EASYUNI Ultimate University Guide 2013 July Issue | Page 80

Interview

Industry

is expected to contribute more ICT jobs as well. The MSC
initiatives complemented through the Digital Malaysia agenda
alone is slated to create an additional 60,000 to 80,000 ICT
jobs by 2015. The challenge that we are facing now is the lack
of ICT talent with the right skills required by the industry. This
situation is further aggravated by the low take-up rate for ICT
courses at the institutions of higher learning. The myth that ICT
graduates will become unemployed is no longer valid.
ICT industry players off er competitive salaries to their
employees. The PIKOM ICT Job Market Report 2012 has
indicated the following. The average monthly salary of ICT
professionals in Malaysia was RM6,240 in 2011. This represents
an average increase of 10.9% from RM5,626 in 2010. This
increase was well above the average in?ation rate of 3.2%.
Given the prospective outlook for the economy and other
positive factors within the ICT industry, PIKOM anticipates
a 9.0% rise in the average salary of ICT professionals in
2012, which would average out to RM6,800 per month.
The average salary for fresh graduates in the ICT industry
is quite competitive as well. Fresh graduates are offered an
average entry-level salary of RM2,238 at present. The ?gures
were hovering around RM1,800 to RM2,000 previously. The
shortage of skilled ICT professionals has lead to companies
offering better remuneration for those with ICT skills.
There are various career path and roles for ICT graduates in
the market. They have an option to work in the ICT end-user
environment across industrys as well as high-growth areas
such as the Shared Services and Outsourcing environment.
Malaysia has been reckoned as the three most competitive
seven business services locations by international research ?rm
AT Kearney for years in a row.

Apart from skills and knowledge, what other aspects
someone new to IT should have?
Fresh ICT graduates should not be complacent with the
technical skills and know-how that they have gained at their
respective universities. They have to keep abreast with the
changes in ICT technology, which is at greater pace than the
university can adopt or follow. The rapid advancement in
ICT technology may lead for the knowledge that they have
gained in the universities becoming obsolete or irrelevant
when they graduate.
The ICT students have to further enhance their technical
knowledge through various opportunities that have
been created in the ICT talent development ecosystem.
The industry landscape is changing as well. Social media
(S), mobility (M), the focus on analytics/big data (A) and
cloud (C), drive the changes in industry landscape. This is
commonly known as “SMAC”. ICT students should be alert
to these changes by doing a lot of research and knowledgeseeking on issues related to the industry. The Internet is a
good source of information.

What are the opportunities and challenges that
candidates should look out for IT?
The ICT industry is rather unique where there are various
domains that one can pursue. Most of these domain skills
require intensive training, which leads to certi?cation.
Fresh graduates have to be on the lookout on the needs
for technical certi?cation, which will complement their
knowledge and enhance their career journey. MDeC, through
the Knowledge Workers Development Initiatives, has also

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put in various ICT talent development interventions that ICT
graduates can participate in. Details of the initiatives can be
accessed through www.mscmalaysia/kdi.
Fresh ICT graduates need to do their homework on the
type of roles or specialisations that they wish to pursue as
a career. They need to know what skills are in demand.
MDeCs research on the ICT skills requirements of the
industry is as follows:
1. Software development
2. Database administration and management
3. Networking and IT security
4. Creative multimedia tools and technology
5. Operating systems and server technology, including
mobile platforms
6. Business intelligence and analytics
7. Finance and Human Resources
8. Enterprise Resource Planning tools, which includes SAP
and Oracle
9. Hardware design
Technical skills alone are not enough to secure a good
career. Graduates need to complement their technical skills
with the soft skills such as good communication skills,
decision-making and analytical skills and, more importantly
the business acumen. They should be able to relate their
knowledge to the business environment. Ability to converse
well in English is a must if they wish to work in a majority of
ICT ?rms, since the businesses in Malaysia have gone beyond
borders with ICT and connectivity. Multi-country interaction is
a common environment in this borderless world.
Challenges at work for fresh ICT graduates is common
and they have to be prepared mentally to face these
challenges. A lot of learning is gained through addressing the
challenges at work. They should not give up easily. Taking up
internship roles at ICT companies gives them an edge for their
career aspirations. Being an intern provides insight to the
company environment and familiarity to the industry.

What are among the most important pieces of advice
you would like to tell someone entering the IT industry?
Formula of success for fresh graduates is = A + B + C + D
whereby:
A = Attitude
B = Behaviour
C = Communication skills
D = Domain knowledge