10 November 2008

For UBD Graduates....

More skilled graduates to help develop Brunei


THIS month sees a number of local graduates receiving their degrees and overseas students returning home after completing their studies.

These new graduates will add to the number of skilled workforce available in Brunei Darussalam, each with their own aspirations to contribute to the nation's objective of becoming a developed nation.

The Brunei Times talked to several young people to find out what they have been doing since their final exams and what they had in mind for their future. They gave quite a variety of answers.

One of them is Amirah Rahman, an International Relations Postgraduate from Birmingham University. She said she wanted to realise her dream of working as an ambassador for Brunei Darussalam.

"My plan is to look for whatever politically-related job I can find, just as an entry point, and then working my way up the ladder," she said.

Qalbi, 23, a recent Business Graduate from UBD, planned to work immediately and had been applying to as many suitable vacancies as she could find.

"I am looking for a job all over the nation. I don't like being idle. I want to make myself useful to Brunei's economy, whether in the private or public sector," she said.

Adrenaline junkie Adi, 24, said that he had already applied for a job at the Royal Brunei Police Force.

"I have always had profound respect for the police force; they are the front liners of our nation's security. I want to be a part of that."

Meanwhile, Zamhari and Nasrul talked about their interests in becoming future educators. "Brunei needs more local educators; we are here to fill in the gap," they asserted.

Many graduates have already started working even before they received their final results.

One such person is Aishah, 24, an employee at Baiduri Bank.

According to her, she initially applied for a temporary job there to get some working experience and to earn some money while waiting for a more permanent job. However, she has already been offered a permanent position at the bank.

"I have a few friends who reject (temporary) jobs to wait for government offers, which are quite unlikely to come by. I feel it's just adding to the unemployment level, which is not good for the country's economy," she added.

UBD Business lecturer Dr Ali Yusob bin Md Zain, advised graduates who are entering the workforce for the first time to gain as much experience as possible and to be more proactive.

"Explore as much as possible all aspects of the new job," he said.

He also encouraged them not to be shy to ask for advice from seniors. "University life is different from actual work situation. You cannot just hang around waiting for instructions anymore."

Adna Shatriemie, another lecturer from UBD, urged students not to be picky in seeking for employment.

"In some cases, it may be that your dream job doesn't land on your doorstep. A lot of us took jobs along the way that weren't perfect, but they ended up being good experiences."

The Brunei Times

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