Armed with a degree, a little training and loads of idealism, fresh graduates charge into the workforce only to find out that what they want is not what employers want. This is the reality of the current employment market.

“There’s a big gap between the expectations of graduates and what the companies expect them to do,” confirms Tuan Haji Shamsuddin Bardan, executive director of the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF).

This issue alone has been the cause of much disillusionment among fresh graduates, eventually leading them to accept jobs that do not match their skills and qualifications, which in turn, results in a lack of personal fulfilment.

The situation, however, can be changed if both fresh graduates and employers understand what the other requires and make adjustments to accommodate each other.

Fresh graduates, for instance, need to lower their expectations. They should not expect to get into high positions straightaway.

Shamsuddin says many graduates expect to be given executive positions once they join a company. “But not everybody can be in executive positions, even if they have degrees.” 

He also feels that attitude is important. “They should be prepared to learn new things within the company,” he says.

Nada Marie, special projects manager at GRADUAN, a career guidance and employment organisation, says that fresh graduates should also be humble.

“They need to be more willing to learn even the small stuff because these minor things are the ones that are going to teach you how to excel in your career,” she adds.

Chook Yuh Yng, country manager of JobStreet.com Malaysia, feels that fresh graduates should lower their salary expectations to be in tandem with the prevailing market rate.

“Both sides have to be aware of the market rate. It is not very high at the moment. Fresh grads are still paid around RM2,200 to RM2,400,” she says.

At the same time, Chook reminds employers to ensure that the graduates whom they have hired are paid an adequate salary that is not below the market rate.

“They (employers) need to realise that if they want better quality graduates, they have to give good remuneration and good opportunities to these graduates as well,” she says. 

Fresh graduates also need to know market demands and train themselves to meet them. Language proficiency is one such requirement.

Shamsuddin advises graduates to take up short-term courses in English. 

“We still find that it’s (English) a major problem among graduates, both in written and oral form. It’s more so for writing because when you write, you need to have proper grammar and this is still very much wanting,” he says. 

In order to increase their employability, Nada encourages graduates to exude greater confidence when relating to their potential employers and to make an effort to gain some work experience while still studying.

Generally, employers expect graduates to be able to communicate well, demonstrate good problem solving, decision making and people management skills, and to be capable of thinking strategically, says Melissa Norman, managing director of Kelly Services Singapore and Malaysia.

While employers’ expectations may seem like a tall order, Norman says they would be reasonable as long as training is provided for graduates.  

While training can help graduates adjust to employer expectations, employers also need to begin to understand the new generation of young people joining the work force.

“Times are changing,” says Nada, “Employers need to be more up-to-date and versatile. They need to be current with the times because most of the graduates today can think and they know what they want already (in terms of personal career goals).”

Large organisations have already begun to realise this and have started changing the way they relate to fresh graduates. For example, some organisations are now adopting a friendlier approach in order to appeal to the younger generation.

Chook feels that today’s graduates are more drawn to jobs which involve something that they enjoy doing. 

Besides that, Norman observes that most graduates want to enjoy a sense of control over their careers.

“They value control over personal time and flexibility in work environments that offer the opportunity for work-life balance,” she says.

Norman explains that graduates will opt for meaningful and challenging work which offers immediate feedback and rewards. 

She feels that new graduates have the potential to thrive in today’s fast-paced working environment as they are typically full of enthusiasm and relentless energy.

“As the most connected generation of all time, fresh graduates will be able to work anywhere, anytime,” says Norman. 

Contrary to popular belief, Norman says that fresh graduates are capable of staying loyal to their employers, provided they find their work to be meaningful.

(From tomorrow, July 5, we will be featuring a fortnightly column -- CareerUp! -- on preparing for the employment market, courtesy of JobStreet.com. Don’t miss it!)

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