Job hunting evokes soul searching
Job hunting evokes soul searching
By Muyanja Ssenyonga
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Glued to his hard seat is a man possibly in
his early 20s racing against time to surmount a collection of
newspapers -- all but one in Bahasa Indonesia.
From the look of things he has been in that state
for quite sometime. Whatever is stealing his attention at the oak
desk seems to be as involving as it is unnerving. His interest in
each seems to be in a particular section. He's weather-stricken
but resolved to "date" the University Library first thing every
morning to ensure an eventual paying off of his rummaging
exercise. He is doubtless a man on a mission, with a strong
vision too.
His stakes in life seem to be towing the swinging of the
pendulum clock, for a closer look reveals that he has hit the
hard, hazy road to the library by 6 a.m., the reasons for this
being twofold: to make an early start from where he left the day
before availing him ample time to rummage through many
centerpieces, and to pre-empt other colleagues-in-fate from
grasping that elusive job before him.
One deciphers a myriad of relentless endeavors to succeed.
Certainly, varying gestures took turns at his face; this time
radiating brilliance and hope, yet moments later, grief and
bitterness lurking in his eyes. Volatility in gesture as well as
vision is gradually getting the better of him; and that doesn't
bid well for his mental stability.
The young man's interest is in the vacancies section. Almost
visible is the mounting pressure on his mind. For father's
patience is thread-thin, having endured more than enough of his
golden boy's jobless woes over the past four years since
graduation. The urge to please his father is the initial impulse,
but the momentum is fueled by his obsession to satisfy the
demands for elegance, success and prowess that society expected
of him.
The graphic account of Junaedi, the lad's name, is by no means
a solitary tale. Many graduates face similar, if not harder
conditions. Some appear rowdy but are not rogues; inquisitive at
times but not orchestrating rebellions; delinquents of sorts, but
renegades they aren't.
Yet society's interest in their plight, despite claims to the
contrary, are at best lukewarm. The big shots' only interest
being "factory" capacities, they focus only on quantity; paying
heed to neither quality nor tomorrow's buyers. Apparently the
manpower planning unit was relegated to the vagaries of the
laissez-faire market mechanism. It is an every-man-for-himself
situation.
Astonishingly, job searching isn't a grim endeavor for
everyone and vacancy announcements feature in many daily
publications. The issue may not be scarcity of jobs after all,
but maybe something else. Close scrutiny of such job
announcements reveals two things: the focus on English language
ability and the relegation of essential technical skills to
triviality. Fluency in English is the pinnacle.
Whether out of deeper strategic considerations or merely as an
emulation of others, many an Indonesian firm irrespective of
scale and scope, finds it more rewarding to underscore mastery in
English as the nonnegotiable pre-requisite.
Phlegmatic minds can't but snap, unable to read between the
lines. For Junaedi, hardly have the graduation fireworks stopped
when the macabre forces strike him. First that Bahasa Indonesia,
sacrosanct as it has been made out to be, doesn't even feature
among the requirements for him to qualify for most jobs.
Yet just yesterday "One nation, one language" (Satu nusa, satu
Bahasa) was a phrase that earned him praise and accolade in many
circles. Doubtless the student's concentration was tailored to
mastering Indonesian and several other subjects but English. The
decision being in compliance with conventional wisdom: relegate
English to a trivial position in accordance with the dictates of
the curriculum.
To the surprise of Junaedi, the job vacancies with good
prospects are advertised in English, moreover in Bahasa Indonesia
dailies! His head spins. Some leeway is in order for these
foreign incorporated firms, he thinks. Surely such companies try
to attune their activities to all countries where they operate
and even beyond, thus using English maybe justifiable.
It is another matter for Indonesian incorporated companies
having neither offices nor operations abroad. It smacks of either
a deliberate attempt to stifle top Indonesian brains, preventing
them from assuming top brass positions in such enterprises or a
dubious attempt to use English as a sieving mechanism in their
recruitment exercises.
This is not to say one is obsessed with nationalism, the days
of this kind of thinking having long gone, but rather the need
for a link between what the education world offers and the
demands of the business world. If it is felt that English is
vital for most jobs, then prioritizing it at school, university
and vocational academies would do a lot of good!
Fattening the bottom line should no longer be the solitary
target of companies, as the welfare of the local citizens seems
to matter too. Any policy should underscore this perspective.
Blaming the students for their plight would be putting the cart
before the horse. It is their elders who incepted, regulated and
implemented the system but failed to read the writing on the wall
and make necessary adjustments.
There is a need to stem the tide of disappointment,
frustration and disillusionment flowing from beneath. Yet if the
newly graduated brace hardships with acquiescence, the same is
hardly the case with their kith and kin.
It is hard for a mother to fold her arms forever when her only
investment is overwhelmed by what to her are ingeniously
conceived recruitment measures. Her wrath will never reach the
culprits, but the direct beneficiaries who are soft targets:
expatriates. One only hopes such time never comes to pass.
The call for action goes to government bureaucrats; the same
should reverberate in personnel managers' offices. It is a
manifestation of extreme insensitivity to make English a pre-
requisite for success in any job, knowing well the ability of
local folks in that area.
If English fluency is deemed indispensable for any job, the
onus should be on enterprises, the government and employees alike
to figure out how such an ability can be attained. Workforce
regeneration, the sine qua non for sustainable development, is
undermined if demand for experience is the cornerstone for one's
successful attainment of a job: it is only the old guards
changing position, leaving the young out in the cold.
Hence introspection is called for, if the salvation of many
generations is to take shape. There are high hopes that fruition
will come in time if everyone resolves to go that extra mile.
The writer is a graduate student at Gadjah Mada University,
Yogyakarta.