If You’re Passionate, This Company Wants To Hire You

Passion, according to Norlida Azmi, is a powerful motivator at the workplace, and people who work with passion are a company’s biggest asset. The dynamic Group Chief Human Capital Officer says, “When people have passion for their work, they will do anything out of self-volition. There’s no need to instruct them. At UEM, I want our people to embody passion in every aspect of the work we do.”

Norlida is leading the charge in building the talent pool within UEM to imbue new ideas and work methodologies into the company. “Experienced engineers and infrastructure experts are vital to UEM, but we also need newer, younger technical talent such as data scientists and analysts, computer science graduates and professionals with global mindsets in today’s highly disruptive global economy.”

According to Norlida, UEM aims to increase its organisational efficiency and productivity using modern digital solutions and exposing its workforce to growth opportunities available in the digital economy.

“The challenge is to find game-changers and lateral thinkers. We want to attract the best talent in Malaysia to achieve organisational goals, and who can make a difference in the long term. As one of the nation’s most successful engineering-based infrastructure and services conglomerates, UEM is constantly seeking talent to contribute to the country’s development projects, many of which are the company’s pipeline.”

Norlida says fresh talent with the right technical qualifications will benefit from joining UEM. “Besides technically challenging roles that support the future of work, we envisage moving gradually towards greater independence and more project-based work. Also, you’d have access to different exposures as your career progresses with possible assignments at UEM’s subsidiaries. I’m also looking at pursuing industry certification that will instil discipline into our organisational structure, from corporate and financial functions to accounting and project management.”

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CAREER TIPS FOR YOUNG GRADUATES
Four ways to shine at work, says Norlida Azmi.

NEVER STOP LEARNING
Be prepared to learn in the long haul. Build up your technical competencies. Find a boss or mentor you respect – someone who is willing to share their wealth of knowledge and enable you to learn from them. Talk to people about their work experiences. Do some research on companies you want to work for.

FORGET ABOUT SELF-DOUBT
Be confident. Be passionate. Speak up and engage with others. Remove the fear of standing out and take the opportunity to articulate your thoughts and ideas. Put your hands up and volunteer for tasks. Be agile and adapt to today’s fast changing pace.

DON’T BE TOO SERIOUS
Being too serious at work can make you lose perspective. Learn to laugh at yourself and lighten up with others.

AVOID IMBALANCE
Conquer the Asian trait of being overly deferential. However, avoid being too aggressive so strike a balance at being self-confident and diffidence. Your productivity is linked to work-life balance so it’s good practice to ensure you pursue healthy activities such as exercise after spending long hours at work.