Entrepreneur Feature: GRADUAN®

GRADUAN®’s Director Nabil Marie believes a feeling of ownership is crucial for a business to succeed. Not just from top management but everyone in the organisation. “Everyone needs to feel proud of what they’re doing and support each other as a team…to work in the company as if it is their own,” he says.

Many entrepreneurs look up to others for success and guidance, formulating their blueprint for success based on industry players and other successful entrepreneurs. For Nabil, it is his parents – mum Elia Talib and dad Faris Marie – who took the leap of faith to begin the publishing company back in 1994.

Since then, GRADUAN® has branched out into a number of different initiatives including Malaysia’s biggest career fair GRADUAN Aspire, the Aspire+ Networking Series and the latest addition to GRADUAN® career initiatives, GRADUAN® NEX, its first career initiative tailored to talent with disabilities, all in keeping with its aim to guide graduates as they venture into Malaysia’s workforce.

“Everyone needs to feel proud of what they’re doing and support each other as a team…to work in the company as if it is their own"

That’s exactly Nabil’s biggest takeaway from the job: Seeing the younger generation progress further in their career and succeed. “When strangers come up to you and say thank you for organising the fair because it helped them get employed… that is the most rewarding,” Nabil says.

GRADUAN Aspire’s 2019 edition attracted more than 68,000 talent. Its overseas fairs in the UK saw a joint participation of over 7,000 talent. All these talent were given the chance to meet and network with top Malaysian employers, helping them pave their way for future success.

The 10th anniversary of GRADUAN Aspire promises to be the biggest career fair yet for the company promises Nabil. “This year’s GRADUAN Aspire being our 10th anniversary will be an amazing one. We will combine our two conferences into one solid conference. The programme planned is very exciting!”

A major turning point was deciding to conduct the fair at KLCC. “It was the biggest event we ever planned to do, the biggest risk to take as we might be taking on something more than we can handle,” Nabil recalls when the first GRADUAN® Aspire was launched in KLCC.

Ten years later, it's grown from strength to strength and has firmly established itself as Malaysia's biggest career fair making GRADUAN® a household name in paving the way for the future generation of leaders.

An important foundation of success is holding strongly to principles and living by them. For Nabil, this means modesty and humility. “Be humble with whoever you meet, and never burn bridges. Always be reliable and have good relationships. You never know whose help you might need in the future. When it comes to work, never be afraid to ask if you are unsure. Have a good work attitude and do more than what is expected of you. Learn from mistakes, whether it’s your own or others’, and always steer clear of gossip,” GRADUAN®’s director advises.

Making the most of your time in university is also crucial in building your resume as a fresh graduate. That’s something Nabil says he would tell himself if he could go back 20 years into the past. “I would get involved in clubs and societies while also undertake part-time jobs and internships because this will undoubtedly help one’s career. There’s no substitute for experience.”