FIK 3042 : ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION

SEMESTER I (2012)

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FIK 3042 : ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION TABLE OF CONTENTS

SEMESTER I (2012)

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION

PAGE 2

1.0 The Main Idea (Gist) of Article 1 3-4 Title : Competencies Employers Seek in College Graduates

2.0 The Main Idea (Gist) of Article 2 5-6 Title : Graduate Employability: What do Employers Think and Wants

3.0 REFLECTION

7-9

4.0 REFERNCES

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FIK 3042 : ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION INTRODUCTION

SEMESTER I (2012)

English for Communication subject is one of the basic course that every undergraduate teacher need to complete during their courses learning period. This course is one of the essential subjects that help learners to develop their knowledge and basic acquisition in English as well as to improve their proficiency in English. As a matter of fact, the requirement of this task is to ask learners to select two written English articles and share the articles taken either from websites, journal, magazine and books to elaborate the main gist and idea that has been stated on the articles. Based on the task given, I have decided to pick the issue on the skills and qualifications seek by the employer as well as suggestion for the future graduates to equip themselves with the skills needed. The selection of this issue is concerning to the era of globalization where everything requires the best quality and identity in almost everything. Everyone, especially the fresh graduates has to compete with each other on how to get on top the fastest, as well as to achieve their dreams and ambition. Nonetheless, looking to the job and work field arena these days, there is no more such an easy job that everyone could get and simply apply without showing their best resume in the portfolios. Mentioning this issue, it is better to say that the employers have not been too choosy, but the abundant of the fresh graduates with the degree are on rise nowadays. Thus, the title of degree holder is no more a hard to find things; corresponding to the growth of higher learning institution all over the country; be it general or private. Therefore, one of the articles that has been selected is Competencies Employers Seek in College Graduates by the Michigan State University. This article has been browse from the internet and contain a lot of information on the competencies and skills that the future graduates must have on themselves. Next, the second article chosen is Graduate Employability: What do Employers Think and Wants by Will Archer and Jess Davison. This article also has been downloaded from the internet and it is a research journal that compiles every detail the graduates need to know to get employed.

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Thus, the next page of this task will discussing on the gist of the article; regarding the soft skills and competencies that employers are looking for in a future graduate; as been elaborate very details on the first article chosen. Also, this assignment will state the gist on the suggestion to overcome this situation with the skills that has been stated. The role of future graduates, government bodies and educational institutions will be discuss as to ensure that the future graduates are equipped with the skills that have been listed; as well as stating in the second article chosen.

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FIK 3042 : ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION Title Writers Source : Competencies Employers Seek in College Graduates : Michigan State University : Internet (http://careernetwork.msu.edu/pdf/Competencies.pdf)

SEMESTER I (2012)

1.0 The Main Idea (Gist) of the Article 1.

The article written by the Michigan State University is discussing the essential for success towards the future graduates that will look for a job right after their graduates. The better preparation from the future graduates on enhancing and develop their skills in every way enable them to get job abruptly, as soon as their graduating. Thus, it is very important for the college graduates to built and enhance competencies and soft skills in themselves to meet the requirements looked by the employer. This is including working in a diverse environment, time management and priorities, acquiring knowledge and thinking critically, effective communication, interpersonal skills, integrity and accountabilities in work as well as technical skills. Looking to the communication skills, future graduates are supposedly effective in this area; including writing and speaking aspects to develop employer confidence and trust to hire them. In the meantime, interpersonal skills is a way where the future graduates can develop happy and motivating work spirits; to achieve the goal and vision of the company as well as to promote themselves. This is very crucial to be developed on future graduates selves, as working environment is all about building together. Next, the time management and priorities as well as acquiring knowledge and thinking critically is all contain in the general employment skills; which is much importantly needed in most working filed. As for time management and priorities, the workers absolutely have to think, work and act as a professional which know how to manage their personal and work issue separately, with every tasks handed punctually. For this stance also they have to thinking critically in problems finding, shaping and resolution. This article in addition has stated such competencies needed as integrity and accountabilities from the workers. Thus, this is what we called as self reliability skills where the employee act responsibly with integrity as part of the team, develop self discipline and all positive values which is looked for by the employer. Last but not least, the article also
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cultivated the idea of having technical skills in the future graduates self. This skill where the specialist skills of the graduates is all in there with such creative and extraordinary out of boxes idea on board is another competencies and criteria that should be equip in future graduates. It is to help them being special in the employers eyes, as the quality they serves is not just ordinary idea that did not contribute much to the firm. In short, the article written by the Michigan University team apparently has stated an ideas on the competencies and soft skills that should be equipped in future graduates selves, as to help them succeed in their future career.

