hadith of the day

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21 September 2010

5 Tips to Getting an Industrial Placement

Many have this impression of industrial training being merely ‘part of the academic syllabus’. This is where you got it all wrong. A good industrial experience will do wonders to you.

Not only it equips you with new, hands-on technical knowledge and applications, you are also exposed to the real working environment – the world you will be in after you finish your studies. This is an opportunity to get a ‘taste’ of the working world.

I have in fact saw many of my friends offered to come back working with the same companies they had been attached to during the industrial training – companies like Shell, Schlumberger, Silterra, Agilent Technologies, IBM, Western Digital and so on. It shows that if you take your training seriously, opportunities will come, and you will have an easier, and faster access to employment upon graduation.

1. Get your resume ready

Your resume can perhaps be the most important document you will ever write before leaving the education world. A fabulous resume will not guarantee you a job or a place for training but surely it is a door opening. It is your first ticket to marketing yourself in the corporate world. There are hundreds, if not thousands of resume samples out there you can view and get a feel before starting to write your own.

Get a few friends to work with you on the resume. After all, every one of them will eventually need one of their own when the school finishes. Ask other senior colleagues, lecturers and career councilors to get things correctly done.

2. Compile all relevant documents

Get your all other supplementary documents in order e.g. letter from the faculty, university’s authorization, cover letter and other relevant documents so that you’re not kelam kelabut when you’re asked for those things.

3. Ask for a company list from the department

Your faculty or department should have some sort of list of companies they’ve targeted as possible partners in providing industrial training to the students. You should take the opportunity to ask for this list, together with the contact details. Take your own initiative to study the companies, and make a sensible short list of which companies can provide you with good experience. Also, do not only depend on your department’s list – work out to get your own list too.

Why can’t I just let the company finding an industrial placement for me?

Nice thinking bro. If you are a 20-year old kid still in need to be spoon-fed, by all means, do so. Just remember that, by the time you hold your degree scroll, you’re on your own, in a whole new world. If you want to start being an independent macho guy, then it’s time to take things with your own hands. The time is now.

The choice is yours.

4. Call the companies – ask

Start calling those companies that you’ve short listed. Talk to the HR Manager or one of the personnel in the Human Resources department. Courteously ask them if they provide industrial training opportunities to students. Sometimes, you won’t be getting a positive or pretty response. You know, responses like:

  • “No, we don’t”.
  • “I’m not sure, but if you’re interested, you can send your resume to… “
  • “Pegawai bertugas cutilah dik… cuba call balik dalam… next year ke…”
  • “Just hold on a minute…..” – and never come back.

Do not be discouraged. Most likely these happen because the guy/girl on the other line is incompetent in their job, or is someone in need of attitude adjustment. At least, this is way better than getting no response at all. And if you don’t know how an unemployed bum feels in the midst of job hunting, now you know. So, this is a good practice for your real experience soon. Treasure it.

5. Submit your resume, follow up

Once you have identified suitable companies, get the relevant contact details that will allow you to send your resume to them. Do not only settle for email, but follow up with a write-in to increase your chance. Also, do not just send to 2-3 companies. Short list between 15 to 30. Periodically follow up your application. Many Malaysian companies have this habit of ignoring job application letters with the excuse of ‘busy’. It does not sound good to you but bite the reality. At times it sounds as if they’re running a country in a middle of a civil war.

Hopefully, you will get good news, a number of interview invitations, and a place for industrial training very, very soon.

Image: CBIA

4 comments:

  1. wah. tak sabar2 ni. takpe. ahad ni kita ada ppkp yea :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. ish3... farah2... mana ada... dapat task yg kena hantar lusa laaa

    ReplyDelete
  3. teori xsma dgn praktikal, sbb itu ilmu teori xsma dgn ilmu dpt dr pengalaman.. begitu ilmu agama xdiamal mne dpt ilmu amal yg dipelajari...

    ReplyDelete
  4. "...ilmu yang tidak diamalkan ibarat pohon yang tidak berbuah..."

    "...siapa yang mahukan dunia, adanya dengan ilmu, siapa yang mahukan akhirat, adanya dengan ilmu, siapa yang mahukan keduanya, adanya juga dengan ilmu..."

    ReplyDelete

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