Eye on the finish line
Job seekers now have to be more serious in designing a solid career map. Today's volatile employment market has necessitated the need to pursue a career based on personal aspirations and physical and mental capabilities.
But human resource (HR) professionals argue that students in Bangladesh are not serious enough about their career plans.
“Most undergraduate students in Bangladesh remain undecided as to which sector they want to build their career in future, even at the end of the second year,” says Kazi Rakibuddin Ahmed, a prominent HR professional. “This is because they study on an experimental basis.”
Most students choose their subjects based on their parents' instruction, says Ahmed, who has worked for renowned organisations like Pepsi-Cola, British American Tobacco, Unilever, Sanofi-Aventis, Pan Pacific Hotel and Apollo Hospitals Dhaka.
“We see a lot of students choose a particular subject because their parents asked them to do so, but they actually do not enjoy the subject,” says Ahmed, who has been in this field for over 20 years.
A career plan should be well thought out with clear achievable goals, set against personal aspirations, strengths and weaknesses, and physical and mental capabilities, says MA Mannan, a professor of management at Dhaka University.
Students should assess their own personal strengths and weaknesses, in terms of language proficiency, physical fitness and mental stability, before pursuing any career, he says.
Mannan, with over 60 research publications, says, “Job Seekers should evaluate their personality (ask yourself: am I an introvert or extrovert?), attitudes toward a job and employers, choice of location (would I feel better in Dhaka or in rural areas?).”
“This self-analysis is very important,” says Mannan. “For example, an introvert is more suited to a desk-oriented job, like accounting and finance or research and development. An extrovert would be more suitable for development-oriented work, like marketing or relationship management.”
Mannan, a visiting professor at Western Kentucky University, USA, says students have to visualise the job market within the country and outside, in developing a career plan.
In choosing a major, a student should assess the required skills, values, interests, along with academic requirements and potential career choices, says Shaila Parveen, head of HR planning and sourcing, The City Bank.
“It would be unwise to view one's career as a linear progression in a particular organisation, unless one finally chooses to work in the government system,” says Mannan.
One has to change the current organisation due to unforeseen circumstances.
“We see a number of people who once worked in academic jobs, but later switched due to lay-off, termination or a change in spouse's workplace,” says Mannan.
However, career experts also urge prospective job seekers to develop leadership and good communication skills to survive in the highly competitive market.
In addition to proficiency in English and computer knowledge, students have to nurture skills like communications, empathy and presentation, to stand out from a crowd, says Ahmed.
Parveen, who also worked at Grameenphone in HR sourcing and employee branding, says job seekers have to nurture job-specific and soft skills because every employer is looking for these skills.
Mannan, who was also a guest lecturer in the faculty of management studies at Delhi University, asks job seekers to visit the web sites of different skills-training institutions and attend specialised programmes to sharpen their skills.
Students should participate in training, read career portals and seek advice from senior peers in related disciplines, he says.
Ahmed urges students to participate in sports, debate and cultural shows because it helps them develop team spirit, competitive skills and build self-confidence. A sports person will have the right attitude to fight back. He taught HRM and business communication at Kentucky College of Business, USA, between 1990 and 1994.
“Students have to build a strong network with related professional bodies from an early stage,” says Ahmed. “These associations will keep them stay up to date with latest developments in their field.”
“Employers always focus on hiring the right fit. It does not necessarily mean the 'best' person, but the 'right' person for the job,” says Parveen from The City Bank.
She says prospective job-seekers, therefore, need to be clear about the role and requirement of a job before applying for a position.
Career experts urged students to take their internship programmes seriously because it gives a strong foothold in a career path.
Ahmed, however, urges academicians to impart knowledge to students by exercising real life cases, in addition to practising theories, in building a solid foundation.
It is a common phenomenon that students do not find a match between book-knowledge and reality when they begin work, says Ahmed.
Mannan also urges students to study with their full attention because exam results play a vital role throughout a career in the context of Bangladesh.
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