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Title Writers Source

: Graduate Employability: What do Employers Think and Wants : Will Archer and Jess Davison :Internet

(http://ec.europa.eu/education/highereducation/doc/business/graduate_en.pdf )

2.0 The Main Idea (Gist) of Article 2.

Therefore, as to develop and adapt the best skills on someone self, it is never an easy thing that could be done in just for a day. The graduates themselves are supposed to learn and do something for it, as well as the government bodies and also the educational institutions. This is because; the issue of unemployed graduates on rise each day have to be handle with accountability by every parties to overcome the problem. I only selected the topic 6 from the article which is stating the recommendations top ensure future graduates equipped with the soft skills needed. In conjunction with this, in article written by Will Archer and Jess Davisson, there are few recommendations that stated on how to develop soft skills on future graduates. This is including the role of employers, universities and university career services as well as the students and graduates itself. First and foremost, the role of the employers to help the future graduates is by considering the steps they might take to inform universities of their needs including through Sector Skills Councils and work with them to develop even more employable graduates who can add value even earlier in the careers. In same stance, the employer of the company can be a lot more proactive in widening their approach to recruitment. Next, this article also has stating the role for universities and university career services in giving stronger signals from employers to students, building student learning oriented links with business, responsive careers services as well as reflective learning in placement design. This is where the employer organisation work in partnership with the universities to ensure their degree programmes and the overall student learning experience meets the needs of business. Also, universities can assist students through raising their awareness of what employers seek in graduates; by
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helping them acquire these skills throughout their university career. In addition to this, the idea of help the future graduates in developing soft skills for employment can be done by the career service in university roles to provide employers with such as fast response to queries and Curriculum Vitae (CV) screening. Last but not least, the role of student/graduates itself has to be played properly with demonstrating employability through university experience they have. This is where graduates must find ways to demonstrate their skills on CV and during the job interviews. Moreover, it has to be the graduates role themselves, to expand their global horizons through demonstrate leadership skills. In term of seeking employment, they can pick the online recruitment as the best way to find the widest range of jobs. In conclusion, the article 2 of Graduate Employability: What Graduate Thinks and Wants is giving recommendations on who and what role they can play to help the students and future graduates to get employed; by equipped themselves with the skills needed.

