CDC FEB UI Talks: How to Become a Modern-day Professional

CDC FEB UI Talks: How to Become a Modern-day Professional

Restiyana Fajriyah ~ CDC FEB UI

DEPOK – The Career Development Center at the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia (CDC FEB UI), and BNI Life jointly held a promotion program to help students select their major, prepare for future career, and understand the recruitment process during the Covid-19 pandemic. The live stream from the program, held on Wednesday (3/6/2020), can be watched on Instagram and YouTube.

Speakers at the event were Fahrul Ismaeni S.E., M.H., human resources manager of FEB UI, who talked about how to become a modern-day professional, and Danny Alogo Yulianto, chief affinity officer BNI Life who talked about BNI’s recruitment process during the pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic and the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) have caused changes in business activities. Companies should be responsive and adapt to the changes, including in the recruitment process and interviews, from face-to-face to online mode.

Does BNI Life recruit prospective employees online?

Danny Alogo Yulianto said that BNI has been recruiting prospective employees online since the end of February. Online recruitment can alter the one-on-one interview mode. “However, our colleagues in the hiring department have become accustomed to the new recruitment method because they have to recruit at least 100 people every month for online training.”

“When we started doing interviews online, we had some difficulties, but in terms of getting started and developing new habits, colleagues in the hiring department have become used to doing online interviews. There are obstacles in conducting online interviews such as the online network tools. However, if one application network is not working, we switch to enother application.

The main important thing during recruitment is willingness to do business and work, and passion. Education and grades are also considered but are not a major factor. Being active on social media in a positive way also influences the decision whether to hire or not, said Danny.

In a similar tone, Fahrul Ismaeni added that passion is the most important thing in selecting a major because it is key to be successful in the world of work. Students who choose a major based on their passion don’t get bored.

Over time, students may feel they are not suitable for the course or major they have chosen. “To deal with the problem, FEB UI has a counseling unit for students who experience the problem. As a first step, students receive counseling from an educational psychologist to determine whether the boredom is momentary or whether it involves something more fundamental. If the problem can be resolved, the student can resume his/her study as long as it is what they really want. That would be the solution, ”said Fahrul.

Fahrul went on to say that the world of work is full of challenges that are different from the challenges students face at university. Moreover, the office culture is far different from the campus environment. However, quite a few students enter the world of work through an internship program facilitated by CDC FEB UI. Internship can support students in pursuing their career in the future.

“In addition, CDC FEB UI provides coashing, such as preparing FEB UI students for job interviews, how to write their CVs, how to communicate in interviews, and other basic skills. In the world of work, compatibility between the employee and the employer is the most important thing. Based on experience, companies hire employees have special sharacteristics. That means attitude is also important,” said Fahrul.

Meanwhile, FEB UI improves students’ standard competencies to be on a par with those of overseas graduates by developing curricula and adapting the curricula of foreign universities as well as benchmarking existing curricula including undergoing accreditation that is part of curriculum standardization. A university is an industry that has business processes, benchmarks, and standards. An example of good standards is FEB UI’s faculty exchange and scholarship programs.

Some say that it is easier for foreign graduates to find jobs, is that true?

According to Fahrul, that is not always the case. Improving one’s capacity, character, and self-integrity is a strong asset to become engaged in the company. Companies must choose employees who have attitude value, a rational choice. However, in this age of Internet, competition is becoming more open, meaning that you don’t have to go abroad to gain experience. You can do it by googling, then you can also learn from the experiences of other countries through the Internet.

In the current pandemic condition, industries that experienced a downturn earlier than others closed their business. The competition in the job market during the pandemic is tighter. What must be done is trying to make something new, meaning using your ability, passion and network to create a job, for example by becoming an entrepreneur. “This means that from the perspective of competition, data shows that there is more unemployment than growth. Therefore, no company reports growth. Automatically, this means there will be no recruitment and that is normal during a pandemic. Becoming an entrepreneur is a solution,” said Fahrul.

Becoming a professional and modern worker is the ultimate goal of every prospective employee. However, the one question that is often ased upon the completion of the undergraduate study program is whether to continue straight to a Master’s degree program or to work. Some people think a Master’s degree guarantees a bigger salary even though companies also consider work experience important.

“If you are thinking about a career as a scientist, you should continue your studies. Educational background is always considered and increases the base salary. It’s a natural process. The higher the competencies or attributes of workers, the bigger the company will pay according to the market price. However, in an era of tight competition, foreign workers have Master’s degrees, which are a basic requirement. Today, most students go directly from undergraduate to graduate degree programs and the world of work is now seeking postgraduates,” Fahrul concluded. (hjtp)

(lem)