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TRYING to make yourself stand out in a sea of graduates looking for jobs is tricky. Over the past years, a candidate’s view on recruitment has changed rapidly, from passively looking for a position in newspapers to actively looking for jobs via the Internet.

Hiring is becoming smarter, making recruitment easier and more effective via online selection.

In the digital age, a LinkedIn profile can be a good way to find work experience and other opportunities alongside your studies.

It is a platform to build a positive online presence for yourself by establishing a digital presence, demonstrating what makes you standout and reaching out to potential employers.

It can be a key way to build up contacts while still at university.

DON’T GET LEFT BEHIND

Featured as the Youngest Most Inspirational LinkedIn Icon in Malaysia in 2018 and this year, Gholamali Shamskhoozani Alish is the man behind LinkedIn Local Kuala Lumpur (LLKL), a series of professional networking events held in Kuala Lumpur since 2017 alongside more than 1,000 cities in the world.

Better known as Alish, he said the aim of this movement is to connect in an ad-free genuine platform where hard selling, promotional talks, multi-level marketing, ads spamming and such are prohibited at #linkedInLocalKL events.

“Among social platforms, LinkedIn is the only platform that’s professional and employers do check it out for hiring purposes, making it the highest rated platform that is worth spending time on to build online presence.

“This is true even for students so they can connect with future employers or meet experts who can mentor them and guide them in various matters such as internship and referral letters.

“As LinkedIn is becoming more popular and used worldwide, it’s important for everyone including youths to utilise its power.

“Many employers do not ask for curriculum vitae anymore, they just require your LinkedIn URL.

That’s because there’s a lot more information in our LinkedIn account that cannot fit in to a two-page CV.

“The information includes insights that you share publicly, endorsements of your skills, recommendations and more. As such, without a LinkedIn profile, you cannot articulate as well as you can with it.

“In other words, don’t get left behind; use LinkedIn to build online presence and impress your future employer,” added Alish,head organiser and host of LLKL events.

In addition to options for employers to post jobs, many recruiters advertise vacancies on LinkedIn.

For example, the informal job advertisement could be something like “Guys, we’re recruiting for position X. If you’re interested or know anyone who is, comment below or message us”.

“This is even more effective than an online job portal because you deal with humans here, which means you can follow up with them or ask questions if any.

“The filtering process at some online job portals may not be accurate since candidates are judged based on basic info, without even a simple background on them.”

Having partnered with reputable brands such as IBM and Fave, LLKL has become one of the main platforms to “meet the people behind the profiles”, and get to know each other effectively for business collaborations, sharing sessions and discussions.

“Each event includes a panel discussion on different topics and panellists who can help you grow your business.”

Alish has been invited to universities in the country such as Heriot-Watt University, Taylor’s University, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Limkokwing University of Creative Technology to conduct youth-related workshops and talks for students.

The Syrian Community-UTM held the most recent workshop at the university last month. Titled Getting Spotted and Hired Through LinkedIn, the workshopcovered a basic introduction to LinkedIn as well as tips on establishing personal branding, creating professional content, building influence online and connecting with the right network on the platform.

Conducted by Alish, the first session of the work shop dealt with incorrect perceptions of LinkedIn and creating a strong profile from scratch.

“Some think it’s a job platform or they only need to create a profile when they graduate.

“The truth is, especially for students, it’s a need so when they graduate, they can reach out to a wide professional network with an excellent online presence that can help their profiles to stand out with a good ranking in Search Engine Optimisation, a website’s position in the search engine results page.”

The second session elaborated on topics such as personal branding, building a wide yet relevant network and the art of creating content.

Finally, Alish assigned a task to all attendees to check if everyone was on the same page.

“The task seemed to be simple — post about the workshop on their profile within five minutes. It could be something they learnt, a summary of the workshop or someone they met for the first time there.

“Some struggled with writing their postings but they finally did it. Taking the first step is usually the hardest part but it must be taken. Otherwise, we can’t reach our goal,” he added.

SHARING EXPERIENCE

A LinkedIn member for many years, Radhika Gautam Gunaji, 28, who is pursuing doctoral studies in petroleum engineering at UTM in Johor Baru, said she is well-acquainted with the professional networking platform and is intrigued by new things she can learn from it.

“I wanted to know how to reach out to more professionals and recruiters via LinkedIn. This will help me in my job hunt after I graduate and build a stronger network with the industry,” she said.

Radhika said major recruiters around the globe use online screening to hire the right candidate for their firms or clients.

