Degree of success

How important is a paper qualification today? It certainly helps to have one, but is not the be-all and end-all. Taken from my Facebook posting on 12 Oct 2017:

FOOT IN THE DOOR: There is no such thing as a glut of degree holders in the market. Don’t be fooled by stories of school dropouts who created huge empires. There’re only a few in a million, and chances are you aren’t among that tiny minority. The practical reality is that graduates are generally more employable and they command better pay. I was mulling over the education level of my employees in my listed (SEGi & HCK) and unlisted groups, and counted 75 of them with doctorate and 430 with master degrees . Most of the rest are bachelor degree or diploma holders. Collectively, they draw about RM12.5 million in salaries & allowances per month. I can swear by the importance of a degree in these challenging times. It might not be the last thing employers look for, but it’s certainly the first. Otherwise for most positions, your foot won’t get in the door and your butt won’t touch that chair in the interview room.

 

Selected followers’ comments:

James H K Ooi: I have been through 3 degrees and each has its challenges to find a job and career progression. With a bachelor degree, it’s easier to land a job but initial pay is not that great. Career progression seems to be limited unless you have advanced degree. Having a Master degree certainly helped but now jobs for master degree holder is less than entry level jobs. But if you do get a job based on your master degree, the career ceiling is much much better. Then comes PhD, it’s quite a mix bag. You are overqualified for many jobs. You are specialized but not many industry wants that specialization either. However a PhD graduate possess many qualities other degrees holder are not trained for . The ability to create new knowledge rather than copy, be critical of one’s work or results, dealing with a mad professor or boss, dealing with uncertainty, able to defend one’s idea cohesively… That I think is the biggest asset of a doctorate holder beside the subject matter expertise.

Cherie Tan: Was ubering after work yesterday and the last rider is a student who is studying psychology degree now and she was suprised that i am holding HR position without a degree. I told her that many HR people who started in HR 10 to 20 years back is usually without relevant degree in HR but times is changing and it is important to have that piece of paper now as it is the passport for entry. I also told her, “however, that paper is just only the entry passport. Afterwards, how far you can go in life will depends on how proactive you are, how flexible you are, your soft skills and also working attitude that will determine your career growth”.

“Education is the pasport for future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

“There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.” – John Adams

Alice YokYuen Wong: It’s true that degree holders command better salaries and higher positions. But when everyone of the younger generation has a degree then surely that is considered a glut. I remembered interviewing a university graduate for the post of an Admin Assistant. Reason? She was from Kelantan and had been jobless for a year since graduating! We took her in but her communication skills both in spoken and written English is far behind. In the end she resigned herself as she can’t cope. Too stressful apparently. On the other hand the girl we look in later did excellently and she had only an SPM!
In Malaysia there is a misfit on jobs -too many graduates to fill up the limited vacancies in the upper levels of any organization.
So degree holders can succeed only if their line of studies are relevant to what industries require. And of course English is most vital all the time.
I believe everyone should know their inclinations. Not all are academically inclined so zero in on what you are good at. Dad used to tell me every job is a profession. Every organization and country needs workers in all categories, be it white or blue collar. In Segi and HCK, the requirements are “intellect” so the focus is rightly on degrees.
Good morning friends, we all hope to be leaders but it’s a pyramid. The top is just a tip.

 

My other FB postings between 9 Oct 2017 and 15 Oct 2017:

9 Oct 2017

BEYOND BOUNDARIES; There seems to be many different ideas of what constitutes privacy and the unjustified intrusion into the personal life of another. I’m irritated no end by those unsolicited phone calls offering me credit cards, invitations to product launches and RM5000 “unsecured” loans. I’m still trying to get used to getting photos in the email from strangers, like this one captured at an airport eatery. I think we have ourselves partly to blame. It stems from not protecting our own boundaries, or allowing others to overstep theirs. We often don’t close the door, talk outside of earshot, lock access to our digital files or simply tell the nosy ones to mind their own business. Technology has made privacy a rather complex issue, and it has become more difficult to calculate what’s intrusive to us.