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4.0 REFLECTION

The two articles chosen is the ideas on the criteria and soft skills that is looked in a future graduates by the employers and the role of future graduates, employers and educational institutions ; universities and career service as to ensure the future graduates are equipped with the skills. Based on the issue that is discussed on the articles, it is clearly stated that to equipped the graduate self with different types of soft skills; is no more an optional but is essential. This is because, to survive in this challenging and competing ages of world, relying in only best grades in the universities and higher institutions will never can save one to survive and getting job as soon as they graduating. Otherwise, lack of this generic and soft skill might throw them out into the position of unemployed and holding a scroll of degree with no avail. Thus, it is important for the graduates as well as the future graduates to equip themselves with skills such as effective communication and good acquisition in English, people skills interpersonal and team work, general- employment skills, technical and specialist skills as well as self reliability skills. By having this type of skills inside, the potential for them to be chosen by the employer is brighter comparison to someone nerdy with best grades in paper but lack in soft skills. Also, as to develop these criteria of skills among the graduates and future graduates, it has to be an abrupt role played by the future graduates themselves, the higher learning institutional as well as the government bodies. This as to ensure the skills listed are equipped in the future graduates self. Looking to the situation nowadays, the leaping amount of graduates with diploma and degree holder on rise, the challenges of everyone get through to the job industries is never an easy way. As reported on The Star; date of November 7 2011, eighty thousand Malaysian graduates are jobless, and the number is rising. Another report stating in the Edge Daily, 12 per cent of graduates are unemployed as of 2009. And 60 per cent of the unemployed are graduates. Thats 98000 unemployed graduates and 76000 unemployed diploma holders. Clearly the government has a problem here in meeting the expectations of graduates who expect to find white-collar or well-paying blue-collar jobs. Therefore, there might be broad points that cause this situation to happen, including the arrival of fresh graduates come to the
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job market are poorly equipped with the skills required by a changing economy. Also, high due to a massive oversupply of people who do not meet the IT industry's requirements for technical skills, competence and knowledge of a specific IT platform. For this reason, it is important for the fresh graduates to aware and have a better preparation on enhancing and develop their skills in every way to enable them to get job abruptly, as soon as their graduating. This is to reduce the amount of unemployed youth in the country and positively increase the National Income and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Malaysia. Also, with the positively employable youth in Malaysia, the economies and productivity of the country could be stabilise. Looking in the term of selecting graduate into a firm, recruitment and selection of employees in an organization is a very important function to ensure the success of human resource management. Without a focus strategy of recruitment and selection, the organization will have some negative effects. Huselid (1994) and Stewart and Knowles (2000) asserts that the practice of recruitment and selection of employees will have an impact on overall organizational performance. Basically, the general purpose of employee recruitment and selection is to find the best staff for an appropriate position (picking the right person for the right job). In addition, top management must ensure that the quantity and quality of human resources within the organization to support the mission, goals and strategies of the organization. On the basis of employee recruitment and selection is carried out with care and according to established procedures. Gatewood and Feild (1994) and Scholarios, Lockyer and Johnson (2003) defines employee recruitment and selection as the process of collecting and evaluating information about the individual in the process of offering employment. Intake is the process of attracting as many candidates to apply for jobs within the organization (Flynn, 1994; Farnham & Stevens, 2000; Min & Kleiner, 2001; Scholarios et al., 2003; Fish & Macklin, 2004). There are more challenges today because there are many qualified candidates to apply for a vacancy. Recruitment process typically begins when a manager to fill a special form to apply for workers. It is a complete document containing the names of office, the department requests, the date the employee is required and confirmation of the general manager of the company. Therefore, as what have been gain and acquire from the articles chosen, it is apparently the future graduates need to equip and prepare themselves with such soft skills as
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stated to give much confidence for them to get assured of getting hire in future. Such soft skills of communication, interpersonal and team work skills, general employment skills, technical and self reliability skills are essentials to be developed and cultivated in future graduates self, as to help them in having a brighter future without being left unemployed and able to tackle the employers to get the job they desire. Correspondingly to this, the graduates themselves are supposed to learn and do something for it, as well as the government bodies and also the educational institutions. This is because the issue of unemployed graduates on rise for each day need to be handle accountably by every parties involved; be it directly or indirectly. Pinning up to this, the role of employers, universities and university career service as well as the students and future graduates itself need to be play properly to decrease the number of unemployed graduates as well as help them to develop themselves with better soft skills and be not just ordinary person. In conclusion to brief, it is justified that the globalizations era nowadays put a big impact on soft skills demand in the workforce and organization; thus has made the employer to put their eyes on those occupied with the skills. For this reason, it has to be the future graduates role to always develop and enhance their soft skills abilities and knowledge in wide areas of life to gain more success and trust from the employer to getting employed. Not to forget, the employers and the universities role also has to be played together in developing future graduate awareness towards what wait them ahead; in terms of getting a job and career.

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FIK 3042 : ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION REFERENCES

SEMESTER I (2012)

Dora Scholarios, Cliff Lockyer, Heather Johnson, (2003) "Anticipatory socialisation: the effect of recruitment and selection experiences on career expectations", Career Development International, Vol. 8 Iss: 4, pp.182 - 197 Jim Stewart, Vanessa Knowles, (2000). "Graduate recruitment and selection practices in small businesses", Career Development International, Vol. 5 Iss: 1, pp.21 - 38 Jurnal Pembangunan Belia Malaysia 1 (Disember) 2008: 135 164 Michigan State University. Competencies Employers Seek in College Graduates. Will Archer and Jess Davison (2008). Graduate Employability: The views of Employers. United Kingdom: the Council for Industry and Higher Education.

Websites: http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/doc/business/graduate_en.pdf Date of Access: 7th May 2012 http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2006/08/10-ways-to-improve-your-technical-skills/ http://ww2.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ http://www0.bcu.ac.uk/crq/p http://www0.bcu.ac.uk/crq/publications/gws/gwsemp.html Date of Access: 8th May 2012 http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/career-clueless/ http://driaj2009.blogspot.com/2011/05/unemployed-or-unemployable-malaysian.html http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/2011/oct/24/graduate-employability2012 Date of Access: 8th May 2012
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FIK 3042 : ENGLISH FOR COMMUNICATION http://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/technical-skills.asp#axzz1rGbA8RAQ http://www.ted.com/conversations/5653/what_skills_should_future_grad.html Date of Access: 9th May 2012

SEMESTER I (2012)

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