On the afternoon of November 2nd 2016, the International Relations (IR) and International Communication Studies (ICS) Career Showcase took place in the Great Hall here in UNMC. Jointly organised by the Careers Advisory Office, PHIR-Nott and the School of Modern Languages and Cultures (SMLC), the event saw six speakers from various organisations gathered under one roof to expose UNMC students to their respective workplaces, as well as offer students a chance to network and broaden their horizons for the future.
Representatives from various companies relating to the international relations and international communication field were invited to UNMC. The speakers present were Major Mohd Ridzuan M Shariff from the Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry, Barry Lim of Frost & Sullivan, Shaza Onn from the Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), Thomas Benjamin Daniel for the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS), Lynn D’Cruz of Malaysiakini and Maureen Johnson from the Leo Burnett Group. The original line-up of speakers included a representative from the British Council Malaysia, however a last minute unavailability meant that only six of the original seven speakers could make it.
The showcase started with a brief 5-minute introduction from each of the present speakers, which then moved into a 30-minute personal session with each speaker. Students were divided into small groups of 20, based on their preference of speakers, and were given the opportunity to ask questions directly to each guest. Volunteers from PHIR-Nott and SMLC facilitated each session and ensured that conversation was smooth and continuous. Questions from the participants were diverse, ranging from job scope, and internship opportunities, to challenges and work-life balance.
After two 30-minute sessions, all participants were adjourned to the Great Hall lobby, where everyone had the chance to ask additional questions and network with all the speakers over light refreshments. This is the second annual IR and ICS Careers Showcase, which was started in 2015 by the Careers Advisory Office.
The event was informative to all students involved, especially for me, as being able to interact with executives from various organisations are a once in a lifetime opportunity. I learnt new things about the companies I was interested in and got a general idea of the working culture in these companies. I walked away from the event inspired by the experiences that were shared with me. I feel a little more prepared for what the future brings, and I hope to be able to join next year’s career showcase!
By Neda Al-Asedi,
SMLC BA(Hons) International Communication Studies with English Language & Literature, Year 2
Posted on 17th January 2017