Southampton Malaysia, British Council host successful Career Guidance Workshop

Students of Southampton Malaysia, Reading and Newcastle gained a greater understanding of British education and its boundless opportunities during a Study UK Career Guidance workshop at the Educity Multivarsity Complex, Johor, last Saturday, 23 February 2019.

Catered to senior year students and alumni of UK universities, the workshop aims to help participants improve their personal branding through a strong Linkedin profile, and expand their industry network. Funded by the British Council Malaysia and supported by the University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM), the programme included a forum discussion featuring Southampton Malaysia alumni: Isaac Lim Shoon Yik and Syed Emir Bin Syed Mohar, both of which are engineers based in Kuala Lumpur.

During the forum discussion, one of the participants asked if there were opportunities for Asian students to find internships and secure jobs in the UK.

‘’In the UK, opportunities are present all around you,’’ said Isaac who is a process project engineer at GE Healthcare. ‘’There are many new and exciting clubs to join as well as career fairs for you to explore. You just need to learn how to identify them and know yourself, and make a conscious effort to push forward. It is through this way you can create your own opportunities as well as spot the ones that fit what you are aspiring to achieve.’’

Emir, a tunnel (plant) engineer at Gamuda encourages students to get out of their comfort zone, discover and understand new cultures. His advice to students: ‘’It is important to take time to genuinely connect and effectively communicate with others, instead of having a one-track mind for building an opportunity for yourself. Most universities such as Southampton offer many opportunities for students to hone their varied and unique interests.’’ He believes that by not holding anything too tightly, students can open up themselves to overseas opportunities that may not have even been available back at home.

Communicating ideas effectively

Coach Performance Koh Mui Han of ChangeDynamics Consulting says when conducting interviews, a big number of job applicants can barely introduce themselves. He adds that looking at their resumes, there is still a lot to be done to equip them with soft skills on how to go about many things like job interviews. ‘’Most of them know what they want but are unable to express themselves or the way they make presentations, is still something that needs improvement.’’

Likewise, Isaac notes that by the time students leave for the UK, they have the best education experience, which pushes them towards further personal investment and growth. ‘At Southampton, we are offered the opportunity to work collaboratively with one another.  By working with people from different backgrounds and communication styles, it helps bring out the unique strengths of each team member.’’

‘’Honestly, don’t be shy in applying. Don’t tell yourself that this job is too big for you, that you should settle for the job that is already waiting for but you are not interested in,’’ says Emir. ‘’Be brave but not brash, research thoroughly and carefully about the industry and company you are planning to apply for, touch up on your people skills (super important) and communication, and most importantly don’t be discouraged when you get rejected! Every rejection is a step for improvement that could bring you one step closer to the employment that you want.’’