Helping students choose the right career path

Miri – 16 June 2015 – 60 students of the Faculty of Business and Humanities of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) were given pointers on choosing the right career path after graduation at a Career Charting Talk at the university recently.

Organised by the faculty and conducted by certified DISC Training Consultant Allan See, the talk included a three-minute assessment that helped the students better understand their personalities and ensure their dream jobs really suited them.

Also present were Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Business and Humanities Associate Professor Pauline Ho Poh Ling and marketing lecturer from the faculty’s Department of Marketing and Management Dr. Joseph Sia Kee Ming.

For the past 10 years, See has conducted DISC and sales training programmes in countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and China.

According to him, career experts have discovered that 65 percent of individuals in the United States are in the wrong career path due to ‘mismatch of personality style’.

Emphasising the importance of one’s personality in determining ideal career path, See commented that one must understand four behavioural styles – Dominance (D), Influence (I), Steadiness (S) and Compliance (C) – in order to own and excel in their dream career.

In each behavioural category lays different yet specific careers that match the personality of the individual, he added.

See said that the students’ assessments revealed that most scored the highest for ‘Steadiness’, a behavioural style that describes an individual who is genuine, precise in details and supportive in achieving team goals.

Commenting on the talk, Associate Professor Ho said Curtin Sarawak is committed to helping its students achieve their goals and such talks help them identify and embrace their strengths as individuals.

Dr. Sia meanwhile remarked that it was rewarding to see so many students benefitting from the talk.

“As a lecturer, I hope all our students will graduate from Curtin Sarawak with a guaranteed future in their chosen career path,” he said.

Final semester student Lee Shin Lin said that she was fortunate to have attended the talk as she now knows how to choose an ideal career path through a deeper understanding of her personality.

The talk was sponsored by Manulife Financial as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Over the years, Manulife Financial has carried out various CSR programmes aimed at empowering children, youth and families in fostering economic and environmental sustainability.

The students taking part in one of the activities during the talk.

Students and staff with trainer Allan See (seated, 2nd left).