 

Selected followers’ comments:

Krizian Lim: Attention, beyond. boundaries

Tan Sri, looks like you are living like a celebrity with secret admirers every where. Just not long ago, I remember you posted a picture of you in an unguarded moment, sent by someone else. Hmm… paparazzi is everywhere.

This reminds me of a self-proclaimed “Public Figure” in his FB page, posting a picture of his fast car parked by the roadside, sent to him by someone else. Instead of seeing it as intrusion into his personal life, he seem to enjoy the attention very much.

Attention, some wanted it so much, others will say ” I am kind of a private person. ” ? I think we must all learn to respect others’ privacy.

Frankie David Chieng: Don’t forget you have 3millions over followers TSCH. For anyone of us to bounce into you is not uncommon. So be ready and most of us is just overjoy to see you in a public place in secret from afar. Just hitting lottery for the day. And send this photo to you for proof. Maybe not many will do it either. Just a simple joy to bounce into my fb TS. Have a good day.

Lynnet Lai: The cry for privacy, and the laws that were based upon them, are fast becoming obselete, slowly diminishing due to the advancement in technology. Protecting one’s privacy, gaining the freedom from unwanted or undue interference, disturbance or intrusion have almost seemed “null and void”. Broadly speaking, especially for a public figure, it can’t be avoided being a “secret surveillance” and free from public attention or unsanctioned intrusion. However, try not to invade one’s privacy by all means as a “mutual respect” , for everyone has the “constitutional” right to privacy. When a person wants to be in total peace and seclusion, respect his or her right of reclusiveness….for we’ve to understand that “one does not wash one’s dirty linen in public”…. A fresh new day of the week , a great Monday to all. Cheers.

 

10 Oct 2017

THE COMPANY WE KEEP: When we were young, our parents warned us to be careful with our choice of friends, since we could be negatively influenced by those we choose to spend our time with. As adults, we’re classified as birds flocking together only with those of the same kind. Smart people tend to surround themselves with smarter people, and the proactive doers stay clear of armchair dreamers. For me, I’ve always found it hard to suffer fools gladly, and even harder to have to deal with those who only see greatness in themselves. As we go through life, it’s important to befriend individuals who’ll uplift us, provide constructive criticism and not tear us down. In the end, we’re really only as good as the company we keep.

 

Selected followers’ comments:

Tay Cheow Hwang:
THE COMPANY WE KEEP

The company we keep,
We keep ourselves accompanied,
With birds of same feathers,
Irrespective of whether can fly or otherwise;

Surrounding smart people,
We can be smarter, can’t we?
Surrounding stupid people,
We can’t be less stupid, can we?

Neither…..

We’re not ourselves,
Becoming smarter overnight,
Mingling with damned smart people,
If we’ve no thought to learn;

Nor……

We’re ourselves,
Unbecoming more stupid overnight,
Lingering with doomed stupid people,
If we’ve no doubt to unlearn;

The company we keep,
They do uplift us,
With words and action,
Inspiring for positive challenge;

The company we keep,
They do upgrade us,
With know-how and know-who,
Aspiring for wider horizon.

Rodjeanall Tinjan: “In the end, we’re really only as good as the company we keep”
-Clement Hii
Definitely true, Sir. When we were teens, we can’t exactly clear with our goals but surely and definitely we were easily influenced by our circle of friends. Fortunately during my time, all of my inner circle and close friends, i considered to be angels in disguise around me.

But, by now we can see clearly, that our young teens, were so much different says about 20, 30, years ago. We will bump! to a groups of teens with school uniform from time to time openly smoking, the young Mat Rampit motorcycle or bicycle, doing death stunts, without meaning which will surely makes their parents sad and misery in the making.

Sad to notice, that even in adults life, these criminals minds would not stop. Politicians with their extraordinary luxurious life, obtained from siphoning public fund. Businessmen with their uncanny attitudes of bribery genius to get something more. The underground gangsters, will not be limited to the ordinary men, but most of the big boss, were millionaires controlling the black markets activities of selling alcohol, drugs, prostitution and other related satanic activities, that very clear bring misery and suffering to the blind mind and souls.