“LinkedIn allows me to highlight my achievements and skills at a platform that has gained credibility through years of service to professionals.

“I learn from different people by tracking their activities and who they follow that will help me promote my profile across a wide range of professionals as I have diverse experience.

“I hope to improve my profile with more certifications and recommendations,” she added.

In September 2018, International Student Society-Syria Chapter president Magd Al Sayed Wahbe and his fellow countrymen from Syria formed the Syrian community at UTM in Johor Baru as they felt the need to gather the students under a society where they can meet, learn and share their experiences, and raise awareness of knowledge and soft skills essential to the future.

“We organised the LinkedIn workshop in partnership with LinkedIn Local Society to introduce LinkedIn as a global network for professional people to students and make them aware of its importance.

“We want to make sure each student has a professional profile ready when looking for job and encourage students to use LinkedIn as a daily networking platform.

“During the workshop, students learnt the difference between LinkedIn and other networking platforms, and how to set each section in the LinkedIn profile in professional way, post and discover elite people profiles.

“By the end of the day, students knew how to represent themselves better in LinkedIn and they began to rethink their future among professional people.

“We advised them that this is the perfect time to invest in themselves via participation in clubs and societies to enrich their knowledge.

“This is the time to think about how to build their career path such as finding an internship,” added Magd.

Chemical engineering student Monabbir Hasan Arnab, 20, said: “We can get the right connection with people in the same field. Now I know how to navigate LinkedIn.

“My two posts have reached out to so many people and my connection has increased to more than 80 people within a few days,” he added.

Shakir Mahmud, 20, attended the workshop as a guide to apply for jobs and internships. He learnt to create a unique look or personal branding.

“I learnt that by focusing on one particular field of work and mentioning it in any of your posts onLinkedIn help to market your brand,” said the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Aeronautics) student.

As for Estiaq Ahmed, 20, he is confident that his profile will attract more connections.

“I am now up-to-date on organisations, which are hiring and looking for interns, as well as job placements which are suitable for my qualification,” said Estiaq, who is studying electrical electronics.

Aamer Al Khateeb, 24, said he knew that LinkedIn is a platform to help professionals to preview their experiences and allow others, either companies or individuals, to know about them in-depth, but he never gave it a try.

“But with the help of a facilitator who gave me the tools and steps to be a successful LinkedIn user, I am on my way to setting my career pathway,” said the Master’s in Mechatronics and Automatic Control student.

GUIDE TO JOB SEARCH

LinkedIn Southeast Asia and North Asia head of communications Linda Lee said the social media platform is a fresh graduate’s guide to job search.

For Malaysian graduates entering the workforce for the first time on the lookout for job openings, LinkedIn has the community to help them find the right one depending on their skills and interests.

“Whether you’re just starting your career or on a journey to pursue fulfillment and meaning at work, now is a great time to find the right job for you.

“We have 20 millions jobs including entry-level roles,” she added.

Lee offered advice to help prepare for each step of the job search.

Firstly, establish a “Digital Presence That Reflects Who You Are” by asking yourself what drove you to pursue your degree? What are you “in it” for?

“Knowing these answers is crucial to finding the right job for you. Then create your LinkedIn profile and use the summary section to share a little bit more about yourself and skills, learning and experiences that make you unique.

“More than just a resume, your LinkedIn profile creates a great opportunity to make you standout.

It’s one of the top things recruiters using LinkedIn every day look at when viewing your profile.”

Secondly, “Look Beyond Your Degree or Qualification”.

“A degree can take you places, but it doesn’t dictate your career path. Keep in mind what is most important to you, and find it. Your degree or qualification can open up opportunities to land a variety of types of jobs beyond your major.

“If there are new skills you want to learn or improve on, online platforms such as LinkedIn Learning can help you get started. Learning doesn’t stop at graduation.

“Thirdly, ‘Explore Jobs on LinkedIn’. Take advantage of LinkedIn’s job search filters to narrow your search by industry, function and experience, and then use the open search box to add key phrases to find the right job for you.

“Discovering new jobs on LinkedIn has never been easier with ‘Instant Job Notifications’ and ‘Job Title Highlights’.”

Fourthly, “Connect with People in Your Network Who Can Help” by taking a good look at their LinkedIn community to see if they have any connections who work at companies that interest you.

“These professionals can be key to helping you find and land the job you want. Professionals on LinkedIn are four times more likely to get a call from a recruiter and nine times more likely to get hired when they’ve been referred by a connection than if they apply without a referral.

