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KOD KURSUS /COURSE CODE : OUMH1103

TAJUK KURSUS /COURSE TITLE : LEARNING SKILLS FOR OPEN DISTANCE LEARNERS
SEMESTER /SEMESTER : SMP PPG MAC 2012
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TUTORS NAME : KASSIM BIN MUHAMMAD
EMAIL : seem@oum.edu.my

STUDENTS NAME : HENRY BIN LIJUNIN
MATRIKS NO : 810701125127001
EMAIL : e_eriey@yahoo.com
CONTACT NO : 019-8014671





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TABLE OF CONTENT



Topics Page

1.0 ABSTRACT 2
2.0 INTRODUCTION 2
3.0 FIVE (5) DIFFERENT SKILLS THAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING
FOR IN FUTURE GRADUATES 3 - 10
3.1 Oral Communication Ability In English: An Essential Skill For Graduates 3
3.2 Soft skills 4 - 6
3.3 Employability Work Values 7
3.4 Relevant Working Experience (typically attained through internships or
part-time jobs) 8
3.5 Personal Branding and Presentation 9 - 10
4.0 SUGGESTIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS 10 - 12
5.0 CONCLUSION 12
6.0 REFERENCE 14










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1.0 ABSTRACT
The main aim of this study was to identify important skills that employers are looking for in
graduates.


2.0 INTRODUCTION

What are essential skills? Why do you need them, and how do you get them?
Essential skills are the skills that you will need to get on in life, no matter what career path you
choose to follow. Without the ability to read, write, communicate and use Information
Technology, you will find it much harder to achieve your ambitions.

Malaysia is now said to be at the mid-point in its journey towards Vision 2020 and is
transforming to become a developed nation during the second phase of a fifteen year period.
Everything we see in this world today has changed tremendously in terms of technological
development, and most work needs to operate globally in order to survive the competition which
exists in the world these days. This change has created an impact on the nature of work where a
high level use of technology is a necessity to compete in the global arena. (Jailani et al, 2006).
Hence, a more flexible workforce with advanced technical skills coupled with well developed
generic skills such as creative thinking, problem solving and analytical skills, is greatly needed
by the employer in industry in order to meet the challenges faced by business.

Faced with stiff global competition, an arising concern is that current graduates do not match the
needs of business. According to Khir (2006), graduates now are lacking in both technical
knowhow and generic skills.
According to Bailey,(Mitchell, 2006) to succeed in this ever changing, increasingly competitive
business environment, organizations must demand employees with competencies which will lead
to a high return on the employee investment.
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3.0 FIVE (5) DIFFERENT SKILLS THAT EMPLOYERS ARE LOOKING
FOR IN FUTURE GRADUATES

3.1 Oral Communication Abilitiy In English: An Essential Skill For Graduates
Good communication skills are essential to a person's job performance. Employers are now
emphasizing that success as an engineer requires more than simply strong technical capabilities;
communication is among the skills that are also needed. In this era of globalisation, English has
become one of the most important languages of communication.

Communication skills are amongst the most sought after skills by many employers (Zedeck &
Goldstein, 2000). For example, employers have begun to assess communication skills during
interviews. Low confidence level and inability to speak well in English can hinder one's chances
of being hired as an employee in a company (Zeigler, 2007). In order to gain an edge over other
applicants in the job market, graduates are left with no choice but to exhibit their potential
through adding value to their hard skills with soft skills.

The MEF Salary Survey for Executives 2010 revealed that 68% of the companies surveyed
named communication skills as the top quality required in job applicants, followed by working
experience (67%), interpersonal skills (56.2%) and passion and commitment (55.7%).

MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said globalisation had changed the nature of jobs,
making communication skills, specifically in English, a valuable asset for today's worker.
Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers President Tan Sri Mustafa Mansur said the young ones
who could not communicate in English were unable to negotiate the best deals in business
transactions or investments.



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3.2 Soft skills

According to www.answer.com, soft skills is referring the subjective talents people possess in a
job, including good listening and speaking capabilities, pleasant manner, positive attitude,
integrity and social skills. In the computer field, contrast to the more objective "hard"
programming and technical skills.

According to Towner (2000), soft skills refer to those attribute that enable effective teamwork,
communication, presentation, leadership, customer service, and innovative problem solving
(cited in James & Baldock, 2004).

Kate Lorenz (2005), editor of CareerBuilder.com, defines soft skills as a cluster of personal
qualities, habits, attitudes and social graces that make someone a good employee and a
compatible co-worker (cited in Ranjit, 2009, p. 6).

Simply put, soft skills can be defined as non-technical intrapersonal and interpersonal skills and
traits that are required to get a job and to thrive in the workplace.

Soft skills help people advance, not only because they are obvious benefits in a working
environment; rather, the soft skills personality gets along with a greater variety of people. Like
the old expression "real programmers don't use mice" (they use keyboard commands), "real
programmers don't schmooze outside their circle." The nerds with minimal computer talent who
get along well with their bosses and other employees in the company often climb the corporate
ladder, while the brilliant nerds who have only hard skills are left behind.