Cheers, another beautiful gorgeous Tuesday.

 

11 Oct 2017

THEY’RE OUR PEERS: Are those in the same industry our peers or our competitors? I would rather treat them as my equals or even seniors and not as rivals because networking and sharing ideas can only be mutually beneficial. Fan Len Kuan, COO of niche developer Bukit Kiara Properties (2nd right) dropped in for a chat on market trends and brand positioning. I think a business is distinguished by its competitive advantages, not by how well it runs down the competition. I know of many successful entrepreneurs who’re not only well connected in their own industry but also in all levels of society. They’re seen as resourceful and abundant, with access to useful information, industry outlooks and national leaders (my long-time-no-see buddies Ecoworld’s Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin and Air Asia’s Tan Sri Tony Fernandes come to mind). It’s not just about managing our businesses but also about providing visionary leadership within and outside our companies.

 

Selected followers’ comments:

B Huan Yap: I would think that Bukit Kiara Properties has a culture similar to yours, Tan Sri, one that engages customers and staff alike. And one that stresses integrity.

Molly Toh: Good happy morning to you,Tan Sri Clement n to my fb friends here.Learning n sharing is part n parcel of our life whether as a child,student,working person or a corporate person.Even now,as we aged,we are still learning new things.Cheers, everyone,have an awesome Wednesday.

Alice YokYuen Wong: This brings to mind about the benefits of sharing know-hows to improve. I remember those bygone eras where trade secrets are strictly kept within the family and are closely guarded. Hahaha……….the chef would add his secret recipe into the broth only when no one is looking!
China is a good example of how the open-door principles had benefited them. Whilst previously they don’t believe in sharing with or learning from the “outside” world which made them lag behind others in science and technology, they are now an emerging superpower since changing their mindsets.
Similarly when we are “generous” in sharing info with others, they will also share their know-how’s with us. So treating everyone as an equal benefits all. Well, sharing is caring isn’t it? When we treat them as our peers it means we are equal!
Good morning everyone. Have a happy mid week!

 

13 Oct 2017

SIMPLE BUT GRATIFYING: My friends and I hang out in noisy coffeeshops and cafes fairly often. I only patronise high-end outlets for business meetings. People can get easily fooled by the expensive decor, whereas I think most of the fabulous food are found in simple surroundings. My tycoon friends who only appear in top-notch hotels won’t know what they’ve been missing out in life. Likewise, I find the simple pleasures throughout the weekdays to be more satisfying than one exciting weekend. I don’t need my employees to give me big breakthroughs, only their best efforts in all the small things they need to do throughout the year. I feel life is in the details. When we add up all the simple gestures and little joys, life seems much fuller and more gratifying.

 

Selected followers’ comments:

Alice YokYuen Wong: Life especially city living is very fast paced. We rush to work, rush to have our meals during lunch break, rush to meet deadlines in our workplace, rush to keep an appointment, and the list goes on!
Why the rush? Because it’s to maintain our current lifestyles! All these rush had become a “habit”.
Back in the old days of living simply, life is truly “living” then. Not merely existing.
So friends, if you tune your life to “contentment” mode to enjoy meals in a kopitiam and not classy joints, and make trips to Sekinchan instead of overseas, they still serve the same purpose. Choose simple things to enjoy stress-free living. Good morning everyone, the simple things in life gives us peace.

Philip Lim: It is great to be simple in how we live our lives. However, our simplicity should not extend beyond that. We have seen people who take pride in being simplistic or oversimplistic in the way they approach serious issues.

