George Town, 8 March 2019 – FRESH graduates and final year students attending a career fair in Penang had a surprise when many of the companies offering employment did instant job interviews.

Some of the 34 local and multinational companies present at UOW Malaysia KDU Penang University College’s Career Fair in Anson Road not only ran personality tests on the first-time job seekers to understand them but also immediately conducted job interviews.

Among the fast-acting employers at the fair was Eco World Development Group Berhad. Its support services and talent management executive Lu Min Yi said the developer was offering 10 internship placement positions for enthusiastic and hardworking candidates.

“This was partly why we have flash interviews with some of the candidates as we want to know if they are able to fit in with us,” she said.

UOW Malaysia KDU Penang student placement manager Anna Lim said the interview sessions allowed employers to gauge candidates’ potential spontaneously.

“Our main initiative of the fair is to provide opportunities for fresh graduates, final year students and job seekers to find suitable employment and internship opportunities,” she said.

To help out those looking for jobs, Lim said those who were unsure about their resumes got to attend a resume writing workshop by Lifework Staffing at the fair. Companies like Hunza Properties Sdn Bhd, Dell, Intel, Western Digital, Plexus, Jabil, Sony and Keysight Technologies were scouting for fairly experienced candidates to fill in positions in their companies. Hunza Properties Bhd human resources and admin executive Ken Yeong said they were looking for candidates with two to three years of experience.

“We are looking for permanent staff with experience as we are offering 30 full-time positions.

“We are a great company for those looking to build their career as we work like a family and the opportunity goes to those who are able to prove themselves,” he said.

Some of the visitors to the fair also tried out personality tests to understand their wants before looking for specific job offerings. Students Michelle Sam Chanalsany and her friend Krutiga Rengasany, both 24, said they wanted to find jobs which suited them most.

“We both studied human resources management and are still looking for the right company with the right culture for us. Thus, we hope to understand our own personalities first before we go after a specific position,” they said.

During the fair from 10am to 5pm, numerous career talks and workshops were also held.