“And, fifthly, ‘Make a Good Impression’ by getting to know more about the company you wish to be part of. It can guide you on what it takes to get hired and succeed there. The website and company page on LinkedIn and other online resources can provide rich information and background.

“What’s important is that you know the steps to take on your journey to a successful and rewarding career. Be authentic, stay true to your values, call out what makes you different from the crowd and lean on your community for support.”

LinkedIn Asia Pacific managing director Olivier Legrand said the company aims to strengthen its offerings for small and medium business customers in Malaysia.

“It is not just a platform for individuals, it also offers a range of services for businesses to hire better and faster, insights that can help them make smarter decisions about things that are happening around them in real time and more.ng smarter, making recruitment easier and more effective via online selection. Archive image for illustration purposes only.

THE incident of May 13, 1969 had been regarded by most historians, political scientists and sociologists as an event symbolising “the worst racial riot” in the history of Malaysia’s post-independence period.

Analysed from the perspective of security studies, however, the incident was a testimony to Malaysia’s political and societal insecurities experienced by our people in the aftermath of the 3rd General Election.

In his book, People, State and Fear (1991), Barry Buzan explained that “political security concerns the organisational stability of states, systems of government and the ideologies that give them legitimacy”. He also stated that “societal security concerns the sustainability, within acceptable conditions for evolution, of traditional patterns of language, culture and religious and national identity and customs”

The May 13 incident threatened Malaysia’s political security because it had disrupted our system of parliamentary democracy; and had affected the day-to-day management of our country through the cabinet system. Its threat to democracy was reflected by the suspension of the Malaysian Parliament. Its impact on the country’s management system was evidenced by the setting up of the National Operations Council (NOC) as an emergency government.

The above were enforced from May 1969 until the restoration of democratic rule in 1971. Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, the then home affairs minister, said that within the above period, “democracy is dead in this country. It died at the hands of the opposition parties who triggered off the events leading to this violence” (The Straits Times, May 19, 1969).

Whether this statement was correct or otherwise, the fact remains that the May 13 incident had truly damaged Malaysia’s national unity, religious harmony, public order and national security.

Arjunan Narayanan and Kamarulnizam Abdullah, on the other hand, wrote in Keselamatan Nasional Malaysia (2013), “the incident of May 13, 1969 communal crisis was the turning point in Malaysia’s political system”. It had changed “the structure of Malaysia’s race relations”. More importantly, “it had brought about a new transformation to Malaysia’s nation-building process”.

The incident also had jeopardised Malaysia’s societal security. In his book, May 13, 1969: A Historical Survey of Sino-Malay Relations (1983), Leon Comber said that “the government acknowledged that the riots were caused by “ethnic polarisation and animosity”. This was because the incident was believed to have resulted from intense politicking in GE3, particularly on Article 3 about Islam as the religion of the Federation, Article 152 on Bahasa Melayu as our national language, and Article 153 on the special position of the Malays and Bumiputeras.

As such, it was appropriate to consider that the incident of May 13, 1969, had severely affected the government’s efforts in managing race relations and nation-building. This was why it needed a special security management tool — the NOC system — as well as several new policies and short- term programmes to resolve it effectively.

Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, for example, had dedicated his premiership (1971-1976) to resolve the problems of national unity, socioeconomic imbalance and disparity, as well as political instability.

On Aug 31, 1970, he announced the Rukun Negara or the National Doctrine to restore Malaysia’s fragile democracy, national unity and political stability. In 1971, he introduced the New Economic Policy as an instrument of “social re-engineering” through an affirmative action programme formulated by NOC.

Therefore, what else do we expect from the May 13 incident? Is it necessary for us to totally discard existing narratives about it as contained in various domestic literature; just because we
suspect a different version of it, especially because of its alleged prejudice against the non-Malays and the leadership of Tun Razak?

Is it necessary for us to pressure our government to declassify documents and data related to it? Can this move enhance our understanding of Malaysia’s political and societal security? What if the classified documents are politicised to further threaten national unity and national identity?

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, as Malaysia’s chief executive of security management, had said that the government “will study” any request to declassify the documents. This is politically correct because the government had emphasised transparency, accountability and the rule of law.

But would it be politically inappropriate if the majority of us believed that the PH government should continue declassifying the information? Would it be pertinent if we suggest that the incident be studied from the perspective of security management structure and strategy?

