Sunway’s AUSMAT students explore career paths

Sunway College’s Australian Matriculation Programme (AUSMAT) recently hosted a Career Exploration Week where its students from the AUSMAT pre-university programme visited various universities and organisations to get a bigger picture and a better idea of courses and career paths. The students visited International Medical University (IMU), Melaka Manipal College, Monash University and organisations such as MEASAT Satellite Systems (Cyberjaya), Sunway Medical Centre, Deloitte Malaysia and Westport.

Dr Shah Yasin presenting his speech during the career forum.

Such an activity encourages the exploration of course and career choices to pursue after completion of pre-university studies. During the various campus visits, students were briefed by the respective universities on course information and entry requirements. Other activities included talks, demonstrations and even games. Students who visited Monash University toured the laboratories and engaged in activities including building an electronic robot. The organisational visits saw students taking a tour around the company, learning and understanding the working life of individuals in different professional areas. Students who visited Deloitte, Malaysia were exposed to the job scope of an accountant, so they may have a better grasp of the job and choose a suitable career pathway, if interested.

Students during the Johari window exercise during the career exploration week.

The following day, students continued with a team building exercise where they learnt about themselves through the Johari window exercise. Through this exercise, students learnt how to improve self-awareness and how others may understand them.

They also attended a career forum where representatives from different industries shared their experience. The students heard speeches from Mr Andre Gan (Wong & Partners), Dr Shah Yasin (Monash University), Mr Benjamin Siew Wan Siong (MAS), Mr Sharidan Sulik Suleiman (SHELL), Ms Wong Su Zane (WAO), Professor Nigel V. Marsh (Sunway University) and Mr Simon Koay (CIMB), who all shared their experience working in their industry.

Dr Shah Yasin told the students, “The benefits of becoming a doctor is that you are doing the best you can for your patients and that gives you immense satisfaction. Money is an additional factor, but what you really get is the gratitude of helping someone.” Benjamin Siew Wan Siong, a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer shared his experience in the workplace and the changes he had to adapt to, as well as job hazards of working in that industry.

Yeo Pei Jia, an AUSMAT student who attended both the external site visits as well as the career forum, said, “My visit to IMU definitely exposed me to wide career choices in the field of the health sciences. The activities arranged were interesting and fun. The career forum motivated me to strive for success and become a better person. Attending Dr Shah Yasin’s talk gave me a better idea of what to pursue in the future. Indeed career exploration week was helpful.”