March 11, 2019, by Noor Syuhada
My Career Journey to Becoming A Human Resource Manager
By, Jie How Lim (BEng (Hons) Electrical and Electronic Engineering).
I graduated in 2014. I had applied for Future Leader Programme (FLP), a kind of accelerated development management trainee programme at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), one of the top leading pharmaceutical and consumer healthcare companies; joined and graduated from the programme as a Human Resource Manager for one of the biggest business unit of GSK in Malaysia.
Why did I apply for this job?
This is a question that will get everyone curious when they found out my background is Electrical and Electronic Engineer (EEE) but decided to work in Human Resource job. No doubt, I like engineering course, it has structured flow for us to learn about a concept, how to solve complicated problem and equations during our study. During my university time, I have involved in club and societies and learn to manage and lead a team. This make me interested to dealing with people, and I believe human is the most important asset for a company. (With the rising of A.I, I am not sure about this, let’s see!)
How did I find this opportunity?
Few years back, when GSK shared this opportunity in the UNM Careers Fair, I went to ask about it then applied for it. I got selected for their assessment and got offered before final exam, which that’s kinda cool for me. Since this is a structured programme, it has different requirement than the regular role. It started with application, where we needed to write an article of why we want to apply for it. Then, we went through assessment center with a group of candidates; the assessment covered interview, case study, role play, presentation and discussion. It was a full day assessment, although it could be tiring, but it was fun.
Why did I choose this career path?
One of the reasons is I believe in the company could provide a good development ground for me and also gives me the opportunity to learn and grow. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is an evergreen industry and the mission of the company is to help people to do more, feel better and live longer. They also have strong support to provide access of medicine to others who can’t afford, which is something noble and I want to be part of it to change the live of others.
My career journey!
I was lost and not sure of what I want. I was thinking maybe I will pursue engineering after graduation or maybe something entirely different. I had been networking with some external stakeholders I met during some of my club and society activities, which they had shared their views, but I was still unsure. I was just going with the flow, and finally found something that triggered my interest and I am fortunate enough to be selected to be part of the Future Leader Programme in GSK, then I continue to grow on from there.
Last but not least..
What I have studied in the course is nowhere near 100% relevant to my current job. Yet the soft skills that I have gained from my study, assignments, and activities during university times, are the gift that will be with me for a lifetime. For example, I have learnt to think logically to solve critical problem, go through data analytic and presentation, and also to communicate with others in English (which my English was poor), and the list goes on. In short, yes, it is relevant. Soft skills help me a lot in my career so find your strengths and skills!
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