NO matter how high one scores in their academics, communication skills are highly valued in the job market these days, especially in regards to language proficiency.
While it is important to possess a certain set of skills from years of acquiring knowledge, being proficient in English is crucial for one to better adapt to the growing number of globalised companies.
A anonymous confession shared by @meinmokhtar on X (Twitter) revealed a “first class engineering graduate” unable to land a job position due to their lack of proficiency in the English language.
“Just because I am not very good in English, I am unemployed now.
“But my other friends who I swear can only communicate in English at an average level, still managed to get a job,” the graduate said.
They then concluded on a resentful and bitter note feeling that the world is “unfair” because their friends who are “less hardworking”.
Netizens called out the graduate’s post for harbouring resentment towards their friends who understood the importance of good communication skills during their interviews.
Not only that, the graduate was advised to improve their proficiency in English as it was a necessary “soft skill” required nowadays to get ahead in the job market.
They were also confused as to how the anonymous confessor even graduated with first class honours without gaining adequate fluency in English, considering how most university presentations and examinations are in English.
Last year, the Malaysian Employers Federation president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman emphasised on the importance of having “good English proficiency”, developing a better career path for Malaysians, NST reported.
The Malaysian Employers Federation’s 2021 salary study including executives and non-executives found that the top five job skills employers look out for is mastering the English language.
