Towards a Brighter Future (TBF) was held on January 15, 2022 (Saturday) involving two invited panellists, namely Puan Nur Ilyani Syuhada binti Nasri and Puan Noorfadhila binti Zakaria. They are the alumni from UPM from classes 2018 and 2014. The topics discussed were about careers in the government sector or the Public Service Commission (SPA).

The discussion between the panels began with the sharing of the panels background as well as the experiences from their careers. Mrs. Ilyani is a Diplomatic Administrative Officer at the Public Service Commission (SPA) Malaysia. Meanwhile, Mrs. Fadhila is an Assistant Director at the National Security Council (MKN), Kelantan. Based on this sharing, we can see that the positions held by these two panels in the government sector show that they are experienced in the field and are able to provide various useful inputs to the participants.

Next, the discussion continued further with the sharing of careers in the Public Service Commission. Mrs. Ilyani explained the important elements or criteria required by each individual to enable them to be accepted to work in the government sector. Apart from that, he also gave tips or explanations to the participants on how to face the interview session in terms of communication effectiveness, skills, and professional attitude.

Next, Mrs. Fadhila shared with the participants the challenges that she faced in managing her time as a postgraduate and civil servant. He stated that good time management techniques are very important, that is, by prioritising important things first before managing other things. Thus, this matter can be used as a good example for students to be able to manage their time well in the learning process and, at the same time, not neglecting other responsibilities.

The discussion did not end until Mrs. Ilyani's presented her slides to give important information about SPA with more clarity and detail. Both panels also provide tips or ways to qualify such individuals to work in the government sector. They also reminded participants to always read the handbook before filling out any application at the SPA level. Therefore, every student must be prepared before graduating in terms of soft skills such as leadership, communication skills, high self-esteem, and so on, so that they are able to face challenges in the future.

Date of Input: 21/01/2022 | Updated: 21/01/2022 | zulkif