Andrew Chan: Tan Sri, food good delicious glorious food brings folks together n it’s not the venue but the gatherings amongst friends that maketh the moments worth spending time with. Our Thomian classes of 70 – 74/76 are a very active group with numerous gatherings each year. Never mind the repeated conversations, it’s always nolstagic to recall the good old school days n catching up with the latest dev’ts amongst us. We r all now in our 60s n only natural the numbers will dwindle as time progresses. Cheers to combradieship n our status in society though wide n varied, is not an issue. We have a few Datuks, a Datin, doctors, a High Court Judge, a professor in Physics, a plastic surgeon, a psychiatrist, businessmen/women, a host of professionals n ordinary folks too.

 

14 Oct 2017

BRAVING THE UNKNOWN: I often get emails from FB friends asking for advice on business matters. Peter writes he’s involved in a new start-up and he’s particularly fearful of failure arising from lack of capital, market acceptance or stamina to last the distance. Like the rest, he doesn’t know what the future holds and wants to know how I’d overcome my own initial grim periods. I don’t have a crystal ball, but I can tell you that the courage to face the future is a choice. Often we’ll feel it’s easier to hide than to shine, but we can’t overcome fear of failure without moving through it. Acts of bravery don’t need to be in the battlefield. They can take place in our hearts when we hold our heads up, when everyone else has theirs bowed. We don’t know the future, but we know who holds it.

 

Selected followers’ comments:

Tuck Meng Choong: In your 2nd paragraph, you sound better than those motivational speakers. Maybe you should take some time to author a book too, TS.

Rohaty Majzub: Good morning Tan Sri
Are we not recommended to follow the Blue Ocean strategy ?perhaps now one can create The Rainbow Strategy ?Success calls for opportunities and risk taking; its a calculated risk.
Only that one can never be too sure of the formula and the outcomes ; a sucessful venture begins with a small step:I guess one therefore needs to do the homework to do futuristic anslysis and planning : A combination of.aspirations yet unachieved and realistic daignosis gap and SWOT analysis

Chai Moi Moi: Good morning, Tan Sri. It’s heavy rain in Miri since early morning. Yes, our future is unknown, we can picture our future in our mind. Decision you make is important. If you have decided to do something, you have to do it right. Equip yourself with courage before you do it. How can you fight without weapons in a battle field. Life is going on, you have to try you very best, go ahead to discover your future. Your wisdom, courage, effort will make you shine in future. May God bless your journey to your destination with big success. Cheers.

 

15 Oct 2017

AN INSPIRATIONAL APPROACH: If you find my corporate journey and FB postings inspiring, wait till you read Tan Thiam Hock’s story and his writings (www.thiamhock.com). The guy’s the founder of Alliance Cosmetics and Silky Girl brand who sold the bulk of the business empire he built from scratch to private equity Navis. This multi-millionaire’s subsequent laid-back life took a hit when he was diagnosed with 4th stage colorectal cancer. I admire Tan for the way he deals with the dreaded disease – with calmness and clarity. My own health issues pale in comparison with his battle against the big ‘C’ with its erratic ups and downs. Only 5% of late stage sufferers survive beyond 5 years, and Tan’s into his 4th. Our society’s culture has issues with talking openly about death, suffering and sadness. But I’ll agree with his bias towards positivity and treating it like another day at the office, “making decisions at every turn and handling crisis after crisis.” As he puts it wickedly, after all, it’s only a matter of life and death.

 

Selected followers’ comments:

Goh Pohhwa: Never miss any of his article every Saturday Star in biz section, well written, inspiring and relatable.

Chris Cheong Ean Hwa: Hey ! I know Mr. Tan Thiam Hock personally. Love this photo of the two of you together. My two most admired persons alive! Can i save this photo of you two, TS Clement? It will be priceless someday. It least to me.

Cherie Tan: My mum passed away because of cancer at the age of 55 when i was 24 and since then i look at life and death in the face. I think my mum’s death and a few incidents in my 20s taught me that not everything will go according to our plan therefore it is important to really live our life before our time is up.

P.S. thanks for recommending another good site for reading.

“What is life? They say it’s from B to D. From Birth to Death. But what’s between B and D? It’s a C. So what is a C? It is a Choice. Our Life is a matter of choices. Live well and it will never go wrong.” – Unknown

“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” – Mark Twain