SERDANG, 5 OCT: UPM students are urged to begin their career journey from their first year at the university.

Nazrul Irfanradi, one of the successful graduate entrepreneurs produced by CEM, explained that this advice is not just for final year students but also for new students who will graduate within the next three to five years.

"We must realize that the job hunting journey should start from the first year at UPM. That's why we should begin exposing ourselves and preparing our resumes from the beginning.

“Not in the third or fourth year when we start to panic about finding industrial training placements or jobs.

“This is one of the five things I wish seniors had told me during my first year at UPM. That's why today, I am grateful to convey this message to the new UPM students. Let them be aware from the beginning and not be late like I was," said Nazrul during the Slot Meet The Leader: Zero to Hero session held earlier today, as part of the Empowered Youth Week for the 2023/2024 session at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).

Further elaborating, he stated that these five things were part of his post on his LinkedIn page (an online resume) two years ago, which received warm responses and became viral, garnering over 1,200 reactions from his followers.

During the event, Nazrul, also a UPM alumni, advised new students to attend UPM's Career Carnival programs from their first year, utilize LinkedIn (an online resume application), participate in more industry-related programs such as the Maybank Student Ambassador Program, and learn more industry-related skills.

Meanwhile, Mohd Redzuan Zamberi, the Head of UPM's Career Counselling Section, mentioned that students who are still unsure about their career interests can come to UPM's Counselling Division (BK) to complete a Career Survey.

 "This UPM career survey will identify self-development, exploration, and subsequently, students can make their career decisions. From there, students can prepare for their careers with our assistance at the Counselling Division and CEM," he said during the program when asked by students.

Additionally, Associate Professor Dr. Mass Hareeza Ali, Director of CEM, who acted as the moderator in the program, hoped that new UPM students would consider CEM and BK as a one-stop centre where they can obtain information about their career exploration.

"I believe that with joint efforts between CEM and BK, UPM students from various backgrounds and abilities will have the best opportunities to explore suitable jobs after graduation," he said.

Furthermore, he stated that CEM and BK are committed to ensuring that this effort runs smoothly and will subsequently achieve key performance indicators for graduate employability this year. – CEM.

Date of Input: 07/10/2023 | Updated: 22/10/2023 | ludinata