal career style will look like. Does working in an 8 hour rotational shift sound like an acceptable work style to you? What about intensive traveling (some people always tell they are all excited about this but wait until they are in midst of it, it is not always a beautiful thing); is it something that you look forward to?

Is working in uniform making you uncomfortable? Go back to your aptitude test result and re-read between the lines. You’d probably discover that you you’re best working in a team rather than working alone. Once you have a picture how your career style would be, the transition process of entering the real world would be easier, since you know what works for you, and what won’t.

3. Read self help materials

Some youths are obsessed with romantic and fictional novels with local authors such as Matt Romeo, Ahadiat Akashah, Aisya Sofea and Damya Hanna making big name in the industry. This is a good start, but why not expand it further to get to know local and international self-help authors such as Fadzilah Kamsah, HM Tuah, Azizi Ali, Tengku Asmadi, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Jack Canfield, Anthony Robbins and many more. Again, this helps you making self discovery on your strengths, likes and dislikes, and defining what you want to do in life. If you’re so kam siap to spend RM40 for a book, surf the internet and make use of the free information there.

4. Play real football, not play station

Games are not only meant for geek, but if you spend your time too long toying with them, you risk becoming one. So get out of the room and involve yourself in outdoor activities that encourage social interaction and shape up your real personality. Go hiking, play futsal, run bridge marathon, join canoe trip and so on. Choose your own favorite games and activities, and play all out with real people, in real place and get new real friends. You will improve your communication skills, and expand your network horizon.

5. Reject parents’ money

This is probably the hardest thing to do. Without money, there will be less things to buy, and less food to eat. But you’re not going to die. You will start appreciating things that you don’t have, and if you really want things so badly now, you will simulate brain activities and think hard how you want to get the money by yourself.

If this is too difficult for you, to make a start, take half of the money your parents give, keep half of it, and return the other half back to your mother. Sometimes our parents have their own financial difficulties but being parents, they never want let us know. We just have to learn it by ourselves.

6. Find training/internship, even for free

One of the first things evaluated by the employers is the work experience, and this is applicable even if the job candidate is a fresh graduate. For obvious reason, those with training, internship and part time work exposure will be preferred. Better, the work experience is similar to the industry you are joining. So, rather than spending the 3 months of your semester break in your auntie’s holiday apartment, find ways how you can break into the real employment world, albeit for a short period of time.