Additional considerations for choosing a profession - Koon Yew Yin

Koon Yew Yin

Publish date: Tue, 18 Aug 2015, 09:13 PM

Since my publication of my article “How to choose a profession” I have received several good suggestions from readers. As you know, I wrote it primarily for poor students who needed my financial help to complete their tertiary education. Since they are poor, my main objective was to help them choose a profession so that they can easily find employment and solve their immediate financial difficulty.

Of course, there are other considerations for choosing a profession.

The educational system in Malaysia is fundamentally flawed in the sense that the students are streamlined into Science or Arts basing on the students’ LCE results. That is how they are separated out the smart ones from the less smart.

The smarter ones go to Science and the not so smart ones go to Arts.

So the Science graduates become engineers, doctors, scientists while the Art’s students take up accountancy, business admin and so forth. However, at the end of the day when they graduate and take up their respective professions, you look up the corporation hierarchy and there are the Arts guys right at the top, overseeing and bossing the lower rung of engineers and technologists etc.

How is it that the less smart students are now calling the shots and running the show while the smart ones are the mere foot soldiers?

Shouldn’t the smart be ruling the less smart and not the other way round?

Ah, something for you to ponder.

How do you advice students today what their future profession should be when we are living in a dynamic world whereby new job functions are created daily. For instance 30 years ago we did not have web developers or data warehousing specialists and a myriad number of new careers.

With this new information I would advise students how to choose a very safe route to take.

I would ask the student to name the common denominator that is associated with successful people.

This answer would lay the foundation to lead everyone to their rightful profession.

The answer is: The ability to exploit one’s potential. For example, a singer recognizes his good voice and exploited it.

A business man, without an education can be successful because he exploited his business acumen.

A teacher can be successful because he exploited his ability to reach out and teach others and so forth. So in essence, ask the person what his natural inclinations are and what he is passionate about because these would provide the clues that would help him find the profession that harmonizes with his natural potentials, which he is more likely to pursue with unrelenting passion and determination.

My advice to all those failures who continue to moan and groan over their wrong choice of profession is to change and do something they like. Of course, there are a few who continue to complain that they have been misled and not prepared to make a change.

Success should not be equated entirely with wealth which should not be the only obsession in one’s life. True wealth is of the heart, not the size of the wallet.

We should not aspire for wealth and work not only to be rich. Strive instead for happiness, to be loved and to love and more importantly, to acquire peace of mind and serenity.

Discussions

3 people like this. Showing 16 of 16 comments

ks66

If you don't talk about doing own business, highest paid career are non technical professionals like fund managers, financial analysts, oil traders, forex traders, IB front office with the big four, business consultants with MBB(+A), VCs. Getting into such career will catapult you into global citizen category. You will be in great demand worldwide.

Lesser career will be medical doctors(consultant), lawyers, engineers, accountants, pharmacists, university professors, IT specialists,.......etc...etc....Of course, all these professionals can run their own businesses, that will fall under entrepreneurs and not career professionals.

Think big, make the world your home.

2015-08-18 22:45

ks66

enough your nonsense , i know u can fight back so well , one things i really cannot tolerance u is your attitude is too cunning , same how your mandarin is terrible poor , if u dont know chinese , coz banana man , i personal teach u , blue bird meaning in mandarin .

Should ask KYY what grade can be awarded to such level of English in SPM.

2015-08-18 22:53

ks66

Post removed.Why?

2015-08-18 22:54

ks66

I hate to condemn a Chinese having this type of substandard language proficiency. Graduated from UNIVERSITY OF NORTHUMBRIA in QS? Can you understand a Scottish lecturer when he speaks? Can you make a precise calculation how much material is required to build a kampong house? No much different from the so called 'injiniar' from Giat Mara.

Fair enough, KYY commented youngster these day can't even write a proper sentence in English.

Disaster in Our Educational System - Koon Yew Yin
http://klse.i3investor.com/blogs/koonyewyinblog/75498.jsp

2015-08-18 22:54

Frank Soweto

wah the battle of the england in masteel also come to this thread ah LOL

2015-08-19 07:44

clonewar

Ini Kali Lah

2015-08-19 08:38

soojinhou

Yes I fully agree. Pursue your passion, not riches. To be stuck in a well paying job you hate is still a terrible ordeal. Also, I believe none of Warren Buffett's children actually pursue what his dad does, and one of his son became a musician.

2015-08-19 08:57

fung9815

Agree wholeheartedly with Mr Koon. Be passionate and be the best (the latter will not happen without the former).

I always consider myself lucky for discovering my passion at young age. Many people don't, even in their forties/ fifties. I believe parents and friends play an important role in such discovery, but many don't bother.

Parents should start helping their kids, at very young age, to discover their natural-born passion. Whether it is in arts, music, maths, science, study or some even like to do business at young age, parents should discover their passion as soon as they can and help them to exploit their talent in such field. Human do things best when they are passionate.

Sadly, 90% of the parents follow the path of "must get good grades in school" and disregarding their children's passion (only good for those who like to study). While education is still a very important part of life, it is impossible to force someone, who doesn't like to study, to get straight As in study.

Friends, especially those who had discovered and pursuing their own passion in life, should help others in discovering their passion. Don't just agree with them when they complain about their job is, knock their head and encourage them to jump out of the comfort zone, do something they really passionate of and be the best of it.

I have never seen any successful people who doesn't like what they are doing, ZERO! Name me one if you can.

1 month ago

BuLLRam

Mr.Koon, things have changed.I know of many straight A * students in maths physics chem n bio..etc..who now choose to do economics, finance, accounting,or actuarial science in the ivy league..because their parents are in these fields n they are now aware of these issues n professions.

2015-08-19 12:04

cckkpr

Majority of Grade A students will work for those from Grade C, who made it as successful entrepreneurs whereas those from Grade B will prefer to work for the gomen or MNCs and GLCs.

2015-08-19 15:31

oregami

Grade A students spend too much time studying until they become sot & loss their EQ. How can a low EQ person be the boss? Grade B students are more balance thus they have higher EQ & charming personality. So they can be the boss lor.

2015-08-19 17:28

duitKWSPkita

Oregami..

I wan double D... Diligent and Delicious

2015-08-19 17:30

thebadguy

Something to ponder indeed Mr.Koon, however perhaps the really brilliant science students are the ones changing lives and not so obsessed with "making money" achievement. Who are the ones who invented the internet?, the smartphone?, cancer detection machines, new medicine, everything technological thing that we take for granted. If everyone were lawyers and accountants, I am sure nothing will ever get done because everyone would be too busy arguing with themselves and counting their money.

The problem with humanity is we put too much emphasis on money as some sort of "high score".

2015-08-19 17:45

oregami

Duit is definitely a good candidate to be boss. High EQ + IQ + AAA personality.

2015-08-19 18:31

duitKWSPkita

Wao...oregami..

Big tease lo

AAA is battery type..

I dunwan be boss.. My EQ koyak.. IQ low.. Pretty cham

2015-08-19 18:33

enning22

Engineers, doctors, scientists, cannot run business? must be joking.the category of people ,if care to spend a couple of years , pick up some part time courses on business adminstration and economics, read up what is needed ,they can do as good as anybody else , or even much better.

2015-08-20 20:15

Featured Posts

MQ Trader

Introducing MY's First IPO Fund for Sophisticated Investors!

MQ Chat

New Update. Discover investment communities that resonate with your ideas

MQ Trader

M & A Value Partners IPO Equity Fund has been launched - Targeted 13% Return p.a

Latest Videos