3.2.1 Why Are Soft Skills Important?
Soft skills are important for five major reasons.
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a. Due to the emergence of the knowledge-based economy and proliferation of high-
performance workplaces (characterized by a focus on quality products and services, participatory
management style, reduced supervision, increasing use of cross-functional teams to accomplish
tasks, multiple responsibilities, and being customer-oriented).

The effective knowledge worker works in teams, multitasks, and is a critical and
creative thinker (cited in Ranjit, 2009, p. 11). According to Sutton (2002, p. 1), In
recent years, soft skills have become the No. 1 differentiator for job applicants in all
types of industries.
Employers worldwide are increasingly looking for graduates with positive personal
(particularly integrity, achievement orientation, proactivity and willingness to learn) and
strong abilities in communication, human relations, teamwork, and problem solving,
besides academic qualifications, computer literacy and work experience.

b. To ensure the success of graduate employees in the workplace and continued progress in
their career (Hager, Holland & Beckett, 2002).

A study conducted by the Stanford Research Institute and Carnegie Mellon Foundation
involving Fortune 500 CEOs found that 75% of long-term job success depended on
people skills, and only 25% on technical knowledge. Research also indicates that 87% of
persons losing their jobs or failing to be promoted were found to have improper work
habits and attitudes rather than insufficient job skills or knowledge (cited in Ranjit,
2009, p. 12).

c. Third, soft skills enable graduate employees to optimize their personality and personal
productivity primarily through learning self-awareness; maintaining self-objectivity; bolstering
self-esteem and resilience; cultivating good values and manners; developing a strong work ethic;
projecting themselves positively; and managing their time successfully.

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d. Fourth, soft skills contribute towards enhancing graduates moral intelligence, which
consequently empowers them to act ethically with a strong sense of integrity and responsibility
towards society.

e. Finally, graduates need to be prepared adequately for an unknowable future (Bowden &
Marton, 1998).
Any undergraduate course based primarily upon acquisition of discipline-specific
knowledge is inadequate for thriving in todays increasingly dynamic and complex world.
Hence, graduates too need to become lifelong learners; being open to new ideas and new
ways of thinking.



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3.3 Employability Work Values

According to Harvey (1999, p. 4), Employability of a graduate is the propensity of the graduate
to exhibit attributes that employers anticipate will be necessary for the future effective
functioning of their organization. Hillage and Pollard (1998, p. 2) define employability as the
capability to move self-sufficiently within the labour market to realize potential through
sustainable employment.

Brown, Hesketh and Williams (2004) define employability as The relative chances of finding
and maintaining different kinds of employment (cited in Ranjit, 2009, p. 3).

Last but not least to my understanding, employability simply depends on four factors: assets in
terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes; the way these assets are used and deployed;
presentation of assets to employers; and the context within which the individual seeks work (e.g.
personal circumstances and labour market environment).

Conscientiousness such as interested in the work, responsible, motivated, committed and
independence; agreeableness such as sensitive to diversity, cultural and global issues as well as
flexible were also cited as important work values of MBA graduates and selection criteria of
recruiters to hire or not to hire employees (Greatex and Phillips, 1989; Elizur, 1996; Quek,
1996b & 2005)








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3.4 Relevant Working Experience (typically attained through internships or part-time
jobs)

According to answer.com working experience is Experience gained while employed in a
particular occupation. Work experience is valuable in building a successful career and fosters the
ability to assume greater responsibilities.

Prospective employers are going to be looking very closely at your CV to see why they should
employ you and not someone else. Anything you can include in yeour CV that can give you an
edge is essential. Work Experience is one such factor. You can gain this working experience
whether through internship or work placement, part time jobs and community or voluntary work.

One of the most valuable benefits of Work Experience is that in placing you in a real life
situation, it gives you the opportunity to work with people for whom the job is their full time
occupation. It is their livelihood. Working with other people requires you to develop skills and
techniques to achieve a successful working relationship. It may be that the job you are doing will
bring you into contact with clients and ordinary members of the public, where other skills are
required. A successful period of Work Experience will not only look good on your CV but it can
also be a stepping stone for future employment.

What does Work Experience entail? It means you will be taking up a position in your intended
profession or line of work. It will be for a limited period of time. The first thing work experience
does is gives you an insight into the kind of work you are likely to be doing. You may be given a
specific function or task to perform whilst you are there. It will give you a clear indication of
whether you are suited. In some cases you may be given a range of tasks to do whilst you are
there and this will give you an even greater awareness of your suitability.



