Bantuan Balik Kerja in the Midst of Covid-19

Covid-19 has thrown the entire world economy into chaos, devastating businesses and shifting the paradigm in the employment landscape. With the alarming unemployment rate of 4.6% to 4.7%, Malaysia is in a critical recovery stage to ensure the country can rebuild its economy foundation and rise from the ashes.

In efforts to help the unemployed or retrenched to get back on their feet, many initiatives have been launched by the government and private sectors, and Astro Awani’s AWANI Pagi follows one of such initiatives – the “Back to Work” Campaign, or better known locally as Kempen “Bantuan Balik Kerja” (BBK), initiated by JobRewards, an online job portal and career counselor specializing in bridging the best of talents to the right employers.

Representing JobRewards in the interview is Jafni Zhafri Zakaria, General Manager of JobRewards.

Can you explain more about Kempen BBK and the goals JobRewards aspire to achieve through it?

BBK is an initiative from JobRewards to help those in need of a job and those who are affected by the pandemic. What we are offering during the campaign is to give out rewards to people who got a job through our portal, and we target to help 1,000 people. The rewards come in various forms, and at the current stage, we are giving out monetary and lifestyle rewards.

So far how effective has BBK been to secure jobs for those affected by the pandemic?

We don’t have the actual figures, but we do make successful placements for our jobseekers. This process is still ongoing and we continue to encourage people who need a job to register with us at www.jobrewards.my. If you need any help for the registration process, you can seek help from us through our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/JobRewardsPage/.

As for companies, we encourage them to work closely with us so that we can match the right candidates according to their criteria and requirements. Our rates are one of the lowest in the market.

“Our world has evolved to such an extent that there are no other ways but upskilling to set ourselves apart from other jobseekers.”

Does JobRewards offer any training or courses?

We are currently working closely with various institutes to come out with online programs and training for people who are registered with us for free. Companies have a set of criteria required for a specific job position, and as the recruitment consultant, we are able to identify skill sets that are in demand and are relevant for the job market and offer tips to our job seekers for upskilling from time to time.

Which industries or sectors are hiring now?

Based on our observations on the current job trend, there is a drastic increase in online jobs. Jobs such as web designing, digital marketing, social media marketing and online customer supporting are very popular now.

There is also a demand in the electronics manufacturing and manufacturing sectors.

“Receiving little information or feedback from companies after applying for the job position is something universal faced by all jobseekers. What we can do is to change our strategy in approaching the issue.”

Based on JobRewards’ observations, what are the tips for getting a job during this season of pandemic?

We always share practical tips and guidance on all aspects of the job hunting process through our Facebook page because we don’t want good candidates to lose out. For example, how to improve your CV and resume presentation and make it attractive.

Our suggestion is to constantly improve our own skills, not only in our current expertise or specialization, but also in skills such as digital and presentation. Our world has evolved to such an extent that there are no other ways but upskilling to set ourselves apart from other jobseekers.

At JobRewards we will always try to help out, sharing what we have and know. It is good news that we are in discussion with different institutes to roll out more online training that will benefit all jobseekers. Do follow us on Facebook to get updates on available training.

Is there any guarantee for those who use JobRewards portal to get into interviews or at least receive feedback from companies, given the waiting period is usually long?

It has become an unspoken rule now that we rarely receive any updates or information after we apply for a job position. For JobRewards, as a recruitment consultant and job portal, we are the bridge that connects both companies and jobseekers. Whenever we receive updates on suitable job matches, we will inform relevant job seekers who have registered with us. If they are shortlisted, they will be guided by our professional team of recruitment consultants on how to prepare and ace the interviews.

Instead of waiting passively and wasting time waiting endlessly for a reply or feedback, we suggest for the applicants to reach out to the companies for follow ups after applying for the position, because this action distinguishes them from other applicants.

Receiving little information or feedback from companies after applying for the job position is something universal faced by all jobseekers. What we can do is to change our strategy in approaching the issue.

Does it mean that digital skills has become an essential skill for jobseekers to land better job opportunities?

Digital skills have slowly become a basic skill needed to land a job. Malaysia is currently in the process of digital transformation, and as we see it, many businesses who used to run offline have now gone online.

For example, if we look back to 10 years ago, it is hard to imagine or accept that we can buy groceries, daily necessities or food online. Look at today, we have become so used to online purchases and deliveries.

We can no longer run away from learning digital skills as the digitalization of businesses is the future. The old “wait and see” attitude can no longer work, so we should take the initiative to learn new skills, utilizing videos and courses available in the web. Even now when we want to meet clients we are already using video platforms online. This is a good example of why we need to improve our digital skills to future proof our career.

Does JobRewards plan to cooperate with the government such as with JobsMalaysia or My Future Job to further increase the capacity of reaching out to people in need of jobs?

This is indeed within our plans, because our objective is to reach out to a wider audience, so that more people can benefit from the initiatives and programs. It is worth noting that we are working with USM to conduct an online job fair in the near future.

Last question before we end, how do people participate in this kempen BBK?

Just go to our website and register your details. Upload your latest CV and you will be updated from time to time when a suitable job match is available.

We have a dedicated team of recruitment consultants who will be in touch with you throughout the job searching process, giving you proper guidance on how to ace the interviews. We will also guide those who are not being offered a job yet with continuous online training and tips.

Jafni Zhafri Zakaria has over 13 year experience in Planning, Sales and People Management. Currently the General Manager of JobRewards, he has worked in the Furniture, Retail, F&B and Automotive industries before venturing into recruitment.

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