SERDANG, 30 May (UPM) – Professionals and graduates calling at the Post-Graduate exhibition of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) last weekend had an extra bonus in the form of a briefing about LinkedIn, the gigantic profesional and social network in the cyber world.
The company had sent a representative from Singapore, Mr Atul Harkisanka, to the UPM open day and exhibition on its post-graduate programmes where he was able to meet and talk to potential LinkedIn members in a seminar.
The visit of Mr Harkisanka last Saturday was made possible by Hajah Azroul Liza bt Hj Khalid, the chief executive officer of Institut Mentari, a private college in Kuala Lumpur that counts the Moscow State Medical University as amongst its partners.
Hajah Azroul said she happened to meet an officer of LinkedIn and saw the opportunity for Malaysian graduates and professionals to “brand” themselves through LinkedIn.
For this reason, she took the initiative to collaborate with LinkedIn by inviting them to come and talk to Malaysian graduates and professionals, and UPM was the first organization in her list.
“Our graduates and professionals should broaden their scope and horizon to see the world as their potential employers or business partners, and LinkedIn is one of worldwide network for them to hunt or to be hunted for a job, “ she said.
LinkedIn was founded by Reid Hoffman in 2002 and to date, it is said to have a membership of 225 million from over 200 countries and territories.
Hajah Azroul said it was vital to get students the proper guidance from the expert from LinkedIn and she would try to arrange for more such visits to the country as it would benefit Malaysian graduates in preparing themselves to fill up the job market based on the qualifications they earned.
“Thousands of graduates enter the workforce every year and the job market is becoming more competitive and only those who know the strategy to market themselves well will survive,” she said, adding that the LinkedIn collaboration was one of Institut Mentari’s corporate social responsibility (CSR).
More than 1,700 people visited the two-day Post-Graduate exhibition from May 25, 2013 where they could register for their post graduate studies at UPM which traces its history to May 21, 1931 when it first opened its door as the School of Agriculture in the Serdang Valley.
Located at some 20km south of the capital city Kuala Lumpur, UPM campus covers more than 1760 hectares or 6.82 sq mile of undulating and green landscape. - UPM
- kgo/
