You're out in the real world, or will be soon. But, it's a tough time trying to decide the job you really want to do. You're not alone. Whilst some people seem to be born with an innate knowledge of their life's journey in the next millennium, others plod through an extremely stressful time coming to this decision.

Dr. Mahatir's Quote: "Students must consider taking up courses which provide the skills Malaysia currently needs to prevent a "mismatch'' between what is learnt and what is needed. While every student has his own interests and should be given the opportunity to study the field he is interested in, he has to take into consideration the country's needs for skills which can contribute to national development."

This crucial first step on the career-ladder rung can be difficult. But, despair not, for there are ways to come to a conclusion and make the right choice. If you use your Degree wisely and understand your personal inclinations, you can make an informed choice you won't regret.

Look at your Degree:
Take time to examine your Degree and think about the subjects that interest or motivate you. Your performance in some will shine above others. These are the subjects you're usually good at. Jessica Mayhew gained an Upper Second Class in French and Business Studies. Her career choice was difficult and caused panic; "I passed at a good University with flying colours, but I didn't know whether to be a French translator or go and work abroad in Europe. The decision was tough as both didn't quite feel right. I felt I was in this race to make the most crucial choice of my life, as my friends naturally slipped into what they were going to do. One morning, I took a deep breath and thought about what I loved about my course. I rested upon my 'French Television' module, where we would break down and analyse an hour of television. I realised that I wanted to go into television and enjoyed the business-side of the course. So, I channelled my career in that direction. I called the television companies in London and enquired about the Graduate level jobs. Three weeks later I was offered my first job as an Advertising Sales Assistant at Channel 4 Television in London. I haven't looked back since."

Look at your Degree closely to define aspects that you particularly liked or excelled in.

21st Century Hot Skills E-commerce project management; E-commerce consulting; ERP sales; IT infrastructure management; WAP development; Web design; Customer relationship management; Knowledge engineering; Data communications

Turning the Passion into a Reality:
Whatever the aspect of your Degree you enjoy, turning the interest into a career can be daunting. The reality is that most of us never find the perfect job. But many find jobs with some aspects that do interest them. David Hubbard, a Physical Education teacher at Chatsworth Secondary School in Singapore, has been teaching for eight years. "I really didn't have a clue about what I'd upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. But I knew I loved sport and wanted to integrate this into my career path. My University lecturer suggested I become a P.E teacher and here I am. Obviously, I don't just do sport all-day, that's one aspect of the job. I teach other subjects, undertake a lot of administration and attend lots of meetings. I would say sport is 50% of my job. But I am passionate about this 50% and it keeps me stimulated, passing my enthusiasm on to the pupils.

So, try and take a few aspects of your degree and start to investigate into the jobs that are related to the areas you are interested in.

Look Around You!
It is important for you to look at your time at University as a whole. Are you involved in activities that may lead to a future career path? Your experience at University is a learning experience, where you discover your likes and dislikes. An activity that you took up in University might help you.

Kim Siva is a conference producer at an American Conference Organising Company. Graduated from DeMontfort University in 1994, she was stumped for a career choice. "I was lost. I was lucky to have studied overseas and my parents spent a lot on my education. So, I felt a duty to repay them by taking on a career that they would be proud of. I returned home and simply sifted through the Straits Times one morning. An advertisement requiring "a Degree, excellent communication skills, good written and oral English" caught me. What really captured my attention was the idea to "organise events". I used to be on the Students Committee at University and was great at organising lectures, events, and performances. I applied for the job and highlighted this experience during the interview. I was offered the job on the spot!"

Adapt and Combine!
What happens when you realise that you made the wrong Degree decision and you don't want to be that engineer or doctor? Don't panic. Just look at your Degree and see how you can adapt it to the job you do want.

Sharil took his Engineering Degree at University. He was doing very well on his course and seemed set to follow an engineering career. In his third year however, he became heavily involved in the college magazine and discovered that his interest lay in writing. Nonetheless, he still wanted to keep a connection with engineering and looked into how he could combine the two. Some research revealed several engineering publications. He applied to write for them. Due to his extensive knowledge and education in engineering, it wasn't long before he was offered a job as a journalist.

No work experience? Get it!
Now that you have an idea on where you might be headed, it's the perfect time to get as much knowledge and experience whilst at University. Internships or volunteer work indicates to prospective employers that you are proactive and serious.

Adeline Lau, is a final year Mass Communications Undergraduate. In her second year, she found a passion for writing and wanted to pursue a career as a journalist. In her summer holidays, she decided to take the plunge and explore this career fit. "I enjoy writing, researching and uncovering new topics. I called a publishing house to see if I could do an internship with them for experience and they agreed! I worked on an entertainment and tourist magazine for two months and even got published. I'm glad I went for it as I discovered my wish to specialise in investigative journalism. I enjoyed finding out about new places and locations, and would like to do this in more depth, for a newspaper perhaps. It was a valuable and productive experience."

Use Job Searches To Get Real Career Info!
Finally, Job sites have a wealth of information on various careers, so use them! It is an ideal way to get realistic information on degree requirements, job descriptions or typical compensation packages for a career. For example, run a search for say, "Web Developer" and check out these details in the job advertisements for that position. That will help you discover what that career is like and if your degree naturally translates into employer's requirements for that career. Check out Career Profiles as well for a real life look at different jobs.

Take into consideration these six points, and take the time to seriously look at your own motivations and opportunities out there. Once you have achieved this, there will be light at the end of the tunnel!