Setting the path to a successful career

IT was the lure of a challenging yet rewarding career in the energy industry that got Fittina Musa aiming to work for her dream company, PETRONAS.

The 26-year-old Chemical Engineering Technology undergraduate from Sarawak was over the moon when she got a call from the human resource department of PETRONAS on the good news and is now a distribution and scheduling executive with the global energy and solutions company since last year.

Fittina learned about the Graduate Employability Enhancement Scheme (GEES) under the MySTEP Protege initiative by PETRONAS two years ago back when she was an intern with PETRONAS Carigali Sdn Bhd in Miri.

GEES is a 12-month on-job-training programme that offers placements at various PETRONAS operating units nationwide, providing practical soft skills training and real-life working experiences to build a strong foundation for its apprentices.

Motivated to upskill herself to achieve her career goals, she registered for the GEES programme in 2020 as a stepping stone towards joining her dream employer.

“I am grateful to be assigned to Malaysia LNG in Bintulu. The GEES experience was a mixture of on-job-training with technical knowledge and skills enhancement while discovering my weaknesses and overcoming them.

“Participating in the GEES programme has definitely made an impact in my personal development and career growth by enhancing my soft skills, critical thinking and problem-solving capabilities,” said Fittina, who used to be a shy person.

She added that the inclusive workplace culture practiced by her colleagues and superiors played a key role in preparing her for the industry.

“Everyone was given equal opportunities no matter the job position. There was a safe space for all voices to be heard and I was actively involved in discussions with other fellow GEES apprentices,” she said.

During her stint with GEES, she scouted for job openings within the company and applied for her current position.

“It has been a year working as a production planner and I savour every moment of it,” she said.

Auni Wahab, an English for International Communication undergraduate currently employed by Accenture Technology Solutions Sdn Bhd as a regulatory compliance associate, was also part of the GEES training programme last year.

Mindful of the competitive job market, she opted to undergo GEES training with PETRONAS to elevate her skill set and experience in the corporate world.

“I chose to join PETRONAS MySTEP Protege GEES because the programme offered on-job-training and the opportunity to improve my soft skills. Participating in the 12-month journey has expanded my knowledge and experience which prepared me well for my current career.”

During her training, Auni was part of a team that manages communications for the holding units in PETRONAS. She assisted three different units in her department which exposed her to various functions and subjects including planning, stakeholder management, corporate and sustainability communications.

“The opportunity of being exposed to various functions and the need for collaboration helped improve my ability to speak and interact with others. I became braver and more comfortable speaking and that contributed to me nailing my subsequent job interviews.

“Apart from improved interpersonal skills, I also developed better thought process and attention to detail which has been helpful as I perform my current role of reviewing and investigating system alerts in Accenture.

“I strongly encourage others to join GEES and grab the opportunity as I believe it is an ideal stepping stone towards a successful career,” she added.

Meanwhile, Mechanical Engineering undergraduate Muhammad Fazrul Syafiq Khairul Saleh shared that the GEES programme is a challenging yet comprehensive and rewarding one.

“My supervisor was very supportive and provided me with the necessary guidance in making sure that I executed my task well,” said Fazrul recalling his GEES training.

“I was assigned to maintain the rotating equipment of the Bekok offshore platform for the first five months. Although it was tough, that became an opportunity to enhance my technical skill set,” said the 26-year-old rotating machinery executive attached to the Peninsular Malaysia Assets in Terengganu, whose goal is to become a well-rounded engineer.

A former intern with Institut Teknologi Petroleum PETRONAS (INSTEP) before starting his GEES journey, Fazrul commended the supportive team culture where speaking up is encouraged.

“I’m a shy person by nature. The “speak up” culture in PETRONAS pushed me out of my comfort zone as I felt safe asking questions and contribute feedbacks during meetings and discussions. The experience boosted my confidence and I’m grateful for the friends I made throughout the journey to whom I remain close until today,” added Fazrul.

PETRONAS is committed to investing in education and human capital development at all levels to provide a continuous and sustainable pipeline of talent for the industry and for the nation.

PETRONAS supports the MySTEP’s Protege initiative through GEES, which aims to enhance employability of new graduates to obtain long term employment or to set up their own businesses. GEES apprentices will be exposed to a real work environment within the PETRONAS Group, while also providing the apprentices with training related to soft skills, entrepreneurial and technical knowledge.

GEES is open to Malaysian graduates aged 26 and below who score a minimum CGPA of 3.0 for their bachelor’s degree, are unemployed or under-employed in non-relevant areas of their qualifications and have not attended any similar Protege programmes offered by other companies.

For more details or application, visit here.