The status of Malaysia as a multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious state should have motivated the government to encourage the people to conduct studies on the security management strategy of the NOC. As suggested by some analysts, the findings of this research should be incorporated into existing SOP on crisis management concerning Malaysia’s political security and societal security.

By Datuk Dr Ruhanie Ahmad.

Read more @ https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2019/05/490145/may-13-and-societal-insecurity

WAN Saiful Wan Jan, chairman of National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN), is fast becoming Malaysia’s very own Theresa May — a very good person with a seemingly impossible job!

Rightly admired for his honesty and insightful thought-leadership, Wan Saiful and his team at PTPTN have done an excellent job in laying out the current PTPTN loan crisis — which is bigger than 1Malaysia Development Bhd — and the suggestions so far from stakeholders on how to solve it.

The main problem is that the task given to Wan Saiful and his team forces them to focus on only one option — to make students repay the debt. This aim is bound to fail and the honest and forensic analysis by Wan Saiful’s team makes this crystal clear.

We must be fair and acknowledge that the proposals presented in the PTPTN website come from stakeholders and not from PTPTN or Wan Saiful himself.

They lay out clearly what stakeholders have suggested along with PTPTN’s assessment of the implications for everyone concerned. They are truly terrifying and make Barisan Nasional (BN) look like the defaulters’ friendly grandmother — a terrifying prospect for Pakatan Harapan (PH) politicians and supporters alike.

For those who have not seen what some stakeholders suggest a brief summary may be informative.

The first proposal is to defer payment for defaulters earning RM2,000 per month or less. This would help 26 per cent of defaulters but would not by itself solve the non-payment problems for those earning more than RM2,000 per month without additional enforcement measures.

The second proposal is to defer payments for defaulters earning less than RM4,000 per month, which fulfils PH’s election pledge. This would leave PTPTN waiting between six to 15 years for repayments and cause its debts to rise to an eye-watering RM100 billion by 2040.

The third idea stakeholders have proposed has already been rejected. This is to link repayments to salary, which last time suggested that those earning RM8,000 per month or more should pay 15 per cent of their monthly income by repaying their loans. This idea is so bad for Pakatan that we can only guess that it was suggested by those dreaming of a BN victory in the 15th General Election!

Stakeholders’ suggestions then move on to more punitive ideas which punish not just defaulters but also their parents, siblings and the universities where they studied.

The fourth idea is to raid defaulters’ salaries, a proposal which some have already rejected, arguing that it is not only immoral but also potentially illegal.

Next comes idea number five which is to bankrupt defaulters if they fall behind on repayments. This idea was possibly suggested by lawyers who see piles of income in litigation fees.

Idea number six denies the lawyers their cash-cow but reintroduces the much-hated travel bans albeit in a different form.

Restrictions on the renewal of passports, driving licences, business licences and even road tax were proposed. This will put an end to graduate entrepreneurs and a massive increase in illegal road-users. It doesn’t end there, however.

Within the same proposal were calls for public shaming of students and visiting the sins of defaulters on their siblings by denying family members PTPTN loans in default.

The seventh idea continues this theme by forcing debt repayments on unsuspecting “guarantors — read “parents”. So much for family harmony.

Idea number eight punishes success by denying first-class graduates their loan waiver and the next idea punishes universities by denying them PTPTN loans if they underperform on the national ratings system and neither really addresses the problem on non-payment.

Finally, idea number 10 comes as a form of light relief following the other suggestions by increasing the interest rate paid by students from the one per cent they currently pay to perhaps the five per cent that PTPTN borrows the money at in the first place.

This would save the government around RM1.7 billion per year but raises the question — why would defaulters be more likely to repay loans at five per cent when they are currently not repaying them at one per cent?

We must not misunderstand this process. The analysis from Wan Saiful and his team is first-class and although they may not get a loan exemption, they should be given credit for telling the truth. They should also be given credit for seeking public views on these proposals — an exercise in active democracy that should be emulated in other policy debates.

The real problem is that as long as the debate on PTPTN reform focuses on the single aim of making defaulters pay, this problem will rumble on. PTPTN will become more unstable, students and parents will be more and more worried and universities will continue to struggle with uncertainty about future finances.

We must set aside the “make students pay” mantra and open up the debate to look for a sustainable and holistic solution to higher education financing.

This solution must examine diversifying finance for higher education within a portfolio of alternative income sources which balance government support and loans with income from research, development and commercialisation, endowments and system reform.

By Geoffrey Williams.

Read more @ https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2019/05/490147/seek-holistic-solution-higher-education-financing