Tough times for graduates

PETALING JAYA: Billy Boey, 24, had to wait 10 months to land a job, despite graduating from a premier private university with a first-class degree.
"I did not get through the interview at some places, whereas at others, I did not pass the assessment," he said.
Fortunately for Boey, he now has a job as an English writer for a magazine, and his PTPTN loan has been waived, thanks to his academic excellence.
But thousands of graduates like him are still struggling to find a way out of the pit of unemployment.
Deputy vice-chancellor of Taylor's University Dr Pradeep Nair (pix) describes the employment market today as one that is flooded by fresh graduates, giving employers a wide variety of choices when it comes to selecting an employee.
"The expectation that employers have are not just about a degree.
"The problem of unemployment has largely to do with soft skills, life skills and emotional well-being," he said.
Talent Corp Malaysia's recent survey showed that poor soft skills is a bane for those seeking employment. The lack of communication skills was cited as the main area fresh graduates are falling short, followed by creative and critical thinking, analytical skills and problem-solving.
Vice-chancellor of Universiti Malaya Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Amin Jalaludin emphasised that soft skills do not solely depend on one's English proficiency, but it is strongly connected to attitude, knowledge, being well-informed and even their degree of articulation, assimilation and sensitivity to other cultures.
On another note, Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican of the Department of Management and Humanities in Universiti Teknologi Petronas said "professional bodies are concerned about core competency".
Parliamentarian and academician Dr Ong Kian Ming says the fault is with the education system, which "does not allow critical thinking, presentation skills and communication techniques to flourish".