[This is a sponsored article with the University of Southampton Malaysia.]
You’ve just graduated from high school, and it’s normal to feel a little lost and unsure about what to study next.
Ideally, your chosen course and university should help prepare you for the real working world.
That said, many employers in Malaysia feel that graduates often lack essential professional skills for the workplace, suggesting that universities might not be offering enough chances for students to develop these critical abilities, reported NST.
It’s a valid concern, because excelling in academics and having the skills to thrive in a job are two different things.
The University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM) understands this challenge.
Did you know: University of Southampton is a UK university that expanded to Malaysia in 2012. It was part of the government’s initiatives to provide local students access to pursue their tertiary education in world-class universities.
To date, UoSM holds the title of being the top UK campus in Malaysia, and is ranked 81st in the world by QS World University Rankings 2023.
Located in Johor, here are five ways this top UK university can give you practical training to prepare for your future career.
1. Your classes will be taught through research-led teaching and hands-on projects
For most of our schooling lives, we’ve followed an exam-based system that requires us to memorise and revise chapter after chapter of our textbooks.
And you may have wondered to yourself, how is this information going to be useful in the real world?
This is where hands-on projects come in. By actually using what you’ve learnt in class, you’ll get a feel for how it applies in real-world scenarios, which can prepare you for your future job.
At UoSM, you’ll get to work in the campus’s state-of-the-art facilities, such as a wind tunnel for engineering students, or a Bloomberg terminal for business programmes.
Classes are also taught by academics who are not just experts in their fields, but also active researchers. In fact, 100% of UoSM’s academics in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes are PhD holders.
This means you’ll get up-to-date lessons and hear about the latest discoveries and research straight from your professors.
2. You’ll be learning alongside the best and brightest students in Malaysia and around the world
It’s natural to wonder about the people you’ll be surrounded by in any new environment.
If you’re someone who takes your studies seriously, you’d likely prefer to be in a setting with other students who are just as passionate and eager to learn as you.
In that case, you might be pleased to know that UoSM is considered to have one of the highest entry requirements, out of all the foreign universities in Malaysia. The same goes for their UK campus as well.
This means getting into UoSM isn’t a walk in the park. But if you do, you’ll find yourself among some of the brightest minds in Malaysia and around the world. Since UoSM is a UK university with a presence in Malaysia, you’ll even graduate with the same degree as students from the UK campus.
By studying alongside these exceptional peers, you’ll be better prepared for the competitive job market ahead.
3. You’ll get the chance to go on a transfer programme to study in the UK
While attending a local university might initially seem like the best option to stay close to family and friends, you might find yourself considering studying abroad later on.
If that’s the case, it’s worth checking out the short-term study-abroad opportunities your university offers.
Being a branch of the UK’s main campus, UoSM offers several study-abroad options, especially for the university’s engineering students who have the 2+2 course structure. This means spending the first two years in Malaysia and then continuing the third and fourth years in the UK.
For Business and Computer Science students, you have the choice of either completing your entire programme (three years) in Malaysia, or transferring to the UK during your programme if you meet the criteria.
Studying abroad can also prepare you for the global job market. Being exposed to different cultures in uni can equip you with the soft skills to adapt to new and different situations, giving you a headstart in the working world.
4. You can get career readiness training including resume and interview workshops
One of the main reasons fresh graduates struggle to enter the workforce is due to low proficiency in English and a lack of soft skills like creativity, communication, and critical thinking. That’s according to the same NST article highlighted earlier.
Among the challenges graduates commonly encounter, communication stands out, especially during job interviews and in the workplace.
Hence, it’s essential for graduates to communicate effectively, which is a fundamental requirement for job interviews and success in the workforce.
To ensure you’re well-prepared for the real world, you can get UoSM’s career readiness training. These include workshops on resume writing and interview skills, helping you to feel confident and ready for future employment opportunities.
5. You’ll be studying at a globally recognised university
If your parents are anything like mine, they’d probably want to make sure you’re attending a university with a great reputation in the job market. After all, it’s something future employers will take into account when considering your education’s credibility.
UoSM is considered a world-class research university under the Russell Group, which puts it in the same league as Cambridge and Oxford.
Being the leading UK university in Malaysia, UoSM also has some impressive industry partnerships, so you don’t have to stress too hard about landing that internship or kick-starting your career.
Some of UoSM’s notable partners include Petronas, Dyson, Frost & Sullivan, TalentCorp, and Western Digital.
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All in all, choosing a university where you’ll spend the next few years can seem like an overwhelming decision, as it is the first major step into your future career.
If you’re seeking a place that can boost your career prospects after graduation, UoSM’s approach can guide you in developing your professional skills and knowledge within a supportive and holistic setting.
UoSM is currently open for its July and September intakes, and you can check out the university’s course offerings on its website.
- Learn more about the University of Southampton Malaysia here.
- Read about other education-related articles we’ve written here.
Featured Image Credit: University of Southampton Malaysia
