I was about to go to sleep but I decided to write this while it is still fresh in my head. This is not about entrepreneurs per se, but i think we or people around us are affected by this. This is about graduates, college graduates.
I had to 'pen' this down as it is also a subject that is close to my heart and it bleeds each time I interview or chanced upon a wasted education on a young adult. It pains me each time I see a graduate who does not know how to carry himself well in an interview, let alone work, have absolutely zero work ethics or employment culture. I cannot but wonder, what are the so called education institution is doing, together with the government. Out of 20 candidates that I would interview, 15 would send a resume from names like 'blackspider345@gmail.com' or 'gigijongang@...' and the likes. Those did did get invited to the interview were totally unprepared and thought that just because they did the time in university, the DERSERVE a job and a good pay. What gives???
We need to save this situation. The majority of our youth are being sucked in the spiral of bad education system, which in my opinion are like this:
[Disclaimer: this is not regarding all students / graduates in Malaysia - only those I encountered. I suspect there could more, but I may be wrong]
1. The colleges are more interested to get as many students as possible and I cannot help but wonder if their motivation is simply money, profit. The LPKP (student) loan? They are processed by the colleges. And almost all students are eligible. So the more students signed up, the more money the colleges make. Sometimes the colleges will actually do the fighting to get the students loaned up to take their courses.
2. Students take the education for granted. why? they got the loan which is almost automatically approved. Well, they receive some but they are liable to pay all, including the tuition fees (Which is actually the bulk of it). They get into colleges because that is what everybody else is doing, and you get 'paid' with the loan money. They enter colleges without realising the value of being educated. But to blame young adults about not appreciating education is like asking why it rains, it is just the way it is. I believe the education system should play a more cultivating role, why else are they getting the tuition fees. And don't pass the buck to the parents, because if the parents could educate the children for work, they would not be bothered with the colleges.
3. I cannot help but think that the colleges did not do a thorough job based on the quality of graduates I interviewed. They were not prepared for the working world. They came out as if they had 'done their time' and now expects big pay for their time served.
I sympathized with the students, i really pity them. Not only are they saddled with debts, they were not adequately prepared. I feel that the education system has failed some of them (many if based on my ratio).
I think all colleges must be rated based on how many of their graduates actually landed jobs (where they last for more than one year ) and the feedback from employers who interviewed and hired them. If there is such a rating, I would love to find out.
My advise to would be college students:
1. Find out if the college teaches work ethics (because that is what you need to land a job. Your technical skill is not that great as a graduate, a lot more needed to be learned on the job).
2. Find out how many people from the college actually landed a job and don't just listen from the colleges. Ask around, ask friends and those who has left the college. Facebook is a good shoutout. Ask "can anyone tell me if this college is any good?". What is the ratio of those who got a job they wanted and those who did not or settled for any job (I have heard of accounting graduate from a university manning the checkout counter at McDonalds, alongside the Bangla)
3. Find out about the lecturers in the college. Are they any good?
4. Find out if the college has a good reputation with employers.
Please do the investigation above, otherwise you will definitely be saddled with a huge student debt but with no salary, no job and hope of paying those back. Then your name will be in the newspaper, your will be barred from going overseas (and they may get a professional debt management company to handle the debt). You will get stressed out. Make sure the college teach you well for the money you paid them, in fact DEMAND from them.
Work smart people
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The Author is the principal of ElixirEducate - a training house for Smart Entrepreneur Program Series. He was an international investment banker, corporate financier and a business coach where he coaches entrepreneurs on building and growing their businesses. You can find more information on ElixirEducate on their facebook page, here. And be a facebook friend of Yazdi . Please share this information with your entrepreneur friend who may benefit from this post. They could be an existing entrepreneur or someone who plans to start a business. You can also join the growing business network of Entrepreneurs in Malaysia by joining this group. Thank you and have a meaningful day.
3.
waaaa...terbaekk!!!
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