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3.5 Personal Branding and Presentation
Personal Branding is about identifying and then communicating what makes you unique and
relevant and differentiated for your target audience, so that you can reach your career and/or
business goals. If you understand your strengths, skills, passions, and values, you can use this
information to separate yourself from your competitors and really stand out. It can be shown
through:
Impressive rsums and cover letters
Positive first impression
Good interviewing skills
Personal branding is very powerful because it sends a clear, consistent message about who you
are and what you have to offer. A strong, authentic personal brand helps you become known for
what youre good at, sets you apart from everyone else, and can position you as a niche expert.

3.5.1 What are the benefits of a strong personal brand?
o Personal Branding enhances your self-awareness. When you go through the Personal
Branding process, you develop incredible self-understanding about what makes you
unique, valuable, and powerful. It helps optimize and flaunt your strengths.
o Personal Branding helps you clarify and reach your goals. Personal branding requires
you to be crystal clear on what you want to achieve and helps you set goals to get there.
o Personal Branding helps you create visibility and presence. Once you know what is
unique and compelling about you or your company, you can use that information to
create visibility/presence to those people who will help you achieve your goals.
o Personal Branding is about differentiation. Personal Branding will help you
differentiate yourself from everyone else who has your job title or who says they are in
the same business as you.
o Personal Branding offers more control and power. Personal Branding puts you in
control of your business, the clients you have, the projects you work on, and how you
want to deliver services.
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o Personal Branding creates wealth. Strong brands charge a premium for their products
and services, and differentiated job seekers who know their value can command higher
salaries.
o Personal Branding offers resilience. Strong brands are successful despite challenges
and downturns in the economy because they stand for something unique and are
differentiated.


4.0 SUGGESTIONS / RECOMMENDATIONS
The most common approaches to developing soft skills among graduates as shown in Figure 2
are:


















2
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1. Universities should determine the attributes that should be acquired by its graduates to thrive
in the workplace and to function effectively in society. What soft skills should graduates possess
besides disciplinary knowledge and skills?

2. Universities should adopt a holistic and integrated approach towards enhancing graduate
employability: curriculum-integrated approach, stand-alone soft skills modules, student
involvement in work-related projects and extra-curricular activities, work placements, and
guidance on job-getting skills through Career Services.

3. In embedding the soft skills into the curriculum, teaching, learning, and assessment processes,
steps must be taken to ensure that there is a constructive alignment between them. The desired
soft skills should be made explicit through the learning outcomes of modules.

4. Universities should seriously consider adopting a compulsory stand-alone Personal
Development Module (focusing on major soft skills) for undergraduates. It should preferably be
taught during the first semester.

5. Soft skills assessment criteria should be clearly stipulated and explained to all assessors and
learners.

6. Self-directed and lifelong learning should be encouraged through Personal Development
Planning (PDP). PDPs primary objective is to improve the capacity of individuals to
understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their
own learning (Lees, 2002, p. 7).

7. Academic staff should have a proper understanding of the employability agenda and should
model the desired behaviour. Academia should be convinced that employability is not toxic to
academic values (Harvey & Knight, 2003). The employability agenda should be viewed
positively as supporting good learning, enhancing students chances of obtaining appropriate
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employment, and helping students to develop proficiencies that will be useful in life generally
(Yorke, 2003, p. 10). It is also crucial to create employability champions in each
department/faculty.



5.0 CONCLUSION

To summarize, it is crystal clear that higher education institutions should provide a well-rounded
learning experience with enhancing graduate employability as a core component since work
forms a major part of most peoples lives and all jobs require soft skills. Besides providing
essential disciplinary knowledge and skills, undergraduate education should prepare learners for
employability, good citizenship, and lifelong learning.

The job market in general is so competitive that we need to do more than just present our
background and qualifications. Graduates tend to fail because they never display or communicate
their employability skills, only presenting their factual credentials. Employers place a premium
on graduates who can move between various challenges and assignments drawing upon these
skills. As Bhaerman and Spill (1988, p.44) conclude: when carefully structured and thoughtfully
conceived, employability skills development enables all individuals young and old to develop the
needed self confidence and motivation to meet successfully the challenges of work, to survive,
and most importantly to flourish.

Having now understood the expectations from some of the employers on the work attributes and
values that are desirable, graduate business schools or MBA program providers may need to
study and revamp their procedures and syllabus where necessary.


(words count: 2507)
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6.0 REFERENCE

Ball, C. (1989). Towards an Enterprising Culture. OECD/CERI, Paris.

Bernama. (2008, June 3). Higher Education Ministry to Implement New Internship Programme.
[Online]. Available: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=337085
[2012, April 15]

Chew, S.B., Lee, K.H. and Quek, A.H. (Eds) (1995). Education and Work: Aspirations of
Malaysian Secondary School Students. University of Malaya Press, Kuala Lumpur.

Dzulkifli, A. R. (2009, February 8). Returning our education to learning. New Sunday
Times, p. 35.

Mason, G., Williams, G., & Cranmer, S. (2006). Employability skills initiatives in higher
education: What effects do they have on graduate labour market outcomes?
National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

Wani, M. (2003, August 20). Private Sector Not Keen on Local Graduates. The Star, p. 16.