Why employers find our graduates wanting...

I have yet to find out who is writing under Salvatore Dali in Malaysia-Finance Blogspot. He used to have a column in StarBizWeek until recently. I am taking the liberty to highlight his latest article in his blogsite -
Malaysia-Finance Blogspot: Problem With Today's Young Graduates :

In highlighting their shortcomings, I have to generalise but I am sure that's pretty much the same conclusion throughout the country in all industries.

1) Rich parents - Parents who are rich, please note, generally your children will be assholes if you do nothing right when they were young. That's because the over mollycoddling, pandering to their whims and fancies, have shaped their character - which is pathetic. …

2) Character - Linking onto the above, the same spoilt brats generally have poor character. When I say character, I meant ability to assume responsibility, respect for corporate culture, ability to apply themselves well, work at something, ability to learn and willingness to learn, and general people skills.

3) English - Now we go to quality of graduates. Most, whether they are local or foreign graduates, cannot speak coherent English. I am appalled that the Chinese schools are now clamouring for Science and Maths to be taught in Chinese for the first 6 years of schooling. Why? English is not a glorification of western culture, it is an essential tool for business and global communications. …
It is also not enough to just have a working knowledge of English, you need to master it. Education gives a person choices and options, and English broadens that scope even more. Can your child go and work in the US or UK financial firms, if he/she wanted to? If they had the tool, they would be sought after if they were good.


4) Communication skills - Linked to the mastering of English, it is not enough to learn how to do power point presentations or run up figures in excel spreadsheets. A person can greatly add value when they can present them well. Oratory skills are mightily lacking in Malaysian young graduates. The art of persuasion, the ability to project professionalism, and eventually the ability to lead. Just imagine Obama without his oratory skills.


5 ) Intellectually not strong - When I come across even those who scored fantastic results or graduated from top foreign universities, I find some of them unable to hold an intellectual argument. Our education system is such that there is only one answer per question in the exam papers. Hence after giving one answer, they think they have answered the whole question.


6) Bias - Some will say that local graduates are unfairly discriminated. I don't buy that. I tend to not look at degrees as that only tells me you can read and write. What most employers are looking for is that one quality - I call it street-smartness or ability to think on his feet. Can you be taught that? I don't know. It has to do will self assurance and inherent self confidence. These people are problem solvers, they are doers, they take the initiative, they will speak up at the right time, they get the job done by hook or crook. They rise above the crowd because they won't be the first to say "cannot do". They are achievers when they put their minds to it. They can be persuasive and they apply themselves diligently to master any new tasks. You have that, the degree is just a visa for you to travel further in your career.

We have too many followers, not enough street smart people. I don't think you can teach that at MBAs. But one thing for sure, you may be able to cultivate "street smartness" when they are young. Always encourage and allow your kids to join the Scouts, Drama Clubs, Leos or Interact clubs. To me, these are breeding grounds for future corporate animals. The interaction, social politics, club politics, camaraderie, application to one's objectives are all critical to encourage one to develop and establish his own identity and personality, and in many ways help them make sense of how the world operates. Most of the street smarts I know who now do well in corporate world, also did remarkably well in those movements and clubs when they were younger.



Parents nowadays have fewer children, so they can spend more resources on them. Don't molly-coddle. Some over protective parents do not allow their kids to join any society or clubs even. They get ferried to and from school and then to and from tuition. When home, they do some homework and play computer games or do internet chats the whole time. Time to rethink our influence in our young.

Will our Minister for Higher Education take note? I doubt it.

YB Tony Pua is now 'fighting tooth and nail' in trying to put in some amendments to the Amendments Bill re Universities and University Colleges Act which in its present form, does not allow students of higher education to think for themselves in terms of political participation.

While, the most recent amendments to the UUCA has been passed without amendments late Thursday evening, readers should know (if it's of any comfort) that it was not passed before the representatives from Pakatan Rakyat giving the Minister of Higher Education some serious and often, uncomfortable grilling before it got passed.At the same time, on behalf of an informal Pakatan Rakyat UUCA committee led by Nurul Izzah Anwar (LEMBAH PANTAI) and input from many academics, I have filed a motion to amend some 20 clauses in 6 sections, to the Amendment Act proposed by the Higher Education Ministry. Short of proposing a new bill, which will never see the light of day in the parliament, attempting to amend a bill which is put forward by the Government is the nearest and best available option to present our version of the bill.

I will blog on each of the sections which I have attempted to amend at the Committee stage of debate on the Amendment bill separate, as they are really long but most importantly, I will blog on the response of the Higher Education Minister on each of these sections, some of which were a real disappointing disgrace. And for those who can't wait to read a little of my thoughts on UUCA, feel free to check out my posts on Education in Malaysia.

Some of our MPs are really hardworking in trying to effect necessary changes to our 'same old, same old' system of government. In another matter, YB Lim Kit Siang mentioned about how the mainstream media gave us the impression that the HK ICAC man was impressed with what we are going to do to improve our ACA's independence. But the truth of the matter lies in his reply:

It seems the HK man was asked, 'how do you maintain your independence?' and he replied, 'we ARE independent' which according to YB, 'was telling because he has taken his independence for granted' and was surprised at the question. I suppose, 'what we see is not what we are going to get', only the name sounds like ICAC!