Malaysian fresh grads urged to gain new skills to boost employability

Japan Graduates’ Association of Malaysia executive committee Wong Choon Leng said this group needs to equip themselves with more than just paper qualifications in the current challenging job market.  

They need to be able to market themselves well during job interviews as they are competing with other fresh graduates and those currently unemployed with experience, he said. 

He added that graduates need to be realistic and not set high expectations when applying for jobs. 

In addition, mastering languages other than Bahasa Malaysia, English and Mandarin will give them a better chance of getting hired, especially by multinational corporations, Wong said. 

Johor South SME adviser Teh Kee Sin said, “With the current oversupply of fresh graduates competing for jobs, employers are mainly looking for long-term commitment from them.” He urged graduates not to be choosy about jobs. Instead, they should gain as much knowledge and experience as possible for their future, while giving themselves time to adapt to new environments. 

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Universiti Teknologi Malaysia counselling centre director Dr Zulfikar Ahmad said, to stand out, graduates must be able to sell themselves. Soft skills, especially interpersonal, public speaking and communication skills, as well as active participation during student years will come in handy when applying for a job, he said, according to The Star.