Employers: Fresh Graduates Have Unrealistic Expectations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

KUALA LUMPUR, 7 December 2015- According to a recent JobStreet.com survey, fresh graduates have some catching up to do as employers are not too happy about their quality levels. A significant 70% of respondents said that the standards of fresh graduates were just average, while 24% believed that they were bad and only 6 % said they were good.  The poor ratings were not generally linked to their academic qualifications, but rather their poor attitudes and communication skills shown during interviews or at work.

The employers were asked why it was hard for fresh graduates to get hired, the top cited reason by 68% of respondents was, fresh graduates ask for unrealistic salaries and benefits. A previous JobStreet.com survey disclosed that 60% of fresh graduates expect a salary of RM3, 500 for their first job while 30% want to be paid as high as RM6, 500 in order to live comfortably. However, the average salary offered to fresh graduates is only between RM2, 100 to RM2, 500.

Reflecting on the English proficiency levels in Malaysia that continues to be of concern, 64% of the respondents said that a poor command of English was the second reason behind fresh graduate unemployment. Being the main language for business communications, more and more employers are taking into account the importance of hiring candidates who have a good grasp of English.

The third contributing factor to fresh graduate unemployment was being too choosy about the job or company at 60%, followed by poor communication skills and demonstrating poor character during the interview. “Fresh graduates should do some research on sites such as JobStreet.com to better understand the expectations, requirements and salary levels offered by employers to prepare themselves for their interviews”,said Ms. Chook Yuh Yng, Country Manager of Jobstreet.com.

“Jobstreet.com is the first in Asia to enhance its job ad format to Richer Job Ads, giving fresh graduates the right information they need about the company and job position before they apply. It provides key details such as the Salary, Job Description, Job Requirements and Work Location to ease the job hunt process and ensure that those who apply are serious and relevant”she added.

When the respondents were asked what gives fresh graduates an extra advantage, 39% of them said they would prefer those who have held leadership positions in their universities, 25% said they would choose those with high academic scores, 20% would select those involved in extracurricular activities and 16% would pick those who have done volunteer work.

Note: A total of 472 JobStreet.com clients, managers and senior managers across various industries in Malaysia participated in this survey conducted in November 2015.

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